Divine Identity: The Foundation of Eternal Marriage
In this episode of One by One, hosts Nick Leyva and Austin Ellis tackle a critical challenge faced by many marriages today - the disconnect between our eternal nature and our day-to-day relationship struggles. Through their extensive experience in therapy and spiritual guidance, they reveal how misunderstanding our divine identity often lies at the root of marital conflicts, while embracing it can lead to profound healing and unity.
Their approach combines professional expertise with gospel principles to show how recognizing our divine nature transforms how we view both ourselves and our spouse. Drawing from real couples' experiences, they demonstrate how this eternal perspective can break cycles of conflict, deepen emotional intimacy, and create the foundation for a truly celestial marriage.
Understanding Our Divine Nature
The episode opens with a powerful exploration of President Nelson's three key identities that should take precedence in our lives: being a literal son or daughter of God, a child of the covenant, and a disciple of Christ. These divine roles, the hosts emphasize, supersede worldly identities that we often cling to, such as career titles, church callings, or even national identity.
Through their therapeutic work with couples facing various challenges, including addiction recovery and betrayal trauma, Nick and Austin have witnessed firsthand how embracing one's divine identity can catalyze healing and transformation. They share compelling examples of couples who have experienced breakthrough moments when they truly understood their worth as children of God.
The hosts emphasize that this understanding isn't just theoretical knowledge but a deeply personal recognition that can transform how we view ourselves and our relationships. They discuss how this awareness creates a foundation for authentic connection and growth in marriage, allowing couples to see beyond current struggles to eternal potential.
Embracing Divine Identity Together
Throughout the episode, Nick and Austin outline essential practices for couples seeking to embrace their divine identity. They emphasize beginning with personal recognition of worth through scripture study, specific prayer about eternal identity, and actively replacing worldly labels with divine truths. This foundation enables couples to create safe spaces for vulnerability, where they can acknowledge each other's divine potential and help shed limiting beliefs that hold them back.
The hosts stress the importance of centering marriage in Christ through consistent covenant-keeping and studying the Savior's example together. They encourage couples to build on eternal principles by focusing on their divine roles over temporary positions, making decisions with an eternal perspective, and strengthening their temple covenants. Daily practices, such as affirming divine identity, recognizing God's hand in marriage, and expressing gratitude for eternal bonds, help couples maintain this eternal focus in their relationship.
Nick and Austin share examples of couples who have implemented these principles, demonstrating how consistent attention to divine identity transforms relationships. They emphasize that this transformation requires patience, dedication, and mutual support, but the resulting growth in unity and understanding makes every effort worthwhile.
Christ as the Center of Identity
Austin and Nick emphasize that understanding our identity isn't about self-aggrandizement but about recognizing our relationship with the Savior. They reference the story of Christ's temptation, highlighting how the adversary often attacks our sense of identity, just as he challenged Christ's divine sonship, and how understanding this pattern can help us resist similar attacks in our marriages.
The hosts share three key lessons from Christ's example:
Respond with Truth: When faced with identity challenges, respond with scripture and eternal truths
Stay Mission-Focused: Keep eternal goals in mind rather than proving yourself to others
Draw on Divine Power: Access God's strength through prayer and covenants
The episode includes moving testimonies of couples who have experienced profound healing when they centered their identity in Christ. These stories demonstrate how allowing the Atonement to transform our understanding of who we are can lead to deeper marital unity and personal growth.
Breaking Free from False Identities
One of the most compelling insights shared is how we often adopt false identities that limit our potential and strain our relationships. The hosts discuss how these identities - whether tied to our profession, struggles, or past experiences - can become barriers to experiencing the full measure of God's love and our spouse's support.
They provide practical examples of how couples can help each other shed these limiting self-perceptions and embrace their true divine nature. Austin shares experiences from his counseling practice where couples transformed their relationships by letting go of labels like "addict" or "victim" and instead embracing their identity as children of God capable of growth and change.
Nick and Austin emphasize the importance of supporting each other through this process of identity transformation. They discuss how couples can create a safe environment for growth and change, allowing both partners to explore and embrace their divine potential without fear of judgment or rejection.
Moving Forward with Divine Purpose
The episode concludes with actionable guidance for couples seeking to strengthen their marriage through a better understanding of their divine identity. The hosts recommend specific practices like spending time in prayer asking God about your identity and worth, studying Moses Chapter 1 while personalizing its messages and focusing on eternal roles rather than temporary positions.
Real-world examples illustrate how couples who ground their relationship in divine identity create lasting change and eternal growth. The hosts share stories of transformation from their counseling experiences, demonstrating how this understanding can heal even deeply wounded relationships.
Nick and Austin's approach breaks new ground by combining professional therapeutic insights with deep spiritual truths. They demonstrate that when couples ground their relationship in an understanding of their divine identity, they create a foundation for lasting change and eternal growth.
For more insights and practical tools to strengthen your marriage, tune in to the One by One podcast. Nick and Austin continue exploring these vital topics while providing guidance for couples seeking deeper unity in their relationships.
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