Setting Boundaries 

The concept of fidelity is paramount to any marriage. For covenant keeping Latter Day Saints it aligns with our values and beliefs. Fidelity is more that just physical loyalty, it also encompasses mental, emotional, and the spiritual commitments we make to our spouse. It's important to set clear boundaries in order to protect the sanctity of our marriages. 

Fidelity is the exclusive devotion and loyalty to one's spouse. This holds even more weight in Latter-day saint marriages where we make covenants not only in this life, but for eternity. Fidelity is the cornerstone of these covenants. 

Some steps we can take in our marriages to protect us from infidelity are: 

1. Keeping Open Communication: Being open and honest is a huge aspect in keeping marital fidelity. We should discuss expectations, concerns, and boundaries around social media usage, interactions with members of the opposite sex, and other areas that could create conflict. When there is open communication it fosters trust and understanding. This helps us to lay a strong foundation for faithfulness in our marriages. 

2. Set and Keep Healthy Boundaries: Having healthy boundaries is a crucial step in safe-gaurding our marriages from external threats. This can look like not having conversations about your marriage with the opposite sex, resisting the opportunity to rescue an unhappy soul, if traveling with a co worker of the opposite sex only meet in public places, don't meet up with former flames, if your going to take lunch or breaks at work make sure it's not always with the same person. It's also important to work on your marriage at home. Talk to your spouse about what is happening, and if you need to talk to someone else make sure it is a therapist or friend who wants the best for both of you (Hawkins et al., 2012). 

3. Stay Away From Temptation: It's important to recognize where we are and how we can do better. We need to guard our hearts from the little things that can creep in and create bigger issues. This could be avoiding situations that could lead to emotional infidelity like talking to someone of the opposite sex online, not seeking after pornography, and reading and watching appropriate materials that keep our minds and hearts in the right place. 

4. Commitment: This is something that I think about often. The need to remember the commitments that we made to each other. To think of the moment that we got married and made covenants with one another. When we do this it helps me to bring back those feelings that I felt towards my spouse in that moment. It helps me to be more grateful of the love we shared and the experiences that we have created together, reaffirming our purpose and commitment that we made to each other. 

It's important to remember that most individuals are not looking to cheat on their spouse. It doesn't always  happen because spouse's don't love each other enought, or because the marriage and sexual intimacy are bad. Marital fidelity is about boundaries, we must know how to put up the appropriate walls in order to protect our marriages (Hawkins et al., 2012). 

What boundaries have you found helpful in your marriage?