Two stakes of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the West African nation of Sierra Leone are taking steps to strengthen marriages and families.
The Bo Sierra Leone East Stake and Wellington Sierra Leone Stake in the Church’s Africa West Area are using resources from the Church’s Strengthening Marriage and Strengthening the Family courses.
The Strengthening Marriage and Strengthening the Family courses can help couples enrich their marriage relationships and improve their skills in parenting. Manuals can be ordered by wards or branches — or a PDF version of each can be found online by searching ChurchofJesusChrist.org for the course name. Resources are available in several languages.
Subjects in the classes include applying the principles of the gospel in marriage, promoting equality and unity, communicating with love, overcoming anger, resolving conflict and enriching marriages.
These weekly pilot classes in Sierra Leone are for members of the stake presidency, bishoprics, branch presidencies and their wives, explained the Church’s Africa Newsroom. The aim is to provide these leaders with valuable insights and tools to strengthen marriages and families, which they can then implement in their own wards and branches to benefit the broader membership.
Each stake wanted to make sure its leaders are well-prepared to support and guide families in strengthening marriages — not only benefitting individuals but also contributing to the overall strength of the local and global Church community.
Sierra Leone will also host the seventh annual Strengthening Families Conference later this year.
The Strengthening Families Conference is an international and interfaith event sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, bringing together experts, educators, government and community leaders, faith leaders and traditional leaders. It has been held in various countries in Africa.
Last year in the country of Togo, also in the Africa West Area, 27 couples in the Lome Togo Agoe Stake became the first in the country to take the Strengthening Marriage class. They spoke about how much they learned and grew together in a Church News article about the effort.
That course was supported by the area’s Welfare and Self-Reliance Services Department and led by Family Services Manager Tamara Esi Dadson.
“I am so grateful to these couples who have set such a great example for all those who are married in West Africa,” Dadson said in 2024. “By completing this program they have drawn closer to their Heavenly Father by drawing closer to each other.”
Church teachings and resources about marriage
The Church teaches that life’s greatest joys are found in the family. Under the term “Marriage” in the gospel topics section of ChurchofJesusChrist.org and the Gospel Library app, it says:
“Strong family relationships require effort, but such effort brings great happiness in this life and throughout eternity. In our Heavenly Father’s plan of happiness, a man and a woman can be sealed to one another for time and all eternity. Those who are sealed in the temple have the assurance that their relationship will continue forever if they are true to their covenants. They know that nothing, not even death, can permanently separate them.”
It continues: “Because marriage is such an important relationship in life, it needs and deserves time over less important commitments. Couples can strengthen their marriage as they take time to talk together and listen to one another, be thoughtful and respectful, and express tender feelings and affection often.”
The Church’s resources for strengthening marriages and families can be found at ChurchofJesusChrist.org/topics/family/strengthening-marriages-and-families.
A gospel study guide for marriage can be found through the Gospel Topics section of the Church website and Gospel Living app.
The Church’s Emotional Resilience course — now in 30 languages — is another resource from Family Services with guiding principles that can improve people’s lives as well.
Other resources from Family Services are at familyservices.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
