Dating is the process that will lead us down the road to a temple marriage and eternal exaltation. Ever wish the road were just a little shorter or, at least, less rocky? The best advice on dating is found in the “For the Strength of Youth” pamphlet published by the church. The guidelines work well for anyone from 16 to 60. And besides, who’s better at giving advice than the Lord?

In the Doctrine and Covenants, chapter 88 verse 40, the Lord revealed the following truth through the Prophet Joseph Smith:

“For intelligence cleaveth unto intelligence; wisdom receiveth wisdom; truth embraceth truth; virtue loveth virtue; light cleaveth unto light; mercy hath compassion on mercy and claimeth her own; justice continueth its course and claimeth its own; judgment goeth before the face of him who sitteth upon the throne and governeth and executeth all things.”

So maybe the Lord wasn’t thinking of dating in that particular scripture, but it definitely makes for a good recipe. We attract what we are. Since we all intelligent, wise, honest, merciful daughters of God, doesn’t it make sense that we will attract those worthy sons of God with the same attributes?

Married sisters within the church can attest to the difficulty of dating even after marriage. A whole new set of challenges arises after the wedding bands are exchanged. Who will watch the children? Are we “bad” for going out without the kids? Do we have the money to date? Despite the possible difficulties, continuing to date your spouse after marriage will enrich and strengthen your matrimonial relationship.

Whether married or single, dating is meant to be fun. Use your imagination and come up with a wild and crazy way to spend the evening and strengthen your relationship. And if you’re at a loss, try one the great ideas below!

Free Dates
• Fly kites, for an added twist, make your own kite using newsprint and other fun embellishments you find around the house.
• Feed ducks at a park
• Use movies in your collection to have a “movie marathon”
• Attend the temple or a fireside together
• Go hiking. Take along a wildflower or bird watching book.
• Make dinner for an elderly couple in your neighborhood/ward and serve together
• Check out an astronomy book from the library then go out into the desert, woods, country and pick out constellations in the night sky
• Select a book you both enjoy (scriptures would work great) and take turns reading a loud to each other
• Arrange a progressive dinner with other couples
• Make a pizza and play board games
• Walk around the downtown area of local town, window shop, enjoy the weather and the time to talk
• Plan a scavenger hunt with other couples
• Play sports together (a GREAT way to get to know our date)
• Attend a local church-sponsored dance
• Head to the library, and pick something - independently or together - to enjoy together - music, video, book - travel, cooking, how-to, etc.
• Go on a picnic, don't for get big blanket and books to read.

Cheap Dates
• Rent a bicycle for two
• Go to a dollar movie and then split a sundae
• Borrow fishing poles, purchase a licence and bait, and pack a lunch. Spend a Saturday morning fishing. If no one catches anything, purchase fish at the local market and fry it up for dinner.
• Go to the zoo
• Attend a local high school football game
• Miniature golfing, bowling, driving or batting range
• Choose a film from the AFI's list of best 100 films in 100 years to rent
• Visit a local museum
• Go to a planetarium or science center (the latter usually has fun hands-on exhibits)
• Most cities large and small offer some kind of seasonal festival - find and attend one
• Take a scenic drive - find a local scenic byway in the USA.
• Rent roller blades at a local park
• Enroll in an Institute of Religion course together
• Take a class together (call your local community college or recreational center - they offer unique classes that usually last only one night)
• Attend a show at a local giant screen theatre
• Find a drive-in theater, and take in a show, be sure to order a burger, fries and milkshake for the whole experience.
• Visit a national park together
• Enjoy a night of disco roller skating or indoor ice skating.
• Watch the sunrise or sunset, your local newspaper has a time table of these daily occurrences, then go out for hot chocolate and cinnamon rolls.
• Go to a water park

Splurge Dates
• Hot air balloon ride
• Take a dinner cruise around a local lake
• Buy tickets to a local amusement park
• Attend a play or musical you and your date would like to see
• Rent the vehicle of your dreams for the evening
• Go bungee jumping or skydiving
• Go to a favorite artists concert
• Take a course in ballroom dance, and if you love it, vow to use your new found skill often.
• Attend the symphony or major theater production
• Get dressed up and try the new, hip restaurant in town
• Purchase tickets to a local sporting event, for added fun, tailgate.
• Arrange for a carriage ride around a local park or historical district
• Take in a dinner show at a local ghost town
• Be spontaneous and take a road trip
• Rent a boat / ATV’s / or jet ski’s for the day
• Skiing or snow boarding
• For married couples: rent a local hotel room for the evening and take advantage of the pampering services offered (massages, swimming pools, hot tubs, room service!)
• Charter a private plane for the evening

Got a Sitter?

The date’s been set, the reservations made and the outfit chosen. There’s only one problem. What to do with the children? Below are some ideas for childcare:

• Establish a “Childcare Co-op” within your ward. Each couple within the group will pick a date night during which the other parents watch their children. This practice provides not only free childcare but gives the parents piece of mind knowing their little ones are with a trusted ward member.

• Along the lines of the Childcare Co-op, arrange babysitting exchanges with siblings in the area. Nieces and nephews are also a good source to tap into.

• How about the Young Women in your ward? Many are looking for service projects to fulfill the goals in the achievement program.

• Check out local YMCA’s or recreational centers. Most will offer drop-in programs for children on Friday nights. The best thing about these programs? In addition to being relatively inexpensive, they offer the children organized learning and play activities.

Group Dates:

Invite a few couples to join you for the following dates, or try them on your own.

• The Donna Reed Dinner - Plan the all American 1950's dinner.  Meat loaf, mashed potatoes, and peas.  Assign each couple an entree for the meal, and be sure to plan the meal around the evening news (to begin or end in time to watch the news).  End the evening with a Jell-O dessert.

• Host a Murder Mystery Dinner Party. Serve dinner or just desserts, this fun "mini" play has attendees come in costume and in character. As you play along see if you can solve the mystery first.

• Get a group of couples together to play flag football or frisbee golf.

• Bunko! is a great game to play with a lot of couples - 6 couples at least. Pick a game theme ... cartoon characters, holiday, movie stars, careers... and have each couple bring their favorite munchy to share with the group. Then watch to see who's the most competitive!

Want more ideas?
Try some of the ideas listed on these websites:

Redbooks Happy Couples 101 - 100 Great Date-Night ideas, by Amy Keyishian

300 Date Night Ideas - The worlds most romantic, unique and fun dating ideas, by Michael Webb

Weekly date night ideas - pencil your partner in tonight, by Jennifer Good.

Date Night Ideas from FamilyFirst