Becoming One

            This concept of “becoming one” always seemed kind of foreign to me. It wasn’t until I was married that I came to understand exactly what this means. We are commanded to become one with Christ. The scriptures admonish “if ye are not one, ye are not mine.” This illustrates for me the importance of becoming one in faith, unity and in the cause of spreading the word that Jesus Christ is our Savior, and inviting others to come unto Him. How does this relate to marriage? Within marriage we are also commanded to become one. We leave our mothers and fathers and we “cleave” unto our husband or wife. In order to become one it’s important that a couple commit first to work to become one with Christ, and then they can become one with each other.

            Someone who was a great example of this was my grandparents on my Mother’s side. My Grandma Fern and Grandpa Wayne were married in the Salt Lake City Utah temple and were devoted to the gospel of Jesus Christ until their dying days. They committed to work to become one with Christ and worked hard on their marriage. They didn’t have a perfect marriage, but they had an eternal perspective and wanted to do everything they could to make their marriage successful. They attended church, the temple, and taught the gospel to their children. One of their last trips to the temple together as a couple, they were joined by all 6 of their children in the celestial room. When my Grandma looked around she said: “Are we all here?” Everyone was happy to say, “Yes, Mom, we are all here.” That is what it’s all about, coming together to gain a testimony of Jesus Christ and then working towards an eternal marriage and an eternal family. The choice my grandparents made to become one with Christ and with one another affected generations after them. Their children then taught their grandchildren, and now their grandchildren are teaching their great grandchildren. The gospel and its teachings live on through the obedience and devotion of my grandparents. I am grateful for their example.