On the Sabbath day whenever possible Latter-day Saints gather to partake of small pieces of bread and sips of water, which are emblems of the sacrament signifying Jesus Christ’s atoning sacrifice for all mankind. It is a reminder of the promises we made to God to always remember Christ and keep His commandments that we may be like him. In essence, we are striving to become unified with Christ. In return for keeping this sacred promise or covenant, we are promised the blessing of God’s Spirit or Holy Ghost to stay with us always.
There was a time my husband and I were arguing before church. I found it hard to forgive him and I held a certain degree of resentment in my heart. I do not remember what provoked me but I remember feeling like my heart was constricted and I seriously questioned if I should take the sacrament in such a state. I will not advise you, reader, as to what you should do in such a situation. But as for me, after prayers and searching in the gospel library app for direction, I decided to attempt repair of the relationship by apologizing. Being the kind man he is, my husband accepted the apology quickly.
The sacrament seems to be a way to keep us accountable after we have made the commitment to follow Christ. This propels us forward toward continual cleansing and renewing which will improve relationships. Henry B. Eyring shared the following: “When we keep our covenants to take His name upon us, to remember Him always, and to keep all His commandments, we will receive the companionship of His Spirit. That will soften our hearts and unite us” (Eyring 1998).
He continued to list two warnings that come along with this promise. The first is that to enjoy the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost, we must not love the things of the world more than God. To love God with all that we have will bring the Spirit of God into our souls, which is a prerequisite for truly becoming one (Eyring 1998).
The second warning is to “beware of pride” and that the protection from pride is to “see the bounties which God pours upon us . . . [as] an opportunity to join with those around us in greater service” (Eyring 1998). This means to recognize blessings and use them to serve others. I know that it is Satan that causes relationships to fail through contention and anger (3 Nephi 11:29-30, Book of Mormon). May we consistently choose to yield to the enticings of the Holy Spirit (2 Nephi 2:16, Book of Mormon) and enjoy being unified in Christ’s power.
The Book of Mormon. Trans. Joseph Smith, Jr. Salt Lake City, UT: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Eyring (1998). “That We May Be One.” Ensign, May.
Higher Marriage 