Companions

1Hearken unto me, saith the Lord your God, for my servant Oliver Cowdery’s sake. It is not wisdom in me that he should be entrusted with the commandments and the moneys which he shall^acarry unto the land of Zion, except one go with him who will be^btrue and faithful.

2Wherefore, I, the Lord, will that my servant, John Whitmer, should go with my servant Oliver Cowdery;

D.C. 69:1-2

Having a companion is a very good idea. It certainly helps on the mission, and it helps me in life.

I remember a story I heard about someone famous who talked about getting married. She said that getting married helped her realize that she wasn't as good as she thought she was. She could be mean and wasn't nearly as thoughtful or helpful as she imagined she was. Isn't that the truth: I've learned so much by being married. For instance, I'm a bigger slob than I realized. I don't do a good job letting Jamie know how much I appreciate all she does. I don't plan life well enough so we don't end up doing enough fun things together on the weekends. I am too slow to come home from work a lot, which sends a message about the importance of my family. I am so lazy around the house, which I thought was only true in my youth because I worked at the dairy a lot and thought that made up for it. Now I know I'm just lazy.

At least I recognize all these things a little and can work on them. I also have quit fantasy sports, which were a big waste of time but I had done it since I was 8, and I play with my kids better now than I used to, and I am a little more organized than in the past. My companion helps me in many more ways than this. She is great. I hope to improve enough so she'll want to be with me forever. I know I'm a better person now than I was 4.5 years ago before we met, and it's all because of her.

Here's another verse about what a companion can do for you. Jamie has done this for me.

4And also that he receive ^acounsel and assistance from my servant Oliver Cowdery and others.

Companions are useful for many reasons. I love mine very much.