The Sacrament

Today I read Moroni 4 and 5. Like yesterday, these 2 chapters are so similar that I decided to combine them in my reading. I'm glad Moroni included the sacramental prayers in the Book of Mormon, they are not contained in 3 Nephi where the Savior institutes the Sacrament, so until the Lord gave Joseph Smith Doctrine and Covenants section 20 it was the only place we had the Sacramental prayer.

It does remind me though of a Priesthood lesson we had 3 weeks ago on the Sacrament. The instructor asked us at the beginning of the lesson to be thinking about what it means to remember the Savior. Obviously we are not going to forget that the Savior performed the Atonement for us, so what does it mean that we eat in remembrance of Him? The teacher actually used the analogy of the wedding ring, what is it for? It's obviously not to remind us that we are married, no one who is married is going to suddenly forget that they are married.

About half way through the lesson he stopped and asked if anyone had come up with any ideas on what the scriptures meant by remembrance? I had been batting around an idea that had come to me and would not leave me so I shared it with the class. I shared that I had served my mission in Arcadia, California(Eastern Los Angles) among the Chinese people. In Chinese culture they really revere their ancestors and even have holidays specifically to clean up their tombs and grave-sites. Well, one of things they frequently do for their ancestors is to burn paper money, and place offerings of fruit outside their door. They do this so that the ancestor in question will have a great afterlife and to honor the life they led.

And to me that's what the word remembrance is. We are not reminding ourselves that the Savior suffered and died for us as if we would forget, but rather we are honoring His sacrifice for us and what He did. We do it in remembrance of all He suffered for us, to honor Him. I think also, when it was given by Him personally, it really was to remind His apostles and disciples of the times He was with them. But for those of us who have not met Him physically in this life, it is more about taking a moment to give thanks and honor His sacrifice for us.

I've often wondered if the reason so many people in olden days drank wine, or juice or whatever, was the lack of sanitary drinking water? Nevertheless, we know that with the Sacrament any edible item and any drinkable item can be used for the Sacrament, it does not have to be bread and wine or water as it were. Military men and women quite frequently use crackers instead of bread when they do not have access to bread.

If you have not read the Sacramental prayers in a long time, I urge you to go back and read them. Remind yourself of the promises contained in them and just as importantly, what YOU promise to do in return. If you have been a member of the church for a few years you will recognize that it is the same promises we made when we were baptized. And we are promised the same thing we were when we were confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, that the Spirit may always be with us.

I have heard in several talks that partaking of the Sacrament and renewing our covenants with God is the most important thing we do at church, and truly they are correct. The other parts of our meetings are also very important, but partaking of the Sacrament each and every week is so important. I again urge you to re-read the sacramental prayers, but don't just read through them like the priests at church usually do, going so fast they stumble and mumble over half the words. Really take your time and read them, ponder them and see if you learn anything new. Remember, these are such sacred prayers that they are some of the very, very few prayers in the church that have to be word for word perfect. Study them and pray about them, see if you learn anything new. I promise that the effort will be worth it. Until tomorrow.