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AKANIMO - So does partaking of sacrament remits ones sin? Do we get forgiveness of sin by partaking of sacrament?
JOEL - The church ordinance that we know can signify forgiveness of sins is baptism (Acts 2:38, Acts 22: 16), but even that only works if the person has sincerely repented for his sins. Sins need to be confessed, forsaken, followed by living the commandments (D&C 1:32).
"All those who humble themselves before God, and desire to be baptized, and come forth with broken hearts and contrite spirits, and witness before the church that they have truly repented of all their sins, and are willing to take upon them the name of Jesus Christ, having a determination to serve him to the end, and truly manifest by their works that they have received of the Spirit of Christ unto the remission of their sins, shall be received by baptism into his church." (D&C 20:37)
The ordinance of baptism is specifically instituted for the remission of sins. The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was not instituted for that specific purpose. Not everyone who partakes of the Sacrament every Sunday have performed all the necessary requirements for forgiveness. However, for some it can signify forgiveness of sins the same as baptism, if they have followed the same requirements in the above scripture before taking the Sacrament.
Elder Bruce R. McConkie said:
"For those whose sins have thus been remitted and who sin after baptism-as all baptized souls do-the path to forgiveness consists of repenting and renewing the covenant made in the waters of baptism. Godly sorrow for sin, complete abandonment of the wrongful acts, confession to the Lord and to the church officers where need be, restitution if such is possible, and renewed obedience-these are all part of the cleansing process for those who, after baptism, fall from the strait and narrow path leading to eternal life. By doing these things and by then partaking worthily of the sacrament, so that the Spirit of the Lord will come again into the lives of the penitent persons, members of the kingdom gain forgiveness of sins." (The Mortal Messiah, 2:50-51)
Elder Melvin J. Ballard said:
"If there is a feeling in our souls that we would like to be forgiven, then the method to obtain forgiveness is not through rebaptism, it is not to make confession to man, but it is to repent of our sins, to go to those against whom we have sinned or transgressed and obtain their forgiveness, and then repair to the Sacrament table where, if we have sincerely repented and put ourselves in proper condition, we shall be forgiven, and spiritual healing will come to our souls. It will really enter into our being. (Melvin J. Ballard, Improvement Era, October 1919, pp. 1,026-27)
Elder John H. Groberg said:
"Do you remember the feeling you had when you were baptized—that sweet, clean feeling of a pure soul, having been forgiven, washed clean through the merits of the Savior? If we partake of the sacrament worthily, we can feel that way regularly, for we renew that covenant, which includes his forgiveness.
Those who would deny themselves the blessing of the sacrament by not attending sacrament meeting or by not thinking of the Savior surely must not understand the great opportunity to have their sins forgiven, to have His Spirit to guide and comfort them," (Ensign May 1989)
The Sacrament is meant to be be part of our repentance process as we recommit ourselves to the promises we made at baptism and are working to forsake our sins. Knowing we have been forgiven of our sins is a spiritual confirmation we receive through the Holy Ghost that happens after we have fully repented of the sin; something like the people listening to King Benjamin experienced as they realized their sins were forgiven:
"And it came to pass that after they had spoken these words the Spirit of the Lord came upon them, and they were filled with joy, having received a remission of their sins, and having peace of conscience, because of the exceeding faith which they had in Jesus Christ who should come, according to the words which king Benjamin had spoken unto them." (Mosiah 4:3)
That confirmation could come to us as we pray (Alma 36: 19-20), as we serve in the temple, listen to a prophet, while reading the scriptures, or even as we take the Sacrament, but it is not the physical act of taking the sacrament that causes forgiveness to come; it is what we have done prior to taking the sacrament that brings the peace of forgiveness to our souls.
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