THE SACRAMENT
Members of the Mormon Church meet each Sabbath day to worship and partake of the sacrament. The sacrament is an essential ordinance that is necessary for spiritual development, and the more the purpose of the sacrament is understood, the more sacred the sacrament becomes to the participant.
The sacrament was instituted the night before the Savior's Crucifixion. In meeting with His Apostles, the Savior knew that this would be the last time He would meet with them before His death. He wanted them to always remember Him so that they could be strong and faithful in the gospel. The sacrament provided them with that opportunity to remember His life, His ministry and above all, the Atonement of the Son of God.
The Savior "…took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after the supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you."1 Today, members of the Mormon Church continue this ordinance; partaking of the bread and water in remembrance of the Atoning sacrifice the Savior made for each individual.
When members are baptized into the Mormon Church, they make promises to remember the Savior at all times; to take upon themselves His holy name; and to keep His commandments. The sacrament gives each member the opportunity to remember and renew the covenants made at their baptism.
Through revelation to the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord explained how the sacrament is to be administered. Those who hold the necessary priesthood authority (Priests or Elders) administer the sacrament to the congregation. The bread is broken into pieces and the priesthood holder kneels and blesses it. The bread is then passed to the members of the congregation. The priest or elder then kneels and blesses the water and it is also passed to the members. The scriptures reveal the exact words that are to be spoken for both sacrament prayers.2 These are sacred prayers, which contain the promises we make to the Lord and the promises the Lord makes to us.
Along with this sacred ordinance, it is imperative that the sacrament be taken worthily. The Lord does not expect the receiver to be perfect in order to take the sacrament, He does however expect the receiver to prepare for the sacrament. This means to repent of the sins that have been committed throughout the week and to examine one's life in conjunction with how the Savior would have him live. It is the individual's responsibility to approach the sacrament with, humility, reverence, and with a rededication to be more like the Savior in the coming week. The sacrament is a time to remember the Atoning sacrifice the Savior made for each individual. It is because of His sacrifice that we will each have the opportunity to live with Him and our Father in Heaven again.
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