The Sacrament

1. The Sacrament Which of these is of the greatest Importance in your lives?

2. Events in the Life of Jesus • He was born under miraculous circumstances. • At his baptism, the Holy Ghost descended upon him. • He performed many miracles that testify of his divinity.

3. He calmed the sea. • He introduced the sacrament at the Last Supper. • He suffered for the sins of all mankind, died, and was resurrected. • He taught the proper way to pray.

4. He fed five thousand people with a few loaves and fishes. • He prophesied of his second coming.

5. If the Savior had not done this one thing, none of the others would matter very much.

6. The Last Supper – The Sacrament reminds of us Christ’s Suffering

7. How can the sacrament remind us of Christ’s suffering for mankind’s sins, His death, and His resurrection?

8. “Our Father in heaven … loved his Son, Jesus Christ, better than Abraham ever loved Isaac, for our Father had with him his Son, our Redeemer, in the eternal worlds, faithful and true for ages, standing in a place of trust and honor, and the Father loved him dearly, and yet he allowed this well-beloved Son to descend from his place of glory and honor, where millions did him homage, down to the earth, condescension that is not within the power of man to conceive. He came to receive the insult, the abuse, and the crown of thorns. God heard the cry of his Son in that moment of great grief and agony, in the garden when, it is said, the pores of his body opened and drops of blood stood upon him, and he cried out: ‘Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me.’ … “… His Father looked on with great grief and agony over his Beloved Son, until there seems to have come a moment when even our Savior cried out in despair, ‘My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’ ”

9. How do you think parents would feelwatching one of their children suffer as our Heavenly Father watched his Son suffer?

10. “In that hour I think I can see our dear Father behind the veil looking upon these dying struggles until even he could not endure it any longer; and, like the mother who bids farewell to her dying child, has to be taken out of the room, so as not to look upon the last struggles, so he bowed his head, and hid in some part of his universe, his great heart almost breaking for the love that he had for his Son. Oh, in that moment when he might have saved his Son, I thank him and praise him that he did not fail us, for he had not only the love of his Son in mind, but he also had love for us. I rejoice that he did not interfere, and that his love for us made it possible for him to endure to look upon the sufferings of his Son and give him finally to us, our Savior and our Redeemer. Without him, without his sacrifice, we would have remained, and we would never have come glorified into his presence. And so this is what it cost, in part, for our Father in Heaven to give the gift of his Son unto men” (Melvin J. Ballard, Sermons and Missionary Services of Melvin Joseph Ballard, comp. Bryant S. Hinckley [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1949], pp. 153–55).

11. The sacrament is a weekly reminder to: • Take upon us the name of Christ • Always remember Him • Keep His commandments

12. READ Mosiah 18:8-10 • 8 And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light; •   9 Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life— •   10 Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you?

13. Melvin J. Ballard, a former Apostle, related his feelings about taking the sacrament and standing as a witness of God • “I need the sacrament. I need to renew my covenant every week. I need the blessing that comes with and through it. I know that what I am talking about is true. I bear witness to you that I know that the Lord lives. I know that He has made this sacrifice and this atonement. He has given me a foretaste of these things. … • “I know that He lives, and I know that through Him men must find their salvation, and that we cannot ignore this blessed offering that He has given us as the means of our spiritual growth to prepare us to come to Him and be justified. … • “Go to the sacrament table. Ah, that is a blessed privilege that I now rejoice in, and I would be ashamed, I know, … to stand in His presence and try to offer any apology or any excuse for not having kept His commandments and honored Him by bearing witness, before the Father and before men, that I believe in Him, and that I take upon me His blessed name, and that I live by and through Him spiritually”

14. Doctrine and Covenants 59:9 • 9 And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day;

15. The sacrament helps us keep ourselves unspotted from the world.

16. 3 Nephi 9:19–20 • 19 And ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood; yea, your sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away, for I will accept none of your sacrifices and your burnt offerings. •   20 And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost, even as the Lamanites, because of their faith in me at the time of their conversion, were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and they knew it not.

17. We should no longer sacrifice by the shedding of blood. • Our sacrifice should be a broken heart and a contrite spirit. • Then we will receive the Holy Ghost.

18. John 6:51, 54, 56 • 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. • 54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. •  56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.

19. The sacrament can help us be one with Jesus Christ and gain eternal life.

20. 1 Corinthians 11:29 • 29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.

21. We should not partake of the sacrament unworthily.

22. What should we doduring the Sacrament? • “If we approach the sacrament each week in the attitude of actively bringing a personal, specific offering—a humble promise to conquer a weakness that is separating us from the Savior—the sacrament will take on an infinitely richer meaning in our lives. Our relationship to Christ will grow and deepen as we make and keep such promises, and thereby progress in honoring our sacramental covenants” W. Cole Durham, Jr

23. “To make a covenant with the Lord to always keep His commandments is a serious obligation, and to renew that covenant by partaking of the sacrament is equally serious. The solemn moments of thought while the sacrament is being served have great significance. They are moments of self-examination, introspection, self-discernment—a time to reflect and to resolve” Howard W. Hunter

24. We should: • Bring a personal, specific offering • A humble promise to conquer a weakness • Solemn thoughts • Self Examination • Reflect and Resolve

25. Throughout Pam’s fifteen years in the Church, she had partaken of the sacrament almost every Sunday. As the tray came by, she took the bread and water just as the people on her left and right were doing. She was almost always quiet and reverent, but she felt that something was missing from the sacrament ordinance.

26. What was Pam forgetting to do during the sacrament service?

27. Pam didn’t realize what she was missing until one Sunday a lesson was given in Sunday School by a very conscientious and prayerful teacher. He carefully explained the purpose of the sacrament and how to prepare for it each week. As Pam listened to the lesson, she suddenly realized that she had never partaken of the sacrament with a repentant heart, praying for forgiveness, or with the thought in mind of renewing covenants that she had made through baptism. Pam decided to put into practice the next week the things she had learned in that Sunday School lesson. She knew there were some problems in her life that she needed to work on, and even though it was not fast Sunday, she fasted the next Sunday morning. As she partook of the sacrament, she prayed silently that the renewal of her commitments would be acceptable to the Lord. During the entire sacrament service, she kept her mind in tune with her Father in Heaven. She thought of Christ’s suffering and of his love for her. As the sacrament service ended, a wonderful feeling of peace and joy came over Pam and for the first time in her life, she felt the true significance of the sacrament service.

28. Can you think of ways you can apply Pam’s experience to your lives.

29. I feel my Savior’s love In all the world around me. His spirit warms my soul Through everything I see. He knows I will follow Him Give all my life to Him I feel my Savior’s Love The love He freely gives me. I Feel My Savior’s Love

30. I feel my Savior’s love • Its gentleness enfolds me • And when I kneel to pray • My heart is filled with peace. • He knows I will follow Him • Give all my life to Him • I feel my Savior’s Love • The love He freely gives me.

31. I feel my Savior’s Love • And know that He will bless me • I offer him my heart • My shepherd he will be • He knows I will follow Him • Give all my life to Him • I feel my Savior’s Love • The love He freely gives me.

32. The Sacrament can be a more important and helpful part of your lives. • Prepare in advance • Be Reverent • Listen to the Sacrament Prayers • Learn of the Savior