Relief Society Lesson: Sunday, Mar 16th

Sister Kay Bashford gave us a special reminder during her lesson today, The Significance of the Sacrament, the more we understand the sacrament the more important it will be to us.  We shared ideas on how we can prepare to partake of this sacred ordinance as well as how we can focus during the administration of it.  
Joseph Fielding Smith teaches many important thing regarding the sacrament. He shared his feelings about the sacrament: “In my judgment the sacrament meeting is the most sacred, the most holy, of all the meetings of the Church. When I reflect upon the gathering of the Savior and his apostles on that memorable night when he introduced the sacrament; when I think of that solemn occasion my heart is filled with wonderment and my feelings are touched. I consider that gathering one of the most solemn and wonderful since the beginning of time.

“There the Savior taught them of his coming sacrifice, which in their bewilderment they could not understand. He plainly told them of his death and that his blood should be shed, and this was said in the very hour of his agony for the sins of the world. It was a very solemn occasion; there the sacrament was instituted, and the disciples were commanded to meet together often and commemorate the death and sufferings of Jesus Christ, for his sacrifice was for the redemption of the world.

“He was about to take upon him the responsibility of paying the debt brought upon the world through the fall, that men might be redeemed from death and from hell. He had taught the people that he was to be lifted up that he might draw all men unto him, and that all who would repent and believe in him, keeping his commandments, should not suffer, for he would take upon himself their sins.”

We learn here that we are commanded to meet together often to remember Him.  It is important that we do this on a weekly basis, not occasionally as we feel necessary.

It is our duty to thoughtfully consider the covenant we make when we partake of the sacrament.

It is our duty to carefully and thoughtfully consider the nature of [the sacrament] prayers when we hear them offered in our meetings. There are four very important things we covenant to do each time we partake of these emblems, and in partaking, there is the token that we subscribe fully to the obligations, and thus they become binding upon us. These are as follows:

1. We eat in remembrance of the body of Jesus Christ, promising that we will always remember His wounded body slain upon the cross.

2. We drink in remembrance of the blood which was shed for the sins of the world, which atoned for the transgression of Adam, and which frees us from our own sins on condition of our true repentance.

3. We covenant that we will be willing to take upon us the name of the Son and always remember Him. In keeping this covenant we promise that we will be called by His name and never do anything that would bring shame or reproach upon that name.

4. We covenant that we will keep His commandments which He has given us; not one commandment, but that we will be willing to “live by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God.” [D&C 84:44.]

Some suggested ideas we could think about while taking the sacrament could be: What baptismal covenants have I made and what do they mean? What promises did I make? Why was He on the cross and how does that benefit me? What do I have to be grateful for? What commitments do I need to make?  - It is important that we prepare for the sacrament long before we get there and maintain our focus during.  

Read the entire lesson HERE