This talk was given this morning in San Bernardino Second Ward, my home ward.
Brothers and sisters, I am grateful to be with you today. I bring you the love and greetings of President Garvin and his Counselors. They love you, and want the best for each of you. I feel very privileged to serve with them and with my brothers of the High Council.
In recent months, there has been a great deal of discussion about whether Latter-day Saints, or Mormons, are Christians or not. Unfortunately this discussion is primarily motivated by politics and not by an honest desire to know and understand the truth.
This public questioning has allowed to me to share my beliefs with many friends and colleagues, and I am thankful for that. But we must remember that gospel truths are best understood and accepted through the influence of the Holy Ghost.
Amidst all this uncertainty and deception, we have the comforting witnesses of the Prophets and Apostles, and especially the living Prophets, who are unwavering in their testimony of the divinity of the Christ. If we hold fast to their teachings, we will not be deceived. We will not have our faith destroyed by “the proud who are wise.”
My witness to you, in harmony with the witness of ten thousand times ten thousand saints, prophets and apostles, is that Jesus Christ is truly and literally the Son of God, our Savior and Redeemer. He suffered and died for us, and he rose again for us. He lives, and he loves us!
Throughout the scriptures, he has invited us to come unto him and be partakers of his goodness and his love.
Moroni encouraged us to: “come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God” (Mni. 10:32).
Amaleki added this invitation, many years before Moroni: “And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting and praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth ye will be saved” (Omni 1:26).
Nephi also testified: “he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile” (2 Ne. 26:33). I really like what Nephi says, because if you look around today, you will see the results of that invitation.
In fact the missionaries as well as the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are commissioned to invite all to come unto Christ.
We have gathered today in the most sacred and important meeting in the Church. It is the sacrament that makes it so. The sacrament is the centerpiece of this meeting. It should be our main focus, and nothing that is said or done here should distract us from thinking about the Savior and his Atonement.
This is what strengthens us spiritually so that we will have the power and the ability to resist temptation throughout the week.
From the moment we step through the chapel doors until the moment that we leave, we should be thinking of Christ and his sacrifice for us.
The Lord has instructed: “Thou shalt offer a sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in righteousness, even that of a broken heart and a contrite spirit.
“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;” (D&C 59:8 - 9).
We know that this is a commandment with a promise. By participating weekly and appropriately in the ordinance of the sacrament, we qualify for the promise that we will “always have his Spirit to be with us.” The Spirit is the foundation of our testimonies. It testifies of the Father and the Son, brings all things to our remembrance, and leads us into truth.
It is vital that we never lose sight of the true significance of this sacred meeting.
In order to understand why it is so important, let us review the doctrine of the sacrament.
Shortly before his trial, his suffering and crucifixion, the Savior met with his apostles in what is commonly referred to as the Last Supper. But we may also consider the first supper, the beginning of many spiritual feasts, enjoyed each Sunday throughout the Church.
Matthew records: “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.
“And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;
“For this is in remembrance of my blood of the new testament, which is shed for as many as shall believe on my name for the remission of sins.
“And I give unto you a commandment that ye shall observe to do the things which ye have seen me do . . .” (Matt. 26:26 – 28; JST added in italics).
This was also a significant part of Christ’s teachings to the Nephites: “And when the Disciples had come with bread and wine, he took of the bread and brake and blessed it; and he gave unto the Disciples and commanded that they should eat.
“And when they had eaten and were filled, he commanded that they should give unto the multitude.
“And when the multitude had eaten and were filled, he said unto the Disciples: [Ye] shall break bread and bless it and give it unto the people of my church, unto all those who shall believe and be baptized in my name.
“And this shall ye always observe to do, even as I have done. …”
“And this shall ye do in remembrance of my body, which I have shown unto you. And it shall be a testimony unto the Father that ye do always remember me. And if ye do always remember me ye shall have my Spirit to be with you.
“And it came to pass that when he said these words, he commanded his Disciples that they should take of the wine of the cup and drink of it, and that they should also give unto the multitude that they might drink of it.
“And it came to pass that they did so, and did drink of it and were filled; and they gave unto the multitude, and they did drink, and they were filled.
“And when the Disciples had done this, Jesus said unto them: Blessed are ye for this thing which ye have done, for this is fulfilling my commandments, and this doth witness unto the Father that ye are willing to do that which I have commanded you.
“And this shall ye always do to those who repent and are baptized in my name; and ye shall do it in remembrance of my blood, which I have shed for you, that ye may witness unto the Father that ye do always remember me. And if ye do always remember me ye shall have my Spirit to be with you” (3 Ne. 18:3 - 11).
Can you imagine what it would be like to have the Savior himself administer the sacrament to you? Jesus Christ has given to men the authority to act in his place and in his name on the earth. He has given to the young men of the Aaronic Priesthood the responsibility to administer the emblems of his flesh and blood to each of us.
Young men, when you sit in your places and wait for the meeting to begin, do you ever think about that? When you administer the sacrament to us, you are standing in for Jesus. He has given you this sacred responsibility. I hope you take it seriously.
When you prepare, bless and pass the sacrament, you are standing in place of the Savior, and allowing us to participate in this important ordinance of salvation. Do you realize that? You are helping us to gain our salvation. This is why the Lord and his representative, Bishop Lomenick, expect you to be clean and worthy. Don’t ever take this great privilege for granted.
We should all concentrate on the sacrament prayers, and never view them as something routine. In my life, I have probably heard these prayers over 2000 times.
We should pay close attention each week when the sacrament prayers are offered. With the young priests as voice, we are all covenanting with Heavenly Father once again. Because this is a covenant with the Father, it is important that the words are spoken clearly and correctly. We need to be able to hear and understand these words every time we partake of the sacrament.
If a mistake is made, the presiding authority, who is usually the Bishop, will request that the prayer be repeated.
The sacrament begins with a hymn to help remind us of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. These are some of the most beautiful hymns we sing. They help us to personalize the ordinance. During the singing of the hymn, the priests break the bread. It is torn and broken in remembrance of the torn flesh of Christ and his physical suffering in our behalf.
Then a priest kneels and offers the prayer on the bread: “O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this bread to the souls of all those who partake of it, that they may eat in remembrance of the body of thy Son, and witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him and keep his commandments which he has given them; that they may always have his Spirit to be with them. Amen” (D&C 20:77).
As we say Amen in response, the prayer becomes ours, and we give our approval to the covenants named in the prayer. Then the deacons and their other priesthood helpers reverently pass the bread to each of us, and we eat in remembrance of the Savior’s body.
Then the priests bless the water, which reminds us of Christ’s blood shed for our sins, and of his deep spiritual suffering, which began in Gethsemane. There he said, “My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death” (Matt. 26:38).
The priest kneels and says: “O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this wine to the souls of all those who drink of it, that they may do it in remembrance of the blood of thy Son, which was shed for them; that they may witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they do always remember him, that they may have his Spirit to be with them. Amen” (D&C 20:79).
Again, by our Amen we consent to covenants named in the prayer, and the deacons reverently pass the water so that we may drink in remembrance of the Savior’s blood, shed for us.
Every gospel ordinance focuses in some way on the atonement of Jesus Christ. It is most obvious in the symbolism of the sacrament, which is also the ordinance which we repeat the most during our lives.
Perhaps because it is so common, we must take extra care that we don’t take these great blessings for granted. Do we really think about the significance of this small, weekly act? Do we consider it sacred? Do we see it as our Passover, and remember our deliverance and redemption from sin?
The sacrament ought to be a powerful, reverent, reflective moment. It should encourage spiritual feelings and impressions. This should be the high point of our week, when we not only renew our covenants, but renew our spirits as well.
Elder Delbert L. Stapley said: “The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is a covenant between God and his people. … When baptized by an authorized servant of God, we covenant to do God’s will and to obey his commandments. … By partaking of the sacrament we renew all covenants entered into with the Lord and pledge ourselves to take upon us the name of his Son, to always remember him and keep his commandments” (CR Oct. 1965, 14).
What are the covenants we make as we take the sacrament?
First, we witness before Heavenly Father and his servants that we are willing to take upon us the name of Christ. That means that we are choosing to be like him.
Next, we promise to always remember him. This is perhaps the most difficult part of the covenant for us.
We also covenant to keep God’s commandments. In return, the Father promises that if we are true to our covenants, we will always have his Spirit to be with us. Imagine the strength we could have if we always had the Holy Ghost with us. This is what will permit us to remain unspotted from the world.
Our covenant to always remember the Savior is a challenging one. I have identified three aspects of remembering him.
First, remembering him certainly means doing His will. Jesus achieved perfect unity with the Father by submitting himself, both body and spirit, to the will of the Father. Because it was the Father’s will, he even allowed himself to suffer and die for us. One of the reasons Christ’s ministry had such power was that he remained focused on his Father.
In the same way, we can put Christ at the center of our lives and become one with him as he is one with the Father.
If we focus on doing the Father’s will, the things which are important will take priority in our lives, and the things of lesser value will take a lower priority or will fall out of our lives altogether. This is not something that happens overnight. It is a gradual process throughout our lives.
Nephi had the right idea when he advised us: “But behold, I say unto you that ye must pray always, and not faint; that ye must not perform any thing unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ, that he will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of thy soul’ (2 Ne. 32:9).
Second, remembering Him means that we know that we will have to answer to Him for our lives: for our thoughts, words and actions. Alma, in speaking of those who have hardened their hearts, said: “For our words will condemn us, yea, all our works will condemn us; we shall not be found spotless; and our thoughts will also condemn us; and in this awful state we shall not dare to look up to our God; and we would fain be glad if we could command the rocks and the mountains to fall upon us to hide us from his presence” (Alma 12:14). I don’t want to be a part of that group, and I don’t want you to be part of it, either.
Always remembering him also means that we always remember that nothing is hidden from him. However, we can also take heart because this means that no act of kindness, no good deed, and no obedient act will ever be forgotten, and no corresponding blessing will ever be withheld.
Third, we must remember that we can always look to the Savior for help. We do not have to face life’s trials on our own. Indeed, we cannot face them on our own. A part of the atonement that we often overlook is mentioned by Alma: “And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.
“And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities” (Alma 7:11 - 12).
In our day, the Lord counseled, “Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not” (D&C 6:36).
As we remember the Savior, we will look to him and not fear the opinions, pressures and threats of men. Instead, we will “cheerfully do all things that lie in our power,” with confidence that His power and love will see us through.
With all this on the line, we should not take the sacrament, the emblems of the flesh and blood of Jesus Christ, without some serious introspection and thought. We cannot take it lightly.
The sacrament can be an intensely personal experience if we are doing our best to always remember the Savior.
The apostle Paul informed us: “For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:
“And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
“After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
“For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.
“Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
“But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
“For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
“For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep” (1 Co. 11:23 - 30).
Now I don’t believe that this is why some of us nod off in sacrament meeting.
However, it does point out something else that we must consider, as Mormon counseled his son: “See that ye are not baptized unworthily; see that ye partake not of the sacrament of Christ unworthily; but see that ye do all things in worthiness, and do it in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God; and if ye do this, and endure to the end, ye will in nowise be cast out” (Morm. 9:29).
We absolutely must be worthy to take the sacrament each week. We must prepare our hearts and our minds to partake of the sacrament. And ultimately, we must prepare our lives as well.
There is no litmus test we can take to determine our worthiness. We can’t scan a bar code to determine whether or not we should partake. We must look inward and upward to determine if we are truly in good standing with the Lord. It is up to us as individuals to determine our worthiness to participate in the sacrament. Of course, in some serious instances, the Bishop may advise us not to take the sacrament for a period of time.
Please do not confuse worthiness with perfection. They are not the same. If perfection were required to participate in the ordinances of the gospel, none of us would partake of the sacrament, none of us would be worthy to officiate in priesthood ordinances, and our chapels and our temples would be empty.
Perfection is a state that we will not achieve in this life. We must progress toward it. Worthiness is actually the state of progressing toward perfection.
Let me repeat that: worthiness is the state of progressing toward perfection. If I am worthy, if you are worthy, it means that we are on the path that leads to eternal life, and that we are facing in the right direction. It does not mean that we have overcome all our sins and weaknesses; it means that we are striving to do so.
Partaking of the sacrament each week is an important part of maintaining our worthiness. It is through taking the sacrament that we obtain forgiveness for our sins and mistakes each week.
If you can come to sacrament meeting and feel the presence of the Holy Ghost, you are worthy
Those who stay away because they feel unworthy or embarrassed by their actions during the week are denying themselves the opportunity to be forgiven, and to be renewed by the Spirit in preparation for the battles of the coming week. There is no other way to obtain that spiritual growth that we so desperately need.
We must also come to our meetings prepared to worship Heavenly Father in the name of His Son, and to feel of His Spirit. I feel that all too often, we do not arrive here in the proper frame of mind, and if we do, the actions of others do not allow us to worship as we would like.
When we enter the chapel, we should greet each other quietly, then sit down and direct our thoughts to the Savior and our standing with him. This is a part of our commitment to always remember him. I fear that in our loud greetings and conversation here in the chapel, we not only fail to remember Jesus and what he has done for us, but we also prevent others from remembering. Thus, in the very meeting where we covenant to always remember him, we are breaking that covenant.
Many of you have dealt with spiritual struggles in your lives. Perhaps you are struggling now. If you haven’t yet, believe me, you will. When you face trials in your life, it is your right and privilege as a citizen in the kingdom of God to ponder and feel the spirit in the chapel. And it is our obligation as fellow citizens to allow this to happen; we may need the inspiration ourselves the following week. What a blessing it is to know that we can come before the Lord, here, in his house, and receive the guidance that is increasingly important in our lives.
Reverence invites revelation, brothers and sisters. Is there any one of us who does not feel the need for God’s guidance and strengthening hand? If we are reverent before and during Sacrament Meeting, we will receive the inspiration we need to help us in our affairs, both spiritual and temporal.
Elder Nelson said that “when we come to church, we commemorate His Atonement in a very personal way. We bring a broken heart and a contrite spirit to sacrament meeting. This is not a time for conversation or transmission of messages but a period of prayerful meditation as leaders and members prepare spiritually for the sacrament.”
In other words, each one of us bears responsibility for the spiritual enrichment that can come from a sacrament meeting.
If we are willing to take Christ’s name upon us, that doesn’t imply some superficial bucket list-type wishing that we might do it, someday, when the time is right. It means that we are committing right now to be like him. As we make this covenant week after week are we considering the importance of what we are doing? Are thinking about its significance in our lives?
When we partake of the sacrament worthily, we remember the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior; that He gave up His life and took upon Himself the sins of the world that we may have the blessing of immortality. We take upon ourselves the name of our Savior and promise to always remember Him and to keep His commandments---that is, to “live by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God” (D&C 84:44).
We all need this time of renewing and recommitting to live the gospel in accordance with the teachings of the Savior. If we are properly prepared, we will attend sacrament meeting with a spirit of reverence and with gratitude for the opportunity of partaking of the sacred emblems.
If we approach the sacrament with this attitude, we will be able to make Christ the center of our lives, to keep all things in perspective, and to live as he would have us live.
Last month, I had the privilege of assisting as Jonathan Turner was ordained an Elder. As the ordination began, the Spirit whispered to me “This is what’s important.”
I found that unusual. But later that day, I headed to Las Vegas for a meeting of a dental organization to which I belong. That whispering of the Spirit stayed with me during the meeting, and I felt no desire to partake in the temptations of the world. And even though our meeting was for a good purpose, the Spirit had reminded me that there is something better.
There is no question in my mind that what Heavenly Father offers us is much better than anything the world has to offer. I am so very grateful for that assurance.
Brothers and sisters, God lives! He is a kind, loving Heavenly Father who really is the father of our spirits. I testify that he sent His Son to atone for our sins and errors, to provide us with a way to be cleansed so that we can return to Heavenly Father’s presence. Jesus Christ is our Savior. He gave his life for us.
I testify that this is the restored Church of Jesus Christ on the earth, with all the ordinances necessary for our salvation. It was restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith. I know that there is still a living prophet on the earth today, even Thomas S. Monson.
I testify that the Scriptures are the word of God. The Bible, the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price: each one contains the precious word of God for us.
I pray that we may all take full advantage of the many guides we have to lead us in the paths of righteousness, and that we may all appreciate the importance of the sacrament in our own lives.
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
