It is absolutely amazing how powerful the sacrament. It is such a privilege to partake of the sacrament each and every week. There is such a power and a renewal that comes into your daily lives from partaking of the sacrament each and every week. I notice a difference if I miss partaking of the sacrament. Elder Holland talked about how crucial it is to partake of the sacrament each week if you are sick. Elder James J. Hamula of the Seventy said in the October 2014 General Conference:
"The ordinance of the sacrament has been called “one of the most holy and sacred ordinances in the Church.” It needs to become more holy and sacred to each of us. Jesus Christ Himself instituted the ordinance to remind us what He did to redeem us and to teach us how we may avail ourselves of His Redemption and thereby live with God again.With torn and broken bread, we signify that we remember the physical body of Jesus Christ—a body that was buffeted with pains, afflictions, and temptations of every kind, a body that bore a burden of anguish sufficient to bleed at every pore, a body whose flesh was torn and whose heart was broken in crucifixion. We signify our belief that while that same body was laid to rest in death, it was raised again to life from the grave, never again to know disease, decay, or death. And in taking the bread to ourselves, we acknowledge that, like Christ’s mortal body, our bodies will be released from the bonds of death, rise triumphantly from the grave, and be restored to our eternal spirits.With a small cup of water, we signify that we remember the blood Jesus spilled and the spiritual suffering He endured for all mankind. We remember the agony that caused great drops of blood to fall in Gethsemane. We remember the bruising and scourging He endured at the hands of His captors.We remember the blood He spilled from His hands, feet, and side while at Calvary. And we remember His personal reflection on His suffering: “How sore you know not, how exquisite you know not, yea, how hard to bear you know not.” In taking the water to ourselves, we acknowledge that His blood and suffering atoned for our sins and that He will remit our sins as we embrace and accept the principles and ordinances of His gospel." -Elder James J. Hamula
The Sacrament really is the most Holy and Sacred ordinances in the church. Its a renewal. It's an opportunity for us to reflect on all that the Savior has and will do for us.
As he said, when we partake of the bread we signify we will always remember his physical body. He suffered all physical pains and sickness. Most important we signify that he died and was was resurrected on the third day. Because he was raised from the dead on the third day, all of us will be raised from the dead. In Alma chapter 11 it talks about the resurrection and it says:
43 The spirit and the body shall be reunited again in its perfect form; both limb and joint shall be restored to its proper frame, even as we now are at this time; and we shall be brought to stand before God, knowing even as we know now, and have a bright recollection of all our guilt.
44 Now, this restoration shall come to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, both the wicked and the righteous; and even there shall not so much as a hair of their heads be lost; but every thing shall be restored to its perfect frame, as it is now, or in the body, and shall be brought and be arraigned before the bar of Christ the Son, and God the Father, and the Holy Spirit, which is one Eternal God, to be judged according to their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil.
It is so comforting knowing that ALL men and women will be resurrected because of what the Savior, Jesus Christ did for each and everyone of us! When we partake of the bread we should we remember that we will all be resurrected and we want to live with the God again. Partaking of the sacrament not only heals the soul, but heals the physical body.
"With the small cup of water, we signify that we remember the blood Jesus Spilled and spiritual suffering." He has suffered all pains, trials, afflictions, sicknesses, etc. So the least we can do is always remember Him. Remember the pains he endured for each and everyone of us. Remember the blood He spilled from his hands, feet and sides. He did this out of love for each and everyone one of us. He did it for you and for me. For the born and unborn.
Elder Hamula also said,
"Through the sacramental prayers, we express our acceptance of this doctrine of Christ and our commitment to live according to it. In our petition to God, our Eternal Father, we declare that we will “always remember” His precious Son. First, we witness our “willingness” to remember. Then we witness that we “do” remember. In so doing, we are making solemn commitments to exercise faith in Jesus Christ and in His Redemption of us from death and sin."
So, my question is, how will you always remember Him, not just on Sundays when you partake of the bread and water, but ALWAYS? This included looking towards Him for all things. We made a covenant to ALWAYS REMEMBER Him and keep His commandments when we were baptized and we renew it every Sunday. By consistently remembering Him it helps reduce the burden of being home. Somethings I personally have done to ALWAYS REMEMBER HIM include: reading a significant amount out of the Book of Mormon, Attending the Temple, Praying at least twice a day. I want to hear what YOU will do to ALWAYS REMEMBER HIM. Please Comment Below with what you will do to ALWAYS REMEMBER HIM. Here is another GREAT video about always remembering Him.
It's such a blessing to partake of the sacrament each week. The Sacrament really needs to be more holy to each one of us. We need to ALWAYS REMEMBER HIM and KEEP HIS COMMANDMENT! I want to end with one last quote from Elder Hamula
"Regular and earnest participation in this sacred ordinance helps us continue to embrace and live the doctrine of Christ after baptism and thereby pursue and complete the process of sanctification. Indeed, the ordinance of the sacrament helps us faithfully endure to the end and receive the fulness of the Father in the same way Jesus did, grace for grace"
Sources and Links:
- The Sacrament—a Renewal for the Soul By Cheryl A. Esplin
- The Sacrament and the Atonement By Elder James J. Hamula
- Always Remember Him Video
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