Sacrament - Sacrament Meeting - Quotes

“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]’ (D&C 20:77). That Spirit is the foundation of our testimony. It testifies of the Father and the Son, brings all things to our remembrance, and leads us into truth. It is the compass to guide us on our path. This gift of the Holy Ghost, President Wilford Woodruff taught, ‘is the greatest gift that can be bestowed upon man’ (Deseret Weekly, Apr. 6, 1889, 451).”

Dallin H Oaks “Sacrament Meeting and the Sacrament” October 2008

   “May I suggest that wherever possible a white shirt be worn by the deacons, teachers, and priests who handle the sacrament.  For sacred ordinances in the Church we often use ceremonial clothing, and a white shirt could be seen as a gentle reminder of the white clothing you wore in the baptismal font and an anticipation of the white shirt you will soon wear into the temple and onto your missions”

Jeffrey R. Holland “This Do in Remembrance of Me,” Ensign, Nov. 1995, 68

   “May there be instilled in each of us an increased reverence for the Sabbath. May we more fully realize the special blessing of being able to partake of the sacrament and its significance in our lives. May we always remember Him and keep His commandments, which He has given us to fulfill the purpose of life and the hope of the eternities that are to come. This is the Lord’s work in which we are engaged. God lives. Jesus is the Christ, the Savior of the world. We’re permitted to be part of this great gospel plan, of which the sacrament is such a vital part. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.”

L Tom Perry “As Now “We Take the Sacrament” April 2006

   “How can we have the Spirit of the Lord to guide our choices so that we will remain “unspotted from the world” (D&C 59:9) and on the safe path through mortality? We need to qualify for the cleansing power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. We do this by keeping His commandment to come to Him with a broken heart and a contrite spirit and in that wonderful weekly meeting partake of the emblems of the sacrament and make the covenants that qualify us for the precious promise that we will always have His Spirit to be with us (see D&C 20:77). That we may always do so is my humble prayer, which I offer in the name of Him whose Atonement makes it all possible, even Jesus Christ, amen.”

Dallin H Oaks “Sacrament Meeting and the Sacrament” October 2008

   “Our Father in Heaven understood the need for his children to be reminded of the promises He has made to us if we would obey his laws. In making such covenants, the Lord offered blessings in exchange for obedience to particular commandments. A plan was laid out for us from the very beginning. The central figure in his plan of salvation is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. His atoning sacrifice for all mankind is the centerpiece of the history of our Father in Heaven’s children here on earth. Each of us who accepts the divine plan must accept the role of our Savior and covenant to keep his laws that our Father has developed for us. As we accept Christ in spirit and in deed, we may win our salvation.”

L Tom Perry “Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper” April 1996

“To worthily partake of the sacrament, we remember that we are renewing the covenant we made at baptism. For the sacrament to be a spiritually cleansing experience each week, we need to prepare ourselves before coming to sacrament meeting. We do this by deliberately leaving behind our daily work and recreation and letting go of worldly thoughts and concerns. As we do, we make room in our minds and hearts for the Holy Ghost.”

Robert D Hales “Coming to Ourselves: The Sacrament, The Temple, and Sacrifice in Service” April 2012

“In modern revelation the Lord commanded: ‘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 59:9). As we partake of the sacrament each week, we ponder the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ and we reaffirm and renew the covenants we made when we were baptized. These acts of worship and commitment are described in the revealed prayer the priest offers upon the bread. As stated in that prayer, we partake of the bread ‘in remembrance of the body’ of our Savior, and by doing so we witness to God, the Eternal Father, ‘that [we] are willing to take upon [us] the name of [his] Son, and always remember him and keep his commandments which he has given [us]’ (D&C 20:77).”

Dallin H Oaks “Always Have His Spirit” October 1996

  “Each member of the Church covenants to always remember the Savior as he or she partakes of the sacrament. Weekly we should each seek a personal experience, a closeness to our Lord and Savior, which, when remembered each week, will help us to become more like Him. We have His example always before us.

   But because of human weakness, we make mistakes even after baptism. The Lord has, therefore, provided a way for us to renew our baptismal covenants through partaking of the sacrament each week. When we partake of the sacred emblems reverently and worthily, we witness again that we will take the name of Christ upon us, that we do always remember Him, that we will keep His commandments. It is a time to remember Christ’s atonement, His love, Gethsemane, Calvary, and the empty tomb.

   Elder Melvin J. Ballard suggested, “We want every Latter-day Saint to come to the sacrament table because it is the place for self-investigation, for self-inspection, where we may learn to rectify our course and to make right our own lives, bringing ourselves into harmony with the teachings of the Church and with our brethren and sisters.” (Bryant S. Hinckley, Sermons and Missionary Services of Melvin Joseph Ballard, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1949, p. 150.)”

L Tom Perry “And Why Call Ye Me, Lord, Lord, and Do Not the Things Which I Say?” October 1984

  “My brothers and sisters, I solemnly witness to you that these doctrines and principles are true. In view of these truths, I plead with all members of the Church, young and old, to attend sacrament meeting each Sabbath day and to partake of the sacrament with the repentant attitude described as ‘a broken heart and a contrite spirit’ (3 Ne. 9:20). I pray that we will do so with the reverence and worship of our Savior that will signify a serious covenant to ‘always remember him’ (D&C 20:77). The Savior himself has said that we should partake ‘with an eye single to my glory—remembering unto the Father my body which was laid down for you, and my blood which was shed for the remission of your sins” (D&C 27:2).

Dallin H Oaks “Always Have His Spirit” October 1996

  “Willingness to take upon us the name of Jesus Christ can therefore be understood as willingness to take upon us the authority of Jesus Christ. According to this meaning, by partaking of the sacrament we witness our willingness to participate in the sacred ordinances of the temple and to receive the highest blessings available through the name and by the authority of the Savior when he chooses to confer them upon us.”

Dallin H Oaks “Taking Upon Us The Name Of Jesus Christ” April 1985

   "The ordinance of the sacrament makes the sacrament meeting the most sacred and important meeting in the Church. It is the only Sabbath meeting the entire family can attend together. Its content in addition to the sacrament should always be planned and presented to focus our attention on the Atonement and teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ."

Dallin H Oaks “Sacrament Meeting and the Sacrament” October 2008