The Sacrament Can Help Us Become Holy - October 23, 2016

Julia J. presented a great overview of the talk "The Sacrament Can Help Us Become Holy" by Elder Peter F. Meurs from the October 2016 General Conference.

1) Prepare in advance

2) Arrive early

3) Sing and learn words from the words of the Sacrament hymn

4) Spiritually participate in the Sacrament Prayers

• What are we willing to sacrifice?
• We are promised to have his Spirit, how does that effect your life?
• How do you stay engaged during the prayers?

The prayer concludes with a sublime invitation and promise: “That they may always have his Spirit to be with them” (Moroni 4:3).

Paul wrote, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, [and] temperance” (Galatians 5:22–23). Beautiful blessings and gifts are available to us as we keep our covenants. ("The Sacrament Can Help Us Become Holy")

5) Ponder and Remember Him as the Sacrament Emblems are passed

As the bread is passed, we may contemplate that in the ultimate act of love for us, the Savior took “upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people” (Alma 7:12).

We may remember the glorious blessing of the Resurrection that “shall come to all, … 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” (Alma 11:44).

As the water is passed, we may remember the plea of the Savior:

“Behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent; …

“Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink” (D&C 19:16, 18).

We remember that He took “upon him [our] 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 [our] infirmities” (Alma 7:12). ("The Sacrament Can Help Us Become Holy")

Self quiz:

As we consider our sacrament experience, we might ask ourselves:

• What will I do this week to better prepare for the sacrament?
• Could I contribute more to the reverence and revelation that can accompany the beginning of sacrament meeting?
• What doctrine was taught in the sacrament hymn?
• What did I hear and feel as I listened to the sacrament prayers?
• What did I think about as the sacrament was passed?

Elder David A. Bednar taught: “The ordinance of the sacrament is a holy and repeated invitation to repent sincerely and to be renewed spiritually. The act of partaking of the sacrament, in and of itself, does not remit sins. But as we prepare conscientiously and participate in this holy ordinance with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, then the promise is that we may always have the Spirit of the Lord to be with us. And by the sanctifying power of the Holy Ghost as our constant companion, we can always retain a remission of our sins.” (David A. Bednar, “Always Retain a Remission of Your Sins,” )