A Joyful Time

By Elder W. Mack Lawrence

of the Seventy

(Adapted from an April 1991 general conference address. See Ensign, May 1991, pages 30–31.)

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. (3 Ne. 18:7.)

Sacrament meeting is the most important meeting of the week; it’s the one the Lord has commanded us to attend. It’s a time to worship the Savior. Now, what does that mean, to worship? It means to reverently show love and allegiance to Him, to remember His sacrifice for each of us, and to thank Him.

In sacrament meeting we often do this through prayer, music, talks, scriptures, and our testimonies. His Spirit should be there. We partake of the sacrament in remembrance of His body and blood, symbolizing His resurrection and atonement. We should think about His life and sacrifice during the passing of the sacrament. Our sacrament meeting should be a time to talk of Christ, to rejoice in Christ. It’s also a time to learn the doctrines of the Church, to feel the Spirit, and to be spiritually enlightened.

Do you know where to find the sacrament prayers? They are in the twentieth section (verses 77 and 79) of the Doctrine and Covenants, and in chapters 4 and 5 of Moroni in the Book of Mormon. In these sacrament prayers for the bread and for the water, which are symbolic of the body and the blood of the Savior, you witness (or promise) that you will do certain things.

As you partake of the sacrament, you witness that you are willing to take the name of Jesus Christ upon you. This means that you are willing to be baptized, to proclaim gospel truths in His name, and to represent Him in doing His work here on earth. You also witness that you will always remember Him and keep His commandments. Those are serious, sacred commitments. In return, as you keep your promises, you are blessed that you may always have His Spirit to be with you.

We read in 2 Nephi 25:29, [2 Ne. 25:29] “The right way is to believe in Christ, and deny him not; and Christ is the Holy One of Israel; wherefore ye must bow down before him, and worship him with all your might, mind, and strength, and your whole soul.”

I pray that we may make sacrament meeting a joyful time for worshipping our Savior.

Illustrated by Ron Peterson