Mystery Activity

By Stacey A. Rasmussen

Based on an actual event

“What were you assigned to bring?” Melissa asked Clara as they walked to Sister Wilson’s house for their achievement day activity.

“Flour,” Clara answered. “What are you bringing?”

“Some yeast,” said Melissa.

“I wonder what we’re doing today,” Clara continued. “Hannah is bringing flour too. Sister Wilson has kept it such a secret.”

“I know,” Melissa agreed. “All she would say was it’s going to affect many Church members this Sunday.”

The girls were still talking about the mystery when they reached Sister Wilson’s house. Tina, Jenny, and Susan were already there. Just as Clara and Melissa sat down, Hannah arrived. Now all the girls were present, and they hoped the mystery project would soon be revealed.

Sister Wilson offered the opening prayer, asking that they might understand the importance of the great sacrifice Jesus Christ made for them. She also prayed that the food they would prepare might be blessed for the sake of all who would eat it.

After the prayer, they went to the kitchen with their assigned ingredients.

“Let’s see,” Sister Wilson began, “who was assigned to bring the yeast?”

“I was,” Melissa said.

“Good,” said Sister Wilson. “We’re going to put the yeast into a small bowl with some warm water and let it dissolve. We will put the other dry ingredients into a larger bowl. Who has the flour, sugar, and salt?”

“I do,” Clara, Hannah, and Jenny answered together.

As the girls worked, they talked and laughed. Amid the chatter, Clara asked, “What are we making, and how will it affect the Church members?”

“Can anyone guess?” Sister Wilson asked.

“Are we making cookies?” Susan asked.

Sister Wilson smiled. “We are making the bread that will be used next Sunday for the sacrament.”

The giggling stopped suddenly, and the girls spoke reverently. They weren’t making bread just to learn how. They were making bread for use in a sacred ordinance!

When the yeast was dissolved, Susan poured in the milk she had brought and Tina added her oil. Then the girls mixed the liquid and dry ingredients together. They took turns kneading the dough, then covered it with a cloth and allowed it to rise. They shaped it into two loaves, and while they waited for it to rise the second time, they had a lesson on the sacrament.

“Can anyone tell me what the bread and water represent?” Sister Wilson asked.

“The flesh and blood of Jesus Christ,” Melissa answered.

“That is right,” said Sister Wilson. “Shortly before His Crucifixion, Jesus gathered His Apostles around Him in an upstairs room. He knew He was going to die, and He wanted the Apostles to always remember Him and to be faithful to His teachings. He blessed bread and broke it into pieces. He gave it to His disciples to eat in memory of His body. He blessed wine and gave it to them to drink in memory of His blood.

“When we partake of the sacrament, we renew the covenants we made when we were baptized,” Sister Wilson continued. “Can anyone tell me what we promised to do?”

“I know,” Clara said. “We promised to keep the commandments.”

“We promised to remember Jesus Christ,” Jenny added.

“Very good,” Sister Wilson said. “We also promised to take upon us the name of Jesus Christ. The way we act, the things we do, and the words we say should show others that we are followers of Christ. The Lord promised us that if we keep our covenants, we will always have His Spirit to be with us.

“Is there anything special we should do during the sacrament?” Sister Wilson asked.

Hannah raised her hand. “My mom always tells us we should be reverent.”

“She’s right,” said Sister Wilson. “And we should remember the Atonement and think about the promises we are renewing. We also need to think about ways to improve ourselves and become more like Christ.”

The girls talked about things they could do to be more Christlike. Then it was time to put the bread into the oven. While the bread baked, the girls planned upcoming activities.

Then they took the golden brown loaves from the oven, and Sister Wilson said, “After they cool, I’ll slice them. Then I’ll give them to Bishop Carmichael.”

On Sunday the girls sat with their families in sacrament meeting. They sang the sacrament hymn reverently as the priests broke the bread for the congregation. They listened carefully as a priest blessed the bread, and when they said, “Amen,” they really meant it. Then the deacons passed the bread. When Clara took a piece of bread from the tray, she was filled with gratitude for all the Savior had done for her. She thought about the Last Supper and what Jesus taught His disciples about the sacrament. She also thought about ways she could keep the commandments better.

Clara glanced at Melissa. From the look on her friend’s face, Clara knew the sacrament had touched Melissa’s heart too.

After the meeting, the girls stopped outside the meetinghouse to talk for a moment before going home.

“I’m glad Sister Wilson let us help make the sacrament bread,” Jenny said.

“I thought it made the sacrament extra special,” Tina added.

“It wasn’t just the bread,” Melissa replied thoughtfully. “It was really thinking about the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and what the sacrament means.”

Clara smiled. “I felt the same way. It wasn’t the bread that made the difference. It was the Savior.”

When we take the sacrament we promise to:

• Take upon us the name of Jesus Christ.

• Always remember Him.

• Keep His commandments.

  (See D&C 20:77, 79.)

Illustrations by Julie F. Young

Christ Introduces the Sacrament to the Apostles, by Del Parson