“Do You Want to Take the Sacrament?,” Liahona, Feb. 2023.
Latter-day Saint Voices
Do You Want to Take the Sacrament?
As the sacrament was passed to him, the boy reached out, paused for a second, and then withdrew his hand.
Illustration by Dilleen Marsh
One of my best friends invited me to attend his ward on a fast Sunday to participate in the naming and blessing of his son. Following the blessing, it was time for the sacrament.
While the sacrament was being passed to the congregation, I noticed my friend’s six-year-old nephew, who has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). He was wandering in the back of the chapel but then quietly began interacting with one of the older men passing the sacrament.
Uncertain if the boy had received the sacrament, the man gently extended the sacrament tray to him. The boy reached out, paused for a moment, and then withdrew his hand. A slightly awkward back and forth followed for the next few seconds as the boy again reached out and withdrew his hand. He seemed unsure of what to do. The older gentleman patiently waited.
Finally, the boy asked, “Do you want me to take the sacrament?”
In a compassionate voice, the older gentleman replied, “Do you want to take the sacrament?”
The boy said yes and then, without hesitation, reached out his hand and took the bread. As the man passing the sacrament took the bread to others, the boy returned to his family and sat down.
Memory of that exchange between the man and the boy taught me a lot about how Heavenly Father interacts with us, His children.
Our Father in Heaven never forces anything on us, but He lovingly and patiently invites us to partake. Then He stands ready to bless us, His loving arms always extended toward us. When we decide to reach out to Him, He is already there, prepared to bestow His miraculous love and blessings upon us.