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A Sacrament Hymn Experience
Most weeks, I attend sacrament meeting in our ward and partake of the sacrament to renew my baptismal covenants and receive a remission of my sins. Often, I find it’s easy to let this sacred ordinance become a routine, something I go through without much thought. But every so often, the Lord blesses me with a powerful spiritual experience that stays with me.
One such experience happened during a ward conference in the Park Ridge First Ward of the Brisbane Australia Beenleigh Stake. At the time, I was serving as an assistant stake clerk, responsible for recording information for the stake history. I had come to the meeting with my notebook, ready to fulfil my assignment, but I left with a renewed sense of purpose and courage.
As the congregation sang hymn number 191, “Behold the Great Redeemer Die,” we came to these words:
“Father, from me remove this cup.
Yet, if thou wilt, I’ll drink it up.
I’ve done the work thou gavest me,
I’ve done the work thou gavest me;
Receive my spirit unto thee.”
Suddenly, these words pierced my heart.
My mind turned to the trials that my wife and I had faced over the years. Decades ago her health took a dramatic turn after a near-death experience, leading to long-term physical challenges that eventually confined her to a wheelchair. For the past decade, I’ve been her full-time carer, helping her navigate these challenges while also managing my own health issues. Together, we have borne many burdens, including the heartache of seeing some of our children and grandchildren step away from the gospel. At times, my “cup” felt more than full.
It hit me that we all have a work to do in this life. Each of us has been given our own cup to drink. Whether it’s as a father, mother, child, or in our work, school, callings, or family responsibilities, we all face challenges that can test our resolve. Sometimes, that cup feels almost impossible to take.
I thought about those who might be facing physical challenges, the loss of a job, struggles at school, addiction, or the heavy responsibility of caring for an aging, sick, or disabled family member. These trials, as hard as they are, are part of the work the Lord has given us. They are opportunities to prove our love for Him and for those around us.
At that moment, I asked myself a sobering question: “Am I ready to ‘drink it up’?”
The Savior’s example came to mind. In the Garden of Gethsemane, He too struggled under the weight of His own cup, pleading, “Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup.” And yet, in perfect submission, He added, “Not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42).
This realization gave me a renewed courage to press forward with faith. I thought about the day I hope to stand before the Lord and hear the words, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21). To reach that day, I know I must continue to drink the cup the Lord has given me, even when it is bitter.
The Savior’s example has taught me that the trials we face are not meant to break us but to refine us. I’ve come to understand that the “cup” the Lord gives each of us is not only a test of our faith but also an invitation to rely on His Atonement more fully and to trust in His eternal perspective. Like Job in the Old Testament, I’ve drawn courage from the knowledge that God knows what I need to refine me, even when I don’t. And while my burdens have often felt heavy, I can say without hesitation that they are nothing compared to the suffering the Savior endured for us.
These experiences have deepened my love for my wife and strengthened my resolve to be a better example to my children. They have also taught me to see the sacrament with new eyes, as I ponder the Savior’s broken body and blood and remember how His perfect obedience made it possible for me to endure my own trials. I have cried many tears, especially in the solitude of night, but in those moments, I too surrendered and said, even through the pain: “Not my will, but Thine, be done.”
At 76 years of age, I have done my three score and ten. I don’t know how many more years I have, but I hope to be found faithful to the end. Whatever “cup” the Lord still has in store for me, I will drink it willingly, knowing that the Savior has already drunk the bitterest cup for us all. Because of Him, we don’t have to do it alone.