Making Partaking of the Sacrament More Meaningful

 Today for the first time in 6 months, we had a YW lesson.  It was over Zoom so not quite normal, but I'm so grateful to be able to gather and worship and learn together.

The lesson was how we can make partaking of the sacrament more meaningful to each of us personally.

I began by painting a scene for the YW.  Imagine that you have just experienced earthquakes and terrible storms.  Buildings collapsed.  There's terrible destruction.  Many people die.  Cities are destroyed.  Maybe someone you love has been killed.  And then there are three days of absolute darkness...so dark that not even a candle can be lit.  So dark that there is NOTHING that can dispel the darkness.  Can you imagine how you might be feeling?   Can you imagine how the Nephites must have felt at that time?  Their fear, sadness, grief, confusion?  Maybe you can imagine that a little better now than you could have 6 months ago!  Now imagine you are gathered with others in front of the temple, talking about all that has happened.  Then suddenly there is a light and a voice.  You look around to figure out where the voice came from.  It comes again but you can't understand what it's saying or where it is coming from. And then finally you look up and hear a voice say, "Behold my Beloved Son, in whom I am wel pleased, in whom I have glorified my name-hear ye Him."  And then Christ comes down.  Can you imagine the joy that they must have felt?  

I think it is instructive to look at what Christ did after He came to the Nephites.  To these people who had experienced some heartrending things.  First, he ministered to each of them individually, letting them come and touch the nail prints in His hands and feet. I imagine He probably spoke words of love and comfort to them.  And then in the following chapters, He begins to teach them.  And if these are the things that He taught them--the things He felt were of worth for them to learn--then maybe they should be of worth and great importance to us!  He teaches them about baptism, about the need to get rid of contention, He teaches them to love one another--even their enemies.  He heals the sick and blesses the children--and I like to believe that the youth, the teenagers were among those He blessed and prayed unto the Father for.  And then He gathers them and prepares and passes the sacrament.  If the sacrament was that important to Him, then I think it should be pretty important to us.  But why?   And how?  That's what I hope to answer today.

For the why...I'd like to start with a video about Christ. I'd like you to watch and then after it ends, I'll give a couple of minutes of silence for you to think about how you feel about Christ or even to write a few thoughts down in your journal.  (We watched the video Reflections of Christ which is paired with Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.)

I love that video and how it portrays Christ...and I love that song.  I especially love these lines:

"Jesus sought me when a stranger

Wandering from the fold of God

He, to rescue me from danger
Interposed His precious blood

O to grace how great a debtor daily I'm constrained to be!
Let thy goodness like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee
Prone to wander Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love
Here's my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above."

I love this song because we all are prone to wander.  We all have moments when we leave the God we love.   And so we are debtors to Him...but because of His love and mercy and grace, He really will rescue us from danger.  He will bind us to Him if we ask Him to.

After video... I let YW share a favorite scripture or experience that helps them know Christ's character and that He is there for them.

In conference Steven Lund told a beautiful story of his son getting sick.  One Sunday, Tanner was struggling to button his shirt.  He was in constant pain.  His mom came in and said that maybe he should go back to bed.  Tanner said he had a responsibility to pass the sacrament.  His mom said that they would understand and could find someone to take his place.  Then Tanner said that he saw how people looked at him as he passed the sacrament and that he thinks it helps them to see him there.  President Lund said that really impacted the way they viewed the sacrament and its importance.  

Steven Lund said, "Every time a deacon holds a sacrament tray, we are reminded of the sacred story of the Last Supper, of Gethsemane, of Calvary, and of the garden tomb. When the Savior said to His Apostles, “This do in remembrance of me,”¹ He was also speaking through the ages to each of us. He was speaking of the unending miracle that He would provide as future deacons, teachers, and priests would present His emblems and invite His children to accept His atoning gift.

All of the sacramental symbols point us to that gift. We contemplate the bread that He once broke—and the bread the priests before us are, in turn, now breaking. We think of the meaning of the liquid consecrated, then and now, as sacrament prayers solemnly pass from the mouths of young priests into our hearts and into the heavens, renewing covenants that connect us to the very powers of Christ’s salvation. We may think about what it means when a deacon carries the sacred emblems to us, standing as he does where Jesus would stand if He were there, offering to lift our burdens and our pain."

I think the most important thing we can do to make the sacrament meaningful is to come to know Christ's character.  We can do that as we learn of Him and strive to live as He did.

Broken:  

I was touched today as we sang the song How Great the Wisdom and the Love before partaking of the sacrament.  Listen to these words:

How great the wisdom and the love

That filled the courts on high

And sent the Savior from above

To suffer, bleed, and die!

We didn't sing the last two verses, but listen to their words:

1. 5. In mem’ry of the broken flesh

   We eat the broken bread

   And witness with the cup, afresh,

   Our faith in Christ, our Head.

2. 6. How great, how glorious, how complete

   Redemption’s grand design,

   Where justice, love, and mercy meet

   In harmony divine!

The Lord loves and helps us when we feel broken.  I love this quote:

“God uses broken things. It takes broken soil to produce a crop, broken clouds to give rain, broken grain to give bread, broken bread to give strength. It is the broken alabaster box that gives forth perfume. It is Peter, weeping bitterly, who returns to greater power than ever.”

― Vance Havner

And more than the things listed above, through the breaking of Christ's flesh, through His suffering and death and resurrection, all that is broken in US can be healed.

So when you feel broken or sad or lonely, turn to Him.  

I read today that in some Christian churches, rather than passing the bread around, they have each person come to the front to receive it.  Each person is handed the piece of bread and told, "This is Jesus' body, broken for you."   While that is not how we administer the sacrament, I think this holds a beautiful truth/reminder...that Christ suffered these things FOR YOU!

When we partake of the sacrament, we renew our baptismal covenants.  What did we covenant to do at baptism?

We promised to take Christ's name upon us, to keep the commandments, to always remember Him and we promised to love others...to mourn with those who mourn, comfort those in need of comfort.  So the second way to make the sacrament more meaningful is to then seek those in need of help and give aid to them.  Not right during the sacrament usually but every day of our lives.

Elder Holland said, "When the sacred hour comes to present our sacrificial gift to the Lord, we do have our own sins and shortcomings to resolve; that’s why we’re there. But we might be more successful in such contrition if we are mindful of the other broken hearts and sorrowing spirits that surround us. Seated not far away are some who may have wept—outwardly or inwardly—through the entire sacramental hymn and the prayers of those priests. Might we silently take note of that and offer our little crust of comfort and our tiny cup of compassion—might we dedicate it to them? or to the weeping, struggling member who is not in the service and, except for some redemptive ministering on our part, won’t be there next week either? or to our brothers and sisters who are not members of the Church at all but are our brothers and sisters? There is no shortage of suffering in this world, inside the Church and out, so look in any direction and you will find someone whose pain seems too heavy to bear and whose heartache seems never to end. One way to “always remember him”¹⁰ would be to join the Great Physician in His never-ending task of lifting the load from those who are burdened and relieving the pain of those who are distraught."

I promise that as we come to know and love Christ better and as we notice others around us and try to help and lift and encourage them, the sacrament WILL be more meaningful for us.  We will feel greater peace and joy.  We will grow closer to Christ, He who was bruised, broken and torn for us so that we can be whole.

Sara Darkness Clearly

 Yesterday I went walking with Sara and Beth.   We left about 6:45 and so it was still dark.  As we were walking down the canal road, Sara pointed out the silhouettes of the trees. They looked completely black.  And yet, she said...when you get close enough...or when the light comes up...they are actually filled with autumn colors...greens, oranges, yellows, reds, pinks.  And in  a few minutes when the sun rose, you could see that these trees that had appeared black just minutes before were actually quite vibrant and beautiful.

I have been thinking about that since.  I thought about it as I walked with Beth this morning.  This world can be quite dark.  It can feel menacing and sad at times.  I wonder how often we don't see things as they really are?  How often do we misunderstand or become confused or frightened because we haven't allowed enough Light into our lives to help us see clearly?  I suspect it is far more often than we think.  What is it that I currently don't see clearly because I am not inviting the Light of the World into my life enough to see?  How can I better invite Him in?

LESSONS LEARNED:  Things aren't always as they appear.

We must have the Light of the World in our daily lives to see things clearly.

Maybe we shouldn't always trust our observations or thoughts because sometimes they may be clouded by darkness.

Holland Come Running

 Elder Holland gave a talk about one of my scripture heroes, the widow of Zarephath.  The talk, A Handful of Meal and a Little Oil, shares that story of the widow's sacrifice, her faith, her trust in the Lord and His prophet.  Elder Holland also shares this story from church history: 

Amidst the terrible hostilities in Missouri that would put the Prophet in Liberty Jail and see thousands of Latter-day Saints driven from their homes, Sister Drusilla Hendricks and her invalid husband, James, who had been shot by enemies of the Church in the Battle of Crooked River, arrived with their children at a hastily shaped dugout in Quincy, Illinois, to live out the spring of that harrowing year.

Within two weeks the Hendrickses were on the verge of starvation, having only one spoonful of sugar and a saucerful of cornmeal remaining in their possession. In the great tradition of LDS women, Drusilla made mush out of it for James and the children, thus stretching its contents as far as she could make it go. When that small offering was consumed by her famished family, she washed everything, cleaned their little dugout as thoroughly as she could, and quietly waited to die.

Not long thereafter the sound of a wagon brought Drusilla to her feet. It was their neighbor Reuben Allred. He said he had a feeling they were out of food, so on his way into town he’d had a sack of grain ground into meal for them.

Shortly thereafter Alexander Williams arrived with two bushels of meal on his shoulder. He told Drusilla that he’d been extremely busy but the Spirit had whispered to him that “Brother Hendricks’ family is suffering, so I dropped everything and came [running].”

Elder Holland also said, "I also know that the gospel of Jesus Christ holds the answer to every social and political and economic problem this world has ever faced. And I know we can each do something, however small that act may seem to be. We can pay an honest tithe and give our fast and free-will offerings, according to our circumstances. And we can watch for other ways to help. To worthy causes and needy people, we can give time if we don’t have money, and we can give love when our time runs out. We can share the loaves we have and trust God that the cruse of oil will not fail."

I can do more to help the poor and to respond to promptings to serve and lift and love...especially to do it immediately!  Sometimes I respond but not immediately.

LESSONS LEARNED:  Listen to the whisperings of the Spirit.

When someone is in need of help, come running (don't stand there debating!)

Ebenezer Christ RS

 Emily Freeman (in her book Written On Our Hearts) tells a humorous story.  When she was young she was asked to play the piano at a missionary homecoming.  As she was practicing with the girl who would be singing the song "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" they felt like the line "Here I raise my Ebenezer; Here by Thy great help I've come" made no sense and so they changed it.  After the homecoming, the missionary thanked them but said they left out his favorite part...those two lines.  Emily asked who Ebenezer was and he said they'd need to figure that out.  So Emily searched and found the answer in 1 Samuel 7.  Samuel asked the people of Israel to fast and pray before they battled the Philistines.  The Israelites were victorious.  In 1 Samuel 7:12 we read, "Then Samuel took a stone and called the name of it Eben-ezer saying, Hitherto hath the Lord helped us."  The name Eben-ezer means stone of help.  So Emily writes, "The stone became a memorial for Israel of a time when the Lord had helped them through a situation they could not have made it through on their own."   

Emily tells a story of a time when she was struggling.  She needed comfort.  She received a blessing and was told to "have an optimistic approach to the life that is yours".  She knew that she did not feel optimistic about the things she was facing.  She thought a lot about what might help and knew she needed a tangible reminder.  So she bought a basket with a blue fabric nestled inside.  Whenever she looked at the basket, she felt known and remembered.  And now she will never give it away because it reminds her of a time when she needed a deliverer and the great Deliverer came to her aid.  

She asks if we have an Eben-ezer.  And immediately I knew what at least one of mine is.

I LOVED serving as RS President and I learned and grew exponentially.  I felt such a deep love for the women of my ward.  A love that I know came from God through me.  I was a bit devastated when I got released from my calling as RS President.  But Susan Vincent, who was called as RS President after me, got this picture of the Savior and it has a wide matte.  She passed the matte around to the women of the ward to sign or write a brief message.  And then she presented it to me (as well as one for each of my counselors).  I have it hanging in my bedroom.  I look at it often.  When I'm having a bad day or feeling a bit down I look at the picture of the Savior.  I read the kind messages from women that I love dearly and it usually helps me feel better.  It helps me remember that the Savior can enable me to do more and be more than I am on my own. It helps me remember that I have people who love me and that I'm doing at least a bit of good in this world.  It is my Eben-ezer.  

 I just got Emily Freeman's book Written on our Hearts from the library and figured I would start with the section based on 1 and 2 Samuel.  Because maybe she includes Bathsheba and that's who we are reading about in the Multiply Goodness Bible Study right now.  

 I have read only one story so far...the story of Hannah and how she waits and waits for a son and then dedicates him to the Lord.  That would be so incredibly hard.  To finally have that son, that baby and then give him to Eli, the prophet.  But there are some beautiful things in Hannah's story.  When she is promised that she will have a son, the scriptures say, "the Lord remembered her."  But these sentences by Emily stopped me in my tracks:  "But have you ever considered that the answer to her prayer that day in the temple might not have been the greatest blessing Hannah received? Maybe, after all, Hannah's greatest blessing was what came as a result of the waiting, The petitioning, the grief-because through the process the Savior had become her rock.Could that have been the greater blessing?"  I mean I guess I know that about trials... but it can feel like receiving whatever you have longed for and pleaded for--getting your happy ending--feels like the miracle you need and want.  But I can see that in my case I would not be who I am and would not have learned what I have learned without the years of pleading and hoping and praying for my miracle.  I have long known that I will appreciate my miracle more when I receive it because I have waited and yearned and prayed and hoped.  But I love the thought that maybe the greatest miracle and blessing won't be the miracle itself...but the miracle of my changed life through the waiting and hoping and trusting.

Emily Freeman also includes this oft quoted promise by Elder Holland, “Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don't come until heaven; but for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come.” (from An High Priest of Good Things To Come")

LESSONS LEARNED:  Perhaps the greatest miracle is not the answer to your prayer...but the things you learn as you wait for the answer to your prayer.  The trust and faith that grow within you as you come to see that the "Lord remembered" you.  

(I have a feeling that I am going to have a bunch of things to include from this book by Emily.)

Cussy Honey Generosity

 I am reading a really interesting and good book right now (though sadly it was due back to the library and I had to return it today and will probably have to wait 3 or 4 weeks until I get it back).  It's called The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek.  It is set in rural Kentucky, and Cussy is a book woman...she travels up and down the mountains to deliver books to the families and a school located in remote areas.  Her selection of books is very limited and all of the people including Cussy and her dad are VERY poor.  Her dad is a miner and getting miner's lung.  And he works long hours.  Also, Cussy and her dad have a rare genetic condition that makes their skin blue and people look down on them because of their color.  (Amazingly that is real and though rare it was found among a group of people in Kentucky.) 

A doctor convinces Cussy's dad to let him take Cussy to the city to run tests to learn more about the causes of their blueness.  After their first trip to the city, Cussy is bruised and sore and scared.  The doctor obviously feels a bit guilty about her experience and so he gives her honey and medicine.  Both are invaluable to the people in Kentucky.  One family that she delivers to has a husband that was shot in the foot for stealing a neighbor's chicken.  The doctor won't treat him--he says he's lucky he was just shot in the foot.  And the wife, Angeline, is pregnant and has a couple of small children and they are nearly starving.  She likely won't survive if her husband dies.  So Cussy packs up the medicine and honey with her books to take to Angeline.  I have to admit as I read it, I was a bit shocked by Cussy's generosity.  Cussy can definitely use that honey for herself and her dad.  She could just give Angeline a portion of it.  Cussy has so little.  Yet Cussy is generous and selfless, probably beyond what I would be in her situation.

I know she is a fictional character.  And yet I also know that many people make significant sacrifices for others.  I can be more generous.  I can be more selfless.  I can be a little more like Cussy.

LESSONS LEARNED:  Generosity is not a matter of how much money you have.

Be selfless...think of others more than yourself.

Conference Questions Answered

 Going into conference, I usually have one or two questions that I'm seeking answers to or that I am hoping for greater insight on.  This time I wrote down 9 questions.  A couple of them were interrelated, but still I had a lot of questions and things I felt like I needed guidance on.  I wondered if that would feel distracting or make it harder to hear the answers because my mind and heart were going so many directions.  I prayed that regardless of what happened with my questions, that I would be able to hear what the Lord needed ME to hear.

Well I received answers to 7/9 questions.  There were likely answers to the other two in conference that I missed as I was taking notes and processing what was being said.  Some of the questions had multiple answers.  And I feel uplifted, comforted, and inspired.  I loved every single message.  I loved every single story (and many of them will be showing up here along with what I learned from them!)  And mostly I love knowing that the Lord has individual messages for me.  That He speaks to His prophets and apostles and leaders and shares messages that individuals and the Church need to hear.  That is miraculous to me.

A dear friend posted a list of mantras for General Conference that included things like I don't have to listen to all of Conference. I can remember that prophets and apostles are infallible.  I can sift through the messages to find what is helpful to me.  I was so saddened by this post.  Especially because it is a friend that I love dearly.  And also because others were liking the post and agreeing with it.  I felt compelled to leave a comment telling her how much I loved her and also kindly why I disagreed with her.  I don't think it did any good...but we are SO blessed to have apostles and prophets on the Earth.  I want to treasure and soak up every word they speak.  It is true they are human and have frailties.  But in my mind that makes it even more miraculous that God is able to speak through them to me!   He can use imperfect people, like myself, to share His message with others.  That brings me such great hope.  

I can't possibly sum up all I learned.  I did notice two verses of scripture that were quoted multiple times.

Matthew 5:44 was quoted repeatedly..."But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;"   I suspect this means that some things will get harder. Contention will likely increase.  It will probably feel like we have more enemies.  Going along with that, they talked about the people of Enoch and the people of 4 Nephi in several talks and stressed unity.

D&C 122:7 was also quoted several times..."And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good."  We are experiencing tribulation, and challenges will continue to come.  But we were assured over and over that we are not alone.

There were lots of beautiful messages.  I think Sister Michelle Craig and Sister Sharon Eubank's talks were my favorites.  But I loved Elder Renlund and President Nelson and Elder Holland and really every single talk.  I can't wait to study them and apply them and put them into practice.

And 6 new temples were announced.  Vanuatu, Kiribati, Lindon, Utah, Sao Paolo South, Brazil, Guatemala, and Bolivia.  

LESSONS LEARNED: God hears and answers prayers.

President Nelson is a prophet of God.

God is a God of miracles.

God uses prophets and apostles...and ordinary men and women...to further His work.

Israel means God will prevail.

So important to listen to conference with an open heart and mind.  

God will help us through our trials and challenges.