Why I Partake

One time during the sacrament my son accidentally grabbed two pieces of bread and one of the pieces fell on the floor. Before I could stop him, he snatched up the one on the ground and ate both pieces, then whispered to me, “Now I will remember Jesus’s body EVEN MORE.” 😂 And quite possibly get a disease...

I love that Christ institutes the sacrament with the Nephites! I love what he teaches about it! I love the symbolism! Like baptism, it’s one of those things you could argue- well, why do I have to do it to show I follow Him? Like, He knows my heart, so is eating a piece of bread really necessary?

I have a beautiful little book called “Covenant Keepers” by Wendy Watson Nelson, the wife of our dear prophet, and it gave me SO much understanding of covenants and ordinances & why we do these things! About the sacrament, she says, 

“How would our experience with the sacrament change if we imagined the Savior to be the one blessing the bread and water— just as He did for His Twelve Apostles? And then, if the Savior stood before us and, while offering the emblems to us and looking directly into your eyes and mine, said: 

‘Are you willing to take upon you MY name this week?

‘Are you willing to always remember ME?

‘Are you willing to keep MY commandments this week?’”

The sacrament is personal. 

The sacrament is about ME and HIM. It’s the only ordinance we repeat for ourselves! I partake because HE did, I partake because it’s a commandment, I partake as my witness to Him, I partake to remember Him. I partake to be “filled,” with the Spirit & His sanctifying love. I partake because “in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest.” (D&C 84:20)

Sis. Nelson said, “There has never been a more important time to understand the power to which we have access because of our covenants than right now!”

The sacrament is a gift! It’s a way for God to bless us with His power! Do we realize that?

We get to renew our covenants, apply His atonement in our lives, and recommit to a new week. 

We get to give our hearts to Him who gave us everything.

And I hope I can “remember Jesus’s body EVEN MORE” every week. (Without eating bread off the ground.)