As Now We Take the Sacrament
by Kari Mitchell / ga04172007

L. Tom Perry, “As Now We Take the Sacrament,”
Ensign, May 2006, 39–42
 

Song:  The Sacrament, Children’s Songbook, p. 72

Scripture:  D&C 59:9 “And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day”

Purpose:  To review the April 2006 Conference talk and teach the importance of the Sacrament and how we should act during the Sacrament.

Ask: When do we partake of the Sacrament? Why do we partake of the Sacrament?

LDS Object Lesson : Keep the Sabbath/Taking the Sacrament
 

Objects Used/Preparation:

pane of clear glass that is dirtied on one side

?   glass cleaner wipe

?   easel

Lesson:

I dirtied the glass by misting it with water and sprinkling it with dust. I placed the glass on an easel on the table.  At the appropriate time in the lesson, I used a glass cleaner wipe to clear away a swath on the glass.  The lesson was to visualize the filth (spotting) of the world and accumulation of sin throughout the week. By coming to church and partaking of the spirit and the Sacrament, renewing ourselves (becoming unspotted) we can clean our glass and keep a clear eternal perspective. The dirty side represented our side and the clean side was that of the Lord's. The glass is always clear, we just need to do our part to clean it up and keep a clear eternal perspective. (http://www.mormonshare.com/search-lds-object-lesson.php?oid=135)

Quote:  Partaking of the sacrament provides us with a sacred moment in a holy place.

Explain:  One of the first commandments given to Adam was to offer sacrifice unto the Lord.  This was to help them remember that the Savior would come to earth and offer himself as a sacrifice.

Quote:  From that day down until the time of our Savior, Heavenly Father’s children were commanded to offer sacrifices. It was discontinued with the Savior’s atoning sacrifice. Then, the night before He completed that sacrifice, the Savior instituted the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper to help us remember Him and the Atonement He made for all mankind. Thus, in the ancient law of sacrifice and in the sacrament, the Lord has helped us be certain that we do not forget His promises and the requirement that we follow Him and obey His will.

Explain:  Just before the Savior and His disciples went to the Garden of Gethsemane, the Savior instituted the Sacrament known as the Last Supper. (Matthew 26)

http://tinyurl.com/365ul7 Sharing Time: Be Grateful for the Sacrament,” Friend, Nov 1987

Quoting Elder Delbert L. Stapley “The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is a covenant between God and his people. … When baptized by an authorized servant of God, we covenant to do God’s will and to obey his commandments. … By partaking of the Sacrament we renew all covenants entered into with the Lord and pledge ourselves to take upon us the name of his Son, to always remember him and keep his commandments” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1965, 14).

Quote:  The sacrament is one of the most sacred ordinances in the Church. Partaking of the sacrament worthily gives us an opportunity for spiritual growth.

Ask:  Why is the Sacrament a sacred ordinance?

Quote:  “When we partake of the sacrament worthily, we remember the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior, that He gave up His life and took upon Himself the sins of the world that we may have the blessing of immortality. We take upon ourselves the name of our Savior and promise to always remember Him and to keep His commandments—that is, to “live by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God” (D&C 84:44).”

Ask:  How should we act during the Sacrament?

Quote: “.. During the administration of the sacrament, we set aside the world. It is a period of spiritual renewal as we recognize the deep spiritual significance of the ordinance offered to each of us personally. If we were to become casual in partaking of the sacrament, we would lose the opportunity for spiritual growth.”

At the conclusion of his talk, Elder Perry states“…May we more fully realize the special blessing of being able to partake of the sacrament and its significance in our lives…”

Activities:  (Choose one or more as needed and to help young children recognize the importance of the sacrament.)

Use the paper sacrament tray and cups to answer questions about the sacrament and learn more of its importance.

http://tinyurl.com/3cudjr Sharing Time: Remember Him,” Friend, Oct 1990

http://tinyurl.com/2tbakx The Nephites Learn of the Sacrament: How Does Partaking of the Sacrament Help Me Remember My Baptismal Covenants?,” Friend, Jul 2000

Testimony:

Closing Song:  To Think About Jesus, Children’s Songbook, p. 71

Closing Prayer:

Note to parents: Parents, you have the responsibility of teaching your families the importance of attending sacrament meeting weekly. It should be a regular family practice. Every family needs that time of renewing and committing to live the gospel in accordance with the teachings of the Savior. Families, properly prepared, will attend sacrament meeting with a spirit of reverence and with gratitude for the opportunity of partaking of the sacred emblems. (From Elder Perry’s April 2006 Conference talk)

Activity:  Create a paper Sacrament Tray with cups.  Copy the tray in gray and the cups on white.  Choose a cup and discuss the question on the back.  On the back of the cups write questions that can teach about the significance of the Sacrament.