Remembering the Sacrifice

Every Sunday morning we go to church to do what? Learn about the gospel? Talk to friends? Take a nap? Make ourselves feel like we are righteous? Or to renew covenants made at baptism and promise to 'always remember him [Christ] and to keep his commandments which he has given [us] the we may have his spirit to be with [us]? Moroni 4:3  I would like to point out the always remember him, why? What exactly did he do? He atoned for the world and more importantly everyone as an individual. The phrase atonement is beyond comprehension as to what it does for me and you, but we can always remember and try to learn all that we can about what Christ did for us specifically. He gave validity to every saving ordinance as well as cleanse us all from sin and sorrow. Orson F. Whitney said, " There are three elements in baptism, the Water, the Spirit, and the Blood; though only two- water and spirit are usually mentioned. Without Christs atoning blood there could be no baptism of a saving character. Prophetic events and spiritual ordinances can be understood only through spiritual means.  Any attempt to understand without the spirit regardless of mental capacity, college degree, or worldly knowledge, is simply futile. The all encompassing eternal act of what happened in the Garden of Gethsemane can only be understood spiritually. It is what enables to have eternal life and to have peace in the life we are in now.  Without the atonement we would be a lost and fallen people forever.

"Somehow the very act of remembering the Savior and reflecting upon his life is, in and of itself, a catalyst for goodness. It must be difficult if not impossible to genuinely reflect upon the Saviors life and simultaneously do evil. That would be tantamount to asking someone to step forward and backward at the same time. Each time we pause to meditate upon the Savior, we take a spiritual step forward." Tad R. Callister

Just thinking about the Savior helps us improve. Now what if we took that thought and added action? The sacrament is a time to meaningfully reflect upon the life of the Savior, to examine and match our own life against his perfect example and then resolve to narrow that gap.

Elder Jospeh F. Smith observed, " The ordinance [sacrament] has a tendency to draw our minds from the things of the world and to place them upon things that are spiritual, divine and heavenly."

When we take the sacrament let us remember and repent so that 'with his stripes we may be healed' Isaiah 53:5.  The sacrament produces a healing balm to the spiritually wounded.