Topics / Covenants and Ordinances
The only prayers scripture tells us to say word for word
The Sacrament
A weekly renewal of the baptismal covenant, instituted at the Last Supper and again at Bountiful, with two prayers preserved verbatim in Moroni 4–5 and D&C 20. Reading the clauses slowly is most of what there is to learn about it.
18 min2 sections
The prayers, clause by clause
3O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this bread to the souls of all those who partake of it; that they may eat in remembrance of the body of thy Son, and witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him, and keep his commandments which he hath given them, that they may always have his Spirit to be with them. Amen.
| Clause | What it commits to |
|---|---|
| Bless and sanctify this bread to the souls | The ordinance acts on the person, not on the emblem |
| Eat in remembrance of the body of thy Son | The purpose is memory, and memory is an act |
| Witness unto thee | The congregation is testifying to God, not to each other |
| Willing to take upon them the name of thy Son | The baptismal covenant, restated |
| Always remember him | The word appears twice in one prayer, and is the only adverb |
| Keep his commandments | The behavioural half |
| That they may always have his Spirit | The promise — companionship, conditional on the rest |
At Bountiful
7And this shall ye do in remembrance of my body, which I have shown unto you. And it shall be a testimony unto the Father that ye do always remember me. And if ye do always remember me ye shall have my Spirit to be with you.
11And this shall ye always do to those who repent and are baptized in my name; and ye shall do it in remembrance of my blood, which I have shed for you, that ye may witness unto the Father that ye do always remember me. And if ye do always remember me ye shall have my Spirit to be with you.
Principle
The sacrament renews the baptismal covenant weekly, because the covenant is not self-sustaining and was never expected to be.
What this topic holds
The sacrament is a weekly renewal of the covenant made at baptism.
The promise attached is the companionship of the Spirit, conditional on remembering and keeping.
Check your reading
3 questions01What word appears twice in the sacrament prayer and is its only adverb?
02Who is the congregation witnessing to?
03What does the prayer over the bread ask people to be 'willing' to do?
Where to go next
Sources
- Gospel Topics, "Sacrament"
- Moroni 4–5; 3 Nephi 18; D&C 20:75–79 — The primary texts.