Sacrament

I read this in the context of thinking about Moroni, wandering the area, staying away from the Lamanites (who would kill him if they found him), and writing a few things that are important for him to write, and I wonder if he suddenly realized (probably by revelation) "Hey, there's no written instruction how to administer the sacrament!"

Christ taught the disciples how to do it when he was with them in the Americas, so they could administer the sacrament. They had been administering the sacrament for a few generations at this point. But we have been given by revelation that the proper way to administer the sacrament includes a specifically-worded prayer, and so it is good for us to be given that and have it written down.

So Moroni simply gives us that direction. First, with the bread:

"1 The manner of their elders and priests administering the flesh and blood of Christ unto the church; and they administered it according to the commandments of Christ; wherefore we know the manner to be true; and the elder or priest did minister it—

2 And they did kneel down with the church, and pray to the Father in the name of Christ, saying:

3 O 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." (Moroni 4)

Then Moroni went on to explain the other half of the sacrament:

"1 The manner of administering the wine—Behold, they took the cup, and said:

2 O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee, in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this wine to the souls of all those who drink of it, that they may do it in remembrance of the blood of thy Son, which was shed for them; that they may witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they do always remember him, that they may have his Spirit to be with them. Amen." (Moroni 5)

I'm grateful for the sacrament, and what it both represents, as well as what it actually is. The main thing is the opportunity for me, a sinner, to renew covenants I made at baptism.

I promised at baptism, and renew with taking the sacrament each week, to keep the commandments, which I am never perfect at. This is one reason for the need to renew my covenants. Each week, I (hopefully) resolve to do better than I have in the past, and keep the commandments.

I also promised to always remember the Savior. This is important because He's the one that made it possible for me to repent, and try again. It also helps to remember the Savior's example. He lived a perfect and sinless life, and I am far from that, but remembering Him helps me to remember that example.

Finally, I promised to take upon me the name of Christ. To represent Him, if you will. My actions should reflect the Savior's life, teaching, and example.

Covenants go two ways, and if I do these things, God has promised that I can always have His Spirit. Constant, recognizable direction from the Spirit is something I would love to have, and it is on me to hold up my end of the bargain, because I know God always holds up His end.

I am not great at keeping these covenants. I make mistakes often, and I often get casual about my commitments. It is a constant struggle for me to create and maintain the habits that I should have, and rid myself of the habits I need to avoid. But I am grateful that this is the opportunity that weekly partaking of the sacrament gives me. The chance to always strive to do better, recognizing that I can't fix it all in a day, but if I continue on each week, trying to hold up my end of my covenants better than I have, I will always be making progress in the right direction.