Sacrament –

One of the duties of the deacon is to pass the sacrament. Back in the older day when I was made a deacon we went to church twice on a given Sunday. In the morning the priesthood went an hour before the women and small children – this must have been so they would have longer to get ready. Then the whole congregation would attend either Sunday School or Primary for the children under the age of twelve. Later that day we would come back as families for Sacrament Meeting. The sacrament was passed three times each day – It was passed during Sunday School or to the Primary and then later during Sacrament Meeting. Right after I was ordained to the priesthood and made a deacon my president asked where I would like to pass first. I chose the primary because there would be less people. When you think about it the passing of the sacrament is a sacred privilege and should be an honor for all involved. Here you were able to give the congregation the opportunity to renew their covenants with the Savior in remembrance of the blood and body he sacrificed in our behalf during the atonement. This is a time of cleansing, renewal and contemplation of the great blessings he has given us. I have passed the sacrament hundreds of times in my life, mainly because I lived in a area that had very few deacons most of the time making it necessary to continue to pass even after my mission. Not everyone in the church is allowed to partake of the sacrament, only those in good standing. When someone loses that right I think it causes many of them to appreciate what blessing they really have and they try harder to repent and come closer to the Saviors cleansing sacrifice. When they come full circle and are able to partake again they have a new appreciation for this opportunity. Along with this chance to pass the sacrament I have blessed it many times as well, one of those time was not only for the congregation, but visiting that day was the President of the Church or what we believe - a Prophet of God. I think as a young man I didn’t think of what we were doing and how important it was. Many times I believed I viewed it as nothing more than my duty or even a chore. After my mission the opportunities continued as the youth in our ward were scarce. One of the most spiritual experiences of my life was when someone passed the sacrament to me and gave me the opportunity to renew my covenants. While I was serving as a Bishop we were invited to attend a solemn assembly in the upper room of the Logan Temple. Everyone invited was either a Bishop or Stake President. There were more than three hundred individuals in attendance that Sunday morning. What a powerful experience as all those dedicated men sang together “The Spirit of God Like a Fire is Burning.” Also in attendance were the First Presidency and all but one member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The sermons and instruction were amazing, but the high light of the experience was as the Quorum of the Twelve blessed and passed the sacrament to those in attendance. This is generally a duty assigned to the deacons of the church, the youngest and least inexperienced holders of the priesthood. At this time the twelve apostles, special witnesses of the Savior Jesus Christ, were administering it. You could see the excitement and honor as they approached this opportunity to help us renew our covenants. The prayer and act of partaking of the sacrament was no different that I had the week before and every Sunday there after, but I had a new appreciation for its importance and the opportunity to participate. It’s not just the duty of a deacon but all holders of the holy priesthood if they are blessed enough to be asked.