JC and I had the privilege of speaking in church on Sunday. We had a simple topic... the important of the Sacrament and the Atonement.... Simple... right?! I'm glad to say that I survived my fear of public speaking. I told JC if I wasn't making sence or sounded stupid just to pull me off the pulpit and excuse his wife for having some odd medical condition... that never happened, or he's just too nice - cause I made it all the way through my 13 minutes of talking. Even tear free! Sheesh.. when I was practicing it I would cry every time... that just shows how scared I was Sunday. Haha - I'm a pansy. JC was amazing. He has a wonderful testimony and the sincerity and love that beams out of him while he talks about the gospel is unreal. I'm so grateful for that kid and love him so much!
Anyways, I wanted to share my talk with you!
*Intro of Hottie Silotti's*
In the book, The Infinite Atonement, Tad R. Callister shares an experience that happened one Sunday in his ward:
One Sunday morning our teenaged son stood with two other priests to administer the sacrament, as they had done on many prior occasions. They pulled back the white cloth, but to their dismay there was no bread. One of them slipped out to the preparation room in hopes some could be found. There was none. Finally our troubled son made his way to the bishop and shared the concern with him. A wise bishop then stood, explained the situation to the congregation, and asked, “How would it be if the sacrament table were empty today because there were no atonement?”
I have thought of that often- what would it be like if there were no bread because there had been no crucifixion, no water because there had been no shedding of blood? If there had been no Atonement, what would the consequences be to us? To ask and answer this question only heights our awareness of an appreciation for the Savior.
There is no greater expression of love than the heroic Atonement performed by the Son of God. Were it not for the plan of our Heavenly Father, established before the world began, in a very real sense, all mankind- past, present, and future- would have been left without hope of eternal progression. It puts into perspective our total dependence on the Lord.
While we are blessed to have the chance to partake of the sacrament each Sunday, it can be easy to take it for granted because we take it so often. Do we really understand the meaning of or why we do this every week? Do we take the time to prepare ourselves spiritually before our meetings as we do to primp our hair, apply makeup or catch the last few seconds of our favorite sports team on the TV or even sleep in a few extra minutes?
From the very beginning, before the world was organized, God laid out a plan whereby He would offer blessings to His children based on their obedience to His commandments. He understood, however, that we would be distracted at times by the things of the world and would need to be reminded regularly of our covenants and His promises.
Bringing the Atonement’s blessings and power into our lives every day includes constantly noticing and repenting of small sins, reading our scriptures, praying, and serving others. If we are daily drawing close to our Heavenly Father and seeking for the Spirit’s guidance and companionship in our common hours, we will be prompted to change, prompted to repent, prompted to grow, and we will receive the strength to do these things.
So what is the Atonement? The Atonement was an intimate, personal experience in which Jesus came to know how to help each of us. In Alma 7: 11 thru 12 we read:
And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.
And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death, which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.
We need a Savior to return to our Heavenly Father. We can’t even come close without Jesus Christ.
Sheri Dew wrote, “The Savior isn’t our last chance; He is our only chance. Our only chance to overcome self-doubt and catch a vision of who we may become. Our only chance to repent and have our sins washed clean. Our only chance to purify our hearts, subdue our weaknesses, and avoid the adversary. Our only chance to obtain redemption and exaltation. Our only chance to find peace and happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come.
The Atonement of Jesus Christ is available to each of us.
The Atonement is the great unifying force between God and man, lifting us up, binding us to Christ, and helping us understand that He is the way. Christ’s Atonement elevates us on our best days and comforts and heals us on our worst days. It’s not only employed when dramatic sins are committed, but the Atonement is something that should be a part of every facet of our lives- in joyful periods and challenging times.
I like to think of the atonement as a two-way promise. The Lord agrees to do for us what we could never do for ourselves- forgive our sins, lift our burdens, renew our souls and re-create our nature, raise us from the dead, and qualify us for glory hereafter. At the same time, we promise to do what we can do: receive the ordinances of salvation, love and serve one another, and do all in our power to put off the natural man and deny ourselves of ungodliness.
The only thing that Christ asks of us is that we obey his commandments. Including coming to church every week to take the sacrament in remembrance of all he has done for us.
I love this quote by Bishop Keith McMullin:
“When an Aaronic Priesthood bearer’s hand is extended with a sacrament tray, he isn’t just passing the sacrament. He is introducing into the lives of members the emblems of the holy Atonement and lifting the members heavenward.”
To me that is so powerful. How often do we think, “Oh here comes the bread again..” or even what we are going to have for dinner or what the rest of the day holds? I know I’ve personally let my mind wonder during the quiet moments of the sacrament and not always on spiritual matters. To keep the reverence and my mind on the atoning sacrifice of our Savior- I like to read a hymn and ponder the meaning of what it’s saying.
I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me,
Confused at the grace that so fully he proffers me.
I tremble to know that for me he was crucified-
That for me, a sinner, he suffered, he bled and died.
If we look unto the Savior in every thought, we will always have his spirit to be with us. What better time to reflect on all that He has done for us then during those few quiet moments during the sacrament. It’s a good way to start out our week by remembering what He has done, what we’ve been given, and how we can better ourselves and follow his commandments.
Elder Dallin H. Oaks has testified that there is a spiritual cleansing or healing associated with the sacrament: “The sacrament of the Lord’s Supper is a renewal of the covenants and blessings of baptism. We are commanded to repent of our sins and come to the Lord with a broken heart and a contrite spirit and partake of the sacrament. In the partaking of the bread, we witness that we are willing to take upon us the name of Jesus Christ and always remember Him and keep his commandments. When we comply with this covenant, the Lord renews the cleansing effect of our baptism. We are made clean and can always have His Spirit to be with us.”
Once we understand and take into our hearts who Christ is and what He has done for us- when we have felt Him lift our sins, our pains, or sickness, and our infirmities and have felt Him give us renewed hope- we understand that Christ is the answer, and the only true answer.
I testify that the Atonement is real. Not only did the Savior die for me, but he died for all of you as well. I love how powerful the meaning of the Atonement is and how great this gift is for all of us. Not only does the atonement apply for when we have sinned, when have wronged against another, but it’s also for us when we have been wronged against. The blessings of the atonement come in many ways.
A few years ago, I started the most challenging trial I hope to ever face in my life. At a time where you are in so much pain and feel so alone- I knew that the only thing I could do was to fall on my knees and pray. As much comfort as our earthly parents and family can give us, there is only one who truly knows how we are feeling and what burdens we are bearing. He knows this, because we suffered all of the pains and sorrows of the world for us.
As I spent the majority of my day on my knees in prayer, getting lost in the scriptures, and going to the temple daily – I began to notice that during the sacrament, as I renewed my covenants with the Lord, and peacefully felt his spirit with me as I remembered that I wasn’t alone in my trials – that it is all because of His sacrifice.
Going back to the question of, “How would it be if there were no bread today because there were no atonement.” I can’t even begin to think of where we would be. How would we handle all that is placed on our shoulders if we didn’t have a Savior to turn to. I know without a doubt, I wouldn’t be who I am today if I didn’t have the gift of the atonement in my life. I wouldn’t be as strong as I am, and wouldn’t have the testimony that the Savior truly died for us, each and everyone one of us. He knows us personally, he knows what we face, and also that he can help us in every aspect of our life.
I’m so grateful for a Savior that has wrapped his arms around me multiple times. No matter how many times we may slip up, or fall into the traps of the natural man, If we will come unto Christ, with a humble heart and ask that he help take upon our burdens, trails, or whatever it may be – he will do so if we have a contrite spirit and a broken heart.
I can’t say it enough that he loves us. I know that if we can better prepare ourselves each week by coming humbly and fully repentant to sacrament meeting and worthily partaking of the sacrament, we can better appreciate this sacred ordinance and all that it means.
