Sacrament Meeting and the Sacrament

(based on Elder Dallin H. Oaks’s October 2008 General Conference talk)

Lesson prepared by Taryn H.

Preparation: Dirty a glass cup by misting it with water then sprinkling it with dust. Place the glass on a
table. Gather all materials needed for making unleavened bread. Print off a copy of the sacrament reverence
book for each child in the family. Print off picture of Jesus and picture of the Last Supper. Other materials
needed: paper towel, window cleaner, 3 cups flour, 2 T oil, 3 large eggs, ½ cup water or milk, 1 tsp. salt.

Objective: To understand the importance of the sacrament. Why we take it, what it represents, and how we
should act during the sacrament.

Opening Song: “Before I take the Sacrament” Children’s Songbook pg 73

Opening Prayer:

Scripture: 3 Nephi 18:10

During the course of the lesson you will be discussing the four key ingredients to making the sacrament more
meaningful. As you discuss each ingredient have a family member add the specified ingredient to the bowl.
Hang the corresponding poster on the wall.

Ingredient #1: Knowing why we take the Sacrament:

Discussion: Tell the following story:

Nine-year-old Brian had just returned from the baptism of his friend Jeremy. “I wish I could be baptized
again, Mom,” he said as he visited with his mother in the kitchen.

“Baptized again? Why?”

“Jeremy is lucky. He is clean because he hasn’t made any mistakes since he was baptized. I wish I could be
baptized again.”

Mom was surprised. They had had a family home evening about baptism and renewing the baptismal
covenants by partaking of the sacrament. Brian had also learned about baptism in Primary. But it seemed that
he still didn’t understand some things. …

She sat down with him at the kitchen table. “Brian, you know that each time we partake of the sacrament, we
renew our covenants with the Lord. I know that you listen carefully to the sacrament prayers. What are the
sacred promises we make?”

“Well, we promise to take Jesus’ name upon us. I think that that means that we promise to not do anything
that would bring shame or dishonor to His name.”

“That’s right. What else do we promise?”

Brian reviewed the words of the prayers in his mind. “That we will always remember Him and keep His
commandments.”

“Good. What are some ways in which we can always remember Him?”

“Sister Cassler taught us in Primary that we can ask ourselves, ‘What would Jesus want me to do?’ whenever
we have a choice to make. I know that that works, because it helped me to be patient with Jenny when she
broke my toy car the other day.”

“I’m pleased that you were such a loving big brother. When you are kind and patient, you show that you
remember Jesus and are keeping His commandments. He taught that we should partake of the sacrament in
remembrance of Him. And as we do, we gain a remission of our sins. Remission is a big word. In this case, it
means that we are forgiven for the mistakes we make, if we are truly sorry for them and sincerely try to not
repeat them. Before we partake of the sacrament, we should prepare ourselves spiritually. We can do that by
correcting the mistakes we have made. That is called repentance.”

“You mean that if I correct the wrong things I have done and try to always remember Jesus and keep His
commandments, when I partake of the sacrament, I can be just as clean as when I was baptized?”

“Yes, indeed.” Mom smiled. “We can be washed clean through obedience to the laws and ordinances of the
gospel of Jesus Christ. The sacrament is one of those ordinances. We don’t need to be perfect before
partaking of the sacrament, but we must be sincerely repenting of the things we have done wrong. During the
sacrament service, we think of the Savior and all that He has done for us. We sing a hymn before the
sacrament is blessed, which helps us to feel reverent and to remember Him. As it is passed, we can review
the things we have done in the past week and look for ways to improve. Partaking worthily of the sacrament
brings the blessing that our Heavenly Father promises us at baptism—to always have His Spirit to be with
us.”

“So I don’t need to be baptized again! I can be clean again each week as I worthily partake of the sacrament.
The sacrament helps me remember my baptismal covenant. Thanks, Mom!”

With a big smile and a hug for Brian, Mom replied, “We can show our thanks to the Savior, Jesus Christ, by
keeping our baptismal covenant and partaking worthily of the sacrament each week.” (Ann Jamison,
“Sharing Time: Clean Again!,” Friend, Jul 2000, 12)

Ask: Why do we take the sacrament? Let whoever answers add 3 cups flour and 1 tsp salt to a mixing
bowl.

Ingredient #2: Remember who the Sacrament is about.

Without explanation, show a picture of Jesus (GAK 240) and allow your family to identify Him by asking
such questions as

- Who does this picture represent?

- Where did you learn about Him?
- Why is Jesus, who lived two thousand years ago, so important that we are taught about Him today?
- Why is Hid death so significant?
- Why is Christ important to our family?
- What did Jesus say of Himself? (have someone read John 8:12 aloud)
- What did our Heavenly Father say about His Son, Jesus Christ? (read John 3:16 aloud)
Show the Last Supper picture. Tell the story of the Last Supper as found in Luke 22:19-20. Read aloud from
the bible the last part of verse 19: “This do in remembrance of me.” Explain that Jesus told His Apostles to
meet together each Sabbath day and remember him by taking the sacrament.

When you want to remember something important, you might write yourself a note or tie a string on your
finger. To remember someone who has been gone for a long time, you might look at his picture or read
something he wrote. To remember a song or poem you’ve learned, you might sing or recite it often.

Jesus gave us the sacrament to help us remember the sacrifice He made for us in the Garden of Gethsemane
and on the cross. He suffered for our sins so that we could be forgiven if we repent. He gave His life and
took it up again so that we could be resurrected and live again.

What does the sacrament bread represent? (Jesus’s body)

What does the water represent? (His blood which was shed for us)
When we take the sacrament, we renew the covenants we made at baptism. What is a covenant? (a promise)

Have your family name some things they have promise to do at home (for example, help with younger
siblings, do chores). How do you show someone that you have made a promise? (shake hands, give Cub
Scout sign, etc). Teach that baptism shows that we are making a promise, or covenant, with Heavenly Father.

Ask: Who is the sacrament about? Who ever answers can crack 3 eggs into a separate bowl.

Ingredient #3: Listening to the Sacrament Prayers and remembering the covenants we made at
baptism and what we are promised in return.

Activity: Lay the small pictures of Jesus face up on the floor or table. Read the following two scriptures:
Mosiah 18: 8- 10 and Doctrine and Covenants 20: 77, 79. Have one family member come and pick a picture.
Have them read the back and answer the question.

Covenants we make at baptism: Mosiah 18: 8 – 10

• Bear one another’s burdens
• Comfort those that stand in need of comfort
• Stand as a witness of God at all times and in all things and in all places
• Serve the Lord
• Keep His commandmants

What Heavenly Father Promises Us at baptism:

• We will be blessed and have eternal life
• Have His Spirit

Covenants we renew by taking the sacrament: D&C 20:77, 79

• We are willing to take His name upon us
• We will always remember Him
• We will keep His Commandments

Heavenly Father’s Promise:

• We will have His spirit to be with us
Ask the children what the promises mean and how we can apply them in our lives. Whoever answers
can combine 2 TBPS oil with the eggs.

Ingredient #4: Reverently Think of Jesus

There are many ways we can reverently remember Jesus, especially while the sacrament is being passed.
Have children list things they can think about during the sacrament. You can use the pictures of Jesus as a
reference. They show several scenes from Jesus’s life that would be appropriate to think about.

Let someone who answer add ½ cup milk to eggs.

Pour egg mixture into flour and beat together. Pour the batter into three 8# square greased pans. Bake at 425
for 25 – 30 minutes. Let bake while you do the following activities.

GAME: I’ve adapted this from the game, “I’m going on a trip and I’m going to take…” Everbody sits in a
circle, starting with the youngest they say, “I’m sitting in Sacrament Meeting and I’m thinking about…”and
they list something that starts with the letter A, for example: angels. The next person would say, “I’m sitting
in Sacrament Meeting and I’m thinking about angels and…” they add something that starts with the letter B,
for example baptism. Then the next person would have to say angels, baptism and something that starts with
the letter C. Continue around the circle until you come to the letter Z.

Activity: (this may make for too long of an FHE so you may choose to review what you’ve talked about
another week and make this book as an activity then) Color Sacrament Meeting Reverence Book as a
reminder of what the sacrament is about. It includes a few activities at the back that children could do during
sacrament meeting. These cards fit nicely in a 4x6 photo album. You could also make and ABC book and
have children draw or cut out pictures for every letter of the alphabet of things appropriate to think about
during the Sacrament.

Other suggestions: You could ask the bishop if your family could make the bread for the Sacrament one
week.

Closing Song: The Sacrament Children’s Songbook pg 72

Closing Prayer:

Refreshments: Eat the unleavened bread you made in the lesson. As you eat it think of the first sacrament.
Print out pictures. Cut around each picture and words together and fold in half so words are on the backside
of the picture. Tape or glue closed.