May 3, 2025, 9am MDT
The recent invitation to administer the Sacrament has returned to the exact place where I helped me bless bread and water in this sacred Sabbath ordinance, as a young adult who married over 40 years ago.
And I believe it is there and then serves as a reflection when I make mistakes that go back to memory regularly, and for the right reasons.
I was still kneeling at St. Cra’s table as my kind and beloved bishop counselor stepped into my side and leaned forward and whispered.
Ah, no – did I really recite the wrong prayer? Ah, yes.
Time washed away memories and repetitive emotions of subsequent disappointment and embarrassment that would have certainly been felt. And no one said anything, or later teased or joked about missteps.
I couldn’t go back and give the right prayer from the beginning, so I realized now that two prayers were displayed on either side, and that I was too fast to prepare heartily without pause and too careless to flip the card.
Essentially, I treated blessings as everyday.
General Handbook: Serving in the Church of Jesus Christ for Latter-day Saints states that Latter-day Saints remember Jesus Christ by participating in the sacraments.
At a seminar for new mission leaders in June 2019, President Russell M. Nelson said he is also making new contracts.
“The idea came about that creating a contract for today is far more important than the message I prepared,” he said. “I did the Holy Cave, that Holy Cra was willing to accept the name of Jesus Christ and was willing to obey His commandments.
“Many times we hear the expression that Saint Cra joins the sacrament to renew the covenant made in baptism. It’s true, but it’s more than that. I made a new covenant. You made a new covenant. (See Elder Dale G. Renlund, General Assembly, October 2019, Footnote #18.)
A sacred ordinance that has been renewed and newly created contracts require proper setup and presentation.
In addition to emphasizing the respect of the congregation during the sacraments, the general handbook reminds those who administer the ordinance that they should do so in a dignified way and represent the Lord. “The bishop encourages them to prepare, bless the Holy Cra and contemplate the tone sins of the Savior as they pass,” it adds.
Those who manage the sacraments are well-maintained and clean, and don’t wear clothes or jewelry that can undermine the ordinance’s purpose to worship and contracts, the handbook says. The passage of the sacrament is natural, not overly formal, and does not require certain actions or appearances – no need to place your left hand behind your back or dress.
The sacramental prayers revealed by the Lord (see Doctrine and Covenants 20:77, 79; and Moroni 4-5) should be spoken clearly, accurately, and with dignity. The bishop ensures that prayers are recited correctly and repeat when revision is necessary.
In short, sacramental management should be respectful, respectful and representative, not regiments, strict or robots.
And everyone who participates in the ordinance – the MCs and those who participate in the emblems should never be considered a “routine.”
After the Sacramental Conference, I occasionally prepared, blessed, and approached those who passed, to express my gratitude for the respect and orderly attitude of fulfilling the duties of the clergy. I remind them of how they supported that contractual process, and how sacramental ordinances are sacred and special.
If there is a young man who makes a mistake in reciting a prayer while blessing bread or water, and needs to repeat it without error, I praise him for making sure the Lord’s revealed prayer can be recited correctly.
And before I associate my own experience as a show of empathy, I congratulate him on starting with the right prayer.
– Scott Taylor manages the editor of Church News.
