2.357 That They May Always Have His Spirit

In Matthew 5:13, Jesus calls us the salt of the earth, a bold reminder that our lives are meant to carry his flavor, his truth, and his love to the world. Join me each day to explore one verse of scripture and one thought, striving to stay full of savor and truly live as savory salt. Hello my friends, it's great to have you with me.

Today, let's be anxiously engaged in a good cause and bring to pass much righteousness. What's your opinion of being able to take the sacrament each week as you attend church meetings? We're taking a look inside of our readings this week as we read through Moroni chapters 2-8, almost done with the Book of Mormon as we've already finished the Doctrine and Covenants, and keeping in mind the message "The Scriptures of Christ" that we're going to have this week as well.

As we do so, we're in Moroni's final words here and really final hopes for any of you that read the record after him. And he's hoping to capture a few of these key priesthood ordinances and opportunities to show the power and authority of Christ was on the earth and will again be restored and how to use it. Our verse for today is going to come from Moroni chapter 4 and if you're familiar at all with Moroni chapters 4 and 5 you're going to see there the sacrament prayers recorded inside of there.

I know we talked about this before with Doctrine and Covenants but this one got an interesting perspective for me this time as I read through these especially to the lens of Moroni hoping to gather these final records before he leaves. Our verse for today is in verse 3 in Moroni chapter 4. It says, 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.

Amen. Now, for those of you that are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, that's a very common prayer as you hear it weekly inside of Sunday sacrament meetings. But there's something so much more powerful when you read this and when you really understand the intent behind us partaking of the bread and water each week.

First of all, it's a commandment from Jesus Christ that we do so to help remember what covenantal promises to take upon us the name of Christ and in turn, the blessing that we receive to have his spirit with us always as we go forward. My friends, the sacrament has changed for me as I've gotten older because I reflect back. I've shared this only once before on Savory Salt, but it's lost back in the other episodes or seasons at some point.

When I was a priest, I had the opportunity to take this sacrament pretty much every week. A widow lady that was shut in, she was not able to leave her house at all. She didn't have the physical capacity to do so.

And as we would go and give her the sacrament and read these prayers kneeling in her front room, it reminded me every week of the personal nature of the atonement of Jesus Christ. The opportunity to take the sacrament is a one-on-one opportunity with you and the Lord. And as I was able to go each week and say these prayers and offer the bread and the water to this amazing lady I could see and feel many times the personal nature that the sacrament and partaking the sacrament was for her.

My friends, I hope that you and I take advantage in every way we can of that weekly opportunity to reflect, to covenant with, to renew our covenants with our Savior Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father. To remember to take upon us the name of Christ, to remember him in all we do throughout our week, and in so doing, to be able to receive that endowment of power upon us, to have his spirit with us always. What an amazing blessing from the Lord, and I'm grateful that Moroni sat down and said, 'this is something that the people that will have this record must know and understand.' To that opportunity that we have each week as members of the church.

I hope we take advantage of it. That's all for today, my friends. Lift up your hearts and rejoice.

Cleave unto the covenants you have made and together we will be Savory Salt. For more information, visit us at www.fema.org.