Staying Unspotted from the World

            There are several disasters or potential disasters happening in the United States at the present time. Hurricane Harvey came ashore several times in Texas and dumped catastrophic amounts of rain in the Houston area before moving eastward into Louisiana. Thousands of acres of land are burning in Montana, and Los Angeles is evacuating people because of fires in that locality. Yellowstone National Park is experiencing an on-going swarm of more than 2300 earthquakes that began in June. These natural disasters are joined by massive flooding in India.

            In addition to the natural disasters discussed above, we are also experiencing many political problems, migrations, and wars. Indeed we may say that we live in the perilous times prophesied by the Apostle Paul (see 2 Timothy 3:1). Many people get confused or distracted or even depressed by all the negative happenings in the world around us. We do not have to despair because we can have the Holy Ghost with us to comfort and guide us.

            Jesus Christ introduced the ordinance of the sacrament to His Apostles just days before He was killed. (See Matthew 26:17-30.) After He was resurrected and had ascended into heaven, He visited the Nephites living in ancient America and introduced the sacrament to them. (See 3 Nephi 18:1-11.)  He also commands us to partake regularly of the sacrament.

And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day;

For verily this is a day appointed unto you to rest from your labors, and to pay thy devotions unto the Most High (Doctrine and Covenants 59:9-10). 

            We know that this is “a commandment with a promise” because the prayers on the sacrament promise that we will “always have his Spirit to be with [us] if we weekly and worthily partake of the sacrament (Doctrine and Covenants 20:77). 

            Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints says, “The ordinance of the sacrament makes the sacrament meeting the most sacred and important meeting in the Church.” In his October 2008 General Conference address titled “Sacrament Meeting and the Sacrament,” he teaches us how to prepare for sacrament meeting in order to truly have the Holy Spirit with us.

            Elder Oaks teaches us that we must come humbly to the meeting with a broken heart and contrite spirit. He discusses the clothing that we should wear to sacrament meeting. “Our manner of dress indicates the degree to which we understand and honor the ordinance in which we will participate.” In other words, he says that we should wear our “Sunday best” clothing, similar to what we would wear to the temple.

            Elder Oaks says that we should be “seated well before the meeting begins” in order to listen to the prelude music and be in tune with the Spirit. He encourages us to sing the hymns and to “concentrate on worship.” He states, “When we partake of the sacrament, we make a sacred covenant that we will always remember the Savior. How sad to see persons obviously violating that covenant in the very meeting where they are making it.”

            In order to better control my thoughts during sacrament meeting, I imagine the Savior sitting on the stand with the brethren. I sometimes imagine Him walking to the sacrament table to bless the bread and the water. I also keep the hymnal open during the sacrament and read through several hymns while the emblems of the Savior’s body and blood are being passed to the congregation.

            I want to have the Holy Spirit with me during the week, and I desire to stay unspotted from the world. I know that my experience in sacrament meeting and with the sacrament can help me to do these things.