What Sacrament?

[Reid]

Casen you mentioned that when in the Mormon Temple or church you take in the sacrament. Can you explain what sacrament you partake in?

Catholics believe in 7 sacraments, what specific sacraments does the Mormons teach?

 

[TOmNossor]

Reid:

Casen you mentioned that when in the Mormon Temple or church you take in the sacrament. Can you explain what sacrament you partake in?

Catholics believe in 7 sacraments, what specific sacraments does the Mormons teach?

I am not Casen, but here is a little bit of an answer.

LDS have parallels for the 7 sacraments of the Catholic Church, but we generally call them ordinances or covenants. LDS emphasize the two way nature of our covenants.

I would suggest that we fully realize that we cannot do anything to save ourselves, but instead what we are doing is agreeing to participate/unite with God.

When LDS speak of “the sacrament,” we are only discussing the covenant associated with blessing and partaking of the bread and water.

Charity, TOm

 

[Reid]

Thankyou for your reply.

What takes place when you take the bread and the water?
How are you united with Christ?
Does anything change when you unite with Christ?

 

[TOmNossor]

Reid:

Thankyou for your reply.

What takes place when you take the bread and the water?
How are you united with Christ?
Does anything change when you unite with Christ?

I believe that B.H. Roberts who was somewhat anti-Catholic specifically said that the LDS sacrament was not Transubstantiated.

Most LDS suggest that our sacrament is symbolic, but we do have some somewhat elaborate rituals (not as elaborate as the Catholic rituals) for a purely symbolic sacrament.

I believe we have a little room to see the blessing of the bread and water affecting a potential that is realized when we partake of the sacrament in that we are partaking of Christ in some more than merely symbolic way. We however do not treat non-consumed but blessed bread and water in any special way, so we cannot believe that there is any substantial transformation upon the blessing.

In any case, symbolic or more than merely symbolic, the key to understanding is the prayers for the blessing of the sacrament. Here they are:
D&C 20:77:

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 has given them; that they may always have his Spirit to be with them. Amen.

D&C 20:79:

O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this wine to the souls of all those who drink of it, that they may do it in remembrance of the blood of thy Son, which was shed for them; that they may witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they do always remember him, that they may have his Spirit to be with them. Amen.

So we agree to … and God promises for His Spirit to be with us.

As you may or may not know I have “holy envy” for the “real presence” of Christ in the Eucharist. I think that is a beautiful idea and very powerful.

Charity, TOm