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Sacrament
Popsicle sticks and the Atonement of Jesus Christ
Thirty minutes had passed and most of the missionaries were back in the chapel. But not my companion. Forty minutes and a few more stragglers came in. But not my companion. Fifty minutes and the APs started us singing hymns and bearing testimonies to pass the time, but my mission president and my companion were still absent. I started getting nervous. Finally, after a full hour had passed, my companion came back into the chapel alone, and our mission president hurried to the stand to continue the meeting. I didn't ask my companion what happened; when we wrapped up the day, he told me himself. And what he said changed my understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ forever.
30 years and I'm just now learning this?
I have a confession to make. Most people don't know this about me, but I sometimes—even often—get bored at church and zone out. Shocker, I know. But it's not often that we learn something new about the core of the Gospel, right? Don't get me wrong, the principles of the Gospel never stop being interesting and wonderful, but sometime after the 40th lesson on a subject, it starts to feel just a little stale. That's why I get really excited when I do learn something new about the principles of the Gospel.
Thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin
Today's post has been weighing on my mind for a while. Several scriptures, thoughts, and connections have come to me recently. But I don't have a neat way to tie them all together. So, ready or not, I'm just going to share them with you, stream of consciousness, and hope you get the gist.
Fleeing Babylon (without going anywhere)
Right now in Come, Follow Me, we are studying the journeys of Abraham and his family. His people, including his father, had turned from the Lord to serve other gods, even going so far as to sacrifice innocent children to their false gods. Soon, the sacrificial knife turned on Abraham himself. When God intervened, what was Abraham told to do? Get out of Dodge, of course!
Lord's Supper, party of one
Sacrament meetings are usually hectic for me. With three kids five and under, there's little opportunity for reverent reflection. Even when I do get a respite from the craziness, I find myself thinking more about the people I need to reach out to and the lessons I need to figure out than pondering on the words of the Sacramental prayers. But a few weeks ago, that all changed, and I had the best Sacrament experience I can remember.
Trials that harden, trials that soften
2020 wasn't the dumpster fire everyone makes it out to be, but it has been a roller coaster year. COVID, lockdowns and their religious liberty concerns, and the most contentious election of my lifetime. Thankfully, my ward has been less affected than many. Very few members got sick and no one died. Most members were able to work remotely. Our state eased restrictions earlier than others, allowing us to resume in-person Church meetings with proper safety measures after just a few months. On the political front, our members have largely refrained from "political statements and unkind references in our Church meetings" (so far). We are truly very blessed, and things seem to be returning to at least a semblance of normalcy. However, in my ward and thousands of wards like it, we are noticing that while circumstances are returning to normal, we as a people are very different from how we were one year ago. And in some ways, that scares us.
Being filled by a tiny bite of bread and a few drops of water
Can you imagine how the Nephites felt when they received the sacred emblems of the Sacrament from the Savior Himself? Just hours before, each had stretched forth his or her hand to feel the wounds in His side and the craters in his hands and feet. Now, the Redeemer of the world was kneeling on the ground in front of them, blessing the pieces of bread that symbolize His own broken flesh they had just touched. They would see Him groan within Himself and weep to His Father in prayer. They had heard Him tell of how He drank the bitter cup and His will was swallowed up in the Father's. Now He offered them the sweet cup of wine so He could swallow their sins.