The Challenges

My husband prepared the bread and water the night before. He placed two slices of bread on a plate and readied the mugs (yes mugs!) for the water. He covered them so it will be ready early in the morning. When he woke up one of our daughters have spread hazelnut on the bread and made a sandwich out of it. It turned out that we did not have extra bread since the kids ate the rest of the loaf. So we made do with “yummy” bread because we used the sandwich which was the only bread we had in the house. The mugs were replaced by glasses since my husband didn’t know where they are stored, so he used what he could easily see in the kitchen and those were mugs.

Another issue we needed to address was how to help the kids feel more reverent, and not as at home. It was quite a challenge because they didn’t feel it was as solemn when we were just sitting on our couch holding Sacrament Meeting.

The Sacrament

It was a bit strange watching as my husband make all the preparations being the only Priesthood holder in the home. We have 5 daughters and none of us could help in the preparation. It was an eye opener for us because we usually look past the preparation part of the Sacrament. We just see the sacrament table all set when we sit in the pews during sacrament meeting. It was such a humbling experience being able to see how gently my husband selected white sheets to line and cover the sacrament emblems. We were filled with reverence as we saw how the seemingly mundane task of breaking bread became holy and sacred. Seeing it so close opened our eyes to the sanctity of the things we usually see as routine.

The Closing Hymn

For our closing hymn, we sang “Keep the Commandments.” It was a hymn my daughter selected because it is one of the few hymns she can play on the piano. I tried my hardest to hold back tears as my heart swelled with a testimony of the truth that the hymn teaches. When the COVID-19 pandemic first began to spread fear in the hearts of people worldwide, our daughters were also alarmed as information on the phenomenon reach them. We have tried our best to comfort them and keep them in their bubble of normalcy. But we cannot seem to do that because these kids are so informed. When we sang,

“Keep the commandments; keep the commandments!

In this there is safety; in this there is peace.

He will send blessings;

He will send blessings.

Words of a prophet:

Keep the commandments.

In this there is safety and peace.”

It was like the Holy Ghost enveloped me with the assurance that my children will be fine. The world will not always be an ideal place for them, but they will be taught the ideal principles that will mold them to be resilient and constant. My husband and I expressed our gratitude for the blessing of having a living prophet, and our children understood that if we listen to the words of the prophet, there is always safety and peace.

The Reminder

When we asked the girls what they thought of the special Sacrament Meeting we had, my daughter said, “I gained confidence because even when I make mistakes in playing the piano, it’s ok because I’m with my family.” Our sense of family was strengthened by this beautiful experience. And our hearts were one with people all over the world who worshiped with us that morning as we prayed for the healing of our nations. There was a spirit of being one big congregation under one God despite holding Sacrament services at home in family units or even as individuals. As I searched the hymn “Keep the Commandments,” on lds.org I was humbled by what a seemingly hidden second verse revealed:

“We are His children; we are His children,

and we must be tested to show we are true.

Hold to His promises;

Hold to His promises,

Heeding the prophets:

Keep the commandments.

In this there is safety and peace.”

In these trying times when we can’t do all the usual day-to-day things because we can’t go out, we can find safety and peace in the four corners of our homes. When we have our faith and our family with us, there is a sense of security that comforts and strengthens. Once again, we are reminded of what matters most.

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The next scene is only to be expected—people turn their heads to see whose child it is.

Some of us might look just out of curiosity, while some might intentionally do so to signal the mothers to quickly calm their kids down. But whatever our reason for looking, LDS mothers have one plea: DON’T LOOK.

Don’t look as if they are not already trying their best to control the situation. Don’t look thinking that they have not disciplined or taught their kids enough. Don’t look as if they are the culprit of irreverence at church. Don’t look as if they are doing something wrong. Don’t look because they are probably already discouraged and wondering if all these things are true.

In reality, they probably have prepared for Sunday long before many others do. They probably have reflected on things that they could improve on in advance, knowing that their kids will not permit a quiet moment of reflection at church. They probably have kneeled and prayed for patience for another rough day at church, and for understanding from the ward members when their kids get out of hand. They probably have pled throughout the week for Heavenly Father to grant them even just a few quiet moments of sacred reverence at church.

Mothers with young ones, just like any of us, also want to have a reverent and fortifying spiritual experience at church. During sacrament meeting, they also want to participate in this sacred ordinance and ponder its significant just as much as we do. Their desire to learn from the speakers might be just as deep as ours. They, too, want to sit reverently and feel the Spirit of the Lord.

So the next time we are tempted to look, let’s do our best to restrain ourselves. Our rule should be to look only when we are willing to leave our seats and help them out. If we are willing, we can even look around before sacrament meeting starts and evaluate which mothers might possibly need some help. A mother whose husband is helping to bless or pass the sacrament could be a good candidate. A single mother who is taking care of her kids alone, a bishop’s wife who has toddlers, or even a grandmother who brought her grandkids to church might need an extra hand.

There are many ways that we can make our Sunday attendance at church more meaningful. One of which is simply not to look when a child starts to scream, or to look and extend a hand to those mothers who might need some help.

Lastly, it is important to note that reverence does not necessarily equal silence. “A reverent attitude toward God includes honoring Him, expressing gratitude to Him, and obeying His commandments.” Although silence adds to the desired reverence we want to feel at church, we must never feel that our Sunday experience is ruined because of a screaming child. The Savior Himself has nothing but love and gratitude for these little ones at church who are still learning.

Ultimately, our Sunday experience largely depends on our spiritual preparedness to feel the Spirit, receive revelation, and remember the Savior.

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Sharing personal experiences at church is common in an LDS congregation and is encouraged to inspire others. But do we sometimes get so caught up in sharing our experiences that we forget to reflect if others can relate to what we are sharing? When we share our experiences, we must consider that our audience is a mix of converts, people who grew up knowing the gospel, and those who are still investigating the gospel. To be able to share an experience that people can relate to, we must think about why we are sharing that experience—to inspire others and share a story that people can learn from.

One common theme that people share is the blessing of being born in the church. Sometimes our sharing is so focused on the importance of being raised in a gospel-centered home that we accidentally exclude others who did not grow up knowing the gospel. They may feel inferior, as though they have not been as blessed by the Lord, after hearing how important it is to be born in the church.

To make our experiences more relatable, we can share the important lessons we learned growing up, such as the importance of family prayer, family scripture study, family home evening, and how these activities built and increased our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and helped our family stick closer together through the years. These are activities that both members and non-members can do. Sharing the lessons and blessings our family has received through these activities, can inspire others to try them with their own families.

Another commonly shared source of spiritual experiences is the mission field. Returned missionaries often speak powerfully of events during their mission that helped them come closer to the Savior. However, when returned missionaries emphasize how being a full-time missionary enabled them to have that experience, it may convey a different message. Why? Because the message may come across as “the only way to have such powerful experience with the Lord is to become a full-time missionary.”

Instead, we should focus on the virtues and principles that we exercised that led to the spiritual experience. If the experience was finding an investigator who had been waiting for years to learn about the gospel, then we could share the importance of being worthy to have the companionship of the Holy Ghost and giving heed to its promptings. Everyone who has received the gift of the Holy Ghost can pick-up a lesson from our experience that they can use, as they aspire to be in-tune with its promptings. Non-members can be inspired to become worthy to receive such a gift.

Sharing our experiences is a powerful source of inspiration and learning for people around us, so when we share, we must ask ourselves what lessons we have learned from the experience that can help people in their present circumstances.  By focusing on the lessons that we have learned, we become more inclusive to those who are not of our faith, friends who are just being introduced to the gospel, and new converts who are just starting to develop their understanding of basic gospel principles.

We must learn the art of story sharing from the Master Himself, who taught Pharisees, Sadducees, Samaritans, Jews, Christians, and many more people—both those who believed in Him and those who did not. He welcomed all who wanted to listen to His words. As we seek to inspire others with our experiences, may we seek to teach with the intent of inspiring everyone who has ears to hear, like our Savior Jesus Christ.

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Unfortunately, some of us may decide to stop attending church. This happens when our faith is weakened by overwhelming challenges. Whenever we feel discouraged about attending church, remember that the Sacrament has the power to lift our hearts through the Holy Ghost and our Savior’s atonement.

Below are some of the most common reasons why we may stop attending church and also the reasons why we should attend anyway.

When you feel you’re not worthy enough.

“There’s no path so deep that the light of the gospel can’t reach”

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, an apostle of the Lord, stated “It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ’s Atonement shines.”

Whenever we feel we have strayed from the path for far too long, the atonement of Jesus Christ makes it possible for us to come back. “There is room for you here,” President Uchtdorf said. The Lord is calling us back. If you think you’ve committed sins beyond repentance, the Lord has provided Bishops and Branch Presidents that will give you proper counsel and help you know what actions to take to fully come back to the light.

When you have been mistreated in some way.

“What an opportune time to set my anger aside and forgive!”

Remembering the Savior’s Atonement during sacrament enables us to ponder his example of forgiveness. The Savior pleaded with Heavenly Father on the cross: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” The sabbath is a wonderful day for forgiveness because it is one of the times when we are forgiven of our sins as well.

When your spouse is not attending  Sacrament meeting.

“I love my spouse enough not to let him/her see my example of not attending church.”

The reason why loving God is the first greatest commandment is because if we love God with all our heart, soul and mind, He will enable us to radiate His love towards our fellowmen. If you truly love your spouse, you would not deprive him or her of the infinite love of God that they can feel from your example.

When you don’t have friends at church.

“I found friends at work and at school, I think I can find one at the church.”

At church, we share the same faith, we live near each other, within area boundaries, and members believe that we are all brothers and sisters. This is why it’s easy to make friends. All it takes is a smile and a handshake, and they’ll soon ask you where you’re from.

Here we are taught to “Show genuine interest in others; smile and let them know you care about them.” (“For The Strength of Youth, Friends”). We all strive to love each other. After all, it is God’s second great commandment. By obeying this commandment, we take courage in making friends with both members and non-members of the church.

When you feel there are too many distractions at church.

“There are distractions. But why am I the only one distracted?”

In Alma 32:38 of the Book of Mormon, it reads: “But if ye neglect the tree, and take no thought for its nourishment, behold it will not get any root; and when the heat of the sun cometh and scorcheth it, because it hath no root it withers away, and ye pluck it up and cast it out.”

Like the tree, our faith and focus on the sacrament will “wither away” if we “take no thought” in preparing for this holy ordinance. So how do we prepare? We can read the scriptures, pray for guidance and focus, and we can fast. There are so many things we can do to make our Sabbath day uplifting and spiritual.

When you’re caught up in worldly things.

“I will never find my life if not for the sake of Christ.”

In Matthew 16:25 it says, “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.”

The reason why most people spend their life searching for other means of happiness is because they have never found the eternal happiness that comes through Jesus Christ. If we partake of the sacrament consistently, we will be more contented with the spiritual blessings God will pour out upon us. Worldly things can never replace the happiness that comes from eternal families, personal blessings promised by God, salvation for our deceased love ones, and many other supernal gifts.

When you think you can still worship and pray in your house.

“It’s the sacrament. I go to church because of the sacrament.”

A son asked his 96-year-old father: “Dad, why do you go to church? You can’t see, you can’t hear, it’s hard for you to get around. Why do you go to church?” The father replied, “It’s the sacrament. I go to partake of the sacrament.” We can only partake of the sacrament through the power of the priesthood that is used to administer in the church. Because of this power, we can renew our covenants with God.

The Sacrament is a wonderful experience. Its meaning is eternal and the blessings therein are not found in worldly things. Through our obedience and diligent effort to partake of the sacrament weekly, we will have the Holy Ghost’s infinite guidance in our lives, and be refined through the cleansing power of Jesus Christ’s atonement.

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Sacrament meeting

Sacrament meeting is the most sacred part of the 3-hour Sunday service as this is the time that members partake of the sacrament—bread that symbolizes the body of Jesus Christ and water that symbolizes His blood (Matthew 26:26~28) They do this in remembrance of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice when He died for the sins of the world. Partaking of the sacrament also represents the renewal of covenants made during baptism. The sacrament is administered by men who are authorized by someone who holds the keys of the Priesthood, usually the bishop/branch president of the congregation.

Aside from partaking of the sacrament, members also join in singing songs of worship at the beginning of the meeting, before the administration of the sacrament and before the close of the meeting. Different members are assigned to speak each week in front of their local congregation about a specific subject or topic. The subjects mostly correlate with each other. Prayers are also offered at the beginning of the meeting, during the administration of the sacrament and at the close of the meeting.

Sunday School

Aside from the sacrament service, there are several classes that are available according to age group. Children who are 3 to 11 years old attend Primary—a program designed to teach children the gospel in a way that suits their knowledge and understanding. There are also classes designed for youth ages 12-18, and adults over 18 years old. Lessons during these meetings are based on the scriptures. Yearly, a specific scripture is discussed in all of the classes.

Auxiliary meeting

Another hour-long meeting is available for everyone to attend. Boys ages 12-18 attend Young Men’s class, designed to help young men learn and understand their roles as holders of the priesthood. Young Women class helps each young woman ages 12-18 prepare to make and keep sacred covenants and receive ordinances in the temple. Women over the age of 18 attend Relief Society, a program focused on “look[ing] after the spiritual welfare and salvation … of all the female members of the Church” (Joseph F. Smith, in Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith [1998], 185). Men who hold the Melchizedek priesthood attend Elders Quorum—an organization whose aim is to serve others and instruct people regarding church doctrines and principles.

If you want to know more, you can visit any Mormon chapel near you. Everyone is welcome to attend.

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In one of his speeches at Brigham Young University in Utah, USA, President Henry B. Eyring, one of the Apostles or Representatives of Christ today, shared a Sunday meeting experience with his dad. He recalled:

Years ago I was sitting in a sacrament meeting with my father… He seemed to be enjoying what I thought was a terrible talk. I watched my father, and to my amazement, his face was beaming as the speaker droned on. I kept stealing looks back at him, and sure enough, through the whole thing he had this beatific smile.

Our home was near enough to the ward that we walked home. I remember walking with my father on the shoulder of the road that wasn’t paved. I kicked a stone ahead of me as I plotted what I would do next. I finally got up enough courage to ask him what he thought of the meeting. He said it was wonderful.

Now I really had a problem. My father had a wonderful sense of humor, but you didn’t want to push it too far. I was puzzled. I was trying to summon up enough courage to ask him how I could have such a different opinion of that meeting and that speaker.

Like all good fathers, he must have read my mind because he started to laugh. He said:

“Hal, let me tell you something. Since I was a very young man, I have taught myself to do something in a church meeting. When the speaker begins, I listen carefully and ask myself what it is he is trying to say. Then once I think I know what he is trying to accomplish, I give myself a sermon on that subject.” He let that sink in for a moment as we walked along. Then, with that special self-deprecating chuckle of his, he said, “Hal, since then I have never been to a bad meeting.”

Can we do the same? I am sure that this requires a lot of practice, prayer, humility and faith but it can be done. However, before it can be done, we must understand why we need to listen, even to the words of a seemingly boring talk. President Eyring shared two reasons:

…you and I need a check on our own inspiration occasionally. We can be mistaken. We at times, even with real intent and with faith and with careful prayer, may come to wrong conclusions. Listening to others can provide correction. It can promote more careful consideration. I hope you will always remember that there is safety in counsel.

I can think of another reason why we are blessed to be required to be taught by other human beings. For me, that is made clear in the first section of the Doctrine and Covenants (another scripture used by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), verse 23, which says: “That the fullness of my gospel might be proclaimed by the weak and the simple unto the ends of the world, and before kings and rulers.”

Notice that the Lord used the words weak and simple. These talks from inexperienced or nervous speakers may be considered weak and simple but we can still receive inspiration from the Lord by listening to their words. We should be humble enough to realize that profound words can come forth even from the mouth of a little child.

When asked about what we do when we hear an unexciting talk, may we delightfully be able to say, “I cannot remember the last time I’ve heard one.”

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In Doctrine and Covenants 59:9-10, the Lord commanded: “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.” Aside from attending sacrament meeting, members of the Church strive to keep the Sabbath day holy by participating in activities that invites the Spirit.

A typical Sunday at Church is 3 hours. Though it may sound pretty long, it actually goes by really fast. The service is divided into 3 parts: sacrament meeting, Sunday school, and general classes.

Sacrament meeting is the most sacred part of the Sunday service. It is when members renew their covenants by partaking of the sacrament. Other purposes of the sacrament meeting are to worship, provide gospel instruction, perform ordinances, conduct ward business, and strengthen faith and testimony (Handbook 2: Administering the Church).

Sunday school is divided into adult and youth classes. A specific curriculum is taught which is synchronized throughout the entire Church. For 2016, the curriculum is the Book of Mormon. Sunday school classes provide opportunities for members to learn more about the gospel and deepen one’s knowledge and testimony.

The 3^rd hour is divided into different classes for the Priesthood, Relief Society, Youth, and Primary. Priesthood class is attended by men ages 18 and older while Relief Society is for women 18 and above. The youth have their separate classes and so does the primary which is for children ages 11 and below. These specific classes are meant to help each group according to their needs.

Sunday meetings are meant to help individuals strengthen their relationship with the Lord and renew their spiritual strength. Interested individuals are invited to attend our Sunday meetings. It is a great way to feel the Spirit and learn more about the gospel. Another blessing is that it provides an opportunity to fellowship with members of the Church.

In Elder Dallin H. Oaks’ talk Sacrament Meeting and the Sacrament, he said: “By participating weekly and appropriately in the ordinance of the sacrament we qualify for the promise that we will “always have his Spirit to be with [us]” (D&C 20:77). That Spirit is the foundation of our testimony. It testifies of the Father and the Son, brings all things to our remembrance, and leads us into truth. It is the compass to guide us on our path.” This is the reason why Mormons consecrate 3 hours of their time on Sundays to participate in a sacrament meeting.

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