Note: This explanation is not official, and therefore may contain errors. For official information, please visit Mormon.org. This article is part of an ongoing series to answer questions asked by readers and forum guests who are not LDS.
Sacrament Meeting is held weekly and is the basic church service. Its primary purpose is to allow members to take the sacrament of bread and water, (much like the bread and wine communions of other churches.) We partake of the sacrament to renew our commitment to the promises we made when we were baptized and to remember the atonement of Christ. This follows the pattern set by the Savior at the Last Supper. The bread represents the body of Christ, and the water represents the blood, sacrificed for us.
You do not need to be a member of the church to attend this meeting. It is open to all and lasts about seventy minutes. This is a description of what might commonly take place at a Sacrament Meeting:
First, members and guests are welcomed by a member of the bishopric,(one of the three men who oversee the congregation.) Each week, one of these men conducts the meeting. Announcements are made. Then the congregation sings a hymn and the opening prayer is given by a member of the church. (Any adult member in good standing can be asked to say this prayer.) The prayer is not recited-it is given as the member feels inspired, using a pattern. Church business is then conducted.
Following this, the sacrament is administered to the members of the church. Before church, boys ages fourteen and fifteen prepare the sacrament table. A hymn is sung by the congregation to focus attention on the purpose of the sacrament. Then the bread is blessed. This prayer uses exact language and may be found here: Prayer on the bread. Then young boys twelve or older take the bread to the members. The boys are called deacons. A deacon takes his tray of bread to his assigned aisle. He holds the tray while the member at the end of the row takes a piece of bread with his right hand and eats it. Then that member takes the tray with his right hand and holds it for the next person. When the tray reaches the end of the aisle, another deacon is waiting to take it. If you are not a member, you may simply take the tray and hold it for the person next to you, without taking any of the bread. While members wait for their turn, they think of the Savior. When the bread has been passed, the water is blessed and the same procedure is used to pass the sacramental water to the members.
Following the passing of the sacrament, two teenagers often give short “talks.” Talks are what we call speeches. These talks are generally five minutes long and are on a topic assigned by a member of the bishopric. These are followed by talks given by two adult members of the church. The adults’ talks are usually about fifteen minutes long. Any member in good standing can be asked to give these talks, and they are also usually on a topic assigned by church leadership. Sometimes there is a hymn in the middle of the talks, or there is a vocal or instrumental musical presentation. After the talks, there is a closing hymn and a prayer. Again, the prayer is given by any member asked to do so.
Those attending are asked to wear their “Sunday best.” For members, this means dresses or skirts for the women, and a suit or dress pants and shirt for men. However, a female visitor who arrived in pants, for example, would never be asked to leave, so please do not stay away simply because you haven’t the right clothing. Hats are not required.
It is wise to note that our Sacrament Meetings are for the entire family. As a result, they are sometimes noisy from the activities of children and babies. Although members are asked to teach their children to be reverent, some children are naturally better at it than others. We feel that children benefit from coming to these meetings with their families. It is an important shared activity and allows parents to model behavior. In addition, it allows children to form a habit of church attendance.
You will not be asked for money when you visit our church. No collection plate is passed.
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