Lesson for April 13, 2014

Lesson for April 13, 2014 Our lesson today was given by Maggie Kopp. It is on the Significance of the Sacrament, Chapter 6. We are focusing on preparing for our Easter holiday next week. The partaking of the sacrament is one of the most sacred ordinances in the Church. We take the name of the Savior on us to stand as a witness of Him. It is a renewing of our covenants. It is a promise to always remember Him. It is a covenant to keep the commandments. Maggie wants to talk about getting ready. She experienced graduate school at a Catholic school and they tried to remember the Atonement, very seriously. What are some things we can do to remember the Atonement? How can we keep our covenants to keep the Spirit with us so we can remember? She asked when we have been prepared to keep Easter. Jill Judd said that it has helped to realize that we need it now. Singing hymns, especially sacrament hymns, makes it more special to us. When we explain it to our children, helps us understand it. Charlene Farnworth remembered a time in her mission during a political coup and when they were able to get to church in that hard time. It meant more to her. One sister had to stay in Laramie, Wyoming after doing temple work in SLC, because of a storm. On the way home on the bus they had a 3-hour sacrament meeting that left an impression. The sacrament is a special time to President Smith. Kristine Hanson sometimes re-reads the hymn just sung, sometimes she reads scriptures, sometimes she prays. Others read the sacrament prayers. Maggie loves two poems that express the meaning of the sacrament. She was given one by Eloise Bell, a professor at BYU. Paige Gibson said that to just take it and not think about it is not right, but that we need to appreciate what the sacrament means. Another poem by a woman who used to publish in the old Relief Society magazine. This one is about the effort put into the making of the bread. The things that we do with our hands for one another are a labor of love. The sacrament bread being broken feeds all of us, our brothers and sisters. President Smith said it is impossible for us to understand the extent of Christ’s sacrifice for us, but we can recognize that it was extraordinary and was taken on by His love for us. Therefore, there is nothing that the Lord asks of us that is too much for us to do. If we take the sacrament and keep the commandments and remember the Lord, we will be less likely to do something wrong. SueAnn Hardng said it is also a time for us to recommit to doing what we should. Lisa Anderson said it is a time for us to get a fresh slate. It is a time to repent and recommit. Even if we do something wrong, we can repent. There is a difference in our lives when we can. Vira Bahr said the exhibit at BYU of Carl Bloch’s paintings affected her a great deal. She loved seeing the paintings depicting the Savior’s life, because they brought His life to light. We also discussed ways to get ready for Easter, such as special food, having Easter egg hunts on Saturday, going on an Easter walk finding symbols of Christ’s resurrection. Music is a great symbol of Easter. As we are preparing for Easter, maybe we can challenge ourselves to find other things to remind us of Easter and create traditions.