The Institution Of The Sacrament

All too often we forget that the last supper is really two events rather than just one.  On that night the Savior preformed a traditional Passover feast in the tradition of Moses, but then at the end added a new element, the bread and wine which were specifically given to the apostles as an ordinance to “do in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19).

It is important to remember that Passover was instituted not only as a commemoration for the temporal salvation of Israel in the time of Moses,  but also as a sign pointing forward to the future total salvation of all humanity from Spiritual and Temporal death through the Atonement and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Thus, as the Passover pointed forward, the Sacrament of the Lords Supper points backwards to the fundamental event of existence. Both the Passover and the Sacrament place stress on the obligation and covenant to remember, something that is fundamental to accepting and applying the atonement of the Savior in our lives.

I think that the covenant of Remembrance makes the Sacrament a unique ordinance in the church. All of the other Ordinances of the Priesthood are divided into two categories – Temporal ordinances (such as naming and blessing children, blessing the sick, setting apart to a calling, etc.) and Ordinances of Salvation (Baptism, Confirmation, Temple Ordinances, etc.). The easiest way to differentiate between the two is that the first category does not involve covenants and many can be received several times in a lifetime, while the second category all involve covenants and almost always are only received once for ones self. However, only the Sacrament blurs the line between the two, it is the only ordinance involving a covenant that we receive multiple times in our life. Perhaps the reason for this is that we are covenanting to remember, something that we must do frequently as we live here on earth.

But the sacrament is more than just a replacement for or reiteration of the Passover, it is a reminder that the Lord no longer requires a physical sacrifice of an animal, but rather a sacrifice of “a broken heart and a contrite spirit” (3 Ne 9:19-20). While the breaking of bread may be more palatable to our modern sensibilities than torn animal flesh, we should always remember that it represents the broken body of our Lord, and that we should be grateful for the suffering he endured for our sake.