Do Mormons have Communion?
Personal Response by Karen Merkley
Mormons partake of the Sacrament of the Lord’s supper–initiated by Jesus Christ–every Sunday, as Catholics partake of Communion. The LDS ordinance, however similar in purpose to that of the Catholics’ Eucharist, differs in a couple of profound respects. The Sacrament, we believe, is an ordinance that can be performed only in a given prescribed manner revealed by the Lord. Only holders of His authority or priesthood, as present in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, can actually rightfully administer the emblems of the Sacrament. The true manner of blessing the Sacrament is found within revealed modern scriptures: The Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants.
The prescribed manner of administering the blessing of the bread is set forth as follows:
And the elder or priest shall administer it; and after this manner shall he administer it-he shall kneel with the church and call upon the Father in solemn prayer, saying:
O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this bread to the souls of all those who partake of it, that they may eat in remembrance of the body of thy Son, and witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him and keep his commandments which he has given them; that they may always have his Spirit to be with them. Amen.
The manner of administering the wine or water is set forth as follows:He shall take the cup also, and say:
O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this [water] to the souls of all those who drink of it, that they may do it in remembrance of the blood of thy Son, which was shed for them; that they may witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they do always remember him, that they may have his Spirit to be with them. Amen. (D&C 20:76-79)
Deacons (12-year-olds) and teachers (14-year olds), holding the Aaronic priesthood, pass the Sacrament to individual members of the congregation. Mormons stay seated in their pews as the Sacrament is passed to them by the priesthood bearers while Catholics stand and go to the front of the chapel to partake of Communion.
The actual blessing of the Sacrament is performed by priests (16-year olds) or elders, holding the higher or Melchizedek Priesthood.
The Sacrament offers Mormons a chance to reflect on the atonement, on their lives, ministering, and callings, and to receive revelation from the Lord through His Spirit. While there is music and spiritual instruction in each of our weekly meetings, the ordinance of the Sacrament supercedes all of those in importance. It’s the reason we attend the Mormon Church: to come to the Savior with a broken heart and contrite spirit, to ask for forgiveness, to witness to Him our willingness to obey and serve Him, to renew our baptismal covenants with Him, to show our faith in His atoning sacrifice and enabling grace, and to worship Him.
Mormons do not believe in the literal transubstantiation of the Sacrament emblems as do our Catholic friends. While we understand that the Lord referenced the Sacrament as a type of his body and blood bruised and broken for our sins, we do not believe that the bread and water are actually transformed miraculously into those elements. We see the reference symbolically.
I testify to you, my friends seeking to know the truth, that the Church of Jesus Christ provides the straight course to all that’s right and true. The ordinances are not man-made but God-given. The authority is not constructed but has been restored to the earth by God the Father and Jesus Christ themselves, through His resurrected apostles commissioned to confer that authority on His modern servants.
Friends of all faiths are invited to join Mormons for sacrament meetings. If you are interested in finding one close to you, please feel free to visit www.mormon.org to find a meetinghouse close to you.
Tags: Catholics and Mormons, communion, Eucharist, Mormon Beliefs, Sacrament
This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 19th, 2008 at 1:03 pm and is filed under Faith, Grace, Jesus Christ, Mormon Beliefs, Mormons & Catholics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.