Tuesday, February 28, 2012

The Lord's Security Force and the Sacrament

Have you ever seen movies or television shows where the Secret Service is guarding the President of the Untied States or the security team at general conference or any other gathering the prophet or apostles are at?  What are these security forces' job?  To get the president or prophet to and back from whatever meeting they have safely.

When we pass the sacrament we are the Lord's security team.  He has a meeting with each person in sacrament meeting and our job to get Him there safely.

Do you ever observe the behavior of the president's security team. They generally are reverent and alert.  They are part of his entourage or people that travel with him.  Their behavior should not reflect badly on him or distract from what the president is there to do.  So it is with us passing the sacrament.  Our behavior should reflect well on
the Lord and we should not distract from His purpose in being in sacrament meeting, to help them remember him, to help them keep His commandment, and to give them His Spirit. (See Doctrine and Covenants 20:77,79)

A security team is efficient is getting the president to all of the places he needs to be, so he can do his duty.  However, they are not efficient to the point that it compromises his safety or mission.

When passing the sacrament we should get it out to everyone as quickly as possible, but not at the expense of reverence.  If we are being efficient to the point that we are juggling the trays or the members are juggling the trays, they we compromising the delivery of the sacrament as well as the lord's mission.  Our duty is to deliver the
sacrament to each person.  We are to serve them and they each other.  We should not have them take the tray from us and hold it with one hand while partaking with the other.  The sacrament could be spilled and the reverence of the act is compromised.  We are there to serve each other by holding the tray for one another.  If that makes the sacrament take longer to get to everyone, then so it shall be.  The sacrament is a personal thing and everyone should be allowed to have a reverent and personal experience and not be rushed.