Always Have His Spirit

“…that they may always have his Spirit to be with them.” (Moroni 4:3)

I have always appreciated the ordinance of partaking of the sacrament each Sunday. The promised blessings for continuing to keep covenants I’ve made with Heavenly Father are a balm to my soul. And I always find myself hoping that someone in the congregation feels how much they are loved by the Savior in that moment. And it made my heart burst when my son turned 12 and told me that he loved to pass the sacrament because it simply made him feel good.

In the past year, however, my appreciation has deepened. My understanding increased. When the church, out of an abundance of caution and to be good global citizens, decided to temporarily stop holding in-person meetings I was sad for what that meant for me and my family. Our reality is that we don’t currently have someone in our home who can bless the sacrament. But, this turned out to be a wonderful learning opportunity for me.

Asking for help does not come easily to me. I don’t enjoy feeling like I’m taking someone else away from their family or other obligations. I never want to take more than I can give. And perhaps this is a bit prideful, but I like being known as a capable woman. Needing someone to come every Sunday, for a brief 10 minutes, to say a couple of prayers and break bread seemed like I was asking a lot. Thankfully, we have an awesome ministering brother (who also happened to be our Bishop at the time). He took the initiative to reach out and offer to serve our family. 

Those few months were such a humbling experience for me. As I let my guard down, I realized that it is just as important to allow others the opportunity to serve as it is to receive service. It allowed my kids the chance to see what ministering to the one looks like and to see that the Lord cares about our little family being able to participate in the ordinance of the sacrament.

Elder David A Bednar said, “The ordinance of the sacrament is a holy and repeated invitation to repent sincerely and to be renewed spiritually.”

I love the multiple purposes fulfilled in one ordinance. I clearly needed the opportunity to repent by changing my thoughts on having others minister to me. More recently, I have been learning about the opportunity the sacrament provides to be spiritually renewed.

As trials have seemed to mount in recent weeks, I have found myself not even knowing what to pray for. Except peace. I do not want to feel anxiety anymore. I cannot change any of the circumstances that are trying to steal my peace and joy. I have felt an increased desire to show up for sacrament meeting each Sunday in order to participate in the holy ordinance. The promise to always have his Spirit with me has become the greatest comfort lately. As I have prepared mentally and spiritually each week, I find an added measure of the Spirit. I trust in the promises from a loving Father in heaven.

“I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say…”(D&C 82:10)

How do we find that kind of trust? We prove Him. We take the time to look for blessings each day. We spend time studying His words. We kneel before Him each day and ask with faith believing we will find answers. We actively take the name of the Savior upon us. We strive to make changes that are pleasing unto Him. And we continue on the covenant path with diligence.

He will never withhold blessings from any of His children who are trying. Even the weeks when we have been unable to participate in the sacrament because of illness, I have felt the blessing of an increase of his Spirit. He does not leave us to fight on our own. When we keep our covenants with God, He keeps His promises to us.

Featured Image Art: Project Made New