Moroni 4:1 administering the flesh and blood of Christ unto the Church
Jeffrey R. Holland
"...every ordinance of the gospel focuses in one way or another on the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ, and surely that is why this particular ordinance with all its symbolism and imagery comes to us more readily and more repeatedly than any other in our life. It comes in what has been called 'the most sacred, the most holy, of all the meetings of the Church' (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 2:340).
"Perhaps we do not always attach that kind of meaning to our weekly sacramental service. How 'sacred' and how 'holy' is it? Do we see it as our passover, remembrance of our safety and deliverance and redemption?
"With so very much at stake, this ordinance commemorating our escape from the angel of darkness should be taken more seriously than it sometimes is. It should be a powerful, reverent, reflective moment. It should encourage spiritual feelings and impressions. As such it should not be rushed. It is not something to 'get over' so that the real purpose of a sacrament meeting can be pursued. This is the real purpose of the meeting. And everything that is said or sung or prayed in those services should be consistent with the grandeur of this sacred ordinance." (Conference Report, Oct. 1995, "This Do in Remembrance of Me")
Spencer W. Kimball
"We attend sacrament meetings to worship the Lord. If the meeting is conducted or if we attend with any other thought, we have missed the spirit of the occasion. Those who attend meeting only when the speaker is eloquent, the lecturer is noted, or the music is excellent, are far ahead of the high purpose and loftiness of this meeting in the house of prayer...we do not go to Sabbath meetings to be entertained or even solely to be instructed. We go to worship the Lord. It is an individual responsibility, and regardless of what is said from the pulpit, if one wishes to worship the Lord in spirit and in truth, he may do so by attending his meetings, partaking of the sacrament, and contemplating the beauties of the gospel. If the service is a failure to you, you have failed. No one can worship for you; you must do your own waiting upon the Lord." (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, pp. 514-15.)
Moroni 4:3 that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son
"Why are the three words 'are willing to' necessary here? Are they important? Would it make a difference if the prayer left these out and just read: ' . . . and witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him and keep his commandments which he has given them'? Yes, it would make a difference. It would make a difference because I cannot do this latter thing. I can't witness, affirm, or swear that I do always remember him and keep his commandments. I would be lying, and I know it-I want to do the right thing, but sometimes I don't. This is precisely the problem that makes the atonement of Christ and the gospel covenant necessary for me in the first place-I can't keep all the commandments all the time no matter how hard I try. It follows that I can't honestly witness to God that I will keep all the commandments when I know that, in some degree at least, I probably won't.
"However, I can with absolute honesty witness that I am willing to. I can swear that this is the desire of my heart. I can affirm that I hunger and thirst after these things, that I will do all I can to be obedient. Thus even by the technical terms of the covenant renewal prayer, God lets me know that the honest commitment of my heart and my best efforts are sufficient for the covenant to be renewed, and that the covenant of faith is sufficient, through the grace of Christ, to justify me before God." (Stephen E. Robinson, Believing Christ, p. 53-4)
Bruce C. Hafen
"Our part of that covenant is not that we may never make a mistake; it is, rather, that we are willing to take upon ourselves his name, willing to always remember him, and willing to keep his commandments. And that willingness shows where our hearts really are. On this condition, he will always be with us, to heal, to compensate, to strengthen us by the gifts of his Spirit-for those gifts are 'given for the benefit of those who love me and keep all my commandments, and [those] that seeketh so to do.' (D&C 46:9; emphasis added.) The Lord offers the gifts of the Spirit not only to those who do but also to those who, willing but struggling, seek to do his will." (The Belonging Heart, p. 86)
Moroni 4:3 take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him, and keep his commandments
Robert L. Simpson
"These are not idle thoughts and words but rather sacred obligations and promises entered into with God, the Father, as each worthy member partakes with contrite spirit and deepest reflections concerning the atoning sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father.
"Show me the man, woman, or child who truly and sincerely covenants to take upon himself the name of Jesus Christ, and I will show you a person who is upright and honest in all of his dealings.
"Show me the man, woman, or child who truly commits himself to always remember, and I will show you a child of God who is without guile, one who is understanding and quick to forgive.
"Show me the man, woman or child who makes it a matter of daily and hourly endeavor to keep God's commandments that he has given them and lives that pledge in his every act, his every word, to the very best of his ability, and I will show you one who radiates the true Spirit of Christ and who, if unwavering to the end, will inherit eternal life, which is, according to the Lord, 'the greatest of all the gifts of God.' (D&C 14:7.)" (Conference Report, Apr. 1967, p. 68)
Dallin H. Oaks
"When the Savior taught the Nephites following his resurrection, he referred to the scriptural statement that 'ye must take upon you the name of Christ.' He explained, 'For by this name shall ye be called at the last day; And whoso taketh upon him my name, and endureth to the end, the same shall be saved at the last day.' (3 Ne. 27:5-6.) That same teaching is repeated in a modern revelation, which adds the caution that 'if they know not the name by which they are called, they cannot have place in the kingdom of my Father.' (D&C 18:25; see also Alma 5:38.)
"The Book of Mormon explains the significance of being called by the name of Jesus Christ. When the Savior showed his spirit body to the brother of Jared, he introduced himself as the Father and the Son, declaring that through his redeeming sacrifice all mankind who believed on his name should have life eternal through him, 'and they shall become my sons and my daughters.' (Ether 3:14.) Abinadi said of those who believed in the Lord and looked to him for a remission of their sins 'that these are his seed, or they are heirs of the kingdom of God.' (Mosiah 15:11.) He continued this explanation as follows:
"'For these are they whose sins he has borne; these are they for whom he has died, to redeem them from their transgressions. And now, are they not his seed?' (Mosiah 15:12.)
"Speaking through the prophet Alma, the Lord explained the significance of this relationship: 'For behold, in my name are they called; and if they know me they shall come forth, and shall have a place eternally at my right hand.' (Mosiah 26:24.)
"In these great scriptures from the Book of Mormon, we learn that those who are qualified by faith and repentance and compliance with the laws and ordinances of the gospel will have their sins borne by the Lord Jesus Christ. In spiritual and figurative terms they will become the sons and daughters of Christ, heirs to his kingdom. These are they who will be called by his name in the last day.
"According to this meaning, when we witness our willingness to take upon us the name of Jesus Christ, we are signifying our commitment to do all that we can to achieve eternal life in the kingdom of our Father. We are expressing our candidacy-our determination to strive for-exaltation in the celestial kingdom.
"Those who are found worthy to take upon them the name of Jesus Christ at the last day are described in the great revelations recorded in the ninety-third and seventy-sixth sections of the Doctrine and Covenants. Here the Savior revealed to Joseph Smith that in due time, if we keep the commandments of God, we can receive the 'fulness' of the Father. (D&C 93:19-20.) Here the Savior bears record that 'all those who are begotten through me are partakers of the glory of the [Father], and are the church of the Firstborn.' (D&C 93:22.) 'They are they into whose hands the Father has given all things. ... Wherefore, as it is written, they are gods' who 'shall dwell in the presence of God and his Christ forever and ever.' (D&C 76:55, 58, 62.) 'And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.' (John 17:3; see also D&C 88:4-5.) This is the ultimate significance of taking upon us the name of Jesus Christ." (Conference Report, May 1985 Ensign, "Taking Upon Us the Name of Jesus Christ")
David O. McKay
"Do we always stop to think, on that sacred Sabbath day when we meet together to partake of the sacrament, that we witness, promise, obligate ourselves, in the presence of one another, and in the presence of God, that we will do certain things?...The first: We are willing to take upon ourselves the name of the Son. In so doing we choose him as our leader and our ideal: and he is the one perfect character in all the world. Second: That we will always remember him. Not just on Sunday, but on Monday, in our daily acts, in our self-control. When our brother hurts us, we are going to try to master our feelings and not retaliate in the same spirit of anger...That's the spirit of the Christ, and that's what we have promised-that we will do our best to achieve these high standards of Christianity, true Christian principles. The third: We promise to '...keep his commandments which he has given...'-tithing, fast offerings, the Word of Wisdom, kindness, forgiveness, love. The obligation of a member of the Church of Jesus Christ is great, but it is as glorious as it is great, because obedience to these principles gives life, eternal life." (Gospel Ideals, p. 146 as taken from Latter-day Commentary on the Book of Mormon compiled by K. Douglas Bassett, p. 512)
Moroni 4:3 that they may always have his Spirit to be with them
Joseph Fielding Smith
"The promise made to us, if we will do these things, is that we shall always have his Spirit to be with us.
"No member of the Church can fail to make this covenant and renew it week by week, and retain the Spirit of the Lord. The Sacrament meeting of the Church is the most important meeting which we have, and is sadly neglected by many members. We go to this service, if we understand the purpose of it, not primarily to hear someone speak, important though that may be, but first, and most important, to renew this covenant with our Father in heaven in the name of Jesus Christ. Those who persist in their absence from this service will eventually lose the Spirit and if they do not repent will eventually find themselves denying the faith." (Church History and Modern Revelation, 1:122-23)
Joseph E. Taylor
"You partake of the ordinance in order that His Spirit may be with you. You cannot have spiritual life without it. You show me a person who from Sabbath to Sabbath, month to month, and year to year, absents himself from these sacred meetings of the Latter-day Saints, and I will show you a man from whom the Spirit of the Lord will be taken and he will become spiritually dead. Do you believe it? It seems to lay at the very foundation of your spiritual life and mine." (Collected Discourses 1886-1898, ed. by Brian Stuy, vol. 5, Joseph E. Taylor, Nov. 18, 1894)