The Sacrament

In 3 Nephi 18, Jesus teaches his disciples how to administer the sacrament. It's not quite how we do it in the LDS church.

What caught my attention was that the sacrament that Jesus administers seems to be a whole meal, not just a token tidbit of bread and water. It says the partakers had "eaten and were filled," with both bread and wine. That phrase actually comes up in scripture several times--and it’s also a spiritual metaphor.

I think we are missing out on some of the meaning of the sacrament by conducting it the way we do in the LDS church. The idea of coming to church literally hungry, and being filled literally with bread and wine seems like a good spiritual reminder to have each Sunday. When you consider the symbolism involved, it makes sense. Have a look at 3 Nephi 20:

8. And he said unto them: He that eateth this bread eateth of my body to his soul; and he that drinketh of this wine drinketh of my blood to his soul; and his soul shall never hunger nor thirst, but shall be filled.

9. Now, when the multitude had all eaten and drunk, behold, they were filled with the Spirit; and they did cry out with one voice, and gave glory to Jesus, whom they both saw and heard.

Now, the wine is a whole other discussion in itself, which I may get to later on down the road. But the point here is that what we do is different than what Jesus taught in the scriptures. Which doesn’t seem right to me.