District Council Lesson

 August 18, 2025

Attending Sacrament Meeting:

Intro:

A few weeks ago, I shared a video about the importance and power of our INVITATIONS (Bud Zoll). As missionaries we extend many invitations. We invite our friends to read the BOM, to pray, to come to church, and ultimately to come into Christ and be baptized. 

In my experience I find the hardest commitment for our friends to accept and keep isn’t baptism… it coming to church. 

ASK: why do you think this is hard? 

• busy, lazy, no ride, don’t understand the need, scared, etc 

Maybe there is a need to better prepare our friends as to what to expect spiritually AND physically at church. 

In our mission newsletter, Sisters Eldredge and Morris made the comment: “We make sure explain what sacrament meeting is like beforehand. Comfort leads to connection. When our friends know what to expect, they're more open to feeling Spirit." 

Patrick Kearon said: We do not gather on the Sabbath simply to attend sacrament meeting and check it off the list. We come together to worship. There is a significant difference between the two. To attend means to be present at. But to worship is to intentionally praise and adore our God in a way that transforms us! 

We want our friends to feel comfortable when they finally ATTEND church that feel the spirit when their attendance turns to worship. 

Today I want to focus on the 3 things highlighted in PMG Chapter 5 to help our friends understand why we invite them to worship at church each Sunday. 

“Help those you teach attend sacrament meeting. There they will partake of the sacrament and feel the influence of the Holy Ghost. They will also learn from the talks and hymns and feel the fellowship of the ward."

1. Prepare them to partake of the sacrament and feel the influence of the Holy Ghost. 
2. Prepare them to learn from the talks and hymns
3. Prepare them to feel the fellowship of the ward."

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PARTAKE OF THE SACRAMENT & FEEL THE HOLY GHOST

ASK: What can we do to help them better understand how we partake of the sacrament? 

• Tour the church during the week - show sacrament table
• Explain the bread and water symbolism
• Explain renewing covenants each week
• All fall short (sin) the sacrament offers forgiveness and a reset that we all need
• Etc

I love the quote that says “Church isn't a sanctuary for saints, but a spiritual hospital for sinners.”

Many of the people we come in contact with have a past. They have made decisions they aren’t proud of and have become a product of their poor choices. Church is a place where the spiritually wounded can find healing through the Savior's Atonement as they partake of the sacrament. 

Elder Don R. Clarke Of the Seventy

We will be blessed as we feel gratitude for the Atonement of Jesus Christ, renew our baptismal covenants, feel forgiveness, and receive inspiration from the Holy Ghost.

ASK: How can we prepare them to FEEL the Holy Ghost? 

• explain how the HG feels?
• Remind them to Focus on the Savior: 

Don Clark shared a story about how focusing on the Savior changed how he felt during the sacrament. 

• I grew up in Rexburg, Idaho, where I was influenced and taught by a wonderful family, friends, teachers, and leaders. There are special experiences in the lives of all of us that touch our souls and make things different forever. One such experience happened in my youth. This experience transformed my life. I was always active in the Church and progressed through the Aaronic Priesthood. When I was a teenager, Brother Jacob, my teacher, asked that I write down on a card what I had thought about during the sacrament. I took my card and began to write. First on the list was a basketball game we had won the night before. And then came a date after the game, and so went the list. Far removed and certainly not in bold letters was the name of Jesus Christ. Each Sunday the card was filled out. For a young Aaronic Priesthood holder, the sacrament and sacrament meeting took on a new, expanded, and spiritual meaning. I anxiously looked forward to Sundays and to the opportunity to partake of the sacrament, as understanding the Savior’s Atonement was changing me. Every Sunday to this day, as I partake of the sacrament, I can see my card and review my list. Always on my list now, first of all, is the Savior of mankind

It’s the simple things that can help us refocus our thoughts and help us feel the Holy Ghost.

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LEARN FROM THE TALKS & HYMNS

Sacrament meeting talks and hymns can be a powerful source of inspiration and spiritual growth. Our friends can find solutions to personal challenges, strengthen their testimonies, and feel closer to God and their fellow members. 

ASK: What are ways we can prepare them learn from the talks and hymns? 

• Tour the church building. Show the pulpit and hymn books. 
• explain the order of church
• Prepare to Receive: Come to sacrament meeting with a humble heart and a desire to learn and be edified. 
• Listen Actively: Pay attention to the talks and try to apply the messages to your own life. 

As with most things in life, we will each get out of our sacrament meeting experience exactly what we seek. If we go anticipating the mundane or boring, we will certainly get what we came for. But if we go each week sincerely seeking a spiritual experience, one where we can commune with our Father in Heaven and our Savior Jesus Christ—

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FEEL THE FELLOWSHIP 

The shared experience of sacrament meeting can foster a feeling of unity and belonging within the ward or branch.

ASK: how can we prepare them to feel the fellowship of other ward members? 

• reach out to a specific ward member to have them watch for your friend.
• Invite a member to a discussion with your friend

Elder Patrick Kearan in his talk Welcome to the Church of Joy said: 

• Joy looks different for different people. For some, it may be exuberant greetings at the door. For others, it might be quietly helping people feel comfortable by smiling and sitting next to them with a kind and open heart. For those who feel left out or on the margins, the warmth of this welcome will be crucial.

CONCLUSION: 

Finally, I shared a video a few weeks ago about how our INVITATIONS MATTER! Inviting our friends and preparing them to come to church MATTERS! 

Our invitations can change lives. I want to end with a video from Elder Uchtdorf about the invitation to come to church. 

Watch video. 

Bear testimony

In the name of Jesus Christ amen.