Gordon B. Hinckley on the blessing of sacrament meetings

President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910-2008) was called to the Quorum of Twelve in 1961. He served as a counselor in the First Presidency from 1981-1995, then as Church President until his death in 2008.

"Sacrament meeting ought to be a time of spiritual refreshment for our people, when, on Sunday, they gather to partake of the sacrament and renew their covenants with the Lord. They should rethink the contract which exists between them and the Lord, under which we take upon ourselves His name and agree to keep His commandments and He, in turn, promises that His Spirit will be with us. If we could bring about the consummation of that covenant in the lives of our people with a renewal each week, what a marvelous thing it would be.

"Let us encourage a spirit of reverence in sacrament meeting.... It should be a time when together we meet to renew our faith, our covenants, our obligations, our loyalty, our love, our willingness to take upon ourselves the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and keep His commandments."

- Gordon B. Hinckley, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, regional conference, 27 Apr. 1996; see Ensign, July 1997, p. 73
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This is a wonderful reminder from President Hinckley about how we ought to view our Sabbath Day experience, and the sacrament as the central focus of meetings and worship. If we would understand what we are doing and why, and take full advantage of the opportunity to renew commitment, it could help lead to "the consummation of that covenant" in our lives.

The proper spirit of reverence in our worship meetings contributes greatly to how we are blessed by those opportunities.  That's a good key to focus on as we strive to improve the weekly experience in our personal lives.