6 Ways Leaders Can Increase the Spiritual Power of Sacrament Meeting

Preface: Last year I wrote a guide: Five Easy Ways to Increase the Quality of Sacrament Meeting. It was directed as a guide to everyday members, as I was one of them. I now serve on the Ward Council in my ward, and in a recent Utah Area training, our Area Presidency stressed the need to increase the spiritual power and quality of Sacrament Meetings. This guide is meant to help share ideas and suggestions with leaders who want to answer that call and increase the quality of their Sacrament Meetings.

6 Ways Leaders Can Increase the Spiritual Power of Sacrament Meeting

When was the last time you were in a spiritually powerful Sacrament Meeting? I am not talking about the meeting where there is a good talk or a powerful musical number. But where you are spiritually fed and ready to face another week? Was it this last week? Perhaps two weeks ago? Maybe longer?

Whenever you talk about the quality of sacrament meetings, it is almost inevitable that someone will quote President Spencer W. Kimball when he said he had never been in a boring sacrament meeting. This quote is almost always used to deflect the responsibility of ensuring that our Sacrament Meeting is spiritually nourishing. But in Nov. 2023 the Utah Area Presidency, acting in tandem with Elder D. Todd Christofferson asked the Ward Councils in the Utah Area to increase the quality of their Sacrament Meetings. Here are 6 ideas we can answer that call, regardless of what area we live in:

1st. Utilize Greeters.

One of the most difficult aspects of Sacrament Meeting is the desire for the Bishopric and Ward Council to greet people, yet maintain reverence. It almost feels like they are told, “Greet people, but be in your seats 5-7 minutes before the meeting starts to encourage reverence.” But with most people arriving just before the meeting starts, this often leads to sacrificing either the greeting or the reverence.

The most effective way I’ve seen this combated is by utilizing greeters. The best practice I have observed is calling at least two solid members to act as greeters (one for each side of the Chapel, if you only enter one door, then one would do just fine). Most importantly of all give them instructions! Ask them to arrive 15 minutes early, to stand just outside the doors to the chapel a few steps into the foyer to greet members and hand out the bulletin. And that their goal should be not merely to say, “Welcome!” But to learn at least the last names of the members of the ward so that everyone is given a personalized welcome each week, “Welcome to Christmas Eve services Brother Bradshaw.” A simple, “I am sorry, I don’t know your name. What is it?” followed up with a personalized greeting will help everyone feel welcomed. Also, if someone replies “I am new” then the greeter can help welcome them to the ward and point them towards a member of the ward council (unless the greeters are ward council members, which I have seen done too!).

Another effective practice that I’ve observed was in my YSA ward. We had so many people who came late and then disappeared immediately after the meeting that they never got welcomed. To combat this the Bishop would have his councilors, during the closing song, leave the stand and go stand at each exit to the chapel. Thus ensuring everyone was welcomed, and also invited to stay for 2nd hour, or to get their records moved into the ward etc. I have also seen when members of the Ward Council are asked to do this.

2nd. Elevate Our Conducting

When someone is conducting it is easy to fall into the habit of turning it into administrative vain repetition. You stand up and more or less robotically go through the administrative aspects of the gospel. You go over announcements, you outline the agenda, and you sit down. Even I am guilty of this when I conduct. But it does not need to be a rote administrative job.

When I was living in Greenville South Carolina I ran into something I had never seen before, I saw the person conducting Sacrament Meeting taking the time to actually comment on the agenda. Brother Watson would not just announce “This is the hymn, then we have the sacrament.” He acted like there were non-members at Church and would remind us of the purpose of the various things on different weeks. “We will be singing hymn #193 I Stand All Amazed as the Priests prepare the sacrament. I invite you to think about what the Savior suffered so that He could redeem you as you sing and as the sacrament is administered today.”

I loved it, it brought power and connected what we were doing to the purpose of why we were doing it. Recently I realized that this is actually how many of the old General Conferences were conducted. For example, in the Apr. 1970 General Conference where Joseph Fielding Smith was sustained as the Prophet after the death of David O. McKay, Harold B. Lee was conducting, and right before he asked people to raise their hand to sustain the new prophet he taught them what they were doing, he said: “When you vote affirmatively you make a solemn covenant with the Lord that you will sustain, that is, give your full loyalty and support, without equivocation or reservation, to the officer for whom you vote.” (CR: Apr. 1970 p. 103)

It does not take much, but a simple single-sentence reminder of what we are doing, and why we are doing it helps the congregation to truly focus and turns conducting from a purely administrative task to a ministrative one. For example, David O. McKay while conducting General Conference introduced the intermediate hymn with these words: “Hundreds of years before the Savior walked on the shores of Galilee and was crucified and resurrected. Job declared: “I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth.” All listening in, and all assembled here, will now have the opportunity to express that truth in his or her own heart, looking introspectively, as you sing with the choir “I Know That My Redeemer Lives.” (Conference Report, Apr. 1950 p 132).

3rd. Communicate Expectations AND Set the Example

One of the most common things I see happening within the Church is setting a “quiet example.” It is the idea that you don’t explicitly tell people what you want them to do, but rather set the example and hope they will see it, realize it, and follow it. For example, we want people to show up early to Church, so we have the Bishopric/Ward Council show up early and be in their seats 5-7 minutes early.

Setting an example is a good thing, but the idea of setting a “quiet example” is not. Imagine if the prophet just stopped talking about the Law of Chasity and figured his “quiet example” was good enough. Could you imagine if Christ did this? Never taught the truth, just set a quiet example?

Whereas this idea of a quiet example sounds nice, it is not historically or doctrinally accurate, even if it is culturally prevalent. In 1 Corinthians 14:8 Paul teaches: “For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?” Following the scriptures and the example of Christ and the prophets requires that rather than setting a “quiet example,” we make a certain sound by communicating what we want. I have noticed this done repeatedly as I study the Conference Reports. Countless times I have heard the member of the First Presidency, who is conducting, say something to the effect “The next session will be this afternoon at 2 PM. Please be in your seats 7-10 minutes early.” And then at the start of the meeting thank those who were on time. One year they did this at almost every session of conference!

Applying this principle to increasing the spirituality of Sacrament Meeting means that someone from the Stake Presidency/High Council/Bishopric needs to clearly and repeatedly set expectations over the pulpit. Accompanied by the example of the leaders. If you want people to not talk in the Chapel, then ask them directly and then set the example. If you want them to plan on being 10 minutes early so as to prevent the ox from getting in the mire, then ASK THEM, and then set the example. And THANK them when they listen! If you make a clear sound then the people will prepare for battle. Make the unsure sound and it is your fault when they do not prepare.

NOTE: It is important never to shame someone who comes late, it is better to be late than not come! Especially in the case of mothers with young children. Sometimes the ox is truly in the mire. But if your Ox is in the mire every week, Presidents Kimball and Holland have both touched on this. Pres. Kimball in Oct. 1953 taught, “The Savior knew that the ox gets in the mire on the Sabbath, but he knew also that no ox deliberately goes into the mire every week.” And Pres. Holland in Apr. 2019 taught, that “an occasional tardiness is understandable, but if the ox is in the mire every Sunday, then we strongly recommend that you sell the ox or fill the mire.” (Italics in original).

4th. Unleashing the Power of the Hymns

What if I told you that you only need three things to have a spiritually strengthening sacrament meeting? Aside from the obvious administration of the Sacrament, the only two things needed are the prayers and the hymns. This was taught by Pres. Thorpe B. Isaacson in the Apr. 1952 General Conference. He said: “If there were nothing else there but the singing of those hymns, and the prayer, and the beautiful administration of the sacrament, we would be abundantly blessed and strengthened.”

Oftentimes, the hymns are one of the least thought-about aspects of Sacrament Meeting. The choice of which hymns we will sing is often simply relegated to the chorister’s or the organist’s whims. The selection of the hymns is arguably more important than the selection of the speakers. So choose them prayerfully and thematically. A well-chosen hymn is one of the most powerful tools in our gospel arsenal.

On the topic of hymns, last year my former Stake President challenged the bishops to replace intermediate hymns with musical numbers. It has been a delightful experience to see the talent of the different members and enjoy various musical numbers. There is still value in intermediate hymns, and in my home ward, they would often encourage us to stand for the intermediate hymn. This would help wake members up, and re-focus on the meeting. Overall it is something I miss. I recommend a hybrid approach. Strive to replace with musical numbers as often as possible, but stand when you can’t.

NOTE: If your ward does not have most members singing the hymns, then combining the prior point and this one means that you need to CLEARLY and REPEATEDLY request over the pulpit that every member sing the hymns regardless of musical talent. And then set the example as the ward council, especially the bishopric.

5th. Ask people to give REAL talks and REAL testimonies.

One of the most common jokes I hear after Testimony Meeting is “There were a lot of good talks today.” Whereas this joke is tongue-in-cheek, I think it has a lesson to be learned from it. Too often we ask people to give crappy talks and in turn, they give actual talks in Testimony Meetings.

Real Talks

When I say ask people to give “real talks” I mean the actual moving spiritual talks that will help the congregation. Too often we cop-out and assign people to talk on a talk. “Brother Goff, will you give a walk on Think Celestial?” When was the last time you heard an apostle do that? Could you imagine President Holland standing up next general conference and in a monotone voice saying, “I’ve been asked to give a talk based on the Oct. 2023 conference talk by President Henery B. Eyring?” NO!

On the other end of the spectrum from the “talk on a talk” cop-out, is the other extreme of “give a talk on the millennium” or “on repentance.” This type of talk can easily derail Sacrament Meeting as it lacks direction. You will notice in General Conference, that most talks are NOT doctrinal sermons. It is often by one of the leading brethren, IE a member of the 1st Presidency or sometimes an Apostle.

Both ends of the cop-out spectrum result in talks that are rote, prewritten, and read word for word. They rarely add to the Spiritual Power of the meeting. So, let us follow the examples of the apostles who generally share stories and examples of gospel principles in action. Imagine the power that would flow into our Sacrament Meetings when people are sharing their conversion stories! So instead of asking people to give a talk on a talk, ask them to give a talk on WHY they do/did something. Immediately it will become more raw, more personal, and more powerful. Examples include, Will you give a talk on… “Why you served a mission,” “Why you accepted the call to serve as EQ President,” or “Why you pay tithing.” etc etc etc.

For more on giving real talks see: My Bishop Changed one tiny Thing and it Totally Changed Sacrament Meeting.

Real Testimonies

Once you have given people the understanding that sharing long conversion stories or doctrinal “what I learned” is appropriate for TALKS, then you can help them share real testimonies. Testimonies focused on Jesus Christ, the Restoration, the Book of Mormon, the Current Prophet, and living the gospel. Help them to understand that Testimoney meetings are NOT an “open mic” as Elder Kevin W. Pearson put it.

The person conducting the meeting often shares his testimony to start the meeting. Talk that opportunity to communicate the expectations of what type of testimony should be shared and then set the example in sharing their testimony. “We need to replace stories, travelogues, and lectures with pure testimonies.” M. Russell Ballard (Pure Testimony, Conference, October 2004).

For more on testimonies see 3 Types of “Testimonies” the Prophets and Apostles Have Told Us to Avoid.

6th. ALWAYS Follow The Spirit

There is a danger that sometimes we follow the letter of the law so exactly that we regulate out the Spirit. President Monson learned this danger the hard way. He felt a prompting to leave a meeting and go see who was at the hospital. But the thought of leaving the Stake Leadership meeting early, and what people would think caused him to postpone the prompting. It came again as the Stake President was delivering closing remarks, but again he waited. Once the meeting was done he bolted for his car before the benediction was even announced. He arrived the the hospital to be informed by the doctor the patient had just passed away but had been calling his name.

In juxtaposition to that story of learning it the hard way, was my old YSA Stake President. He related the following to my YSA ward:

“Back when I was a Bishop in this very building over the UVU 20th Ward one Sunday a brother needed to meet with me before Sacrament meeting, the meeting when long and I did not want to cut this dear brother short as he needed to talk. By the time our meeting ended it was time for church to start.

As I entered the chapel with the overflow and two cultural hall extensions full of YSA’s, over 300 people attended our ward each week, I felt that I needed to shake their hands. But I did not have the time to shake 300 hands. So I started to make my way to the front of the room, shanking a few hands along the way, by now all eyes were on me as the meeting needed to start, again I felt prompted “Turn around and shake hands” but again I told myself I did not have time! The meeting needed to start.

I then stopped on the steps. *He then pointed at the steps to his right and got emotional and said* it was on those very steps I stopped. In this very room! The Spirit told me “DAVID TURN AROUND AND SHAKE HIS HAND!” So I turned around.

Everyone watching me, I walked down the aisle, into the overflow and to a young man whose head was in his hands and resting his hands on his knees. I got down on a knee and told him “Hi, I am Bishop Haden” to which this young man raised his head from his lap with tears streaming down his face and he told me that he had told God that morning that if no one said hi to him, he was never going to come back.

*President Haden then stopped, got choked up, and told us* I’ve failed to listen to many promptings in my life, but I am thankful I listened to that prompting, that young man later become one of my faithful Elder Quorum Presidents!

Therefore What? Pick One!

I truly believe, and have a testimony that these 6 ways to increase the Spiritual Power of Sacrament Meeting are effective and work. But perhaps the thought of doing all 6 of these things is overwhelming. So pick one and start today! I think of my current ward. After sharing a few of these ideas with the 1st Councilor he turned to me and said, “I can thank people who come on time!”

The very next day in Church he thanked everyone who was on time. It was one “small and simple” step, but it will lead to greater spiritual power. So do the same. Just pick one of these six things! Pick one thing and focus on doing that, and once you have that down as second nature, pick another!