Sacrament Prayer “has given”
There are two questions that come to mind when pondering the words “has given” that follow the words “his commandments” in the Sacrament Prayer over the bread. The first one is “Why has the Lord given us commandments?” and the second question is “What else has he given us as a result of those commandments?”
We often think of commandments as if they are restrictive and a punishment for us. People tend to think that freedom from regulations, restrictions and responsibility is the highest good that can be achieved in life. They work hard to make enough money to avoid responsibility for their actions by hiring good lawyers to get them off the hook. They also hide their money from creditors through offshore banks, Nevada Corporations, and bankruptcies. Thinking their money and modern medicine and the arm of flesh will liberate them from all the effects of their sins, they flaunt their sins and their ability to escape the normal consequences of their sins. They ask their governments to spend billions on ways to keep them healthy so that they can continue in their sins without any consequences for them.
But commandments are not just restrictions. They are a way for the Lord to bless us even more than we deserve. For each commandment has a blessing for keeping it, and a curse for not keeping it. If we are faithful to the end of our lives, then we receive greater freedom and opportunities to do good than is possible in this life. When we keep the commandments, we are free from the bondage of Satan and our appetites. We are free from the slavery of sin and the traps and snares of the adversary of all righteousness. So commandments are not so restrictive as they first appear. Keeping commandments has a liberating effect on us and those around us who are influenced by us. Jesus Christ proclaimed liberty to the captives both on earth and in the Spirit Prison of the afterlife. He broke the bands of death and hell. The whole meaning of the year of Jubilee was to release the captives and the debts that held the people down and point the minds of the people to a future Messiah who would do the same in an eternal perspective.
Moses shows the twofold nature of keeping or not keeping the commandments After giving the Ten Commandments, he gave a list of blessings for keeping them and a list of curses for not keeping them. It is the unfortunate fact of history that all of the curses came true generation after generation. Occasionally they were righteous and received the blessings. The Book of Mormon peoples operated under a similar blessing and cursing related to worshiping the God of this land, even Jesus Christ. In Deuteronomy, the list of blessings is extensive:
- God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth
- Blessed [shalt] thou [be] in the city
- blessed [shalt] thou [be] in the field.
- Blessed [shall be] the fruit of thy body
- and the fruit of thy ground,
- and the fruit of thy cattle,
- the increase of thy kine,
- and the flocks of thy sheep
- Blessed [shall be] thy basket and thy store
- Blessed [shalt] thou [be] when thou comest in
- and blessed [shalt] thou [be] when thou goest out
- The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.
- The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses
- and in all that thou settest thine hand unto
- and he shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee
- The LORD shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee
- And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the LORD; and they shall be afraid of thee
- the LORD shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers to give thee.
- The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season
- and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.
- And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath;[1]
Then in the next verses come the curses:
But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:[2]
Deut 28: 16-68
16 Cursed [shalt] thou [be] in the city, and cursed [shalt] thou [be] in the field.
17 Cursed [shall be] thy basket and thy store.
18 Cursed [shall be] the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy land, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.
19 Cursed [shalt] thou [be] when thou comest in, and cursed [shalt] thou [be] when thou goest out.
20 The LORD shall send upon thee cursing, vexation, and rebuke, in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to do, until thou be destroyed, and until thou perish quickly; because of the wickedness of thy doings, whereby thou hast forsaken me.
21 The LORD shall make the pestilence cleave unto thee, until he have consumed thee from off the land, whither thou goest to possess it.
22 The LORD shall smite thee with a consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, and with blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou perish.
23 And thy heaven that [is] over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee [shall be] iron.
24 The LORD shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed.
25 The LORD shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies: thou shalt go out one way against them, and flee seven ways before them: and shalt be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth.
26 And thy carcase shall be meat unto all fowls of the air, and unto the beasts of the earth, and no man shall fray [them] away.
27 The LORD will smite thee with the botch of Egypt, and with the emerods, and with the scab, and with the itch, whereof thou canst not be healed.
28 The LORD shall smite thee with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart:
29 And thou shalt grope at noonday, as the blind gropeth in darkness, and thou shalt not prosper in thy ways: and thou shalt be only oppressed and spoiled evermore, and no man shall save [thee].[3]
There are so many curses that one can hardly comprehend them all. Thank God for the law of mercy that Christ brought to the world through the atonement. In exchange for paying for our sins and taking the punishment of them on himself, all he asks is that we keep his commandments which he has given us. Then he will bless us accordingly and we are still in his debt as King Benjamin said so long ago:
24 And secondly, he doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you; for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you; and therefore he hath paid you. And ye are still indebted unto him, and are, and will be, forever and ever; therefore, of what have ye to boast?[4]
So to answer the first question, “why did the Lord give us commandments?”, the answer is obvious. They keep us in the right way, help us get ready for eternal life, prepare us to meet God, bring us fullness of joy, and help us follow Christ in all things. This last reason is beautifully explained in D&C 93:
19 I give unto you these sayings that you may understand and know how to worship, and know what you worship, that you may come unto the Father in my name, and in due time receive of his fullness.[5]
The list of blessings for keeping the commandments is expanded greatly in the New Testament and later scripture.
We have received many gifts of the Spirit. We are even commanded to seek out the best gifts:
8 Wherefore, beware lest ye are deceived; and that ye may not be deceived seek ye earnestly the best gifts, always remembering for what they are given[6]
The gifts of the Spirit are listed briefly in the Doctrine and Covenants:
13 To some it is given by the Holy Ghost to know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that he was crucified for the sins of the world.
14 To others it is given to believe on their words, that they also might have eternal life if they continue faithful.
15 And again, to some it is given by the Holy Ghost to know the differences of administration, as it will be pleasing unto the same Lord, according as the Lord will, suiting his mercies according to the conditions of the children of men.
16 And again, it is given by the Holy Ghost to some to know the diversities of operations, whether they be of God, that the manifestations of the Spirit may be given to every man to profit withal.
17And again, verily I say unto you, to some is given, by the Spirit of God, the word of wisdom.
18 To another is given the word of knowledge, that all may be taught to be wise and to have knowledge.
19 And again, to some it is given to have faith to be healed;
20 And to others it is given to have faith to heal.
21 And again, to some is given the working of miracles;
22 And to others it is given to prophesy;
23 And to others the discerning of spirits.
24 And again, it is given to some to speak with tongues;
25 And to another is given the interpretation of tongues.
26 And all these gifts come from God, for the benefit of the children of God.[7]
When Chris visits the Nephites, he asks:
7 Have ye any that are sick among you? Bring them hither. Have ye any that are lame, or blind, or halt, or maimed, or leprous, or that are withered, or that are deaf, or that are afflicted in any manner? Bring them hither and I will heal them, for I have compassion upon you; my bowels are filled with mercy.[8]
There is a formula in the Old Testament by which the people of Israel could know the true Messiah. The formula is a list of the different kinds of illnesses Christ would heal. It is mentioned in the New Testament and Book of Mormon:
5 For behold, the time cometh, and is not far distant, that with power, the Lord Omnipotent who reigneth, who was, and is from all eternity to all eternity, shall come down from heaven among the children of men, and shall dwell in a tabernacle of clay, and shall go forth amongst men, working mighty miracles, such as healing the sick, raising the dead, causing the lame to walk, the blind to receive their sight, and the deaf to hear, and curing all manner of diseases.[9]
29 Jesus Chris gives us the gift of the ministering of angels and all the miracles they bring with them: And because he hath done this, my beloved brethren, have miracles ceased? Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither have angels ceased to minister unto the children of men.
30 For behold, they are subject unto him, to minister according to the word of his command, showing themselves unto them of strong faith and a firm mind in every form of godliness.
31 And the office of their ministry is to call men unto repentance, and to fulfil and to do the work of the covenants of the Father, which he hath made unto the children of men, to prepare the way among the children of men, by declaring the word of Christ unto the chosen vessels of the Lord, that they may bear testimony of him.
32 And by so doing, the Lord God prepareth the way that the residue of men may have faith in Christ, that the Holy Ghost may have place in their hearts, according to the power thereof; and after this manner bringeth to pass the Father, the covenants which he hath made unto the children of men.[10]
He gives us the gifts of faith, hope and charity.
He gives us the gift of forgiveness through the atonement:
Though your sins be as scarlet, yet they shall be white as wool.
He who has confessed and repented of his sins, I the Lord will forgive him and remember them no more.
He has given us his example.
He has given us his friendship.
He has given us his higher laws:
He has given us hope of eternal life through the resurrection.
He has given us mercy:
He has given us family sealings:
He has given us the Holy Ghost, the first comforter.
He has given us the Second Comforter.
He will wipe away all our tears.
He will give us a banquet, a feast of the fat things and wine on the lees, in His Kingdom hereafter.
He has given us the joy of the saints.
He has given us comfort in sorrow here.
Footnotes:
[1] Deuteronomy 28:1-13
[2] Deuteronomy 28:15
[3] Deuteronomy 28:30-68
Deuteronomy28:30 Thou shalt betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her: thou shalt build an house, and thou shalt not dwell therein: thou shalt plant a vineyard, and shalt not gather the grapes thereof.
31 Thine ox [shall be] slain before thine eyes, and thou shalt not eat thereof: thine ass [shall be] violently taken away from before thy face, and shall not be restored to thee: thy sheep [shall be] given unto thine enemies, and thou shalt have none to rescue [them].
32 Thy sons and thy daughters [shall be] given unto another people, and thine eyes shall look, and fail [with longing] for them all the day long: and [there shall be] no might in thine hand.
33 The fruit of thy land, and all thy labours, shall a nation which thou knowest not eat up; and thou shalt be only oppressed and crushed alway:
34 So that thou shalt be mad for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.
35 The LORD shall smite thee in the knees, and in the legs, with a sore botch that cannot be healed, from the sole of thy foot unto the top of thy head.
36 The LORD shall bring thee, and thy king which thou shalt set over thee, unto a nation which neither thou nor thy fathers have known; and there shalt thou serve other gods, wood and stone.
37 And thou shalt become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword, among all nations whither the LORD shall lead thee.
38 Thou shalt carry much seed out into the field, and shalt gather [but] little in; for the locust shall consume it.
39 Thou shalt plant vineyards, and dress [them], but shalt neither drink [of] the wine, nor gather [the grapes]; for the worms shall eat them.
40 Thou shalt have olive trees throughout all thy coasts, but thou shalt not anoint [thyself] with the oil; for thine olive shall cast [his fruit].
41 Thou shalt beget sons and daughters, but thou shalt not enjoy them; for they shall go into captivity.
42 All thy trees and fruit of thy land shall the locust consume.
43 The stranger that [is] within thee shall get up above thee very high; and thou shalt come down very low.
44 He shall lend to thee, and thou shalt not lend to him: he shall be the head, and thou shalt be the tail.
45 Moreover all these curses shall come upon thee, and shall pursue thee, and overtake thee, till thou be destroyed; because thou hearkenedst not unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which he commanded thee:
46 And they shall be upon thee for a sign and for a wonder, and upon thy seed for ever.
47 Because thou servedst not the LORD thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all [things];
48 Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the LORD shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all [things]: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee.
49 The LORD shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, [as swift] as the eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand;
50 A nation of fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the old, nor shew favour to the young:
51 And he shall eat the fruit of thy cattle, and the fruit of thy land, until thou be destroyed: which [also] shall not leave thee [either] corn, wine, or oil, [or] the increase of thy kine, or flocks of thy sheep, until he have destroyed thee.
52 And he shall besiege thee in all thy gates, until thy high and fenced walls come down, wherein thou trustedst, throughout all thy land: and he shall besiege thee in all thy gates throughout all thy land, which the LORD thy God hath given thee.
53 And thou shalt eat the fruit of thine own body, the flesh of thy sons and of thy daughters, which the LORD thy God hath given thee, in the siege, and in the straitness, wherewith thine enemies shall distress thee:
54 [So that] the man [that is] tender among you, and very delicate, his eye shall be evil toward his brother, and toward the wife of his bosom, and toward the remnant of his children which he shall leave:
55 So that he will not give to any of them of the flesh of his children whom he shall eat: because he hath nothing left him in the siege, and in the straitness, wherewith thine enemies shall distress thee in all thy gates.
56 The tender and delicate woman among you, which would not adventure to set the sole of her foot upon the ground for delicateness and tenderness, her eye shall be evil toward the husband of her bosom, and toward her son, and toward her daughter,
57 And toward her young one that cometh out from between her feet, and toward her children which she shall bear: for she shall eat them for want of all [things] secretly in the siege and straitness, wherewith thine enemy shall distress thee in thy gates.
58 If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD;
59 Then the LORD will make thy plagues wonderful, and the plagues of thy seed, [even] great plagues, and of long continuance, and sore sicknesses, and of long continuance.
60 Moreover he will bring upon thee all the diseases of Egypt, which thou wast afraid of; and they shall cleave unto thee.
61 Also every sickness, and every plague, which [is] not written in the book of this law, them will the LORD bring upon thee, until thou be destroyed.
62 And ye shall be left few in number, whereas ye were as the stars of heaven for multitude; because thou wouldest not obey the voice of the LORD thy God.
63 And it shall come to pass, [that] as the LORD rejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you; so the LORD will rejoice over you to destroy you, and to bring you to nought; and ye shall be plucked from off the land whither thou goest to possess it.
64 And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, [even] wood and stone.
65 And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest: but the LORD shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind:
66 And thy life shall hang in doubt before thee; and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have none assurance of thy life:
67 In the morning thou shalt say, Would God it were even! and at even thou shalt say, Would God it were morning! for the fear of thine heart wherewith thou shalt fear, and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.
68 And the LORD shall bring thee into Egypt again with ships, by the way whereof I spake unto thee, Thou shalt see it no more again: and there ye shall be sold unto your enemies for bondmen and bondwomen, and no man shall buy [you].
[4] Mosiah 2:24
[5] D&C 93:19
[6] D&C 46:8
[7] D&C 46: 9-26
[8] 3 Nephi 17:8
[9] Mosiah 3:5
[10] Moroni 7:29-32