It is almost a given that at some point (usually in the early-teen years) every kid turns to their parents and says something like, “Why do I HAVE to go to Church?” We got this very question submitted to us through the ldswhy e-mail this week. We partially answer this question in our chapter “Why Should I Keep the Sabbath Day Holy?” and thought it might be good to re-print it here:
A primary reason why the Sabbath was created, and why we should keep it holy, is that provides a day for us to re-dedicate ourselves to God and remember the Savior’s Atonement. Central to this remembering is partaking of the sacrament.
We should keep the Sabbath day holy and attend our meetings so that we can partake of the sacrament and receive its cleansing effect. President Boyd K. Packer explained:
“Generally we understand that, conditioned upon repentance, the ordinance of baptism washes our sins away. Some wonder if they were baptized too soon. If only they could be baptized now and have a clean start. But that is not necessary! Through the ordinance of the sacrament, you renew the covenants made at baptism. When you meet all of the conditions of repentance, however difficult, you may be forgiven and your transgressions will trouble your mind no more” (President Boyd K. Packer, Washed Clean, Ensign (CR), May 1997, p.9).
Elder Dallin H. Oaks further taught:
“Attendance at Church each week provides the opportunity to partake of the sacrament, as the Lord has commanded us. If we act with the right preparation and attitude, partaking of the sacrament renews the cleansing effect of our baptism and qualifies us for the promise that we will always have His Spirit to be with us” (Elder Dallin H. Oaks, The Gospel in Our Lives, Ensign (CR), May 2002, p.33).
Elder Holland added, “Think for a moment how different our lives could be if through repentance we were made clean each and every Sabbath and could start each week absolutely pure, renewed, refreshed—totally confident of our standing before God” (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, Doctrine & Covenants CES Video, “Upon My Holy Day”).
Each time we partake of the sacrament, in the spirit of repentance, we are cleansed from our sins and washed anew by the sanctifying power of the Holy Ghost (see 3 Nephi 27:20 and 2 Nephi 31:17). The sacramental prayer specifically is blessed to “sanctify… the souls of all those who partake of it” (D&C 20:77). This weekly cleansing is perhaps the purest reason why we should honor the Sabbath. When we understand this reason we want to go to church and partake of the sacrament on Sunday.
Understanding this doctrine of the cleansing effect of the sacrament also underscores why we must attend church and not just study the scriptures in our homes or out in nature. President Spencer W. Kimball taught:
A man of my acquaintance remained home each Sabbath and justified himself by saying that he could benefit more by reading a good book at home than by attending the sacrament meeting and listening to a poor sermon. But the home, sacred as it should be, is not the house of prayer. In it no sacrament is administered; in it is not found the fellowship with members, nor the confession of sins to the brethren. The mountains may be termed the temples of God and the forests and streams his handiwork, but only in the meetinghouse, or house of prayer, can be fulfilled all the requirements of the Lord. And so he has impressed upon us that: ‘It is expedient that the church meet together often to partake of bread and wine in the remembrance of the Lord Jesus’ (D&C 20:75) (Spencer W. Kimball, The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, [1982], 220).
