Partaking Of The Sacrament Does Renew LDS Baptismal Covenants

The troubles caused by anti-Mormons are well-known. But confusion is also sown by those who are members of the LDS Church. A prime example of the latter is confusion over whether or not partaking of the sacramental emblems each Sunday renews the covenants one makes when baptized. While I was always taught that this is the case, someone on the LDS Freedom Forum begs to differ. Note this exchange:

iWriteStuff Thu Sep 25, 2014 3:47 pm:
One Lord, one faith, one baptism?

Does the LDS church authorize second/third/fourth baptisms? I hadn't heard of this before. From whence cometh this doctrine?

Christ himself was baptized only once. Outside of Alma, who submerged himself upon baptizing another as a show of humility, I can't think of any other figure in the scriptures who felt it necessary to go down into the water more than once.

Just feel like renewing your covenants? Then why not give a shot at the sacrament and making it more meaningful this week. That's how Christ intended it to be, and thus He instituted it.

Jeremy Thu Sep 25, 2014 3:54 pm:
...The sacrament is not a renewal of baptismal covenants.

Fortunately, members of the Quorum of the Twelve have addressed this issue in the recent past:

Elder Dallin H. Oaks has explained that in renewing our baptismal covenants by partaking of the emblems of the sacrament, “we do not witness that we take upon us the name of Jesus Christ. [Rather], we witness that we are willing to do so. (See D&C 20:77.) The fact that we only witness to our willingness suggests that something else must happen before we actually take that sacred name upon us in the [ultimate and] most important sense” (“Taking upon Us the Name of Jesus Christ,” Ensign, May 1985, 81). The baptismal covenant clearly contemplates a future event or events and looks forward to the temple.
-- Elder David A. Bednar, April 2009 General Conference, "Honorably Hold a Name and Standing".

Elder Delbert L. Stapley instructed us in this when he said about covenants:

“The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is a covenant between God and his people. ... When baptized by an authorized servant of God, we covenant to do God’s will and to obey his commandments. ... By partaking of the Sacrament we renew all covenants entered into with the Lord and pledge ourselves to take upon us the name of his Son, to always remember him and keep his commandments” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1965, 14).
-- Elder L. Tom Perry, April 2006 General Conference, "As Now We Take the Sacrament".

In his writings on the doctrines of salvation, President Joseph Fielding Smith teaches that we partake of the sacrament as our part of commemorating the Savior’s death and sufferings for the redemption of the world. This ordinance was introduced so that we can renew our covenants to serve Him, to obey Him, and to always remember Him. President Smith adds: “We cannot retain the Spirit of the Lord if we do not consistently comply with this commandment” (Doctrines of Salvation, comp. Bruce R. McConkie, 3 vols. [1954–56], 2:341).
-- Elder Dallin H. Oaks, October 2008 General Conference, "Sacrament Meeting and the Sacrament".

I remember when I was “[baptized] by immersion for the remission of sins.” That was appealing. I assumed that all my past mistakes were now washed away, and if I never made any more mistakes in my life, I would be clean. This I resolved to do. Somehow it did not turn out that way. I found that I made mistakes, not intentionally, but I made them. I once foolishly thought maybe I was baptized too soon. I did not understand that the ordinance of the sacrament, administered by you of the Aaronic Priesthood, is in fact a renewing of the covenant of baptism and the reinstating of the blessings connected with it. I did not see, as the revelations tell us, that I could “retain a remission of [my] sins.”
-- President Boyd K. Packer, April 2009 General Conference, "Counsel to Young Men".

So let's see, now. We have four apostles who state that partaking of the Sacrament renews baptismal covenants vs. one person posting the opposite on a discussion forum. Who am I going to believe? Why, the Apostles, of course -- not because they're inerrant or infallible, but because they just might know a bit more about the subject than ordinary members.

Of course, it is possible to get a bit carried away. 3 Nephi 18:28-29 proclaims that we should not partake of the Sacrament unworthily because we risk eating and drinking damnation to our souls. A former missionary relates this account of a missionary branch president who got a bit overzealous about enforcing it. It's a funny story, but it has an unfortunate ending. From Mormon Matters in April 2008:

There was a big disagreement about this on my mission. An investigator who had been given a chapel card showed up for church just as the sacrament service was beginning. When the bread tray came to him, he was unsure what to do, so he took a piece of the bread. Just then, an older missionary who was serving in a branch leadership role jumped up from his seat on the stand and commanded the man (in Spanish) to “Drop it!” which he did. Needless to say, the investigator never returned.

I can just see that missionary leaping out of his seat like a ballistic missile, full of fire for the Lord. DROP IT! DROP THE CHALUPA! Unfortunately, he might have chased a prospective branch president away from the Church.

The BYU Harold B. Lee Library website provides a detailed essay on how the custom of the Sacrament evolved.

Protocol In Partaking Of The Sacrament During An LDS Church Service; No Formal Prohibition Against Non-Members Partaking

During the sacrament meeting portion of the three-hour worship service held weekly by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, congregants get the opportunity to partake of the Sacramental emblems, the bread and the water, when they are passed around. The bread symbolizes the body of Jesus Christ, and the water His blood. We do it only in remembrance of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ; we do not believe in transubstantiation.

Partaking of the sacrament is a witness to God that the remembrance of His Son will extend beyond the short time of that sacred ordinance. Part of this ordinance is a promise to remember Him always and a witness of individual willingness to take upon oneself the name of Jesus Christ and to keep His commandments. In partaking of the sacrament and making these commitments, Church members renew the covenant they made at baptism (see Mosiah 18:8–10; D&C 20:37).

But what about those who are not members of the Church? What covenants are they renewing? Should they be allowed to partake of the Sacrament? What do we tell them, and how can we be diplomatic about it? The What Do Mormons Believe blog addresses the issue very well. In the blogger's personal opinion, there is no harm in taking the Sacrament without being a member. No one is going to look at you like you’ve blasphemed their faith by partaking. But it is important to understand why we take the Sacrament: (1) It reminds us of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and His great sacrifice on our behalf. (2) It serves as a renewal of the covenants we made at our baptism.

Essentially, it’s up to the individual. No one is under any obligation to take the Sacrament. If you feel more comfortable passing the tray along, that’s perfectly acceptable. If you’d like to take it, you’re welcome to do so, though it will mean far more to you after baptism. This weekly ordinance allows baptized and confirmed saints to maintain the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost, the greatest gift we can have in life.

This is the smart approach. Explain the ordinance, its meaning and applicability, then tell the investigator to make the final decision personally. Here's a classic example of how NOT to handle it. On April 12th, 2008, Mormon Matters posted this account of an investigator who had been given a chapel card, and showed up for church just as the sacrament service was beginning. When the bread tray came to him, he was unsure what to do, so he took a piece of the bread. Just then, an older missionary who was serving in a branch leadership role jumped up from his seat on the stand and commanded the man (in Spanish) to “Drop it!” which he did. Needless to say, the investigator never returned. To explain his actions, the missionary referred to 3 Ne. 18: 28-29:

28 And now behold, this is the commandment which I give unto you, that ye shall not suffer any one knowingly to partake of my flesh and blood unworthily

29 For whoso eateth and drinketh my flesh and blood unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to his soul; therefore if ye know that a man is unworthy to eat and drink of my flesh and blood ye shall forbid him.

While this missionary was perhaps a bit overzealous in his application of these scriptures in this specific situation, there is clearly a scriptural prohibition to prevent someone taking the sacrament unworthily. In the August 1999 edition of The Ensign, Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles addressed this situation. Speaking about judgments, Elder Oaks said the following about partaking of the Sacrament:

...To be righteous, an intermediate judgment must be within our stewardship. We should not presume to exercise and act upon judgments that are outside our personal responsibilities. Some time ago I attended an adult Sunday School class in a small town in Utah. The subject was the sacrament, and the class was being taught by the bishop. During class discussion a member asked, “What if you see an unworthy person partaking of the sacrament? What do you do?” The bishop answered, “You do nothing. I may need to do something.”

Because the missionary was part of the branch leadership, it was within his stewardship to intervene. But it would have been much better had he waited until after the service was over before addressing the issue with the investigator.

Additional gems of wisdom about the Sacrament by various General Authorities are available HERE.