Kim:
I have often wondered how the membership of the Church decided the sacrament “renewed their baptismal covenant”. I googled the question today and here I am on your blog.
In general, I think you are right and the connection requires some verbal gymnastics.
The baptismal ordinance is simple and sweet, without any mention of a covenant. It’s a pure “action” ordinance.
The sacrament prayers are also simple and sweet (thanks Moroni!). In the prayers we are asked to remember the Savior by taking His name upon us and keeping his commandments.
Anything one might say to connect the two ordinances requires that we “refer to this” or “read that”.
The forgiveness implied in baptism and the atonement implied in the sacrament are both wonderful blessings. In that sense, they are connected. But I agree with your point that LDS membership has created a connection that is not stated in the ordinances. And so we see how doctrine can become skewed just a little, even though the intentions are good. This is a concept to “place on a shelf” so we don’t stub our toe on it.
I like your blog and your sincere intent. I’m puzzled by a few replies that want to chastise you for stating a clear question and inviting responses. Apparently they forgot about the advice from the Lord to Oliver Cowdery when He told Oliver to “study it out in your mind”.
Good work. Carry on!

That’s interesting, Brent, and something I didn’t know. Thanks for sharing.

Great insights, Tyson, and thanks for pointing out those scriptures.

I will add there the covenants come before baptism. Look at mosiah 18 “as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him”. You see they already had “entered” into this covenant therefore they were baptized. (vs 10)

Baptism serves as “a witness and a testimony” (Mosiah 21:35) of what one HAS already done. Which si “repented of their sins”

Second on sacrament the Lord warns us.

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. (3 Nephi 18)

If sacrament renewed your covenant making you clean you would DAMN yourself! Because if you are unworthy before you take it and you take it in hope to start fresh, and “clean” up yourself, you will drink damnation to your soul.

Melissa,

Thanks for insights. I appreciate that quote, too. I definitely have to remember that.

What is knowledge?

D&C 131:6 It is impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance.
D&C 93:1 Verily, thus saith the Lord: It shall come to pass that every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am;

Knowledge is receiving the Second Comforter. Even Jesus Christ. Not a topic of current lessons anywhere I am sure. So sad.

http://www.boap.org/LDS/Parallel/1839/27Jun39.html

Anyway, please keep up the provocative thinking and questioning. There is no doubt that correlation has destroyed the thinking of this people. We are two generations in. I weep for the future lack of knowledge as we just read our Ensigns and listen to conference without any scriptural roots and at the same time have that canon of belief on the altar as if we actually read them.

Say Hi to Mary for me.

“When you state it this way it sounds like our works will save us.”

I disagree. Note that I said that the spiritual cleansing is available to us, implying that someone else provides it. This, of course, is in line with your comment about the Atonement saving us.

When you state it this way it sounds like our works will save us.

Isn’t it the Atonement of Jesus Christ that saves us?

As we partake of the Sacrament we witness that we are willing to take his name upon us. We only witness only our willingness. Clearly the sacrament looks to a future day when we do take His name upon us. Baptism is another way we take Jesus’s name upon us. These two ordinances are clearly linked.

In fact. I would think all ordinances are linked. They all point us to Jesus Christ. The ultimate source of light, and life. If we are to be forgiven or perfected or what ever coming unto Christ is the way. Both baptism and the sacrament are means to this end.

Kevin,

I absolutely agree we pass over ritual too much in the church. I think saying things like baptism washes away our sins and the sacrament renews our baptismal covenant and washes us clean again all contribute to that. I think it takes away from the real symbolism and ritual of the ordinances.

Think about, for example, how much of the ritual was lost when the church switched from a communal cup to individual cups.