What Is the Sacrament? — A Dissection of 3 Nephi 18:3–7
3 And when the disciples had come with bread and wine, he took of the bread and brake and blessed it; and he gave unto the disciples and commanded that they should eat.
4 And when they had eaten and were filled, he commanded that they should give unto the multitude.
5 And when the multitude had eaten and were filled, he said unto the disciples: Behold there shall one be ordained among you, and to him will I give power that he shall break bread and bless it and give it unto the people of my church, unto all those who shall believe and be baptized in my name.
6 And this shall ye always observe to do, even as I have done, even as I have broken bread and blessed it and given it unto you.
7 And this shall ye do in remembrance of my body, which I have shown unto you. And it shall be a testimony unto the Father that ye do always remember me. And if ye do always remember me ye shall have my Spirit to be with you.
The sacrament, in 3 Nephi 18:3–7, is revealed as a covenant act where we witness to the Father that we remember the Son—and in return, He promises His Spirit to be with us.
Verse 3 — The Sacrament Begins With What We Bring
Christ receives the bread and wine that the disciples brought.
This teaches us that the sacrament begins with our offering. We bring simple, earthly elements—symbols of our mortal life—and Christ transforms them into a holy ordinance.
- Bread represents our daily dependence on Him.
- Wine (or water today) represents His life given for us.
By taking, breaking, blessing, and giving, Christ shows that the sacrament is not a passive ritual. It is a divine exchange: we bring; He sanctifies; we receive.
Takeaway: The strongest “types of Christ in memory” for bread and wine are the passages where Jesus explicitly identifies these emblems with His body and blood, and where the covenant pattern of remembering is tied to renewal, sacrifice, and resurrection‑likeness. Below is a list of scriptures taken from the Topical Guide list Jesus Christ, Types of, in Memory. Giving more instruction and clarity.
Verse 3 — The Sacrament Begins With What We Bring
Principle: In Memory of Jesus Christ — Types of
Christ receives the bread and wine the disciples brought.
This act is itself a type: we bring the earthly; He makes it holy.
The scriptures below— taken from the Topical Guide list Jesus Christ, Types of, in Memory—are the most poignant “memory‑types” that illuminate why bread and wine are the chosen symbols.
Bread & Wine — Types of Christ in Memory
Matthew 26:26 — “Take, eat; this is my body.”
Why this matters:
This is the foundational type. Jesus Himself interprets the bread.
Bread is not merely a symbol of nourishment—it is a witness of His incarnate, given, broken body.
In the sacrament, we remember:
- His condescension (He took a body)
- His suffering (His body was broken)
- His nearness (He is the Bread of Life we take into ourselves)
This verse anchors all sacramental symbolism in Christ’s own words.
Luke 22:19 — “This do in remembrance of me.”
Why this matters:
This is the clearest command linking action (“do”) with memory.
Remembrance is not passive nostalgia—it is covenant loyalty.
Luke reveals that the sacrament is:
- A commanded act
- A covenant witness
- A ritualized remembering that shapes identity
This verse ties directly to 3 Nephi 18:7: “a testimony unto the Father that ye do always remember me.”
John 6:51 — “The bread that I will give is my flesh.”
Why this matters:
John 6 is the doctrinal backbone of sacramental symbolism.
Here Christ teaches that the bread is not only a memorial but a type of His life‑giving sacrifice.
It reveals:
- Bread = His flesh offered
- Eating = receiving His life
- Remembrance = abiding in Him
This verse deepens the sacrament beyond ritual—it becomes participation in His life.
3 Nephi 18:3 — “He took of the bread and … blessed it.”
Why this matters:
This is the resurrected Christ re‑establishing the ordinance.
It confirms:
• The sacrament is a post‑Resurrection covenant
• Christ Himself models the pattern
• The bread is sanctified by His blessing
This verse shows that the sacrament is not merely symbolic—it is authorized, blessed, and patterned by Christ.
3 Nephi 18:8 — “Take of the wine of the cup and drink.”
Why this matters:
Wine (or water today) is the type of His blood, the life He poured out.
This verse pairs with verse 3 to show:
• Bread = His body
• Wine = His blood
• Together = the whole offering of Christ
The sacrament is a remembrance of the complete gift of the Son.
D&C 20:40 — “Bread and wine—the emblems of the flesh and blood.”
Why this matters:
This is the clearest doctrinal definition in Restoration scripture.
It affirms:
• Bread and wine are emblems—God‑chosen symbols
• They point to the flesh and blood of Christ
• The ordinance is a covenant renewal
This verse gives the theological clarity needed for teaching.
D&C 27:2 — “Remembering … my body … and my blood.”
Why this matters:
This verse ties remembrance directly to covenant fidelity.
It teaches that the sacrament is not about the specific elements (wine vs. water) but about:
• Remembering His body
• Remembering His blood
• Renewing our covenant to follow Him
This verse protects the ordinance from ritualism and centers it on Christ.
Why These Scriptures?
These passages were chosen because they:
- Explicitly connect bread and wine to Christ’s body and blood
- Emphasize remembrance as a covenant act
- Reveal the sacrament as a type of Christ’s sacrifice, life, and resurrection
- Show that the ordinance is patterned, commanded, and interpreted by Christ Himself
- Align perfectly with 3 Nephi 18’s structure and purpose
Together, they form a doctrinally tight, ministry‑ready foundation for Verse 3 section.
Verse 4 — The Sacrament Is Given to All of Us
Why the Church
By Elder D. Todd Christofferson
Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
General Conference Talk October 2015
"It is worth pausing to consider why Jesus Christ chooses to use a church, His Church, to carry out His and His Father’s work."
Christ commands the disciples to give the blessed bread to the multitude. This reveals that the sacrament is not exclusive or elite—it is communal, covenantal, and meant for all who come unto Christ. The sacrament is therefore an act of belonging. We do not take it alone; we receive it as a body of believers, united in remembrance.
Elder Christofferson teaches the same principle when he explains why the Lord works through a church rather than leaving us to worship in isolation. He states that some people “consider themselves religious or spiritual and yet reject participation in a church,” but he reminds us that “the Church is the creation of Him in whom our spirituality is centered—Jesus Christ.”
This directly supports what we see in 3 Nephi 18: Christ does not allow the sacrament to be a private, solitary act. He commands that it be given to the multitude—His gathered disciples. Elder Christofferson explains that God’s purpose is our progress, and that progress “requires more than simply being nice or feeling spiritual.” It requires a covenant community that sustains us in the “strait and narrow path.”
In other words, the sacrament is given to all of us because discipleship itself is designed to be lived together. Elder Christofferson teaches that the Lord established His Church so that we could “come in the unity of the faith” and be “edified” as the body of Christ.
That is exactly what happens in Verse 4: Christ commands His disciples to distribute the bread outward—to the entire gathered body. The sacrament becomes a living expression of what Elder Christofferson describes: a covenant people who “meet together oft” to strengthen one another, learn together, and experience the gospel in community.
Elder Christofferson also emphasizes that in the Church we experience the gospel in real, relational ways: “In the body of Christ, we have to go beyond concepts and exalted words and have a real ‘hands-on’ experience as we learn to ‘live together in love.’”
The sacrament is one of the most consistent “hands‑on” experiences of covenant community we have. We gather weekly, side by side, to remember the Lord and renew our discipleship. We witness together. We receive together. We belong together.
Thus, Verse 4 and Elder Christofferson’s teachings converge on one truth: Christ gives the sacrament to the multitude because He is forming us into a unified body—a covenant community where we strengthen, sustain, and sanctify one another.
Verse 5 — The Sacrament Requires Priesthood Stewardship
Christ establishes that one shall be ordained to administer the ordinance.
This teaches us:
- The sacrament is not self‑administered; it is a priesthood ordinance.
- The act of breaking the bread is symbolic—Christ’s body broken for us.
- The bread becomes a witness of His sacrifice.
- It is given to the people of His church—those who believe and have entered the covenant through baptism.
This verse answers the question: Who administers the sacrament and why?
Because the sacrament is a covenant renewal, it is entrusted to ordained servants acting in Christ’s name.
Sub‑Sections for the Four Cross‑Reference Words
1. Ordained — Set Apart to Act in His Name
When Christ declares that one must be ordained, He teaches us that the sacrament is not casual, optional, or self‑directed.
To be ordained is to be:
- Set apart
- Authorized
- Entrusted with Christ’s own ministry
We learn that the sacrament is administered by those who carry His authority, not their own.
This protects the ordinance, preserves its purity, and ensures that when we receive the sacrament, we receive it from hands acting in His stead.
Church Organization — The Principle Behind Ordination
The principle behind ordained is Church Organization—Christ’s revealed pattern for how His work is structured and perpetuated.
This is where the Articles of Faith become essential.
A of F 1:6 — The Anchor of This Section
In the Articles of Faith we declare:
“We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church…”
This single line is the doctrinal backbone of Verse 5.
- Christ organized His Church anciently with ordained officers.
- Christ restored His Church with the same organization.
- The sacrament belongs inside that organization.
- Those who administer it must be ordained according to Christ’s pattern.
Thus, when Christ says “one shall be ordained,” He is revealing the same organizational structure testified in A of F 1:6 — apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth — all functioning under His authority.
Ordination is not administrative.
It is covenantal.
It is how Christ ensures His ordinances remain His.
Cross‑Canon Witnesses of Church Organization
To reinforce this principle, here are the strongest witnesses from each major scriptural canon (selected from the Topical Guide list: Church Organization):
Old Testament — Genesis 14:18
"Melchizedek … was the priest of the most high God."
A witness that God’s work has always required authorized, ordained servants.
New Testament — John 15:16
"I have chosen you, and ordained you."
Christ Himself chooses and ordains His ministers.
Book of Mormon — Moroni 3:1
"The elders of the church, ordained priests and teachers"
The Nephite Church follows the same pattern of ordination.
Doctrine & Covenants — D&C 20:38
"The duty of the elders, priests, teachers, deacons."
We Restored Church Organized the Same Way
The restored Church mirrors the organization of the Primitive Church — including ordained offices.
Summary
Verse 5 teaches us that the sacrament requires ordained servants because Christ’s Church is organized according to a divine pattern that spans all scripture.
Through:
• Melchizedek (OT)
• Christ ordaining His disciples (NT)
• Nephite ordinations (BoM)
• Duty to perform rites(D&C)
we see one unified truth:
Christ administers His covenant through an organized Church, staffed with ordained servants who act in His name — including in the administration of the sacrament.
2. Break — A Symbol of His Willing Offering
Christ commands that the ordained servant must break the bread.
This action is not mechanical — it is symbolic.
- His voluntary submission
- His body offered for our redemption
- His willingness to be wounded, torn, and given for us
When we watch the bread being broken, we witness a reenactment of His sacrifice.
It reminds us that the sacrament is not merely eaten — it is beheld.
The Pattern of Breaking and Blessing
The supporting scripture for this section is Moroni 4:1, which preserves the exact pattern Christ gave for administering the sacrament among the Nephites.
1 The manner of their elders and priests administering the flesh and blood of Christ unto the church; and they administered it according to the commandments of Christ; wherefore we know the manner to be true; and the elder or priest did minister it—
Moroni records that:
- Ordained servants
- Break the bread
- Bless it
- And administer it to the church
This verse confirms that the breaking of the bread is not incidental — it is part of the divinely revealed ordinance.
It ties directly to 3 Nephi 18: Christ Himself broke the bread, blessed it, and commanded His disciples to continue the same pattern.
Moroni 4:1 therefore reinforces that:
• The breaking is intentional
• The breaking is symbolic
• The breaking is required
• The breaking is part of Christ’s revealed order
Through Moroni’s record, we see that the act of breaking the bread is a sacred echo of Christ’s own offering — preserved unchanged from His hands to ours.
3. Bread — A Witness of His Sacrifice
The bread becomes a physical witness of Christ’s love.
It is simple, earthly, and common — yet sanctified by His blessing.
- His mortal life
- His daily sustaining power
- His nearness to our lived experience
When we partake, we are not consuming a symbol only — we are accepting His invitation to let His life become part of ours.
Christ Blesses and Multiplies the Bread
19 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
20 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.
21 And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children.
Matthew records Christ taking bread, blessing it, breaking it, and giving it to the multitude.
This moment shows us that:
- Christ uses simple bread to manifest divine compassion
- Bread becomes a vehicle of His power and presence
- What He blesses becomes more than it appears
This miracle foreshadows the sacrament:
Christ takes what is ordinary and transforms it into something that nourishes us spiritually and binds us to Him.
Christ Gives Bread to the Multitude Again
In the resurrected ministry, Christ again blesses bread and gives it to the multitude.
This second witness reinforces that:
- Bread is central to how Christ teaches, feeds, and gathers His people
- Bread becomes a witness of His resurrected reality
- Bread symbolizes His willingness to sustain us in both mortality and eternity
6 Now, there had been no bread, neither wine, brought by the disciples, neither by the multitude;
7 But he truly gave unto them bread to eat, and also wine to drink.
Summary
Matthew 14:19–21 and 3 Nephi 20:6–7 both reveal the same truth:
Christ uses bread to show us His nearness, His compassion, His sustaining power, and His willingness to give Himself for us.
Thus, in the sacrament:
• The bread is a witness of His sacrifice
• The bread is a reminder of His life
• The bread is an invitation to let His life enter ours
When we partake, we receive more than a symbol —
we receive a witness of the Living Christ.
4. Church — A Covenant Community That Receives Together
Christ specifies that the sacrament is given to the people of His church. This teaches us that the sacrament belongs to a covenant body — a gathered people who receive, remember, and renew together.
The church is not a building, a program, or a social group. It is:
- A covenant community
- A gathered body of believers
- A people organized under Christ’s authority
- A place where ordinances are administered
When we partake of the sacrament, we do not do so as isolated individuals. We partake as His church — His gathered disciples — united in remembrance and covenant loyalty.
Supporting Principle: The Church Across All Scripture
To anchor this section, here are the three strongest witnesses from the Topical Guide list Church — one from each major canon — showing how Christ defines, organizes, and gathers His church.
These are the best doctrinal fits for this section.
New Testament — Matthew 16:18
“Upon This Rock I Will Build My Church”
Christ Himself declares that He will build His church.
This is the clearest NT witness that the church is Christ‑founded, Christ‑defined, and Christ‑led.
This aligns perfectly with 3 Nephi 18:5 — the sacrament is given to His church, not a human invention.
Book of Mormon — Mosiah 18:17
“Called the Church of God, or the Church of Christ”
This is the strongest BoM witness because it defines the church explicitly by covenant, baptism, and belonging to Christ.
This supports our section by showing that the sacrament is administered to those who have entered His covenant and taken His name.
Doctrine & Covenants — D&C 1:30
“The Only True and Living Church”
This is the clearest D&C witness because it identifies the restored Church as the one Christ recognizes, authorizes, and directs.
This supports our section by showing that the sacrament today is administered within the same divine structure Christ established anciently.
Summary
Across all scripture, the church is revealed as:
• Christ‑founded (NT)
• Covenant‑defined (BoM)
• Restored and authorized (D&C)
Thus, in Verse 5, when Christ says the sacrament is given to the people of His church, He is placing the ordinance inside a divine structure that spans dispensations.
The church is the covenant community where we gather, remember, renew, and receive Christ together.
Summary
Verse 5 teaches us that the sacrament is a priesthood‑governed covenant ordinance.
It requires:
- Ordained servants who act in Christ’s name
- The breaking of bread as a symbol of His offering
- Bread that witnesses His sacrifice
- A church—a covenant body—who receives it together
Through these four elements, Christ shows us that the sacrament is sacred, structured, symbolic, and communal.
Verse 6 — The Sacrament Is a Pattern We Must Always do
Verse 7 — The Sacrament Is a Witness of remembrance of His body
Christ explains the purpose:
We partake in remembrance of His body.
This remembrance is not nostalgia — it is covenant loyalty.
To “always remember Him” means:
- We remember His sacrifice
- We remember His teachings
- We remember our covenant identity
- We remember who we are because of Him
And the promise is astonishing:
If we always remember Him, we shall have His Spirit to be with us.
This is the heart of the sacrament.
The sacrament is the covenant pathway by which we receive the companionship, cleansing, and guidance of the Holy Ghost.
Sub‑Sections for the Cross‑Reference Words
1. Remembrance — Covenant Loyalty, Not Sentiment
To remember Christ is to bind ourselves to Him.
In scripture, remembrance is never passive — it is active fidelity.
Remembrance means:
- We recall His works
- We keep His commandments
- We renew our promises
- We align our lives with His example
In the sacrament, remembrance becomes a weekly covenant act.
We remember Him with our minds, our hearts, our hands, and our lives.
Remembrance is the condition;
the Spirit is the promise.
Remembering Him to Receive His Spirit
8 And he said unto them: He that eateth this bread eateth of my body to his soul; and he that drinketh of this wine drinketh of my blood to his soul; and his soul shall never hunger nor thirst, but shall be filled.
In 3 Nephi 20:8, Christ teaches that partaking of the bread and wine is done in remembrance of Him, and that this remembrance opens the way for His Spirit to be with us.
This verse reinforces that remembrance is not symbolic only — it is transformational.
To remember Him is to receive Him.
Remembering Him Always
3 O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this bread to the souls of all those who partake of it; that they may eat in remembrance of the body of thy Son, and witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him, and keep his commandments which he hath given them, that they may always have his Spirit to be with them. Amen.
Moroni 4:3 preserves the sacrament prayer that commands us to always remember Him.
This is the covenant condition tied directly to the promise of the Holy Ghost.
- Covenantal — tied to promises we make
- Continuous — not limited to the ordinance moment
- Consequential — it determines whether we receive His Spirit
Together, these verses show that remembrance is the heartbeat of the sacrament.
Sacrament — The Ordinance of Remembrance
The principle behind remembrance is the sacrament itself — the ordinance Christ designed to anchor our memory, identity, and loyalty in Him.
From the Topical Guide list Sacrament, the best references that reinforce remembrance as the core of the sacrament are:
- 1 Corinthians 11:26 — “As often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup" This reference teaches that the sacrament is a repeated act of remembrance, not a one‑time ritual. Remembrance is built into the ordinance’s rhythm.
- 1 Corinthians 11:29 — “Eateth and drinketh unworthily”
This reference shows that remembrance must be covenantal and sincere, not casual.
To forget Christ while partaking is to violate the ordinance. - 3 Nephi 20:3 — “He brake bread again and blessed it”
Christ Himself repeats the sacrament among the Nephites, showing that remembrance is ongoing and central to discipleship. - Moroni 6:6 — “Bread and wine, in remembrance of the Lord Jesus”
This is the clearest Book of Mormon statement tying the sacrament directly to remembrance.
The ordinance exists to keep Christ before us. - D&C 20:40 — “Emblems of the flesh and blood of Christ”
This reference shows that the sacrament is a symbolic witness of His body and blood — a physical reminder designed to anchor remembrance.
Summary
The sacrament is the ordinance of remembrance:
• 3 Nephi 20:8 teaches that remembrance brings the Spirit.
• Moroni 4:3 commands us to remember Him always.
• 1 Corinthians 11:26, 29 show remembrance as the core requirement.
• 3 Nephi 20:3 shows Christ repeating the ordinance.
• Moroni 6:6 defines the sacrament as remembrance.
• D&C 20:40 identifies the emblems as reminders of His body and blood.
Thus, remembrance is not a feeling —
it is the covenant act that unlocks the companionship of the Holy Ghost.
2. Body — A Witness of His Offering and Our Identity
Christ commands us to partake in remembrance of His body.
This directs our focus to His lived, mortal, given life.
His body signifies:
- His incarnation — God with us
- His suffering — offered for our redemption
- His resurrection — the living Christ
- His covenant — we take His name upon us
When we partake of the bread, we witness:
• His willingness to descend
• His willingness to suffer
• His willingness to rise
• His willingness to claim us as His own
His body is the foundation of our identity.
We remember His body so that we may become His body — His covenant people, His disciples, His witnesses.
Bread of Life — His Body Given for Our Life
The principle behind body is Bread of Life — Christ’s own teaching that His life, His flesh, His offering are the source of our spiritual life.
From the Topical Guide list Bread of Life, the best references that reinforce this doctrine are:
- John 6:35 — “I am the bread of life”
This is the clearest declaration that Christ Himself is the sustaining power behind the sacrament.
His body is not merely remembered — it is received, relied upon, and lived from.
This reference anchors the truth that the sacrament points to Him, not merely to a symbol. - Alma 5:34 — “Eat and drink of the bread … of life”
This is the strongest Book of Mormon witness that Christ invites us to partake of His life.
The sacrament becomes the covenant moment where we accept that invitation.
This reference reinforces that His body is nourishment, not abstraction. - Revelation 2:17 — “I give to eat of the hidden manna”
This reference shows that Christ offers heavenly nourishment to His faithful.
The sacrament becomes the earthly expression of that eternal promise.
This reinforces that His body is the source of revelation, strength, and spiritual identity. - Deuteronomy 8:3 — “Man shall not live by bread alone”
This reference establishes the ancient pattern: God sustains His people with heavenly bread.
Christ fulfills this pattern as the true Bread of Life.
This reinforces that His body is the fulfillment of God’s sustaining work.
Summary
Verse 7 reveals the heart of the sacrament:
- Remembrance is covenant loyalty.
- His body is the witness of His love, sacrifice, and identity.
- The Spirit is the promised companion for those who remember Him always.
Thus, the sacrament becomes the weekly moment where:
We remember Him.
We remember who we are.
And He remembers us.
So What Is the Sacrament?
From 3 Nephi 18:3–7, the sacrament is:
- A holy ordinance using bread and wine that symbolize Christ’s life and sacrifice.
- A priesthood‑administered covenant act, requiring one to be ordained.
- A communal ordinance given to the whole church.
- A perpetual pattern we must continually do.
- A witness of remembrance of His body.
- A testimony to the Father that we choose Christ.
- A channel of promised companionship—His Spirit with us always.
In short:
The sacrament is the weekly covenant where we remember Christ, renew our discipleship, and receive His Spirit.
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