Why I Let My One Year Old Take The Sacrament

My little girl is one year old and I let her take the Sacrament.  For a lot of Mormons this probably seems pretty normal and something that lots of parents do.  For others (Mormon or not) this may seem strange, unnecessary and (in their own opinion) wrong.  Growing up, getting married and when planning a family, allowing my children to take the Sacrament isn't really something I gave much thought and certainly not something I thought I would find myself writing about.

It happened in my own family and in the families round about me at church.  So why would I question it?  Well, a part of being married is that their are two people involved which means two minds, two opinions and too many differences!  I am however, very grateful for differences and how they make us consider other ideas and ways of doing things.

With that thought, I found myself rather surprised to hear my husband talk about how our children wouldn't be taking the Sacrament before they are baptised.  For some reason I felt myself getting really defensive about it.  It was a no-brainer to me that our children should be allowed to take the Sacrament and I had my list of reasons at the ready to fire at him! 

When asked what his big problem about it was he didn't really have much to say except that having passed the sacrament for many years he had witnessed parents almost forcing their little ones to take it and that didn't seem right to him.  After further clarification it became apparent that he didn't really have a problem and that he did see the importance of teaching children from a young age.

Our discussion did lead me to think on it more though.  In fact, I have pondered on it A LOT.  The pondering has been great and it has been nice to take in other views concerning the subject.  And I have actually found a few other reasons why people may think it is wrong to let children partake of the Sacrament.  However, I haven't changed my mind about the matter.

Here are some issues raised by others regarding the matter and here are my reasons why I believe it is not only okay to let children  partake of the Sacrament but that it is also a  huge part of their learning and growth in their youth.  *I might add - some may wonder why I would ponder so much on the subject or make an issue about something that doesn't need to be made.  It is my understanding that we have been given agency (the power to make our  own choices).  I believe we should be well informed about all our choices and I believe that the Sacrament is an extremely sacred ordinance to be taken seriously and thought about often.
 
I see three main points regarding the opinion that children should not be allowed to partake of the Sacrament:
1. Children are pure, innocent, unaccountable and therefore do not need to be baptised (until the age of eight).  This is the belief of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is found in scripture.  In Moroni 8:11 we read "And their little children need no repentance, neither baptism."  In verse 20 it says "And he that saith little children need baptism denieth the mercies of Christ."
 
Further to that the scriptures also say "And I will establish a covenant of circumcision with thee, and it shall be my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee, in their generations; that thou mayest know forever that children are not accountable before me until they are eight years old" (Joseph Smith Translation, Genesis 17:11).  Because the Sacrament is the ordinance by which we renew the covenants made at baptism, children therefore do not need to take the Sacrament.

2. Because Sacrament is the ordinance by which we renew baptisimal covenants, it would not be appropriate for anyone who has not been baptised to partake of the Sacrament.

3. No one should take the Sacrament until they have a proper understanding of its meaning and significance.

 
I would like to address the first two points by referring to 3 Nephi chapter 18 found in the Book of Mormon.  The first two points suggest some sort of restriction to taking the Sacrament that was never instituted by Jesus Christ or His Disciples.  In 3 Nephi 18:28-30 we read "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, when ye shall minister it; Nevertheless, ye shall not cast him out from among you, but ye shall minister unto him and shall pray for him unto the Father, in my name; and if it so be that he repenteth and is baptized in my name, then shall ye receive him, and shall minister unto him of my flesh and blood."
 
The only restriction the Lord placed upon this ordinance was that it not be partaken of unworthily.  Everybody sins and make mistakes for we are not perfect like God.  Therefore I would suggest that anyone who is actively trying to live by the Lords commandments and participating in the repentance process often and when needed, is worthy to partake of the Sacrament.

 Although baptism is necessary as a part of God's plan of Salvation it is not a necessary condition for repenting and trying to follow the Lord's commandments.  We want non-members who attend Sacrament meeting to feel welcome and comfortable.  They can take the Sacrament if they so choose to, however, it is our responsibility to help them understand what the Sacrament is and why we take it (March 2012 New Era). 

As the only restriction to partaking  the sacrament is if one takes it unworthily, it is therefore not a problem for children to partake because they are unaccountable and cannot be unworthy.  Elder Russel M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles once said "Little children, as sinless beneficiaries of the Lord’s Atonement, may partake of the sacrament as they prepare for covenants that they will make later in life."
I would like to refer back to 3 Nephi 18 where an interesting suggestion may be made.  In this chapter Jesus Christ has appeared to the Nephites after his resurrection and is organising His Church.  He introduces the Sacrament to His Disciples and the multitudes of people also present. 

He explains the ordinance and what it means and commands that everyone partakes of the bread and wine.  However, it isn't until afterwards in chapter 19 that the Nephites are baptised.  This suggests that the Lord did not have a problem with people taking the Sacrament when they had not yet been baptised.
However, some may argue that  my above point doesn't really stand because these people were in fact already baptised.  President Joseph Fielding Smith said "When Christ appeared to the Nephites on this continent, he commanded them to be baptized,although they had been baptized previously for the remission of their sins. . . . The Savior commanded Nephi and the people to be baptized again, because he had organized anew the Church under the gospel.  Before that it had been organized under the law." 

So,it is true that many of the people may have been already baptised but I do not think we can say with a surety that every single one of them had been.  Either way - the Lord wanted them to be baptised again and seemed to introduce the Sacrament before this took place.

The third reason listed seems to miss the point of Sacrament altogether.  Children are not allowed to partake of the Sacrament until they are aged eight but this is not because when a child turns eight they are suddenly able to understand the Atonement and other associated concepts like reconciliation and the fall.  What is required is an understanding of right and wrong - something that most, if not all, eight year olds have.
 
The understanding of the Atonement comes with time and learning.  Even as adults we cannot fully comprehend the Atonement.  I believe that if I want my children to come to an understanding of the Sacrament, what it means and how important it is in our lives then I need to teach them about it from a young age.  This is how my testimony of the Gospel and my understanding of the Sacrament and the Lord's Atoning Sacrifice was developed - through the teachings of my parents from a young age.

Frequently letting my children take the Sacrament and teaching them about it will help them to nurture their testimonies and I also hope, help them to develop a lifetime of participation in the Sacrament and renewing the covenants made at baptism.  I will teach them that when we take the Sacrament we are showing Heavenly Father that we want to do our best and follow His commandments.

At one year old another significant reason for letting my little girl partake of the Sacrament is because ultimately, she wants to.  She watches what I do and she wants to do it too.  And for anyone that doesn't have a toddler, when you don't let them do or have what they want they aren't exactly quiet about it!  If it saves a tantrum meltdown in the middle of a reverent Sacrament meeting then she can have all the bread that she likes as far as I'm concerned! 

Pointing to the Priesthood holders passing the sacrament and focusing on whats happening in the room really helps my little one keep quiet and sit on my knee till it is finished.  Every week I am always really proud of us both for the reverence we just about manage to maintain and I am glad because I know she is learning to be reverent and so will hopefully continue to do so throughout her life.

A concluding thought - "Without baptism, partaking of the Sacrament has no effect on our covenants with the Lord. But partaking of the Sacrament without baptism is still a valid way to express one's desire to remain obedient to the Lord's commandments, and it is a gesture that is pleasing to the Lord regardless of baptismal status." - Anonymous.

President Brigham Young
"Children who are capable of repentance should be baptized when they reach the proper age, according to the revelations. Up to that age they are entitled to the sacrament."
(Messages of the First Presidency, Vol.2, p.289)
 
President Joseph Fielding Smith
"There is no reason why any member of the Church should be concerned over the fact that little children may partake of the sacrament. The most important thing is to be sure that we who are grown to full maturity keep ourselves worthy of this sacred ordinance.
(Answers to Gospel Questions, Vol.2, p.90)
 
CHILDREN TO PARTAKE OF SACRAMENT. All little children virtually belong to the Church until they are eight years of age. Should they die before that age, they would enter the celestial kingdom. The Savior said, "Of such is the kingdom of heaven." Then why should they be deprived of the sacrament?
(Doctrines of Salvation, Vol.2, p.350)