Exodus 7–13: Lesson 43

Exodus 12–13, Part 2

“This Do in Remembrance of Me”

Why do you think it’s important to remember Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ? To help the children of Israel remember that He delivered them from Egypt, the Lord instituted the Feast of the Passover. Jesus Christ gave us a new way to always remember Him when He instituted the ordinance of the sacrament. This lesson can help students remember the Savior as they prepare for and participate in the ordinance of the sacrament.

Student preparation: Invite students to prepare to share something that has helped them remember the Savior before, during, or after the sacrament. This could include a favorite picture, scripture, hymn, or quote.

Possible Learning Activities

Always remember

To help students recognize the importance of remembering, display a picture or object that helps you remember something or someone important to you. This could be something like a wedding ring, a picture, or a memento. Briefly share how this item helps you remember the person or event. Then invite students to answer the following questions.

• What is something or who is someone you want to remember throughout your life? Why?

• What are some things you do or have done to help you remember this thing or person?

You could then display an image of Jesus Christ. Invite students to look at the image as they prayerfully think about the Savior. Then you could display the following questions for students to answer in their study journals.

• How do you feel about the Savior?

• What do you feel is important to remember about Him? Why?

As you study today, seek the guidance of the Holy Ghost to help you know what you can do to remember the Savior and what He has done for you.

“This day shall be unto you for a memorial”

In the previous lesson, “Exodus 12–13, Part 1,” students studied how the Lord delivered the Israelites from Egypt. You could write the word Passover on the board. You might display the picture of Passover used in the previous lesson. Then invite students to summarize what they remember about the miracle of the first Passover (see Exodus 12:1–13).

Consider organizing students into groups of three. Have each student study one of the following passages and share what they learn with the other members of the group.

The Lord commanded His people to repeat the Passover meal “throughout [their] generations” (Exodus 12:14). Read the following verses, looking for words and phrases that indicate what the Lord wanted them to remember and do:

Exodus 12:14, 17

Exodus 12:25–27

Exodus 13:3, 8–10

• What was preparing and partaking of the Passover meal designed to help the Israelites remember about the Lord?

• How do you think the Lord blessed the Israelites for obediently participating in the Feast of the Passover?

Passover and the sacrament

Display a picture of Jesus Christ at the Last Supper. Explain to students that the evening before His suffering in Gethsemane and on the cross, the Savior celebrated the Passover feast with His disciples.

To help students visualize this moment, you could show the video “The Last Supper” from time code 0:00 to 1:18. The video is available on ChurchofJesusChrist.org. After students read the verses from Luke 22, you could show from time code 2:13 to 3:15.

Read Luke 22:13–15, 19–20, looking for the new ordinance the Savior instituted.

• How is the sacrament ordinance like Passover? How is it different?

  The following question can help students identify truths that relate to their lives. Questions like this can help students find personal relevance in the scriptures they study. Such questions also allow Heavenly Father to teach and inspire students personally.

  For additional training on helping students find relevance in the scriptures, see “Learn the doctrine of Jesus Christ for yourself” in Teacher Development Skills [2022], 29.

• What truths can we learn as we consider why Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have provided ordinances like Passover anciently and the sacrament today?

Students may share a variety of truths. One truth they might identify could be that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ provide ordinances like Passover and the sacrament to help us remember Them.

Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained one reason why Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ encourage us to remember Them:

Our Heavenly Father wants us to recall His and His Beloved Son’s goodness … for the influence such remembrance has on us. By considering Their kindness, our perspective and understanding are enlarged. By reflecting on Their compassion, we become more humble, prayerful, and steadfast. (“Consider the Goodness and Greatness of God,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2020, 41)

• How has remembering the goodness of God affected you?

Remembering the Savior before, during, and after the sacrament

The following activity can help students prepare to remember the Savior before, during, and after the sacrament. You could provide paper and art supplies. Invite students to create something like a poster, pamphlet, meme, or other reminder of the sacrament. Encourage students to be creative in their designs.

Students could reserve space on the backs of their papers for the end of the lesson. At the end of the lesson, students will make plans to do something to better remember the Savior before, during, or after the sacrament.

To help you remember the goodness of God as you prepare for, participate in, and remember the sacrament ordinance, do one or more of the following:

• List some of the symbols of the Passover feast that you have studied. Write down how these Passover symbols could help you remember the Savior before you take the sacrament.

• Read the sacrament prayers in Doctrine and Covenants 20:77, 79. List the promises we make when we partake of the sacrament. Then list the Lord’s promises. Write a short paragraph of how thinking about these promises could help you remember the Savior during the sacrament.

• List a few passages of scripture or a statement from a Church leader that you might want to read and ponder during the sacrament. Choose passages or statements that could help you remember the Savior.

• Select a favorite sacrament hymn. List the title and two or three lines from the hymn. Choose lines that are meaningful to you and could help you remember the Savior after the sacrament.

Students might share what they created with a partner, a group, or the class. You could encourage students to add ideas that other class members share.

Make a plan to remember the Savior

Quietly reflect on what you have learned and felt today. Invite the Holy Ghost to help you recognize something you could do to better remember Jesus Christ before, during, and after the sacrament.

Invite students to use some space on the backs of their papers to answer the following question.

• What are some specific things you could do to better remember the Savior as you prepare for, participate in, and reflect on the sacrament?

A few willing students could share what they feel impressed to do. Invite students to take their papers with them to sacrament meeting to help them remember what they have learned and felt. Consider sharing your witness of the power that can come into our lives as we better remember the Savior while preparing for and participating in the sacrament.

Additional Resources

Exodus 12:17. How is the Passover feast “an ordinance for ever”?

President Boyd K. Packer (1924–2015) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained:

At Gethsemane and Golgotha the Savior’s blood was shed. Centuries earlier the Passover had been introduced as a symbol and a type of things to come. It was an ordinance to be kept forever (see Exodus 12). …

After the crucifixion of the Lord, the law of sacrifice required no more shedding of blood. … The sacrifice thenceforth was to be a broken heart and a contrite spirit—repentance.

And the Passover would be commemorated forever as the sacrament, in which we renew our covenant of baptism and partake in remembrance of the body of the Lamb of God and of His blood, which was shed for us. (“Atonement, Agency, Accountability,” Ensign, May 1988, 72)

What should I do during the sacrament?

Brother Milton Camargo, First Counselor in the Sunday School General Presidency, said:

Renewing our covenants during the sacrament each Sunday is a great opportunity to examine ourselves and refocus our lives on Jesus Christ. By partaking of the sacrament, we declare that we do “always remember him.” The word always is so significant. It extends the Savior’s influence into every part of our lives. We don’t remember Him only at church or only during our morning prayers or only when we’re in trouble and we need something.

Yes, we sometimes get distracted. We forget. We lose our focus. But renewing our covenants means that we want to always remember the Savior, that we will try to do so throughout the week, and that we will recommit and refocus on Him again at the sacrament table next week. (“Focus on Jesus Christ,” Liahona, May 2023, 65)

Where can I learn more about the Passover feast?

You can read more about the Passover feast in “The Passover Supper” (Ensign, Apr. 2014, 74–75).

Supplemental Learning Activities

Alternative beginning

Invite students to imagine they knew that Jesus Christ would be visiting their next sacrament meeting in person. Invite them to reflect on how knowing that Jesus would be there could influence the way they prepare for and participate in sacrament meeting.

• What do you think it would be like to attend a sacrament meeting with the Savior in attendance?

• What would you do differently to prepare for church? To prepare to take the sacrament? What would you do the same?

• How might this experience help you to always remember Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice as you attend future sacrament meetings?

The sacrament hymns

It might be helpful for students to understand the importance of singing the sacrament hymns as part of remembering the Savior. You might remind students that Jesus sang a hymn before going to the Garden of Gethsemane (see Mark 14:26).

President Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles reminded us:

The administration and passing of the sacrament is preceded by a hymn which all of us should sing. It doesn’t matter what kind of musical voice we have. Sacramental hymns are more like prayers anyway—and everyone can give voice to a prayer! …

It is an important element of our worship to unite in such lyrical and moving expressions of gratitude. (“This Do in Remembrance of Me,” Ensign, Nov. 1995, 68)

Consider inviting students to share experiences they have had when singing the sacrament hymn helped them feel closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

You could invite students to select their favorite sacrament hymn to share with a partner, a smaller group, or with the class. Students might share a favorite line from the hymn and how it is meaningful to them. As appropriate, you could play or sing one verse from a few students’ favorite sacrament hymns. As students listen or sing, you could invite them to identify lines from the hymns that stand out to them.

Feel the power of remembering the Savior

In the video “That They Do Always Remember Him” (6:29), Elder Claudio R. M. Costa of the Seventy teaches things we can do to remember the Savior and increase the power of the ordinance of the sacrament in our lives.

The video “Inspiring Short: Always Remember Being Saved” (2:51), produced by BYU Speeches, shares the story of a man whose life was saved while rock climbing. The speaker shares this story to teach that we can truly honor the Savior by remembering Him.