The Bitter Cup

In his recent Conference talk, in addition to speaking of Jesus as The Lamb of God,  Elder Holland also spoke of the Sacrament and its connection to The Atonement of Jesus Christ. Elder Holland said,

Brothers and sisters, this hour ordained of the Lord is the most sacred hour of our week. By commandment, we gather for the most universally received ordinance in the Church. It is in memory of Him who asked if the cup He was about to drink could pass, only to press on because He knew that for our sake it could not pass. It will help us if we remember that a symbol of that cup is slowly making its way down the row toward us at the hand of an 11- or 12-year-old deacon.

Until I heard this, I hadn't seen the connection between the sacramental cup of water and the bitter cup our Savior drank for our sakes. Of course, I knew the Sacrament represented The Atonement, but I didn't really think about what it meant to drink the cup. I admit that it could mean different things for different people. For me, partaking of the Sacrament used to mean repenting and accepting the Atonement. It used to be as simple as wanting to let go of my sins. Yet, now I think the Sacrament means more to me than that. Yes, partaking of the Sacrament still symbolizes repentance in my mind, but I think it now also represents the sacrifice of our Savior and our willingness to make whatever sacrifices we have to in order to repent of our sins.

Repentance requires great sacrifice, on both the Lord's part and ours. Jesus drank His bitter cup. Are we willing to drink ours?