'Bread' part III

Editor's note: This is the third of three: 'The gospel in words" segments on "bread.""I have broken bread and blessed it and given it unto you and this shall ye do in remembrance of my body." (3 Nephi 18: 6-7)"I have broken bread and blessed it and given it unto you and this shall ye do in remembrance of my body." (3 Nephi 18: 6-7) Biological images that connect our physical well-being to our spiritual well-being are broadly used in the scriptures. For example, Jeremiah exclaimed, "Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart" (Jeremiah 15:16). Of course, in order to have "eternal life," among another things, we are commanded to "press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ" (2 Nephi 31:20).The high point of this imagery, however, comes in John 6. As noted last week, the Savior taught that while the children of Israel ate manna and died, that he is the real "bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man might eat thereof, and not die" (John 6:50).Further deepening this image and connecting it as intimately as possible to him, the Savior said, "I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world" (John 6:51).The Jews were angry among themselves and said, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?""Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father has sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which cometh down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever" (John 6:52-58).The Savior strongly reinforces this message in his visit to the Nephites. "He that eateth this bread eateth of my body to his soul; and he that drinketh of this wine drinketh of my blood to this soul; and his soul shall never hunger nor thirst, but shall be filled" (3 Nephi 20:8). "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" (3 Nephi 18:7).It's my impression that's a reason Elder Dallin H. Oaks taught in our most recent general conference that "The ordinance of the sacrament makes the sacrament meeting the most sacred and important meeting in the church."