For seventy years, “sacrament gems” were a familiar part of the Sabbath routine for Mormon children and adults. These (usually) short pieces of scripture, or sometimes verses from hymns, were part of Sunday School opening exercises, and often marked a child’s first address to the congregation. Sometimes parents drilled children at home through the preceding week so that the child could stand and recite the gem from memory and with clear diction; other times, a frightened or giggling child would stand at the microphone and stammer or bellow each phrase as it was whispered in his ear by a Sunday School worker.
The gems were usually assigned to a class for a month, with the teacher assigning one class member to give the gem each week. The one giving the gem would sit on the stand during Sunday School opening exercises; immediately after the sacrament hymn (yes, in the days before the consolidated meeting schedule, the sacrament was administered during Sunday School as well as during Sacrament Meeting), he or she would stand at the podium and recite the gem; then the congregation would repeat the gem in unison. Sometimes a few measures of music were played before and after the gem, as shown in this illustration from the Instructor for the July 1934 gem.
The same gem was repeated each week for a month, sometimes two months, so the verses chosen became some of the most familiar lines of scripture to many church members. Gems were uniform throughout the church, or at least the English-speaking church with access to church publications. They were selected by the Sunday School General Board and published one or two months beforehand in the [Juvenile] Instructor; after the consolidation of the magazines in 1971, gems were distributed through short-lived leaflet series with titles like Sunday School Bulletin, Sunday School Guidelines, and Calendar for Sunday School Worship Service. For many years, these articles from the Instructor were reprinted in the Millennial Star for use in the British missions.
The gems originated in 1910 with this explanation from the Juvenile Instructor:
Some time ago a resolution was passed by the General Board recommending to the schools that immediately prior to the administration of the sacrament the school recite in concert a short appropriate verse or text designed to concentrate the minds of the children upon the sacred ordinances to be administered; and further, that immediately after the administration of the sacrament, some adult person in the school be called upon by the presiding officer to express a brief sacrament thought which should also serve to impress upon the children the opportunities and blessings resulting from the sacred ordinance.
We hope that both of these exercises will be made brief and interesting, and in order to accomplish this result, we feel that it is necessary that careful preparation should be given to them. It will not be amiss to advise the person beforehand who is to be called upon to give a sacrament thought after the administration of the ordinance, in order that he or she may, under the Spirit of the Lord, give in a few words, an idea that will tend to bring about a keener appreciation of the sacrament. This exercise should never occupy to exceed three minutes.
Believing that the schools generally would appreciate more definite suggestions as to material to be chosen for sacrament gems and that general uniformity in this exercise might bring good results, we have thought it wise to adopt the plan of recommending through the columns of the Juvenile each month a sacrament gem to be used by all of the schools of the Church during that month, this gem to be learned thoroughly by the pupils and recited in concert immediately preceding the administration of the sacrament.
For the month of January we suggest the following verse from a well known hymn. The verse may have been used in some Sunday Schools, but probably no appropriate selection could be made from our standard works which has not been used by some of our people:
While of these emblems we partake,
In Jesus’ name and for His sake,
Let us remember and be sure
Our hearts and hands are clean and pure.
I do not know how long the post-Sacrament “thought” lasted; perhaps it was the origin of the “two-and-a-half-minute talks” that were a major feature of Sunday School from at least the 1940s onward.
This bit of Mormon culture went extinct with the inauguration of the three-hour consolidated meeting schedule – although Sunday School opening exercises continued for a number of years, administration of the Sacrament was discontinued in 1980.
Sacrament Gems from sample years:
1910
January:
While of these emblems we partake,
In Jesus’ name and for His sake,
Let us remember and be sure
Our hearts and hands are clean and pure.
February:
How great the wisdom and the love
That filled the Courts on high,
And sent the Savior from above,
To suffer, bleed and die!
His precious blood he freely spilt –
His life He freely gave:
A sinless sacrifice for guilt,
A dying world to save.
March:
O Lord of Hosts, we now invoke
Thy spirit most Divine,
To cleanse our hearts while we partake
The broken bread and wine.
April:
May we forever think of Thee
And of thy suffering sore,
Endured for us on Calvary,
And praise Thee evermore.
May:
We’ll sing all hail to Jesus’ name,
And praise and honor give
To Him who bled on Calv’ry’s hill,
And died that we might live.
June:
He passed the portals of the grave,
Salvation was His song,
He called upon the sin-bound soul
To join the heav’nly throng.
July:
The bread and water represent
His sacrifice for sin;
Ye Saints partake, and testify
Ye do remember Him.
August:
More holiness give me,
More strivings within,
More patience in suffering,
More sorrow for sin;
More faith in my Savior,
More sense of His care,
More joy in His service,
More purpose in prayer.
September:
Again we meet around the board
Of Jesus, our Redeemer Lord;
With faith in His atoning blood,
Our only access unto God.
October:
He left His Father’s courts on high,
With man to live, for man to die;
A world to purchase and to save,
And seal a triumph o’er the grave.
November:
Help us, O God, to realize
The great atoning sacrifice,
The gift of Thy beloved Son,
The Prince of Life, the Holy One.
December:
While of these emblems we partake,
In Jesus’ name and for His Sake,
Let us remember and be sure
Our hearts and hands are clean and pure.
1934
January and February:
“And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” (Matt. 26:26-28)
March:
“And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day.” (D&C 59:9)
April:
“And he hath risen again from the dead, that he might bring all men unto him, on conditions of repentance.” (D&C 18:12)
May:
“… Remembering unto the Father my body which was laid down for you, and my blood which was shed for the remission of your sins.” (D&C 27:2) (Note: It would be well to have the one leading the recitation read verse one and part of verse two of Section 27, the assembly following in concert recitation of that part of verse two printed above.)
June:
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” (Rev. 3:20)
July:
“I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.” (John 11:25-26)
August:
“For God so loved the world, that he gave His Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
September:
“Jesus Said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” (Matt. 22:37-40)
October:
“I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)
November:
“Jesus Christ is the name which is given of the Father, and there is none other name given whereby man can be saved.” (D&C 18:23)
December:
(The Sacrament Gem must be prepared in advance of the meetings in which it is to be given, and should be practised by the students in their classes November 25th.)
(Luke 2:8-14) (Leader should read verses 8 and 10 from the Bible, the school responding with verses 10 and 11 as follows): “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” (Leader should then recite verses 12 and 13, the school, in concert, responding with): “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, good will toward men.”
1973
January:
Senior Sunday School: “Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart.” (Psalm 24:3,4)
Junior Sunday School: “Jesus said: I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6)
February:
Senior: “What doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Micah 6:8)
Junior: “Jesus said: I am the way, the truth and the life.” (John 14:6)
March:
Senior: “And … all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments.” (Mosiah 2:22)
Junior: “Jesus said: I am the resurrection, and the life.” (John 14:6)
April:
Senior: “And if ye do always remember me ye shall have my spirit to be with you.” (3 Nephi 18:7)
Junior: “Jesus said: I am the resurrection, and the life.” (John 14:6)
May:
Senior: “Behold, I have come unto the world to bring redemption unto the world, to save the world from sin.” (3 Nephi 9:21)
Junior: “Jesus said, blessed are the peace-makers: for they shall be called the children of God.” (Matt. 5:9)
June:
Senior: “But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.” (1 Cor. 11:28)
Junior: “Jesus said, blessed are the peace-makers: for they shall be called the children of God.” (Matt. 5:09)
July:
Senior: “For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.” (John 13:15
Junior: “Jesus said, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart.” (Matt. 22:37)
August:
Senior: “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.” (1 John 5:3)
Junior: “Jesus said, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart.” (Matt. 22:37)
September:
Senior: “Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst.” (John 4:14)
Junior: “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” (Matt. 5:8)
October:
Senior: “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.: (John 7:17)
Junior: “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” (Matt. 5:8)
November:
Senior: “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” (John 65:35)
Junior: “Jesus said: I am the bread of life.” (John 6:35)
December:
Senior: “And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.” (Isaiah 40:5)
Junior: “Jesus said: I am the bread of life.” (John 6:35)
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