Earlier this week I was reminded of the rich history of Sacrament Programs in our culture. They date back all the way to the Garden of Eden, though in those days they looked a lot different. Obviously, in the Garden they didn’t have pens or paper so they would use sheep skin (think of the symbolism there) to write on, and actually used spider silk from holy spiders. Spiders, like most creatures in the garden, spoke the Adamic language at that time (some think that spiders and dolphins still do). The spider silk would glow with an inner light that could be read clearly (one of the greatest losses due to the Fall). Because people lived so long back then, their eyes would start to give out after a few hundred years and then the spider silk served a dual purpose—it is slightly sticky and so it could be read tactilely, similar to braille. That trick allowed Adam to conduct Sacrament Meetings well into his 800’s (at which point his arthritis was too painful for him to stand at the pulpit).

As you read the Sacrament Program today, remember the long and glorious history of the Sacrament Program.