“We’ll call in our solemn assemblies in spirit,” (William W. Phelps, “The Spirit Of God”). For most of us, the word solemn most likely means serious or formal. That is, after all, the primary definition. But it is much more than that. Solemn can mean done or made with the utmost sincerity. It can mean formal and binding, as a religious oath or covenant. It can mean marked by the observance of an established form or ceremony, such as a liturgical rite. It can also mean awe-inspiring or sublime. If we were to take all of these definitions and apply them to a particular solemn assembly, one obvious choice would be our sacrament meetings. Where else do we gather for a formal and serious meeting with utmost sincerity in our hearts to take a formal and binding oath as part of a religious rite and take the time to contemplate the awe-inspiring and sublime sacrifice of our Savior Jesus Christ, His infinite love for us, and the mercy and grace that He bestows upon us as He forgives us of the sins for which we have truly and sincerely repented and bestows upon us a portion of His Spirit to be with us until we meet again? If we are to reap in full all of the benefits and blessings of these solemn assemblies and to receive the full measure of the Spirit that is promised to us as we strive to always remember Jesus and to keep His commandments, then we need to do more than merely sit quietly and partake of the sacrament. We have to assemble and apply all of the meanings of solemn. When we partake of the sacrament, we are entering into a solemn and binding contract. We have to be sincere about this. We have to take it seriously. This is an official and saving ordinance and holy rite. How blessed we are to be able to renew our covenants in an official ceremony every single week. We don't have to wait for a whole other year of the day of Atonement or half a century for the year of jubilee. Every Sunday we can gather together in Solemn Assembly to take our binding oaths once more with full sincerity and a deeply felt awe for the goodness and grace of our Savior who will then bless us with His Spirit to help us make it to the next Solemn Assembly.
