Sacrament

The sacrament occupies a central role across nearly every branch of the broader Latter Day Saint movement, but the way it is administered, interpreted, and emphasized can vary dramatically between groups. While many churches descending from the movement founded by Joseph Smith retain the use of bread and wine or water in remembrance of Jesus Christ, differences developed over time regarding priesthood authority, frequency, ritual structure, theology, and who is permitted to participate. 

These differences reveal much larger disagreements within Mormonism about authority, ordinances, priesthood legitimacy, covenant theology, and the structure of worship itself. Nearly every major branch of the movement retained some form of sacramental communion, but they often interpret its purpose very differently.

The LDS Church (Brighamites)

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints administers the sacrament weekly during sacrament meeting, which serves as the central Sunday worship service for most congregations. Bread and water are used as symbolic emblems of the body and blood of Christ. Water gradually replaced wine in regular LDS practice during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, partly because of practical concerns and partly because of interpretations of Doctrine and Covenants section 27, which teaches that the specific liquid used matters less than the ordinance itself when performed with proper intent.

The ordinance is administered by male priesthood holders. Typically, priests bless the bread and water while deacons distribute it to the congregation. The sacrament prayers are fixed prayers found in the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants, and in LDS practice the wording must be recited exactly. If mistakes occur during the prayer, the ordinance is generally repeated.

The LDS Church teaches that the sacrament renews baptismal covenants and allows members to recommit themselves to Christ through repentance and reflection. Congregations are usually quiet and highly reverent during administration, and sacrament meeting itself is treated as the central act of weekly worship. While visitors and non-members may partake if they choose, members under formal church discipline are often instructed not to participate.

Community of Christ (RLDS Tradition/Josephites)

Community of Christ approaches communion somewhat differently from the LDS Church. Historically, the RLDS tradition retained wine in communion services longer than Utah Mormonism did, though many congregations today use grape juice or other alternatives depending on local preference. Communion is also generally administered less frequently than in LDS congregations, with many Community of Christ churches observing it monthly rather than weekly.

The theology surrounding communion is also broader and more ecumenical. Unlike the LDS Church, which closely ties the sacrament to covenant renewal and priesthood structure, Community of Christ emphasizes grace, remembrance of Christ, reconciliation, peace, and communal worship. The church openly invites all Christians, and often all seekers regardless of denomination, to participate.

Women may administer communion because the church began ordaining women to the priesthood in the 1980s. The atmosphere surrounding communion in Community of Christ services often resembles broader Protestant communion traditions more than the structured format of LDS sacrament meeting.

Fundamentalist Mormon Groups

Various Mormon fundamentalist groups descended from early polygamist movements often retain sacramental practices closer to older Utah Mormonism, though practices vary heavily between sects. Groups associated with traditions stemming from figures such as Lorin C. Woolley and organizations such as Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints generally continue administering the sacrament through male priesthood authority structures.

Some fundamentalist groups continue using wine, while others use water similarly to the LDS Church. In more isolated communities, sacrament observance may occur in homes, priesthood meetings, or local gathering spaces rather than formal chapels. Because many of these groups reject the authority of the mainstream LDS Church after events such as the 1890 Manifesto ending official plural marriage, sacramental authority itself becomes tied directly to claims about which priesthood line remained legitimate.

In some communities, participation may also be more restricted and tied closely to obedience, communal standing, priesthood order, or loyalty to leadership. The ordinance can function not only as a remembrance of Christ, but also as a visible expression of group unity and priesthood legitimacy.

The Church of Christ (Temple Lot)

Church of Christ (Temple Lot) maintains a simpler sacramental tradition that resembles early Restorationist Christianity. The church generally uses wine rather than water and emphasizes communion primarily as a memorial of Christ’s atonement rather than a covenant renewal ordinance connected to exaltation theology.

Temple Lot worship tends to be more minimalistic and less formalized than LDS sacrament meeting. The church rejects many later doctrinal developments accepted by the LDS Church, so the sacrament is viewed more through the lens of New Testament restorationism than Nauvoo-era covenant theology.

The church also practices foot washing in connection with communion in some settings, reflecting interpretations of early Christian practice and teachings found in the New Testament.

Strangite Mormonism

James Strang and the movement that followed him retained sacramental practices after the succession crisis following Joseph Smith’s death. Strangite groups historically used wine in communion and maintained priesthood-centered administration similar to early Mormonism.

Because the Strangite movement viewed itself as the legitimate continuation of Joseph Smith’s church, sacramental authority remained tied closely to priesthood succession claims. Much of the movement’s ritual history is difficult to reconstruct in detail because of fragmentation and decline after Strang’s death, though surviving records suggest continuity with earlier Mormon sacramental traditions.

Cutlerites

Church of Jesus Christ (Cutlerite) preserves some of the most conservative and ritual-centered traditions within the Latter Day Saint movement. Communion within the church is closely tied to priesthood authority and preservation of what members believe were the original practices established by Joseph Smith.

Because the church is extremely small and relatively insular, many details regarding modern worship practices are not publicly documented in depth. Still, the sacrament remains part of the broader effort within the Cutlerite tradition to preserve continuity with Nauvoo-era Mormonism and early priesthood structures.

Bickertonites

The Church of Jesus Christ teaches communion as an ordinance of remembrance, spiritual renewal, and Christian fellowship. The church commonly uses wine rather than water and often combines communion with foot washing ceremonies.

Bickertonite worship places strong emphasis on preaching, spiritual gifts, apostolic restoration, and New Testament Christianity. Like several non-Utah branches of Mormonism, the Bickertonite tradition rejected many later theological developments associated with Nauvoo temple worship while preserving sacramental practices viewed as rooted more directly in the New Testament church.

Remnant and Restorationist Groups

Many smaller restoration branches, independent Mormon fellowships, and emerging sects administer the sacrament in highly decentralized ways. Some use wine, others use water, and many emphasize homemade bread, private administration, or home-based worship gatherings. In some fellowships, fathers or local priesthood holders administer the sacrament outside formal institutional settings.

Groups influenced by Denver Snuffer and broader independent restorationism often place strong emphasis on recovering what they view as the earliest forms of Mormon worship. These groups may prioritize charismatic revelation, informal gatherings, and decentralized priesthood authority over standardized institutional ritual.

Because these movements vary so widely, no universal sacramental model exists across the broader remnant and restorationist landscape.