Passover is one of the scriptural traditions most rich in symbols and prophecies about our day. The parallels between the ancient gathering of Israel out of Egypt and the Latter-Day gathering if Israel follow the same pattern. The scriptures of the Restoration are also filled with imagery and references to this ancient holiday. As such it is a topic that every Latter-Day Saint should carefully study.
In this post I will quote a few preliminary scriptures relating to the Passover, and then post the text of this years LDS Haggadah. A “Haggadah” (Hebrew: הַגָּדָה, “telling”; plural: Haggadot) is a text that sets forth the order of the Passover Service or “Seder” much like a program. It helps keep the observance of the feast on track, and helps the participants to learn some of the symbols and meaning of the Passover. It is not a complete guide to the Passover, but more of an outline. If you want to conduct a Passover of your own feel free to use this as a guide.
But first, what are some of the Latter-Day scriptures God has given us about the Passover in this dispensation? The most direct is this from D&C 136:22 “I am he who led the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; and my arm is stretched out in the last days, to save my people Israel.” The exodus of the saints from oppression in the east into the promised land of Deseret in the west is more than a coincidence, it is a type and prophecy of what is to come, as God will yet gather Israel and build Zion in the New Jerusalem. (AofF 10).
But there are many more references in Latter day scripture to point us toward the symbols of the Passover. One of my favorites is found in the book of Alma. Several chapters are devoted to Alma giving direction to his sons. From the context, it appears that he was giving this counsel as a part of a Passover service with his family. This appears to be the case because he draws numerous parallels between the story of the exodus, and the observance of Passover, with the principles he is teaching his sons. This is a traditional way to give religious instruction on Passover. There is even a tradition to this day about how to give counsel to different types of children during the Passover, and these different roles are exemplified by Alma’s three sons. I suggest a re reading of Alma chapters 36-42. Here is one excerpt:
Alma 36: 25-28: “O my son, the Lord doth give me exceedingly great joy in the fruit of my labors;
26 For because of the word which he has imparted unto me, behold, many have been born of God, and have tasted as I have tasted, and have seen eye to eye as I have seen; therefore they do know of these things of which I have spoken, as I do know; and the knowledge which I have is of God.
27 And I have been supported under trials and troubles of every kind, yea, and in all manner of afflictions; yea, God has delivered me from prison, and from bonds, and from death; yea, and I do put my trust in him, and he will still deliver me.
28 And I know that he will raise me up at the last day, to dwell with him in glory; yea, and I will praise him forever, for he has brought our fathers out of Egypt, and he has swallowed up the Egyptians in the Red Sea; and he led them by his power into the promised land; yea, and he has delivered them out of bondage and captivity from time to time.”
Another example is found in the stories of the People of Limhi and the People of Alma the Elder, who experienced their own redemption and exodus into a land of promise in the book of Mormon. Here is an excerpt:
Mosiah 7:18-20: “Behold, the time is at hand, or is not far distant, when we shall no longer be in subjection to our enemies, notwithstanding our many strugglings, which have been in vain; yet I trust there remaineth an effectual struggle to be made.
19 Therefore, lift up your heads, and rejoice, and put your trust in God, in that God who was the God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob; and also, that God who brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, and caused that they should walk through the Red Sea on dry ground, and fed them with manna that they might not perish in the wilderness; and many more things did he do for them.
20 And again, that same God has brought our fathers out of the land of Jerusalem, and has kept and preserved his people even until now; and behold, it is because of our iniquities and abominations that he has brought us into bondage.”
There are also several scriptures which clearly state that the Passover was not only a observance of the past, but that it is a pattern of prophecy referring to the events of the latter days:
Jeremiah 16:14-16: “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that it shall no more be said, The Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;
15 But, The Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither he had driven them: and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers.
16 ¶ Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the Lord, and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks.”
And:
2 Nephi 21/ Isaiah 11: “And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.
12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.
13 The envy of Ephraim also shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim.
14 But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines towards the west; they shall spoil them of the east together; they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them.
15 And the Lord shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind he shall shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dry shod.
16 And there shall be a highway for the remnant of his people which shall be left, from Assyria, like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.”
And so that leaves us to wonder… Have we sufficiently remembered this holy feast appointed by God? Have we remembered as we covenant every time we partake of the sacrament, which is itself a weekly portion of the Passover, to “always remember him”? As Alma taught about the Passover and the remembrance of our redemption:
Alma 5:6-9: Have you sufficiently retained in remembrance the captivity of your fathers? Yea, and have you sufficiently retained in remembrance his mercy and long-suffering towards them? And moreover, have ye sufficiently retained in remembrance that he has delivered their souls from hell?
7 Behold, he changed their hearts; yea, he awakened them out of a deep sleep, and they awoke unto God. Behold, they were in the midst of darkness; nevertheless, their souls were illuminated by the light of the everlasting word; yea, they were encircled about by the bands of death, and the chains of hell, and an everlasting destruction did await them.
8 And now I ask of you, my brethren, were they destroyed? Behold, I say unto you, Nay, they were not.
9 And again I ask, were the bands of death broken, and the chains of hell which encircled them about, were they loosed? I say unto you, Yea, they were loosed, and their souls did expand, and they did sing redeeming love. And I say unto you that they are saved.”
Passover is the origin and explanation of the sacrament. And it is one way we can retain in remembrance the Lord Jesus Christ. With that in mind, I hope you will enjoy this Passover Haggadah:
The book of our Story: How we were liberated from slavery
(and how we can be liberated again)
An LDS Passover
Commemorating the Gathering of Ancient and Latter Day Israel.
Prepare the meal of the supernal King! This is the meal of the Holy One, blessed be He, and His Redemption.
Open the outer and inner doors and recite:
Come all who hunger! Come all who are heavy laden and receive rest! Come and partake of the supper of the lamb and learn of Him. For his yoke is easy and his burden is light!
The first cup of wine is poured (But don’t drink it yet!) the sacrament will be offered after the following section:
Blessed are You, L-rd, our G d, King of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.
Blessed are You, G d, our G d, King of the universe, who has gathered us from among all people, and called us out from all tongues, and made us holy through Your commandments. And You, Father our G d, have given us in love Sabbaths for rest and festivals for happiness, feasts and festive seasons for rejoicing [this Shabbath-day] and the day of this Feast of unleavened bread, and this Festival of holy convocation, the Season of our Freedom in love, a holy convocation, commemorating the departure from Egypt. For You have chosen us and sanctified us from all the nations, and You have given us as a heritage Your holy Shabbat and Festivals in love and favor, in happiness and joy. Blessed are You, G d, who sanctifies the Sabbath and Israel and the festive seasons.
Blessed are You, G d, our G d, King of the universe, who creates the lights of fire.
Blessed are You, G d, our G d, King of the universe, who makes a distinction between sacred and profane, between light and darkness, between Israel and the gentiles, between the seventh day and the six work-days. You have made a distinction between the holiness of the Sabbath and the holiness of the festival, and You have sanctified the seventh day above the six work-days. You have set apart and made holy Your people Israel with Your holiness. Blessed are You, G d, who makes a distinction between holy and holy.
Blessed are You, G d, our G d, King of the universe, who has granted us life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this occasion. Light the candles
Wash hands:
“Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? who shall stand in his holy place?
He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Lord.”
The Karpas:
Take a small sprig of the karpas, dip it into salt-water, and recite the following blessing:
This is the bitter herb. It is dipped into salt water. This represents repentance. The salt water is to remember the tears we shed for our sins, and the herb reminds us of the new life that springs forth in us as we allow faith to grow within us.
Blessed are You, O L-rd, our G d, King of the universe, who nourishes us with the fruit of repentance.
Yachatz – Breaking the Middle Matzah
Take the middle matzah and break it into two, one piece larger than the other. The larger piece is set aside to serve as afikoman. The smaller piece is put back, between the two matzot.
Bless the Matzah and the cup of wine with the usual sacrament blessing, and then eat the smaller piece of Matzah and drink the cup of wine while seated, reclining on the left side as a sign of freedom.
Maggid – Retelling the Passover Story
Raise the tray with the remaining matzot and say:
This is the bread of affliction that our fathers ate in the land of Egypt. This is the bread of Life sacrificed for our redemption from Spiritual Egypt. Whoever is hungry, let him come and eat; whoever is in need, let him come and conduct the Seder of Passover. This year we are here; next year in the New Jerusalem. This year we are slaves; next year we will be free people.
The tray with the matzot is moved aside, and the second cup is poured.(Do not drink it yet).
Now the child asks “Mah Nishtana?”
What makes this night different from all other nights?
On all nights we need not dip even once, on this night we do so twice!
On all nights we eat leavened or unleavened bread, and on this night only unleavened.
On all nights we eat any kind of vegetables, and on this night bitter vegetables!
On all nights we eat sitting upright or reclining, and on this night we all recline!
The tray is restored to its place with the matzah partly uncovered. Now we say:
We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, and the L-rd, our G d, took us out from there with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm. If the Holy One, blessed be He, had not taken our fathers out of Egypt, then we, our children and our children’s children would have remained enslaved to Pharaoh in Egypt.
Now we are slaves to the god of this world in Babylon, a spiritual Egypt, and the Lord G-d calls us out from Babylon with an outstretched arm. He is calling us to gather, become a Zion people and build the New Jerusalem. If we do not heed this call then we and our children will remain enslaved to sin. For the Lord has said: “All the proud and they that do wickedly shall be as stubble; and I will burn them up, for I am the Lord of Hosts; and I will not spare any that remain in Babylon.” (D&C 64:24)
Even if all of us were wise, all of us understanding, all of us knowing the scriptures, we would still be obligated to discuss the exodus from Egypt; For it is the similitude of the Lord’s work in the Latter Days.
Blessed is the Omnipresent One, blessed be He! Blessed is He who gave the Commandments to His people Israel, blessed be He!
Here let us discuss four children: One is wise, one is wicked, one is simple and one does not know how to ask.
The wise one, what does he say? “What are the testimonies, the statutes and the laws which the L-rd, our G d, has commanded us?” You, in turn, shall instruct him in the commandments.
The wicked one, what does he say? “What is this service to you?!” He says `to you,’ but not to him! By thus excluding himself from the community he has denied that which is fundamental. You, therefore, blunt his teeth and say to him: “It is because of this that the L-rd did for me when I left Egypt”; `for me’ – but not for him! If he had been there, he would not have been redeemed!”
The simple child, what does he say? “What is this?” Thus you shall say to him: “With a strong hand the L-rd took us out of Egypt, from the house of slaves.”
As for the one who does not know how to ask, you must prompt him, as it is said: “You shall tell your child on that day, `It is because of this that the L-rd did for me when I left Egypt.'”
In the beginning our fathers served the idols of babylon; but now the Omnipresent One has brought us close to His service, as it is said: “Joshua said to all the people: Thus said the L-rd, the G d of Israel, `Your fathers used to live on the other side of the river -Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nachor, and they served other gods.
“And I took your father Abraham from beyond the river, and I led him throughout the whole land of Canaan. I increased his seed and gave him Isaac, and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. To Esau I gave Mount Seir to possess it, and Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt.”
Blessed is He who keeps His promise to Israel, blessed be He! For the Holy One, blessed be He, calculated the end of the bondage, in order to do as He had said to our father Abraham at the “Covenant between the Portions,” as it is said: “And He said to Abraham, `You shall know that your seed will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and they will enslave them and make them suffer, for four hundred years. But I shall also judge the nation whom they shall serve, and after that they will come out with great wealth.”
This is what has stood by our fathers and us! For not just one alone has risen against us to destroy us, but in every generation they rise against us to destroy us; and the Holy One, blessed be He, saves us from their hands!
“And he went down to Egypt” forced by Divine decree. “And he sojourned there” – this teaches that our father Jacob did not go down to Egypt to settle, but only to live there temporarily. Thus it is said, “They said to Pharaoh, We have come to sojourn in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants’ flocks because the hunger is severe in the land of Canaan; and now, please, let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.”
“Few in number” as it is said: “Your fathers went down to Egypt with seventy persons, and now, the L-rd, your G d, has made you as numerous as the stars of heaven.”
“And he became there a nation” this teaches that Israel was distinctive there. We were even then a separate people.
“Great, mighty,” as it is said: “And the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, and multiplied and became very, very mighty, and the land became filled with them.”
“The Egyptians treated us badly and they made us suffer, and they put hard work upon us.”
“The Egyptians treated us badly,” as it is said: Come, let us act cunningly with [the people] lest they multiply and, if there should be a war against us, they will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the land.”
“And they made us suffer,” as it is said: “They set taskmasters over the people of Israel to make us suffer with our burdens, and they built storage cities for Pharaoh, Pitom and Ramses.”
“And they put hard work upon us,” as it is said: “The Egyptians made the children of Israel work with rigor. And they made their lives bitter with hard work, with mortar and with bricks and all manner of service in the field, all their work which they made them work with rigor.” And we cried out to the L-rd, the G d of our fathers, and the L-rd heard our voice and saw our suffering, our labor and our oppression.
“And we cried out to the L-rd, the G d of our fathers,” as it is said: “During that long period, the king of Egypt died; and the children of Israel groaned because of the servitude, and they cried out. And their cry for help from their servitude rose up to G d.”
“And the L-rd heard our voice” as it said: “And G d heard their groaning, and G d remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”
“And he saw our suffering,” this refers to the separation of husband and wife, as it is said: “G d saw the children of Israel and G d took note.”
“Our labor,” this refers to the “children,” as it is said: “Every boy that is born, you shall throw into the river and every girl you shall keep alive.”
“And our oppression,” this refers to the pressure, as it is said: “I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.”
“The L-rd took as out of Egypt with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, and with a great manifestation, and with signs and wonders.”
“The L-rd took us out of Egypt,” not through an angel, not through a seraph and not through a messenger. The Holy One, blessed be He, did it in His glory by Himself!
Thus it is said: “In that night I will pass through the land of Egypt, and I will smite every first-born in the land of Egypt, from man to beast, and I will carry out judgments against all the gods of Egypt, I the L-rd.”
“I will pass through the land of Egypt,” I and not an angel;
“And I will smite every first-born in the land of Egypt,” I and not a seraph;
“And I will carry out judgments against all the gods of Egypt,” I and not a messenger;
“I- the L-rd,” it is I, and none other!
“With a strong hand,” this refers to the pestilence as it is said: “Behold, the hand of the L-rd will be upon your livestock in the field, upon the horses, the donkeys, the camels, the herds and the flocks, a very severe pestilence.”
“And with an outstretched arm,” this refers to the sword, as it is said: “His sword was drawn, in his hand, stretched out over Jerusalem.”
“And with a great manifestation,” this refers to the revelation of the Shechinah (Divine Presence), as it is said: “Has any G d ever tried to take for himself a nation from the midst of another nation, with trials, signs and wonders, with war and with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, and with great manifestations, like all that the L-rd your G d, did for you in Egypt before your eyes!”
“And with signs,” this refers to the staff, as it is said: “Take into your hand this staff with which you shall perform the signs.”
“And wonders,” as it is said: “And I shall show wonders in heaven and on earth.
When saying the following words “blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke,” spill three times from the wine in the cup. Do not remove wine by dipping a finger, but by spilling from the cup itself, and do so into a broken/chipped dish. (Have in mind that the cup symbolizes the aspect of malchut which contains an aspect of “anger and indignation.” By means of our faculty of binah (understanding) we pour out [that aspect of “anger and indignation” – by spilling from the wine in the cup into a broken dish which represents kelipah, i.e., that which is called accursed [the principle of evil]).
Blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke
Another explanation: “Strong hand” indicates two [plagues]; “Outstretched arm,” another two; “Great manifestation,” another two; “Signs,” another two; and “Wonders,” another two.
These are the Ten Plagues which the Holy One, blessed be He, brought upon the Egyptians, namely as follows:
When saying the ten plagues, spill from the cup itself ten times, as stated above (and when spilling, again have in mind what was said above). The wine remaining in the cup (will have become ‘wine that causes joy,’ thus) is not to be spilled, but other wine is added to it [to refill the cup].
Rivers of Blood.
Frogs.
Lice.
Wild Beasts.
Pestilence.
Boils.
Hail.
Locusts.
Darkness.
Slaying of the First-born.
In Egypt it says of them, “The magicians said to Pharaoh `This is the finger of G d.’ At the sea it says, “Israel saw the great hand that the L-rd laid against Egypt; and the people feared the L-rd, and they believed in the L-rd and in His servant Moses.”
O How many favors has the Holy One bestowed upon us!
Dayenu!
The officiator will read each phrase and then everyone present will shout “Dayenu!” with a spirit of gratitude for all that the Lord gave us
If He had brought us out from Egypt, and had not carried out judgments against them: “Dayenu!” [it would have sufficed us!]
If He had carried out judgments against them, and not against their idols: Dayenu!
If He had destroyed their idols, and had not smitten their first-born: Dayenu!
If He had smitten their first-born, and had not given us their wealth: Dayenu!
If He had given us their wealth, and had not split the sea for us: Dayenu!
If He had split the sea for us, and had not taken us through it on dry land: Dayenu!
If He had taken us through the sea on dry land, and had not drowned our oppressors in it: Dayenu!
If He had drowned our oppressors in it, and had not supplied our needs in the desert for forty years: Dayenu!
If He had supplied our needs in the desert for forty years, and had not fed us the manna: Dayenu!
If He had fed us the manna, and had not given us the quail: Dayenu!
If He had given us the quail, and had not restored the priesthood in the latter days: Dayenu!
If He had restored the Priesthood, and had not given us the Book of Mormon: Dayenu!
If He had given us the Book of Mormon, and had not brought us into the land of Deseret: Dayenu!
If He had brought us into the land of Deseret, and had not built for us the Temple: Dayenu!
If He had built us the temple, and had not given us his Holy endowments there: Dayenu!
If he had given us his Holy endowments, and had not given us celestial marriage: Dayenu!
If he had given us Celestial Marriage, and had not given us the Holy anointings: Dayenu
If he had given us the Holy anointings, and not led us into His presence: Dayenu!
Thus how much more so should we be grateful to the Holy One for the doubled and redoubled goodness that He has bestowed upon us; for He has brought us out of bondage, and carried out judgments against our oppressors, and against their idols, and smote their first-born, and gave us their wealth, and split the sea for us, and took us through it on dry land, and drowned our oppressors in it, and supplied our needs in the desert for forty years, and fed us the manna, and gave us the Priesthood, and sent us the prophets, and gave us the book of Mormon, and brought us into the land of Deseret and built for us the Temple, and atoned for all our sins, and brought us into His presence.
Now we discuss:
Passover (the Passover-sacrifice), Matzah (the unleavened bread) and Maror (the bitter herbs).
Passover – the Passover-lamb, and other blood sacrifices that our fathers ate during the time before the Messiah came: – for what reason did they do so?
Because the Omnipresent passed over our fathers’ houses in Egypt, as it is said:
“You shall say, It is a Passover-offering to the L-rd, just as He passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians with a plague, and He saved our houses. So also has the blood of the messiah caused that the consequences of our sins have passed by us because of His atonement.”
Take the broken Matzah into your hand and say:
For as the Messiah 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.” And the bread is also broken for he said: “And this shall ye always observe to do, even as I have done, even as I have broken bread and blessed it and given it unto you.”
This night the bread that we eat is unleavened. For what reason? Because the dough of our fathers did not have time to become leavened before the King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed Himself and redeemed them.
Thus it is said: “They made their bread from the dough that they had brought out of Egypt, because it was not leavened; for they had been driven out of Egypt and could not delay, and they had also not prepared any other provisions.”
In our day this is represented by the scones our forefathers and foremothers made when they fled out of the United States. They had no time to raise their bread on the trail, for they fled speedily from Spiritual Babylon to build Zion in Deseret.
Take the maror into your hand and say:
This maror that we eat for what reason? It is to represent the bitterness of sin. Because the Egyptians embittered our fathers’ lives in Egypt, as it is said:
“They made their lives bitter with hard service, with mortar and with bricks, and with all manner of service in the field; all their service which they made them serve with rigor.”
In every generation each of us is obligated to regard ourselves as if we had come out of Egypt, as it is said: “You shall tell your child on that day, it is because of this that the L-rd did for me when I left Egypt.”
The Holy One, blessed be He, redeemed not only our fathers from Egypt, but He redeemed also us with them, as it is said: “It was us that He brought out from there, so that He might bring us to give us the land that He swore to our fathers.”
We must remember that it is not only our fathers who were redeemed from the bitterness of their sins, and were delivered to this new and good land, but that we also must be redeemed from spiritual Egypt and be led to exaltation. If we do not speedily obey the Lord when he calls us to flee from spiritual Babylon and Egypt, we will be like those who were not redeemed.
Thus it is our duty to thank, to laud, to praise, to glorify, to exalt, to adore, to bless, to elevate and to honor the Holy One who did all these miracles for our fathers and for us. He took us from slavery to freedom, from sorrow to joy, and from mourning to festivity, and from deep darkness to great light and from bondage to redemption. Let us therefore recite before Him Halleluyah, Praise G d!
Halleluyah – Praise G d! Offer praise, you servants of the L-rd; praise the Name of the L-rd. May the L-rd’s Name be blessed from now and to all eternity. From the rising of the sun to its setting, the L-rd’s Name is praised. The L-rd is high above all nations, His glory is over the heavens. Who is like the L-rd, our G d, who dwells on high yet looks down so low upon heaven and earth! He raises the poor from the dust, He lifts the needy from the dunghill, to seat them with nobles, with the nobles of His people. He restores the barren woman to the house, into a joyful mother of children. Halleluyah – praise G d.
When Israel went out of Egypt, the House of Jacob from a people of a foreign language, Judah became His holy one, Israel His dominion. The sea saw and fled, the Jordan turned backward. The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like young sheep. What is with you, O sea, that you flee; Jordan, that you turn backward? Mountains, why do you skip like rams; hills, like a pool of water, the flint-stone into a spring of water.
Blessed are You, G d, our G d, King of the universe, who has redeemed us and redeemed our fathers from Egypt, and enabled us to attain this night to eat matzah and maror. So too, G d, our G d and G d of our fathers, enable us to attain other holidays and festivals that will come to us in peace with happiness in the rebuilding of Zion, and with rejoicing in Your service in the temple. Then we shall eat of the sacrifice offered by the sons of Levi in righteousness again and of the Passover-offerings whose blood shall be sprinkled on the wall of Your altar for acceptance; and we shall thank You with a new song for our redemption and for the deliverance of our souls. Blessed are You, G d, who redeems Israel.
Then we shall sing the new song of Zion: “The Lord hath brought again Zion;The Lord hath redeemed his people, Israel, According to the election of grace, Which was brought to pass by the faith And covenant of their fathers.
The Lord hath redeemed his people; And Satan is bound and time is no longer. The Lord hath gathered all things in one. The Lord hath brought down Zion from above. The Lord hath brought up Zion from beneath.
The earth hath travailed and brought forth her strength; And truth is established in her bowels; And the heavens have smiled upon her; And she is clothed with the glory of her God; For He stands in the midst of his people.
Glory, and honor, and power, and might, Be ascribed to our God; for he is full of mercy, Justice, grace and truth, and peace, Forever and ever, Amen.
Wash hands in preparation for the Sacrament
Recite: Blessed are You, L-rd, our G d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us concerning the washing of the hands.
Blessed are You, L-rd, our G d, King of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.
uncover the unleavened bread for the sacrament
Blessed are You, L-rd, our G d, King of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine and gives us this sacrament in remembrance of your Son and gives us the gift of your commandments.
uncover the cup of wine for the sacrament
Blessed are You, L-rd, our G d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us concerning the eating of the unleavened bread of this Passover.
Blessed are You, L-rd, our G d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and redeemed us. Reminding us of the bitterness of sin in the eating of Maror.
Now bless the sacrament with the usual blessings, and combine the bread, the Maror, the charozet, and the lamb, like a sandwich and say:
“Thus did they do at the time of the ancient Temple: The Priests would combine the sacrificial lamb, the Matzah and Maror and eat them together, as it said: “They shall eat it with the shew bread and bitter herbs.” And in the meridian of time Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body. And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it. And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many.”
Now eat them all together — in the reclining position.
Shulchan Orech [the feast!]
Now eat and drink to your heart’s delight. It is also permitted to drink of the wine, and eat the bread until you are all filled for as it is written: “And when the disciples had come with bread and wine, he took of the bread and brake and blessed it; and he gave unto the disciples and commanded that they should eat. And when they had eaten and were filled, he commanded that they should give unto the multitude. And the multitude ate and were filled.” For as Jesus commanded us: “And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it”
A Prayer over the meal:
Blessed are You, L-rd, our G d, King of the universe, who, in His goodness, feeds the whole world with grace, with kindness and with mercy. He gives food to all flesh, for His kindness is everlasting. Through His great goodness to us continuously we do not lack food, and may we never lack it, for the sake of His great Name. For He is a [benevolent] G d who feeds and sustains all, does good to all, and prepares food for all His creatures whom He has created, as it is said: You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing. Blessed are You L-rd, who provides food for all.
[Eat the meal]
Once all have eaten, Prepare the sacrament again by pouring the wine and uncovering the Afikomen [the last piece of bread saved from the beginning.] Then offer the sacrament. But dip the bread in honey butter.
This is the desert, and so we offer scones and honey butter in remembrance of the joy of deliverance when our forefathers came to Deseret. Which means the honey bee. As it is written of the Messiah “Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.”
We have now eaten the bitter herbs, the bread of affliction, and rejoiced in our redemption through the Lamb of God. We now partake of the butter and honey to refuse the evil and choose the good, we have passed through sorrow that we might know good from evil.
The Sacrament of Elijah:
This is the last cup of wine, the last sacrament of the evening. It is the sacrament of the restoration, remembering the Passover [in 1836] when Elijah came to restore the keys of the priesthood. You should open the outer and all inner doors to invite Elijah to attend, and recite:
Blessed are You, L-rd, our G d, King of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.
Blessed are You, L-rd our G d, King of the universe for the vine and the fruit of the vine, for the produce of the field, and for the precious, good and spacious land which You have favored to give as an heritage to our fathers, to eat of its fruit and be satiated by its goodness. Have mercy, L-rd our G d, on Israel Your people, on Jerusalem Your city, on Zion the abode of Your glory, on Your altar and on Your Temple. Build the New Jerusalem, the holy city, speedily in our days, and bring us up into it, and make us rejoice in it, and we will bless You in holiness and purity. Remember us for good on this day of the Festival of unleavened bread, for You, L-rd, are good and do good to all, and we thank You for the land and for the fruit of the vine. Blessed are You, L-rd, for the land and for the fruit of the vine. [everyone then shouts together:]
NEXT YEAR IN THE NEW JERUSLAEM!
NEXT YEAR IN ZION!
(This concludes the Passover Service.)
In conclusion of this post, I want to remind the reader that it was Jesus himself at the institution of the current sacrament that commanded the continued observance of the Passover:
And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them; and they made ready the Passover. (Matt. 26:19)
Have you ever desired to live the fullness of the gospel? Do you look forward to building the city of the New Jerusalem? If so we invite you to gather with us and establish Zion.
In this little Haggadah booklet I hope I have given you a guide on how to administer the Passover ordinances as far as it has been restored in our day. But remember! That many great and important things are yet to be revealed.
A final gathering has begun, bringing Latter-Day Saints together to establish consecrated communities, build temples, and keep all the commandments of God.
If you will allow the spirit to work in you, you will come to know that this is the work of God. If you have a desire to serve God, then I exhort you to pray fervently to know if this gathering, preparatory to the establishment of the New Jerusalem, is the place God wants you and your family to gather and labor for his kingdom.
For further information please contact us at:
Right.Branch@Gmail.com
or 1 (801) 769-6279
If we are too busy meeting with others to meet with you right away, or if the number on the back of this booklet is busy when you call, I hope that you will try again. Please remember: “seek and ye shall find, knock and the door will open.”
Gospel Fullness 