Typically, great care is taken to make sure that the Sacrament meeting program is well prepared in advance. This includes thoughtful selection of speakers, music, and subject matter. However, sometimes things don’t go as planned. The following scenario is not uncommon: at the last minute, the main speaker calls to explain that he has had an emergency and won’t be able to make it. The typical response to such a planning emergency is to panic, but no anxiety is necessary. Rather, faith in the Lord and reliance on the Spirit can more than compensate. In fact, it is at times like these when our sacrament meetings most closely approximate what was done among the Nephites.
At this point, the individual conducting the meeting must follow the Spirit in deciding what to do. Often, he will often choose members of the congregation to come forth and bear their testimonies. Musical numbers, speakers, and testimonies have to be arranged at the last minute according to the whisperings of the Spirit. General Authorities, not uncommonly, will intentionally follow this pattern when they preside over various conferences. Whether a ward meeting, a stake meeting, or a missionary zone conference, meetings thus conducted are special. They can be the most spiritual meetings because they invite the Spirit and are conducted by the power of the Holy Ghost.
David B. Haight
"We have begun a great effort to ’invite all to come unto Christ.’ (D&C 20:59.) As the members meet—the active and the less active, the poor in spirit, the singles and the married, the handicapped, and those who have been disciplined—they ought to feel the Spirit, love, and forgiveness. For all of us, this ought to be a time of prayerful meditation and thanksgiving.
"The singular tragedy of the Nephite decline as recorded by Mormon in the Book of Mormon was the loss of the Holy Ghost and the spiritual gifts. Wisdom and inspiration dictated that Moroni include in his closing record the instructions by his father, Mormon, on the ordinations, the sacrament, and practices of the Church. Noteworthy is this testimony about their meetings:
’Their meetings were conducted by the church after the manner of the workings of the Spirit, and by the power of the Holy Ghost; for as the power of the Holy Ghost led them whether to preach, or to exhort, or to pray, or to supplicate, or to sing, even so it was done.’ (Moro. 6:9.)
“That is the spirit that can and should characterize our worship and our sacrament meetings. A sister remarked to me after one such spiritual meeting, ‘I don’t recall all that was said—but I remember how we felt as we sang the closing hymn and bowed our heads in prayer.’ May God bless us all to remember the Savior and His atoning sacrifice and to unite in making our sacrament meetings a time of reverence, remembrance, and worship.” (Ensign, Apr. 1988, “Remembering the Savior’s Atonement”)