Doctrines of Salvation 2:345; VIOLATION OF COVENANT OF SACRAMENT. Again, I have wondered how members of the Church can go to the sacrament service and partake of these emblems, and make these solemn covenants, and then immediately after the close of the meeting go out to some place of amusement, to attend a picture show, a baseball game, or some resort, or to gather at some home to play cards.
When any of these things is done, the guilty person violates this sacred covenant so recently made or renewed. Do they who do this pay so little attention to their obligations that they really do not sense their significance? Or do they think that the Lord in his abundant goodness and mercy will overlook their shortcomings, and do they look upon it as being not a very great sin after all to violate covenants made in this manner? Of course, only those who are guilty are able to answer these questions.
The fact remains, however, that when we indulge in habits of this kind we are covenant breakers guilty of offenses, as taught by Paul, of the most serious kind. Because of these breaches of the commandments, and the violation of covenants thus solemnly taken, many among us are in the same condition as they were in the days of Paul; they are spiritually sick, weak in the faith, and they sleep the spiritual sleep that leads to death. . .” – Joseph Fielding Smith
1 Corinthians 11:24-29a; “And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. 26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come. 27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself…”
This event (taking the Sacrament) was one of the first things I thought of when I left Mormonism.
Paul’s words cut through me like a knife as memories flooded my mind of toddlers trying to navigate their chubby hands to pick 
up a paper cup of water each week. I wondered if the parents ever thought they were guilty of taking this unworthily by teaching their kids to partake before they mature enough to understand what they were doing.
The LDS prophet seemed to be worried over things that really don’t pertain to communion. We don’t renew our covenant oaths during this time! Communion is about what Jesus did, not what we’re doing or the so-called great works we perform during the week.
Focusing on ourselves during this time takes attention away from Jesus who completed the work.
Furthermore, when was the last time a two or three year old was able to examine themselves? The only thing they’ve done thus far is to discover they have hands and feet.
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