Lyrics:

1. As now we take the sacrament,
Our thoughts are turned to thee,
Thou Son of God, who lived for us,
Then died on Calvary.
We contemplate thy lasting grace,
Thy boundless charity;
To us the gift of life was giv’n
For all eternity.

2. As now our minds review the past,
We know we must repent;
The way to thee is righteousness–
The way thy life was spent.
Forgiveness is a gift from thee
We seek with pure intent.
With hands now pledged to do thy work,
We take the sacrament.

3. As now we praise thy name with song,
The blessings of this day
Will linger in our thankful hearts,
And silently we pray
For courage to accept thy will,
To listen and obey.
We love thee, Lord; our hearts are full.
We’ll walk thy chosen way.

Text: Lee Tom Perry, b. 1951. (c) 1985 IRI
Music: Daniel Lyman Carter, b. 1955. (c) 1985 IRI

-History: (Source: Wikipedia)

Written By: Lee Tom Perry

Lee Tom Perry (born 1951) is a business professor, Latter-day Saint church leader and hymnwriter. He is the son of L. Tom Perry, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).

As a young man, Perry served as a LDS Church missionary in the Japan West Mission. He was associate dean of the Marriott School of Management at Brigham Young University in 2005. From 1991 to 1994 he served as president of the BYU 3rd Stake. From 2005 to 2008 he was president of the California Roseville Mission. He is married to Carolyn Perry and has 6 children: Audrey, Lee Thomas, Justin, Diana, Christina, and Rachel.

Perry wrote the words to “As Now We Take The Sacrament”, which is hymn #169 in the 1985 English LDS Church hymnal.

Music By: Daniel Lyman Carter

Daniel Lyman Carter (aka Dan Carter) (born 1955) is a composer/songwriter. Much of his work reflects his membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS or “Mormon” Church). He was born in 1955 in Caldwell, Idaho.

His compositions include “As Now We Take the Sacrament” (Hymns 1985, no. 169), as well as “A Young Man Prepared” and “The Shepherd’s Carol” (Children’s Songbook pp. 166, 40, respectively). In 1996 Carter was commissioned to compose “Come unto Christ, the Holy One of Israel” for the LDS Church’s Sesquicentennial Celebration in 1997. In 1993 he received a commission to compose “Refuge and Rest,” a multimedia oratorio to commemorate the July 1996 Sesquicentennial Celebration of Winter Quarters. Later that year “Refuge and Rest” was expanded to include the Mormon pioneers‘ exodus from Winter Quarters to the Salt Lake Valley. It performed numerous times in Utah in 1997 under the title “Seasons of Faith.”

Carter has contributed several dozen compositions to LDS Church magazines since the late 1970s. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir has performed some of his works including “Come unto Him,” “The Pledge of Allegiance,” and “Come unto Christ, the Holy One of Israel.”

“Shine for Me Again, Star of Bethlehem,” a Christmas song collaboration in 1981 with lyricist Sherri Otteson Bird, remains a best seller throughout the LDS Church.

Carter worked as a member of the LDS Church’s General Music Committee from 1986 to 2004. He traveled to regional LDS Church music workshops speaking and teaching in many subject areas. He contributed an article on Church music policy to the Ensign magazine.^[1]

His choral group, “Dan Carter Singers” performed for approximately 10 years throughout Utah and other regional locations, in churches and communities. The group’s focus was to perform new, inspiring LDS music. The group recorded one CD in 1996 titled, “Come unto Him — Music by Dan Carter.”

He has over 350 pieces of music in print and continues to compose and publish. More recently his musical works focus on music for theatrical productions.