English (United States) 
From the Spring 2015 VISION Newsletter
Amen is a Hebrew term, which means something is solid, true, faithful. When Jesus preached, He often said, “Amen, amen, I say to you,” which really means, “What I say is the true word of God.” He wanted to show that He is the Son of God, the truth, and His Father speaks through Him. Each amen we say in a divine service has a particular meaning and it is something we should understand.
We say amen at the end of the preaching to recognize that it is the word of God. It is a profession of faith and truth. When the congregation says this amen, they confirm it is really God’s word. In turn, this means we agree and believe what is said because it’s the word of God. We commit to do what was said in the sermon.
We also say amen after our prayers. This amen expresses that we want and need what was prayed for, and that God can provide it. Sometimes one prays and doesn’t really mean it. When we say the Lord’s Prayer, we pray, “Forgive us our sins as we forgive our debtors.” Forgiving others is not always easy, but we should be earnest in speaking and agreeing with those words by saying amen. The amen at the end of every prayer is important because it means we sincerely agree with each statement in the prayer.
Amen is said after the absolution, which means that we believe our sins are forgiven. Sometimes we don’t have enough faith that God really delivered us, but saying amen after the absolution means that we truly believe we have been forgiven. Not only do we proclaim our belief in the forgiveness of our individual sins, but also that my brothers’ and sisters’ sins have been forgiven. When we say amen after receiving Holy Communion, it is a wonderful profession of faith. We believe that this is the body and blood of Jesus, that He died for me, and that He loves me. When you receive Holy Communion and say amen, it is a personal one; we say that amen alone. After the consecration, the whole congregation says amen, which is a profession of faith, but then comes the personal one. It applies to my life, to my soul, and it signifies my personal relationship with Jesus. We also say amen when the departed receive Holy Communion, which displays our belief that the departed really received the communion. The whole congregation believes that salvation is possible in the yonder world.
Amen is said twice in an ordination. The brother first says amen after his ordination, which means he believes he has received this new commission from God and that He will give him all he needs to fulfill it. Then the whole congregation says amen. They believe and agree that this man was commissioned by God and accept him as being sent by God.
When the congregation says amen after the blessing for marriage or for confirmation, it shows those who receive the blessing that the congregation believes God has blessed them and the congregation commits themselves to helping them enjoy the blessing.
*This article is based on Chief Apostle Schneider’s thoughts from the Venezuela Apostle Meeting in August 2014.