I have been a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints for my entire lifespan. Even longer if you consider that I come from some serious pioneer stock. I went to BYU, and feel like I have paid fairly good attention in church, for the most part. Now maybe it is because I have been in primary for the last 2 years, but I seem to have missed some stuff lately. The first item I missed was that you need to have a current temple recommend, or bishopric approval, to stand in a blessing circle. Okay, didn't have to do that with Max, but fair enough, I got no problem with this. Then today they called to ask Jeff to give the opening prayer in sacrament meeting, I asked if he could do the closing cause we've been a bit tardy lately. This would apparently cause a problem because you need a Melchizedek Priesthood Holder to say the opening prayer. Whaaaa? Really? Why? I get the whole priesthood saying the sacrament prayer, ordinance and all. But the opening prayer? Is Jeff's prayer more spiritual then mine? I really want to know? What about all of you? Have you heard anything new lately, or something you have just now learned? Is this all just my wacky Stake?
Saturday, November 14, 2009
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6 comments:
yeah once they called to ask if Aaron could pray and he wasn't home, so I said, "sure" for him...nope. HE must be present to say yes. BUT apparently this only goes one way, as Aaron has been able to say "Yeah, sure, she'll speak in sacrament meeting that week" for me, and I never got the message. It's just our personal rule now that they need to ask me personally. Not because I would ever say, "no"...but because we communicate poorly. Women can offer the benediction in Sacrament Meeting, just not the invocation. I think it really is in a handbook. I've never heard that about a blessing circle.
Okay, but if it is in the handbook, why? again can I not offer a prayer that would invite the spirit as well as a man could? I am not trying to be feminist or anything, just confused and want to understand. And I swear that I have actually given the opening prayer before.
I just asked Will who's been a clerk in every ward we've ever been in (cross your fingers, not this one yet!) and he said, No! He was very sure that is like taking the sacrament with your right hand, just tradition, not policy. I've given the opening prayer before too.
To the blessing circle, he said yes and no. He said basically, the bishop needs to know that you're worthy. So if he doesn't know you, he may ask for your recommend. That makes sense to me.
The prayer one? Not a bit of sense to me! Alhtough, in our last ward, our bishopric did have a pattern of asking the tardy people specifically for opening prayers to help them get there on time! :)
I have to tell you I looked on LDS.org but the church handbook isn't published there apparently. I have NEVER heard that before, and it seems silly to me. I asked Rich and his response was "Some bishops like to do it that way but it's not required." If you do see an official policy I'd be interested to see it. In my ward in Seattle they never gave me a calling w/o talking to Rich and getting his ok first, which I thought was weird because I've never had that happen in UT. But I did appreciate that they always checked with me before they gave him a calling too.
I asked Dix about the prayer thing and he doesn't think that there is anything that says that a man has to say the opening prayer. He thinks that it must just be a tradition in some wards. If I remember correctly, those standing in the blessing circle have to hold the Melchezidik Priesthood, but that would not necessarily mean that they have a current recommend. I guess that the bishop might ask those that he doesn't know just to make sure that they are elegible. I don't think that the church publishes the handbood on the internet because they don't want just anyone reading it. A few years ago someone did publish it on another website and it caused quite a stir. I'm assuming that they got them to take it down, but I'm not sure.
I KNOW I've given the opening prayer in sacrament meeting before! That's strange! As far as current temple recommend to stand in blessing circle, never heard that one!
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