One of my counsellors and his wife were asked by the executive secretary to say the opening and closing prayers in Sacrament on Sunday. Afterward, they were discussing since his wife may be out with their infant at the end of the meeting, she may not be able to say the closing prayer. I suggested to him that they switch it around: she to give the opening prayer, and he to give the closing. I know we've had to do that in the past.
He discussed this with the executive secretary and the executive secretary told him that wouldn't work because only a priesthood holder can open a sacrament meeting. It turned out instead that my counsellor gave the opening prayer and the executive secretary gave the closing prayer.
I had never heard of this until then. Is it like this in other wards? I know of at least two wards where this wasn't the case.
17 comments:
Until 1974, I believe, Sacrament was considered a priesthood meeting... and women weren't allowed to offer either prayer.
I've never heard of the prohibition against the opening prayer.
Hm.
Handbook, anyone?
In the Ward I belonged to previously, this was the rule. It wasn't followed for a long time, until a new stake presidency was called who believed in adhering to the handbook at all times. We weren't even aware that this was in the handbook when they issued a letter asking that only M.P. holders give the invocations at sacrament meeting. I'm not quite sure why the handbook requires this though. Does anyone know?
Now I belong to a tiny branch and anything goes.
I could not find anything in the CHI section for sacrament meeting, but the Church Policies section said the following:
"Men and women may offer prayers in Church meetings. Prayers should be brief and simple and should be spoken as directed by the Spirit. Members should use the pronouns Thee, Thy, Thine, and Thou when addressing Heavenly Father. All members should say an audible amen at the end of the prayer." (p. 151, Book 1)
I think this may be one of those "unwritten order" things. When I was in a bishopric long ago, it was the custom in our ward for men to say the closing prayer. I used to ask women to do it just to shake things up. Then a Stake President tells me I was doing it right all along. What a disappointment.
It's my understanding that there was an official ban from the late sixties until the late seventies when women were not allowed to pray in Sacrament meeting at all. After the ban was lifted it seems a lot of people still had/have the idea that either you have to "open" or "close" a meeting with the priesthood. I'll try to find a citation to back this up. (Unless someone else pipes in . . .)
A related thing I've observed is the idea that a man (as a priesthood holder) must be the closing speaker. This is, I believe, another thing that may have become custom in some places but is not policy.
Definitely not the rule in my last few wards. Often there are women who pray for both the opening and closing.
Like others have said, I've read where that used to be the rule, though.
This is the case in our stake in Utah. I think it was implemented by the Stake.
Well I gave the opening prayer just the other week and have been the closing speaker on many an occasion. They gave up making me one of the earlier speakers as I tend to not give the other speakers enough time. Something I picked up from one of my sons I guess... talking :)
Pretty much what everyone said...this is just local custom. I would be shocked to find modern instruction on the issue.
My husband is a Nazi about only men giving the opening prayer. I am plotting. If they call me and ask us to give the prayer, I'm going to find a way to keep him home and then I'm just going to get up and give the opening prayer.
I think it's absolutely ridiculous.
Heather P. is right — this was done away with in the late 70s. But most of today's bishops and stake presidents weren't around to get the letter then, so it persists as one of those "proper order of things" beliefs, even though the manual doesn't require it.
We practiced this in my ward until recently. The ward executive secretary is my home teacher, and I mentioned it to him when he visited a few months ago. He said he'd look into it. Two weeks later, women were giving the opening prayers in sacrament meeting.
The squeaky wheel gets the grease. Bring it up gently with the powers that be in your ward and you may get the local policy reversed.
My wife did it just this last week. I think you can file that one with the need to take the sacrament with your right hand--maybe has some doctrinal support, but is carried more by tradition than policy.
I too believe it falls under one of the "unwritten order" of things. When my father was a Stake President in Southern California in the 1990's they received this instruction from the Area President who had in received it from President Packer.
Prior to that it had not been a hard and fast rule in the Stake and following the changes in who supervised the area it was no longer enforced.
I would think enforcement of this "rule" probably occurs in a "checkboard" fashion, e.g. required in one area not required in a neighboring area.
It's hard when a 'policy' is not in the handbook but is pronounced by a leader. I was in an RS training meeting this week done by a member of the General Board when someone had the nerve to ask if the RS presidency should sit at the front of the room during RS. I really wish I hadn't been there to hear her say "Yes, Sister Parkin feels very strongly about that" because now I feel ethically wierd about not doing it, although it's not in the RS handbook and feels like a 'man' thing to me.
In my ward, the women generally say the opening prayer and the men the closing. I just said opening prayer a few weeks ago.
I think Silus is right, though. My mother remembers when she couldn't say the opening prayer (that was in the 70s).
This may be the most liberal thing I've ever said on any board: if President Packer wants an order that everyone understands, perhaps it's time to start writting it down. I hate the idea that I'm being governed by rumor.
This is definitely NOT in the handbook, and since the new handbook was published there has NOT been any letter stating that it is a policy to be followed. Thus, it is incorrect to follow this policy. It's a relic of past practices -- a tradition of our fathers that is not necessary or correct to follow.
Incidentally, there WAS a letter encouraging bishoprics to not ask husband-wife to say the prayers in the same sacrament meeting as it results in the exclusion of single adults.
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