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I just had a crazy thought… What if Young Women were included in the Sacrament ordinance? It seems there are several ways they could be involved without major changes:
1-What if they brought the bread?
2-What if they prepared the trays and the table?
3-What if they ushered the ordinance, and ensured that everyone received it who wished it?
Whadayallthink?
I would love it. They already pass the sacrament (as does everyone else), and none of those things would decrease the administration (“oversight; supervision”) of the ordinance done by the older and young men. Here is one for you.. In my CofC experience, the Elder is a lady who reads the same prayers LDS does. It is very interesting to hear a lady say it. As for your idea, I love it!
I like the idea if those things are done by bothyoung men and young women, in rotation. I love it. The only elements that require the priesthood in the ordinance are the overall administration and the blessing on the bread and water. The administration is the responsibility of the senior AP holder (Bishop usually), and the blessings would be performed by the priests. I like the idea of rotation, so that the preparation, passing, etc, are not viewed as subservient.
On Own Now wrote:I like the idea of rotation, so that the preparation, passing, etc, are not viewed as subservient.
I think the avoidance of subservience is a crucial issue.
I was once taught to view the prepared sacrament table as the body of the Lord. How beautiful it would be to include the Young Women, especially since it is written that women prepared the body of the Lord for His burial and first viewed His resurrected perfection. And it was a woman who ran to share the news with the disciples. In a sense, they brought the emblems to the world.
OK–so Young Men and Women prepare the emblems and table together, Priests bless, and Laurels pass and usher. While the bishop presides over the ordinance. I love it.
:clap: How about everyone brings their own bread and water and save a lot of the fuss? At least we could avoid having three month old stale bread from the freezer.
^^ 😆 If the YW were a part of the preparation, I don’t think that would happen! Someone might go the extra mile and MAKE HOMEMADE bread!
I like the ideas. #1 is probably already done is many areas of the church. Somebody’s wife buys the bread and takes it to the church. #2 and #3 around here are viewed as part of the Teacher’s job. It wouldn’t fly and I have a pretty liberal bishop. I have no reference for this, but I read this on the internet years ago. Back when they severed sacrament during General Conference, the prophet at the time (don’t remember the name) announced that the deacons passing the sacrament was just an assignment from the prophet, and could be changed at any time. To make the point, he asked the YW in the congregation to pass the sacrament for that session of Conference.
I’ve never read anything on this, and never seen it reported anywhere else. Has anybody here herd of this?
Sheldon wrote:I’ve never read anything on this, and never seen it reported anywhere else. Has anybody here herd of this?
This may not be exactly what you are looking for but pretty close:
At the close of the nineteenth century, Elder Francis Lyman of the Council of the Twelve was asked if it was alright for members not holding the priesthood to pass the sacrament. Elder Lyman responded:
Quote:“You pass it to one another, do you not, all the time, all you sisters and all you brethren? Then why ask the question? The administering of the sacrament is not passing it to the people. The administering of the sacrament is when the brethren offer the prayer in blessing the bread or water. That is the administration of the sacrament. That cannot be done by Deacons, nor by members of the Church who do not bear the Priesthood.”
Just like women praying in GC, there is no doctinal reason why they cannot pass the sacrament as teachers and deacons do. It has just become an expectation to do it the way that we do.
Thanks for that great quote, Roy. Also…
Roy wrote:there is no doctrinal reason why they cannot pass the sacrament as teachers and deacons do. It has just become an expectation to do it the way that we do.
Absolutely right. Easiest example: Does it really require the AP and the Office of Teacher, to stand by the chapel door and hand announcements to people as they walk in, and then close the door for the sacrament, and open it again after the sacrament? Of course not. But it would be scandalous for a Miamaid to do this.Quote:Does it really require the AP and the Office of Teacher, to stand by the chapel door and hand announcements to people as they walk in, and then close the door for the sacrament?
In many of the wards I have attended, this has been done by adults, male and female. In my current ward, it is an elderly couple.
Things get mutated when there are dozens of active young men in Intermountain West wards, and leaders feel like every young man has to be doing something official as often as possible. They get assigned certain tasks, and then those tasks morph into “Priesthood responsibilities” – and then the members who come to view them that way move “into the mission field” and implement things in the Utah model, even in wards where Melchizedek Priesthood holders have to help bless and pass the sacrament.
Lots of things have happened that way over time.
Roy wrote:
At the close of the nineteenth century, Elder Francis Lyman of the Council of the Twelve was asked if it was alright for members not holding the priesthood to pass the sacrament. Elder Lyman responded:Quote:“You pass it to one another, do you not, all the time, all you sisters and all you brethren? Then why ask the question? The administering of the sacrament is not passing it to the people. The administering of the sacrament is when the brethren offer the prayer in blessing the bread or water. That is the administration of the sacrament. That cannot be done by Deacons, nor by members of the Church who do not bear the Priesthood.”
Just like women praying in GC, there is no doctinal reason why they cannot pass the sacrament as teachers and deacons do. It has just become an expectation to do it the way that we do.
Not sure that Elder Lyman from a long time ago would cut it as a reason to break tradition. In fact handbook #2 section 8.1.1 under the heading “Deacon” says “He passes the sacrament.” Under “Teacher” it says “He prepares the sacrament.”
You don’t have to convince me that the handbook doesn’t come from the mouth of God, but many do think that. I would really love for my daughters to pass the sacrament. In fact when I read this quote I quickly looked up DC 20 to verify because I thought the scriptures expressly said Teachers prepare the sacrament and Deacons pass the sacrament. It would appear that Elder Lyman is correct.
On Own Now wrote:Does it really require the AP and the Office of Teacher, to stand by the chapel door and hand announcements to people as they walk in, and then close the door for the sacrament, and open it again after the sacrament? Of course not. But it would be scandalous for a Miamaid to do this.
While Bishop, we had a small chapel until a new building was finished. It was difficult to get out of the chapel after Sacrament, so for a while I had ushers dismiss by row. I’d mix it up, and had the YW do it from time to time, just to keep everybody on their toes.
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