Sacrament Pet peeves

[threepercent]

speaking of wayward children and poor parenting in sacrament.....

I thought I would expand this to include all the unbelievable stuff like the clipping of nails in sacrament.. wow that one astounds me.

I have two:

1. GET OUT OF THE DOORWAY! Hello! Not the place to catch up!

2. Children under 8 should give their testimony in Primary, not Sacrament meeting.

you know who you are.

[Jenamarie]

I agree with the first one, not so much with the last one. If a child under the age of 8 can independently give their Testimony (don't require mommy and daddy whispering in their ear) then I'd love to hear it! I've actually never heard of Testimonies being borne in Primary unless the child was giving a talk (my ward doesn't do it, at least) so I'd hate to discourage a child from going up there if they feel prompted to and have the capacity to.

[Wingnut]

I have no problem with children (including under 8) bearing their testimonies in Sacrament meeting. I used to because it was boring and almost scripted at times, but a couple of months ago the Spirit touched me during a child's testimony and I realized that they bring the Spirit so powerfully. They are so pure and honest and simple. They don't get up and tell stories or feel a need to explain their testimonies. They just say what they believe and then sit down. And they love to do it.

[Misshalfway]

Well, the brethren did send a recent letter explaining that young children should save their testimonies for the home in Family home evenings, etc.

[Wingnut]

Well, the brethren did send a recent letter explaining that young children should save their testimonies for the home in Family home evenings, etc.

Really? I hadn't heard that. We'd have more silent time than testimony time in my ward if we didn't have children testimonies.

[FunkyTown]

speaking of wayward children and poor parenting in sacrament.....

I thought I would expand this to include all the unbelievable stuff like the clipping of nails in sacrament.. wow that one astounds me.

I have two:

1. GET OUT OF THE DOORWAY! Hello! Not the place to catch up!

2. Children under 8 should give their testimony in Primary, not Sacrament meeting.

you know who you are.

Hahah. I will admit that the testimony might not be great, but sometimes kids just want to do what adults do. They see everyone going up and want to testify.

It's been said that, through giving your testimony, your testimony grows. I'm okay with kids giving a testimony.

[MarginOfError]

Well, the brethren did send a recent letter explaining that young children should save their testimonies for the home in Family home evenings, etc.

As best as I can tell, the impetus behind that counsel was that once one kid goes up, all the kids start to feel like they should go up. And then you have a train of 100 kids going up and the adults don't get the chance to bear their testimonies.

I'm sort of one the fence on this one myself. On the one hand, it's great to have kids bear their testimony, and they can bring a great Spirit to the meeting, but on the other hand, 40 child testimonies in a row will kill the spirit in the meeting pretty quickly. Well, i guess the death is pretty slow, because it takes a while to go through that many kids, but you get my point.

Just makes me wish there was some middle-of-the-road approach.

[MarginOfError]

Okay, my Sacrament pet peeve....priesthood holders who when passing the sacrament hold the tray up to your nose. Just put the tray somewhere I can reach it!

[Jenamarie]

Well, the brethren did send a recent letter explaining that young children should save their testimonies for the home in Family home evenings, etc.

I thought the letter was refering to the "mommy whispering in Junior's ear" type testimonies. That learning how to give a Testimony should be done in the home until the child is able to independently give a Testimony, and then they are more than welcome at the pulpit. I know in my parents' ward there's two kids that go up for every one adult, and I wish more of the adults' testimonies were modeled after the kids', because they get straight to the point!

[MarginOfError]

I thought the letter was refering to the "mommy whispering in Junior's ear" type testimonies. That learning how to give a Testimony should be done in the home until the child is able to independently give a Testimony, and then they are more than welcome at the pulpit. I know in my parents' ward there's two kids that go up for every one adult, and I wish more of the adults' testimonies were modeled after the kids', because they get straight to the point!

I keep telling myself I'd like more people who bear their testimony to do it the way I do...but then I realize I'd be really bored sitting there for 40 minutes with no one talking.

[threepercent]

Well, the brethren did send a recent letter explaining that young children should save their testimonies for the home in Family home evenings, etc.

Thats why its a pet peeve of mine, I like SOME of them, like jenamarie stated, but its not the time or place per the first presidency.

Also, in my old ward, our bishop read that letter for 6 months at every fast and testimony meeting... and asked that people would comply.

they never did.

so it became a sore spot for me. Its not so bad in my current ward, in fact there is a young man about 7 who gives a great testimony about every 3 months or so. way better than about 1/3 of the adults who get up and give a "self called" talk.

[skippy740]

(In my best child-like 5-year-old voice)

"I'd like to bear my testimony. I know the Church is True. I love my mommy and daddy and my brothers and sisters." (insert other stuff here & close in Christ's name, Amen)

My brother (when he was about 6), said that once... but he HAS no sisters!

[RainofGold]

I love to listen to the little children share their testimony. I think that it adds a very special spirit to the sacrament meeting.

What I don't think is appropriate is when parents sit in the front row with little children because they have more space to walk around, but they usually run for the stairs so many times that you get distracted so easily. Some of the children sometimes even go all the way behind the piano and their mom have to chase then to bring them down.

[Jenamarie]

I love to listen to the little children share their testimony. I think that it adds a very special spirit to the sacrament meeting.

What I don't think is appropriate is when parents sit in the front row with little children because they have more space to walk around, but they usually run for the stairs so many times that you get distracted so easily. Some of the children sometimes even go all the way behind the piano and their mom have to chase then to bring them down.

Do they really sit in the front on purpose? or because by the time they get to church all the back pews are taken? We have one family of 8 children in our ward who come usually with just their mom (dad is in the picture, but rarely comes to church) and by the time they get to Sacrament meeting (which starts at 9am) the only pew left with enough seats for them is the very front one. Our previous Bishop tried on many occasions to encourage members (particularly the older, childless ones) to fill the front pews first, before the back ones, for the sake of the young families with kids who are still learning reverence, but nothing ever changed. And those older members are usually the ones I hear most often grumbling about how often the kids in that family are being marched in and out of the chapel when they're being disrupted, and then being brought back in when they're quieter. If they were able to sit in the back, it wouldn't be such a distraction.

[BenRaines]

The letter said that when they are old enough to get up by themselves to share a testimony they should be encouraged to do so. What was discouraged was parents whispering in their ear what to say or taking them up there.

On the sacrament tray thing, I have arms. I don't need the tray up against my chest. I mentioned that to my wife once years ago and ever since she holds it out and away from me.

I almost never get it passed to me by the priesthood. I sit over in the corner against the wall so she gets it first.

Ben Raines

[Misshalfway]

I thought the letter was refering to the "mommy whispering in Junior's ear" type testimonies. That learning how to give a Testimony should be done in the home until the child is able to independently give a Testimony, and then they are more than welcome at the pulpit. I know in my parents' ward there's two kids that go up for every one adult, and I wish more of the adults' testimonies were modeled after the kids', because they get straight to the point!

I think you are probably right on.

I don't suppose if anyone has a genuine testimony to share that they should be stopped from participating in the meeting no matter how young they are. There are times when "out of the mouth of babes" truth is taught the best.

I think that parents sometimes mistakenly encourage the using of the podium as a teaching tool or an indulgence when perhaps, as you stated, it is something that should be done at home.

[Misshalfway]

Really? I hadn't heard that. We'd have more silent time than testimony time in my ward if we didn't have children testimonies.

I am trying to think when exactly the letter came out. Perhaps a year or so ago. I am sure someone else has a better memory than I.

Our bishops read the letter frequently when he felt we needed reminding. I think, in our stake, the vision of the letter is hitting home and making a difference. We still have children who bear testimony, some with the assistance of their parents. But for the most part, our meeting have returned back to appropriate balance.

Do any of you remember that we used to bare testimony in Primary ....or was in Jr. Sunday School back then??? My father told me once why they discontinued the practice but I can't really remember why. I think they used to pass the sacrament in Primary too and they discontinued that practice as well.

[BenRaines]

We used to pass the Sacrament in Primary too. This is when I was a Priest back in 1970 to 1972

Ben Raines.

[john doe]

I remember sacrament in Junior Sunday School, back in the days before the introduction of the 3-hour block. Primary was on a weekday after school.

[Guest DeborahC]

My two pet peeves are:

1) People dowsing themselves with perfume (which is why I can no longer attend Church)

2) People yakking during Sacrament instead of being prayerful and meditative. They don't consider that THEIR behavior is VERY inconsiderate, and annoying to those of us who are there not as a social event, but to keep the Sabbath.

[Honor]

I always loved it in the ward in which I grew up, when those who passed the sacrament would offer the sacrament tray, and then straighten up and face the pulpit while the tray made it's way down and back, rather than facing the member and watching it like a hawk until it was back in their hands. It made it feel like they were giving the members as private a moment as possible while they took part in the sacrament. It seemed like the deacons understood the ordinance and took their part in it very seriously. I wonder how much attention is paid to how new deacons are taught to pass the sacrament. I'm sure it varies a lot from ward to ward and that the examples of others has a big impact, but having grown up in a ward where it was a big deal, I'll always have that expectation.

[hordak]

My two pet peeves are:

1) People dowsing themselves with perfume (which is why I can no longer attend Church)

We need something to cover the smell of cigarettes. :D;)

[threepercent]

did you see this?

[kathysmike]

I always loved it in the ward in which I grew up, when those who passed the sacrament would offer the sacrament tray, and then straighten up and face the pulpit while the tray made it's way down and back, rather than facing the member and watching it like a hawk until it was back in their hands. It made it feel like they were giving the members as private a moment as possible while they took part in the sacrament. It seemed like the deacons understood the ordinance and took their part in it very seriously. I wonder how much attention is paid to how new deacons are taught to pass the sacrament. I'm sure it varies a lot from ward to ward and that the examples of others has a big impact, but having grown up in a ward where it was a big deal, I'll always have that expectation.

This is the way I was taught to pass the sacrament. I have been instructing my son, soon to be 12, and ordained a Deacon the same respect, in handling the sacrament as I was taught.

My biggest pet peeve; we sit in the last row, the only row with whelchair access, those passing the sacrament seem to forget our row every week, this means one of has to be distracted as we try to get the attention of the young man to bring the tray to us. Next to that is coming into the chapel and finding both ends of the wheelchair pew occupied those who have no need for the access, forcing us to sit in the asile in the overflow.

[ADoyle90815]

2) People yakking during Sacrament instead of being prayerful and meditative. They don't consider that THEIR behavior is VERY inconsiderate, and annoying to those of us who are there not as a social event, but to keep the Sabbath.

That's actually something that happens in other churches as well.