183 Semiannual General Conference Thread

[Solon]

Great article - thanks for the link. Interesting history, not unexpected - but "interesting."

That was interesting. Thanks, JL.

[snowcat]

That's very strange. I've never heard that. In my experience, when a couple gives the prayers in sacrament, most of the time the wife with open and the husband will close. Just like when talks are given. I'd like to see a sacrament meeting where the husband speaks first, then the wife. Just to mix it up. Plus many wive's tend to ramble on, so their husbands deserve a chance to give their full talks (not me).

Many years ago we decided to not have husbands and wives pray at the same meeting in our ward. This was done to make sure that singles did not feel left out. It has worked great. We never have had a male/female requirement for any prayer.

[creekster]

In my last two wards which has covered the last 15 years of my life, women have never given opening prayers and the bishops specifically required men with priesthood to give opening prayers.

I suspect that this is the sort of misguided thinking that makes the church want to correlate.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

We have hotels there. Maybe think about that next time. Were you at 9 mile?

Don't you mean 8 Mile? Lol.

[jay santos]

I suspect that this is the sort of misguided thinking that makes the church want to correlate.

Agree. I'm not against correlation.

[Clark Addison]

That's very strange. I've never heard that. In my experience, when a couple gives the prayers in sacrament, most of the time the wife with open and the husband will close. Just like when talks are given. I'd like to see a sacrament meeting where the husband speaks first, then the wife. Just to mix it up. Plus many wive's tend to ramble on, so their husbands deserve a chance to give their full talks (not me).

I don't give intermiediate talks. I only close the meeting. If I have only 5 minutes, even better.

[pelagius]

That's very strange. I've never heard that. In my experience, when a couple gives the prayers in sacrament, most of the time the wife with open and the husband will close. Just like when talks are given. I'd like to see a sacrament meeting where the husband speaks first, then the wife. Just to mix it up. Plus many wive's tend to ramble on, so their husbands deserve a chance to give their full talks (not me).

I have seen this a few times.

Back in the day (when I was in the Bishopric) I rotated the sex of who spoke last ever week. I did that same thing for prayers. The bishop did the same thing (the 1st counselor didn't ... I think he asked couples what they preferred). Apparently lots of people care about these patterns so I tried to created a pattern that was unobjectionable.The only time anyone complained was when we put the high councilor first and a women last.

[Katy Lied]

I always ask to go first, because I get very nervous praying in public. If I give the invocation, then it's over and I don't spend the meeting worrying and fretting.

I know that the young moms like to go first, just in case the baby poops/vomits/cries lustily, and they have to take it out.

We have a couple in our ward and the wife gives beautiful prayers. She always gives the benediction, and it can be a crappy meeting up until then, but when she gets done with the prayer I feel edified.

[TripletDaddy]

i am really creeped out when people breath heavily into the microphone while giving a public prayer. Very seldom that women do this. The usual culprit is a middle aged rotund male. This probably should go in the pet peeves thread.

[RC Vikings]

I thought Elder Holland's talk was very good and timely. I didn't have much empathy for people battling depression because I thought they brought a lot of that upon themselves and weren't willing to do what it takes to change. I believed this until my youngest started having feeling of depression. He's fine 99% of the time but occasionally will have moments where life just seems to overwhelming or difficult and he hits a low that is beyond just feeling down. It's good to bring this out in the open and try and get help to those that need it. We have to many young people in the church committing suicide.

President Monson rolling his eyes because the guy saying he was there to do his home teaching and make his number bothered me a little. I understand what he was trying to get at but the way the church handles HT it makes it a numbers game. I would have liked hear him say we are taking away the required monthly visit and all you will be asked is "How is your family doing", that sounds a little more caring to me.

[jay santos]

I thought Elder Holland's talk was very good and timely. I didn't have much empathy for people battling depression because I thought they brought a lot of that upon themselves and weren't willing to do what it takes to change. I believed this until my youngest started having feeling of depression. He's fine 99% of the time but occasionally will have moments where life just seems to overwhelming or difficult and he hits a low that is beyond just feeling down. It's good to bring this out in the open and try and get help to those that need it. We have to many young people in the church committing suicide.

President Monson rolling his eyes because the guy saying he was there to do his home teaching and make his number bothered me a little. I understand what he was trying to get at but the way the church handles HT it makes it a numbers game. I would have liked hear him say we are taking away the required monthly visit and all you will be asked is "How is your family doing", that sounds a little more caring to me.

Come on! That was the highlight of conference for me. That was the best dramatic portrayal of eye rolling in any church talk in history.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

just in case the baby cries lustily, and they have to take it out.

Those are some sexy babies! Rawwr!

[Flystripper]

Back in the day (when I was in the Bishopric) I rotated the sex of who spoke last ever week.

Confession?

[Omaha 680]

That's very strange. I've never heard that. In my experience, when a couple gives the prayers in sacrament, most of the time the wife with open and the husband will close. Just like when talks are given. I'd like to see a sacrament meeting where the husband speaks first, then the wife. Just to mix it up. Plus many wive's tend to ramble on, so their husbands deserve a chance to give their full talks (not me).

I have seen this a few times.

I did this on purpose when I was in the Branch Presidency. Because I'm so progressive and stuff.

[Northwestcoug]

That's how our ward did it for a long time. But I always suspected it was a goofy tradition rather than policy.

Here is a little bit of interesting history on the women praying ban.

http://bycommonconsent.com/2008/05/0...meeting-redux/

Yep. When I was in charge of getting sacrament prayers the first counselor specifically told me that priesthood has to give the opening prayer. So I did this for a few months until one woman specifically asked me if she could go first. I had to explain that it was policy that priesthood prayed first. She told me that sounded ridiculous. I agreed, pulled out the handbook, and showed the 1st counselor. After that, it was whoever answered the phone first got to pick which prayer they wanted.

Interesting link.