Women praying in church

Post by **_beastie** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 2:55 pm

When I was a member, women were not allowed to say the opening prayer in Sacrament meeting. Is that still true?

Post by **_beastie** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 11:29 pm

No one knows the answer to this???

Post by **_Jason Bourne** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 11:31 pm

beastie wrote:When I was a member, women were not allowed to say the opening prayer in Sacrament meeting. Is that still true?

No

Post by **_beastie** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 11:44 pm

So women are now allowed to give the opening prayer in sacrament? Do you know when this changed?

Post by **_Jason Bourne** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 11:50 pm

beastie wrote:So women are now allowed to give the opening prayer in sacrament? Do you know when this changed?

Yes and no. It has been going on for at least 20 years or more where I live.

Post by **_the road to hana** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 11:52 pm

beastie wrote:No one knows the answer to this???

Hi beastie--

Women couldn't pray in Sacrament Meeting at all (either opening or closing prayers) until the late 1970's. The First Presidency of the LDS Church sent out a letter to bishops and stake presidents in November 1978 making the change allowing women to pray in Sacrament Meeting. Following that, most wards followed an unwritten rule to continue to have the opening prayer said by a Priesthood holder, and allowed women only to say the closing. Some wards eventually allowed women to say either, but the change allowed for both.

Post by **_karl61** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 11:54 pm

They use to have to sit in the back row and keep quite - at least back in first century days.

Post by **_KimberlyAnn** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 11:56 pm

Beastie, just a few years ago, when I was an active member, women did not say the opening prayer.

I initially remembered it as the closing prayer that women didn't say, but you're probably right. At any rate, it was one or the other that was specifically designated only for men.

Unfortunately, I do not know the answer to your question. I can ask an active family member and return and report if there's no answer forthcoming on the board.

KA

Post by **_beastie** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 12:09 am

I remember when women were allowed to say the closing prayer. I didn't know it was an "unwritten" rule that some wards were following to disallow opening prayers. Obviously I belonged to one of the "unwritten" rule ward.

I guess it was ok for a women to pray to shut the meeting down, no one would miss that her prayer didn't work to invoke the spirit. But at the opening prayer, everyone would notice the spirit refused to come, and what a disaster that would be. ;)

_Ray A · Post by **_Ray A** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 12:09 am

the road to hana wrote:
beastie wrote:No one knows the answer to this???

Hi beastie--

Women couldn't pray in Sacrament Meeting at all (either opening or closing prayers) until the late 1970's. The First Presidency of the LDS Church sent out a letter to bishops and stake presidents in November 1978 making the change allowing women to pray in Sacrament Meeting. Following that, most wards followed an unwritten rule to continue to have the opening prayer said by a Priesthood holder, and allowed women only to say the closing. Some wards eventually allowed women to say either, but the change allowed for both.

This is correct, except that the ban was only put in place in 1967, and lifted in 1978. I do remember that when it was lifted there was an unwritten "protocol" that women only gave closing prayers, but that quickly changed as well.

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Women praying in church

Women praying in church

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