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I am hoping to get some clarification on the issue of women being allowed to pray in sacrament meeting.

I was under the impression that up until the 1970's, women were not allowed to pray at all in sacrament meeting.

A change was made allowing women to give the closing prayer but not the opening (or vice versa).

Recently, women have been given the go ahead to give either opening or closing prayers.

I brought this up the other night at church meetings, and nobody seemed to have any idea what I was talking about, so I am wondering if this was a localized phenomenon.

Does anybody know anything about this issue?

All the Best!

--Consiglieri

You are correct and your account is accurate.

Although, the word has still not reached some local LDS leaders. (sigh)

~td~

consiglieri wrote:I am hoping to get some clarification on the issue of women being allowed to pray in sacrament meeting.

I was under the impression that up until the 1970's, women were not allowed to pray at all in sacrament meeting.

A change was made allowing women to give the closing prayer but not the opening (or vice versa).

Recently, women have been given the go ahead to give either opening or closing prayers.

I brought this up the other night at church meetings, and nobody seemed to have any idea what I was talking about, so I am wondering if this was a localized phenomenon.

Does anybody know anything about this issue?

Consig, I don’t remember the exact years, but what happened was they were not allowed to give opening or closing prayers (how far back this went I don’t know), then they were cleared to do so, then it was stopped again, and they were finally given clearance which last to this day. If I recall correctly, there was some confusion about the matter. I do recall it wasn’t just a one-off all-clear. By the time I was a bishop (1980) they had the all-clear. I think it was finalised c.1978-79. I’m going on memory.

consiglieri wrote:I brought this up the other night at church meetings, and nobody seemed to have any idea what I was talking about....

This is the best hope for LDS Inc in relation to all of the issues we freely discuss on this board.

You are correct and your account is accurate.

Although, the word has still not reached some local LDS leaders. (sigh

Probly 'cause those prayers usually begin with, "Lord, help him to pick up his socks and for him to understand that I have feelings that must be attended to. And please help him to know that when I say I don't care that he should already know what I really mean."

And usually ends with something like, "Thank you Lord for the change in him that will happen because I've given your church his ten percent."

consiglieri wrote:I am hoping to get some clarification on the issue of women being allowed to pray in sacrament meeting.

I was under the impression that up until the 1970's, women were not allowed to pray at all in sacrament meeting.

A change was made allowing women to give the closing prayer but not the opening (or vice versa).

Recently, women have been given the go ahead to give either opening or closing prayers.

I brought this up the other night at church meetings, and nobody seemed to have any idea what I was talking about, so I am wondering if this was a localized phenomenon.

Does anybody know anything about this issue?

All the Best!

--Consiglieri

I didn't know until now that you and bcspace attended the same church meetings.

Hi Ray,

In my former ward, the Bishop did not allow women to say the closing prayer... he claimed it was a directive from a GA. So, as far as I know, the word has not gotten to all Bishops.

I know at least one woman (not me), complained to the Stake president but the "practice" was not changed.

:-(

~td~

truth dancer wrote:Hi Ray,

In my former ward, the Bishop did not allow women to say the closing prayer... he claimed it was a directive from a GA. So, as far as I know, the word has not gotten to all Bishops.

I know at least one woman (not me), complained to the Stake president but the "practice" was not changed.

Then maybe the confusion is still going on, TD, and I'm surprised to hear this, and also Consig's word "recently". I left the Church in August 1987, but had sporadic returns right up to early 2001. In all of that time women were allowed to offer opening and closing prayers in Sacrament. I'm really surprised that this debacle is still going on.

Maybe it's a US thing? Don't know.

Recently visited a meeting where a friend whose Farm we babysat for a week goes. If women were not allowed to pray their branch would be in big trouble. Three people showed up. The fast meeting was just that. Fast. Didn't even hold Sunday school. Just the sacrament portion where the BP gave a testimony, then his wife, then closing song after they figured out I would not be saying anything.

Nice people, drove in about 25 miles through the snow that had a lot of drifting on the back roads near their ranch.

Why would God care who prays as long as it is sincere?

Joseph wrote:Why would God care who prays as long as it is sincere?

Because He's a total dick?