These questions were answered in the pages of the Millennial Star, in 1966-67. Some, but not all, of the columns from which these questions are drawn were signed by Mark E. Petersen, who was then president of the West European Mission.
Remember that the fun of posts like this is discovering what issues were on the minds of Church members of the past, and seeing what might have changed since these questions were answered. A few definitely outdated answers are given in this series of three posts, so they shouldn’t be used as current policy (or to settle arguments?)
Question: What is the attitude of the Church on cremation?
Answer: The Church always advises its members to arrange for burial of their deceased loved ones in a cemetery, with proper funeral services and dedication of graves. In some instances, because of local conditions, and sometimes because of personal preference, relatives have their deceased cremated, and they are within their rights in doing so. But it is customary to advise burial of the body instead of cremation. In cases of cremation, funeral services are always conducted in the same manner as where a burial is to be provided. There is but one difference in our ceremonies. We do dedicate a grave for the burial of the body, but we do not dedicate the crypt where the ashes of a cremated person are kept.
Question: Can fast offerings be used for any purpose other than to help the needy?
Answer: No.
Question: How does home teaching differ from our former system of branch teaching?
Answer: Branch teaching consisted mainly of the priesthood brethren visiting homes, encouraging families, and teaching them as needed. Also in providing suggestions when desirable. it was a once a month visit only as a rule, and too often was not done as effectively as might be. On the other hand home teaching is where priesthood brethren are assigned to a home and are responsible for encouragement of the entire family in all phases of spiritual development. The home teacher will work with inactive people, instead of the several committees formerly assigned to that work; they will assist parents to have children enrolled in and attending all the Church organisations; will assist the father and sons in priesthood responsibilities; the mother will be advised to be active in her Church organisations, etc. In other words, and in brief, home teachers are responsible for the entire spiritual development of the families to which they are assigned, and are to call in whatever help they need to bring every family into full activity.
Question: Who may have recommends to the temple?
Answer: Only worthy latter-day Saints may enter the temple. Worthy persons who have been baptised may be baptised for the dead, including children over eight years of age if they themselves have been baptised. We generally expect that new converts will mature in the Church for at least a year before they go for their endowments and sealings. Recommends are given only after careful interviews with bishops, branch presidents, stake or mission presidents. It is a great privilege to go to the temple, and all persons must be fully worthy, keeping all the commands of the Lord, to obtain that privilege.
Question: When a child is born out of wedlock, may it be blessed in the Church like other children?
Answer: Yes, when arrangements are made with the local presiding authorities. When such children are blessed and given a name, it is customary to give the surname of the mother, unless the parents marry, or unless the father is designated by court order. If the mother later marries a man who legally adopts the child, then this man’s name may be entered in our records as the father with the notation: “legally adopted by (name).” In the event of such a marriage, the surname of the child should be changed to that of the adopting father.
Question: If a child dies before being blessed, what is its status?
Answer: All children who die under eight years of age go to the Kingdom of Heaven, and are saved in the presence of God, whether they belong to any Church, or whether any ordinance is performed. We suggest a reading of Moroni, 8th chapter in the Book of Mormon. When children die before they are blessed a name may be assigned and details of the birth and death should be entered in the ward or branch record of members and on Form E and the notation “died before blessing” should be written under the heading “Blessings” on the form. Parents may insert the name of such child in their own family record. When the parents go to the temple to be sealed and have their children sealed to them, the child who died in infancy must also be sealed to the parents, although no other ordinance is required. The sealing is vital, however.
Question: I have a child who soon will be eight years old. is it possible for me to perform the baptism?
Answer: Yes, if you are worthy and if you hold the priesthood of a priest in the Aaronic priesthood or if you hold the Melchizedek priesthood. Arrangements of course must be made with local branch or ward authorities. Worthy fathers who hold the Melchizedek priesthood may confirm their own children also, through arrangements with local authorities in the branch or ward.
Question: Who should pay tithing? Even little children?
Answer: All Church members who have an income should pay an honest tithing. Those without income (including wives who have no separate income from their husbands) and those entirely dependent on relief or welfare, are exempt from payment of tithes. You ask if little children should pay tithing. Childhood is a good time for children to learn obedience to all of God’s commandments. It is good for children to learn to pay a tithing on any little allowance they are given, any amount they may receive for doing little chores. The habit formed in childhood will usually remain with them throughout life.
Question: If a person joins another church, and then repents and comes back to our Church, does he need to be baptised again?
Answer: Not if he was not excommunicated from our Church. if he was not excommunicated, and comes back to us he may resume his attendance at our meetings without any further ordinance being performed. Of course he should be fellowshipped and encouraged, so that he will not slip away again. But on the other hand he should not be given official positions until the presiding authorities are convinced that he is worthy and is settled in his faith.
Question: What is the ruling of the Church regarding place of membership? I mean, must I go to the branch in which I live, or may I go elsewhere to Church as I please?
Answer: In order to have order in the Church it is requested that all persons be members of the branch or ward in which they live, and confine their activity to that ward or branch. How could a bishop or a branch president keep in touch with the people of his area if they went elsewhere to church? And the bishop or branch president must keep in touch and know about the members, or how could they issue recommends for advancement in priesthood, baptism, blessing, or the temple? There must be order in the Church and this makes essential the attendance of all persons in the branch or the area in which their home is located.
Question: Is it necessary, in our prayers, to address the Lord in terms of “thee, thine, or thou” or may we use the modern language?
Answer: In our Church it is customary to use the solemn form of “thee, thine and thou.”
Question: I notice that the Church has produced a series of pictures on the signs of the true Church. Are they just for missionaries or may any of us have them?
Answer: These posters are available to anyone who wishes to buy them. There are two sizes. One is the large size, about 24 by 30 inches. There is a smaller set made in the same size as a piece of typewriter paper. All are in colour. The small size is very inexpensive, and individuals could well obtain a series for their own use. Some people have had the small ones framed and put up in their homes. In chapels the large ones are often framed and hung in the halls or in classrooms.
Question: Is it possible for me, as a young Englishman, to go on a mission here in my own country? I don’t have any funds to speak of, but I have a willing heart.
Answer: We are very happy to have local missionaries serving either in their spare time or on full-time missions. If you were a local part time missionary you could go to school or to work and do missionary work in your evening free time. If you desire to go on a full-time mission, then get in touch with your stake or mission president. There is a possibility that part of your expenses might be paid out of a fund contributed by persons who are interested in missionary work. However, every person going on a mission should plan to pay at least a part of his expense, or arrange to have his family do so. We do not feel that someone else should pay the entire amount for a missionary’s keep. Either the missionary should work for a while and save up some money of his own, or his family should assist him.
Question: What can we do about unpleasantness in the home? It seems that we have a spirit of contention in our home most of the time.
Answer: Fundamentally, contention comes from selfishness. When people quarrel in the home it is usually because someone is not willing to do unto others as he would like to be done by. Selfishness must be eliminated from our homes. It is deadly. Love and kindness must take its place. If people will learn to live the gospel in the home — a large part of which is living the golden rule to do to others as they would be done by — contention would be eliminated. You will be interested in reading what the Saviour said about the spirit of contention. See the scripture in your Book of Mormon in 3 Nephi 11:28-30.
Question: Does my bishop have the right to inquire into my personal life? What business is that of his?
Answer: Bishops are the fathers of our wards and the shepherds of our flocks. They are required by reason of their office to help us as ward members to live the gospel and be happy. If we are in sin, they help us to repent and readjust. But how can they do this without finding out the facts? If we are repentant we should be willing to tell them so that they may help us. If we are financially embarrassed, how can a bishop help us without knowing the facts? We must be willing to tell him about ourselves. He is required to keep all such information confidential. You need not worry about talking to him. He will be your friend and your helper. This is the plan of the Church.
Question: What do you think is a fair fast offering? I pay a shilling every fast day. Is this enough?
Answer: That will depend entirely upon the value of the meals you usually eat and from which you abstain on fast days. We are expected to pay as fast offering the value of the meals we miss, and then contribute that amount to the bishop or branch president for the assistance of the poor. The Church does not attempt to set any amount for any person, because people’s habits of eating differ. The offering is based entirely on the amount saved by abstaining from food. Pay the value of the meals you miss on that day. We fast from two meals, usually breakfast and the noon meal.
Question: If I were to learn to play the piano or organ, would I be allowed to play in church at times?
Answer: Most wards and branches welcome the services of new players. Often the regular organists have to move or are away ill or on holiday. Someone must take their places during these times. If you are accomplished, let your bishop or branch president know about your talents, and he will keep you in mind. There is no reason for not telling him about your abilities. But do not feel offended if he does not give you an immediate assignment. The places may be filled already, and you may have to wait your turn.
Question: We have seen this new Jerusalem Bible advertised. What is it?
Answer: That is a new translation in modern language, off the press in 1966. It carries the imprimatur of the Catholic Church. It is an interesting rendering of the Bible and is helpful in reading. But it is expensive. We should remind you that in our Church our official Bible version is the King James version which we believe to be the best translation available, although the newer ones are interesting to read.
Very interesting. When did 12 become the age for baptisms for the dead?
I can’t remember ever reading before that crypts containing cremated remains are not to be dedicated. Was this general policy? Is it still the case?
I was pretty much going to say what Gary asked. And, what about cremated remains that are buried in a grave?
All I see in the public handbook is this:
21.3.2
Cremation
The Church does not normally encourage cremation. The family of the deceased must decide whether the body should be cremated, taking into account any laws governing burial or cremation. In some countries, the law requires cremation.
Where possible, the body of a deceased member who has been endowed should be dressed in temple clothing when it is cremated. A funeral service may be held (see 18.6).
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That suggests to me that there is now no formal policy beyond this, and that a family is free to make whatever arrangements they care to, without crossing any line. Whether this was general policy or the understanding of the one answering these questions, I do not yet know.
Tiffany, this is only my reasoning and maybe someone else would reason differently, but since dedications are of the grave to be a resting place until the resurrection, I wouldn’t expect anyone, under any policy, to object to dedicating a grave with cremains rather than an intact body … but then again, we should never underestimate the capacity of people to object to anything … The grave dedication is not a necessary thing, or related to salvation, of course, since the condition of the body has no effect on eventual resurrection, so I think dedications are more for the comfort of survivors than for any tangible effect (maybe J. Stapley will drop by and comment on this), and we don’t dedicate oceans for those buried at sea.
HokieKate, that’s another question I don’t know.I do know that at least as far back as the ’40s, Primary classes made temple excursions for baptisms, so this 1966-67 practice was a longstanding one.
I turned 12 in 1971 and in 1972 made my first temple baptism trip (I wrote about it here). I’m sure it was the first time that option was available to me, that it was never even thought of when I was any younger than that — so the policy apparently changed sometime between 1966 and 1971. Why, I don’t know. (Speculation–> So many policies and procedures changed in 1970 as a result of Correlation, and I can see this falling under Correlation as a way of systematizing temple baptisms fully under priesthood direction by ruling out Primary participation and restricting them to boys with the Aaronic priesthood and girls of the same age, but I do not know that. <--Speculation)
I guess that the age for baptisms for the dead changed in 1962. I say that because my dad was born in 1950 and he says they changed it when he turned 12. He was able to go to the temple when he was 8 but his younger sister had to wait till she was 12.
of course, now I see the dates of the magazine in the original post and see that I am probably misremembering because those dates don’t match at all.
It’s always hard to know, isn’t it, JRL? It’s possible that a local stake had rules that were different, too — if the kids in a ward had to stay somewhere overnight when they traveled to a temple, for instance, there may have been a rule that children under 12 couldn’t go. Or something else.
I’m looking forward to J. Stapley’s book on ordinances. Don’t know whether he gets into policies like these, but it will certainly answer some questions.
So here’s something interesting. From the 1963 Handbook:
“Every Church member eight years of age or over must have a recommend to enter the temple. A group recommend may be issued for those eight to eleven years of age, to holders of the Aaronic Priesthood, and girls of corresponding ages who desire to go to the temple as a group to do baptismal work for the dead” (p. 73).
And a follow-up. From the next Handbook (issued in 1968):
“Every Church member eight years of age or over must have a current recommend to enter the temple. A group recommend may be issued for baptisms for the dead to holders of the Aaronic Priesthood and to girls of corresponding ages who desire to go to the temple as a group” (p. 90).
The change seems to have occurred sometime between 1963 and 1968.
I attended a graveside service last Saturday for my husband’s cousin. His body was cremated, but he was being buried in the family plot near his father’s grave (And future grave of his mother.) He was not local, but this was were the family owned a plot, so the mother’s bishop, rather than his own bishop, presided. The urn was set on a carpet of fake grass covering the plot, and the oldest brother dedicated the grave.
“Would I be allowed to play in church at times?” In this church, if you can play hymns, you eventually will.
All fascinating stuff! I love seeing how church policies evolve and change.
Gary quotes the 1963 handbook:
“Every Church member eight years of age or over must have a recommend to enter the temple”
There are circumstances where those between eight and twelve need recommends today — such as when children are sealed to their parents. If the child is older than 8, then they must be baptized and get a temple recommend, even though they can’t go to the temple to do baptisms for the dead.
Of course, those younger than eight don’t need a recommend to go to the temple, though they can if they are being sealed to their parents. [And, of course, they can’t for other ordinances.]
I never heard of the youth doing baptisms for the dead in the temples when I was growing up. It was never discussed in Primary or Mutual.
That’s interesting, Maurine. I can remember being part of a youth group in the midish- to late 1960s traveling en masse from Provo to the Manti temple to perform baptisms for the dead. The recommend process was also performed as a group. I must’ve been around 12.
These are all so very interesting. Thank you for sharing them! The bits on children are so poignant to me. The idea of children dying is terrorizing, and I am empathetic to these parents who have existential questions of church ordinances layered on them.
I think that your responses about grave dedication make sense, Ardis. At this point grave dedication had only been an “ordinance” for two decades (though it had been around since the late 1870s) so it doesn’t surprise me that there are questions popping up like this, and being handled on a sort of ad hoc basis.