FAMILY

G U I D E B O O K

Published byThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Salt Lake City, Utah

FAMILY

G U I D E B O O K

© 1992, 1999, 2001, 2006 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc.All rights reserved

Printed in the United States of America

English approval: 2/06

Contents“The Family: A Proclamation to the World” iv

Organization and Purpose of the Family 1

Teaching the Gospel in the Home 4

Fulfilling Family Responsibilities 12

Leadership Training 15

Holding Worship Services at Home (For Families in Isolated Areas) 16

Priesthood Ordinances and Blessings 18

Obtaining Church Materials and Locating Information on Family History 26

In 1995, the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles issued“The Family: A Proclamation to the World.” This proclamation is a declarationand reaffirmation of doctrines and practices that prophets have stated repeat-edly throughout the history of the Church. It contains principles that are vitalto the happiness and well-being of every family. Family members should studythe proclamation and should live by its precepts.

“The Family: A Proclamation to the World”

“We, the First Presidency and theCouncil of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim thatmarriage between a man and awoman is ordained of God and thatthe family is central to the Creator’splan for the eternal destiny of Hischildren.

“All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Eachis a beloved spirit son or daughter ofheavenly parents, and, as such, eachhas a divine nature and destiny.Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, andeternal identity and purpose.

“In the premortal realm, spirit sonsand daughters knew and worshipedGod as their Eternal Father and ac-cepted His plan by which His childrencould obtain a physical body and gainearthly experience to progress towardperfection and ultimately realize his or her divine destiny as an heir of eter-nal life. The divine plan of happinessenables family relationships to be per-petuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available

in holy temples make it possible forindividuals to return to the presenceof God and for families to be unitedeternally.

“The first commandment that Godgave to Adam and Eve pertained totheir potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare thatGod’s commandment for His childrento multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declarethat God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between manand woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.

“We declare the means by which mortal life is created to be divinelyappointed. We affirm the sanctity oflife and of its importance in God’seternal plan.

“Husband and wife have a solemn re-sponsibility to love and care for eachother and for their children. ‘Childrenare an heritage of the Lord’ (Psalms127:3). Parents have a sacred duty torear their children in love and righ-teousness, to provide for their physi-cal and spiritual needs, to teach them

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to love and serve one another, to ob-serve the commandments of God andto be law-abiding citizens whereverthey live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the dis-charge of these obligations.

“The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Chil-dren are entitled to birth within thebonds of matrimony, and to be rearedby a father and a mother who honormarital vows with complete fidelity.Happiness in family life is most likelyto be achieved when founded uponthe teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ.Successful marriages and families areestablished and maintained on prin-ciples of faith, prayer, repentance, for-giveness, respect, love, compassion,work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers areto preside over their families in loveand righteousness and are responsibleto provide the necessities of life and

protection for their families. Mothersare primarily responsible for the nur-ture of their children. In these sacredresponsibilities, fathers and mothersare obligated to help one another asequal partners. Disability, death, orother circumstances may necessitateindividual adaptation. Extended families should lend support whenneeded.

“We warn that individuals who vio-late covenants of chastity, who abusespouse or offspring, or who fail to ful-fill family responsibilities will one daystand accountable before God. Further,we warn that the disintegration of thefamily will bring upon individuals,communities, and nations the calami-ties foretold by ancient and modernprophets.

“We call upon responsible citizensand officers of government every-where to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthenthe family as the fundamental unit of society” (Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102).

OrganizationThe family is sacred in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saintsand is the most important social unitin time and eternity. God has estab-lished families to bring happiness to His children, allow them to learn

correct principles in a loving atmos-phere, and prepare them for eternallife.

The home is the best place to teach,learn, and apply gospel principles. It is where individuals learn to pro-vide the food, clothing, shelter, andother necessities they need. The father and mother, as equal partners,should help each family member:

• Seek the truth and develop faith in God.

• Repent of sins, be baptized for theremission of sins, become a mem-ber of The Church of Jesus Christof Latter-day Saints, and receivethe Holy Ghost.

Organization and Purpose of the Family

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• Obey the commandments of God,study the scriptures diligently, offerpersonal prayers daily, and serveothers.

• Share the gospel with others.

• Be endowed and be married in thetemple to a worthy companion foreternity, create a happy home forthe family, and support the familyby love and sacrifice.

• Search for information about deceased ancestors and perform temple ordinances for them.

• Provide the nourishment requiredfor spiritual, social, physical, andemotional health.

The father presides over the familyand is responsible to teach the chil-dren and provide the necessities of

life for the family. A worthy and eligi-ble father in the Church has the oppor-tunity to hold the priesthood, which isthe power and authority to act in thename of God. With this power and authority, the father becomes the priest-hood leader of his family. He leads hisfamily in preparing to return to thepresence of our Heavenly Father. Hiswife is his most important companion,partner, and counselor. Husband andwife should counsel together on allmatters that affect the family andhome.

The father should provide for the spiri-tual needs of his family. He shouldsee that they are taught the gospel ofJesus Christ and should do all he canto encourage them and help themobey the Lord’s commandments.

A father who holds the priesthoodcan bless his family members andprovide for their spiritual needs. By the authority of the appropriatepriesthood and with authorization from his priesthood leader, the fathercan:

1. Name and bless children.

2. Baptize children (and others).

3. Confirm children (and others)members of the Church and conferupon them the Holy Ghost.

4. Confer the priesthood upon hissons (and others) and ordain themto offices in the priesthood.

5. Bless and pass the sacrament.

6. Dedicate graves.

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Without authorization from his priest-hood leader, a father who holds theMelchizedek Priesthood can conse-crate oil and bless members of hisfamily and others when they are illand give them special blessings atother times when the need arises. (See pages 18–25 in this guidebookfor instructions on performing priest-hood ordinances and blessings.)

The father is to see that his family is actively involved in three basic responsibilities:

1. Personal and family spiritual andtemporal preparedness.

2. Sharing the gospel.

3. Family history and temple ordi-nances for the living and the dead.

The mother is an equal partner andcounselor to her husband. She helpshim teach their children the laws ofGod. If there is no father in the home,the mother presides over the family.

The father and mother must be one in purpose. Their goal should be toprepare all members of the family to return to our Heavenly Father.They should be united as they worktoward this goal. The Lord has estab-lished the Church to help fathers andmothers teach and take care of theirfamilies.

When children come into the family,parents are to love them, teach themthe truths of the gospel, and be exam-ples of righteous living. Children areto learn and keep the commandments

of God. They are to honor and obeytheir parents.

The strength of the Church dependson families and individuals who livethe gospel of Jesus Christ. The extentto which a family enjoys the blessingsof the gospel depends largely on howwell the father and the mother under-stand and perform their basic dutiesas parents. The Church never intendsto give programs or responsibilities to fathers and mothers that will over-whelm or discourage them or causethem to neglect these most basic duties.

PurposeBecause our Heavenly Father lovesus, He wants us to become exalted as He is. To help us, He has given us a plan to follow based on divinelaws of truth. Those who learn aboutthe plan and follow it faithfully cansomeday become like our Father inHeaven and enjoy the kind of life He lives.

Part of the plan was for us to leaveheaven and come to earth. Here wegain a physical body, learn throughexperiences, and prove ourselvesworthy to live again in the presenceof God. We prove ourselves worthyby freely choosing to keep His laws.(See Abraham 3:23–25; 2 Nephi 2:27.)

To help us prepare ourselves for lifewith Him, our Heavenly Father hasorganized us into families. Throughsacred ordinances and covenants, our families can be united eternally.

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Teaching Children withKindness and LoveThe Lord has commanded parents to teach the gospel to their children.He said:

“Inasmuch as parents have childrenin Zion, or in any of her stakes whichare organized, that teach them not to understand the doctrine of repen-tance, faith in Christ the Son of theliving God, and of baptism and thegift of the Holy Ghost by the layingon of the hands, when eight yearsold, the sin be upon the heads of theparents.

“For this shall be a law unto the inhabitants of Zion, or in any of her stakes which are organized.

“And their children shall be baptizedfor the remission of their sins wheneight years old, and receive the layingon of the hands.

“And they shall also teach their chil-dren to pray, and to walk uprightlybefore the Lord” (D&C 68:25–28).

Parents should teach with kindnessand love, remembering the ApostlePaul’s counsel to “bring [their chil-dren] up in the nurture and admoni-tion of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).

Family Scripture StudyWe can become like our HeavenlyFather and enjoy the kind of life Helives only by keeping the laws uponwhich that blessing is based (seeD&C 130:20–21). Before we can live

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Teaching the Gospel in the Home

by those laws, we must know whatthey are. “It is impossible for a man tobe saved in ignorance” (D&C 131:6).

Jesus Christ is our leader and law-giver. He knows the way and thelaws we must keep, and He has in-vited each of us to follow Him. Hesaid, “I am the way, the truth, and thelife: no man cometh unto the Father,but by me” (John 14:6). To becomelike our Heavenly Father and returnto Him, we must learn the teachingsof Jesus and follow them. We havethe scriptures to help us learn aboutthe life, teachings, and command-ments of Jesus Christ.

The four books that the Church ac-cepts as scripture are the Bible, theBook of Mormon, the Doctrine andCovenants, and the Pearl of GreatPrice. They explain the laws of thegospel and the standards by whichwe can measure all thoughts, actions,and teachings. They help us learnabout the life and teachings of JesusChrist and give examples of peoplewho had faith in God and kept Hiscommandments.

Jesus has taught us to search andstudy the scriptures (see John 5:39; 3 Nephi 23:1; D&C 88:118).

Families should study the scripturestogether regularly to learn and followthe teachings of the Lord. Parentsshould gather their families togetherat a regular time each day to read and discuss the scriptures. Each family member who can read should

have an opportunity to read from thescriptures.

A family member may offer a prayerbefore the scripture reading and askHeavenly Father to bless each one tounderstand what is read and to gain a testimony of it. Families may wantto have their family prayer followingthe scripture reading.

As families read and ponder thescriptures, they will want to becomemore like the Savior and will findgreater happiness and peace in theirlives.

Individual and FamilyPrayersEach of us must learn to talk to ourFather in Heaven through prayer. He loves us and wants us to talk toHim. He wants us to thank Him forour blessings and ask for His helpand guidance. He will help us whenwe ask. Most prayers are offered with our heads bowed and our eyesclosed while we kneel, sit, or stand.

We need to remember four importantprinciples when we pray:

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1. We begin our prayers by speakingto our Father in Heaven: “OurFather in Heaven . . .”

2. We thank our Father in Heaven forthe things He gives us: “We thankThee . . .”

3. We ask Him for the help we need:“We ask Thee . . .”

4. We close our prayer in the name ofthe Savior: “In the name of JesusChrist, amen.”

Our prayers do not always have tofollow all four of these steps, but having them in mind will help uslearn to pray. We should always beginand end our prayers with the firstand last steps but what we say in the middle will depend on what wefeel is important. Sometimes we willwant to spend most of our prayerthanking our Heavenly Father. Atother times we may want to spendmost of our prayer asking for Hishelp.

Individual Prayers

Each person should pray individu-ally at least once each morning andevening. Parents should teach chil-dren to offer their personal prayers as soon as they begin to talk. Parentscan teach children how to pray bykneeling with them and having themrepeat one sentence at a time. Soonchildren will be able to offer theirown prayers.

Family Prayers

Every family should have daily fam-ily prayer. The whole family kneelstogether, and the head of the familyoffers the prayer or asks a familymember to offer it. Everyone shouldhave a regular opportunity to offerthe prayer. Small children can taketheir turns with their parents helpingthem. Family prayer time is an excel-lent occasion for teaching childrenhow to pray and for teaching suchprinciples as faith in God, humility,and love.

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Special Prayers

Parents should teach their childrenthat God is always ready to hear theirprayers. In addition to their regularindividual and family prayers, theycan pray at any time they need spe-cial help or want to express thanks.

Blessing the Food

Parents should see that family mem-bers learn to thank God for their foodand ask Him to bless it before theyeat. Each person, including youngchildren, should take a turn offeringthe blessing. Offering a prayer for ablessing on the food helps parentsand children learn to be thankful toour Heavenly Father.

Family Home EveningFamily home evening is for everyone,including recently married couples,fathers and mothers with children,single parents with children, parentswho have no children at home, singleadults in home evening groups, andthose who live alone or with room-mates. Everyone, regardless of theircircumstances, will be blessed byholding family home evenings.

The Church keeps Monday eveningsfree of other activities so families canbe together for family home evening.

The First Presidency said: “We prom-ise you great blessings if you will follow the Lord’s counsel and holdregular family home evenings. Wepray constantly that parents in theChurch will accept their responsibil-ity to teach and exemplify gospelprinciples to their children. May Godbless you to be diligent in this mostimportant responsibility” (“Messagefrom the First Presidency,” FamilyHome Evening Resource Book [1983], iv).

As patriarch of his family, the fatherpresides at family home evening. In the absence of a father, the motherpresides. Parents conduct or appointa family member to conduct thehome evening. They teach the lessonor delegate the teaching to children who are old enough to teach. Every-one who is old enough should haveopportunities to participate. Youngerchildren can help in such ways asleading music, quoting scriptures, answering questions, holding pictures,passing out refreshments, and pray-ing.

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A suggested outline for family homeevening follows:

• Opening song (by the family)

• Opening prayer (by a family mem-ber)

• Poem or scripture reading (by afamily member)

• Lesson (by the father, mother, or an older child)

• Activity (led by a family memberand with all family members par-ticipating)

• Closing song (by the family)

• Closing prayer (by a family mem-ber)

• Refreshments

A family can hold home evening inmany other ways. Any activity thatbrings the family together, strengthenstheir love for each other, helps themdraw closer to Heavenly Father, andencourages them to live righteouslycan be a family home evening. Exam-ples of such activities include readingthe scriptures, discussing the gospel,sharing testimonies, doing a serviceproject, singing together, going on a picnic, playing a family game, andhiking. All family home eveningsshould include prayer.

Family home evening lessons can be based on the scriptures; words oflatter-day prophets, particularly gen-eral conference addresses; and per-sonal experiences and testimonies.Many lessons should be centered on

the birth, life, teachings, and Atone-ment of the Savior. Gospel Principles,Gospel Fundamentals, True to the Faith,For the Strength of Youth, and Churchmagazines contain articles and otherinformation on many subjects thatcould be part of family home eveninglessons.

Suggested discussion topics for homeevening follow:

• The plan of salvation

• The life and teachings of Jesus

• Repentance

• Prayer

• Fasting

• The Word of Wisdom

• The Lord’s standard of morality

• The meaning of the sacrament

• Tithing

• Gratitude

• Honesty

• Reverence for God and respect forHis creations

• Preparing for baptism, priesthoodordination, or marriage

• Preparing to enter the temple

• Reading the scriptures

• Keeping the Sabbath day holy

• Forgiving others

• Gaining and sharing a testimony

• Sharing the gospel with others

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• Compiling family histories

• Understanding and acceptingdeath

• Solving family problems

• Managing family finances

• Sharing family household work

• Appreciating and enjoying music

Holidays and SpecialOccasionsHolidays and special occasions, suchas Christmas; Easter; the anniversaryof the restoration of the priesthood;conferences; departure of a familymember for a mission; or the birth,baptism, or ordination of a familymember, can be excellent opportuni-ties to teach the truths of the gospel.

Tithing and Offerings

The Lord has commanded His peopleto live the law of tithing and be worthyof the promised blessings (see Malachi3:8–11).

An excellent time for parents to teachthe law of tithing and offerings is

when they pay their own. Childrenare influenced by what they see theirparents do. Children who receive anallowance should pay tithing on it.Each child could have three differentcontainers for money: one for tithing,one for a mission, and one for spend-ing money. Each time children re-ceive money, they should learn to put10 percent into the tithing bank first,then some amount into the missionbank, and the balance into the spend-ing-money bank.

When children pay tithing, parentsshould teach them to fill out a tithingslip, put it into an envelope with themoney, and give or send the envelopeto a member of their bishopric orbranch presidency. Families living inan isolated area should give tithing to their designated priesthood leader.

Mealtime DiscussionsMealtimes can be good occasions fortalking about the gospel. Small chil-dren like to ask and answer gospelquestions. When they do not knowthe answers, the father or mother can give brief answers and teach thegospel. Not every mealtime needs to include a gospel discussion, butsuch a discussion two or three times a week can help the family learn thegospel.

Bedtime StoriesBecause most children love bedtimestories, they provide an excellent opportunity for teaching the gospelby telling or reading stories from the

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scriptures, Church publications, orpersonal experiences. Stories abouthonesty, sharing, and kindness teachimportant gospel principles.

Working Together

Many opportunities for teaching thegospel arise as families work togetheraround the home. While cleaning the house or working in the yard orgarden, for example, parents shouldbe alert for opportunities to talkabout the gospel. A child will oftenask questions. Parents should alwaystake time to give simple answers.Comments like “You are a goodworker. I’m sure Heavenly Father is proud of you” or “Look at thebeautiful clouds Heavenly Father has made” can give children a feel-ing of gratitude to our HeavenlyFather and an assurance that He is real.

Family CouncilsParents may call family members together in a family council. Familiescan use these councils to set familygoals, resolve family problems, dis-cuss finances, make plans, support

and strengthen each other, bear testimony, and pray for each other. A council may be held wheneverneeded. Parents may want to hold a family council each Sunday or inconnection with family home eve-ning. Respect for the opinions andfeelings of others is essential to thesuccess of family councils.

Private InterviewsMany parents find that regular, privateinterviews with each child help themdraw close to their children, encour-age them, and teach them the gospel.Such interviews may be formal or informal and may be held often.

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The parent should express love forand confidence in the child, and thechild should have an opportunity toexpress his or her feelings about anysubject, problem, or experience. Theparent should listen carefully andshould take the child’s problems andconfidences seriously. The parent and child may want to pray together.Problems arising from the interviewthat involve other family memberscould be handled in the next familyhome evening.

Family ActivitiesParents should often plan times tohave the entire family do things together. Picnics, camping, familyprojects, home and yard work, swim-ming, hiking, and wholesome moviesand other entertainment are a few of the many activities that familiescan enjoy together.

A family that enjoys activities together will feel greater love andharmony. Children will be more willing to listen to their parents andfollow their advice when they feelclose to them. Parents will be able to teach the gospel more effectively.

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The mission of the Lord’s Church isto help all people come unto Christ.Families can help accomplish thismission as they:

1. Provide for their own spiritual andphysical needs and help meet theneeds of others.

2. Share the gospel with others.

3. See that family members receivetemple ordinances and help providethese blessings for their ancestorswho have died.

Spiritual and Physical Needs

Spiritual Needs

The previous section of this guide-book, “Teaching the Gospel in the

Home,” contains information on howfamilies can provide for their spiritualneeds.

Physical Needs

Families are to become self-reliant sothey can provide for their own physi-cal needs and help others. To becomeself-reliant, family members must be willing to work. Work is physical,mental, or spiritual effort. It is a sourceof accomplishment, happiness, self-esteem, and prosperity. Parents shouldstrive to be self-reliant and shouldteach their children likewise. Beingself-reliant will enable them to helpthose in need.

Fathers are responsible to provide thenecessities of life and protection for

Fulfilling Family Responsibilities

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their families. Mothers are primarilyresponsible for the nurture of theirchildren. Parents see that the familyhas a clean home, wholesome food,clothing, medical and dental care, educational opportunities, instruc-tion in managing financial resources,and, if possible, training in how togrow some of their own food. Parentsshould teach their children how toprepare their food and how to pre-serve it for later use.

Parents should be willing to workhard to provide for these physicalneeds. “And ye will not suffer yourchildren that they go hungry, ornaked” (Mosiah 4:14). Parents shouldplan and prepare to provide for fam-ily needs in times of illness, disaster,unemployment, or other difficulties.If the father has trouble providing for the physical needs of his familyand if other family members are un-able to help, he may seek assistancethrough priesthood leaders.

Children can help provide for thephysical needs of their families byhelping their parents with their work,studying well in school, taking care oftheir clothing and other possessions,keeping themselves and their homeclean and neat, and maintaining goodhealth.

Family members should improve theirability to read, write, and do basicarithmetic and should take advantageof every opportunity to obtain knowl-edge and improve skills. They should

obey the Word of Wisdom and eathealthful foods. Where possible, fami-lies should store a year’s supply, or as much as possible, of the basic itemsneeded to sustain life. Family mem-bers should avoid unnecessary debt,save for the future, meet all of theirobligations, and use their resourceswisely, avoiding waste.

Parents should teach their children to share with others. Nearly every-one can give something, no matterhow little they have. One way to help those in need is by fasting eachmonth and contributing fast offer-ings, which are used to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, clothethe naked, and relieve the afflicted.We show our love for the Lord whenwe help others. He said, “Inasmuchas ye have done it unto one of theleast of these my brethren, ye havedone it unto me” (Matthew 25:40).

Sharing the GospelThe Lord, through His latter-dayprophets, has taught that every

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member of the Church has the re-sponsibility to share the gospel withothers. “It becometh every man whohath been warned to warn his neigh-bor” (D&C 88:81). Alma, a prophet inthe Book of Mormon, explained thatwhen we are baptized we should bewilling “to stand as witnesses of Godat all times and in all things, and inall places” (Mosiah 18:9).

Family members should do all theycan to help their relatives, friends,and neighbors learn about the gospelof Jesus Christ and the blessings itcan bring into their lives. By sharingthe gospel, parents and children canstrengthen their own testimonies andbring the blessings of the gospel toothers. Families can:

• Be good examples by obeying allthe commandments (see Matthew5:16).

• Be grateful for their membership inthe Church (see Romans 1:16) andlet other people know they aremembers.

• Ask acquaintances if they wouldlike to know more about theChurch.

• Ask the Lord to help them select afamily or individual who is readyto hear the gospel.

• Introduce the family or individualto the Church in some way, such asby inviting them to a family homeevening or to a Church meeting oractivity, giving them Church booksor pamphlets to read, or talking

with them about the blessings ofthe gospel.

• Invite the family or individual intotheir home to be taught by the mis-sionaries.

Parents have the responsibility to pre-pare themselves and their children toserve full-time missions. To preparechildren, especially sons, parentsshould teach the gospel in the home,have personal and family scripturestudy and prayers, and talk oftenabout the responsibilities and bless-ings of sharing the gospel. They canteach their children to save money formissions, work hard, be self-reliant,and love and serve other people.

Temple Ordinances for theLiving and the Dead

In temples, worthy Church membersreceive sacred ordinances and enterinto covenants with God. They alsoparticipate in ordinance work for theirdeceased ancestors. Where possible,the father and mother should each

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obtain a temple recommend from their priesthood leaders and go to atemple to receive their own temple ordinances. If they are unable to go to a temple, they should live worthilyof a temple recommend.

Families have the sacred responsi-bility to ensure that temple ordinancesare performed for their ancestors whohave died without receiving them.Church members who have receivedtheir own ordinances should return to the temple as often as time, means,and temple availability permit to per-form ordinances for their ancestors.

Fathers and mothers should gatherwritten records of important events in their lives and in the lives of their

children, including certificates ofblessings, baptisms, ordinations, marriages, and deaths; important letters; photographs; news clippings;and similar items. They should com-pile their own personal histories and should encourage each familymember to keep a personal history.They should help younger childrenbegin their own personal histories.

Families should gather informationabout their ancestors and compile it into family histories. They shouldbegin by compiling information ontheir most recent four generations.

Leadership Training

Under the direction of stake, mission,or district leaders, priesthood and auxiliary leaders are to teach parentsto understand and perform the threebasic family responsibilities (see pages12–15). Leaders should teach fathersand mothers how to lead their fami-lies. If a family lives in an isolated area,the stake, mission, or district leadersare to see that parents learn and fulfilltheir responsibilities.

Some families live in isolated areasand cannot regularly attend ward orbranch meetings. With authorizationfrom the stake, mission, or district presi-dent, such families should hold Sun-day worship services in their home.In areas that do not have establishedChurch units, families need the au-thorization of the Area President.

The father or another priesthoodholder may prepare and bless thesacrament if he is worthy, is a priest in the Aaronic Priesthood or holds the Melchizedek Priesthood, and haspermission from his priesthood leaders.Any priesthood holder may pass the sacrament. Instructions for admin-istering the sacrament are on pages21–23 of this guidebook.

A Sunday worship service should be simple, reverent, and dignified. It may consist of:

1. Opening hymn

2. Opening prayer

3. Blessing and passing of the sacrament

4. One or more of the following items:

• One or two short talks or testimonies

• Scripture reading and discussionas a family

• A lesson by a family member

5. Closing hymn

6. Closing prayer

Holding Worship Services at Home(For Families in Isolated Areas)

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In planning a Sunday worship ser-vice, parents should seek and followthe guidance of the Spirit of the Lord.People of the Book of Mormon gavean example of this kind of service:“And their meetings were conducted . . . after the manner of the workingsof the Spirit, and by the power of the Holy Ghost; for as the power ofthe Holy Ghost led them whether to preach, or to exhort, or to pray, or to supplicate, or to sing, even so it was done” (Moroni 6:9).

The family should use the scripturesas their basic guide. In addition, theymay use general conference addresses,Gospel Fundamentals, Gospel Principles,True to the Faith, For the Strength ofYouth, missionary pamphlets, Churchmagazines, and other Church publi-cations and audiovisual items.

If no one in the family holds the appropriate priesthood, the father

or mother may gather family mem-bers together to sing hymns, studythe scriptures, pray, and draw closertogether and to Heavenly Father. The family’s designated priesthoodleader is to arrange periodic oppor-tunities for the family to receive thesacrament.

Parents should have weekday activi-ties, such as hikes, picnics, wholesomemovies, visiting relatives, sports, musical programs, and swimming.

The family should give tithing, fastofferings, and other contributions totheir designated priesthood leader.

The family submits no written reports to the Church, but their designatedpriesthood leader interviews the fatherregularly, asking him to report on thefamily. Where necessary, leaders mayconduct these interviews by telephone.

Priesthood ordinances are sacred acts given by the Lord and performedby the authority of the priesthood.Priesthood blessings are given by theauthority of the priesthood for heal-ing, comfort, and encouragement.Brethren who perform ordinancesand blessings should prepare them-selves by living according to gospelprinciples and striving to be guidedby the Holy Spirit. They should per-form each ordinance and blessing in a dignified manner and complywith the following requirements; the ordinance should be:

1. Performed in the name of JesusChrist.

2. Performed by the authority of thepriesthood.

3. Performed with any necessary pro-cedures, such as using specifiedwords or using consecrated oil.

4. Authorized by the designatedpriesthood leader who holds theproper keys, if necessary.

Ordinances that require priesthood leaderauthorization are naming and blessingchildren, performing baptisms and con-firmations, conferring the priesthood andordaining to a priesthood office, blessingand passing the sacrament, and dedicat-ing graves.

When several brethren participate inan ordinance or blessing, each oneplaces his left hand lightly on theshoulder of the brother to his left. Thepractice of inviting large numbers of

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Priesthood Ordinances and Blessings

priesthood holders to assist is dis-couraged.

The ordinances and blessings explainedin this section will help fathers serveas patriarchs in their families.

Naming and Blessing Children

“Every member of the church ofChrist having children is to bringthem unto the elders before thechurch, who are to lay their handsupon them in the name of JesusChrist, and bless them in his name”(D&C 20:70). In conformity with this revelation, only worthy men who hold the Melchizedek Priest-hood may participate in naming and blessing children. The ordinance of naming and blessing children re-quires authorization from the presidingauthority.

When blessing a baby, men who holdthe Melchizedek Priesthood gather in a circle and hold the baby in theirhands. When blessing an older child,

brethren place their hands lightly onthe child’s head. The person whogives the blessing:

1. Addresses Heavenly Father.

2. States that the blessing is given bythe authority of the MelchizedekPriesthood.

3. Gives the child a name.

4. Gives a priesthood blessing as theSpirit directs.

5. Closes in the name of Jesus Christ.

BaptismUnder the direction of the presiding authority, a worthy priest or man whoholds the Melchizedek Priesthoodmay perform a baptism. To do so, he:

1. Stands in the water with the personwho will be baptized.

2. For convenience and safety, holdsthe person’s right wrist with his lefthand; the person being baptizedholds the left wrist of the one per-forming the baptism with his or her left hand.

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3. Raises his right arm to the square.

4. States the person’s full name andsays, “Having been commissionedof Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of theSon, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen”(D&C 20:73).

5. Has the person hold his or hernose with the right hand for conve-nience; the one performing the baptism places his right hand highon the person’s back and immersesthe person completely, includingthe person’s clothing.

6. Helps the person come up out ofthe water.

Two priests or men who hold theMelchizedek Priesthood witness eachbaptism to be sure it is performedproperly. The baptism must be re-peated if the words are not spoken exactly as given in Doctrine andCovenants 20:73 or if part of the person’s body or clothing was not immersed completely. The personbeing baptized and the person per-forming the ordinance are to wearwhite clothing that is not transparentwhen wet.

ConfirmationConverts who are age nine or olderand those who are eight whose par-ents are both nonmembers are con-firmed in a sacrament meeting (seeD&C 20:41). Eight-year-old childrenmay be confirmed immediately afterthe baptism at the baptism location if at least one parent is a member of

the Church and both parents give per-mission for the baptism and confirma-tion. Under the direction of the bishop or branch president, one or more menwho hold the Melchizedek Priesthood may perform this ordinance. Theyplace their hands lightly on the per-son’s head. The one who performs the ordinance:

1. States the person’s full name.

2. States that the ordinance is per-formed by the authority of theMelchizedek Priesthood.

3. Confirms the person a member of The Church of Jesus Christ ofLatter-day Saints.

4. Bestows the gift of the Holy Ghostby saying, “Receive the HolyGhost.”

5. Gives a priesthood blessing as theSpirit directs.

6. Closes in the name of Jesus Christ.

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Conferring the Priesthoodand Ordaining to PriesthoodOffices

The bishop or branch president overseesthe conferral of the Aaronic Priesthoodand ordinations to the offices of deacon,teacher, and priest. Before a person isordained to an office in the AaronicPriesthood, he must be interviewedby the bishop or branch presidentand found worthy. Also, he must besustained in a sacrament meeting.With the authorization of the bishopor branch president, a priest may confer the Aaronic Priesthood uponanother person and ordain him to an Aaronic Priesthood office.

The stake or mission president oversees theconferral of the Melchizedek Priesthoodand ordination to the offices of elder andhigh priest.

To confer the priesthood or ordain aperson to a priesthood office, one ormore men who hold the requiredpriesthood and who have been autho-rized by the presiding authority placetheir hands lightly on the person’s

head. The one who performs the ordinance:

1. Calls the person by his full name.

2. States the authority (Aaronic orMelchizedek Priesthood) by whichthe ordination is being performed.

3. Confers the Aaronic or MelchizedekPriesthood, unless it has been con-ferred earlier.

4. Ordains the person to an office inthe Aaronic or Melchizedek Priest-hood and bestows the rights, pow-ers, and authority of that office.

5. Gives a priesthood blessing as theSpirit directs.

6. Closes in the name of Jesus Christ.

Sacrament

The sacrament is a very sacred ordi-nance. Partaking of the sacramentprovides opportunity to rememberthe life, teachings, and Atonement ofJesus Christ. It is a time to renew thecovenants made with the Lord at thetime of baptism (see Mosiah 18:8–10).

Teachers and priests may prepare the sacrament; priests may bless it;and deacons, teachers, and priests

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may pass it. Brethren who hold theMelchizedek Priesthood may prepare,bless, and pass the sacrament but nor-mally will do so only when too fewAaronic Priesthood brethren areavailable. If a person has committed a serious transgression, he should notprepare, bless, or pass the sacramentuntil he has repented and resolvedthe matter with his bishop or branchpresident.

Those who prepare, bless, or pass the sacrament are administering thisordinance to others on behalf of theLord. Each one who holds the priest-hood should approach this assign-ment with a solemn, reverent attitude.He should be well groomed, clean,and dressed modestly. Personal ap-pearance should reflect the sacred-ness of the ordinance.

Brethren who prepare the sacramentshould do so before the meeting be-gins. They place unbroken bread inclean bread trays and place trays ofsacrament cups containing freshwater on the sacrament table. Theycover the bread and water with aclean, white cloth.

During the sacrament hymn, those at the sacrament table remove thecloth from the bread trays and breakthe bread into small pieces. After thehymn, the person who blesses thebread kneels and offers the sacramentprayer for the bread. Brethren thenpass the bread to those present in areverent and orderly manner. Thepresiding authority at the meeting receives the sacrament first. When

everyone present has had an oppor-tunity to partake of the bread, thosepassing it return their trays to thesacrament table. Those blessing thesacrament cover the trays again assoon as the bread has been passed.

Those at the sacrament table removethe cloth from the water trays. Theperson who blesses the water kneelsand offers the sacrament prayer forthe water. Brethren then pass thewater to those present. The trays arereturned to the sacrament table andare covered again. The brethren whobless and pass the sacrament thentake their seats with the congregation.

The sacrament is for Church mem-bers, including children. The personconducting the meeting should notannounce that it will be passed tomembers only; nothing should bedone to prevent nonmembers frompartaking of it.

The sacrament prayers are to be spoken clearly, accurately, and withdignity. If the person who blesses the sacrament makes an error in thewording and does not correct it himself, the bishop or branch presi-dent asks him to repeat the prayerand offer it correctly.

The prayer on the bread follows:

“O God, the Eternal Father, we askthee in the name of thy Son, JesusChrist, to bless and sanctify this breadto the souls of all those who partakeof it, that they may eat in remem-brance of the body of thy Son, andwitness unto thee, O God, the Eternal

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Father, that they are willing to takeupon them the name of thy Son, andalways remember him and keep hiscommandments which he has giventhem; that they may always have hisSpirit to be with them. Amen” (D&C20:77 and Moroni 4).

The prayer on the water follows:

“O God, the Eternal Father, we askthee in the name of thy Son, JesusChrist, to bless and sanctify this[water] to the souls of all those whodrink of it, that they may do it in re-membrance of the blood of thy Son,which was shed for them; that theymay witness unto thee, O God, theEternal Father, that they do always remember him, that they may have his Spirit to be with them. Amen”(D&C 20:79 and Moroni 5).

The sacrament should be clearedfrom the table as soon as possibleafter the meeting. Any bread that remains may be used for food.

Blessing and passing the sacrament re-quires authorization from the presidingauthority.

Consecrating OilOne man (or more) who holds theMelchizedek Priesthood consecratespure olive oil for its holy purpose of anointing the sick or afflicted. The one who consecrates the oil:

1. Holds an open container of olive oil.

2. Addresses our Heavenly Father.

3. States that he is acting by theauthority of the MelchizedekPriesthood.

4. Consecrates the oil (not the con-tainer) and sets it apart for anoint-ing the sick and afflicted.

5. Closes in the name of Jesus Christ.

Administering to the SickOnly men who hold the MelchizedekPriesthood may administer to the sickor afflicted. Normally, two or moreadminister together, but one may doit alone. If consecrated oil is not avail-able, a man who holds the Melchiz-edek Priesthood may give a blessingby the authority of the priesthood.

A father who holds the MelchizedekPriesthood should administer to sickmembers of his family. He may askanother man who holds the Melchiz-edek Priesthood to assist him.

Administering to the sick has twoparts: (1) anointing with oil and (2) sealing the anointing.

Anointing with Oil

One man who holds the MelchizedekPriesthood anoints the person who issick. To do so, he:

1. Puts a drop of consecrated oil onthe person’s head.

2. Places his hands lightly on the per-son’s head and calls the person byhis or her full name.

3. States that he is anointing the per-son by the authority of the Melchiz-edek Priesthood.

4. States that he is anointing with oil that has been consecrated foranointing and blessing the sick and afflicted.

5. Closes in the name of Jesus Christ.

Sealing the Anointing

Normally, two or more men who hold the Melchizedek Priesthoodplace their hands lightly on the headof the person who is sick. One of the men seals the anointing. To do so, he:

1. Calls the person by his or her fullname.

2. States that he is sealing the anoint-ing by the authority of the Melchiz-edek Priesthood.

3. Gives a blessing as the Spirit directs.

4. Closes in the name of Jesus Christ.

Father’s Blessings and OtherBlessings of Comfort andCounsel

Father’s blessings and other priest-hood blessings are given to providedirection and comfort as guided by the Spirit.

A father who holds the MelchizedekPriesthood may give father’s bless-ings to his children. Such blessingsmay be especially helpful when chil-dren go away from home, such as to attend school or go on missions, or when they begin employment,get married, enter military service, or face unusual personal challenges.These blessings can be a great strengthto a family. A family may record a father’s blessing for family records,but it is not preserved in Churchrecords. Parents should encouragechildren to seek father’s blessings intimes of need.

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Worthy men who hold the Melchiz-edek Priesthood also may give bless-ings of comfort and counsel to theirwives, extended family members, and others who request them.

To give a father’s blessing or otherblessings of comfort and counsel, a man who holds the MelchizedekPriesthood, either alone or with one or more worthy men who hold the Melchizedek Priesthood, places his hands lightly on the head of the person receiving the blessing. No oil is necessary for such bless-ings. The one giving the blessing:

1. Calls the person by his or her fullname.

2. States that he is giving the blessingby the authority of the MelchizedekPriesthood.

3. Gives a blessing as the Spirit directs.

4. Closes in the name of Jesus Christ.

Dedicating GravesA person who dedicates a grave musthold the Melchizedek Priesthood andmust be authorized by the priesthood officer who conducts the service.

To dedicate a grave, he:

1. Addresses Heavenly Father.

2. States that he is dedicating thegrave by the authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood.

3. Dedicates and consecrates the burial plot as the resting place for the body of the deceased.

4. Where appropriate, prays that the place will be hallowed and protected until the Resurrection.

5. Asks the Lord to comfort the fam-ily and expresses other thoughts as the Spirit directs.

6. Closes in the name of Jesus Christ.

If the family prefers, a person (prefer-ably a man who holds the MelchizedekPriesthood) may offer a gravesideprayer rather than a dedicatory prayer.

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Obtaining Church Materials and Locating Information on Family History

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Local leaders and other members mayobtain Church materials, includingscriptures, courses of study, Churchmagazines, garments, and templeclothing, from their Church distribu-tion center or service center, from the Salt Lake Distribution Center, orthrough the Church’s official Internetsite, which is located at www.lds.org.

Information on family history work is available on the Church’s familyhistory Internet site, which is locatedat www.familysearch.org.

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