Is a temple recommend required to participate in a baby blessing?

[Thinking]

My daughter's new baby girl will be blessed in the near future and her bishop is requiring all who stand in the circle to have a temple recommend. Is this new?

[sunstoned]

It is new to me.  When we blessed our children (years ago), I had family members stand in who did not hold recommends.  This was the case with all four of my children, who were blessed in four different wards. 

[kllindley]

33 minutes ago, Thinking said:

My daughter's new baby girl will be blessed in the near future and her bishop is requiring all who stand in the circle to have a temple recommend. Is this new?

Unless there is some weird new guidance, that would not be possible. Many men have been ordained to the Melchizedek priesthood but have not received their endowments. It is the Bishop's responsibility to ensure that those participating are ordained and worthy.  While the recommend may seem like a convenient way to check that, I think he would be wrong to require it. 

[Hamba Tuhan]

37 minutes ago, Thinking said:

My daughter's new baby girl will be blessed in the near future and her bishop is requiring all who stand in the circle to have a temple recommend. Is this new?

If the men are from outside the ward, they will need a signed recommend to perform an ordinance OR a current temple recommend. Is this possibly the situation in your case?

[kllindley]

1 minute ago, Hamba Tuhan said:

If the men are from outside the ward, they will need a signed recommend to perform an ordinance OR a current temple recommend. Is this possibly the situation in your case?

Thanks, you put this much more clearly. 

[Duncan]

My Bishopric brother says no, unless it's not your ward but if that is the case (not your ward and no recommend) a letter or a phone call would suffice. Otherwise they should allow it

[Thinking]

6 minutes ago, Hamba Tuhan said:

If the men are from outside the ward, they will need a signed recommend to perform an ordinance OR a current temple recommend. Is this possibly the situation in your case?

There will be male family members from outside the ward.

[Hamba Tuhan]

8 minutes ago, Thinking said:

There will be male family members from outside the ward.

Then they will need recommends, either temple recommends or recommends to perform an ordinance. It's been this way since as long as I can remember (which would be my full-time mission).

Edited February 1, 2018 by Hamba Tuhan

[smac97]

24 minutes ago, kllindley said:

Unless there is some weird new guidance, that would not be possible. Many men have been ordained to the Melchizedek priesthood but have not received their endowments. It is the Bishop's responsibility to ensure that those participating are ordained and worthy.  While the recommend may seem like a convenient way to check that, I think he would be wrong to require it. 

I think this is correct.

[Jeanne]

Oh....they let my husband stand in the circle when blessings were done by grandfathers...ugh...I love some leniency given when fathers can participate.  Wishing Moms could be there too.

[Thinking]

It seems that there are some varying opinions. Does anybody have access to CH1 and could reference the policy?

[mfbukowski]

4 minutes ago, Thinking said:

It seems that there are some varying opinions. Does anybody have access to CH1 and could reference the policy?

Whoever is outside the ward will need a recommend to show they have the proper priesthood, or a call from the bishop, or a recommend to do the ordinance.  That is the policy.

What are you not understanding?

He wants folks in his ward who are MP holders to have recommends?  That would be unusual.  

[rongo]

6 minutes ago, Thinking said:

It seems that there are some varying opinions. Does anybody have access to CH1 and could reference the policy?

There's not really varying opinions. All men need to hold the Melchizedek priesthood and be authorized to use it. When travelling to other wards, you would demonstrate this either with a TR or a Recommend to Perform Ordinances. 

Inactive MP holders without grave worthiness issues can still perform ordinances, if their leaders approve it (I encourage it, because I think it's important for fathers to bless their families, etc. Assuming no grave worthiness issues. Simply not attending or not paying tithing don't render authority to perform ordinances invalid).

If you'd like, someone can post chapter and verse from CHI1.

[ksfisher]

12 minutes ago, Thinking said:

It seems that there are some varying opinions. Does anybody have access to CH1 and could reference the policy?

Handbook 2 20.1.3

Performing an Ordinance or Blessing in Another Ward

To act as voice when naming and blessing a child, baptizing or confirming a person, ordaining a person to a priesthood office, or dedicating a grave, a priesthood holder who is outside his own ward should show the presiding officer a current temple recommend or a Recommend to Perform an Ordinance form that is signed by a member of his bishopric.

https://www.lds.org/handbook/handbook-2-administering-the-church/priesthood-ordinances-and-blessings?lang=eng#20.1.3

Handbook 1 is the exact same wording.

Edited February 1, 2018 by ksfisher

[mfbukowski]

17 minutes ago, ksfisher said:

Handbook 2 20.1.3

Performing an Ordinance or Blessing in Another Ward

To act as voice when naming and blessing a child, baptizing or confirming a person, ordaining a person to a priesthood office, or dedicating a grave, a priesthood holder who is outside his own ward should show the presiding officer a current temple recommend or a Recommend to Perform an Ordinance form that is signed by a member of his bishopric.

https://www.lds.org/handbook/handbook-2-administering-the-church/priesthood-ordinances-and-blessings?lang=eng#20.1.3

Handbook 1 is the exact same wording.

Hmmmm.  He may have a point.

What if you are not "acting as voice"?

Moms?  

[ksfisher]

7 minutes ago, mfbukowski said:

Hmmmm.  He may have a point.

What if you are not "acting as voice"?

Moms?  

Handbook 2 20.1.1

Participation in Ordinances and Blessings

Only brethren who hold the necessary priesthood and are worthy may perform an ordinance or blessing or stand in the circle.

https://www.lds.org/handbook/handbook-2-administering-the-church/priesthood-ordinances-and-blessings?lang=eng

 

Nothing is mentioned in the handbook about how one would demonstrate that one is worthy to stand in the circle and that one holds the appropriate priesthood.  Other than the person acting as voice I've never seen anyone ask the other brethren for recommends. 

Edited February 1, 2018 by ksfisher

[Nevo]

Some further information:

"As guided by the Spirit and the instructions in the next paragraph, bishops and stake presidents have discretion to allow priesthood holders who are not fully temple worthy to perform or participate in some ordinances and blessings. However, presiding officers should not allow such participation if a priesthood holder has unresolved serious sins.

A bishop may allow a father who holds the Melchizedek Priesthood to name and bless his children even if the father is not fully temple worthy. Likewise, a bishop may allow a father who is a priest or Melchizedek Priesthood holder to baptize his children or to ordain his sons to offices in the Aaronic Priesthood. A Melchizedek Priesthood holder in similar circumstances may be allowed to stand in the circle for the confirmation of his children, for the conferral of the Melchizedek Priesthood on his sons, or for the setting apart of his wife or children. However, he may not act as voice." (Handbook 1, 16.1.1)

Edited February 1, 2018 by Nevo

[Guest]

14 hours ago, Thinking said:

My daughter's new baby girl will be blessed in the near future and her bishop is requiring all who stand in the circle to have a temple recommend. Is this new?

Never heard of such a thing. I blessed my two children a few weeks after becoming an Elder in 1980, I had never seen a Temple yet. I was living in West Germany (then) and the closest Temple was the Swiss Temple. 

[cdowis]

23 minutes ago, Bill "Papa" Lee said:

Never heard of such a thing. I blessed my two children a few weeks after becoming an Elder in 1980, I had never seen a Temple yet. I was living in West Germany (then) and the closest Temple was the Swiss Temple. 

You can have a temple recommend without ever having gone to the temple. f This was common where the temple was far away.

[mfbukowski]

1 hour ago, ksfisher said:

Handbook 2 20.1.1

Participation in Ordinances and Blessings

Only brethren who hold the necessary priesthood and are worthy may perform an ordinance or blessing or stand in the circle.

https://www.lds.org/handbook/handbook-2-administering-the-church/priesthood-ordinances-and-blessings?lang=eng

 

Nothing is mentioned in the handbook about how one would demonstrate that one is worthy to stand in the circle and that one holds the appropriate priesthood.  Other than the person acting as voice I've never seen anyone ask the other brethren for recommends. 

Good-thanks I knew this was the practice but I never looked it up. 

 

[Guest]

57 minutes ago, cdowis said:

You can have a temple recommend without ever having gone to the temple. f This was common where the temple was far away.

True, it just never came up before the first time I went. When there is no Temple in the country you are living it, it seems less important anyway. Of course they dot Europe now, but then only the Swiss Temple and the London Temple. Both of which I attended later one, sealed in the Swiss Temple to my wife and two children.  

[e-eye]

I'm in a bishopric and was on a high council before and here is how it's been handled for us in our stake-

If you are doing the ordinance baptism or baby blessing - recommend or approval from ward bishop

Confirmation  and, baby blessings  -  if you are standing in the circle it's not required to show the temple recommend.

While on the high council  and when  we were ordaining someone to be an Elder it was required to check every recommend for people standing in the circle - if someone didn't have their recommend they could not stand in the circle.

In all my life and all the blessings I have stood in I have never been asked for a recommend.  You may want to double check with the bishop, ask him if he can double check with the stake president and if you have done this and they still wont allow it then that is how it is in your stake - you could always bless the baby in another families ward where they don't ask if you had to-  We have blessed our kids in the home at church and in other states when visiting people.  You have options but I wouldn't stress too much about it. 

[kiwi57]

16 hours ago, Thinking said:

My daughter's new baby girl will be blessed in the near future and her bishop is requiring all who stand in the circle to have a temple recommend. Is this new?

As far as I can tell it is. When I participated in a family baptism in another ward, I was asked to bring my TR along, but that was only because the bishop didn't know me.

I don't care what your doctrinal differences are (and I'll tell you you're wrong all day long) but this is your grandchild we're talking about. If I were in your place I'd call the bishop and talk to him about it (does "the near future" mean this Sunday?) and if he isn't willing to budge, ask the Stake President for his input.

[Thinking]

10 minutes ago, e-eye said:

You may want to double check with the bishop, ask him if he can double check with the stake president and if you have done this and they still wont allow it then that is how it is in your stake - you could always bless the baby in another families ward where they don't ask if you had to-  We have blessed our kids in the home at church and in other states when visiting people.  You have options but I wouldn't stress too much about it. 

I'm not stressed. I was curious because I had never before heard of needing to show a TR to participate in a blessing.

[clarkgoble]

16 hours ago, Hamba Tuhan said:

If the men are from outside the ward, they will need a signed recommend to perform an ordinance OR a current temple recommend. Is this possibly the situation in your case?

Yup although with all 5 of my babies they never asked for either.