LDS Faith Journeys Forums History and Doctrine Discussions Taking the Sacrament with Your Right Hand

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  • #201138
    Old-Timer
    Keymaster

    As I like to say regularly, our issues are not our issues only.

    We like to think we are truly unique in many ways, but we aren’t. In a few ways, we probably are – but they are far fewer than most members think.

    #201139
    Heber13
    Participant

    On Own Now wrote:

    There’re not going to say, “Hey wait a minute, I saw that man signing a check with his other hand. What the hell?” [then my friend mimics taking the guy out back for a punching out].


    Mormons would never do that.

    They would be way more passive aggressive and have the member of the bishopric talk over the pulpit to not name any names but to point out that everyone in the congregation should listen to a lecture on taking the sacrament with the right hand because a few people occasionally take it with their left…but not pointing the finger or naming names…just vaguely and indirectly guilting everyone in general about the critical nature of this being the “most important thing you could ever do”, and that if it is not corrected to take the sacrament with exactness, next you know it we’ll be having donuts and coffee…because it is a slippery slope, some story about white water rapids and the strong currents, and then a scientific fact about boiling frogs slowly. 😈

    #201140
    journeygirl
    Participant

    I’m probably too late to this party, but it actually affects half my family. I’m ambidextrous, so honestly I never think about which hand does what unless someone points it out to me. I usually take the bread and water with whichever hand is closest or most accessible, as I often do with other things. My son is left-handed. I don’t want to make him feel like being left-handed is something negative (which I know could come up in school anyway), so I definitely don’t plan to ever tell him to use his right hand instead. I was never taught to use my right hand but heard it once, and thought it was some rumor type of thing. I didn’t know there were so many quotes supporting it.

    #201141
    Katzpur
    Participant

    An update from me…

    Last Sunday was the 5th Sunday of May, and whenever we have a fifth Sunday, we meet as a combined Melchizedek Priesthood and Relief Society. Sometimes the bishop or someone in the bishopric teaches the lesson, but this time it was a member of the High Priests group leadership. And guess what the lesson was on? The sacrament. I leaned over and whispered to my husband that if one single solitary word was said about the sacrament having to be taken with the right hand, I was going to get up and walk out. I just didn’t think I could deal with it actually being taught to essentially all of the adults in the ward as “official doctrine.” As it turned out, the teacher gave an outstanding lesson and didn’t even allude to which hand was the “acceptable” one with which to take the sacrament. Whew!

    Just before the meeting started, I’d seen the bishop in the hall and was about to mention the whole “discussion” my husband and the High Priests’ counselor had had the week before, when who should suddenly appear right next to the bishop but the Right-Hand-Police-Chief himself. So, I never got to mention it to him at all. I am hoping the whole thing blows over and nothing more is said about it.

    If the Right-Hand-Police-Chief knew that my husband and I are going to be marching with “Mormons Building Bridges” in Salt Lake’s pride parade tomorrow, the whole sacrament issue would probably take on a whole new lack of significance. 😆

    #201142
    Roy
    Keymaster

    Katzpur wrote:

    my husband and I are going to be marching with “Mormons Building Bridges” in Salt Lake’s pride parade tomorrow

    Good for you Katzpur! :thumbup:

    #201143
    NightSG
    Participant

    Heber13 wrote:

    Why do we put our right hand over our heart when we pledge allegiance to the flag?

    Same reason we salute and shake hands with the right hand; it shows the hand commonly used to hold a weapon to be empty. This is also why left handed people are considered untrustworthy; they could still be holding a weapon in their primary hand while saluting or shaking hands.

    Personally, I just tend to do most things with my right hand due to the better hand-eye coordination there, but if someone approached me about taking the Sacrament left handed, I’d probably tell them it seemed inappropriate to use the hand I’m thinking of punching them in the throat with. 😈

    #201144
    Old-Timer
    Keymaster

    Quote:

    if someone approached me about taking the Sacrament left handed, I’d probably tell them it seemed inappropriate to use the hand I’m thinking of punching them in the throat with. 😈

    😆 :clap: :P

    A nomination for comment of the week (COW), methinks.

    #201145
    LookingHard
    Participant

    Great! Now when I chuckle next week when the sacrament is passed and it makes me think of this, my wife is going to grill me on why I am laughing during the sacrament and setting a bad example.

    #201146
    NightSG
    Participant

    LookingHard wrote:

    Great! Now when I chuckle next week when the sacrament is passed and it makes me think of this, my wife is going to grill me on why I am laughing during the sacrament and setting a bad example.

    It is inappropriate to express joy during the renewal of one’s baptismal covenants now?

    #201147
    Katzpur
    Participant

    NightSG wrote:

    Personally, I just tend to do most things with my right hand due to the better hand-eye coordination there, but if someone approached me about taking the Sacrament left handed, I’d probably tell them it seemed inappropriate to use the hand I’m thinking of punching them in the throat with. 😈

    Oh, that was truly great. 😆

    #201148
    Katzpur
    Participant

    NightSG wrote:

    It is inappropriate to express joy during the renewal of one’s baptismal covenants now?


    A quiet smile is okay. Just no “loud laughter.”

    #201149
    NightSG
    Participant

    Katzpur wrote:

    NightSG wrote:

    It is inappropriate to express joy during the renewal of one’s baptismal covenants now?


    A quiet smile is okay. Just no “loud laughter.”

    Why would a joyful noise not be appropriate given the meaning of the Sacrament? I can’t think of any fully clothed action it should be considered more appropriate to. Just because our flawed, earthly traditions fail to recognize that doesn’t mean the Lord mightn’t appreciate a bit more enthusiasm in accepting His gift.

    #201150
    EnglishMormon
    Participant

    Hehehehe these sorts of things make me laugh , tradition not doctrine, I wouldn’t get angry over it I would just sit and shake my head voice my opinion and laugh

    #201151
    NewLight
    Participant

    This is pretty funny that someone would make a deal of this. I wonder how I would fare in that ward being left handed and Celiac, so I don’t take the bread at all. That would get them talking!

    #201152
    LookingHard
    Participant

    I heard a podcast about Mormonism and masonry and it said most of the US culture of “raise your right hand” comes from Masonry. Interesting.

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