NAME AND BLESSING

I looked on white walls, tall slender windows, a wood floor, folding chairs, people, lights hanging from the ceiling, and my grandpa's arms around me. They are so big. Much bigger than mine. I looked up and I could see his chin and feel his breath on my face. I turned my head and I could see my dads face too. Then there were a few other faces that I saw, yet I could not recognize them. They didn't scare me.

Soon all of those men were standing around in a circle and one hand on each others shoulder. As I watched, they bowed their heads, closed their eyes, and then I began to go up and down. Up and down, up and down. I heard my grandpa starting to talk. I turned my eyes upon his chin and watched him speak while I went up and down. I looked at my dad. His eyes were closed. So were all the other men's eyes closed. My grandpa kept on talking. I kept going up and down.

Then all of a sudden I stopped going up and down. My grandpa lifted me up to an upright position and now I can see the people looking at me while sitting in all of those chairs the were unfolded in neat rows. The sun came through those tall slender windows. The sun was bright just as I saw mom. She was sitting in the front row. The sun was near her back. She was smiling, I think at me.

After a while, I saw the building I was just in. There are those tall slender windows, however they look a little different. I was in my mom's arms now. I can see the big tree above me that is providing a lot of shade from that bright sun. I looked around me and saw some kids running around with long white things in their hands. All the children were laughing and screaming and running. I wanted to be with them.

Years later I talked with my mom about this peculiar memory I have. She pursed her lips, rolled her eyes and made a grunting noise. "You couldn't possibly remember that", she blurted out to me. "Someone told you that story", mom added. I just looked at her with a confused look on my face. "What do you mean?", I questioned. She proceeded to tell me that I was describing my "Name and Blessing" in the Mormon church when I was just two months old. She said that the church is where my grandparents went and the white long things were streamers left over from a wedding the day before.

The "Name and Blessing" was my first memory of the Mormon church, or "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints". The church had become a strong influence in my life and in most cases, the only influence in my life. I didn't know much else. I was BOC (born under the covenant) and grown up in a large Mormon family, me being the oldest girl.

A name and blessing is what the church does to infants, and in many cases young children, in order to be recognized in the church records. This can only be done by the laying on of hands by Mormon Elders who hold the priesthood. Following the ritual of announcing your name to the church and its congregation, a blessing follows. This is a prayer to the child by the priesthood holder. For a little girl, the most common statement was that you will grow up to be married in the temple and have children of your own. The dads' holding the priesthood usually did the honor of this special function of announcing your own child and putting the name on the church records.
I guess I became a member at the point when my grandfather said that I will be known on church records as......

2 comments:

Cassie February 24, 2007 at 12:34 AM  

I will look forward to some more posts! I am having trouble with choosing religions, and being Mormon is one of them since I was born into the church like you. So I will stay tuned.

txdave February 24, 2007 at 8:54 AM  

Internet readers tend to read shorter posts.

Also some variety of font/format helps plus photos to keep people interested.

see wht I mean:

assertivenesssucceeds.blogspot.com

backbebetter.blogspot.com

good luck

dave

About Me

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Michigan, United States
I spent a lot of time deciding if I should write this blog or not. I'm not a great writer and I'm not going to pretend to be. I need to share what I have learned and I might not make some people happy with what I am saying. This blog is a way for me to release the thoughts and feelings that come with knowing I grew up in the wrong religion. A healing process if you will.

How To Read This Blog

Please start with the month of February 2007 and read backwards. This is the most effective way to understand, in order, why I say what I do.

Handmaidens Creed

1.I believe in God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit as one God without beginning or end.
2.I believe the Bible to be the Holy Inspired word of God with full truth and righteousness. No other writing is.
3.I believe that the work of the Lord comes first. Before any temporal thing or person.
4.I believe that grace is a gift and Christ gives that gift freely to all who believe.
5.I believe that the beauty of a woman is contained inside of her and not by what she looks like on the outside.
6.I believe that marriage is sacred and represents the Godhead on earth; two are one just as three are one.
7.I believe that love is more powerful than any other power. Remember, God is love.
8.I believe that tithing is not a part of God's new covenant, free will offerings are. And that doesn't mean just money.
9.I believe that the Aaronic, Levitical, and Melchizedek priesthoods are abolished and Christs Holy Priesthood whom Christ is the "Great High Priest" is eternal.
10.I believe that every believer is a priest in the "Priesthood of Believers".
11.I believe that when two are one, nobody is to separate the one.
12.I believe that Christ is the only way to heaven.
13.I believe that our bodies are temples, not man made buildings.
14.I believe that liars make fools out of others and the liar hates the fool.
15.I believe that all believers are in authority to preach the gospel.
16.I believe that the word 'organization' to describe Christs body is evil and has no place with God.
17.I believe the Americas are not the land of Zion and Christ will return to His origonal land-Israel in the Middle East.
18.I believe that God has set out correct ways of worshiping Him, not man.
19.I believe in holding to the truths of the Bible and not mans understanding of it.
20.I believe that the world is full of evil and Satan can easily gain control over the minds of those who do not profess Christ of the Bible to be their only Messiah.
21.I believe that Saints are those who know the real Savior, Jesus Christ, of whom the Bible speaks of; not the jesus of a cult.