| Show SACRAMENT AND BLESSINGS A correspondent at farmington writes to the NEWS on the subjects of partaking of the sacrament and tile the blessing of children he payin a sermon delivered by one of the first presidency or one of the twelve apostles some months agnand ago and published in the DESERET NEWS the speak r referred to sunday meetings being held in the ward meeting houses in salt lake city and stated in about these words that it will give the ward officers an port unity to see if church members partake opportunity of the sacrament unworthily these theme remarks have suggested to my by mind the following questions I 1 it if any person is in supposed to be partaking of tile the sacrament unworthily what action should be taken in the premi BOt fiek 2 it two persons have enmity or ill feelings fee linga toward each other in some instances to such an extent that thai they will wil I 1 not speak when they meet and yet both of them partake of the sacrament sacra meint perhaps both are honest in thinking that the other is wholly in the fault and in ila this case each one takes the at the same time thinking that the other party t is committing a grave error in so amr doinik y g can circumstances exist to justify either of them in so partaking 8 should hould each party be held equally responsible for the existing bad feelings fe elines until a settlement of the dispute is of footed or until diligent and reasonable efforts are made toward a reconciliation 4 if one of the parties refuses to appear at a hearing and to be guided by church laws is the other party justified in taking the sacrament pending a settlement of the cage 6 5 Is it admissible to permit non mor mon parents to have their children blessed by our elders on fast fact days if such parents are honest and sincere ln in re requesting that they be so blessed ts 6 in cae children ot of non mormons cormons are not permitted to be blessed if only one of the a parents is a church member and the other consents for the children to be blessed by our elders is it then admissible the foregoing inquiries way may be best beat replied to lu in a general way in a news paper article should there be a desire lur for more elaborate explanation the correspondent to is referred to theare the presiding authorities of the district where be resides the questions which he propounds may be disposed of as fol JOWL first A mere supposition of un ua worthiness Is not sufficient cause tor for withholding the sacrament from ft a church member there is a rule in the church by which the fact can be ascertained the proper authority when he has knowledge of cf theun worthiness will forbid the partaking of the sacrament by the transgressor second persons in the condition described are not entitled to the dacra ment though it may be possible lor for circumstances to exist iu i a connection with those recited when one or other of the parties may be a partaker this would be baculy only when such person had bad done all lu his hie power u under odor the church t rule to effect a reconciliation third when both parties have knowledge of existing ill feeling tee linge both tire are responsible to the extent of proper efforts at reconciliation fourth it if one party to a bisp dispute ate has ban done his hie full share toward a settlement the refusal of the other to ob serve church discipline cannot deprive the one who is not a tran transgressor or who has turned from tr ng r e 0 n of any privilege of church m membership e m h e r fifth yes yea sixth this thie is answered anew ered in the reply to the fifth question |
