I know this has been discussed here before, but I didn't pay much attention because there weren't any babies born to Mormon parents on the scene for quite a while in our family.
Now we have a new granddaughter and inactive DH has been invited to be in the blessing circle. Don't you have to have a temple recommend to do that? DH has not held a temple recommend in all the decades I've known him.
The upcoming blessing is this weekend, so please let me know ASAP!
Does he want to be in the circle? If so, he should call the bishoprick and ask if its OK. If he doesn't want to, he should still call and say he feels like he doesn't want to.
Some Bishops check recommends in order to verify holding of the priesthood. A TR is not *required*, but if you are an "unknown" to the Bish, you may get queried for a TR.
To recap:
A TR is not required to stand in the circle. The Melchizedek priesthood is. The TR is a way to validate, but only if the Bish chooses to do so.
In my own experience, most of the time the Bish (or whoever is conducting the meeting) will just ask for those who have been invited to stand in the circle to come forward. No validation. No TR.
I've been in many circles for nieces and nephews in the last decade and I've never had to show a recommend...never even heard of that. I've seen fathers give blessings that I know didn't have current recommends as well. It sounds like bishops just make up whatever rules they want. Never even heard of having to be "temple worthy" to baptize a child until last year...brother's bishop made him catch up on tithing before baptizing his son...told him it was new church policy. I then heard the same thing from TBM wife after it was discussed in ward council. Still not sure if this is actually church-wide policy, but it sounds like the AA is at least spreading this around our area.
Yes, they just make up their own rules. They have such a need to assert their made up POWER and AUTHORITY. But most of them are pussies and if you stand up to them, they will quickly back down. Like what's going to happen if someone isn't "worthy." God will tell the baby, "sorry, no blessing for you"?
My friend was asked to stand in the circle, and he wasn't going to because he didn't want to make a fuss, since all the family there knew he was "out..." But, he did anyway because the family really wanted him to. Nobody said anything.
From CHI p.140 "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." But, as note by others, he may not "act as voice" for confirmation, or conferral of priesthood.
Or,just do something at home if you feel the urge, or leave the church, take the extra money and start an Education IRA for the kid.
I've know many men who have been in the circle and haven't been active for years and no longer wear garments. I don't know anyone who has actually been the one to give the blessing to be inactive, but definitely those in the circle. I've even seen bishops encourage male family members into the circle knowing full well that they aren't active. Probably depends on the bishop.
I have been at several baptisms of various people, including babies, at my Episcopal church, and AFAIK the only real requirement is that one parent be a baptized Christian (and for our priest, at least is slightly active religiously as in shows up a few times a year or so, he doesn't want "we had the kid baptized and never show up but Grandma would have had a fit if we hadn't" situations, which I kind of understand) and guess what? For the actual ceremony, you can have ANYBODY participating. Especially mothers! Plus assorted grandparents, uncles, aunts, siblings, etc etc.
Of course we have female clergy, too. *gasp* And of various sexual orientations, and probably assorted gender identities as well.
No insult intended, but I am completely lost at the idea of going along with somebody telling me I can't do something solely because I'm a woman - and it wouldn't matter if it were something I would never want to do! Some women might, and I'll be damned if they are prevented without grounds beyond "you possess a vagina."
When my son was born I asked my SP if my dad who was an inactive priest could stand in the circle. Got the ok. But that guy was a cool SP. When my daughter was born a new guy who loved to enforce every rule there was denied the request. Granted, I realize I had no right to expect it in the second case. Still it was nice to get it in the first.
Hubby doesn't have a current temple recommend but he was asked and allowed to stand in the circle for his nephew's and niece's baby blessings in 2012 and 2013. No one asked to see a temple recommend...of course we arrived just as sacrament meeting started so I'm not sure when they would have asked for it.