Hi everyone,

I am looking for some quick advice about a family event this afternoon. My two sisters and I grew up going to the LDS church, but only my one sister is still active (I have resigned and the other sister stopped participating more than 10 years ago). My little nephew just turned 12, and he is receiving the priesthood today. Sorry if I have misworded that, but this is something I don't know much about. My not LDS parents and sister are planning to attend to show support for my nephew and sister. I don't want to go, because when I resigned I thought I would never attend another LDS ceremony again. But I also have a niece who just turned 8, and I will be attending her baptism next weekend and don't want to hurt her older brother's feeling by skipping out on his event. But is this something that extended family usually even attend? My understanding was that it was a quick thing after sacrament, not really something that the whole family was supposed to be there to witness. I would be interested in some opinions on this. I personally don't want to go, but it's not *that* big of a deal and my sister is the type that can hold a grudge if you do something to slight her and I would rather avoid that. Have others attended this particular event for nephews, grandsons, etc? Thank you!

I only remember my own receiving of the priesthood. It seemed like a big deal to me at the time. It was done in the bishops office with only a few people present. If I were you I'd ask when it was to take place and show up at the church building at that time. Wait in the hall for sacrement meeting to be over and then only witness the priesthood ordination. Make sure to in the very least wear something not grungy so not to embarass your nephew.

I get a sick feeling when ever I go close to a church building but I think it's noce that you want to support your nephew and if you have decided to go to the baptism then you should probably go to this as well.

They'll probably give a speech about how he's going to get the priesthood and now he'll be more powerful that superman or the president of the U.S. Then all the 'worthy' men will lay their hands on his head and one of them will give a blessing. Then ta-da...he has the priesthood. Your sister is happy because you attended. You go to sister's house and have food. Life is good.

Oh, and your 12 yo nephew will be wondering why he doesn't feel any different now that he has the 'priesthood'.

If Romney wins the election, do you think he will have an OMG moment when he realizes that his new powers dwarf those of his priesthood powers? Raising your hand to the square will not bring down a dictator, the USMC on the other hand can.

Yup, a fair amount more power in that big red button than in "the laying on of hands".

Thank you! It sounds like it wouldn't be unusual for an aunt to attend this, and I don't want to cause any bad feelings. He's actually having a family birthday party afterward, which I was planning to attend. So I'll just go a little early and attend the church ceremony as well. Hopefully I won't have to pretend that I think it's awesome. :) Thanks guys.

Funerals are the only thing I will attend. Just the thought of attending makes me nauseous.

I'll respect the "Last Rites", but receiving the priesthood is one of the "First Rites" to selling ones self into bondage.

Rotten Cult.

But typically this will be done in the deacon's quorum itself, or in the bishops office.

Here's the usual drill. The deacon's quorum is a separate class of all the 12 and 13 year old boys with an adult instructor (Young Men's 2nd Counselor). It is typically from 5 to 25 boys. On an ordination day the new boy's family is invited in at the start of the 50 minute quorum meeting. The bishop or bishopric member will almost always be there too. The Bishop will talk for a while blah blah about the courage and excellent choices of the new young boy, importance of the PH, etc. Then usually the family is invited to say whatever they would like, and then finally the initiate is asked to bear testimony. After that the ordination is performed, which will look almost identical to a confirmation (boy on a chair, surrounded by men in a circle with hands on his head, one man voicing the words of the ordination and blessing. Be sure to tell him NOT to bow his head or he will get a huge neck ache with the weight of the hands on his head)

After that the family gets excused and the quorum meeting proceeds as usual. The boy stays. That's it.

Rod,
Reading through this thread, I find myself totally unable to recall this.
I don't remember getting the priesthood at 12 (did not recall making elder till the local bishop here made a point of noting it on the printout when he wanted to confirm my identity in resigning in '06).
I know I did "get" the priesthood, remember delivering & later blessing the sacrament, but the rest is just flat gone.

I can't picture in my mind any of the ordination, at all.
Long time ago, granted, but I've apparently blocked it or lost it as a memory from lack of interest or importance. :)