A question about Mormon prayer.

[MissMe]

Hi guys. Just a quick question.

I was wondering if all Mormons pray with their arms folded instead of their hands clasped. The Mormons in my town pray with their arms folded, and it caught me off guard. What's the reason behind that?

 

[Watchmen]

Hi guys. Just a quick question.

I was wondering if all Mormons pray with their arms folded instead of their hands clasped. The Mormons in my town pray with their arms folded, and it caught me off guard. What's the reason behind that?

Most seem to do it with arms folded rather than hands clasped. I have no idea why. Probably just tradition, but I don't believe it's of any significance. In larger groups, I've also seen the person giving the prayer grab both sides of the pulpit.

 

[Watchmen]

Also - there are times when everyone holds hands during the prayer. That's what my family does every night and we do that at special meals with family and friends too (like recently at Thanksgiving).

 

[MissMe]

Hmmm. Okay, thanks.

 

[Katzpur]

Hi guys. Just a quick question.

I was wondering if all Mormons pray with their arms folded instead of their hands clasped. The Mormons in my town pray with their arms folded, and it caught me off guard. What's the reason behind that?

Most of the time, in my personal prayers, I pray with my hands clasped. It's not a commandment of some kind to pray with our arms folded, but more of a custom. I don't know that there is a specific reason behind it, but I suspect that it might have something to do with the fact that we teach our children to pray from a very early age, in "Primary," which is the Church's auxilliary for children. Children attend Primary starting at age 3. It's more or less the same thing as Sunday School. When a Primary teacher is trying to teach a class of eight or ten four-year-olds, one thing she needs to to is get the children to sit still and listen to what she has to say. Children are taught to be reverent when they are anywhere in an LDS Church. Most of the time this is accomplished by telling them to fold their arms. With their arms folded, they are less likely to be fidgety and distracted. To a little LDS child, being reverent means being quiet and likely to be sitting with his arms folded. I think this extends to prayer. With arms folded, the child is more likely to concentrate than if he had nothing to do with his hands. Clasping them, it seems to me, would achieve pretty much the same purpose.

 

[peacelovehappiness]

I think this tradition is more or less explained in Samuel 18:25-27

 

[Watchmen]

Just out of curiosity, MissMe, does it matter to you whether a person clasps their hands or folds their arms?

Not picking a fight - just curious.

 

[Katzpur]

I think this tradition is more or less explained in Samuel 18:25-27

Could you double-check that reference, please?

 

[Starfish]

I do both, clasp hands and fold arms. But not at the same time--I'd have to be double-jointed! I've also prayed with my hands resting in my lap, while holding a child, while walking with hands swinging, and while clutching a steering wheel.

I don't think the Lord cares. IMO He accepts all sincere prayers.

 

[madhatter85]

my wife and i hold hands, or when we are holding the baby we just touch eachother on the arm or put an arm around one another.

Sometimes our foreheads are touching. when i'm by myself, my hands are usually together, sometimes i will fold my arms, but that is extremely rare (dunno why, just happens sometimes)

 

[boristhescot]

Mormon children are taught to fold their arms so they won't mess with the kiddies next to them. The same reason other religions are told to clasp hands. There is no theological reason.