Question about Mormon Communion

[EverChanging]

I've been reading about Mormon communion policies. Maybe some people here can tell me if I have all this straight?

I have read that Mormons offer Communion to non-Mormons if they can affirm the communion covenant. Is that right, or could someone clarify for me? If I as a non-Mormon visited an LDS church could I receive communion? (I don't think Mormons are allowed to receive communion in the Episcopal Church considering that we don't recognize Mormon baptisms as valid, but many Episcopal parishes in practice have open communion and offer it to anyone of any religion and whatever their baptismal status, including Mormons, so I don't know if that would affect anything.)

Mormons share communion with their non-baptized children if the parents of the said children are Mormon and regular church attenders.

Sometimes Mormons in certain circumstances and with permission celebrate the Sacrament at home -- I suppose a priesthood member (always male) presides. Are non-priesthood holders ever allowed to preside over communion?

 

[Katzpur]

I've been reading about Mormon communion policies. Maybe some people here can tell me if I have all this straight?

Hi! I'd be happy to answer your questions.

I have read that Mormons offer Communion to non-Mormons if they can affirm the communion covenant. Is that right, or could someone clarify for me?
If I as a non-Mormon visited an LDS church could I receive communion?

Basically, Mormons refer to "communion" as "the Sacrament" (even though we recognize that it's actually just one of several sacraments). We believe that the reason we receive it at all is to renew the covenants we made with Jesus Christ at our baptism (generally at the age of 8). In other words, when we receive "the Sacrament," we think about Christ's suffering and about His promise to redeem us if we sincerely repent of our sins and make a conscious effort to keep His commandments. The sacramental prayers basically state this. I'm assuming that this is what you mean by "the communion covenant."

I don't know how the Episcopal Church handles communion, but I'm guessing it may be similar to how the Catholic Church does. In the LDS Church, each person who is going to take the Sacrament does not go up in front of the congregation and receive it from the priest. Instead, young boys pass go up and down the aisles of the congregation, first with trays of broken pieces of bread, and next with trays of tiny cups of water (as opposed to wine, but that's an other topic ). These trays are passed from one person to the next along the pews. Because of how this is done, no one would even know whether a stranger sitting next to him was a Mormon or not.

I have, on very rare occasions (maybe three or four times in my life), heard a bishop announce, "The Sacrament will now be passed to members of the Church." I suppose that, technically, it's intended for members of the Church, but I honestly can't see why anyone who believes that Jesus died for us could not renew his commitment to be a better person by taking the Sacrament.

Mormons share communion with their non-baptized children if the parents of the said children are Mormon and regular church attenders.

You're right about this, except that the parents don't even need to be regular church attendees. A Mormon family who shows up at church three or four times a year can take the sacrament. To me, the fact that the children have not been baptized, and cannot therefore be renewing any baptismal covenants, is reason enough to believe that God is not likely to be offended by a non-Mormon visitor taking it. (Of course, if a non-Mormon visitor did not wish to receive it, he would just pass the try on to the person sitting closest to him, and nothing would be said.) Children are taught about the Atonement of Jesus Christ from age three on up. They understand by a pretty early age the purpose behind receiving the Sacrament.

Sometimes Mormons in certain circumstances and with permission celebrate the Sacrament at home -- I suppose a priesthood member (always male) presides. Are non-priesthood holders ever allowed to preside over communion?

In almost every congregation, this is done on a weekly basis. Priesthood holders (and only priesthood holders) take the Sacrament to house-bound people who are members of the congregation and have expressed a desire to have them do so. My husband and another man did this just a couple of weeks ago. They visited the homes of five families right after church finished, blessed and gave the Sacrament to people who were unable to attend the service.

I hope this has helped.

 

[EverChanging]

That's very interesting that Mormons commune the unbaptized. Do they commune infants? In my church we do, although we baptize them first.

Is there anything official about whether Mormon communion is open or closed? What is the purpose of communing unbaptized children who cannot renew a baptismal covenant?

 

[Katzpur]

That's very interesting that Mormons commune the unbaptized. Do they commune infants? In my church we do, although we baptize them first.

We don't offer the Sacrament to infants, nor do we baptize them, since we believe entering into a covenant is something you can't do until you're old enough to understand the promises you're making as part of the covenant. The reason we don't baptize them is that we believe they have not yet sinned, and. in fact, cannot sin until they are old enough to be able to recognize the difference between right and wrong. Of course, we start teaching them the difference between right and wrong at a very young age (generally at about three years of age, in an auxilliary program for children).

Is there anything official about whether Mormon communion is open or closed?

Not that I know of, but I'll see what I can find for you.

What is the purpose of communing unbaptized children who cannot renew a baptismal covenant?

It's to help them understand what Jesus Christ has done for them and to remind them that it's important for them to repent whenever they do something wrong.

 

[Katzpur]

I have checked and have been unable to find any kind of official policy on the matter of whether non-members of the Church should receive the Sacrament or not. I did find a pretty good commentary on the subject in "Mormonism for Dummies," though. Granted, there is nothing "official" about that source, but the authors are LDS and I have never found any of their information to be inaccurate. So here's what they say...

In the LDS Church, the only people who are forbidden from taking the sacrament are those members or former members who've been disciplined or excommunicated for serious sin. Obviously, if you're a first-time visitor, this doesn't apply to you. At the same time, partaking of the sacrament isn't a good idea if you know you have major, unresolved sins in your life or you don't believe in God and his Son, Jesus Christ. Otherwise, feel free to partake if you feel prompted by the Spirit to do so -- in other words, if you have a good, warm feeling about it.

Mormons believe that they renew their baptismal covenants every time they partake of the sacrament, but those who haven't yet made any LDS baptismal covenants can still grow closer to God and Jesus Christ if they take the sacrament in the proper spirit.

 

[EverChanging]

Thanks, that's really interesting. I always assumed it would be closed communion, especially to people who don't share Mormon beliefs.

 

[Katzpur]

Thanks, that's really interesting. I always assumed it would be closed communion, especially to people who don't share Mormon beliefs.

Well, we already have enough "closed" stuff.

 

[Rick Killpack]

Here is an authoritative view of the the Sacrament ordinance:
Sacrament

This will link you to this longer description:
Sacrament - The Encyclopedia of Mormonism

In here it states specifically that not only are children able to partake of the Sacrament but that they should partake as a way of learning about the covenants that they take upon themselves when they are baptized.
"Unbaptized children, however, being without sin, are entitled and expected to partake of the Sacrament to prefigure the covenant they themselves will make at the age of accountability, age eight"

As a missionary for the Mormon church, we were instructed to not forbid an investigator to partake of the Sacrament. However, we were to teach them the purpose which was to renew covenants of baptism. As such, they certainly can partake and think about what the Savior does for them but it will not have the same power as the actual renewal of the covenant after you are baptized. The power of the Sacrament as it states in the Sacramental prayer is that "His Spirit will ALWAYS be with you." This is a huge protection to avoid temptation throughout the coming week.