A Father's Blessing

Accountable age at our church is 8 years old. Infants are never baptized but rather given a name and a blessing by the father or any worthy priesthood holder. It is only when they reach the age of accountability that they are baptized in the church. The ordinance of Naming and Blessing of a Child is performed by a prayer and the laying on of hands by the person pronouncing the blessing and two other Melchizedek Priesthood Holder. This is usually done on the first Sunday of the month.

When Jam was born, she was placed in an incubator for 3 weeks. When she was finally fit to go home, we were advised to keep her indoors as long as we could to keep her from being exposed to germs. Thus it was only on the first Sunday of March that she got her Father's Blessing. Here is a transcript of the prayer of Jam's naming and blessing as pronounced by daddy Elmer.

01 March 1998

Our Heavenly Father, by the power and authority of the Holy Melchizedek Priesthood, which we hold, we present before thee this child and give her a name and a blessing. We give her the name MARY JASMINE B. TORRES, which name shall appear in all the records of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. By this time, we bless you Mary Jasmine, that you will be healthy and strong, that as you encounter any illness in your life, whatever medicine you take will be good for you, as well as the vitamins and milk that you are taking. We bless you that you will grow in the fullness of the knowledge of the gospel, that you may attend primary meetings as you grow older and when you reach your young woman age, you will be active still and attend seminary and as you reach college years, the institute. We pray that you will be a good daughter, that you will follow the promptings of the spirit and we pray also that you will follow as you grow bigger, your parents that you may give heed to their counsels everyday of your life and I hope that you remember this blessing. We pray also that you will be an influence to your family, to your cousins, that they may look to you as a good example. And may these blessings be upon your head and many blessings to come. And I leave these in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, amen.