Patheos

BuddhistCatholicContemplativeEvangelicalGeneral ChristianHinduJewishLatter-day SaintMuslimNew VisionsProgressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Patheos

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos Patheos on Facebook Patheos on YouTube

Latter-day Saint

Welcome to the World and the Ward

July 13, 2011 by James Faulconer

Continued from Page 1

But giving a child a name and a blessing also gives the community responsibility. Being one of us means being someone for whom we are explicitly responsible. We are responsible to help the baby's parents live full and productive lives. We are responsible to see that the child can receive what was promised in the blessing. That means working in the Primary organization for our young children or in the Young Men or Young Women programs for youth from 12 to 18. It means doing home and visiting teaching. But it means more than meeting these formalized obligations. It means relating to the child as a proud and loving uncle or aunt, or at least a cousin.

So when Brother Ruiz named and blessed his baby last Fast Sunday, many things happened: he and his wife formally announced to the congregation that their family has increased, we welcomed that child among us, and he pronounced the blessings on the baby that he felt inspired to give, implicitly committing himself publicly to take responsibility to bring those blessings to fruition. With our "amen" we joined him and each other member of the congregation in that announcement, welcome, and commitment.

Page: 2 of 2

7/13/2011 4:00:00 AM

Mormon

Speaking Silence

Aging

Joseph Smith

Lord's Supper

William Desmond

Mormonism

more at patheos

1

Missing Migrant Children: System Gaps and Status

Dennis McIntyre

2

Kingdom Apprenticeship

Frank Viola

3

Long story short

Fred Clark

4

Carl Henry’s Response to Piper’s View of Inerrancy

Roger E. Olson

James Faulconer

About James Faulconer

James Faulconer is a Richard L. Evans Professor of Religious Understanding at Brigham Young University, where he has taught philosophy since 1975.

Patheos Logo Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Patheos on Facebook Patheos on YouTube

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Copyright 2008-2026, Patheos. All rights reserved.

Subscription Support Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In

Follow Patheos Patheos on Facebook Patheos on YouTube