--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 5 number: 6 published: 1902-04 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations, "Answers to Questions—Administering the Sacrament," *Improvement Era* 5, no. 6 (April 1902): 473.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0506unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera0506unse start_page: 473 end_page: 473 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1902-04) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0506unse publication_year: 1902 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1902, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Answers to Questions—Administering the Sacrament EDITORS TABLE. 473 family — embracing several branches — that are working themselves out of the Church by it. They persist in judging all other doc- trines by their interpretation of that. That, and their construction of it, is the paramount issue. Being subject to the Priesthood, and learning wisdom from its power, is considered as nothing. The whole work of God is "out of joint" because this new inter- pretation— no matter what it is — remains unheeded or neglected. And so one might go on enumerating hobbies that people in the Church are riding. Boys, work diligently, study zealously, keep the commandments, but don't ride a hobby; however, if you must have one, let it be so broad, so great, so magnificent, so general, that it shall cover the whole plan of salvation, the whole scheme of human ethics, the whole truth, "all that God has re- vealed, all that he does now reveal," and the "many great and im- portant things pertaining to the Kingdom of God" that he will yet reveal. Joseph F. Smith. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. On Administering the Sacrament. Is it proper, according to Church laws, in administering the sacra- ment when two or more are officiating, for two to kneel together; or should only one kneel at a time? The reader is referred to the Doctrine and Covenants, sec. 20: 75-79, and to the Book of Mormon, Moroni 4: 1, 3; 5: 1,2. It is customary and proper for the two who officiate in the administra- tion of the sacrament to kneel together while the prayer is being said. In the early part of the history of the Church, when the congregrations were not so large as they are now, it was not un- usual for the congregation also to kneel, but it is now both cus- tomary and proper for those two who administer the holy sac- rament to kneel with the congregation; and it is also in conform- ity with what would seem to have been the custom of the ancient inhabitants of this continent, as declared in Moroni 4: 2: "And they did kneel down with the Church, and pray to the Father in the name of Christ saying," etc.