Baby Blessings

"And I was like baby, baby, baby, noooooooooooooooo!
Like baby, baby, baby, noooooooooooooooo!
Like baby, baby, baby, noooooooooooooooo!
I thought you'd always be mine."
 - Justin Bieber in "Baby"

Today we went to a Mormon baby blessing. These blessings usually take place within a church building (often called a chapel) on a Fast Sunday. Fast Sundays are usually the first Sunday of each month. During this day, members whose age and health permit, fast by abstaining from at least two meals, donating the money that would have been spent on those two meals to help the less fortunate. This donation is called a "Fast Offering."

I say Fast Sundays are usually on the first Sunday of each month because there are certain events which may disrupt the normal Fast Sunday schedule. One of these "disruptions" is General Conference. We mentioned General Conference in passing here. Seeing as General Conference (I sometimes call it "G-Con" for short) normally takes place the first Sunday in April and October, today was designated as Fast Sunday--even though it was the second Sunday of the month.

This is the chapel we went to for the baby blessing:


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We got there just as soon as our cousin and the other men were carrying the baby to the front of the chapel, for everyone to see, so they could proceed with the baby blessing. I don't have any footage of the blessing, since typically we don't use recording devices in the chapel, but here is some info from a Church handbook about what usually happens during a baby blessing.

"Naming and Blessing Children

“Every member of the church of Christ having children is to bring them unto the elders before the church, who are to lay their hands upon them in the name of Jesus Christ, and bless them in his name” (D&C 20:70). In conformity with this revelation, only worthy men who hold the Melchizedek Priesthood may participate in naming and blessing children. The ordinance of naming and blessing children requires authorization from the presiding authority.

When blessing a baby, men who hold the Melchizedek Priesthood gather in a circle and hold the baby in their hands. When blessing an older child, brethren place their hands lightly on the child’s head. The person who gives the blessing:

1. Addresses Heavenly Father.
   
2. States that the blessing is given by the authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood.
3. Gives the child a name.
   
4. Gives a priesthood blessing as the Spirit directs.
   
5. Closes in the name of Jesus Christ."
   

Typically, the person who prays will bless the child with good health, strength, and sound intellectual properties. You know. Normal stuff that every parent wants their child to have. After the prayer is over, the proud father usually holds the baby up for everyone in the congregation to see. At that point, the crowd usually "Oooohs" and "Aaaahs" a little bit as you would expect from a crowd of people who think babies are cute.

 Picture of a baby blessing from a lesson manual

I love going to my relatives' and friends' baby blessings. I think life, and especially the promise of a "new" life--like that of a baby or someone who has undergone major changes in their life--is a beautiful thing. But, as always, it does have a bittersweet feeling since you know that a baby blessing is just one more step in a baby's progression...and progression means change. And change, as you know, can be a beautiful thing as well...even though it inevitably means that you'll eventually have to say goodbye that little, cute baby. And on that note, we outro with some profound words from Justin Bieber.

"You can give all of your love
But sometimes it won't be enough
Never told me this day would come
Now I'm all gone."
- Justin Bieber in "Baby"