http://theboard.byu.edu/questions/73975/
The questioner does need to get permission, or authorization, from the presiding authority. They do not necessarily need to schedule a time for that presiding authority to actually preside over or be present at the blessing.
I blessed my second daughter at home, with my brothers, on a short break between sandbagging homes during a flood. We had authorization from our Bishop, but he was not there.
73975 - Baby blessing - authorizing vs presiding
Moderator: Marduk
Re: 73975 - Baby blessing - authorizing vs presiding
Yes, the bishop will give you a pass that says you are authorized to give a blessing in another ward. Then you contact the bishop of the ward area you'll be doing the blessing in and let him know you'll be doing the blessing at home. I don't think it's required, but often the bishopric of the area likes to have someone in attendance, I think just to make sure it actually happened and to provide support if it should be necessary. This is assuming you don't mind being in contact with the bishop and allowing him some oversight. Another option is to go rogue and do the blessing with no permission from anyone and then just contact your bishop and say "it's done" and then it's in his hands to either report it or not on the official records.
I blessed my daughter at my in-laws' house when we were there on vacation over the summer. My in-laws' second counselor was in attendance, but he didn't do much other than observe and say congratulations. He left as soon as the blessing was done and wasn't any imposition at all.
I blessed my daughter at my in-laws' house when we were there on vacation over the summer. My in-laws' second counselor was in attendance, but he didn't do much other than observe and say congratulations. He left as soon as the blessing was done and wasn't any imposition at all.
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vorpal blade
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Re: 73975 - Baby blessing - authorizing vs presiding
I was a membership clerk for several years, a ward clerk for several more years, and a stake clerk for about ten years. I think I may have a different perspective on the naming and blessing of babies.
I’m going to say that you don’t need any authorization, presiding authority, permission, or even priesthood to give a baby a name and a blessing. However, if you want the completely unnecessary blessing certificate, and you want to follow the admonition of D&C 20:70 and bring your children “unto the elders before the church,” you will need the priesthood and the proper authorization from the presiding authority.
Some members think that the ordinance of naming and blessing a baby officially gives the baby a name “by which he (or she) will be known on the records of the Church.” Actually, that is not the way it works. What counts is what is on the birth certificate. If in the ordinance the father (or the one giving the blessing) gives a name different from the birth certificate what the father says should just be disregarded. The clerk needs to enter into the records of the Church what the birth certificate says. If the parents want a different name they need to have the birth certificate name legally changed, and then the records of the Church can be changed.
If the clerk enters the name as the parents filled it out on the Child Blessing Record, and it is not what the birth certificate says then the clerk needs to correct the records of the Church to reflect what the legal birth certificate says. When it came time to fill out the forms for the legal birth certificate of my children I was informed that as a father I had absolutely no say in what that name will be. The mother determines the name, and only the mother’s signature is needed. So, the name by which the baby will be known on the records of the Church is solely determined by the mother, who does not hold the priesthood and needs no permission from any sort of presiding authority.
No naming and blessing of a child is necessary to create a membership record. As a clerk I’ve created membership records for children who were never blessed. You enter the name, date of birth, parents (if known), and place of birth. No authorization of a presiding authority is necessary, though it is a good idea to let the bishop know what you are doing. The Church does not keep a record of whether or not you are blessed. Baptism and some other ordinances are essential to salvation, by the naming and blessing of a baby is entirely unnecessary.
No permission is needed to bless a baby. A baby may be blessed by the mother, or even a complete stranger without the permission of the parents or any presiding authority. Jesus was blessed in the temple by strangers Simeon and Anna without any permission, and Anna not only didn’t hold the priesthood, but she was of the tribe of Asher to which the priesthood did not belong at that time.
Of course, if you are going to bless a baby by the authority of the priesthood you need to hold the Melchizedek priesthood. A blessing performed by the authority of the priesthood by a worthy person is performed by the power of the priesthood which God has given to the man. It is more than asking God to bless the child; it is blessing the child with the power God has given the man. A father who holds this priesthood never needs permission to exercise his priesthood in the blessing of his children. However, if he wishes to bless his baby “before the church” then he needs permission from his bishop and it must be done under the direction of the presiding authority where he is performing the blessing before the church.
I’m going to say that you don’t need any authorization, presiding authority, permission, or even priesthood to give a baby a name and a blessing. However, if you want the completely unnecessary blessing certificate, and you want to follow the admonition of D&C 20:70 and bring your children “unto the elders before the church,” you will need the priesthood and the proper authorization from the presiding authority.
Some members think that the ordinance of naming and blessing a baby officially gives the baby a name “by which he (or she) will be known on the records of the Church.” Actually, that is not the way it works. What counts is what is on the birth certificate. If in the ordinance the father (or the one giving the blessing) gives a name different from the birth certificate what the father says should just be disregarded. The clerk needs to enter into the records of the Church what the birth certificate says. If the parents want a different name they need to have the birth certificate name legally changed, and then the records of the Church can be changed.
If the clerk enters the name as the parents filled it out on the Child Blessing Record, and it is not what the birth certificate says then the clerk needs to correct the records of the Church to reflect what the legal birth certificate says. When it came time to fill out the forms for the legal birth certificate of my children I was informed that as a father I had absolutely no say in what that name will be. The mother determines the name, and only the mother’s signature is needed. So, the name by which the baby will be known on the records of the Church is solely determined by the mother, who does not hold the priesthood and needs no permission from any sort of presiding authority.
No naming and blessing of a child is necessary to create a membership record. As a clerk I’ve created membership records for children who were never blessed. You enter the name, date of birth, parents (if known), and place of birth. No authorization of a presiding authority is necessary, though it is a good idea to let the bishop know what you are doing. The Church does not keep a record of whether or not you are blessed. Baptism and some other ordinances are essential to salvation, by the naming and blessing of a baby is entirely unnecessary.
No permission is needed to bless a baby. A baby may be blessed by the mother, or even a complete stranger without the permission of the parents or any presiding authority. Jesus was blessed in the temple by strangers Simeon and Anna without any permission, and Anna not only didn’t hold the priesthood, but she was of the tribe of Asher to which the priesthood did not belong at that time.
Of course, if you are going to bless a baby by the authority of the priesthood you need to hold the Melchizedek priesthood. A blessing performed by the authority of the priesthood by a worthy person is performed by the power of the priesthood which God has given to the man. It is more than asking God to bless the child; it is blessing the child with the power God has given the man. A father who holds this priesthood never needs permission to exercise his priesthood in the blessing of his children. However, if he wishes to bless his baby “before the church” then he needs permission from his bishop and it must be done under the direction of the presiding authority where he is performing the blessing before the church.