I hate it when the priest makes a slight mistake with the sacrament prayer and we make them repeat it over and over until they say it exactly verbatim with no slips, stutters, or juxtapositions. It seams like so often the poor boy has simply added a "the" or missed a "that". Hardly a major mistake, hardly an intentional effort to wander from the dictated prayer. It's just an accident. Most priests kneel down in fear of messing up, worrying that they might let down the ward, their family, and themselves. Ever notice how some seem to start to shake and quiver, praying within themselves, "Dear God, give me the power to read and the power to speak so that I may not repeat." (isn't that neat how it has rhythm and rhyme--maybe it will get printed in the Ensign!...)
Look, the essence of the prayer has not been violated. I'm gonna bet my savings account that when the prayer isn't uttered perfectly and isn't corrected that Peter, James, and John are not groaning in heaven, saying "Damn, a whole congregation doesn't get credit this week..."
I imagine that many of you reading this have witnessed (or at least heard about) some sacrament meeting where they crucified the young man by having him repeat the prayer 5 or 6 times. The poor kid is usually frustrated and many times devastated. At some point, we all just want to either strangle the kid or have him get relieved like a pitcher in a baseball game. You know the congregation is thinking "Come on Bishop, bring in the relief pitcher--let's close this game" or they might be thinking "We need to put him down like a lame horse...who has a gun and some bullets?"
Here's my thing, I think that as long as the priest corrects himself in sentence, I think that we should just let it go. As long as he isn't missing any important words, good to go. As long as he isn't inserting stuff (beyond "a", "and", etc), pass it out. Now, missing a whole phrase--do not pass go, do not collect $200.
Now, I know that some will say, but the scriptures have the wording there and we have been told to use the prayer as is. We insist on the baptism prayer being said and getting them under the water entirely, etc. I am not disputing that. I am disputing the need to start over just because somebody makes a mistake. I'd like to point out that in the temple, where ceremony and wording are very important, they don't ever make you start over--just correct yourself in sentence and continue onward (and upward to heaven!).
I've heard and read some suggestions including a "slaughter rule" similar to mercy rules used in youth sports. Once you get to three attempts, the emblems go out no matter what. Maybe a congregation vote? Would we signify by the raising of the right hand?
When it does happen, I think that the person conducting the meeting would do well to offer some brief explanation as to why the prayer might have been repeated. If you have converts or investigators, they might be a little puzzled. Such a gesture I think would be enlightening.
Thoughts? Comments?
Aditional note: I hate it when people use the "I once heard" and the "some general authority said" as the basis of their argument or point. But I found this at a website where the writer said he was there (but take it with a grain of salt). He wrote that Elder Tingey said something to the effect that the leadership needed to loosen up with the prayer monitoring and allow the priest to correct themselves in sentence and call it good. Apparently he also advised the leaderhsip to avoid always repeating the cliche “We’d like to thank the aaronic priesthood for the reverent manner in which they bless and pass the sacrament..."
