Question
Gramps,
Is there a correct positioning of hands and fingers on the head of a person being blessed, i.e., laying on of hands on the head or top of the head and side of the head in temple ordinances? Is there a protocol that is being violated if not done properly?
Dadi Bear
Answer
Dadi Bear,
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the “laying on of hands” is a sacred and familiar practice. It is used in confirmations, priesthood ordinations, blessings of healing and comfort, setting apart for callings, and temple ordinances.
The short answer, according to Latter-day Saint theology, is this: the Church teaches that hands are to be placed reverently upon the person’s head, but there is generally not a revealed “magic formula” for finger placement or exact positioning beyond the instructions given for the ordinance itself. The power of the ordinance does not come from precise hand geometry. It comes from priesthood authority, faith in Jesus Christ, and obedience to the ordinance as established by the Lord.
The practice itself is ancient. Throughout scripture, the laying on of hands is connected with blessing, healing, receiving the Holy Ghost, and setting apart for sacred service.
Jesus Himself used touch in blessing others. In the New Testament, we read:
“Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.” (Acts 8:17)
Another example comes when Christ blessed little children:
“And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.” (Mark 10:16)
Latter-day Saints see these passages as establishing the pattern for priesthood ordinances today. The physical act matters because it symbolizes authority, connection, blessing, and divine appointment. But the scriptures do not provide detailed diagrams about finger placement or exact angles of the hands.
The clearest guide comes from the official Church handbook. For priesthood blessings, confirmations, ordinations, and setting apart, the instructions are simple and consistent: brethren participating place their hands “lightly on the person’s head.”
The current handbook can be found on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Handbook. Sections on confirmations, ordinations, blessings, and setting apart consistently focus on priesthood authority and the revealed ordinance rather than on detailed finger positioning.
That simplicity is important.
In Latter-day Saint theology, ordinances are sacred, but the Lord usually avoids turning them into rigid ritualism. The gospel is not intended to become a system in which spiritual validity depends on tiny technical details that God never revealed.
President Joseph Fielding Smith frequently emphasized that ordinances should be performed properly while avoiding unnecessary speculation and traditions beyond revelation. In Doctrines of Salvation, he taught that the Lord has revealed the essentials necessary for ordinances and salvation rather than endless ceremonial detail.
That principle applies well here.
Anyone who has participated in blessings has probably noticed slight differences.
Some place both hands directly on top of the head. Others place one hand more toward the side. In group blessings, hands often overlap as several priesthood holders participate at once. In temple ordinances, positioning may be influenced by space, ceremony, or specific instructions for the ordinance.
These differences usually arise from practical reasons, tradition, comfort, or local habits—not from competing doctrines.
The Church teaches uniformity in the ordinance itself, but not obsessive uniformity in incidental mechanics unless specifically instructed.
For example, in a confirmation, the essential revealed elements include:
- Authorized Melchizedek Priesthood holders participate
- Hands are laid upon the head
- The person is confirmed as a member of the Church
- The gift of the Holy Ghost is conferred
- The blessing is given by the Spirit
Those are the essential components. Whether a thumb rests slightly higher or lower does not determine the validity of the ordinance.
Temple ordinances are naturally treated with extra care and reverence because of their sacred nature. Within the temple, workers and officiators receive instruction on performing the ordinances. Some ordinances may include specific ceremonial positions or actions associated with the ordinance presentation itself.
Even then, Latter-day Saint theology does not teach that mystical power resides in exact finger placement. Rather, temple ordinances emphasize covenant, symbolism, order, and obedience.
The Lord declared:
“In the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest.” (Doctrine and Covenants 84:20)
President Russell M. Nelson has repeatedly emphasized the sacred nature of priesthood ordinances and the need to perform them with care and reverence. In his talk “The Melchizedek Priesthood and the Keys,” he taught that priesthood ordinances open access to “all the spiritual blessings of the Church.”
Notice that the “power of godliness” comes through the ordinance established by God, not through accidental precision in hand posture beyond what the Lord has revealed.
Members sometimes become anxious about whether an ordinance was “done wrong” because someone’s hand slipped or rested awkwardly. Church leaders have generally counseled against this kind of scrupulosity. The Lord is not waiting to invalidate sacred ordinances because of harmless human imperfections when the ordinance was performed in sincerity and according to authorized procedure.
Although exact positioning is usually not the focus, reverence absolutely is.
A priesthood blessing is not casual. It represents acting in the name of Jesus Christ. The laying on of hands should therefore be respectful, calm, dignified, and orderly.
Elder David A. Bednar has often warned against becoming distracted by cultural traditions or practices that go beyond revealed doctrine. In his well-known message “That We May Always Have His Spirit to Be with Us,” he emphasized exactness in keeping covenants while remaining centered on Christ and the Spirit rather than outward performance alone.
That means participants should avoid joking, carelessness, or drawing attention to themselves. The focus belongs on the Savior and the person receiving the ordinance.
Over the years, some members have passed along unofficial ideas about ordinances. Sometimes people assume there must be hidden symbolism in every tiny detail. Others may insist that blessings must be performed exactly as they personally learned growing up.
Latter-day Saints are encouraged to distinguish between revealed doctrine and cultural tradition.
For example, there is no official doctrine stating:
- Fingers must be spread a certain way
- Hands must touch only the crown of the head
- A certain number of fingers carries a symbolic meaning
- The ordinance is invalid if the hands shift slightly
Those ideas belong more to folklore than to revealed LDS theology.
Ultimately, priesthood blessings are not mechanical acts. They are acts of faith in Jesus Christ.
The power does not come from:
- finger placement,
- hand pressure,
- posture,
- or ceremonial perfection.
The power comes from:
- the authority of the priesthood,
- the worthiness and faith of participants,
- the influence of the Holy Ghost,
- and the will of the Lord.
That perspective keeps ordinances sacred without turning them into superstition.
The laying on of hands is meaningful because it is an authorized symbol established by God. It is a physical expression of spiritual authority and divine blessing. But the Lord looks primarily upon the heart.
Gramps
