Question
Dear Gramps,
My niece is going to be blessed this Sunday. My question for you is this: What is the purpose of a baby blessing? I was told it was to put her name on the records of the Church, but doesn’t that happen with baptism? Is this more of a tradition rather than an ordinance? Thanks for your input!
Kristie
Answer
Dear Kristie,
There are two purposes to the blessing of babies. One is to have their names entered on the records of the Church. When a baby is blessed, a membership record is made out for that person, who is listed as “A Child of Record,” and is counted in the Church statistics. From such records the Primary rolls are made, and children are assigned to their different classes in the Primary.
A second purpose is to give the child a blessing. This blessing, pronounced by the authority of the Holy Priesthood and undoubtedly recorded in heaven, will have an influence for good in the child’s life. The powers of heaven will be inclined in the direction of the inspired blessing, and the parents will receive information to guide them in directing the life of their infant child. The blessing of babies is one of the ordinances of the gospel.
Gramps
