OFFICE OF
The First Presidency
of the
Church of Jesus Christ
of
Latter-day Saints.

P.O. Box B.

Salt Lake City, Utah, March 23rd, 1896.

ELDERS JAMES E. STEELE,
ROBERT L. BYBEE,
JOS. S. MULLINER,

Presidency of the Bingham Stake.

Dear Brethren:

Your letter of the 13th inst., addressed to President
George Q. Cannon, contains an enquiry concerning the correct language
to be used in ordaining a man to the office of an Elder. You say some
little difference of opinion exists among the brethren of your Stake on
this point.

We do not like to write out a form of ordination for the
office of an Elder. But it is a very simple ceremony, as are all the
ceremonies connected with the ordinances. This is beautifully illustra-
ted in the form which the Lord gives, on page 609 of the Book of Mormon,
concerning the ordination of Priests and Teachers.

There are some people who seem to attach great importance
to phraseology, and are very technical, and think things are not done
right unless every word is spoken just as it should be. This is not
right. A spirit of that kind leads to disputations as to forms; and we
find considerable of that arising from time to time in theological clas-
ses and among others. That which is necessary in ordaining a man is
to ordain him to the office in the Aaronic Priesthood or the Melchisedek
Priesthood (whichever it may be) by the authority of tyhe Holy Priesthood

OFFICE OF The First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

P.O. Box B.

Salt Lake City, Utah, March 23rd, 1896.

ELDERS JAMES E. STEELE, ROBERT L. BYBEE, JOS. S. MULLINER,

Presidency of the Bingham Stake.

Dear Brethren:

Your letter of the 13th inst., addressed to President George Q. Cannon, contains an enquiry concerning the correct language to be used in ordaining a man to the office of an Elder. You say some little difference of opinion exists among the brethren of your Stake on this point.

We do not like to write out a form of ordination for the office of an Elder. But it is a very simple ceremony, as are all the ceremonies connected with the ordinances. This is beautifully illustrated in the form which the Lord gives, on page 609 of the Book of Mormon, concerning the ordination of Priests and Teachers.

There are some people who seem to attach great importance to phraseology, and are very technical, and think things are not done right unless every word is spoken just as it should be. This is not right. A spirit of that kind leads to disputations as to forms; and we find considerable of that arising from time to time in theological classes and among others. That which is necessary in ordaining a man is to ordain him to the office in the Aaronic Priesthood or the Melchisedek Priesthood (whichever it may be) by the authority of the Holy Priesthood