Tech Forum

We will be having a child blessing in our ward in the coming week. The child is a member of a different ward (and stake). What information do I need to prepare for the family to take back to their home ward so that the clerk there can process the child blessing?

We often have the reverse situation. We complete the form from MLS and send it with the member(s). When they return, they give the form back to me and we record the ordinance. I don't think that leaves much for the clerk in the ward they are being blessed in to do.

I have had a couple of situations where children were blessed in our ward and the families were not active. Later the family moved into our ward and there were no records for the children. So, if the family is not active, you should probably create the record and send them to the ward the family resides in, to ensure that piece is completed. However, generally, when it is an active family they will make sure that is done.

I had this situation just a few weeks ago. I printed out a blank copy of the Child Blessing Form (I'm not sure that's the right name) and filled it out as best as I could with the visiting parents. I then had the bishop of my ward sign the form to indicate the the ordinance was completed and done correctly. I made a copy of the record and sent a copy to the bishop of the other ward to give to his clerk.

I do, however, find it much preferable to have the ward in which the child resides to generate the form and send it with the parents.

cws33 wrote:We will be having a child blessing in our ward in the coming week. The child is a member of a different ward (and stake). What information do I need to prepare for the family to take back to their home ward so that the clerk there can process the child blessing?

Actually, the recommended procedure is for the ward where the ordinance is performed to create the record. See the MLS Software Manual on page 11. You specify the usual information, but you make sure you specify the parent's record number and the unit number of the home ward. Then when you transmit the record, it will appear in the home ward.

I'm in a married student ward and have had several families bless their new children in their home wards where their parents live. Several of them have come to me months later and say they never got any paperwork from that clerk. They contacted the clerk in the other unit and confirmed that the paper work was never completed. What is the proper procedure for me to create a child record? Do I contact the clerks in the other wards and have them complete the paperwork according to the manual and send it back to me or do we need to perform the ordinance again?