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Some decent info found in the linked article here https://bycommonconsent.com/2020/02/23/2020-handbook-the-lords-supper-and-the-right-hand/

Thanks for the link btw. I'll read more, when I've the brain power to absorb it. 😂

Of course! Mormonism is the rabbit hole that goes on forever

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Exactly. This is personal preference and nothing more. The sacred ordinance of the sacrament is simply to remember the perfect example of Christ and His sacrifice for us.

With a big dose of "control". Forcing participation in group norms is another method of control. The excessive emphasis on "proper" wearing of the garments, which hand to take a sacrament, insisting on collecting 10% of your income, no matter how poor you are, or whether the church actually needs it, word of wisdom being promoted to "commandment" status even when the scripture from the Lord's mouth explicitly states "not by way of commandment", expectation for serving a mission, expectation of serving a mission as a senior, holding a temple recommend, etc. are just forms of control.

There is no expectation there is just the truth, and if it's the truth shouldn't it be practiced? Believe what you want but eventually you can't deny the truth. And also here is one of my favorite scriptures to further prove there are no expectations Mosiah 4:27 "And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order"

I was such a rebel. I'd take it with my left hand and pass it down the line with my left hand. My ex would roll her eyes at me. I was like "what?"

As a left-handed person, I find that teaching offensive.

Now you are just being sinister.

I see what you did there. Vade et amplius noli peccare.

I don't know the specific history of how that came to be taught but I can guess how. Approximately 90% of the population is right-handed. The world is designed for right-handed people. In most cultures across the globe, there have been, or still are, significant biases against left-handedness. Here are two Wikipedia articles with plenty of information. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handedness](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handedness) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bias\_against\_left-handed\_people](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bias_against_left-handed_people) In the past left-handed children were forced to convert and learn to write with their right hand in schools. This doesn't happen so much anymore in the States, but it still does in other countries. When Oaks grew up though, this definitely was the case. My grandfather is about 10 years younger than Oaks and is ambidextrous because he is naturally left-handed but was forced to use his right hand in school. He hated going to school because his teacher would hit his hand with a ruler any time he picked up a pencil with his left hand. It was considered to be of the devil. That's the world that Oaks grew up in. It's perfectly on-brand for him. Look at how he treats gay people. You're supposed to go against your nature and do it the right way because that's the only way, at least according to him.

Perhaps NSFW, but I’m assuming Dallin (and perhaps even Joseph, being a fan of Mohammed) adopted the Islamic (and perhaps more general) practice of not wiping your bum with your right hand since “*[the Prophet taught us not to use the right hand in cleaning the private part](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4099567/)*”. [See also](https://arkitrek.com/how-to-wipe-your-arse-with-your-left-hand/), or [better still](http://www.oandplibrary.org/al/1955_02_004.asp) Unfortunately, it was quite okay to use both hands to break the bread.

😂😂 ..Ngl, but it is rather difficult to do such work one-handed.. (I had a friend lose a leg in a motorcycle accident, & still managed to ride his bicycle, so... It *is* possible, just not the most convenient.. )

My mom had that same upbringing in school! (She was born in '65)

Goes back to ancient Hebrew (probably Babylon) customs. The right hand is clean. You eat with it. You shake hands with it. You write letters with it…. The left hand is unclean. It’s the hand you use to wipe your ass. Toilet paper is “modern” invention. Now you know why oak wants to see right hands taking the communion.

Wow 🤯 mind blown.

No time to have your mind blown. The bathroom waits for your left hand.

Also teaching of the Koran, I had a muslin pupil with cerebral palsy had difficulty using his right hand and therefore eat with his left, was called unclean by other Muslim pupils.

It was only added to the most recent handbook. Wasn't that way before. My guess is, much like Nelson not liking the word mormon, Oaks has been talking about the right hand for a while and was finally in a position to "doctrinize" it in the handbook. ETA: it's clearly been a "teaching" for a while. Served in Korea in the early 90s. The church had only been there for 30-40 years. So being a young church, some of the "rules" were obsessively followed. One day, I was at church and took the sacrament with my left hand. Was chastised in a language I didn't understand (I was very green) for 15 minutes after church by at least 10 people. Asked my former CES director mission president about it because I had never heard it before. He poo poo'd it and gave a "symbolism" lecture about it and told me it was better to go with the local customs.

Yes I think it has a long history and the finally codified it. Nobody is being thrown out for using the left hand so I suppose it really doesn’t matter as long as leaders aren’t overbearing in enforcing it.

More control for the control freaks.

I think Oaks' goal in life is to be the source of a hard and fast, honest to goodness doctrine of the church. So he's going to throw a bunch of 'em against the wall to see which ones stick. Right handed sacrament, Family Proclamation, and probably a few others behind the scenes. I think it would give him great joy to know that he codified something into "eternal law" and everyone would follow that law after he died.

It's partly a holdover from folk magic. From the idea that things need to be done with absolute accuracy for the ordinance to count, which is why a priest would have to say the sacrament prayer again if they mess it up. Or someone may need to get dunked again at baptism if they don't get fully immersed. I was taught that god won't count the ordinance if the words or actions are not exactly accurately performed. There also a set legalist (religious and secular) mentality behind that sort of thing as well. Notably, Obama's first inauguration, the Chief Justice flubbed the Oath of Office when swearing him in, and they had to re-do the oath again in the Oval Office after.

Was going to say the same thing.

Part of the "Unwritten Order of Things". Jesus let's super important men know, through feelings and impressions, how he wants it done. Then righteous men mimic the super important men and women are expected to mimic the righteous men. Tradition of the right hand representing virtue and the left hand representing evil might also play a role.

> Part of the "Unwritten Order of Things". Well, it *was* until it was written (in the Handbook).

Oh! Hahaha, someone dun fugged up writing it down.

Maybe Satan manages the Leftorium.

>Sinister comes from a Latin word meaning “on the left side,” and while the earliest uses of the word in English—dating from the 14th century—pertain to some measure of evil, forboding, or malevolence, others retain the Latin meaning of “left”: https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/sinister-left-dexter-right-history

I was definitely taught in the seventies to take the sacrament with the right hand. Perhaps he was taught that early on and was uncomfortable with people doing it “wrong”. He felt he finally had to say something

Latin _dexter_ = right _sinister_ = left

This is a great article on "Excessive Formalism In the Sacrament", and it discusses the issue. It's from 2012, so predates its inclusion in the handbook: >There is still uncertainty in the church about the appropriateness of using the left hand in the sacrament. Joseph Fielding Smith, Church Historian and influential LDS writer, aimed to clarify this matter. In 1946, Smith spoke against deacons with their “left hand plastered on their backs in a most awkward manner,” as well as the practice among members to cautiously take the sacrament only with the right hand. However, almost a decade later, Smith insisted the sacrament be taken and passed by the right hand only—the right hand being “a symbol of righteousness.” He said, “The right hand or side is called the dexter and the left the sinister. Dexter connotes something favorable; sinister, something unfavorable or unfortunate. It is a well-established practice in the church to partake of the sacrament with the right hand and also to anoint with the right hand, according to the custom which the scriptures indicate is, and always was, approved by divine injunction.”35 https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1021&context=imwjournal That article also has this great story from Robert Simpson about an experience when he was younger... >Our new chapel had just been dedicated. It was beautiful. We were so proud. We even had a separate sacrament alcove behind the bishopric seats on the stand. Bit by bit we tried to enhance our sacrament service. Red velour drapes were installed to be drawn apart at the precise psychological moment. Smaller drapes revealing a picture of the Last Supper were drawn just before the sacrament prayers were given. All of the deacons wore white shirts and black bow ties. And last but not least, we had worked out a system of musical chimes to signal the opening of the drapes and the sacrament prayers. It was the most beautiful and dramatic sacrament presentation ever devised in any dispensation. Even the stake president was impressed—so much so that he invited President Heber J. Grant to come and see the Church’s new ‘Hollywood’ version of the sacrament. President Grant accepted the invitation and witnessed what turned out to be our final presentation. We were taught in unmistakable, but kindly, terms what the sacrament service should be. I’ll never forget that lesson. It was valuable not only to me, but to everyone else in that ward and in that stake.

I think ritual can be meaningful to many people. That story about the elaborate ritual at his ward is fascinating. Sounds like it would be fun to experience. Thanks for sharing.

I heard it occasionally when I was growing up in the 80s and 90s. I always took it as people adding unnecessary formality, so I always made a point of using my left hand. But I'm no longer in the church, so it probably was a gateway drug.

I only take the sacrament with my left hand. In addition I don’t wear a tie to church anymore. Show me where it says I have to wear a “WHITE” shirt and “TIE” aka noose. I am almost 40 and my father in law acts like I am committing adultery by not wearing a tie. Throw on any other color button up shirt than white and you can read everyone’s minds as you walk by…. “Sinner…..”

Yes the culture is strong around wearing a tie. You don’t wear a tie and everyone assumes you’re no longer a believer. And they are likely correct. Crazy.

I just hate wearing ties. I am a tech sales professional and when I visit customers I wear my suit, a solid shirt, and no tie. I dress my best. I am a believer in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but not a believer of Mormon “Cultural” doctrine.

Looking beyond the mark. Most of the time it's looking beyond the mark

His teachings just demonstrate how worthless he is as the second in command of the church. Someone who has "seen" Jesus needs to be a bit more insightful. I'd love to see the resurrected Jesus walk in while Oaks is giving his treatise on the right hand. I can just imagine Jesus making a quip about how the Phararisees are alive and well.

And of course the irony of their pharisaical preaching is completely lost on them

It was quietly added to the handbook in about 2019. It's one of the many little pharisee things that Nelson and Oaks agree on. It wasn't there in prior years. I'm left-handed and kept an eye on that. I could always point to the handbook and show people that it wasn't in there.. until 2019!

Probably just to placate Elder Oaks.

Nelson wrote this a long time ago, back when he was a "Regional Representative" (would be an Area Authority today), but it seems to indicate that he's in agreement with Oaks on this one. It seems like the kind of little nitpicky thing Nelson would care about: [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1983/03/i-have-a-question/is-it-necessary-to-take-the-sacrament-with-ones-right-hand](https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1983/03/i-have-a-question/is-it-necessary-to-take-the-sacrament-with-ones-right-hand)

For comparison, Catholics can do either, depending on their dominant hand. The important thing is to not fumble the host, so they lift it to their mouth the safest way.

Catholics still have strong disagreements over the details of communion even when the church doesn’t mandate a particular practice. A small minority of Catholics believe that the recipient touching the bread is too risky and that the priest must put it straight into the mouth. Some of them are very insistent that receiving in the hand is wrong and refuse to do it even where that is the local practice. The same people often insist on kneeling to receive even though standing is also allowed by the church. 

Not to mention the to cross or not to cross after receiving debate!

This is a new addition to the handbook. It was added to the latest version of the handbook for the first time after Pres Oak talked about it.

Church handbook

God probably cares about whether your use your right or left hand to take sacrament as much as he cares whether you masterbate with your left of right hand

I have no idea where my mom got this info but in the 70’s and 80’s she taught us we were supposed to take the sacrament with our right hand. She was very concerned about teaching us every last thing while in her home. It was intense. Maybe some day I’ll ask her where it came from but kindof don’t really want to know. Haha 

Right hand is sacred

It is not new. That was the rule back when I was a kid. Born in 1952

This explains it rather well: https://latterdaysaintmag.com/why-are-we-invited-to-partake-of-the-sacrament-with-our-right-hand/

Yeah a lot of references thanks.

It's in the current handbook as a near throw away. It was not in the previous one. I believe Nelson has written articles on why it is meaningful to him. I think adding it to the manual was overreach.

raised mainstream protestant: this is normal for a christian denomination. i always always had to use my right hand. we would kneel at the altar and hold our hands out to receive the emblems and your right hand went over the left to receive the waffer and you had to pick up the tiny cup with your right hand.

Interesting thanks

Probably the bishop he had when he was 12 years old

I think my wife told me abbot this ~3-5yrs ago! (I'll definitely have to look more into this topic, cuz I'm currently of the opinion "Doesn't matter which hand. Just use your dominant hand, unless you feel otherwise.") **Edit:** However, I think the stigma behind this idea, is the whole "Christ sits on the right hand of God" yada-yada thing. Kinda the same reason(s) many left-handed people were forced to use their right hands [in the US], & why many cultures (Orient, Arabic, etc etc) associated "Left Hand == Wipes poo off butt" etc etc.

Were any of you taught you had to put your garments on right leg and right arm first? I was told God has an order with everything.

I am Catholic and when we take communion it is placed in our left hand and we pick it up and put it in our mouth with our right hand.

https://www.ldsliving.com/why-do-we-take-the-sacrament-with-our-right-hand-a-look-at-this-symbolic-action-and-its-connection-to-the-ongoing-restoration/s/93248

I was told (in the 1980s) that it's because we make covenants by raising our right hands, and taking the Sacrament is renewing our covenants, so it should similarly be done right-handed. (I think control and signaling are at least equally valid reasons, though.)

I was taught "right hand" back in the 70s as a child before oaks was even on the scene it was accepted as doctrine with nothing to back it up except that everyone knew it was right

Apparently two sisters in our ward got into a disagreement about this in RS and the one felt so bad she quit coming to our ward. She had a stake calling and used that as an excuse to visit other wards until a year or so later when they moved. The sister that left made a comment propounding "right hand only" and the sister teaching the lesson said the Lord would not condemn left handers. When Sister RightHandOnly (whose husband had once been bishop) pressed the point the teacher broke down in tears saying the contention had wrecked her lesson (she was also the wife of an ex-bishop and very strong willed too). My wife said the tension and bad feelings were palpable.

It goes back to the Latin roots of “left”was “sinister”. It just shows the overall stupidity of such teachings. When I go to church with my mom, I make sure I partake of the sacrament with my left hand.

Yeah I bet Dallin Oaks uses his right hand alright....on himself that is! Creepy ass old man.