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ANNAVAHRY - Just wondering why confirmatiom for converts are usually held on a seperate day of baptism but for primary aged its held on the same day? Is their doctrine or teaching? Aso who presides at baptisms?
JOEL - There's no doctrine involved; just policy that can be adjusted as needed.
According to the Church Handbook:
"Eight-year-old children are typically confirmed on the day they are baptized. Converts are typically confirmed in any sacrament meeting in the ward where they live, preferably on the Sunday after their baptism. The bishop may grant exceptions for a convert to be confirmed at the baptismal service, for example if the number of confirmations would require too much time in sacrament meeting or to accommodate personal or family needs of the new convert."
They use the word "typically". So it could be done either way depending on the circumstances.If all children were confirmed at sacrament meeting it could take too much time depending on how many children were baptized that month. Confirming converts at sacrament meeeting allows the rest of the congregation to see and know who the new convert is so they can fellowship and help them as needed.
ANNAVAHRY - Who presides at a ward convert baptism if Mission President attends? Is it the Bishop, if so why? when the Mission President has keys for convert baptisms?
JOEL - Here's some more info from the Church Handbook:
The mission president holds the priesthood keys for baptizing converts in a mission. Under his direction, a full-time missionary conducts a baptism and confirmation interview for each candidate and authorizes the ordinances to take place. The mission president also oversees the recording of the ordinances by the mission staff so that a membership record can be created.
The full-time missionaries coordinate closely with the ward mission leader (if one is called) or the member of the elders quorum presidency who leads missionary work in the ward. Under the bishopric’s guidance, this person plans and conducts baptismal services.
When a baptismal service for 8-year-old children who are members of record involves only one ward, a member of the bishopric plans and conducts it.The bishop holds the priesthood keys for confirming 8-year-old members of record in a ward. The mission president holds the keys for confirming converts in a mission.However, the bishop oversees this ordinance for 8-year-old children of record and for converts.
ANNAVAHRY -
if a mission president who has the keys for converts attends the baptism does he preside or will bishop?
JOEL - Mission presidents rarely attend baptismal services unless he happens to be there at the time or personally knows the convert. Because the mission president holds the priesthood keys for baptizing converts he authorizes who can or can not be baptized, but once the convert has passed the baptism interview and is admitted to baptism he/she is turned over to the stake and Ward for the baptism which means that the Stake President or Bishop would preside over the baptism which is a stake/ward function.
In the case of Branches here is a statement from the Church about branch presidency:
"The branch president presides at sacrament meetings, priesthood meetings, and other branch meetings he attends, unless a member of the district or mission presidency, an Area Authority Seventy, or a General Authority is present. The branch president invites these visiting, presiding authorities to sit on the stand. He makes an earnest effort to ensure that all meetings and activities help members come unto Christ."
Where there are no established stakes and wards the mission president is the presiding High Priest in that area. So according to the above statement, if the Mission President is present at a baptism service in a branch (ie other branch meetings) he would be the one who presides. Also where there are no established wards or branches, he would be the presiding high priest and would preside over any baptisms in that area.
There are some kinds of branches that are associated with a stake, such as a foriegn language branch or Singles branches.Baptisms in these uinits would be presided over by the stake president.
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