Dear Gramps, If a minor is baptized in the Church without parental consent is it legal with the church? Thank you. s/Julia, erec.net [answer]

Dear Gramps, Why do we dedicate graves for people that have died? Thanks, Gidgtmidgt [answer]

Dear Gramps, Years ago my wife gave birth to a stillborn baby girl. We named her Ruth Ann. The church refused to accept her and her name. Why, if at conception she was a human with a soul, and just minutes before her birth she was alive, would the church refuse to accept her and her name? Thank you for your consideration. Edward Calton [answer]

Dear Gramps, Hello. This is BenJoe Again, Thanks for your answer to my last question. While in splits with the missionaries this week our investigator asked us, "is it true that you have to take the sacrament with only your right hand?" This is not the first time that I have heard of this. In fact once I took the sacrament tray and took it with bread with my left hand and someone told me that I took it wrong. Isn't taking the sacrament taking the sacrament? I don't think there is a special way to take it. I just thought I would ask you Gramps! BenJoe, St. George, UT. [answer]

Dear Gramps, I am struggling with the concept that all leaders are called by inspiration. I have had experiences where I have witnessed the behavior of the Bishops and Stake Presidents in my life to wonder about them. I have seen some incredibly insensitive statements and actions during my years in the church. The one that has always stuck with me is the Stake President who made the statement that he didn’t care what happened to me or my family because I had once called Salt Lake City concerning an issue that I couldn’t get answered locally in my ward. He later was called to be Regional Representative. I could never understand how that could happen other than those that called him didn’t know of his attitude. My Bishop here has told me how he knew someone who was called to be in a high position of leadership who was dishonest in his business dealings with others. My question is, how can this be if inspiration is the only way that one is called? Surely the Lord knows that the man is dishonest! Therefore I conclude that the person’s outward service was the main influence in his call. Anonymous [answer] 

Dear Gramps, I have a question concerning Fast Sunday. A week ago (which was fast Sunday) I had to take prescription medicine that says, Take With Food. I fasted my two meals, but put one bite of food in my mouth Sunday morning to take my pill. One bite is all I had. Was this breaking my fast?  I’ve heard different things. One person said just to not take my medicine for a day, but if I hadn’t, my ear would have been in unbearable pain. Another said we’re not supposed to fast when we’re sick, but only my ear and mouth (I had just had 2 teeth pulled) were bothering me, and I really felt the urge to fast about a certain thing that Sunday. I’ve also been told that it’s not breaking my fast; the Lord understands I had to take the medicine. This seems most logical to me, but I am confused. What do you say? Lindsay [answer]

Dear Gramps, I have seen Q&A's in your column dealing with stillborn children, and the family keeping their own records of the children with names. Does it apply to children who were determined to be lifeless early in the pregnancy, thus resulting in a medical procedure to remove the child, rather than carrying the child full term? We were, at one point, blessed to hear a heartbeat, but on the following visit, it was discovered that the baby no longer had a heartbeat. Do we fall into that blessed group of parents who may name that precious soul, and retain the hope for possibly parenting our baby after the resurrection? Thank you, Rob [answer]

Dear Gramps, I really enjoy your column. I have a question I have been unable to find doctrinal information on. I guess it's a sign of the times that we have such strange situations nowadays. But I have a friend who turned out to be transgender. He is in a program to change sex and is getting married before the operation, which is now legal in this particular state. He wants me to attend the wedding and be there in January when he has the operation. I keep thinking from an eternal perspective this is a marriage between two men and definitely wrong. Am I right? I have passed on the wedding but feel tremendous pressure to be there since it is major surgery. Is there a moral stand here? Thanks. Terri [answer]  

Gramps, How can I find out about dancing in the church, I understand at one time the church tried to do away with all dancing? Even in the early 1920, in my family journals, they talked about being kicked out of the church dance for waltzing. Would love to know where I could find more on this subject. My family all lived in Bear Lake, Idaho. Connie [answer]  

Dear Gramps, I have another question on fasting. I understand now that we should just not fast when we are sick, as we would be breaking the fast to take the medicine. But what do people who always have to take medicine with food do? My grandparents have prescription medicines they have had to take for years. But they still practice fast. You say to just fast a different day, but they have to take medicine every day. I would like to know more. Lindsay [answer]  

Gramps, Can young people be boyfriend and girlfriend like Third Grade and higher? Willie [answer]  

Dear Gramps, I realize that LDS have been counseled against cremation in all ages but some, like my in-laws did it anyway and in some cultures and areas of the world it is the accepted and expected practice.  With low budget funerals in the $6,000 range, how is a widow(er) of little means to honor this decree? Catherine Allen, mindless.com [answer]  

Hi Gramps, I appreciated your references to quotes from the brethren on the subject of birth control/contraceptives, but rather than these scattered quotes from a period of many years, could you give us the words of the current prophets on this subject from the general handbook of instructions? Thanks, Steve from Utah [answer]  

Dear Gramps, We were in priesthood meeting last Sunday and our lesson was the last one in the Brigham Young manual. My question is in regards to the picture of the tabernacle where Brigham Young’s funeral services were held and it was elaborately decorated for this occasion. Why was so much time and effort spent on this and was there any special meaning to this? Is this still done with services for our other latter day prophets? Brigham was such a great man I can appreciate the ahh-ness of wanting to celebrate his passing through the veil, but on the other hand we as members of the Lord’s church are usually rather conservative when it comes to weddings and funerals and they (to my knowledge) discourage elaborate decorations in the tabernacle. In closing, my wife and I greatly enjoy your comments; you are an inspiration to the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. We wish you the best during the Christmas season. Love, Bill and Tina [answer]  

Gramps, Could you please explain why we Latter-day Saints hold Sunday as our Sabbath? My mother, a non-member, holds that the Holy day was switched during the days of Constantine. It feels right that I keep Sunday holy but I have nothing to substantiate my actions, other than “it's what we do.” Thank you. Jeanne, from Michigan [answer]  

Gramps, What is the church’s position of the disposition of our earthy remains, i.e. organ donation, cremation vs. burial, etc.? David, from Virginia [answer]  

Dear Gramps, Can you please tell me where it is outlined about members feeding the missionaries and how often they should be fed?  Thank you. skm, from Michigan [answer]  

Dear Gramps, After teaching a lesson in adult institute class, I bore my testimony and closed it by saying “I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.” After class one of the sisters asked me about that statement. She said the missionaries had told her that no one except the prophet, and perhaps apostles, should use that phrase because it meant that we were speaking for Christ. I went through the last conference edition of the “Ensign” and found that most of the brethren closed their talks with “I pray we will.... in the name of Jesus Christ....” Since then, I have observed many others close their talks the same way I did, with the phrase “I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ.” I know you shouldn’t close your whole talk that way, but what about your testimony? Would you please enlighten me on this subject? Thank you. Barbra from Wyoming [answer]