This piece of instruction:

“If this learning as well as having prayer itself is your goal, the concert prayer has its place. If, however, the spiritual experience of prayer is your objective, quiet listening is the better form”

Is very interesting in light of how prayers are said in the temple.

There are problems with your third paragraph, however: Neither Brigham Young nor anyone else discontinued prayer circles in Nauvoo (such circles continued through the 19th century in the west); although Emma’s opposition to polygamy was reflected in the purity standards of the Relief Society, I think it is grossly unfair to say that she maneuvered for “favors and power in the Church” at any time, especially during preparations for going west; and her reasons for remaining behind had absolutely nothing to do with failure to obtain any hypothetical “favors and power.” This is all a misunderstanding of Emma’s character, as well as of Brigham Young’s consolidation of authority in Nauvoo.

Some of those who had received their endowments in the Nauvoo era, gathered together at least weekly in someone’s home to have a prayer circle, in which one would be the key voice, and the rest repeat the prayer.

This was discontinued later by Brigham Young, partially, I believe, because Emma Smith tried to use her clout as an “elect lady” and member of the Quorum of the Anointed to obtain favors and power in the Church going west. When BY would not give her any special consideration, she remained behind.

Is it possible that similar prayers expanded to other meetings?

We have a gospel doctrine teacher in our ward who uses choral readings to good effect, a practice encouraged in Teaching, No Greater Call.

This article reminds me of a couple of things. Ardis, do you recollect if Brigham said something about how we needed to come to the point that those in the congregation would silently pray for the same things the one called on to pray would audibly ask? And, on the other hand, during the journey across Nebraska to Winter Quarters, didn’t he speak of the problem of members “praying against counsel”?

Dr. Nibley discusses the group expressions found in the coronation ceremony of King Mosiah and compares them to those found in the coronation of a king in exile in Babylon. Shadows of something.

Hope we all get on the same page sooner rather than later.

I’ll put that on my to-do list and win Hunter’s admiration again later! Thanks, Hunter — and enjoy The Office!

Anne, Sacrament Gems became a feature of Sunday School in 1910, so concert prayers and Sacrament Gems and concert recitations were all going on at the same time for at least 40 years. I suspect that rather than wanting to end concert prayers, the Gems were a further development of that common and accepted method of teaching in Sunday School. But you can tell I’m trying to understand the idea by connecting a very limited number of dots. The picture may very well change when more dots are found.

Thanks for your responses, friends.

This post also highlights, I think, the difference between you and me, Ardis. You read an interesting fact about, say, concert prayer, and you resolve to find out more information, you take down the info, and then organize what you find. As for me, I read a new fact and say, “Huh, that’d be interesting to find out more about that.” And then I remember something inane like the fact that there’s a new episode of The Office on tonight and I forget all about it, as well as my resolution to dig in and find out more.

/sighs

Did that seminary textbook from the 1930s really use the adjective “suggestive”? If so, we’ll have to get the language mavens to tell us when that word became a euphemism that you likely would not use to describe a prayer.

This also conjured up an old memory of the practice of “lining out” hymns–never done in any church meeting I’ve ever attended, but a venerable practice, according to Wikipedia. I vaguely recall (like everything else) that Bill Cosby may have mentioned the practice in one of his stand-up comedy sketches.