An esteemed correspondent wrote us some time since concerning the propriety of ordaining a child who was sick to the Melchisedek Priesthood. He states that the mother called himself and another Elder in to administer to the child, and asked if it would not be well for them to ordain her boy to the Priesthood, so that in the event of his passing away he would be a holder of the Priesthood. Her anxiety appeared to be that he should receive the Priesthood, lest, not having it, he might be at a disadvantage. Our correspondent gave her his views upon the subject, to the effect that as a rule it is not expedient to ordain a boy to be an Elder because he is sick, especially when he had not held any of the lesser offices. Then the mother informed him that one of the patriarchs, in bestowing a patriarchal blessing, had ordained a brother of this sick boy to be an Elder, and the child was only five months old at the time. Afterwards, as this boy grew up, he was ordained to the office of a Deacon, the local authorities being ignorant at the time that he had been ordained an Elder.

There is a manifest impropriety in such action as seems to have been taken by this patriarch. He exhibited more zeal than discretion. We know that such things have been done by Elders when they thought children were likely to die. They have felt as though the children would lose something and would be at a disadvantage if they were not ordained. There is certainly no good ground for entertaining such views. It has the appearance of distrusting the providence of God and the salvation that He has provided for His children. If such ideas were to become prevalent in the Church, what a strange result would follow! Parents who had lost their children in infancy or early life and who had not had them ordained, would feel to mourn, either at their neglect or that they had allowed their children to pass away without receiving ordination ; and were such an idea

not checked, it would not be long until some members of the Church might fall into the errors of certain sects concerning the baptism of infants — that those who were not baptized in infancy would not receive the joys of heaven.

Our correspondent states some of the conclusions that he had reached, and asks if they are correct. He says:

First — I do not think any male person who may be taken sick should be ordained to any calling he would not or could not be ordained unto were he in good health.

Second — That if a faithful member of the Church should be suddenly called hence, the fact that he had not been ordained would not deprive him of the reward to which he is entitled.

Third — That in the absence of a special command it is not according to the order and the revelations to the Church of Christ to ordain an infant to the Priesthood.

These conclusions, as they appear to us, are certainly safe, and it is not proper that any practice should arise among us of such a character as this referred to, as it would surely lead to confusion.