Dear Brethren,
I need to write and apologize for the direction I gave tonight in our meeting. I was out of place in suggesting that you should allow, maybe even encourage, families to invite others (especially single sisters) to their home to receive the sacrament.
Such a suggestion causes a number of problems:
• It can lead to hurt feelings when members begin to hear that someone got invited and they didn’t;
• A suggestion from the stake president that you should not “police” this, is, as Bishop May questioned, is the same as being authorized by your priesthood leader to neglect your duty as a key holder to oversee the administration of the sacrament;
• It sets the wrong example by priesthood leaders, especially the stake president, in circumventing the letter and spirit of Elder Blunck’s direction.
Please forgive me for allowing my heart (sadness for the many who will feel left out) to override good judgment. I deeply desire to be “strict” and “quick” to obey my priesthood leader. I was wrong and I ask you not to follow my earlier instruction.
I encourage all of you to follow the direction we will receive from Elder Blunck in his letter that should come tomorrow.
Please know I will not invite our single sister friend to join our family for the sacrament on Easter Sunday. That’s the last thing you need is to have someone say to you, “Well, the stake president did it."
I realize we may not be able to be aware or oversee every instance of what happens in the homes with regard to the administration of the sacrament, but I want to be found firmly and completely on the side of my file leader.
I appreciate your patience with your “old" stake president who sadly continues to make “rookie” mistakes more often than I care to count.
President Lewis
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