The photo below was taken during a sacrament meeting in the Ephraim Tabernacle around the turn of the century. We may learn a few things about former-day LDS practice from this interesting photograph, which was taken during the sacrament prayer.
First of all, we notice that the gentleman offering the sacrament prayer is praying with his hands raised. (This gentleman's name was Peter Isaacson, who emigrated from Denmark; he married Marta Kristine Clemmensen, also from Denmark.) This was a common way of praying in public in the LDS church at that time and before. For example, in the school of the prophets Joseph Smith taught the brethren to pray with their hands raised, as evidenced from the following excerpt from the School of the Prophets Minutes from 1883. At that time, Zebedee Coltrin recalled being in the Kirtland School of the Prophets in the 1830s with Joseph Smith. Brother Coltrin stated:
. . . when we were all together, Joseph having given instructions, and while engaged in silent prayer, kneeling, with our hands uplifted each one praying in silence . . . (School of the Prophets Minutes, October 3, 1883)
We find also scriptural references to praying with arms outstretched or raised. In Isaiah chapter one, the Lord severely chastises Israel for their departure from truth, but in the course of this chastisement, reference is made to 'spreading forth the hands' as a part of offering prayers:
And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood. (Isaiah 1:15)
There are also several passages in the Doctrine and Covenants where the Lord specifically commands the saints to pray "with uplifted hands" unto "the Most High:"
That your incomings may be in the name of the Lord; that your outgoings may be in the name of the Lord; that all your salutations may be in the name of the Lord, with uplifted hands unto the Most High. (D&C 88:120)
This commandment is repeated later in Section 109 in the identical, wording:
That your incomings may be in the name of the Lord, that your outgoings may be in the name of the Lord, that all your salutations may be in the name of the Lord, with uplifted hands unto the Most High- (D&C 109:9)
This is repeated with only slight variation just a few verses later in Section 109, the Kirtland Temple dedicatory prayer:
And that all their salutations may be in the name of the Lord, with holy hands, uplifted to the Most High; (D&C 109:19)
In Section 88 of the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord prescribes the salutation and response which is to be performed in the School of the Prophets. In the salutation and response, the teacher and the students both have "uplifted hands to heaven" as they begin the school session:
132 And when any shall come in after him, let the teacher arise, and, with uplifted hands to heaven, yea, even directly, salute his brother or brethren with these words:
135 And he that cometh in and is faithful before me, and is a brother, or if they be brethren, they shall salute the president or teacher with uplifted hands to heaven, with this same prayer and covenant, or by saying Amen, in token of the same. (D&C 88:132,135)
A second observation to make in examining this photograph from about 100 years ago in the LDS church, is that the gentleman offering the sacrament prayer is not a youth. In any case, it is extremely unlikely that this older gentleman would have only held the Aaronic Priesthood.
A careful reading of D&C Section 20 will reveal the exact duties of the various priesthood offices. We there learn that a priest may "administer the sacrament" only when there is no elder present. But if there is an elder present, a priest's duties do not include administering the sacrament. The pertinent Section 20 verses follow:
38 The duty of the elders, priests, teachers, deacons, and members of the church of Christ--An apostle is an elder, and it is his calling to baptize;
40 And to administer bread and wine--the emblems of the flesh and blood of Christ-- (D&C 20:38,40)46 The priest's duty is to
preach, teach, expound, exhort, and baptize, and administer the sacrament,
50 But when there is an elder present, he is only to
preach, teach, expound, exhort, and baptize, (D&C 20:46, 50)
If a priest attempts to administer the emblems of the sacrament while there is an elder present, this is a violation of what the Lord directed in Section 20 of the D&C. In the above photo, the LDS church at the time was apparently still keeping this part of the Sacrament Ordinance correctly. However, such no longer is the case in the LDS church today, as "priests" administer the sacrament with many "elders" present. No revelation was ever received or presented to change these instructions in Section 20 of the D&C, and in fact, the great majority of LDS people today are even unaware of these provisions in their own scriptures.
We in the TLC still sustain these scriptures as being divinely inspired, and in so sustaining them, we abide by what they direct. We stress that it is important that ordinances be kept in the manner in which they were prescribed by the Lord. They are not to be altered or changed, as Joseph Smith taught:
Ordinances instituted in the heavens before the foundation of the world, in the priesthood, for the salvation of men, are not to be altered or changed. All must be saved on the same principles. (TPJS, p. 308)
It is critical that we employ exactness and honor as we keep the commandments, our covenants, and perform the ordinances the Lord has prescribed. We must do things the Lord's way, not our own way. We must also always keep in our heart the spirit behind the laws, commandments, and ordinances, but men cannot take it upon themselves to change them to suit what they mistakenly call "the conditions of the day." We invite you to study the material at this web site very carefully, and then prayerfully ponder these things honestly in your heart.