It is so interesting where our traditions come from. I never knew that other religions would see us folding our arms when we pray as strange or unusual. Yet this is often mentioned by converts to the church when they compare their previous religious experience with prayer. I can still remember my primary teachers and president showing us how to tightly fold our arms. Of course teaching children to fold their arms, close their eyes and bow their heads is the ultimate trinity of prayer for most Mormons!
I have been no exception in teaching my children the trinity of external prayer. Where did those traditions come from? I heard recently that the tradition of folding arms was started to help children to keep their hands to themselves during the prayer and promote reverence. I can certainly see how that would be valuable.
Now for some, including myself to a degree, folding arms, closing eyes and the bowing of the head symbolizes reverence and respect for God. While that may be true for many, still there was something in me that wondered if it was just a tradition that got out of hand. However, in Luke 18:13 a publican is praying in a very sincere manner and he "would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven" and the Lord compares his humble prayer to a Pharisee prayer of self-righteousness. The difference is that God works best from the inside-out rather than the natural man way which tends to be outside-in or using the outside to camouflage the corrupt inside. Some modern Pharisees use the external signs of humility in prayer to show a pretense of internal humility. I confess that I have done this at times usually unconsciously in my life. I'm not sure I could ever feel comfortable however, praying in any other way. But what about little children? Do they have a need for baptism or to pray in such a rigid manner? Perhaps we can learn a thing or two from them as Jesus Christ taught so well.
One day I had a Millennial Dawning experience as I was pondering how we teach our children to pray and what Jesus the Christ said about little children and how we as adults needed to become as little children. (see Matthew 18: 2, 4-5 and 3 Nephi 11:37-38)
What do little children typically do when someone else is praying? They pray with their eyes open! Then we as adults correct them and tell them that they should not open their eyes during the prayer! When they get old enough and ask us how we were able to see them with their eyes open if we were closing our eyes during the prayer, we then awkwardly reply that we are grown ups and we need to monitor, train and teach them.
The symbolism I began to see was that little children were probably more spiritually alive than most adults. Little children's eyes are usually physically and spiritually open during prayer. Their hands and arms are usually physically and spiritually unrestrained and free during the prayer and their faces are usually open towards God.
Adults could learn a lesson or two from little children. Chances are that adults are physically and spiritually blind as they pray and need the training from little children. Their physical and spiritual hands and arms are tied up in a straitjacket of sorts and their faces are turned away from the Lord instead of talking "as one man talketh to another." It is likely a telestial manner of communication with God. At a minimum it is just a tradition.
If I were having a conversation with you and I had my arms folded, eyes closed and my head bowed down what would you think about me? At a minimum you would perhaps see me as closed off and potentially some would see it as disrespectful and irreverent in some ways.
Having a millennial relationship with the Lord involves face to face communication. It is depicted as a very close relationship with God. Food for thought the next time you try to teach your child how to pray!
But for now I'll stick with my arms folded, head bowed and my eyes closed--at least in public. Old traditions die hard.
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