Abbie's Baby Blessing

On March 5th, 2009, we gave our daughter a name and a blessing. Obviously, we named her Abbie Lynette Moss.

The reason we chose to do the blessing in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit at Primary Children’s Medical Center was because she was going to have open-heart surgery the next day. We know that blessing and naming of children is not an “ordinance of salvation”, since little children are already saved through the Atonement of Christ, but we still did not want to miss this opportunity if something were to happen during her surgery. We had faith that nothing bad would happen, but even the surgeon seemed quite nervous about the whole procedure and gave us some statistics about survival rate for a surgery of this kind. The hospital and nurses were very kind to let us close the curtains around Abbie’s bed for some privacy, and to allow the family to come back altogether, which is not normal visiting policy.

Anyway, I want to share some of the things that Dad (me/I) was inspired to say to Abbie as part of her blessing. We blessed her to be healed and to make it through the surgery(ies); we let her know that many many people were praying to Heavenly Father for her benefit; we blessed her with reverence, with the ability to build a strong testimony of the Truth, with the ability to make good friends, and with the gift of discernment between right and wrong. She was quite peaceful through the blessing, and it was a privelege to bless her.

Those that were available to participate were Dad (Grandpa) Moss, Dad (Grandpa) Johnson, Bishop Justin Reynolds, and Lance’s friends, Dave Hamblin and Mike Kennard. It was a wonderful experience. The Spirit was felt very powerfully, and we are so grateful we got to do that, even under some stressful circumstances.

Back when we found out about Abbie’s heart defect that she would be born with, I had asked a member of my bishopric if people ever do naming and blessing in their own homes, and he said it’s been done for special circumstances, but he didn’t recommend it. We just thought it might be necessary considering her sensitivity to sickness and infection, but I think my question came across as a request to avoid doing it in Sacrament Meeting because of irreverence or pride. We didn’t mean it that way. Later, after we gave Abbie her name and blessing in the hospital before the big surgery, Kellie asked me if I was relieved or disappointed that we didn’t get to do the name and blessing at Church. I’m not really sure if I was relieved, but I wasn’t particularly disappointed. I was just so grateful for the great experience that it was to bless my daughter with true sincerity in a moment when we really might have been preparing for the worst case – and then we were blessed with the best case.