Why do English speaking Mormons insist on praying in formal King James English?

Question

We beseech thee...bless us with thy holy hand...showeth us thy favor...thou art marvelous to behold...while in Spanish speaking countries they use the familiar form? Does God really care?

Hmmm... fotomama is right! Thee and thou are the familiar (search wikipedia for "thee") but they have taken on a sense of the formal in modern English. Very interesting.

Answer 1

Actually, the "thee" and the "thou" is the familiar form. "You" is formal and "Ye" is plural.

No, God doesn't really care. It's tradition, it's showing a close relationship with our Father in Heaven and reverence for Him. But if you say "thank you, Lord. blah blah blah" that's certainly not the end of the world.

EDIT: Hmmmm...okay maybe something more inspired than "blah blah blah"...

Answer 2

I don't know of any that really insist on praying this way, but it is common practice. And besides, the "King James" English IS the familiar form, just like the Spanish you know...
thou = tú
thee = te
thy/thine = tu/tus/tuyos

Usually, when I pray, even at the pulpit, I tend not to be very "King Jamesy" other than saying a few things like thee, thou, thy, and hast. There is no need to pray in a language with which one is not comfortable.

And no, God does not really care which language we use (as long as it is polite), but if using the old English words makes the one praying feel more reverent toward God, then why not?

I don't think English-speaking Mormons are the only ones who pray like this, either. More than likely, it is just a trickle-down effect from earlier generations of English-speaking Christians. I am not aware of any comparable alternate language in Spanish; I would suppose the old Spanish form of "tu" has always been tu, and so on. For example, the Reina Valera translation of the Bible uses the same pronouns and conjugation of verbs that are commonly used today.

Answer 3

Public prayers will tend to follow the style of the group. There is a general suggestion that we address Heavenly Father in reverence. Ironically that sometimes means using the archaic familiar forms in a formal way.

I have found that many investigators and new members do not know how to pray except by reciting the Lord's prayer. The most important thing to Heavenly Father is not our style, but our ability to speak to Him as a child to a parent. If you just came back from boarding school, you might call a parent Father. If you live with him every day, you can't help but call him daddy.

Answer 4

Spanish is not English.

Think of it this way it's not so much a rule, but an eiquette we have adopted. And it has many purposes. We are addressing deity when we pray. To us, praying to God is equivilent of walking right up to his throne and speaking to him face to face. We state our case, then we listen. Language is not just a spoken word, but a reflection of thought. That's how they evolve and breath.

When we use formal King James English, ( it's called Elizabethian or Middle English dialect) because it sets our mind to humility. It reminds us who we are speaking to. So it's impart psychological, but effective.

Secondly, we read the King James Bible. It's the one we commonly used. When Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon, he even used the same language. Elizabethian is not the same langage as we speak today. Just look at Shakespear. Yes, our modern English evolved from it, but it's a different langauge. To learn a language you need to speak it as well. So you can also say it helps us understand the scriptures a bit.

Answer 5

I speak English, French and Spanish. I have spoken 3 languages all my life. I believe every citizen of the United States of America should speak English, at least well enough to get by. It just makes life easier when you can communicate with the people you live and work around. I cam from a trilingual household, I believe people should hold on to their mother tongue but also learn to speak the language that is spoken by the majority of people in the country where they live.

Answer 6

Thee, thy, thou are the formal forms -- we use it as a measure of respect -- and not all english speaking Mormons use the formal pronouns -- it's becoming a lost form of language; for which, I grieve.

Answer 7

Oh no. Although I go to a Spanish speaking branch and the missionaries that visit me speak Spanish.... I've heard the English prayers. I have asked the missionaries to do it in English sometimes and in Institute we have them in English too and they are normal (like nowadays) English, just the way we speak.

Answer 8

In Samoan, there are three forms; formal, informal and the chief's language. If you know the first two, and you pray in the informal, you will probably be chased out of town! ;-) I don't think very many know the chief's language, but I think if you do, you would no doubt use it to pray.

Each culture has it's ways, and somtimes, one culture's ways would seem positively barbaric to another's culture.

Answer 9

There are a few reasons, at least for myself. First, it was how I grew up saying them, but that certainly isn't the only reason. I do it to show respect for God, with whom I am talking. It makes it different than my conversations with mere mortals. Also, it makes me concentrate more on what I'm saying, and helps keep me from rambling (especially in my personal prayers.)

Answer 10

Just a form of respect I would say.
Wow, can we not do anything without being critiqued????