Why do some prayers have prescribed wording?

Thomas R. Valletta

“By revelation the Lord has given the Church three set prayers for use in our sacred ordinances. Except for these prayers, the Lord seems to expect us to express ourselves in our own words as we approach him in supplication.

“All three of these revealed prayers relate to the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ, his crucifixion, and his burial and resurrection. All of the ordinances in which we use these prayers place us under solemn covenants of obedience to God. They are the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper and the ordinance of baptism” (Petersen, “Sacred, Set Prayers,” 56).

The Book of Mormon Study Guide: Start to Finish

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