Did anyone else ever grow up confused about the meaning of “In the name of ______________________, amen?”*. Did you have a tough time figuring that out, like I did? It’s because of bad punctuation.
*(Sorry for the blanks here– I’m just a bit squeamish about repeating the Savior’s name multiple times for a post that is mostly, well, trifling)
For some reason, Mormons put a comma between the name of the Lord and the amen. This gives an unnatural structure to our prayers, that looks like this:
1. Salutation
2. Body of prayer
3. Amen, which is said “in the name of ____________.”
You see the problem? Because of that comma, it looks like the Amen is said in the Savior’s name, rather than the prayer. It’s its own sentence, in which the first clause (The Savior’s name) introduces and qualifies the second clause (amen). We announce the amen by stating that it is said in His name. Does this make sense to anyone?
Of course not. We say prayers in the Savior’s name, not amens. Thus, the proper structure of the prayer is:
1. Salutation
2. In the name of _____________, we say the following:
3. Body of prayer
4. Amen.
Of course, the placement of number 2 here need not come where it does. It can come after the body of the prayer, as is normally done. The important thing to remember is that we invoke the name of the Savior in saying the prayer, not in saying the amen.
That’s why the final sentence needs to be two sentences. It needs a period, not a comma. Thus, we get: “We ask these things in the name of _____________.(period!) Amen.” That’s a huge improvement. The period can be denoted vocally by using terminal tones in the right spots, or by a decent sized pause. It may make you uncomfortable for a minute, realizing that in reality the Amen is just dangling out there, its own beast, doing its own thing. Makes you wonder what it means anyway. But at least we’re not dragging the Savior’s name into the confusion now.
I’m often tempted to announce whose name I am praying in at the beginning or middle of a prayer, and then close with a lonely, conclusive amen. There is no reason to think that this would be improper at all. Go review the sacramental prayers to see a beautiful example of what I’m talking about.
Still, there’s no need to raise a lot of eyebrows by going against the grain and doing it that way. Just insert the period, and you’re set. Pray in the name of the savior. Say amen without it. Deal? Now go forth and punctuate.