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SALT LAKE CITY – Latter-day Saints will move religious services from three to two o'clock to pursue a "home-centered" and "church-supported" worship environment.
The new change was announced on Saturday under the leadership of President Russell M. Nelson, the First Presidency Council and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. "Home" services will begin in January.
"As Latter-day Saints, we are used to thinking of" the church "as what happens in our meeting rooms, supported by what is going on here. an adjustment to this model, "said President Nelson.
President Nelson opened the first session of the General Conference by evoking the desire to create more "balance" in the lives of Latter-day Saints. He then asked Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to describe in detail how this would be accomplished.
Rumors that had been raging for years about a shortened religious service warmed up in the weeks leading up to the conference. Many of them, on social media and elsewhere, have discussed pilot programs of shorter worship services and speculated on how a shortened structure would be realized.
Brother Cook put an end to these rumors on Saturday when he announced the details of the change:
- The sacrament meeting, the main meeting of the church, will last 60 minutes instead of the previous 70 minutes.
- There will be 10 minutes between sacrament meeting and classes.
- Sunday School, which used to be the sacrament meeting, will only be held on the first and third Sunday. The church has released a new program for Sunday School, details of which are available on LDS.org.
- Church organizations for men and young men, called elders, priests, teachers and colleges of deacons; women, known as Relief Society; and the church organization for young women will be held on the second and fourth Sundays.
- Primary, the church organization for children will last 50 minutes and be held weekly.
– KSL Newsradio (@kslnewsradio) October 6, 2018
This change comes after church leaders have recently focused on Sabbath observance and will put more emphasis on parenting responsibilities in the teaching of the Sabbath. Gospel to their children.
The changes will include an "integrated program" to strengthen families and individuals through home study and church worship. The church has published an "overview" of this program on LDS.org.
"Rather than focusing solely on teaching in the weekly block of church meetings, a lot of the learning needs to be done at home so that the learning from the Church becomes a support – rather than a main source – of teaching and learning in the gospel "the church said in the statement on its website.
"The program writers understood that there were many more hours in the week than the hours that members spend in class at the church. That's why they felt the need more home-based learning. "
The school program will require all church classes to study the same scripture passages each week, but instead of giving each adult member a classroom study guide early in the year. Each year, each household will receive a home study guide that reviews the scriptures. for the week to be discussed during Sunday classes, said the church.
These guides will have content pages for each week that will have scripture passage of the week and scripture study incentives and activities such as the weekly family home evening of the church that will take place at home, among others.
This new program will further encourage families and parents to teach gospel principles to their children.
"The fact that the Lord is doing it now is an indication that he is not abandoning families and that [there are] teach at home, "said Ted F. Barnes, one of the curriculum designers.
For more information, visit the Deseret News website.
Liesl Nielsen
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