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SALT LAKE CITY – Latter-day Saints will create a "home-centered" and "church-backed" worship environment, with church services going from three to two hours starting in January.
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.
"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. "The time has come for a church centered on the house, supported by what is happening in our branch, parish and stake buildings."
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 a 10-minute break between sacrament meeting and classes.
- Sunday School, which has in the past followed the sacrament meeting, will only be held on the first and third Sunday.
- Church organizations for men, young men, women and 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 a recent focus by church leaders on Sabbath observance and will place greater emphasis on the responsibility of parents to teach the gospel. to their children.
The changes will also include an "integrated program" designed to strengthen families and individuals through home study, as well as church worship. The church has published an "overview" of this program on LDS.org.
"Rather than focusing solely on teaching in the weekly church block of 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 a statement on its website. "Curriculum writers realized that there were many more hours in the week than the one or two hours that members spend in class at the church."
A new resource called "Come, Follow Me – for Individuals and Families" will provide members with information on what lessons will be given to the church each week, as well as additional study materials to use. at home. Teachers will receive similar resources for each class.
The program will require that all church classes focus on the same writing passages each week. Instead of giving each adult member a classroom study guide at the beginning of the year, each household will receive the home study guide "Come on, follow me," said the l & # 39; church.
Among other things, these study guides will contain scripture passages that will be discussed during Sunday classes, as well as incentives for the study of the scriptures and other activities such as the weekly "family evening" of the church, which is held within individual families.
"The fact that the Lord is doing this now is an indication that he is not abandoning families and that there are benefits to teaching at home," said Ted F. Barnes, the # 39, one of the curriculum designers, in a statement.
For more information and to get answers to frequently asked questions about changes, visit a church statement on his website.
For more details, visit Deseret News.
Liesl Nielsen
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