If you haven’t heard yet, President Nelson announced an adjusted Sunday meeting schedule in the Saturday Morning Session of General Conference today. With that announcement, many questions have been asked. Here’s a few answers for you:
How will church start times be adjusted to start earlier in the day (as per Elder Cook’s message)?
See additional options for meeting schedules here.
What is the format for sacrament meetings?
Sacrament meetings last 60 minutes and are focused on deepening conversion to Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ and strengthening faith in Them. Allowing the ordinance of the sacrament to be the sacred center of members’ worship on the Sabbath requires careful planning, including minimal announcements and consideration of speakers, hymns, and musical numbers. Ward choirs may participate as local circumstances allow. Sacrament meetings begin and end with a hymn and prayer. A hymn also precedes the blessing of the sacrament. Sacrament meeting will be followed by 10 minutes to transition to classes.
How will members know what meetings will be held and what topics will be studied on Sunday?
During the week, leaders are encouraged to invite members to worship together on Sunday. They can send an invitation via email, text, social media, or other means, reminding members of the meeting schedule for the next Sunday, including topics for discussion. This reminder might be as simple as “This week we will hold Sunday School. We will study Luke 2 and Matthew 2.” In Sunday School, quorums, Relief Society, and Young Women, leaders and teachers will remind class members of the Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families materials and associated scriptures they might study at home. This simple reminder can be shared in writing, verbally, or both.
What is the format for youth and adult Sunday School classes?
The 50-minute Sunday School classes for youth and adults, on the first and third Sundays, focus on a study of the scriptures. Teaching materials are found in Come, Follow Me—For Sunday School. This study is aligned with the Primary curriculum and the individuals and families resource.
As needed, at the beginning of Sunday School classes, leaders from Young Women, Relief Society, and priesthood quorums may make brief announcements. After a brief welcome and a reminder of the Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families home study materials for that day and the following week, the teacher should begin the gospel instruction and discussion. Sunday School classes will not begin with a hymn or prayer but will conclude with prayer.
With Sunday School classes held every other week, leaders and teachers will need to adapt their materials, which currently include lessons for each week of the year. While individuals and families continue reading at home according to the weekly schedule in Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families, Sunday School leaders and teachers will need to select material from one or more lessons in order to stay aligned with the individuals and families resource. To avoid confusion, Sunday School presidencies may wish to advise teachers and class members about adjustments well in advance. More information can be found at ComeFollowMe.lds.org.
What is the format for Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthood quorum meetings?
The 50-minute Aaronic Priesthood quorum meetings, on the second and fourth Sundays, focus on monthly gospel topics found in Come, Follow Me—For Aaronic Priesthood. Leaders and teachers will continue to select the lesson outlines at ComeFollowMe.lds.org or in the printed Come, Follow Me—For Aaronic Priesthood manual that best meet the needs of quorum members.
The 50-minute elders quorum meetings, on the second and fourth Sundays, focus on messages from the most recent general conference. Teaching suggestions are found in the May and November issues of the Ensign and Liahona, at LDS.org, and in the Gospel Library app for mobile devices. First-Sunday council meetings will be discontinued; however, as needed, elders quorums may use part of a quorum meeting to counsel about a specific topic.
Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthood holders will no longer meet together but will gather in their respective quorum meetings. After a quorum presidency member offers a brief welcome, reminds members of the Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families home study materials for that day and the following week, and conducts any quorum business, the teacher should begin the gospel instruction and discussion. Quorum meetings will not begin with a hymn or prayer but will conclude with prayer.
Occasionally, when a special need exists, Aaronic Priesthood quorums may meet together briefly before quorum members go to individual quorum meetings.
What is the format for Relief Society meetings?
The 50-minute Relief Society meetings, on the second and fourth Sundays, focus on messages from the most recent general conference. Teaching suggestions are found in the May and November issues of the Ensign and Liahona, at LDS.org, and in the Gospel Library app for mobile devices. First-Sunday council meetings will be discontinued; however, as needed, Relief Societies may use part of a Sunday meeting to counsel about a specific topic.
After a Relief Society presidency member offers a brief welcome, reminds members of the Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families home study materials for that day and the following week, and conducts any other business, the teacher should begin the gospel instruction and discussion. Relief Society meetings will not begin with an opening hymn or prayer but will conclude with a closing prayer. Hymns may be used to enhance a lesson as appropriate. Relief Society sisters and young women will not meet together for opening exercises but will gather in their respective meetings.
What is the format for Young Women meetings?
The 50-minute Young Women meetings, on the second and fourth Sundays, focus on a study of monthly gospel topics found in Come, Follow Me—For Young Women. Leaders and teachers will continue to select the lesson outlines at ComeFollowMe.lds.org or in the printed Come, Follow Me—For Young Women manual that best meet the needs of class members.
All young women will no longer meet together but will gather in their respective classes. After a class presidency member offers a brief welcome, reminds members of the Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families home study materials for that day and the following week, and conducts any other business, the teacher should begin the gospel instruction and discussion. Classes will not begin with a hymn or prayer but will conclude with prayer. Hymns may be used to enhance a lesson as appropriate.
Occasionally, when a special need exists, Young Women classes may meet together briefly before class members go to individual class meetings.
What is the format for Primary meetings?
The 50-minute Primary meetings will be held every Sunday, following the schedule below:
25 minutes Prayer, scripture or article of faith, talk (5 minutes) Singing time: music that supports the scriptures studied in class (20 minutes)
5 minutes Transition to classes
20 minutes Classes: lesson from Come, Follow Me—For Primary
Note: If a Primary is large enough to separate into junior and senior Primary, the schedule above can be reversed for half of the children and times adjusted as needed. Junior Primary may begin with singing time while senior Primary begins with classes—or vice versa.
Singing time will focus on music that supports the scriptures that children study in their classes. The Outline for Sharing Time will be discontinued. More information about singing time in Primary will be found at Primary.lds.org and at ComeFollowMe.lds.org. Primary will begin with a prayer, a scripture or article of faith, and a talk given by a child. However, if singing time is held after children have attended their classes, it will end rather than begin with prayer.
During class, children will focus on a study of the scriptures aligned to the Sunday School curriculum and the individuals and families resource. Teaching materials are found in Come, Follow Me—For Primary. If classes are held before singing time, they begin with prayer. If they are held after singing time, they conclude with prayer.
