Worship services of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: Difference between revisions
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'''Worship services of the [[
==Weekly services==
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In the LDS Church, [[Wiktionary:congregation|congregations]] for Sunday services are grouped geographically, with larger (roughly 150 to 400 people) groups known as [[ward (LDS Church)|wards]], and smaller (2 to about 150 people) ones, known as branches. The congregations gather in [[meeting house|meetinghouses]], also referred to as "chapels" or "stake centers," on property that is typically owned by the church. In some cases, rental property may be used as a meetinghouse. Although the building may sometimes be referred to as a "chapel," the room that is used as a chapel for religious services is actually only one component of the standard meetinghouse.
All people, regardless of belief or standing in the church, are permitted to attend weekly meetings. The [[sacrament (LDS Church)|sacrament]] (similar to communion, the Lord's supper, or the [[eucharist]] in other churches) is offered weekly. Latter-day Saints also come together in meetinghouses for various activities throughout the week (except Mondays, which are reserved for [[Family Home Evening]]). The church maintains a meetinghouse locator to help members and visitors find meetinghouses and meeting times in their area.<ref>[https://www.comeuntochrist.org/worship-with-us "Visit a Church Near You"], ''[[ComeUntoChrist.org]]'', Retrieved on 22 March 2020.</ref>
Unlike most religions, members are expected to attend the specific ward they reside in and are discouraged from choosing a different congregation that meets in a different place or at a more convenient time. There are some exceptions to this rule (see below), but for the most part members are discouraged from "shopping" for a different ward that is more convenient for them, or that has one where they might attend with friends or relatives, or that has a more likeable leader.
While there is no formal dress requirement for Sunday meetings, women usually attend wearing skirts or dresses, and men wear suits or dress shirts and ties.
=== Three-hour
Through the end of 2018, weekly services consisted of a three-hour block of time divided into three segments.<ref>[https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1980/03/news-of-the-church/church-consolidates-meeting-schedules?lang=eng "Church Consolidates Meeting Schedules"], ''[[Ensign (LDS magazine)|Ensign]]'', March 1980, pp. 73–78.</ref>
{| class=wikitable
|-
!Length
! colspan=2 style=background:#dddddd | Adults
! colspan=2 style=background:#dddddd | Youth
! style=background:#dddddd | Children
! style=background:#dddddd | Length▼
|- align=center
|70 min
| colspan=5 | [[Sacrament meeting]]
| | 70 min▼
|- align=center style=background:#eeeeee
|10 min
|
|- align=center
|40 min
| colspan=2 | [[Sunday School (LDS Church)|Sunday School]]
| colspan=2 | Youth [[Sunday School (LDS Church)|Sunday School]]
| rowspan=3 width=140 | [[Primary (LDS Church)|Primary]]
|- align=center style=background:#eeeeee
|10 min
|
|- align=center
|50 min
| width=70 | [[Relief Society|Relief]] <br>[[Relief Society|Society]]
| width=70 | [[Melchizedek priesthood (Latter Day Saints)|Melchizedek Priesthood]]
| width=70 | [[Aaronic priesthood (Latter Day Saints)|Aaronic Priesthood]]
| width=70 | [[Young Women (organization)|Young]] <br>[[Young Women (organization)|Women]]
|}
In some congregations, the "block" schedule of meetings may have been held in reverse order of the table shown,
=== Two-hour
On October 6, 2018, the church announced that beginning in January 2019, weekly services would consist of a two-hour block divided into two segments as follows (with the Sunday of each month on which the indicated meetings are to occur identified):<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/church-announces-new-balance-between-gospel-instruction-home-church|title=Church Announces New Balance between Gospel Instruction in the Home and Church|work= Newsroom |publisher= ChurchofJesusChrist.orgf|date= 2018-10-06|language=en}}</ref><ref>Johnson, Stacey. [https://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/faith/of-the-biggest-changes-latter-day-saints-have-seen-in/collection_4d1de90a-9113-5a7f-95e0-db630285adce.html#1 "10 of the biggest changes Latter-day Saints have seen in the church over the past 2 years"], ''[[Provo Herald]]'', 18 February 2020. Retrieved on 22 March 2020.</ref>
{| class=
|-
! style="background:#dddddd" | Adults
! style="background:#dddddd" | Youth
! style="background:#dddddd" | Children
|- align="center"
|60 min
| colspan="3" |[[Sacrament meeting]]
|- align="center" style="background:#eeeeee"
|10 min
| colspan="3" | Transition
|- align="center"
|[[Sunday School (LDS Church)|Sunday School]] (1st and 3rd Sundays)
[[Relief Society]] and [[Melchizedek priesthood (Latter Day Saints)|Melchizedek Priesthood]] (2nd and 4th Sundays)
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Under direction of the bishop (5th Sunday)
| width="140" |[[Primary (LDS Church)|Primary]]
|}
=== Adjustments due to COVID-19 ===
Due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], church leaders announced in mid-March 2020 that all large public gatherings, including weekly worship services, would be discontinued until further notice.<ref>[https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/covid-19-impact-large-gatherings-latter-day-saints A Letter about COVID-19’s Effect on Large Gatherings of Saints], ''Newsroom'', 11 March 2020. Retrieved 1 April 2020.</ref><ref>[https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/gatherings-worldwide-temporarily-suspended Update: Gatherings of Church Members Temporarily Suspended Worldwide], ''Newsroom'', 12 March 2020. Retrieved 1 April 2020.</ref>
Weekly services have since resumed in many locations, as directed by local area presidencies.{{cn|date=October 2020}}
== Elements of weekly worship services ==
=== Sacrament meeting ===
The main Sunday service is sacrament meeting which is attended by the combined congregation. Following an adjustment in January 2019, sacrament meeting is now held for 60 minutes. The foremost purpose of sacrament meeting is the blessing and passing of the [[sacrament (LDS Church)|sacrament]], consecrated bread and water in remembrance of the body and blood of Christ, to the congregation. After the sacrament, the service usually consists of two or three lay sermons, called "talks," prepared and delivered by members of the congregation. [[Hymn]]s, accompanied by [[piano]] or [[organ (music)|organ]], are sung throughout the service as a form of worship through music. Once a month, usually on the first Sunday, instead of prepared talks, members are invited to bear their testimonies about Jesus Christ and gospel principles. The testimonies are generally impromptu statements of personal faith. This meeting is called [[#Fast and testimony meeting|fast and testimony meeting]].
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===Sunday School===
[[Sunday School (LDS Church)|Sunday School]] classes are separated into adult and youth courses. Historically, adult Sunday School courses have been grouped by topic, with new members and visitors having the option to attend an introductory class. In congregations with a diverse membership,
The Sunday School meets every other week and consists of a teacher presenting gospel messages drawn from the scriptures, with participation from class members. Prior to the January 2019 changes to the Sunday meeting schedule, Sunday School was held weekly. In 2019, when the church moved to a two-hour block, Sunday School began being held every other week. Also, the two main adult classes were no longer to be called Gospel Doctrine and Gospel Principles, with encouragement for a combined adult class instead.
For congregations where space won't allow a single class, multiple adult classes can be held. Local Sunday School presidents and bishops can create these classes for specific groups, such as young single adults, members who don't speak the ward's primary language, new members, returning members, and those learning about the church, or other groups.
Youth Sunday School courses are for those who aged 12 to 18 and may be divided or combined by ages, depending on local needs, such as the number of youth. In 2013, the church instituted a new youth curriculum with uniform doctrinal themes, which allows leaders and teachers to adapt classes to the needs of youth.
Beginning in January 2019, a new "home-centered and church-supported" program of gospel instruction was adopted using the same manual, ''Come, Follow Me'', for adult, youth, and primary instruction both at church and in the home.<ref>Riess, Jana. [https://religionnews.com/2019/04/08/mormons-get-back-to-basics-at-churchs-general-conference/ "Mormons get back to basics at church's General Conference"], ''[[Religion News Service]]'', 8 April 2019. Retrieved on 22 March 2020.</ref> With this new curriculum, lessons and messages from the second hour of church will correspond with the lessons to be taught at home throughout the week.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/church-announces-new-balance-between-gospel-instruction-home-church|title=Church Announces New Balance between Gospel Instruction in the Home and Church|date=2018-10-06|website=newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org|language=en|access-date=2020-03-23}}</ref>
===Priesthood meetings===
Men and boys 12 and older attend priesthood classes. Although all men and boys meet
===Relief Society and Young Women meetings===
Adult women attend [[Relief Society]], and girls who are 12 to 17 attend [[Young Women (organization)|Young Women]]. Occasionally, the Relief Society and Young Women meet
===Primary===
Children younger than 12 attend [[Primary (LDS Church)|Primary]]. Through the end of 2018, Primary consisted of two time blocks of 50 and 60 minutes. Beginning in January 2019, Primary now consists of a single 50-minute block.<ref>Stack, Peggy Fletcher. [https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2018/10/06/about-new-mormon-sunday/ "About the new Mormon Sunday meeting schedule"], ''[[The Salt Lake Tribune]]'', 6 October 2018. Retrieved on 22 March 2020.</ref> Primary is generally divided into two groups: Senior Primary (ages 8–11) and Junior Primary (ages 4–7); young children from 18 months to 3 years of age may attend a nursery class. Primary classes generally consist of children born in the same calendar year. Usually, half of the Primary, such as Senior Primary, meet in separate classes, while the other half, Junior Primary, meet
===Teacher council meeting===
In 2016, the church announced that each ward should hold a teacher council meeting once a month during the three-hour schedule of Sunday meetings.<ref>Walch, Tad. [https://www.deseret.com/2016/5/3/20587648/lds-leaders-announce-new-teaching-manual-teacher-council-meetings "LDS leaders announce new teaching manual, teacher council meetings"], ''[[Deseret News]]'', 3 May 2016. Retrieved on 15 October 2018.</ref> Those attending teacher council meetings include everyone who teaches a quorum or class in the ward, along with at least one of the priesthood or auxiliary leaders responsible for those teachers. Wards were to hold teacher council meetings for Relief Society, Young Women and priesthood teachers during the second hour of the three-hour block and for the Sunday School teachers during the final hour of the three-hour block. Primary teachers would attend the teacher council meeting being held during the hour of the block that corresponds to when their class participates in sharing time. If necessary, participants could be divided into groups according to the needs of those they teach.
Since January 2019, each ward will hold a teacher council meeting quarterly during the 50-minute class time.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/bc/content/ldsorg/general-conference/16435_000_FAQ.pdf?lang=eng|title=A New Balance between Gospel Instruction in the Home and in the Church
==Fast and testimony meeting==
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[[File:Jonesboro Chapel.JPG|thumb|150px|right|LDS meetinghouse in [[Jonesboro, Arkansas]], USA]]
The church definition of a testimony is "a spiritual witness given by the Holy Ghost. The foundation of a testimony is the knowledge that Heavenly Father lives and loves His children; that Jesus Christ lives, that He is the Son of God, and that He carried out the infinite Atonement; that Joseph Smith is the prophet of God who was called to restore the gospel; that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Savior's true Church on the earth; and that the Church is led by a living prophet today. With this foundation, a testimony grows to include all principles of the gospel."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics/testimony?lang=eng|title=Testimony|website=www.churchofjesuschrist.org|access-date=2020-03-23}}</ref> Individuals bearing testimony are directed by the feelings of their heart or by the [[Holy Ghost]] as to what to share. Members are expected to be brief so that others may have the opportunity.
==General Conference==
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[[File:Fukuoka Japan Temple by tylermhawkins.jpeg|thumb|200px|right|[[Fukuoka Japan Temple]]]]
In the LDS Church, a temple is a building dedicated to be a "House of the Lord," and they are considered by church members to be the most sacred structures on earth. Upon completion, temples are usually open to the public for a short period of time during an "open house." During the open house, the church conducts tours of the temple with [[missionary (LDS Church)|missionaries]] and members from the local area serving as tour guides, and all rooms of the temple are open to the public. After a temple is dedicated, only members in good standing are permitted entrance and so they are not meetinghouses or houses of public worship.<ref>{{ cite web |title= Of Chapels and Temples: Explaining Mormon Worship Services |url=https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/commentary/of-chapels-and-temples-explaining-mormon-worship-services |work= Newsroom |publisher= LDS Church |date= 15 November 2007 |
Temples have a different purpose from meetinghouses. In the LDS Church today, temples serve two main purposes: (1) temples are locations in which Latter-day Saints holding a [[temple recommend]] can perform [[ordinance (Latter Day Saints)|ordinances]] on behalf of themselves and their deceased ancestors, and (2) temples are considered to be a house of holiness where members can go to commune with God and receive [[revelation (Latter Day Saints)#Personal revelation|personal revelation]].<ref>{{cite journal |last= Benson |first= Ezra Taft |
==See also==
{{Portal|Latter Day Saint movement}}
* [[June Conference]]
* [[Mormon music]]
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{{Commons category|Meetinghouses of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints}}
* [https://www.comeuntochrist.org/worship-with-us ComeUntoChrist.org] Worship With Us: Church Locator
* [https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/what-to-expect-at-church-services
* [https://www.byutv.org/show/89883728-9bf8-4d39-b699-cb49bc2a51c6/worship-service A Worship Service] [[BYUtv]] Sample worship service
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{{Latter-day Saints|hide|hide|hide|show}}
[[Category:Worship services of
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