Worship services of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: Difference between revisions

'''Worship services of [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]]''' (theLDS churchChurch) include weekly [[church service|services]], held in meetinghouses on Sundays (or another day when local custom or law prohibits Sunday worship),{{where|date=October 2017}} in geographically based religious units (called ''[[ward (LDS Church)|wards]]'' or ''branches''). Once per month, this weekly service is a [[#Fast and testimony meeting|fast and testimony meeting]]. Twice each year, the churchLDS Church holds a worldwide [[General Conference (LDS Church)|general conference]]. AdherentsLDS ofChurch the churchadherents also worship in [[Temple (LDS Church)|temples]], which are open only to members in good standing.

In the churchLDS 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mormon.org/virtualchapel/virtualchapel.html |title=mormon.org Virtual Chapel |publisher=LDS Church |accessdate=2008-08-03 |last= |first= }}</ref>

On October 6, 2018, the church announced that beginning in January 2019, weekly services will consist of a two-hour block divided into two segments as follows (the parenthetical phrases in the following table indicatewith the Sunday of each month on which the indicated meetings are to occur identified):<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.mormonnewsroom.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= [[LDS Church]]|date= 2018-10-06|language=en}}</ref>

Adult meeting underUnder direction of the bishop (5th Sunday)

Youth meeting underUnder direction of the bishop (5th Sunday)

[[Sunday School (LDS Church)|Sunday School]] classes are separated into adult and youth courses. AdultHistorically, adult Sunday School courses arehave been grouped by topic, with new members and visitors sometimeshaving the option to attendingattend an introductory class. In congregations with a diverse membership, special language classes might be organized in which the approved courses are taught in a variety of languages; at other times, wireless headphones are made available and the discussion can be translated into other languages.<ref>The equipment is configured so that they can transmit and receive on various frequencies so that the discussion in a single meeting can be translated into multiple languages.</ref>

Beginning in January 2019, both adult and youth Sunday School will be taught using the same manual, Come, Follow Me--Sunday School, as part of a home-centered and church-supported approach to gospel study.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lds.org/manual/come-follow-me/what-you-need-to-know?lang=eng|title=What You Need to Know|access-date=2018-10-06}}</ref> Also beginning in January 2019, the optional Sunday School classes will no longer be offered during the meeting block. WardEach andward full-time missionariesbishop will teachdetermine individualshow andother familiesoptional thecourses, lessonsincluding foundthose in chapter 3 of Preach My Gospel: A Guide to Missionary Service in the homebefore or at the meetinghouse, before and after baptism. The bishop of each ward will determine whether and to whom the other optional courses, will be taught outside of the two-hour block.

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>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lds.org/manual/teaching-in-the-saviors-way/teacher-council-meetings?lang=eng|title=Teacher Council Meetings|website=www.lds.org|access-date=2018-10-15}}</ref> <ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.deseretnews.com/article/865653365/LDS-leaders-announce-new-teaching-manual-teacher-council-meetings.html|title=LDS leaders announce new teaching manual, teacher council meetings|last=Walch|first=Tad|date=2016-05-01|work=DeseretNews.com|access-date=2018-10-15|language=en}}</ref>Teacher councilThose meetingattending attendeesteacher shouldcouncil 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 shouldwere 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 thirdfinal hour of the three-hour block. Primary teachers shouldwould 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 maycould be divided into groups according to the needs of those they teach.

Beginning in January 2019, each ward will hold its teacher council meeting quarterly during the 50-minute class time.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lds.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|last=|first=|date=October 6, 2018|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=October 15, 2018}}</ref> A ward will hold teacher council meeting for Relief Society, Young Women and Priesthoodpriesthood teachers on a first or a third Sunday and for Sunday School teachers on a second or a fourth Sunday. Primary teachers may attend teacher council meeting on any Sunday as determined by the ward Primary and Sunday School presidenciespresidency.

Twice a year, the churchLDS Church holds [[General Conference (LDS Church)|Generalgeneral Conferenceconference]], in whichwhere the [[President of the Church (LDS Church)|church's president]] and other leaders speak. The talks, given in several sessions over several days, are carried worldwide by radio, television, satellite, and Internet broadcasts. Beginning in October 2018, the sessions consist of four general sessions, a women's session (in October each year) and a priesthood session (in April each year). The talks are translated into over 80 languages and are later made available on DVD (complete with translations), on lds.org,<ref>{{citation |contribution-url= //www.lds.org/general-conference/conferences |contribution= All Conferences |title= General Conference |work= lds.org |publisher= LDS Church }}</ref> and in printed church publications such as the ''[[Ensign (LDS magazine)|Ensign]]'' and ''[[Liahona (magazine)|Liahona]]''. Attendees come from around the world.

Throughout the 20th century, conference was held in the [[Salt Lake Tabernacle]]. With a maximum capacity of about 8,000 per session, the Tabernacle consistently filled to capacity, leaving thousands of attendees listening on loudspeakers outside or via broadcast in adjacent buildings. In 2000, the churchLDS Church dedicated a new 21,000-seat [[LDS Conference Center|Conference Center]], which became the home of Generalgeneral Conferenceconference.

Conference satellite broadcasts may be watched live in thousands of chapels worldwide. The public is invited to attend or watch Generalgeneral Conferenceconference either through the broadcasts, on the Internet, in the Conference Center, or other areas at Temple Square. ConferenceThe conference is also broadcast nationally and internationally on many satellite or cable providers through [[BYU TV]] and on local networks in some areas.

In the churchLDS 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=http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/commentary/of-chapels-and-temples-explaining-mormon-worship-services |work= Newsroom |publisher= LDS Church |date= 15 November 2007 |accessdate= 27 January 2010 }}</ref> Most LDS temples of the church are identified by a gold-colored [[Angel Moroni]] statue, adorning the top of the tallest spire.

Temples have a different purpose from meetinghouses. In the churchLDS 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 |authorlink= Ezra Taft Benson |title= What I Hope You Will Teach Your Children about the Temple |url= //www.lds.org/ensign/1985/08/what-i-hope-you-will-teach-your-children-about-the-temple |magazine= Ensign |publisher= LDS Church |date=August 1985 }}</ref>