Return to full meetings

 Given while I served as the Bishop of the Heritage Ward

I have a topic that I have been thinking about for quite a while.  I have been trying to decide how and when to address it.  It has to do with meetings in the church and specifically the meetings in the second hour of our Sunday worship service.  Today we will announce some significant changes in our Sunday Worship schedule so I thought today would be a good day to share some thoughts with you.

So first the changes.  We have received further instruction from the Area Presidency instructing us to develop plans for how members return to in-person church meetings and activities for all organizations.  There were a few cautions included that we will abide by.  This is a letter to all Stakes and Wards in the Utah Area.  The are many differences among wards in Utah.  Some are large, some are small.  Some have lots of youth and primary and some don’t.  Every ward has the responsibility to move toward in-person meetings considering their circumstances and the cautions given.  So you will likely see many difference throughout the state as each individual stake and ward complies with the directives in a way that suits them.

Beginning next week, May 2, we will implement the following changes:

Sacrament meeting will remain the same.  It will be broadcast as usual.  We will continue to wear masks and follow distancing guidelines.  However, as more members are joining us in-person, and to preserve the sacredness of the Sacrament Ordinance, I am no longer giving a blanket authorization to perform the sacrament in your own homes or with neighbors.  I realize that there are still those that will need to have the sacrament on a consistent basis in their homes.  Please contact me through phone, text, or email and request specific permission for your circumstance.  I will be happy to grant permission to specific people and specific circumstances that warrant.  But the overall blanket permission is now rescinded.

Next, we will return to our normal 2 hour schedule.

Sunday School, Primary, Priesthood, Relief Society, and Young Women will immediately follow sacrament meeting in-person. 

• We will have a single adult Sunday School class held here in the chapel.
• The youth Sunday School will meet in rooms 12, 13, 14 next to the cultural hall.
• Primary will meet in the Primary room.
• A zoom meeting will be provided for the adult class so those that are still at home can join Sunday School through Zoom
• On the other weeks, Elders Quorum will meet here in the chapel, Relief Society in the Relief Society room, Young Women in rooms 12 13, 14 and the Young Men in the Bishop’s office.
• Again, a zoom meeting will be provided for Elders Quorum and Relief Society.
• For all weeks the children and youth will not have a zoom option.

I will be sending out an email shortly outlining these changes so if there are questions you can reply to my email or contact me or any of the Ward Council.

 

One of the things that has prompted my thoughts on our second hour of worship is one of the temple recommend questions.  Question 8 states: Do you strive to keep the sabbath day holy, both at home and at church; attend your meetings; prepare for and worthily partake of the sacrament; and live your life in harmony with the laws and commandments of the gospel?

We keep the sabbath day holy at home by living our lives in harmony with the laws and commandments of the gospel.  We keep the sabbath day holy at church by attending our meetings and partaking of the sacrament.  Being temple worthy includes attending our Sabbath meetings.  There seems to have been a myth within the church for many years that said Sacrament meeting was the only “required” meeting and that the others were “optional”.  Clearly the Lord does not consider them optional and has provided them for a wise purpose.  When I was growing up, my own family was guilty of this.  I thought Sunday School was for the youth and was the time designated for mothers to go home and put dinner in the oven, so it was ready when we got home from church!!

For Sunday School we have all had great experiences with Come, Follow Me.  This program has transformed the way we study the gospel and learn and come closer to our Savior.  D&C 88:81 says “it becometh every man who has been warned to warn his neighbor”.  Being warned is coming to know better the commandments of God.  It is coming to a greater understanding of the Atonement and the Plan of Happiness.  But we also have the commandment to share these insights or warn our neighbor.  Our Sunday School instruction has improved as we have studied the scriptures at home and then shared our insights at church.  I am afraid some people have used Come, Follow Me as an excuse not to attend Sunday School.  We have studied the material so well at home we feel properly educated.  That is so great.  But, please, come share your wisdom with me!  I hope as you study you might look for some small thing you can share with others that you learned.  That is how we are all edified.  And if you are uncomfortable sharing your thoughts, your very presence in Sunday School is uplifting.

Relief Society and Elders Quorum use the recent words of the prophets to guide their discussions.  We study those in the same way we study the scriptures.  Your very presence and insights lift those that are around you.

Living the Gospel is about helping others along the straight and narrow, or the covenant path as we are starting to call it.  The Gospel is all about sacrifice and service.  When we are all in, as President Nelson has said, we are self-less about our time and sacrifice to be of service.  We rarely do anything in the gospel for ourselves.  Even when we go to the temple our personal edification is accompanied by service to those on the other side of the veil.  When we attend our other meetings our personal insights are the service we give to others.  Joining together with fellow members of the ward is service we give to others.  Last week, in the stake conference leadership meeting, President Brumble said, what we do matters to more than just us.  In other words, every time we do something good, others will benefit.  And that is what matters to our Savior.

Last week, Bishop Waddell reminded us to not let the good things we are doing in life interfere with the essential things.  Remembering our Savior for 2 hours of the sacrament, talks, lessons, and discussions is one of the essential things in our life.  It is part of keeping the sabbath day holy.  There are many good things that could happen during these two hours such as preparing meals for our family, ministering to our neighbors in the hallway, spending time with children and grandchildren, or visiting parents.  These are good things and good Sabbath Day activities.  Let’s just remember to do all the essential things before we do the good things.

Life is full of trials, challenges, and difficulties.  For some, attending the second hour of our worship service is accompanied by feelings of inadequacy, intimidation, or non-inclusion.  I know these are very real feelings.  I also know that as you strive to overcome these feelings and attend your meetings that these feelings will begin to dissipate and your will see the joy that you provide to others by your attendance.  So please, come join us in all our meetings.  Let us feel of your spirt and gain from your insights and we will all be more edified.

 

Testimony