Speculations for General Conference

[Alaris]

I am thinking there'll be a larger focus on the Gathering of Israel due to the recent youth talks by President and Sister Nelson. 

This may sound like a safe prediction, but I bet there will be a continued emphasis on The Holy Ghost, and building a relationship with him. 

[Doctrine 612]

More missionary or I should say morevward missionaries.

[Sunday21]

4 hours ago, Doctrine 612 said:

More missionary or I should say morevward missionaries.

Is a ward missionary the same as Ward Mission leader? 

[Nofear]

Seems the 3 hour block is pretty much confirmed as continuing.
 

https://www.ldschurchnews.com/members/2018-09-04/a-sneak-peek-at-the-home-centered-church-curriculum-for-2019-47893

[HappyJackWagon]

5 minutes ago, Nofear said:

Seems the 3 hour block is pretty much confirmed as continuing.
 

https://www.ldschurchnews.com/members/2018-09-04/a-sneak-peek-at-the-home-centered-church-curriculum-for-2019-47893

Why do you think the home centered curriculum for 2019 confirms that the 3 hour block will continue. I'm not sure I understand the reasoning there.

I'm hearing lots of things about the 3rd hour. Reports from people in areas where 2 hour church blocks have been piloted, reports from a person at SLC marketing firm claiming to be putting info together educating members about the changes, etc.

Less than 1 month until we know!!

[The Nehor]

The suggestion is that Sunday School will continue. It could still go to two hours but it would mean either cutting Priesthood/Relief Society instead. Pretty sure you cannot cut Sacrament meeting but you could shorten it. The other option is to shorten all three meetings to fit them into two hours. Doubt it.

There was a ward in the Northeast of the US that experimented with a shorter block but it was a local initiative and was shut down. If anyone has any data about a real two hour pilot program please share.

Edited September 6, 2018 by The Nehor

[Joe]

5 minutes ago, Nofear said:

Seems the 3 hour block is pretty much confirmed as continuing.
 

https://www.ldschurchnews.com/members/2018-09-04/a-sneak-peek-at-the-home-centered-church-curriculum-for-2019-47893

This article talks a lot about how the new manual focuses more on learning at home... I see this as evidence of the 2 hour block. What did I miss?

[HappyJackWagon]

10 minutes ago, The Nehor said:

The suggestion is that Sunday School will continue. It could still go to two hours but it would mean either cutting Priesthood/Relief Society instead. Pretty sure you cannot cut Sacrament meeting but you could shorten it. The other option is to shorten all three meetings to fit them into two hours. Doubt it.

There was a ward in the Northeast of the US that experimented with a shorter block but it was a local initiative and was shut down. If anyone has any data about a real two hour pilot program please share.

Yeah, each meeting could be shortened but it's also possible they put Sunday School and PH/RS on rotation; 1st & 3rd Sunday School, 2nd & 4th PH/RS. Who knows, but I don't think they'll be getting rid of Sunday School all together.

[bluebell]

24 minutes ago, Nofear said:

Seems the 3 hour block is pretty much confirmed as continuing.
 

https://www.ldschurchnews.com/members/2018-09-04/a-sneak-peek-at-the-home-centered-church-curriculum-for-2019-47893

My dreams are dashed.

I am glad that they are doing something new.  The pessimist in me thinks that nothing much will actually change with their new curriculum (after all, we are supposed to be studying the lessons at home right now each week, but the majority of us don't.  I'm not sure how giving everyone a new guide is going to change that) but i'm hopeful.  Sometimes change for change's sake does help get people out of their rut.

[The Nehor]

6 minutes ago, Joe said:

This article talks a lot about how the new manual focuses more on learning at home... I see this as evidence of the 2 hour block. What did I miss?

That it mentions Sunday School lessons which would seem to be the meeting most likely to get the chop.

[bluebell]

3 hours ago, Sunday21 said:

Is a ward missionary the same as Ward Mission leader? 

Yes and now.  No, the ward mission leader is not the same thing as a ward missionary because he is the one in charge, but yes they are the same in that they all pretty much do the same thing, only with the WML directing and leading the others.

[bluebell]

16 minutes ago, The Nehor said:

The suggestion is that Sunday School will continue. It could still go to two hours but it would mean either cutting Priesthood/Relief Society instead. Pretty sure you cannot cut Sacrament meeting but you could shorten it. The other option is to shorten all three meetings to fit them into two hours. Doubt it.

There was a ward in the Northeast of the US that experimented with a shorter block but it was a local initiative and was shut down. If anyone has any data about a real two hour pilot program please share.

I don't think they would cut RS/Priesthood because it would also mean cutting YW/YM and the church is really focused on their youth programs.  I don't think they would shorten them, but I guess you never know.

[Nofear]

3 minutes ago, Joe said:

This article talks a lot about how the new manual focuses more on learning at home... I see this as evidence of the 2 hour block. What did I miss?

"All Church classes — Primary, youth Sunday School and adult Sunday School — will study the same passages of scripture each week. "

Unless, one sees dropping Relief Society and Elders Quorum meetings, Sunday School meetings are still there. The article asserts that Sunday School will be a support to home/family study. Technically, that was always the case, but the Church is designing materials to make that subordination more explicit. But, Sunday School will still be there.

[Gray]

26 minutes ago, Nofear said:

"All Church classes — Primary, youth Sunday School and adult Sunday School — will study the same passages of scripture each week. "

Unless, one sees dropping Relief Society and Elders Quorum meetings, Sunday School meetings are still there. The article asserts that Sunday School will be a support to home/family study. Technically, that was always the case, but the Church is designing materials to make that subordination more explicit. But, Sunday School will still be there.

Alternatively, they could be planning to alternate the 2nd hour between Relief Society/EQ and Sunday School.

[bluebell]

6 minutes ago, Gray said:

Alternatively, they could be planning to alternate the 2nd hour between Relief Society/EQ and Sunday School.

Do you think the church would cut it's Sunday youth meetings to two sundays a month though?  

[smac97]

4 hours ago, Sunday21 said:

Is a ward missionary the same as Ward Mission leader? 

A ward usually has several ward missionaries, one of which is the WML and presides over the others.

Thanks,

-Smac

[smac97]

57 minutes ago, The Nehor said:

The suggestion is that Sunday School will continue. It could still go to two hours but it would mean either cutting Priesthood/Relief Society instead. Pretty sure you cannot cut Sacrament meeting but you could shorten it. The other option is to shorten all three meetings to fit them into two hours. Doubt it.

Another option would be to keep the 70-minute schedule for Sacrament Meeting, and then alternate the second hour.  One week would be Priesthood/RS, the next would be Sunday School, then back to Priesthood/RS, and so on.

Thanks,

-Smac

[HappyJackWagon]

10 minutes ago, bluebell said:

Yes and now.  No, the ward mission leader is not the same thing as a ward missionary because he is the one in charge, but yes they are the same in that they all pretty much do the same thing, only with the WML directing and leading the others.

With the multitude of Sister Missionaries serving I wonder if it's time they make the adjustment to allow for a female Ward Mission Leader. There's really no reason why it couldn't be. The Ward Mission Leader doesn't hold priesthood keys and works under the direction of the Bishop who is the actual leader of missionary activity in the ward. So I see no reason why a policy adjustment couldn't be made. I know you're not advocating for that, but I find it interesting to think about.

[smac97]

4 minutes ago, bluebell said:

Do you think the church would cut it's Sunday youth meetings to two sundays a month though?  

Each year has 4-5 Fifth Sundays.  Perhaps the Fifth Sundays could be devoted to Priesthood/RS/Youth Meetings, as I think those meetings are more important than Sunday School.

Thanks,

-Smac

[Gray]

8 minutes ago, bluebell said:

Do you think the church would cut it's Sunday youth meetings to two sundays a month though?  

No idea. Honestly I think the 2 hour block is probably wishful thinking. But like Fox Mulder, I want to believe.

[smac97]

11 minutes ago, HappyJackWagon said:

With the multitude of Sister Missionaries serving I wonder if it's time they make the adjustment to allow for a female Ward Mission Leader. There's really no reason why it couldn't be. The Ward Mission Leader doesn't hold priesthood keys and works under the direction of the Bishop who is the actual leader of missionary activity in the ward. So I see no reason why a policy adjustment couldn't be made. I know you're not advocating for that, but I find it interesting to think about.

I'd like to see that.

Thanks,

-Smac

[bluebell]

2 minutes ago, smac97 said:

Each year has 4-5 Fifth Sundays.  Perhaps the Fifth Sundays could be devoted to Priesthood/RS/Youth Meetings, as I think those meetings are more important than Sunday School.

Thanks,

-Smac

I'm not sure the leadership agrees that Sunday School is more important than YW and YM though.  It seems like the church puts a lot of effort and focus into it's youth programs, even on Sundays.  Sundays are when the priests get to spend time and discuss doctrinal things with the bishop, for example. It's when each class councils about the needs of the people in their class/quorum and when they plan to meet those needs, and discuss living the gospel in their every day lives.  I don't see the church lessening that to 3 times a year.

Also, given that our weekly activities are supposed to be focused on bonding through fun activities, helping the young men and young women form positive relationships with members of the opposite sex, and serving, it would be difficult to move Sunday activities to midweek activities, even if we left off the doctrinal lesson (which right now is only supposed to take up 15-20 minutes on Sundays anyways-the rest of that last hour is for other things).  It would be burdensome to extend the length of Wednesday nights to include what we normally do on Sunday (it would also be a return to the old segregated way of doing things, where the auxiliaries meet outside of the Sunday Services).

But like I said before, it could happen.  You never know what the church has planned!

[bluebell]

13 minutes ago, Gray said:

No idea. Honestly I think the 2 hour block is probably wishful thinking. But like Fox Mulder, I want to believe.

Me too!

[bluebell]

18 minutes ago, HappyJackWagon said:

With the multitude of Sister Missionaries serving I wonder if it's time they make the adjustment to allow for a female Ward Mission Leader. There's really no reason why it couldn't be. The Ward Mission Leader doesn't hold priesthood keys and works under the direction of the Bishop who is the actual leader of missionary activity in the ward. So I see no reason why a policy adjustment couldn't be made. I know you're not advocating for that, but I find it interesting to think about.

I agree.

[smac97]

7 minutes ago, bluebell said:

Quote

Each year has 4-5 Fifth Sundays.  Perhaps the Fifth Sundays could be devoted to Priesthood/RS/Youth Meetings, as I think those meetings are more important than Sunday School.

Thanks,

-Smac

I'm not sure the leadership agrees that Sunday School is more important than YW and YM though.  It seems like the church puts a lot of effort and focus into it's youth programs, even on Sundays.  Sundays are when the priests get to spend time and discuss doctrinal things with the bishop, for example. It's when each class councils about the needs of the people in their class/quorum and when they plan to meet those needs, and discuss living the gospel in their every day lives.  I don't see the church lessening that to 3 times a year.

I think you misunderstood me.  I think youth meetings are very important.  So a 2-hour schedule could go like this:

• Week 1: Fast & Testimony Meeting + RS/EQ/YM/YW
• Week 2: Sacrament Meeting + Sunday School
• Week 3: Sacrament Meeting + RS/EQ/YM/YW
• Week 4: Sacrament Meeting + Sunday School
• Week 5 (for months having a fifth Sunday): Sacrament Meeting + RS/EQ/YM/YW

Or am I misunderstanding you?

Thanks,

-Smac

Edited September 6, 2018 by smac97