Bombarded With Virtual Church Meetings

[amo]

About a week after all church public meetings were suspended due to COVID-19, a new trend has seen the light in many of the units of my stake: VIRTUAL church meetings.

These meetings, according to one of the bishops who implemented them in his ward, are meant “to help individuals be fed by the good word of God”, and are part of a block of 2 Sunday meetings—a devotional by the bishopric (40 mnts.), followed by a Sunday school, priesthood or Relief Society meeting (40 mnts.)

Now, add to this newly born virtual block of Sunday meetings a weekly bishopric meeting, a biweekly WC meeting and a few other board meetings and the result is a real virtual church meeting bombarding… 🤪

 

How about in your units, are you getting bombarded as well ?  😁

 

Amo

[Hamba Tuhan]

No, thankfully. Just three stake meetings per month, as per our previous schedule. Nothing trying to replicate church, though I did note this week that two Sunday school teachers said they'd be starting up online classes for anyone interested. I know I'm not. Our home study has been good.

Edited April 16, 2020 by Hamba Tuhan

[amo]

3 minutes ago, Hamba Tuhan said:

No, thankfully. Just three stake meetings per month, as per our previous schedule. Nothing trying to replicate church, though I did note this week that two Sunday school teachers said they'd be starting up online classes for anyone interested. I know I'm not. Our home study has been good.

I totally agree with you.

I don't think that our local leaders should try to "replicate church", after all, both recent changes and our new curriculum have been put in place to take us "a bit" away from church and back to our homes, and what better opportunity to do so than this pandemic we're all living now ?

[MorningStar]

We haven't had any virtual church meetings except for my daughter visiting with the young women. She desperately misses her friends. 

[bsjkki]

My daughter attends virtual seminary and refuses to attended virtual young women’s. (No friends there) I’ve only had Ward Council. We voted down having any virtual Sunday meeting. We are providing a virtual devotional on Sundays for anyone who wants to participate but it is very optional. 

[Calm]

I thought the announcement included discouraging trying to replicate the Sunday Church experience.

Edited April 16, 2020 by Calm

[Kenngo1969]

Bombarded with church meetings?  Oh, noes!   The reality (and the good news) is that, unless someone commits what, under Utah law, at least, would be aggravated kidnapping, pointing a gun to your head and forcing you to attend, which, if the kidnapper were convicted, would net him a sentence of 15 years to life in prison, there is no such thing as a mandatory meeting in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  If one fails to attend a purportedly-mandatory meeting, the worst that can happen is that s/he would be released from a particular calling.

Edited April 16, 2020 by Kenngo1969

[Hamba Tuhan]

4 hours ago, bsjkki said:

My daughter attends virtual seminary ...

Is this an actual class of some kind, or do you mean online seminary?

Within 24 hours of receiving notification about the suspension of all meetings, our stake presidency had enrolled all youth in online seminary, which is what the plan was at the end of last year ... until certain parents opposed it.

[bsjkki]

It is an actual class. Her regular in person teachers hold a zoom meeting with her original class each morning.

[CV75]

8 hours ago, amo said:

About a week after all church public meetings were suspended due to COVID-19, a new trend has seen the light in many of the units of my stake: VIRTUAL church meetings.

We received specific guidance not to replicate Sunday instruction and quorum meetings, and to only hold sacrament meeting as families. We do have ward council, and other virtual meetings for activities, missionaries, presidencies, etc. may be held other times of the week.

[Boanerges]

We had a discussion about Sunday virtual meetings in our most recent stake council (phone conference call). Our stake president said the emphasis is on home worship as families. He said as a stake we are not encouraging virtual meetings but if wards decide to do something it should be emphasized it is totally voluntary and to be mindful of those who may not have the technology to participate. That said, my ward did have a virtual meeting this past Sunday (Easter) and plans on Sunday School this coming Sunday. I do have the tech and know-how but I choose not to participate.

Edited April 16, 2020 by Boanerges

[amo]

6 hours ago, Calm said:

I thought the announcement included discouraging trying to replicate the Sunday Church experience.

Not to my knowledge, unfortunately...

[amo]

5 hours ago, Kenngo1969 said:

Bombarded with church meetings?  Oh, noes!   The reality (and the good news) is that, unless someone commits what, under Utah law, at least, would be aggravated kidnapping, pointing a gun to your head and forcing you to attend, which, if the kidnapper were convicted, would net him a sentence of 15 years to life in prison, there is no such thing as a mandatory meeting in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  If one fails to attend a purportedly-mandatory meeting, the worst that can happen is that s/he would be released from a particular calling.

You sure about this (bold)...? 

Mmm, could you get a temple recommend if you voluntarily didn't attend your meetings for a year...?

[bluebell]

1 hour ago, bsjkki said:

It is an actual class. Her regular in person teachers hold a zoom meeting with her original class each morning.

Both my sons’ seminary teachers do this but the zoom meeting is just once a week rather than everyday.  

[bluebell]

The only virtual meeting our ward has had is ward council (but not every week). They are also doing bishopric meetings once a week. So far that’s it. 

[LoudmouthMormon]

We've had two short Sunday meetings.  Sunday before conference, bishop gave some comments, we heard from two returned missionaries.  Last Sunday, we had our world-class sunday school team give another world-class sunday school lesson.  Both around an hour.  

[Duncan]

Yes............only though ward council, bishopric, occasional welfare EQ/RS and these made up meetings-We have a bishopric member who has a meeting and list fetish, so the RS Pres. and I ignore those hahhahahha! what is he going to do come over?!🤭

[JAHS]

My granddaughter has a young women's zoom meeting every Tuesday night. Keeps her connected with her friends. 

[Calm]

1 hour ago, amo said:

You sure about this (bold)...? 

Mmm, could you get a temple recommend if you voluntarily didn't attend your meetings for a year...?

I have.  Health reasons though, not just because I don't want to.

Edited April 16, 2020 by Calm

[theplains]

10 hours ago, amo said:

How about in your units, are you getting bombarded as well ?  😁

I don't feel bombarded.  It's a good thing we have the scriptures and the Holy Spirit to guide us.

[juliann]

3 hours ago, amo said:

Not to my knowledge, unfortunately...

Find it, there is official instruction to not replicate Sunday meetings. 

[ksfisher]

17 minutes ago, juliann said:

Find it, there is official instruction to not replicate Sunday meetings. 

It's not contained in the March 12th letter which suspended church meetings.

[Kenngo1969]

3 hours ago, amo said:

You sure about this (bold)...? 

Mmm, could you get a temple recommend if you  T voluntarily didn't attend your meetings for a year...?

Yes, I'm absolutely certain there are no mandatory meetings in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  The question you pose above, however, has nothing to do with what meetings are mandatory (if, indeed, they are mandatory) and what meetings are optional (if, indeed, they are optional).  Rather, your question, by contrast, is about what one must do to remain in good standing with the organization.  Yes, if one wishes to remain in good standing with the organization, it is likely that the organization will require that one attend a certain number or percentage of meetings within a given time period.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints hardly is unique in that regard. 

One can lie to his Bishop, and he can lie to his Stake President, but he cannot lie to God.  If someone lies about tithing, is a leader likely to consult the interviewee's donation statement for corroboration?  It depends, probably, on the leader and on the circumstances. With regard to doing one's duty in the Church of Jesus Christ, I don't recall the exact wording of the question, but I believe the word strive is in there. 

Could a person who earnestly strives to attend his meetings succeed at attending 100% of the meetings at which his presence is requested during a given period of time?  Yes.  Could a person who earnestly strives to attend his meetings fail, legitimately, to be present physically, notwithstanding his earnest desire to be in attendance?  Of course.  Do I fall short in carrying out my duties in the kingdom?  Yes, often.  But I believe my leaders know my heart, and I know the Lord does.

[Kenngo1969]

1 hour ago, theplains said:

I don't feel bombarded.  It's a good thing we have the scriptures and the Holy Spirit to guide us.

Yes, it is, Sunny Jim.

[Bernard Gui]

Last Sunday we got a new bishopric via Zoom.

We have a Sunday School zoom every other week.

We are asked to report the number of people taking the sacrament in home each week.

We have been asked to contact all the families to which we minister every 2 weeks and report any needs.

So far, no one in our ward has contracted the virus (in Washington).

Sister Gui is required by the school district to work every day via phone and computer contact with students and mandatory on-line training and faculty meetings. She is having a one hour Zoom classroom meeting today [Friday] with her students. 

 

 

 

Edited April 17, 2020 by Bernard Gui