Two Announcements Re: April 2022 General Conference

[smac97]

https://www.abc4.com/news/church-announces-limited-in-person-attendance-and-womens-session-for-general-conference/

Quote

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced they will be holding limited in-person attendance at the upcoming 192nd Annual General Conference.

In a letter sent to members of the church, officials say this year, the conference will be held on April 2-3. The conference will be broadcast via satellite and on the Church’s official website.

Officials say the limited attendance decision is due to the ongoing Temple Square renovation in downtown Salt Lake City.

Church officials also announced that women, including those who turn 12 in 2022 will be invited to participate in a “Women’s Session of General Conference” held on April 2.

https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2022/02/11/womens-session-return-lds/

Quote

After hosting primarily virtual General Conferences for the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said Friday that the upcoming gathering will return to in-person attendance.

The faith’s governing First Presidency also announced the return of a general women’s session, which has been a cause for both celebration and some concern.

In earlier days, “General Conference extended over several days with various types of sessions. In today’s high-tech world, with far more extensive means of communicating, there is much greater flexibility in the kinds of sessions the church is able to hold,” said Barbara Jones Brown, executive director of the Mormon History Association. “Having a general session featuring women leaders and speakers at this spring’s conference reflects that flexibility, while increasing women’s participation.”

To Brown, the move “reflects increasing efforts of church leaders to elevate and center women’s voices.”

Latter-day Saint poet and feminist Carol Lynn Pearson’s reaction was “hooray.”

The elimination of the annual women’s meeting “seemed to me to be another step in what correlation accomplished — limiting the power of female leadership,” Pearson said. “We have a great [women’s] Relief Society general presidency. They deserve to be seen and they deserve to be heard.”

April Young-Bennett, an Exponent II writer, worries that the women’s session is instead a step backward.

The past women’s sessions were “presided over by men [the First Presidency] and always had a man giving the closing speech,” Young-Bennett said. “It has never been by women for women.”

During the October 2021 conference, four women spoke in the general sessions, addressing both men and women, she said. “That means more men were hearing from female theologians.”

Returning to the old way — if that’s what it will be — Young-Bennett said, could be “a problem.”

Thanks,

-Smac

[bluebell]

I'm glad the Women's session is coming back and that GC will be in person again.  It's interesting that for some women this is seen as a good thing and for others it could be a bad thing.  Just goes to show that we want to be careful if we believe we can speak for an entire group.  People's perspectives are so different.

[rongo]

21 minutes ago, bluebell said:

I'm glad the Women's session is coming back and that GC will be in person again.  It's interesting that for some women this is seen as a good thing and for others it could be a bad thing.  Just goes to show that we want to be careful if we believe we can speak for an entire group.  People's perspectives are so different.

The whiplash on it has been interesting. First, no more Saturday evening sessions of any kind any more. Two weeks later, after backlash, "after much prayer and discussion," an evening session with no targeted demographic is put back in. This time, women's session is back. 

It's been forever and a day since we've had priesthood session, though!  

[Calm]

56 minutes ago, bluebell said:

I'm glad the Women's session is coming back and that GC will be in person again.  It's interesting that for some women this is seen as a good thing and for others it could be a bad thing.  Just goes to show that we want to be careful if we believe we can speak for an entire group.  People's perspectives are so different.

It will be interesting to see if they keep the increased number of women speaking in conference or if it drops back to what…two talks and a prayer?

Quote

women, including those who turn 12 in 2022 will be invited to

Not 8?  Wasn’t it 8 before?  I prefer 12, btw, just checking my memory.

Edited February 12, 2022 by Calm

[bluebell]

3 minutes ago, Calm said:

It will be interesting to see if they keep the increased number of women speaking in conference or if it drops back to what…two talks and a prayer?

Not 8?  Wasn’t it 8 before?  I prefer 12, btw, just checking my memory.

It was 8 before, which I think was a misstep.  

[bluebell]

36 minutes ago, rongo said:

The whiplash on it has been interesting. First, no more Saturday evening sessions of any kind any more. Two weeks later, after backlash, "after much prayer and discussion," an evening session with no targeted demographic is put back in. This time, women's session is back. 

It's been forever and a day since we've had priesthood session, though!  

It was about 8 weeks after the backlash, and after "additional study and prayer."   

[bsjkki]

6 minutes ago, bluebell said:

It was 8 before, which I think was a misstep.  

Yes. As a woman, I wanted adult topics for adult women. 

[JAHS]

44 minutes ago, rongo said:

The whiplash on it has been interesting. First, no more Saturday evening sessions of any kind any more. Two weeks later, after backlash, "after much prayer and discussion," an evening session with no targeted demographic is put back in. This time, women's session is back. 

It's been forever and a day since we've had priesthood session, though!  

Yes I miss going to the Bishops house for pizza after the priesthood session. 😉

[Calm]

9 minutes ago, JAHS said:

Yes I miss going to the Bishops house for pizza after the priesthood session. 😉

No reason you can’t go while the women are getting their time in,   
 

A lot of stores in Utah used to have a Ladies’ Night Out during Priesthood Session (Maybe they still do, I just never shop at that time or on Saturdays if I can help it)…the toy store I worked at did a big sale, especially on Chocolate (they took over the space from a baking/candy making speciality store that was the only one in Utah Valley selling high quality brick chocolate and caramel…yum yum…at the time and made the smart decision to expand their inventory).  I did not like working that evening.

So have a Men’s Night Out.

Edited February 12, 2022 by Calm

[bluebell]

14 minutes ago, bsjkki said:

Yes. As a woman, I wanted adult topics for adult women. 

It was weird lumping kids and women together.

[Freedom]

What is all this indecision about? What internal turmoil is abounding? Just seems weird. 

[JustAnAustralian]

1 hour ago, Freedom said:

What is all this indecision about? What internal turmoil is abounding? Just seems weird. 

Maybe they just didn't want to have to ask someone to do the floral arrangements.

[Durangout]

On 2/11/2022 at 5:53 PM, bluebell said:

It was weird lumping kids and women together.

Male “kids” and men were always together in the priesthood session.

Edited February 13, 2022 by Durangout

[Calm]

17 minutes ago, Durangout said:

Male “kids” and mens were always together in priesthood session.

Not 8 years old, at 8 you are going to need at least one Primary talk…and the rest of the time some of the moms are going to be babysitting because 8 year olds are going to be bored.  4 years makes a huge difference. 
 

Now it will be the same as with the men, a bonding time rather than a babysitting time.  And 12 year old girls may be excited about watching or attending rather than already disliking it because they have been forced to sit quiet for the past 4 years 

Edited February 12, 2022 by Calm

[Bill “Papa” Lee]

There is only “one Gospel”, and as such (no matter the gender of the speaker) the overriding theme is and should always be “…first Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost” (4th Article of Faith). 
 

The Prophet Enoch, who taught his people so well, he and his people were taken from the world of constant “strife and division”, and by so doing became, “One, or Zion”. One of those things who taught us to teach was found in Moses 6: 57-62…

“57 Wherefore teach it unto your children, that all men, everywhere, must repent, or they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God, for no unclean thing can dwell there, or dwell in his presence; for, in the language of Adam, Man of Holiness is his name, and the name of his Only Begotten is the Son of Man, even Jesus Christ, a righteous Judge, who shall come in the meridian of time.
58 Therefore I give unto you a commandment, to teach these things freely unto your children, saying:
59 That by reason of transgression cometh the fall, which fall bringeth death, and inasmuch as ye were born into the world by water, and blood, and the spirit, which I have made, and so became of dust a living soul, even so ye must be born again into the kingdom of heaven, of water, and of the Spirit, and be cleansed by blood, even the blood of mine Only Begotten; that ye might be sanctified from all sin, and enjoy the words of eternal life in this world, and eternal life in the world to come, even immortal glory;
60 For by the water ye keep the commandment; by the Spirit ye are justified, and by the blood ye are sanctified;
61 Therefore it is given to abide in you; the record of heaven; the Comforter; the peaceable things of immortal glory; the truth of all things; that which quickeneth all things, which maketh alive all things; that which knoweth all things, and hath all power according to wisdom, mercy, truth, justice, and judgment.
62 And now, behold, I say unto you: This is the plan of salvation unto all men, through the blood of mine Only Begotten, who shall come in the meridian of time.”. 

 

I grew up in a Church, like most Churches here and around the world, where Women or Sisters had to remain silent. So I was pleased when I could hear from Women in our services. My Mother who never converted loved that Women could speak, and have a voice, and classes all their own. So when my parents visited to hear me speak, or teach Sunday School, they were both very supportive. However, my Mother always sought out whatever Sister who spoke in Sacrament, and thank her for her comments. So, I do understand why Sister both love and enjoy when they have a voice. 
 

As of late, I do worry about how many worry about, “view the Church as moving forward, or express concern about moving backwards”.

The Prophet Joseph Smith, who first lead us out of the “norm of that day”, and giving women a voice in the Church, which took both “vision and courage”, also warned…

“Cling close to the bark of the tree, least reaching for the limbs ye fall”, or something along those lines. We should remember that the happiest the Church has ever been here upon the earth, was during this time…

4 Nephi: 15-17

15 And it came to pass that there was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people.
16 And there were no envyings, nor strifes, nor tumults, nor whoredoms, nor lyings, nor murders, nor any manner of lasciviousness; and surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God.
17 There were no robbers, nor murderers, neither were there Lamanites, nor any manner of -ites; but they were in one, the children of Christ, and heirs to the kingdom of God.

This happiness was a result of “no divisions”, I believe that even meant between “male and female”, no keeping score, just following the teachings of Jesus Christ. Be it in the home, or in the Church, the absence of “contention” always leads to absolute happiness. 
 

Maybe we can just “Follow the Prophet”, without keeping score, reading between the lines, and just trust that our leadership are actually navigating this ship, with the full input from our Captain, literally the Lord Jesus Christ.
 

As always, long posts are difficult, so forgive the usual spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors.

After all, I do mean well.  

 

[juliann]

I hope they make it a true women's meeting by giving more time to the women speakers than the First Presidency.

[bluebell]

2 hours ago, Durangout said:

Male “kids” and mens were always together in priesthood session.

There’s a difference between primary aged kids and YM aged kids. 

[Freedom]

17 hours ago, JustAnAustralian said:

Maybe they just didn't want to have to ask someone to do the floral arrangements.

hmm... that makes sense. 

[Durangout]

9 hours ago, bluebell said:

There’s a difference between primary aged kids and YM aged kids. 

Wait, what?  Younger than 12 are invited??? Sheesh.

[Durangout]

9 hours ago, bluebell said:

There’s a difference between primary aged kids and YM aged kids. 

This is what the article said:

 

”Church officials also announced that women, including those who turn 12 in 2022 will be invited to participate in a “Women’s Session of General Conference” held on April 2.”

[Durangout]

11 hours ago, Calm said:

Not 8 years old, at 8 you are going to need at least one Primary talk…and the rest of the time some of the moms are going to be babysitting because 8 year olds are going to be bored.  4 years makes a huge difference. 
 

Now it will be the same as with the men, a bonding time rather than a babysitting time.  And 12 year old girls may be excited about watching or attending rather than already disliking it because they have been forced to sit quiet for the past 4 years 

8?  This is what the article said:  “Church officials also announced that women, including those who turn 12 in 2022 will be invited to participate in a “Women’s Session of General Conference” held on April 2.”  I’m confused.

[Rain]

1 hour ago, Durangout said:

8?  This is what the article said:  “Church officials also announced that women, including those who turn 12 in 2022 will be invited to participate in a “Women’s Session of General Conference” held on April 2.”  I’m confused.

Too many posts to quote.  It used to be 8 before they discontinued the women's session.  Now that they brought it back the age is turning 12.  Most of the posts refer to the change and that they are happy about it.

[bluebell]

12 hours ago, Durangout said:

Wait, what?  Younger than 12 are invited??? Sheesh.

For a few years the women's session of GC was for females 8 years and up. It was a little odd.

[Durangout]

24 minutes ago, bluebell said:

For a few years the women's session of GC was for females 8 years and up. It was a little odd.

My bad.  I thought u were referring to the latest announcement.  Yes; you are right having 8 yr olds in the session is is odd.

[CV75]

On 2/11/2022 at 7:35 PM, bluebell said:

It was about 8 weeks after the backlash, and after "additional study and prayer."   

Common consent works in mysterious -- I guess I should say, "unexpected" --  ways!