Difference between revisions of "Mormon meetings"

Revision as of 13:09, 3 March 2006

Sunday Services

Sunday services for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) consist of a three-hour block of time divided into three segments. The primary Sunday service is Sacrament Meeting, which is slightly more than an hour in length, and is attended by the combined congregation. Sacrament Meeting services consist of the Aaronic Priesthood blessing and passing the sacrament--consecrated bread and water in remembrance of the body and blood of Christ--to members of the Church. The service usually also consists of "talks" or lay sermons prepared and delivered by members of the congregation. There is also hymn singing and other forms of worship through music. During the other two segments, the congregation divides into smaller groups based on age and/or sex. The Church publishes manuals for each type of class, usually including both a teacher's manual and a student booklet.

Sunday School classes are grouped by age and sometimes by background. The most common adult Sunday School class is "Gospel Doctrine," which meets each week and consists of a teacher presenting a gospel message drawn from the scriptures, with participation from class members. A second adult class that meets most weeks is "Gospel Essentials" which is designed for new members and non-members who are interested in learning more about the Church (the latter are often referred to as investigators). Additional adult classes are held at various times, depending on the specific needs of each congregation. These classes include topics such as "Family Relations," "Family History," "Teacher Preparation," "Mission Preparation," and "Temple Preparation." Youth Sunday School classes are divided by age (12-13, 14-15, 16-18). These classes are sometimes combined if class sizes are small.

In addition to Sacrament Meeting and Sunday School, a third block of meetings is held where attendance is based on age and sex. Men and boys 12 years and older attend priesthood classes, women attend Relief Society, and girls ages 12-18 attend Young Women. The Young Women group is further divided into Beehive (ages 12-13), Mia Maid (ages 14-15), and Laurel (ages 16-18) classes. All men and boys meet together briefly at the beginning of the hour for a prayer, hymn, and announcements, they then separate into classes. The men separate by priesthood office to attend Elder's Quorum or High Priest's Quorum, the latter usually being older men and/or those who have held leadership positions in the Church. Youth are likewise divided into priesthood quorums: Deacons (ages 12-13), Teachers (ages 14-15), and Priests (ages 16-18). Classes may be combined if the class sizes are small.

Children younger than 12 attend Primary, which spans the latter two time blocks described above. Young children from 18 months to 3 years of age attend a nursery class. Primary classes generally consist of all the children who were born in the same year. Usually one half of the Primary meets in separate classes while the other half meets together in sharing and singing time, and at the end of the hour, the two are reversed.

Other Sunday Meetings

In place of, or in addition to, the typical Sunday meetings are special meetings of three sorts: Testimony meeting, conferences, and firesides.

Testimony meetings typically occur the first Sunday of every month (local leaders may switch Sundays to fit in conferences). The meeting itself is actually a variation of the Sacrament Meeting. After the sacrament has been blessed and passed, instead of the standard lay sermons, members are given an opportunity bear their testimony. During a testimony, members often publically thank Heavenly Father or other members of the ward, they bear witness to the truthfulness of the gospel or specifically certain aspects of it, and they may share brief inspirational stories. Because a testimony is such a special and personal thing, it is not unusual for people to cry while sharing their testimonies. Testimony meetings are also referred to as Fast and Testimony meetings because on those Sundays, members of the congregation who are able will be fasting (giving up two meals and donating the money they would have spent for the ward to help those in need).

Weekday Meetings

In addition to Sunday meetings, a number of meetings may take place during the week. High school students attend early morning seminary, which is scheduled so that students can leave for school when the class is over. In some areas with large LDS populations, provisions are made by the high school which allow students to attend seminary off-campus during the school day. The provision, however, is considered released time, not a school-recognized class. No credit is awarded by the school, nor is any grade or achievement listed on the school's official transcript. Seminary attendance does, however, help when applying to the Church-owned Brigham Young University. Seminary programs are administered by the Church Educational System.

Young men and women often have a weekly meeting (referred to as Mutual) which can involve an activity, service project, or instruction. Classes may meet separately or combined on different weeks.

Four times a year, the adult women attend Enrichment Night, where they may choose between various classes being offered, participate in a service project, or attend a social event.

In addition to these regularly scheduled meetings, additional meetings are frequently held at the meeting house. Popular activities are basketball, luncheons, and various personal improvement classes. Church members may also reserve the building for personal use, such as wedding receptions, funerals, etc.