Blog Tag: sacrament meeting
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Like the warblings of birds
General Conference is nearly upon us, which means we are all but guaranteed to have at least one sermon on the Sabbath day, and how to keep it holy. There isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that I would ever be invited to speak at General Conference, but most Sundays I find myself composing an address to the greater Church membership on what they should say. I notice that the people who are giving talks are overwhelmingly male, in a patriarchal Church. In all likelihood most of the men speaking were busy at church meetings, doing calling stuff, or just being dads in the...
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Where Two or Three are Gathered #CopingWithCOVID19
"For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Matthew 18:20
My ward resumed sacrament meeting two Sundays ago. We're currently meeting twice per month, on the second and third Sundays. Attendance is capped at 99, but there are few enough people attending that no one is turned away and we haven't had to divide the services. The meeting, with the exception of the administration of the sacrament, is livestreamed for people who can't or don't wish to attend in person, and home administration of the sacrament is still authorized.
Since...
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The Gluten-Free Bread of Life
This is a repost of something I wrote on my personal blog a few years ago.
I was leading the music for sacrament meeting, so I was sitting on the stand next to the organ with a full view of the sacrament table. A few minutes before the meeting started, a woman brought a baggie with a piece of corn tortilla up to the priests at the sacrament table. She said that she was gluten free and needed an alternative way to take the sacrament. One of the priests placed the tortilla in a paper cup so...
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A Christmas Sacrament Meeting
This past Christmas, I was responsible for the Sacrament Meeting Christmas program at my local Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ward. For most of the musical numbers, I asked the performer, choir director, or organization president to choose a song they wanted to teach or perform, so that they would be performing a song they knew well or really wanted to learn or teach. Then I plugged in the numbers they chose into where they fit into the scripture story, and filled in the remaining music slots with congregational hymns. I love singing at...
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Take, Eat
Due to travel, stake conference, illness, and general conference, there was about a four week period in September/October where I didn't take the sacrament. I found that I missed it greatly. I'm not really much for ritual, but there is something holy about meeting together with fellow saints to remember what Jesus did for us. I also appreciate that it's something that unites Christians across churches and denominations - it's something that nearly all of us do in some form or another.
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after giving thanks he broke it, gave it to...
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Relief Society Lesson: The Sabbath is a day to remember what...
Today we’re going to talk about a few of the grand, mighty, magnificent events that the scriptures tell us God associates with the sabbath. Let’s start, as I often like to, in the beginning.
The first of the two creation narratives that open the Old Testament outlines the story of creation in days.
Please note that I have modified the pronouns to reflect our understanding that we have a Heavenly Mother and Heavenly Father.
Genesis 1
1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the...
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Promoting Reverence by Making Sacrament Meeting Child-friendly
There is currently a churchwide campaign to improve Sabbath Day observance. While Sacrament meeting is only part of the Sabbath day, many local congregations are focusing on Sacrament Meeting reverence.
I am pleased that Church leaders have been addressing this issue by not only encouraging members to adopt better personal behavior, but also by looking at policy solutions, such as moving Sacrament Meeting planning from the all-male bishopric to the Ward Council, a larger group that includes women.
I have some more policy ideas. I am a mother of four Primary-aged children and motherhood is my single greatest barrier to Sacrament...
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Anxiety in Speaking in Sacrament Meeting
Years ago, in preparing for a Young Women “Values” themed sacrament meeting, I mentioned to a member of the Young Women presidency that I was not sure what to speak about. “It doesn’t really matter,” she assured me. You know what the value is that you've been assigned to present, so just tell us a story about it. You’ll do great anyway. We start children giving talks in primary, so by the time you are a (14 year old) Mia Maid, you’ve been speaking in public for a decade! This is why Mormons are great public speakers. You'll do fine!”
At...
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Poll: Women on the Stand
When my sister and I recently discussed her release as Relief Society President, she remarked, “I don’t think the women (or men) in my ward realize the work that the Bishop and I accomplished together.” And I said, “You should have been on the stand with him.”
I have often felt that ward and stake Relief Society Presidents (and/or their counselors) should be on the stand. I can think of five positive things it would do for the ward/stake:
It would show respect and regard for the calling.
It would allow ward members to see that the Bishop and the President are...
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Poll: Surviving the Block
Last week, we asked you, dear readers, for some polling ideas. One of the first was about the order of the Sunday block program. I thought everyone did Sunday the same way I have for most of my life: Sacrament meeting, Sunday School, Auxiliary meeting.
But, it seems like some wards don't do it that way. So, we've got a twofer this week. In both polls, I haven't listed every possibility because the polls got really long, so if you see that your schedule isn't listed, click "Other" and let us know your schedule or your ideal schedule. And, feel...
What is Exponent II?
Exponent II provides Mormon feminist forums for women and gender minorities across the Mormon spectrum to share their diverse life experiences in an atmosphere of trust and acceptance. Through these exchanges, we strive to create a community to better understand and support each other.
Exponent II was founded in 1974 by a group of Mormon women in Cambridge, Massachusetts. These women were inspired by the original periodical, “The Woman’s Exponent,” to create a forum “posed on the dual platforms of Mormonism and Feminism.”
For 50+ years, Exponent II has shared women’s voices in its quarterly magazine, and members of the community have convened at an annual retreat. Our reach has expanded as technology has advanced: the blog, founded in January 2006, has reached millions. As we look to the future, we are focused on growth and building a more inclusive community.
