Changes announced at LDS General Conference

[hawkwing]

There were some fairly exciting changes announced during the LDS General Conference on Easter Weekend.

First, there was the sustaining of the First Presidency, Russel M. Nelson as President, with counselors Dallin H. Oaks and Henry B. Eyring.

Two new Apostles were also called and sustained as members of the Quorum of the Twelve, Elder Gerrit W. Gong and Elder Ulisses Soares.

lder Gerrit W. Gong

Elder Gerrit W. Gong was serving as a member of the Presidency of the Seventy at the time of his calling to the Quorum of the Twelve. He became a General Authority Seventy of the Church in April 2010. He was named a member of the Presidency of the Seventy on October 6, 2015. From 2011 to 2015, Elder Gong was a member of the Asia Area Presidency, headquartered in Hong Kong, and concluded that service as the Area President.

Elder Gong received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Asian and university studies from Brigham Young University in 1977. In 1979, he received a Master of Philosophy degree and in 1981 a doctorate in in international relations from Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar. In 1985 he served as special assistant to the undersecretary of state at the U.S. State Department and in 1987 as special assistant to the U.S. ambassador in Beijing, China. From 1989 he served in several positions at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C. He was assistant to the president for planning and assessment at Brigham Young University until April 2010.

Elder Ulisses Soares

Elder Ulisses Soares was also serving as a member of the Presidency of the Seventy at the time of his calling to the Quorum of the Twelve. He has been serving as a General Authority Seventy of the Church since April 2005 and was named a member of the Presidency of the Seventy on January 6, 2013. He served previously as a counselor in the Africa Southeast Area, President of the Brazil Area and as a counselor in the Brazil South Area.

Elder Soares received a Bachelor of Arts degree in accounting and economics from the São Paulo Pontifical Catholic University, School of Economic Science in 1985 and later received a Master of Business Administration degree. He was an accountant and auditor for multinational corporations in Brazil and director for temporal affairs in the Church area office in São Paulo, Brazil. At the time of his call as a General Authority, he was serving on a special assignment for the Presiding Bishopric of the Church in Salt Lake City.

(see more: https://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/ ... IDyL2-4-2_ )

It was announced that High Priests and Elders would be restructured into one quorum, lead by an Elders Qurorum President and all current Elders Quorum and High Priest Group leadership were released. PEC will no longer be needed and can be handled in Ward Council. (see more: https://www.lds.org/church/news/first-p ... xLIDyL1-B_ )

Home Teaching and Visiting Teaching has also been changed to an overall concept called Ministering. This is one that I'm definitely interested to see how it works out in practice as it's still somewhat nebulous to me. We will still have families and members to minister to, but it won't be as rigidly defined in what counts as a visit or reported on, however there still will be a kind of report, but it will be more based on a type of PPI visit with the Ministers. (see more: https://www.lds.org/church/news/ministe ... _&lang=eng )

And then if that all wasn't enough, almost as an after thought President Russell M. Nelson announced seven new temples will be built in Salta, Argentina; Bengaluru, India; Managua Nicaragua; Cagayan de Oro, Philippines; Layton, Utah; Richmond, Virginia; and a major city yet to be determined in Russia.

[snoscythe]

Guys, this will be huge.

Five and a half years ago, I was able to attend a regional training in Colorado with Elder L. Tom Perry for bishops, EQ presidents, and HP group leaders only. Every change made this weekend was something Elder Perry was training us to do even back then.

Per Elder Perry, the way the Melchizedek Priesthood was functioning was broken. Some of the items he trained us on:

1) An Elder should only be ordained a High Priest when he receives a calling in church administration that requires him to hold that office. There is no difference in the priesthood of an Elder or a High Priest. The only difference is in responsibilities in certain callings -- if you don't hold those callings, there is no spiritual reason to be a High Priest.

2) As an off-shoot of that, the practice of "advancing" men to the office of High Priest as they age so that they can attend Group meetings with the older cohort is detrimental. It fosters a mis-understanding of the Melchizedek Priesthood, and it creates issues in activating older less-active brethren who are not High Priests and in bringing in new converts. Let's say you have a new convert or less-active brother who is 60 years old and comes to church---where does he attend? An Elders quorum where you have "advanced" out everyone over 50 years old and he may find no peers? Or a High Priest group where they are arguing about the orbital dynamics of Kolob where he will equally feel out of place?

3) The Elders Quorum President holds the keys to the spiritual well-being of the ward, the High Priest Group Leader holds no keys. Yet many view the HPQL as superior in rank and responsibility and Bishops and Ward Councils look to the HPGL before they look to the actual keyholder. Elders quorum presidents should be just as busy, if not more than the Bishop. Melchizedek priesthood leaders should be bearing the brunt of the welfare needs of the church, both spiritually and temporally under the guidance of the bishop (as he needs to approve Fast Offering expenditures and food orders), but the Melchizedek priesthood leaders should be the ones meeting with those in needs and determining those needs and going the the bishop with a comprehensive plan (made in tandem with the relief society), and the bishop then approves the plan or suggests revisions. Bishops should be focused on the youth and matters of repentance where a judge in Israel is required, and the Melchizedek priesthood should be striving to take burdens from the bishop to allow them to keep that focus.

4) If you truly want to build meaningful quorums, your Elders Quorum President should serve at least as long as your Bishop.

5) Hometeaching is broken, and it is largely because the EQP and HPGL (i) do not take the time to make meaningful assignments, instead handing out slips or assignments in hallways at church (or now, via text or email) with little discussion of the needs of the families and individuals, and (ii) only ask "how are your families doing?" and "did you hometeach last month." Assignments should be made in personal meetings explaining who the families are and their needs. Frequent PPI interviews must be held to better understand the families and to help the brothers understand that you care about the families, not about the numbers. A brother who hometeaches irregularly but has the love and trust of his families magnifies his assignment more than the brother who makes a brief formal visit the last week of every month and does not know his families.

6) **(later addition)** Elder Perry also talked about how "advancing" men to the office of High Priest was robbing Elders Quorums of potential leadership and assets in doing their work, which only aggravated the perception of the Elders Quorum as a lesser body than the High Priest group.

So for at least 5 and a half years the Brethren have identified the issues that are at the root of this weekend's changes. We wholly embraced the instruction we received back then at our own wards, and it was a phenomenal change for the entire ward, and more specially for the men. Our biggest issue was push back from men reaching the age of ~45 and asking how they start the process of being ordained a high priest and we had to tell them, "Well, get called to a Bishopric, High Council, or Stake Presidency, but outside of that, it probably will not happen in this Stake based on the instruction we received." This change in eliminating the High Priest Group goes a long way to removing that hurdle to acceptance. It should be about like when they "restructured" the office of Seventy in 1986 and discontinued Stake Seventies quorums.

This weekend was a great day--it may have seemed like two separate announcements, but in reality the two were part and parcel of one larger change in refocusing the efforts of the members to truly focus on individual needs rather than "numbers" or "office".

[scott715]

Sno, thank you for the insights.

[Mars]

The changes all make so much sense.

I think 2 1/2 hour Church is only 1-2 general conferences away as well.

[snoscythe]

The changes all make so much sense.

I think 2 1/2 hour Church is only 1-2 general conferences away as well.

They are currently piloting 2 hour church and every-other-week church.

[BoiseBYU]

A wonderful Conference. I loved President Monson, but we saw what happens when we have a dynamic, fully engaged Prophet. President Nelson is such an amazing man.

[screamineagle2]

The changes all make so much sense.

I think 2 1/2 hour Church is only 1-2 general conferences away as well.

They are currently piloting 2 hour church and every-other-week church.

I would not mind a shorter block as I get older the 3 hours get harder on me physically but I really hope we dont go to every other week Sacrament meetings personally I need to go every week.I do however see how this could be a big help to people that have to travel long distances for sacrament and it would help in areas that have 3 or 4 wards meeting in one building.

[Ddawg]

They are currently piloting 2 hour church and every-other-week church.

Curious, exactly what is "every other week church"?
What does church leadership have in mind?
When you post they are "piloting" - is this something they are actually trying in certain stakes or debating in the boardroom?
Do we attend church the 1st and 3rd weekend, and stay at home with our families the 2nd and 4th weekend?

[snoscythe]

They are currently piloting 2 hour church and every-other-week church.

Curious, exactly what is "every other week church"?
What does church leadership have in mind?
When you post they are "piloting" - is this something they are actually trying in certain stakes or debating in the boardroom?
Do we attend church the 1st and 3rd weekend, and stay at home with our families the 2nd and 4th weekend?

They have actual stakes trying them out. This is the second year for each pilot, with some tweaks. I don't know exactly the mechanics of how the every other week church is being implemented in the pilots. I would think that one would be less likely than a two-hour meeting block.

Costs of facilities is getting to be a big concern as the Church grows quickly, but the tithing growth does not keep pace. I assume that is the underlying concern for these two pilots--how to do more with fewer facilities.

[BoiseBYU]

They are currently piloting 2 hour church and every-other-week church.

Curious, exactly what is "every other week church"?
What does church leadership have in mind?
When you post they are "piloting" - is this something they are actually trying in certain stakes or debating in the boardroom?
Do we attend church the 1st and 3rd weekend, and stay at home with our families the 2nd and 4th weekend?

They have actual stakes trying them out. This is the second year for each pilot, with some tweaks. I don't know exactly the mechanics of how the every other week church is being implemented in the pilots. I would think that one would be less likely than a two-hour meeting block.

Costs of facilities is getting to be a big concern as the Church grows quickly, but the tithing growth does not keep pace. I assume that is the underlying concern for these two pilots--how to do more with fewer facilities.

I was just ready to post something along these lines. For quite a while now, tithing does not cover new member "expenses." This is particularly the case so long as most church growth occurs outside the U.S. and church requirements for building and programs remain as they are. A two hour block would reduce new building expenses and attendant maintenance. I have heard of various two hour pilot programs for quite a while now; I've not heard before of an every other week pilot.