If you have a Mormon (LDS, Latter-day Saint) friend, it's conceivable he/she might one day invite you to church. Let me give you a taste of what you.ll experience.
First, weekly church meetings for Latter-day Saints are (are you ready?) THREE HOURS LONG and are divided into three sections. Those sections are (not necessarily in order): Sacrament meeting, Sunday School and Relief Society/Priesthood. Let's discuss each in turn.
Sacrament Meeting is the main meeting and beings together the entire ward (think "congregation" or "paroisse"); all couple hundred members (men, women and children) gather in a large, plainly decorated room (chapel) and sit in rows of padded, backed benches (pews). At the front of the chapel is a elevated stand (rostrum). Smack in the middle of the rostrum is a pulpit with a microphone and a box of Kleenex. Sometimes there are flowers around the pulpit. Behind the pulpit sit the Ward leaders (the ward's Bishop and his two counselors). Behind them you'll notice a piano and an organ and behind that are rows of chairs for the ward choir (often empty). On the left or right of the stand is a (Sacrament) table covered with a white sheet. Sitting at that table are two or three young men. Other people sitting on the stand can include: choir members, the choir director, the music director, speakers, missionaries and visiting church authorities.
The meeting begins with the Bishop welcoming everyone and introducing the agenda (as you enter the chapel you'll be given a program so you can follow along.) Everyone then sings an opening hymn (slow tempo religious song) accompanied by the organ. You'll likely find a hymn book in the back of the pew in front of you, or under your chair. The hymn is followed by an "opening" prayer given by a pre-selected member at the pulpit.
Now it's time for the "administration of the Sacrament". A Sacrament hymn is sung while those young men behind the table stand up and break slices of bread into bite-sized pieces. When they are done and the hymn has finished, one of them kneels down and reads a route prayer to bless the bread. Four to ten young boys (aged about 12 or 13) then approach the sacrament table and, taking a metal bread tray, pass the trays down each row for members to eat, one piece of bread per member. When they are done, the boys return to the table, whereupon a prayer blessing the water is read. The boys then take water trays (containing thimble-sized plastic cups of water) and again pass them down each row for the members to drink. Non-members can simply pass the trays along. The Sacrament portion lasts 10-15 minutes.
After the Sacrament, the Bishop stands to announce the rest of the program which, unless it's the first Sunday of the month, consists of two or three member speakers with possibly a musical performance, a number by the choir or an intermediate hymn in between. Musical performances (always called "special musical numbers") consist of one to twelve people singing, accompanied by a piano (and less frequently: a flute, a violin or a harp.) The musical numbers last less than ten minutes.
After the last speaker, the Bishop closes the meeting with a few words, there is a final hymn and a member gives a closing prayer.
Extraordinary Sacrament meeting events can include:
Normally, however, Sacrament meeting is not particularly interactive. The audience is expected to sit quietly and listen, or to sing when appropriate. An exception to this rule comes at the end of each speech/talk and at the end of each testimony. At those times, the congregation says "amen" in unison. Remember, no applause is given after musical performances.
Interesting fact: no one in the church leadership is paid (it.s a lay ministry) and the local leadership changes constantly. Bishops, for example, are regular members who lead the ward for about five years, then they are "released from their calling" and someone else gets a try. What this means in practice, is that every member is expected to help out and is given a "calling" (a responsibility). It also means that nobody has any real formal ecclesiastical training -- don't expect extreme eloquence or Latin soliloquies.
For Sunday School, the ward breaks out into smaller classrooms. Children have their own instruction and adults have a choice of classes to attend. Like Sacrament meeting, Sunday School (as well as Relief Society/Priesthood) begins and ends with a prayer, and sometimes with a hymn. Each classroom holds ten to fifty people. For adults, Sunday School is discussion-based and interactive. There is a member (a teacher) who leads the discussion, but the bulk of the time is expected to be spent reading aloud from scripture and talking amongst the members. The course of study comes from one of four books, The New Testament, The Old Testament, The Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants.
Relief Society/Priesthood are uniquely for adults. (Children have other Sunday School classes during this hour). In addition, the men separate from the women into different rooms. The ladies (Relief Society) get a room with soft padded chairs and the men (Priesthood) get folding metal chairs. Basically, it's like Sunday School, only with gender specific highlights--women learn to be better mothers and men to be better fathers. Typical topics include faith, service, charity, morality and self-reliance. Subjects are also drawn from the teaching of Mormon prophets (we've had prophets since 1830).
Dressing for church with the Mormons is easy. Members and visitors are encouraged to be dressed nicely (modestly and conservatively). For men, that means mid-sized-company-business-manager style: a white, collared shirt & dark tie with pressed slacks and dress shoes. Some of the men wear black or gray suits. Women have a bit more variety with their appearance and dress in neat skirts and dresses. Ladies, avoid anything too sexy, too avant-guard and too bold.
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