Beginning with October’s general conference and continuing thereafter, the Saturday evening sessions will be discontinued. Previously, a Saturday evening session was held for women (in October) and priesthood holders (in April). This change is being made because all sessions of general conference are now available to anyone who desires to watch or listen.
“This change is being made because...”
I don’t get the logic of that sentence. What does that mean?
And now, the rest of the story…..(which seems to explain the ‘this change is being made because…’)
SALT LAKE CITY — Saturday evening sessions of general conference will continue after all, leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced Tuesday.
Last month on June 7, the First Presidency announced that Saturday evening sessions of general conference would be discontinued because technology made it possible for all sessions to be made available to everyone. However, the church leaders sent out a letter Tuesday reversing that cancellation.
Previously, the Saturday evening sessions of general conference alternated between a session for women as part of the conference in October and a session for priesthood holders as part of the conference in April. Citing continuing revelation given "line upon line, precept upon precept," the church has now announced that, rather than canceling the sessions, Saturday evening sessions will become general sessions open to all, without a specific audience or theme.
"We recognize the increasing challenges facing members of the church worldwide in our day. An important way to fortify against these challenges comes through hearing the word of God," Church leaders said in the letter. "Therefore, after additional study and prayer, we have felt impressed to continue to hold the Saturday evening session of general conference, albeit in a different format than in the past."
Still, why a two step process? Would it have been too difficult to just say ‘we are no longer dividing meetings by gender, all are welcome to Saturday evening conference sessions’?
Still, why a two step process? Would it have been too difficult to just say ‘we are no longer dividing meetings by gender, all are welcome to Saturday evening conference sessions’?
Because they've reversed the original decision. It's a flip flop because something happened after the initial announcement. I'm guessing it's a backlash on the number of female speakers.
I saw someone quip that the ice cream shops and such have been lobbying.
I think that they started planning the speaking slots for this fall and realized the situation this put them in. It sounded good in theory, but became a nightmare to balance without cutting anything seen as important. The Q15 all speak at least once, and the first presidency counselors all got twice through the evening session. Presiding bishop, 70s, auxiliaries, get less time, but it still adds up. I would almost be willing to predict that we might see three women speak in conference instead of the usual two (only counting general sessions), each female led presidency will get a spot to 'balance' out eliminating the women's session. However, I would not place any large sums of money on that bet.
They just decoded Gods message wrong. The urim and thumim seemed to say “cancel Saturday session” but when they double checked, it just said “drink your ovaltine, Rusty.”
Even though the recent announcement is only restoring that which was taken away some 30 days prior, I think this is the first time that a supposed "revelation" added more church to the schedule and not less. When I was young the schedule was consolidated and lessened and the three hour block was created. Prior, we went to church in the morning on sundays and then returned for sacrament meeting in the afternoon and primary was during the week. Then, recently, the magic midnight pen lessened church to two hours. I can't think of a "revelation" that increased church.
Myth is misused by the powerful to subjugate the masses all too often.