posted
It's a good idea to look nice, ie shirt and tie for boys, skirts for the ladies. Services are quiet, with (typically) piano or organ prelude music as people are making their way to the chapel.
The typical formula for a sacrament meeting is such: the welcome and opening hymn followed by the invocation, then announcements and church business by the bishop and stake leaders, sacrament hymn and passing of the sacrament, then a speaker or two before the intermediate hymn (or, in some cases, a musical number by a soloist, choir, primary kids, etc), followed by the concluding speaker, closing hymn, and benediction. Afterwards you can go to the Gospel Essentials class, and the missionaries can guide you from there.
I hope you enjoy it. Posts: 4089 | Registered: Apr 2003
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It's a three-hour bloc of meetings. The usual order is:
Sacrament Meeting (the general meeting in the main chapel) Sunday School (members are split up by age and experience into classrooms) Priesthood/Relief Society (male and female members attend their respective organizations)
Some wards flip the schedule so that Priesthood/Relief Society comes first, and Sacrmaent Meeting goes last. Just follow people around, and you should find where you're going. If you get totally lost, just track down the missionaries (twenty-year-olds with black nametags). They're usually eager to help someone new
Sacrament Meeting is the main service, so if you only have an hour, that's the hour you should attend. The format is to cover ward business (new callings for members, new move-ins, baby blessings, etc) first, then pass the Sacrament (the Mormon equivalent of Communion), and then listen to a series of talks prepared by members of the congregation.
You don't have to participate in the Sacrament if you're not a member.
One Sunday a month is Testimony Meeting. During this meeting, there are no scheduled talks, and instead, members stand up and share their "testimonies" (impromptu expressions of faith in the gospel). Usually, during these meetings, at least one person will say something horribly embarrassing. Just be prepared for that Posts: 1907 | Registered: Feb 2000
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Things I'll tell you but that you don't have to worry about if you don't want to:
Most of the folks there will be dressed in skirts and shirt/tie attire.
The meeting block is three hours long. There is sacrament meeting where the ordinance involving the bread and water takes place. There is singing and a few speakers from the congregation during this meeting as well. Lasts about an hour.
After that is Sunday School which is an hour. There are usually several adult classes, including Principles of the Gospel which covers the basics.
During the last (or first if the order is switched) meeting the women head to one room (Their organization is called the Relief Society), the men to another (There's is called Priesthood). There's usually a lesson and announcements, more singing and introductions of visitors...if they want to be introduced. During this time there are also classes for teenagers and children.
Let's see, what else?
Prepare to be smiled at.
Prepare to hear lots of child/baby noises during the meetings.
Prepare to meet the missionaries (Elders or Sisters) if that ward has any.
But have fun and just relax. It's pretty laid back and friendly, I hope you enjoy it. Posts: 6415 | Registered: Jul 2000
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posted
Well, right now I'm at my state's Governor's Honors Program at Valdosta State University, and they bus us out to nearby churches and synogogues and so on if we want to go, so i'm not sure how long I'd be there.
But . . . interesting . . . I suppose I have to get up and ready early. I went to Catholic Mass last Sunday and I hardly had time to get out the blue hair dye from the party on Saturday . . .
Posts: 1735 | Registered: Oct 2004
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quote:Anything I, as a non-Mormon, should or should not do?
You shouldn't yell out "Praise the Lord," perhaps. Seriously, however, you may want to be careful taking the bread and water (Sacrament) if you aren't a member. It represents the religious promises made at baptism, although it isn't particularly unheard of for non-members to take. On the other hand, if you don't take it than some Mormons might take notice (sideways glances). Its really your call on that one.
Posts: 2207 | Registered: Oct 2003
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posted
Where is this program, Joldo? I went to Arkansas Governor's School for the summer before my senior year, and I know it wasn't the first program of its kind. The first one was in one of the Carolinas.
Posts: 4089 | Registered: Apr 2003
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posted
On taking the sacrement: there's a rather formal set-up for it. There's nothing wrong with not knowing it, and thus, not doing it, but it's nice to not feel left out. The idea is that whoever currently holds the trays with bread or water holds it for the person next to them to take bread/water and then pass it. If you don't want to take it then just grab the tray from the person holding out for you and hold it for the person next to you. Have fun!
posted
If you're not a member, it's appropriate not to take the sacrament, but to just politely pass it on (or if you're the only one in your pew, just shake your head.)
Most hymns are sung sitting down. Some wards stand for a "rest" hymn between speakers, some sit for the rest hymn, some skip the rest hymn in favor of a musical number by the choir or an individual or small group. Just follow along. We do not clap after a performance in Sacrament meeting.
Prayers are said by one person, but everyone says "Amen", so prepare to hear "Amen" a lot. Also, we say "Amen" after people close their talks, since talks are ended in the name of Jesus Christ. Don't be surprised to see people, especially children, fold their arms across their chests during prayers instead of folding their hands, since that is often how Primary children are taught to sit reverently.
I'm sure you've heard of the Book of Mormon, but for your information, the Pearl of Great Price and Doctrine and Covenants are also scriptures we use. If you hear someone refer to the "D&C", they mean Doctrine and Covenants, not a gynecological procedure. Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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Seriously, however, you may want to be careful taking the bread and water (Sacrament) if you aren't a member. It represents the religious promises made at baptism, although it isn't particularly unheard of for non-members to take. On the other hand, if you don't take it than some Mormons might take notice (sideways glances). Its really your call on that one.
