Difference between revisions of "Mission farewell and homecoming"

From MormonWiki
Jump to: navigation, search
 
Line 1: Line 1:
−
Young men are commanded by a prophet to serve missions when they turn 19.  Young Women have that oppurtunity if they are not married when they turn 21.  Upon retirement if health permits couples are encouraged to serve missions as well.
+
Young men are encouraged to serve missions when they turn 19.  Young women have the opportunity to serve when they turn 21.  Young men and women must be unmarried to serve a mission, but retired couples can serve missions together, as long as health permits.  These retired couples can serve several missions.
  
−
A tradition has been for the missionary when he departs and when he returns to speak to the congregation.  With special musical numbers and members of the family speaking.  Often it sounds like a funeral for a living person.  Many times the missionary basically ran the program.
+
Missionaries often speak to the congregation during sacrament meeting when they depart on their missions, and when they return home.  This is meant to be a single talk, according to Church policy.  However, tradition often got out of hand.  Sacrament meetings in which missionaries spoke were called "farewells" and "homecomings," and the missionary and his or her family, instead of the bishop, would often end up running the program, especially in the case of "farewells."  Every member of the family would often speak, and there would be special musical numbers.
  
−
Though in the church handbook and before it was counseled that the sacrament meeting belongs to the bishopric and not to turn it over.  A common tradition also is to have a big dinner at a person's home or if that's not big enough the park or school or other public building.
+
Another traditional aspect of the "farewell" was an "open house" after the meeting, in which the family of the missionary would often open up their home to many guests.   
  
−
In many lds communities the picture of the missionary appears in the paper as well.  In the October 2002 General Conference however Gordon B Hinckley said missionaries are the only ones that get that kind of honor on a calling General Authorities and bishops don't get that honor.
+
In the October Conference of 2002, President Gordon B. Hinckley presented a modification of this tradition. In some wards, "farewells" and "homecomings" ended up taking over far too many sacrament meetings.  He stated that while missionary work is very important, no other call in the Church gets nearly so much celebration and that missioonary service is a reward in itself.  The missionary may speak in the congregation when they leave and when they return, but their families should not speak in the same meeting and there should be no special musical numbers.  Nor should there be massive open houses after sacrament meeting, although family gatherings are fine.
−
 
 
−
A problem was some wards all they had were mission coming and goings nothing else could get talked about such as high council meetings and testimony meetings.  He said if two or more missionaries were coming or going they may speak in sacrament meeting.  But families wouldn't and there would be no more special musical numbers.  It still occasionally happens though.
 
−
 
 
−
And family gatherings were ok but not to have elaborate open houses.  Missionary work is still a commandment and important.  But farewell and homecoming the technical term any has been removed and it is to be another sacrament meeting.
 

Revision as of 11:50, 5 February 2007

Young men are encouraged to serve missions when they turn 19. Young women have the opportunity to serve when they turn 21. Young men and women must be unmarried to serve a mission, but retired couples can serve missions together, as long as health permits. These retired couples can serve several missions.

Missionaries often speak to the congregation during sacrament meeting when they depart on their missions, and when they return home. This is meant to be a single talk, according to Church policy. However, tradition often got out of hand. Sacrament meetings in which missionaries spoke were called "farewells" and "homecomings," and the missionary and his or her family, instead of the bishop, would often end up running the program, especially in the case of "farewells." Every member of the family would often speak, and there would be special musical numbers.

Another traditional aspect of the "farewell" was an "open house" after the meeting, in which the family of the missionary would often open up their home to many guests.

In the October Conference of 2002, President Gordon B. Hinckley presented a modification of this tradition. In some wards, "farewells" and "homecomings" ended up taking over far too many sacrament meetings. He stated that while missionary work is very important, no other call in the Church gets nearly so much celebration and that missioonary service is a reward in itself. The missionary may speak in the congregation when they leave and when they return, but their families should not speak in the same meeting and there should be no special musical numbers. Nor should there be massive open houses after sacrament meeting, although family gatherings are fine.

Retrieved from "https://www.mormonwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Mission_farewell_and_homecoming&oldid=10097"