Mormon meetings
Sunday Services
Sunday services for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) consist of a three-hour block of time divided into three segments. The primary Sunday service is Sacrament Meeting, which is slightly more than an hour in length, and attended by the combined congregation. Sacrament Meeting services consist of the blessing and passing of the sacrament--consecrated bread and water in remembrance of the body and blood of Christ--to members of the Church; the service usually also consists of "talks" or lay sermons prepared and delivered by members of the congregation, and hymn singing and other forms of worship through music. During the other two segments, the congregation divides into smaller groups based on age and/or sex. The Church publishes manuals for each type of class, usually including both a teacher's manual and a student booklet.
Sunday School classes are grouped by age and sometimes by background. The most common adult Sunday School class is "Gospel Doctrine," which meets each week and consists of a teacher presenting a gospel message drawn from the scriptures, with participation from class members. A second adult class that meets most weeks is "Gospel Essentials," designed for new members and non-members who are interested in learning more about the Church (often referred to as investigators). Additional adult classes are held at various times, depending on the specific needs of each congregation. These classes include topics such as "Family Relations," "Family History," "Teacher Preparation" and "Temple Preparation." Youth Sunday School classes are divided by age (12-13, 14-15, 16-18). These classes are sometimes combined if class sizes are small.
In addition to Sacrament Meeting and Sunday School, a third block of meetings is held where attendance is based on age and sex. Men and boys from the age of 12 attend priesthood classes, women attend Relief Society, and girls ages 12-18 attend Young Women. The Young Women group is further divided into Beehive (ages 12-13), Mia Maid (ages 14-15), and Laurel (ages 16-18) classes. All men and boys meet together briefly at the beginning of the hour for a prayer, hymn, and announcements, they then separate into classes. The men separate by priesthood office to attend Elders Quorum or High Priests Quorum, the latter usually being older men and/or those who have held leadership positions in the Church. Youth are likewise divided into priesthood quorums: Deacons (ages 12-13), Teachers (ages 14-15), and Priests (ages 16-18). Classes may be combined if the class sizes are small.
Children younger than 12 attend Primary, which spans the two time blocks described above. Young children from 18 months to 3 years of age attend nursery class. Primary classes generally consist of all the children who were born in the same year. Usually one half of the Primary meets in separate classes while the other half meets together in sharing and singing time, and at the end of the hour, the two are reversed.
Weekday Meetings
In addition to Sunday meetings, a number of meetings may take place during the week. High school students attend early morning seminary, which is scheduled so that students can leave for school when the class is over. In some areas with large LDS populations, provisions are made by the high school which allow students to attend seminary off-campus during the school day. The provision, however, is considered released time, not a school-recognized class. No credit is awarded by the school, nor is any grade or achievement listed on the school's official transcript, although this does help when applying to Brigham Young University. Seminary programs are administered by the Church Educational System.
Young men and women often have a weekly meeting (referred to as "Mutual") which can involve an activity, service project, or instruction. Classes may meet separately or combined on different weeks.
Four times a year, the adult women attend Enrichment Night, where they may choose between various classes being offered, participate in a service project, or attend a social event.
In addition to these regularly scheduled meetings, additional meetings are frequently held at the meeting house. Popular activities are basketball, luncheons, and various personal improvement classes. Church members may also reserve the building for personal use, such as wedding receptions, funerals, etc.
