Latter-Day Saints And Pentecostals Shift Sunday Plans For Global Gatherings

Global Shift in Sunday Worship

Members globally received a fresh Sunday timetable from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This change shortens the gospel lesson time to just 25 minutes. Bobure Wabol from the Tarawa Kiribati East Stake told Deseret News Faith she now sees real spiritual blessings in this new format. She noted that the shorter time forces her to be more prayerful during her prep work.

Wabol said the new rule helps her focus on the one thing that matters most for the day. She shared her personal insight with the Church News about this specific change.

Wabol noted that twenty-five minutes might appear insufficient for instructing on a gospel lesson. Writing that this concise style prompted greater prayerfulness and focus in her preparation, Wabol added.

Knowing another class waits keeps the whole group focused on what they need most. Drawing nearer to Jesus Christ, rather than occupying time, remains the objective.

Family Ties in Mission Work

Over 90,000 full-time missionaries are now serving in more than 500 missions around the globe. Deseret News Faith reports that families are finding God in the small details of this massive work. Two missionaries, Elder Noah Doutt and Elder Devan Hoge, sat next to each other on a flight to the Argentina Resistencia Mission. Before being seated side by side, these individuals had never encountered one another.

They discovered their fathers served in the same Ohio Cincinnati Mission from 1999 to 2001. This connection shows how family ties run deep even when members are far apart.

These stories highlight how faith and family intersect in current events for many believers. The numbers show a huge effort to spread the message across the world.

Pentecostals Head to Salt Lake

The United Pentecostal Church International is bringing thousands of people to Salt Lake City for its annual General Conference. The event runs from Tuesday to Friday at the Salt Palace Convention Center. Dr. David K. Bernard, the general superintendent, says this gathering offers a unique chance to connect with God and do important business.

His church has over six million constituents across 203 countries and many territories worldwide. Jonathan Mohr, the director of communications, said past events drew between 8,000 and 10,000 attendees. He noted that people do not need to be Pentecostal to attend the open sessions.

“The UPCI’s General Conference provides a unique opportunity to connect with God, conduct important business, and collaborate with leaders and ministries from across our fellowship,” Bernard said.

Mohr said Salt Lake is a great city for this event thanks to nearby hotels and the venue size. Since its inception, Utah has hosted this conference six times, the most recent occurring in 2004.

“We’re very excited about coming to Salt Lake City,” Mohr said.

Keynote speakers will address the group at 7 p.m. each night, while business meetings happen on Wednesday. The exhibits open Tuesday at 5 p.m. before the main sessions begin in earnest.