In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints formally suspended all church gatherings worldwide as of the 12th March 2020. Church members were however encouraged to continue to treat the sabbath as a ‘holy day’ (rather than a holiday) and to worship together as families in their homes. Many have been able to take advantage of the talks, videos and activities that the church has made available online.
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- Jessie Poland Prelude Music
- Home Services
- Home Church Services
- Family Church Sabbath
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Foreshadowing the greater need for families to worship together, in January of 2019 the church launched a “Home Centred, Church Supported” program called “Come Follow Me”. The program has been embraced by families in Australia and across the globe, and has made the transition from church-based meetings to home-based meetings a smoother one for Latter-day Saints who can now no longer attend their local church services.
Cheyndiva-Morliranoa Kennarch Tanuvasa from the Devon Meadows Ward (congregation) echoed the sentiments of many others who found their first Sunday of family focused worship an overwhelmingly positive experience. She said, “I never felt the spirit of the Lord so strong as when we had our little family sacrament meeting today. I felt the Love of God”.
Mario D'Souza from the Cranbourne Ward added that, “Being able to bless the sacrament with my son and administer it to my family in our home was a very special experience. I felt a greater appreciation for the priesthood, a greater love and appreciation for my family, more gratitude for the gift of being able to make covenants with God, and an acute awareness of His ever-present grace”.
Reflecting on the teachings of Jesus Christ in the New Testament, Jane Mathers from the Finley Ward reflected on Christ’s teaching that, “where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them (see Matt 18:20)”. She continued, “as we sang and shared our testimonies with each other a truly warm feeling came into our home”.
