Edit: Here I will list rumors that are confirmed:
- The Mormon Tabernacle Choir has been renamed The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square (LINK)
- Come, Follow Me manuals published in Gospel Library App for Individuals & Families, Primary, and Sunday School (for Youth and Adults)
- Two hour block: Sacrament meeting the same, alternate Sunday School and Elders Quorum/Relief Society every other week. (LINK, LINK, LINK)
- #9 of the second link above I think deserves more attention than it is getting: Gospel Principles class is being discontinued. All other classes (e.g. Temple Prep, etc.) will not be taught during the new two hour block
- #5 of the second link above state there will be no more priesthood quorum opening exercises.
- Changes to the Ward Mission Leader calling (LINK):
- No longer a member of the ward council
- If bishop chooses not call a WML those responsibilities will fall to an Elders Quorum presidency counselor
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here is a compilation of all the rumors I hear going around:
- Sunday / Church
- Two hour block:
- Sacrament meeting the same, alternate Sunday School and Elders Quorum/Relief Society every other week.
Sacrament meeting for one hour, shorten Sunday School and Elders Quorum/Relief Society to 30 minutes each.15-30 minute Sacrament meeting, 45 minute Sunday School, 45 minute Elders Quorum/Relief Society. (LINK)ADDITION: Now there is the rumor that Elder Bednar, speaking to a stake last weekend, said there will be no change to the 2 hour block: "Here’s another diddy. Elder Bednar came to our stake and gave a talk to all of us. In it at several points he lightly chastised saints who were gunning for a 2 hr church block, pointing that members in places like africa or india find the 3 hrs of church a refuge in their life." (LINK)- No more Fast and Testimony meetings.
- Bishopric counselors will be replaced with the Elders Quorum and Relief Society presidents on the stand during Sacrament meeting.
- Beehives will be able to pass the sacrament with the deacons and mia maids will prepare the sacrament alternating weekly with teachers. If this happens I wonder what Laurels would do.
- The church will expand the cluster units it has piloted in Africa. You meet as a ward at the chapel once or twice a month and then in smaller groups of 10-15 people at homes the other weeks. The wards at a building will alternate building use and thus each building can house up to 8-10 wards. This will especially beneficial for wards that very spread out, for wards where members have trouble attending due to transportation issues, and for areas without enough buildings for all the wards.
- Callings
- "Stake auxiliary callings will go away. The stake will be ran by the stake presidency and high council, with no other stake callings. This will free up callings to allow those serving to be in their wards to serve." (LINK)
- Ward Mission Leader will no longer exist and his duties will be covered by the Elders Quorum presidency, thus increasing the female:male ratio on the ward council. (note: partially true)
- "Mutual will not be weekly any longer. So YM and YW presidencies, advisors, and bishoprics will be able to spend more time with their family. Also youth are busy with other things and don’t need to feel obligated to attend an activity every week." (LINK)
- Missions:
- Missionary Program refocus. Service and/or online missions may become an equal (or preferred) option.
- Length of mission will change:
- All missions will be 18 months, or
- Younger missionaries (men and women) will be able to specify how long they will serve: 6, 12, 18, or 24 months
- Sister missionaries being able to go out at 18 and serve for 2 years.
- Prospective missionaries with health issues, including mental health, will fulfill a 3 month initial mission to see whether they are up to serving a longer mission. If not, they will be honorably released the 3 month mission, which will be considered full-time.
- Missionaries will no longer need to be endowed before they leave on missions.
- New approach to missionary identities: no nametags, casual clothes, first names. Definitely being done in various pilot programs on a limited basis.
- "Missionaries to serve only in the country they live." (LINK)
- New missionaries are currently receiving calls that are blank, don't specify a location, and/or say more information about their missions will be announced at/after General Conference. It could be that these blank calls are related to the rumor below.
- Missions will open in new, unexpected areas, like China.
- Temples
- Separation of weddings and sealings. Removal of 1-year waiting period for non-temple weddings in USA to allow more family participation.
- The SLC Temple will close for a 5 year renovation, for necessary earthquake retrofitting.
- "The temple interview made less rigid and less about keeping belief standards to accommodate a younger generation walking away from activity and adherence to Church standards." (LINK and others)
- "For those going through the endowment for the dead, reducing the endowment session to 1 hour." (LINK and others)
- Changes to temple language to be more egalitarian.
- Significant increase in temple building rate. It is uncertain if this means building individual temples more quickly or building more temples.
- Making temple garments part of the ceremonial clothing and optional outside the temple.
- Temples in new, unexpected places such as China, Cuba, Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, Mongolia, Independence, or Israel.
- 8 year olds will be able to do baptisms for the dead in temples.
- There will be "pop-up temples" where stake centers or other church buildings will be temporarily used as temples.
- Temples will open on Sunday at some locations.
- Scriptures
- Change of language around Book of Mormon to focus more on revelation than translation.
- Change the title of the Book of Mormon, possible to "Another Testament of Jesus Christ: The Book of Mormon".
- Canonize and add The Family: A Proclamation to the World and/or The Living Christ to the scriptures.
- “Home sponsored and church supported” curriculum change.
- In particular, there be a new Come, Follow Me curriculum (I think this is already confirmed, but adding for completeness)
- The Mormon Tabernacle Choir will change their name, possibly to The Tabernacle Choir or The Saints' Tabernacle Choir.
- Also, more announcements about no longer using the term "Mormon" in other situations such as Mormon.org
- Singles Wards
- Will be discontinued.
- All singles aged 18-30 will be required to attend YSA wards.
- Emeritus status for future apostles at age 80 or 85. Current apostles will be grandfathered into the calling for life.
- The church will change its name from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to The Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days.
- Leaders will announce that mothers will now officially be able to hold their babies during the baby's blessing.
- New church buildings will no longer have gymnasiums.
- Youth to follow school year instead of birthdays for advancement
- Unlikely, in my opinion, rumors
- Reduce tithing to 5%.
- Coffee, tea, and beer no longer against the Word of Wisdom.
Some comments leading to rumors:
- Elder Holland supposedly said to a group of members that they should not miss General Conference this weekend because if they miss it then they will not recognize the church next time they attend and they will not understand all the changes.
- "The changes from the April conference are just a SNOWFLAKE IN A SNOWSTORM."
- "President Nelson said Sunday that Elder Gong was in China this last week speaking at a conference, and the speaker introduced him as a representative of a church that shared Chinese values of veneration of ancestors, family, moral uprightness. And then President Nelson said that “some of our topics this weekend have been in preparation for years.”
- From the Salt Lake Tribune (LINK):
“We have spent many hours talking about how we can simplify our church programs to perform their essential function for a wide variety of family circumstances,” Oaks said, according to a story in the Church News. “Now, I am pleased to tell you that some help is on the way and more is under discussion.”
Resources:
