All the changes that happened in 2019 for the LDS Church

2019 has been a big year for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. President Russell M. Nelson has continued to progress the Church forward, and with so many changes, it’s sometimes hard to keep up. So to help you out, we’ve compiled a list of some of the major changes President Nelson made in 2019:

• Starting in January 2019 there was a revised temple ceremony that increased gender equity and eliminated elements that some women in the church considered “sexist.”
• Missionaries are now allowed to call home weekly instead of twice a year. Previously, missionaries were only allowed to call during Christmas and Mother’s day.
• The controversial LGBTQ exclusion policy was rescinded, causing both positive and negative reactions for some members. The church’s release stated: “These changes do not represent a shift in church doctrine related to marriage of the commandments of God in regard to chastity and morality. The doctrine of the plan of salvation and the importance of chastity will not change.”
• In May, the church permitted couples to marry civilly and then be sealed in immediately in a temple, as opposed to having to wait a year afterward.
• Women may serve as official witnesses during both baptisms and temple sealings, while baptized children and youth would also be able to serve as witnesses at baptism.
• The temple recommend questions were revised as well adding new questions, and rewording others.
• Class structures were changes, Young Men presidencies were discontinued, and new curriculum was pushed throughout the church.
• The words “mutual” and “auxiliary” were retired.

Did we miss anything? We live in an exciting time and President Nelson is hastening the work. As we prepare for next year’s Come Follow Me theme which is the Book of Mormon, keep in mind that President Nelson has also asked us to study Joseph Smith.

For amazing books that will help you with your study in 2020, go to https://www.cedarfort.com/collections/book-of-mormon