‘Mormon Land’: Should post-pandemic Sunday services adopt a new normal?
Should Zoom church still be available? Should masks become more routine? Should communion be moved? How many members will return to in-person gatherings?
(The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)
A family sits reverently while a prayer is offered during a modified sacrament meeting in the Carrollton Ward in Washington, D.C., Aug. 16, 2020. As Latter-day Saint worship services resume, more and more members are discussing which pandemic-era changes should stay and which should go.
As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints return to in-person worship after more than a year of COVID-19 restrictions, the question has become: Which pandemic-era changes should stay and which should go?
Will members who are homebound or don’t feel comfortable in crowds still be able to watch services via Zoom? Will extra health precautions like hand-washing by deacons continue? Will anyone wear masks again, especially during flu season or when germs are prevalent?
Rebecca Jensen, a longtime blogger with By Common Consent, wrote recently about those questions and more. On this week’s show, she talks about post-pandemic Mormonism.
Listen here:
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Hired in 1991 to cover Utah's various faiths, particularly Mormonism, Peggy has talked forgiveness with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, nearly fainted waiting for the Dalai Lama, fasted with Muslims during Ramadan — and has reported on 50 consecutive semiannual LDS General Conferences.
David is a managing editor at The Tribune, where he has worked since 1984. He oversees coverage ranging from local government and west-side issues to growth, development and housing. In addition, he directs religion reporting, co-hosts the award-winning “Mormon Land” podcast and writes the Mormon Land newsletter.