Tech Forum

I'll take their word for it that this change is all about a global outreach and has little to do with convenience for Americans (or anything to do with women who want to watch the session). It makes sense and seems a bit overdue, really. I mean, here in the States it's a mark of obedience that we go to the Stake Center to watch the session live but in, say, the UK, where the meeting runs from 1:00 AM to 3:00 AM, I don't know when they all gather to watch a recording (because I doubt they get together when it's live).

lajackson wrote:When I got the URL for the meeting last October, I was also sent a reference to D&C 101:22-23 and reminded that it was important to preserve the commandment to "gather together". I think that is a very valid concept. Of course, getting the water to the end of the row is a very valid concept, as well.

What, going to Priesthood Meeting every non-conference Sunday doesn't fulfill this commandment?

I live in Omaha, and my stake center is in Council Bluffs. I have never watched the priesthood session at the stake center. I always watch it in my home ward meetinghouse. And yes, we have ice cream afterwards.

According to this posting from today's Salt Lake Tribune we will, in fact, be "encouraged" to attend the meeting at local chapels. A letter is apparently going to be read to us on Sunday about it. I still wonder what the deal will be in places like Europe. Can any forum members tell us what the local "tradition" is with regard to the General Priesthood Session? (Anyone here who lives there or served a mission there?) Just curious.

In the Uk in our stake we have been meeting at 10 in the morning our time to watch a re-broadcast of the priesthood session. For the last couple of years the session has been available on LDS.org by the time we get up and so we could watch it at home if we were inclined. the direction has always been to meet as a body of priesthood at the Stake centre. I haven't noticed a fall in attendance since the session has been available online.

simonawright wrote:I haven't noticed a fall in attendance since the session has been available online.

Up until now, you couldn't watch nor listen "live" at home. And it's only been recently that the audio and video have been available online (a few hours after the meeting, but the timing of availability was never consistent). Also, the availability of the audio/video files was not widely advertised. So I'm not surprised that attendance at the Sunday rebroadcast hasn't changed.

But now things will be different. It's a bit awkward that they announced the live broadcast and then waited a day or two to clarify that they still want people to go to the local church. It seems like that should have all been announced at the same time. Makes me wonder what kind of feedback was immediately received at CHQ (and from whom?) to warrant the clarification.

This reminds me a bit of when the church made books and manuals available in electronic form but you still had priesthood leaders trying to ban electronic devices from church buildings and/or giving talks about how much better it is to use paper books than electronic versions. For me, the electronic version has always been superior and it's too late to convince me otherwise. In the same sense, I'm sure I will enjoy watching the priesthood session at home. I don't consider it some kind of bonding experience to sit in an uncomfortable, darkened cultural hall watching a bad projector with bad audio, struggling to see over the heads of other men and singing "rest hymns" out of synch, followed by a mad rush to leave as soon as possible when it's over (including those near-misses in the dark parking lot). Just my two pennies.

Every stake I know in the UK watches a recording at the stake centre at 10am in the morning. I love the fact that we all go together, and will be making the 20 minute drive as always.

We also take our family to the live (in the UK) sunday morning session at 5pm - and it saddens me to see 50-60 people at the most. I'd love to believe the other 600 or so were all at home watching online, but I have my doubts.