Monday, October 1, 2012

107: SHAPING THE FUTURE OF THE CHURCH

As some people are already aware, Elder Russell M Nelson reported that President Monson recieved a revelation that will be announced in General Conference this weekend.  This information was written on a  LDS Public Affair missionary's blog serving in Europe. (So take it with a grain of salt). This is what was written.
  • "Yesterday the Area Office was reviewed by Elder Russell M. Nelson. He met with the Area Seventy, Elder Teixeira and his counselors, whose offices are upstairs. 88 year-old Elder Nelson meet briefly with us Senior Missionaries next door at the stake center chapel before heading off to Milan for meetings and then to London to visit with the temple president before heading home from a 12 day trip across Europe. He told us that revelation is alive and well in the Church and that we should listen closely in our upcoming general conference as last Thursday President Monson received revelation that will "shape the future of the Church."
 
There has been much speculation on the Internet on what Monson's revelation is....could it be a two hour block instead of 3 hours for church?.. or civil marriages will now be performed outside of the Temple and only sealings performed inside the Temple?, or could it be as simple as announcing a new church wide curriculum change for the youth that has been in a pilot program. We will all know soon enough.
 
If the revelation is the youth curriculum change I mentioned above, this revelatory program was recently announced to the locals Bishops via a letter sent out by the First Presidency dated September 12, 2012.
 
The letter begins by saying, "We are pleased to announce a new curriculum for the Young Men and Young Women, and for youth Sunday School classes."
 
Some of the excerpts from the letter are as follows:
 
  • "The new curriculum integrates basic gospel doctrines"...
  • .
  • "The focus is on strengthening and building faith, conversion, and testimony, using the most current teachings of the General Authorities and General Auxiliary Presidencies." (emphasis mine)
 
I found some of the words very interesting in this letter. The word 'integrates' means to form, coordinate, or blend... The definition of "integrate" is not that different from the word 'mingle' which means to bring or mix together.
 
Also the curriculum will be using the "most current teachings of the General Authorities".
 
So in a nutshell, the new curriculum for our youth will be "using the teachings of our General Authorites integrating basic gospel doctrines...."
 
Reminds me of another phrase I hear often.
.