During Mormon church service 'church busniess' is conducted, what is discussed?

Question

During Mormon church service 'church busniess' is conducted, what is discussed? What decisions are made? Do all members of the church get to vote or just the men?

Answer 1

Church business covers:

Announcements, such as births,deaths, marriage etc. about upcoming events or a short report on a recent activity

Welcoming new move-ins to the ward (congregation)

Blessing new babies

Confirmation of newly baptized members

Releasing people from callings (assignments in the church)

Sustaining (giving a show of support, or opposition to) people receiving new callings

On occasion a letter from the First presidency might be read.



All members, beginning at age eight, get to vote when it comes to sustaining leaders and new callings.



LDS

Answer 2

Everyone "votes" as you put it. What is presented are callings and releasing of callings to do certain jobs within the ward. When you raise your hand you sustain that person in that calling and commit to help them if needed. If you are opposed you may also raise your hand. This rarely happens because those who are presented for callings are selected through prayer and their call comes through inspiration from God. If only one or two people are opposed then they will take note in the meeting and discuss your reasons with you, sometimes they will be called anyway and sometimes they will not be called. If many people are opposed then that person will not be put in that position.



We don't discuss the budget or activities, those are discussed by people in committees who have been called to do so. If you are visiting another ward that you are not a member of it is appropriate to abstain from voting. Every member with a position in this church is presented before the people they will serve for their sustaining vote. This includes the local bishop all the way up to the president of the church.

Answer 3

In our faith, most individuals are asked to take on certain responsibilities in order to help us strengthen and provide for each other. Some are asked to teach. Others are asked to lead (the bishop and so on). Whenever an individual is released from those responsibilities or given new responsibilities (we call them callings), this is announced to the congregation as a whole at the early portion of our Sunday meetings in what we call church business.



Whenever someone is released, we raise our hands in thanks to all they have given. When someone is given a new calling, however, we sustain them. Contrary to what others have said, this is not a vote. We're not electing anyone. We are, however, raising our hands and promising to provide any support possible to this individual. And of course this isn't limited only to the men, because even the children can promise to help should the need arise. It's for every member of the congregation.



Church business often also involves announcements concerning upcoming activities, information the congregation needs to have, or sometimes announcements or information from higher church leaders. Usually nothing too big, but it's easier to tell everyone at once than to inform individuals, isn't it?

Answer 4

Usually the "church business" portion of sacrament meeting involves announcements that affect the ward as whole such as activities and events. It also might include a baby blessing, a letter from the Apostles or the First Presidency, or things along those lines.



This may help (replace the term "branch" with "ward" and it's pretty much the same thing): http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?locale=0&nav=0&sourceId=3c847befabc20110VgnVCM100000176f620a____&vgnextoid=198bf4b13819d110VgnVCM1000003a94610aRCRD (a branch is like a small ward - both are types of LDS congregations)



I hope that helps! E-mail me if you have any more questions.

Answer 5

We discuss how and when we're going to take over the world with secret plots.





No, seriously, everybody does something to help out, everybody has a calling to participate teaching classes or doing other things to be involved.



When somebody is called they are called by the Bishop and their name is put before the group to indicate that they have an assignment within that group. Suppose you knew of something that would seriously compromise the ability of said individual to complete his task - for example a man who would be teaching lessons to youth was seen drinking recently - you then have the opportunity to bring that knowledge to your leaders (while you can do it publicly in the rare cases that this is done it's done privately).



Since normally there are no issues with worthiness it's your chance to raise your arm in support of that person, agreeing to help them out and support and sustain them as you can.



So we're really not "voting" we're agreeing to sustain the person and on extremely rare cases (I've seen this once in 33 years and it wasn't done with good intentions) we are privately raising awareness of why we couldn't sustain that person.



Everybody in attendance may choose to sustain the person; this includes all women and little children (who often raise their hands too late which is kind of cute).



That's what is generally meant with "church business" - it's internal organizational structure.







EDIT - it would be nice for wellington to answer the question rather than jump onto the same bandwagon he loves telling us about how much money is spent versus how much comes in while reminding us that nobody knows the numbers - except perhaps him because he's somehow quoting these numbers that he makes a big deal about nobody knowing.



I know enough to know that his estimations and simplification are completely wrong.

Answer 6

Everyone votes, although every vote passes so it isn't much of a democracy.



One thing they never discuss is money. The volunteer leader (the Bishop) sets the local budget, which is on average $8,000. That comes from headquarters. The average ward sends in 300,000 to 500,000 in tithing to headquarters. That comes to over 5 BILLION a year in tithing alone for headquarters.



No one has any idea what happens to the rest of it. Missionaries pay their own way, local clergy is unpaid, new wards and temples cost only a few million. Their own thin stats say they gave only 1 billion to humanitarian causes over the last 20+ years.



But Mormons keep on paying them. The people at headquarters are currently building a 3 billion dollar shopping mall, a 20,000 home development, a 300 million dollar luxury hotel in Hawaii, and much more. If you pay attention to the projects they announce, it is like they are a business pretending to be a religion. They own banks, insurance companies, advertising companies, commercial farms....

Answer 7

Usually it's when people are called or released from callings. It's not a vote, it's sustaining. Everyone gets to sustain.

Answer 8

how would you even know about this vote that happens unless you've been.. And your a Mormon Advertiser...

Answer 9

They talk about how they're gonna rort the masses more..and about brainwashing techniques.