Heightened emphasis on sacrament meeting safety

1 December 2020

TO: Bishoprics and Branch Presidencies

Brethren,

As we enter this new phase of potentially increased in-person sacrament meeting attendance (up to 100, if they choose to come), please give an even higher priority to safety.

Such as:

1. Read the attached introductory statement at the beginning of every in-person sacrament meeting. Soon you may begin to see members attend who have not attended before. They may not have heard this message. Please don't forget this.
   
   
2. Give safety guidance to speakers when you assign them to speak or pray at the pulpit. Use the instructions for Testimony meeting in the attached document when assigning those to speak or pray. We continue to see members set their mask on or to the side of the pulpit. And many are failing to use hand sanitizer before and after speaking at the pulpit. Bishopric members conducting the meeting, please teach by example.
   
   
3. Give extra caution to safety when administering the sacrament. If you choose to have priesthood holders wear gloves (it's not necessary as long as they sanitize well), make sure they are instructed how to use them, i.e. not touch their face, not set them down, not put them under the arm when putting them on, etc.
   
   
4. Prepare for more members to partake of the sacrament in the chapel. While attendance may not increase immediately, due to the recent surge in cases, please coordinate with the other units in your building to make sure you have plenty of water trays. Where we're using water trays for passing both the bread and water plus for disposing of used cups, you may need extra water trays soon. It appears on the  Church's online store that water trays are on back order. 
   
   As a back up to water trays for capturing used cups (please do not ask members to hold on to their cups and dispose of them later), small baskets that the passer can carry in his free hand are readily available at craft stores.

Also, with the added flexibility, it means there's now capacity for...

• Speakers and those who pray to attend in person. If they're willing, we encourage in-person attendance as it is very difficult for those in the chapel to follow the message of speakers they cannot see, only hear.
  
  
• Music to be conducted in the chapel to lead the congregational singing, which is preferred for encouraging singing in the home.

We appreciate so much your many efforts to provide both virtual and in-person sacrament meetings...so they're inspiring and safe.

Gratefully,

Stake Presidency