Suggestion for second-hour classes in our 'new world' of in-person and virtual meetings

1 February 2021

Bishops and Branch Presidents,

As you may be discovering, getting a consensus in your ward or branch council on how to hold second-hour classes may not be easy. Should the classes be (1) all-virtual, (2) in-person only or (3) a hybrid?

• Making them all-virtual is the simplest and safest, but that means you’re sending everyone home early at a time when we’re trying to help more members feel comfortable attending in person. 

• Making them in-person only can offend those who want to attend, but don’t feel comfortable in coming in person yet.

• While hybrid may be ideal, how do you social distance those who attend in person and still make it easy for those online to hear or participate in a classroom discussion?

I have a suggestion: Why not have two classes for each group—one in person and one online?

This is in line with what many of you were already doing before the pandemic. You may remember, as a stake presidency, we had asked you—for the sake of encouraging more members to join in class discussions—to call two Adult SS teachers and divide your large Adult Sunday School class (formerly Gospel Doctrine class) into two smaller classes. 

You could do the same with a large youth SS class.

So call (or keep) your two Sunday School teachers and have them both teach on the 1st and 3rd Sundays—one teach an in-person class for those who attend sacrament meeting in person and one teach a virtual class from home.

You could do the same with Relief Society and Elders Quorum. Each presidency could conduct a brief hybrid “opening” for announcements and business (only when absolutely necessary) on the 2nd and 4th Sundays. And then each break into two smaller groups for class instruction—one in person, one online.

I hope this is helpful as we wrestle with our “new world” of trying to accommodate both in-person and virtual church meetings.

President Lewis