A cyclical pattern or a new era?

[Anonymous]

I was thinking about this a few minutes ago. We are DEFINITELY seeing a swing back toward the individual needs of members and families. And a swing away from purely church-centric policies. Believe me, we’ve had enough of the latter for as long as I can remember.

The current swing is characterized by the article we are currently discussing regarding early-return missionaries, how a proselyting mission isn’t necessarily the be-all, end-all for all people. The new ministering program seems to put the needs of individuals in the forefront, two-hour church lessens the burden. Combining the priesthood quorums takes the burden off the Same Ten People in the Ward, freeing up capable people for other columns.

Have there been cyclic patterns where we see a lessening or strengthening of church interests relative to the individual? Or is this a new era?

I know that one LDS scholar indicated the church goes through periods of assimilation and retrenchment, but this appears to have been relative to the church assimilation of societal values of the time, and then retrenchment into more traditional church values. I am talking about something different — about reqlinquishing a certain amount of church control to individuals. Have we seen this in the past on this scale? And is this a cycle where we will eventually see a retrenchment of church control and placing the burden more firmly on the backs of the members again? Or is this a new era?

[Anonymous]

I would say both.

I am thinking about the move to the 3 hour block. Church life before the 3 hour block was very time consuming with multiple meeting staggered throughout Sunday and during the week.

After moving to the three hour block there began to creep in additional church meetings.

Now we are again consolidating meetings. I imagine that over time we might again add programs and meetings to fill the void – BUT we will never go back to the three hour block just like we will never go back to the meetings scattered throughout the Sunday and the week.

[Anonymous]

Seems a little cyclic with some will planned efforts, sprinkled with knee jerk reactions. The combined meetings to Sunday only was a sign of the times, many churches seemed to be doing the same. There’s always been the push pull off having extra meetings on Sunday and devoting time for the family. The push to use social media to spread the gospel and also to take a break from it.

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