Utah Rumor: The LDS Church Prepping For A MAJOR Change?

A rumor has been swirling that has Utah's LDS community split. Is church about to become a one-hour thing? This rumor has been making it's rounds that the LDS Church has been testing, or even planning a shift to just ONE HOUR of Sunday services. Still, it's unconfirmed, but it's generating buzz within the Beehive State.

WHAT'S REAL (and confirmed):

We know for a fact that the Church recently made a change for holidays: on Easter and around Christmas, congregations only hold a one-hour sacrament meeting (no additional classes or group sessions). This was officially announced in January of 2024 and implemented. This is legit, not a rumor (LDS Living).

WHAT'S STILL 'JUST A RUMOR':

The idea that the Church could suddenly shrink the standard Sunday meeting to just one hour across the board? That's just been whispers, there has been no confirmation or announcement... yet.

• A Reddit thread from r/MormonShrivel reports people have heard of a 1-hour church pilot program in a few areas, and “it’s confirmed as a real pilot going on in a few wards.” Forums are buzzing, but solid proof? Not so much. Reddit

• On r/Exmormon, someone mentioned units in East Idaho independently trying one-hour services (then being counseled against it by a General Authority). Reddit

• Another exmo user shared they’d heard from a “faithful family” about pilot programs: short sacrament meetings with no talks, then condensed classes to fit their one-hour slot. Reddit

DOES HISTORY REPEAT ITSELF:

If something like this were to happen, it wouldn't be the first time Sunday services were shortened. In 2019, the LDS Church officially switched from 3-hour church down to 2-hour church, putting an emphasis on home studying and gospel-centered living.

According to date shared by Mormon Metrics, that shift in policy in 2019, didn’t cause a sharp change in metrics like church attendance, religious importance, or prayer frequency. There was, however, a gradual decline in religiosity, and the 2-hour change simply continued along that trend.