According to LDS.org, big changes are on their way for Relief Society and Melchizedek Priesthood meetings.
Beginning in 2018, both the materials and the teaching emphasis will change for the third hour Sunday block. In a letter from the First Presidency, the new program is called Come, Follow Me – For Melchizedek Priesthood and Relief Society Meetings. It is similar to the “Come, Follow Me” curriculum used to teach the youth of the Church, emphasizing the principles of asking questions, counseling together, and studying recent messages from Church leaders.
The new materials will focus on:
- Learning from general conference messages.
- Studying special topics selected every six months by general leaders of the Church.
- Counseling together as priesthood quorums and groups and Relief Societies.
According to LDS.org, a monthly schedule will be used, with a certain emphasis each week. The following chart was provided:
Week | Topic | Led by |
First Sunday | Counseling together about local needs | Presidency or group leadership |
Second and Third Sundays | Recent general conference message | Presidency or group leadership or a called teacher |
Fourth Sunday | Special topic chosen by general Church leaders (announced in May and November issues of the Liahona and Ensignmagazines) | Presidency or group leadership or a called teacher |
Fifth Sunday | Topic chosen by the bishopric | Bishopric or someone they assign |
Part of the reason for the change, according to Elder LeGrand R. Curtis, was to place more emphasis on the words of the living prophets and focusing on local needs. Local Church leaders will determine which general conference messages best suit the needs of your stake, ward, or branch.
To learn more about this program, visit comefollowme.lds.org.
You can get new gospel materials here.
