Oct. 6-8 Elder Gerrit W. Gong and Sister Susan Gong test positive for COVID-19; all members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles are tested (results come back negative). I want to be cautious about these results because the number of Latter-day Saints in the sample was small 105 people out of 5,625 respondents overall. "And thats the only way you can take care of people these days is doing these simple things.. June 14 Conference Center becomes first of Temple Square facilities to reopen to the public. Donate to the newsroom now. Another 7.5% said they. President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints participates in the Saturday morning session of the 190th Annual General Conference at Church headquarters on April 4, 2020. Many faith leaders have spoken in support of vaccinations, including Church President Russell M. Nelson, a former heart surgeon who got the vaccine in January and encouraged members to follow his example. However, some Catholic prelates and evangelical pastors have been sharply critical of the the vaccine campaign and masking mandates, and others have shied away from addressing those issues for fear of angering some congregation members. Allen, a church member living in Wisconsin, is among a contingent who fear fellow members who refuse to get vaccinated are allowing their political views to supersede their loyalty to a faith that largely prioritizes unity and obedience. The Utah Legislatureendedastatewide mask mandatenearly a year ago. April 17 First Presidency releases new administrative principles for the Church; President Nelson expresses gratitude on social media to those who fasted. The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity and contributions are tax The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not requiring its missionaries serving in Utah to be vaccinated even as the state opens up appointments to all those over 16. April 24 Global death toll surpasses 200,000. Most recently, on Sept. 22, the First Presidency directed the use of face masks in temples and reiterated theirurging for Church members to be vaccinated. March 1, 2023 Troops who were placed on leave for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine may be eligible to rejoin the military, according to new guidelines that suggest a reinstatement process similar to a break in service. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Heres what they have planned, Why the Christian flag can fly on this government flagpole, Breaking the fast: Eid ul-Fitr is an occasion of peace, The unique stories and struggles of Latino Muslims, The Black church, religious freedom and gay rights. An analysis by Ministry Watch, an organization that provides guidance on charitable giving, reported this month that churches and other religious non-profits as a whole received between $6 and $10 . Oct. 24 Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square performs first live Sunday broadcast of Music & the Spoken Word since March 2020. As appropriate opportunities become available, the church urges its members, employees and missionaries to be good global citizens, that statement said, and help quell the pandemic by safeguarding themselves and others through immunization.. May 24 Church announces Provo, Ghana and New Zealand MTCs will resume limited on-site training in late June; new missionary training will be both online and on-site. Jan. 8 Elder Ulisses Soares and his wife, Sister Rosana Soares, tested positive for COVID-19 during holiday break, according to a Church statement. We saw plenty of changes in 2022! The church is encouraging is missionaries to be vaccinated as well. Kristen Chevrier, co-founder of a Utah-based health freedom group that has advocated against vaccine mandates, said the church should not be involved in health choices, and she worries people are being discriminated against based on their vaccine status. COVID-19 vaccines are available for free to everyone 6 months and older living in the United States, regardless of immigration or insurance status. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Conference Center in Salt Lake City is devoid of conferencegoers before the start of the 190th Annual General Conference on Saturday, April 4, 2020. They also recently issues a policy that people who want to serve a foreign mission need to get vaccinated. In fact, Mormons ranked second among all the religious groups surveyed in the percentage who agreed getting vaccinated was a loving and principled thing to do. Feb. 22 Church donates personal protective equipment, members sew masks to fight COVID-19 in Botswana. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. March 23 All 10 MTCs close, nonnative missionaries in Mexico, Vietnam and India to return to home countries; Utah Area presidency asks families to not congregate at airports as missionaries return home; Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple, Bountiful Utah Temple first in Utah to close. March 22 Total of 88 temples closed; Five Church-chartered commercial planes fly more than 1,600 nonnative missionaries in the Philippines back to Salt Lake City; Church releases self-isolation guidelines for missionaries and their families. Dec. 14 U.S. COVID-19 deaths top 300,000 as vaccinations begin. Less than half of Utah residents overall are unvaccinated, not less than half of the eligible population. You can find something on the internet to support any position you want to take, said Johnson. Masks are also optional for missionaries training at the facility. Two weeks later, on March 25, President Russell M. Nelson and his counselors,President Dallin H. OaksandPresident Henry B. Eyring,announced all temples would close. The Utah-based faith is not requiring its missionaries in Utah to get the vaccine. March 20 First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve say substantial numbers of missionaries will return to home countries, service terms adjusted, no MTCs will receive new missionaries and all will be trained online. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Sept. 1 Winnipeg Manitoba Temple dedication and open house postponed; FamilySearch announces RootsTech 2021 will be a free, virtual event held Feb. 25-27, 2021. Please do all you can to protect yourself and others so the work of the Lord on both sides of the veil can move forward, the First Presidency wrote. Feb. 27 First Presidency discourages leaders, members from international travels to April general conference; Church statement reports 14 missions across 17 countries undergoing changes; Fukuoka Japan Temple and Sapporo Japan Temple to close. Church-owned Brigham Young University in Utah has asked students to report their vaccination status but is not requiring vaccinations. My fourth and final point is its not just that Mormons in general say they trust their leaders. A push to mandate that members Nov. 19 The CDC endorses the use of COVID-19 vaccine boosters for all adults. Divisions on masking and vaccinations in the Latter-day Saint faith appear to be tracking along political lines, with conservative members being more hesitant, said Patrick Mason, associate professor of religion at Utah State University. Missionaries arrive at the Provo Missionary Training Center for the first time, in Provo on Wednesday, June 23, 2021, since COVID-19 closures in March 2020. Thank you for your interest in supporting Kaiser Health News (KHN), the nation's leading nonprofit newsroom focused on health and health policy. June 17 Washington D.C. Temple open house, dedication dates postponed. Due to the spread of COVID-19, the conference is being broadcast without Church members in attendance. Latter-day Saint Charities, the faiths humanitarian arm, donated $20 million to UNICEF this year for a worldwide COVID-19 vaccination push. Kimber Young teaches training missionaries Mandarin Chinese via video conferencing at the Provo Missionary Training Center on Wednesday, March 25, 2020. Chevrier, who is a member of the faith, said she rejects the idea that people who are anti-vaccine are apostates. LDS Church is encouraging but not requiring its missionaries to get a COVID-19 vaccine LDS Church isn't requiring missionaries in Utah to be vaccinated The faith encourages its members. Dec. 10 BYUHawaii holds first in-person graduation ceremony since pandemic began, with Elder Carl B. Cook of the Presidency of the Seventy offering the commencement address. The photo is one she included as a submission to the Church History Departments project of documenting missionary experiences during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, which drew 7,000 online entries from missionaries and mission leaders worldwide. Young missionaries in the U.S. who will travel outside the country on or after Aug. 1 should be vaccinated before traveling, the release added. Saddleback Church doubles down on support for female pastors, Mormonisms slow shift away from demonizing working mothers, Faith leaders urge Biden to sign executive order for reparations study by Juneteenth, For many congregations, wiping out medical debt has become a popular calling, Poll: Support for abortion rights is strong, even among most religious groups, More Jesus, less touching: 14 changes to the Mormon temple endowment ceremony. Masks are optional, too, according to the email. Church spokesman Sam Penrod gave a statement to the Deseret News about the changes: Following the recent guidance of local health departments and government officials, church leaders have reduced some of these requirements at various training centers, such as allowing masks to be optional, eliminating testing before arrival and encouraging but not requiring vaccination for missionaries who are training in person. Penrod also said that up-to-date COVID-19 vaccinations are still required for missionaries to serve in assignments outside of their home countries. The First Presidencys statement that available vaccines are effective comes two days after new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Preventionsuggested 99.999% of people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 did not have a severe breakthrough case that led to hospitalization or death, despite the emergence of the Delta variant. As the COVID-19 vaccination becomes more widely available in other countries, these missionaries will be asked to be vaccinated before leaving their home country. The guidelines were updated as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention relaxed mask guidelines for the majority of the country, including Utah County, where Provo is the county seat. Missionaries who have begun a COVID-19 vaccination series should complete it before traveling. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. All Rights Reserved, Churchs First Presidency urges vaccination, says vaccines are safe and effective in battle with COVID-19, 22 examples of President Nelsons leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19 vaccine: What President Russell M. Nelson has said and done, wearing masks during the pandemic is a sign of Christlike love, President Nelson gets COVID-19 vaccine, calls it a literal godsend, requiring students, faculty and staff to report their vaccination status, encouraging students to consider vaccination, new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, How Orrin Hatch protected people of faith, KSL Newsradio is preparing to celebrate its 100th anniversary. Still. As Ive noted here before, the top leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have been proactive in taking COVID seriously from the very beginning. The First Presidency outlined, in a letter dated May 19, plans to resume some meetings and activities of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on a limited basis using a careful, phased approach. This includes the administration of the sacrament. Later that day, he called the COVID-19 vaccines a literal godsend for which he had been praying. Ultimately, the missionary department said, it's up to individuals to. March 5 Rome Italy Temple first in Europe to close following Italian government directives to close large gathering places; total of 17 countries cancelling or limiting Sunday worship services in affected areas. And to hear people say, This is a hoax, it doesnt matter, its not affecting us, when millions of people have died, its heartbreaking.. We encourage all to extend love and respect to others and their decisions.. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. March 12 Utah Gov. The image appears to be a screen-grab of an article about a purported letter sent by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, widely known as the Mormon church, outlining a new "Tithing Refund Program to serve as a help in these difficult times." "US Church 'refunds members three years tithes' as help during COVID-19," the headline reads. May 28 U.S. death toll surpasses 100,000. April 3-4 191st Annual General Conference broadcast from Conference Center Theater and closed to the public, with music recorded from previous conferences. Some missionaries may still need proof of a negative COVID test result if its required for their airline travel to the MTC, or if a missionary has cold or flu-like symptoms in the days before entering the MTC. After more than a year of attending church virtually, Monique Allen has struggled to explain to her asthmatic daughter why . Masks remain required in all temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. SALT LAKE CITY (AP) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints urged its members to get a COVID-19 vaccine when it's their turn, while announcing Tuesday that eight top leaders and most of their wives received their first doses. Smartphones, they have learned, can be a smart tool. Missionaries who are not fully vaccinated are also unable to receive an assignment outside of their home country. All missionaries and prospective missionaries are encouraged to safeguard themselves and others by being vaccinated. Eight senior leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine Tuesday morning in Salt Lake City. As appropriate opportunities become available, the church urges its members, employees and missionaries to be good global citizens, the statement said, and help quell the pandemic by safeguarding themselves and others through immunization., It added, however, that individuals are responsible to make their own decisions about vaccination.. Dec. 31 Wuhan Municipal Health Authorities report a string of pneumonia-like cases to World Health Organization (WHO). Feb. 12 Utah Area Presidency again updates COVID-19 safety measures with focus on Primary children, meetings and activities. May 19 First Presidency announces some meetings, activities to resume. The Utah-based religion of 16 million members worldwide is one of many faiths grappling with how best to navigate the pandemic's lingering effects. Under the direction of their mission leaders, mission medical coordinators are monitoring the availability of the COVID-19 vaccine in their mission and informing missionaries when they may receive it. These Valuable Pennies Are Worth Thousands. The Beehive House reopened to the public Monday after an extended closure due to COVID-19. The church has about 53,000 missionaries around the world. April 17 The global death toll from COVID-19 surpasses 3 million. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Those counties with higher vaccination rates have a fairly slow rise in hospitalizations, but the counties with the lower vaccination rates have a much steeper rise in hospitalizations., Living in a hot spot while vaccinated today is much safer than living in a hot spot while unvaccinated last summer, the Post reported Thursday, based on new data analysis. Three-quarters said they could trust their religious leaders almost all of the time or most of the time (32% and 43%, respectively). In Utah, at least until April 10, when the state is poised to lift its mask mandate, that means wearing face coverings and social distancing, while interacting with others. Most experienced no or mild symptoms. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints urged its members to get a COVID-19 vaccine when it's their turn, while announcing Tuesday that eight top leaders and most of their wives . Oct. 22 Church announces annual Christmas concerts on Temple Square will be held virtually, public invited to submit videos. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Here is the full text of Thursdays official First Presidency statement: Copyright 2023 Deseret News Publishing Company. He decided to get the vaccine after speaking with his family, deciding it was safe and seeing . For many missionaries COVID-19 changed a period of their lives that they thought was set in stone. He called the vaccines a godsend in a January social media post after he received his first vaccination shot. The updated guidelines apply only to the Provo MTC. March 14 President Nelson shares message of hope on social media channels. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. April 8 Utah Area Presidency asks local leaders to develop a plan to return to in-person Church meetings. Charity and Mollie McClure of the Oakley 1st Ward, Oakley Idaho Stake, watch the Sunday afternoon session of the 190th Annual General Conference on April 5, 2020. Posted by Russell M. Nelson on Tuesday, January 19, 2021. Style Guide Note:When reporting about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, please use the complete name of the Church in the first reference. He noted that church leaders, including his own father, President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency, set an example for church members and university students by getting vaccinated. Ben McClure wrote, Charity and Mollie put up pictures of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and attached picture summaries of their talks next to their pictures. Weve seen this for years with progressive Mormons who have sided with LGBTQ+ rights even when their church leaders repeatedly and unequivocally taught homosexuality and same-sex marriage were sins. March 2 Elder Soares and other Church leaders speak in special devotional for Native Americans, many of whom have been hit particularly hard by COVID-19. The Latter-day Saint faith was one of the first to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dec. 16 President Nelson shares worldwide Christmas message via social media inviting all to help others feel the Saviors love. The common perception of Mormons and Mormonism is that when church leaders speak, church members listen and do what theyre told, said Mason. Men and women work at Beehive Clothing in Salt Lake City, Utah, where surgical gowns are being made during the COVID-19 pandemic on Friday, May 15, 2020. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. In U.S. Mormonism, conservative members have long considered their politics a natural and godly extension of their religion. Jan. 15 Global death toll surpasses 2 million. In March 2020, church leaders suspended all church gatherings and closed temples.The church has also held three consecutive major conferences remotely since the pandemic began. She cited the churchs history of encouraging members to seek their own personal revelations with God. Sept. 22 First Presidency directs Latter-day Saints worldwide to wear masks in temples, again urges vaccination. From rigorously observing the laws of his religion to serving in leadership positions in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Wilder did everything he could to establish right standing with God. Nov. 12 Utah Area Presidency issues four temporary adjustments to meetings and activities; the Church announces plans for Temple Square lights and virtual Christmas devotionals and performances. Under the direction of their mission leaders, mission medical coordinators are monitoring the availability of the COVID-19 vaccine in their mission and informing missionaries when they may receive it. So, by statement, example, photo op and policy, the churchs leaders have made it perfectly clear they want members to get vaccinated. Missionaries who choose not to receive the required immunizations, which will now include the COVID-19 vaccination, will be assigned to a mission in their home country in accordance with existing Church policies. Jointly published by the Deseret News and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, its content supports the doctrines, principles and practices of the Church. (Rick Egan | Salt Lake Tribune file photo) Missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints wear face masks in Salt Lake City in April 2020. The Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission has said that it is morally permissible to receive the COVID-19 vaccination and several Southern Baptist theological professors have said that vaccination is "strongly morally advisable."