BELIEFS AND STORIES FROM MEMBERS OF
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Personal Response by Richard Neitzel Holzapfel

Current Latter-day Saint (LDS) practice in holding special meetings known as solemn assemblies is rooted in the Old Testament. Other Christian groups also hold gatherings identified as solemn assemblies because the practice is mentioned in the Bible. However, the LDS Church holds these meetings because of a commandment from the Lord to do so (see Doctrine and Covenants 88:70), not just because their presence is noted in ancient scripture.

Joseph Smith, the first president of the LDS Church, was directed to hold a solemn assembly in Kirtland, Ohio, USA, at the time of the dedication of the first Mormon temple on March 27, 1836. LDS Church officers were sustained in their callings during this special meeting. The practice of holding a solemn assembly to sustain new a new prophet continued in the LDS Church, as was the practice of holding these special gatherings when a temple was dedicated. Later, solemn assemblies were also held when Church leaders wanted to provide the Saints with special instruction.

Today, members attend solemn assemblies as directed by LDS Church leaders. These gatherings help the Saints remember that the Lord is in their midst and that they have been invited to appear before him on a very special occasion.

Tags: Add new tag, Church of Jesus Christ, instruction, Mormon gatherings, Mormon meetings, revelation, solemn assembly

This entry was posted on Friday, April 4th, 2008 at 11:31 am and is filed under Joseph Smith, Modern Scripture, Mormon Beliefs, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.