“Eat Your Vitamin Pills. Get Some Rest. It’s Going to Be Exciting”—2019 in review

President Nelson recently told us to “eat your vitamin pills. Get some rest. It’s going to be exciting.”

Well, that was almost an understatement.

Travis Isaacson was curious about all the recent(ish) changes in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints so he started making a list. I have included some of his list below.

You can see his full list here.

Also, follow Travis on Twitter here.

• Protection Training for Leaders of Children and Youth
• The end of EFY and the replacement program, FSY
• Children of parents identifying as LGBT may be baptized and receive baby blessing
• Adjusting when youth progress and receive more opportunities to serve (temple, classes, priesthood)
• Ending relationship with BSA
• New program to replace or change: BSA program, Duty to God, Personal Progress, Faith in God, Activity Days
• New guidelines for interviewing youth and one question simplified
• Priesthood Preview becomes Temple & Priesthood Preparation for 11-yr old boys and girls
• Young Women class names ended
• Young Women class divisions based on local needs
• Young Women theme changed
• Young Women and Aaronic Priesthood curriculum adjusted to align with Come, Follow Me
• Young Men Presidencies are discontinued at ward level, bishops are to focus on the youth
• Young Women presidents and other leaders in the ward will take a greater role in counseling
• Young Women presidents report directly to the bishop
• Bishopric youth committee meeting will be replaced by a ward youth council
• Ward budgets are to be divided equally among YM & YW

• Renewed emphasis on gospel learning in the home
• New curriculum for individuals and families
• Two-hour block
• Moving alternate Sunday School classes outside the block
• Inviting members to informally organize and participate in other gospel-study activities, especially for single members, part-member families, elderly, etc.
• Ending “Sharing Time” in Primary
• Ending “Priesthood Opening Exercises”
• Ending opening prayer for second class
• Emphasis that FHE may occur on a night other than Monday
• Seminary curriculum aligns with Come Follow Me

• Moving away from “Mormon” and “LDS” nicknames
• Renaming “Mormon Tabernacle Choir”
• Renaming “LDS Church News, The Official News of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints” to “Church News, A Living Record of the Restoration”
• The term “Auxiliaries” (referring to Sunday School, YW, RS, etc.) is replaced with “Organizations”
• The word “Mutual” will be retired and become “youth activities”

• Temple sealings can occur immediately after a civil marriage
• Expanding service opportunities to single men over 30 and divorcees
• Women & YW participating in administrative functions with baptisms for the dead
• Inviting Priests to perform baptisms for the dead
• Changes to the Endowment ceremony
• Expanding opportunities to serve in the temple+
• Adjustments to temple recommend questions

• Replacing “Home & Visiting Teaching” with “Ministering”
• Change to style and form
• Reporting change from families visited to companionship interviews
• Inviting Young Women to receive ministering assignments

• New hymnbook and children’s songbook announced with open call for submissions
• New curriculum for Individuals/Families/Sunday School/Primary/RS/Priesthood
• Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days
• End to monthly First Presidency messages in Ensign
• Change to VT messages in Ensign
• Preach My Gospel update

• Clarification on the support of legalized medicinal marijuana
• Official statement regarding Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
• Affirmation: LGBTQ support group for youth suicide prevention
• NAACP
• Increased participation in environmentalism conversation

• All Apostles active on social media
• Youth challenged to hold social media fast
• Women challenged to hold social media fast
• New websites blocked on church wifi (social media, video and music streaming)