By MEGAN HATCH
In a young single adult ward, the Primary program doesn’t exist, the boys passing the sacrament are definitely not deacons, and it’s typical for Sunday meetings to be held in the same room as Biology 100. It’s normal. Welcome to BYU.
Young single adult (YSA) wards share the basic structure of traditional wards, while the distinctive demographics call for some unique practices.
“I remember sacrament being just completely dead quiet,” said Josh Zitting, a senior majoring in nutritional science.
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“Everyone is the same age, which makes it easier to get involved in activities and creates more fellowshipping,” said Dustin Bates, a junior majoring in economics.
Bates also said it is easy to relate to ward members who are going through the same life experiences as him.
Because almost all ward callings are filled by members in the ward, it is not uncommon for an elders quorum president to have served in a priests quorum just a few weeks earlier or for a Relief Society president to be new to visiting teaching. But students agree YSA wards are a great place to learn how the Church works by participating in a variety of callings.
“Make sure you have a calling,” said Blake Miller, a sophomore majoring in information systems. “If you don’t have a calling, talk to your bishop.”
Outside of Sunday services, YSA wards also provide for interactions among students. One way is through family home evening groups. Members of each ward are split into family groups, generally determined by apartment, to hold FHE with each other every Monday night.
Janelle Taysom, a junior majoring in civil engineering, said her family home evening group acts as a support system while she is at college.
“My family home evening groups have actually become my family away from home,” Taysom said.
YSA wards often change every semester as members move in and out, yet the wards tend to build some of the strongest relationships found at BYU.
“Make friends in your ward early,” said Jessica Church, a junior majoring in public health. “A lot of your ward friends will end up being your closest friends.”
One common practice is holding ward prayer Sunday nights. During this time, the ward will typically gather for a thought before a prayer to start the week.
Taysom said she enjoys ward prayer because it allows her to talk to members of the ward she typically won’t see during the school week.
“Ward prayer brings us all together,” Taysom said, “which is essentially the purpose of young single adult wards in general.”
