First Presidency announces changes to Sunday class meetings

The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced changes to the Sunday class meeting schedule aimed at strengthening learning in homes and congregations.

Beginning in September 2026, sacrament meeting will remain one hour, followed by a five-minute transition to a 25-minute Sunday School class. After another five-minute transition, members will attend a 25-minute priesthood quorum, Relief Society, or Young Women meeting, while Primary will continue each week in a 55-minute block.

Since the Church shortened its Sunday meetings from three hours to two in 2019, Sunday School has alternated weekly with priesthood quorum, Relief Society and Young Women meetings.

Under the new schedule, the two-hour block will remain, but class time will have restructured class lengths.

All classes will open and close with prayer. Relief Society and elders quorum meetings will no longer include time for counseling together before lessons, but will continue to focus on general conference messages.

Youth will study an updated version of For the Strength of Youth, which now features 12 chapters that align with monthly study.

Primary will continue to include both singing time and classroom instruction, while Sunday School for all ages and groups will have instruction based on Come, Follow Me.

Sacrament meeting length remains unchanged, but is now much longer than the other meetings. This will help sacrament meetings become more central in the lives of members.

The official letter from the First Presidency said there are no changes to the sacrament meeting schedule.

During this meeting, Church members remember Jesus Christ by partaking of the sacrament, the letter stated. Sacrament meeting is an opportunity to reflect on Gods plan for His children and participate in teaching, music and sharing testimonies about Jesus Christ and His gospel.

Some members expressed excitement about the changes. Mia Lee, a Latter-day Saint, said it provides opportunities for stronger learning and connection.

I think it will be better to gain more perspectives from different people and allow more socializing and ministering to happen, Lee said.

Others said the new schedule aligns with the Churchs emphasis on home-centered learning.

Eden Perkes, a Sunday school teacher, said she will now prepare shorter lessons but is excited about how the change will reinforce study at home, supported by discussion at church.

I will be planning my lessons differently, Perkes said. We are living to gospel as home-centered, church-supported. Having (second hour) support what we are already studying at home makes tons of sense.

Morgan Bunnage, a primary president, said the changes will simplify teaching and allow more people to learn each week.

Lesson planning for people will be a little bit less stressful because they dont have to fill an entire hour of time, Bunnage said. And even if you are teaching that week, then you still have the opportunity to go and be a learner as well and be edified.

Bunnage said she often arrives late to Relief Society or Sunday School after spending time in Primary and only hears part of the lesson. She said the new schedule will allow her to participate more fully each week.

Members also highlighted the benefit of studying both General Conference messages and the scriptures through Come, Follow Me each week.

Studying Come, Follow Me every week gives people an incentive to study through the week to be informed and be able to participate in discussions, Lee said. Its better when we apply both at the same time."

Bunnage said the new structure allows members to benefit from multiple sources of instruction.

Youre getting Come, Follow Me every single week, and you get to go over general conference addresses, Bunnage said. And getting both of those different resources each week is really good.

Church leaders emphasized that the changes are intended to strengthen worship.

We are confident that members will be blessed by these changes, the First Presidency wrote.