New Church Handbook 29.7
Streaming Meetings and Holding Virtual Meetings

When possible, Church members should strive to attend meetings in person. However, sometimes this is not possible. Streaming and holding virtual meetings make it possible to reach those who otherwise would not be able to attend. These people may include (but are not limited to) those who:

• Live in remote locations or have limited ability to travel.

• Have physical, mental, or emotional health challenges.

• Are immuno compromised or in a care facility or hospital.

• Are essential workers or otherwise are required to work on the Sabbath.

• Care for someone who is homebound and cannot be left alone.

• Need sign-language interpretation.

• Have allergies that put their health at risk in a meeting.

For the benefit of these members and others, the bishop may, as an exception, authorize a livestream of sacrament meetings and of funerals and weddings held in the meetinghouse. Streams allow others to see and hear a meeting remotely but not participate directly.

A livestream of a sacrament meeting should not include the administration of the sacrament. The stream should be paused during the sacrament and restarted afterward. Or the bishop may move the administration of the sacrament to the end of the meeting after the livestream has ended. The meeting would then close with a hymn and prayer.

The bishop may authorize a priest or Melchizedek Priesthood holder to administer the sacrament in person to those who cannot attend the meeting (see 18.9.1).

For some meetings, the bishop or stake president may authorize members who cannot attend in person to participate virtually. These meetings may include:

• Leadership meetings, such as presidency or council meetings.

• Quorum, Relief Society, and Young Women meetings.

• Sunday School classes.

• Primary classes and singing time.

Unlike streams, virtual meetings are interactive. Those who join remotely can contribute by asking questions, making comments, and participating in other ways.

The stake president may authorize a livestream of stake conference to other locations in the stake, including to members’ homes when needed. He may also authorize stake leaders to join leadership meetings virtually when they cannot attend in person (for example, for the reasons listed earlier in this section).

Streams and virtual meetings are not meant for the convenience of those who could reasonably attend in person. For example, the bishop does not authorize streaming of sacrament meeting for ward members who are traveling and could attend another ward.

Ward and stake technology specialists can help leaders set up streams and virtual meetings (see 33.10). These individuals can also help members access these meetings.

Streams and virtual meetings should not distract from the Spirit. Generally, only one device should be used to capture the meeting. Both the device and the person using it should be inconspicuous.

Stream recordings of ward and stake meetings should be deleted within one day after the meeting.