Tech Forum

With General Conference on the first Sunday, either the Mar 26 or Apr 9 will be Fast Sunday. Who decides? I have checked the Handbook, and can't find the answer.
Our ward has chosen April for several reasons, but the stake has chosen March.

The stake president chooses. (Obtuse reference but the only one I can find: Handbook 2, 13.6.11 regarding New Year's Eve falling on a Saturday: "The stake president schedules an alternate Sunday for observing fast day.")

Lacking a better reference, I'd suggest that if the stake has made the decision, then the wards should follow it unless there's a reason to do otherwise. (Perhaps a ward conference on the selected date.)

From my time in the stake presidency, I can tell you it's like herding cats trying to get all the units in the stake to fast on the same Sunday.

Our Stake Presidency makes this decision and the wards comply. This way everyone knows where they stand. They schedule ward conferences appropriately, so we all can follow the same page!

Our stake presidency makes the decision when the annual calendar is prepared during the last quarter of the prior year. That way every ward and branch knows exactly what will be happening when.

It's not like General Conference is a surprise popup calendar item. The dates for the conference are known years in advance.

lajackson wrote:It's not like General Conference is a surprise popup calendar item. The dates for the conference are known years in advance.

Usually. <grin>

The more recent instructions are very clear (HB 38.8.16)
"Sometimes Churchwide or local meetings are held on the first Sabbath of the month. When this occurs, the stake presidency determines an alternative Sabbath for fast day."