page_title: Beliefs and practices of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
section_title: Organized worship and participation
hierarchical_section_title: Beliefs and practices of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints / Structure and practices / Organized worship and participation
caption_attribution_description: English: Interior of the auditorium within the Conference Center of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States.
context_page_description: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints focuses its doctrine and teaching on Jesus Christ; that he was the Son of God, born of Mary, lived a perfect life, performed miracles, bled from every pore in the Garden of Gethsemane, died on the cross, rose on the third day, appeared again to his disciples, and now resides, authoritatively, on the right hand side of God. In brief, some beliefs are in common with Catholics, Orthodox and Protestant traditions. However, teachings of the LDS Church differ significantly in other ways and encompass a broad set of doctrines, so that the above-mentioned denominations usually place the LDS Church outside the bounds of orthodox Christian teaching as summarized in the Nicene Creed.
  The church's core beliefs, circa 1842, are summarized in the "Articles of Faith", and its four primary principles are faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism by immersion for the remission of sin, and the laying on of hands for the Gift of the Holy Ghost.
context_section_description: The church provides several kinds of services and gatherings for participation by members and non-members, including weekly services on Sunday, periodic conferences such as the bi-annual general conference, and ritual services at the church's temples (for members only). All persons, regardless of their beliefs or standing in or out of the church, are welcome to attend non-temple church services and conferences. Women usually attend worship services wearing skirts or dresses, while men typically wear suits or dress shirts and ties. Children are also typically in their "Sunday best."
  The church holds its normal worship services on Sunday during a three-hour block composed of three meetings: sacrament meeting, which features the church's weekly sacrament ritual and sermons by various selected members; Sunday School, featuring a lesson on various scriptural topics; and finally, each participant is assigned a meeting based on their age and sex, which could include a meeting of priesthood holders for males aged 12 and up separated into age-specific quorums, Relief Society for adult women, and a meeting of the Young Women organization for adolescent females. During the second hour, children under age 12 participate in activities of the Primary. Periodically, members participate in local, regional, and general church-wide conferences in lieu of Sunday services. General conference is broadcast semi-annually (April and October) from Salt Lake City, Utah.
  The church also provides ritual services at its temples, which are open only to members of the appropriate age who meet standards of orthodoxy and worthiness. Members are encouraged to attend the temples regularly, where they usually participate in the endowment, sealing, washing and anointing, and other ordinances, most often by proxy for the dead.
caption: Interior of the LDS Conference Center where the Church holds its semi-annual General Conference.
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