SALT LAKE CITY — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced a temporary suspension of all public gatherings amid the coronavirus pandemic.
In an announcement released Thursday, the church stated that all public worship services, meetings, conferences and activities would be canceled, effective immediately.
"We have considered the counsel of local Church leaders, government officials and medical professionals, and have sought the Lord’s guidance in these matters," the statement read.
The church urged leaders to hold any essential leadership meetings via technology and to coordinate with other leaders to make the sacrament available to members at least once a month.
The church had recently announced that its General Conference in April will be only distributed electronically with no public audience. Certain missionaries have also been sent home or reassigned in areas of the world most affected by the outbreak, and temples have also been closed in some areas.
Thursday's announcement did not specify whether the church's other temples worldwide would be closed.
