PROVO — Students who've heard they must attend church in their home wards religiously or stand in violation of the Honor Code at Brigham Young University can relax, officials say.
What some have perceived as an edict to attend their home ward or else is merely a suggestion, one stake president said.
"It's a suggestion only that people attend their home wards," said Ben Shippen, president of the BYU 15th Stake. "The information (that was printed in the student newspaper) is not correct at all."
The Daily Universe reported earlier this week that students could not miss more than three Sunday meetings in a single semester and still qualify for the ecclesiastical endorsement (which must be signed by a student's bishop) they must have to attend BYU.
BYU President Merrill Bateman insisted the newspaper issue a new story.
"The university honor code does not have a percentage requirement at all," said Carri Jenkins, BYU spokeswoman.
Jenkins said the five BYU campus stakes, under the direction of the Utah South Area presidency, are implementing a council system that assigns each member of a ward to one of 11 councils, providing more opportunities to serve as they oversee the music council, enrichment council, friendship council, missionary council, etc.
To work effectively, students need to be their home wards as much as possible, Jenkins said.
She said the council system is not new and is not a pilot program for the entire Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
"This is an application of that system," she said.
Dale Bills, spokesman for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, verified that the council system is only being implemented at BYU.
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