The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced local congregations will meet for a one-hour church service, instead of its usual two-hour service, on this year’s Palm Sunday, March 29.
The First Presidency’s announcement was made because the church’s semiannual general conference will fall on Easter weekend, according to a news release published on ChurchofJesusChrist.org. Their instruction to hold a one-hour service will apply to all church units worldwide, with an exception for those that had previously scheduled a stake conference for that weekend.
“Easter, general conference and Palm Sunday are wonderful opportunities to commemorate the Savior’s Atonement and Resurrection,” the First Presidency wrote in a letter shared with local leaders on Thursday, according to the church’s release.
“We encourage all to invite friends, family, and neighbors to join in these worship services of our Savior, Jesus Christ.”
Latter-day Saints and friends worldwide are invited to join the church’s April 2026 general conference, to be streamed live from the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, on this year’s Easter weekend, April 4-5. They are also invited to join the church’s focus, this Easter season, on “better understanding and emulating the ‘greater love’ of Jesus Christ.”
What is Palm Sunday?
Palm Sunday “marked the beginning of the last week of the mortal ministry of Jesus Christ” nearly 2,000 years ago, Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught in his April 2023 general conference address.
“It was the most important week in human history,” he said.
“What began with the heralding of Jesus as the promised Messiah in his triumphant entry into Jerusalem closed with his crucifixion and resurrection. By divine design, his atoning sacrifice concluded his mortal ministry, making it possible for us to live with our Heavenly Father for eternity.”
Learn more about Palm Sunday and its relevance to Latter-day Saints here.