LDS Church reverses the no-kids-allowed policy.

Their are wards in "the church"  where children are not allowed to attend.  Visiting children are welcome, but if you live in those ward boundaries and have children ages 2 - 18 you are assigned to go to a different ward.  Mormons joke about the 4th kind of ward the "Newly wed and nearly dead ward."  This kind of ward usually happens in an older well kept part of a city where real estate is too expensive for new families.  Old retired couples and the young married couples who rent their basement apartments go to church together.  I'd heard the term before but I didn't know it was an official practice.   


In other religions you pick your church because of the pastor or the time you go to mass.  When you are Mormon, you go to a congregation called ward based on where you live.  Their are several different types of wards.  I've experienced all of them.  

• Family wards:   These wards are all inclusive, Grandparents, babies, teenagers, and adults all worship together.  
• Student wards: organized just for college age students.  
• Singles wards: organized for singles ages 18-31.   At 32 you are kicked out.  

 Have you ever heard of a NO KIDS ALLOWED ward?  

I'd been attending a singles ward for 10 years when I got married  (getting married is jokingly referred to as graduating from the singles ward.)  I was so looking forward to a good old fashioned family ward and snagging the best calling in the church -primary chorister.   I was excited to have the full ward experience again.  It was such a disappointment when Spencer and I attended church in our new ward for the first time and found out our ward was a NO KIDS ALLOWED ward.  Our next door neighbors who have 2 little kids go to a different ward than we do   Older couples get kicked into our ward when their youngest child goes away to college.  Young couples get kicked out of our ward when their babies are primary age.  It is very weird.  Our ward has a nursery,  Elders Quorum, High Priests Group, and a Relief society but no Young Women, or Primary.  I've tried to like this ward, but it is HARD.  


But then last Sunday everything changed.  


Our ward was reorganized.   Children were reintroduced into the habitat.  Their were CHILDREN in church.  Their were families with 4 and 5 children.  WE have YOUTH SPEAKERS, we had actual DEACONS pass the sacrament.   Can you tell I'm excited?   I'm beyond excited I"m ecstatic.   I hadn't been this excited to go to church since.....that kid in I had a crush on in high school gave his farewell talk.  It had been a while.  


Also exciting is the new meeting time.  We now meet at 10:00 a.m. which in my opinion is the very best time for church.  The church is true.  amen.