Implementing Standards

In order to manage and support the thousands of meetinghouses across the world, the Church has created policies for meetinghouse technology. The Church has also provided standards to help local leaders meet area-specific needs while adhering to Church policy.

While it is crucial that technology specialists (TSs) make decisions that follow Church policy, standards can be changed if local needs require and the stake president approves. See the following information to understand the importance of and differences between policies and standards.

Policies

Church policy is implemented to protect both the members of the Church and the Church as an entity. Policies for local units are published in General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and are intended to keep Church operations functioning smoothly and safely. As a TS, you should always make decisions within the scope of these policies.

Standards

As technology develops and the needs of the Church evolve, the way we use that technology must also change. In order to keep changes consistent across the whole Church, standards are recommended to help meet local needs while staying within approved policy. For a TS, these standards may include the recommended number of microphones on hand or the type of television to keep in a meetinghouse.

Whatever the standard may be, its purpose is to better support the functions within a meetinghouse. By following the standards, you can get help both from Church headquarters and from fellow TSs. You can find the approved standards for all meetinghouse technology at mhtech.ChurchofJesusChrist.org. This site has documentation, training, and support for every approved device within a meetinghouse. To review the current standards for meetinghouse technology, click here.

Adaptations to the Standards

In some cases, local circumstances may require an implementation that is not standard. At the discretion of the stake president, different solutions can be explored to try to solve the local problem while still conforming with Church policy.

Local units should be cautious when making adaptations to the approved standards. Church headquarters cannot support every unique implementation that a unit may choose, so adding or changing the technology in a meetinghouse may mean that the unit loses the support currently available. It is also important to make sure that changes made can be understood and supported by future TSs. A new technology should not be brought into a meetinghouse if it will cause confusion when you are released.

In all decisions, ask yourself what is the best way to help members and leaders use technology to carry out the mission of the Church. This does not mean that the most expensive or advanced technology is needed—sometimes the small and simple things can do just as well. By addressing local needs in ways that comply with Church policies and standards, you can best serve members and leaders and fulfill your calling.