A message about building cleaning

This message was sent to all ward members via email, 5 July 2021.

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Dear brothers and sisters,

Ward members have the responsibility to keep our meetinghouse clean and secure at all times.

On an ongoing basis, this means cleaning up after ourselves, putting chairs and other items away after each meeting, locking all doors in the building when not in use, and so on.

It also means that on a regular basis we are assigned to clean the building more thoroughly, including vacuuming, cleaning restrooms, and making sure all areas of our meetinghouse are in order, reverent, and welcoming to ward members, visitors, and the Spirit.

We alternate these cleaning assignments on a monthly basis with the Jamaica 2nd Ward, which shares our building.

This month, our ward once again has the opportunity to serve by cleaning our building. Building cleaning sessions will be held on these days and times:

Saturday 10 July
10.00–11.30am

Friday 16 July
7.00–8.30pm

Friday 23 July
6.00–8.00pm

Saturday 31 July
9.00–10.30am

While one ward organization will take the lead at each of these sessions, any ward member is welcome to participate in any cleaning session, regardless of the lead organization.

We have posted additional information and resources about building cleaning on our ward website, including the responsibilities of lead organizations and a checklist of building cleaning tasks that should be fulfilled each week. We will continue to add to and refine these resources in the coming months.

In late 1832 and early 1833, the Lord commanded early members of our church through the Prophet Joseph Smith:

“Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God.” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:119)

Though this commandment was specifically to build a temple in Kirtland, Ohio, the principle still applies to each of us today. Our meetinghouse is to be a house of prayer, fasting, faith, learning, glory, and order — a house of God — and we help it to become so as we participate in building cleaning.

I personally invite you to participate in at least one of these cleaning sessions this month.

Thank you for your efforts.

Sincerely,

Dustin Tyler Joyce
Bishop, Jamaica 1st Ward
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints