The End of Lambda Delta Sigma

I will truly miss my calling as an Interchapter Advisor to Lambda Delta Sigma. There are so very many sad young women out there. It happened so quickly. I am thankful for the influence, experiences,and friendships that LDS provided me. The following is an article from the Church News. Included in this blog is a photo of the new Interchapter Officers. I was looking so forward to working with them. Life is a journey.

Only a few months after a major reorganization of young single adult wards and stakes of the Church, (see Church News, April 23, p. 3) college students in the Salt Lake area recently encountered another change — this time with the LDS sororities and fraternities at the University of Utah.
Young single adults participate in an activity during an LDSSA fraternity and sorority activity at the Salt Lake University Institute of Religion.
"It is not because they haven't been effective, or good for the people involved," said Rory Bigelow, assistant administrator for Seminaries and Institutes for the Church. "We want to celebrate the good that has been done because these organizations have blessed a lot of lives. … The decision to dissolve them was made by the Church's Board of Education and we agree with it."
The first Church-sponsored organizations for men and women began in 1936 with Lambda Delta Sigma and were established under the direction of the MIA. A year later, in 1937, a women's organization was organized and then in 1941 the organization became nationally recognized as a Greek organization.
Chapters of the organization continued to grow and were established around the nation. In 1993 the Church decided the organizations should be associated with the Church Educational System's Institutes of Religion.
"There is a lot of history," Brother Bigelow said. "The fraternities and sororities have done some tremendous things and have blessed a lot of lives over the years and we are grateful for that."
It was in 1999 that another reorganization took place with the decision to dissolve all men's and women's organizations associated with the sororities and fraternities at institutes, except those associated with the University of Utah.
Even with the many benefits, the Church's Board of Education (which is comprised of the First Presidency, members of the Quorum of the Twelve, other General Authorities and auxiliary presidency members) decided that the LDS fraternities and sororities — now only at the University of Utah — wouldn't be renewed.
"This is one step in a much larger movement to provide activities and direction and shepherding of the young single adults," Brother Bigelow said.
"We are going to try to strengthen the student presence at universities across the world," he said. "Our intent is not to pull back at our involvement at an institute level, but to allow the greater burden to fall on the shoulders of priesthood leaders, not us, to plan activities. … We anticipate that we will continue to have activities but they'll be done under the direction of the stake president and in conjunction with the institute director."
This change is one way for activities to be done under the direction of priesthood keys, meaning under the direction of bishops and stake presidents of the local young single adult congregations.
Brother Bigelow said that he hopes the young single adults continue to stay active in the Church, and participate in activities in their wards and at the institute.
"There are still these two institutions that work hand in hand," he said. "The message has never changed, with or without the fraternities and sororities. The message is for all of us as Church members to come unto Christ and to be perfected, and to make and keep covenants. That isn't a seminary and institute goal or direction; that is something we hope for all people."