Old rumors and new Wi-Fi Welcome to the 40th issue of the weekly ChurchBeat newsletter. I hope you’re having as much fun as I am.



Today, let’s lay to rest one rumor and enjoy an emerging change in Wi-Fi access at Latter-day Saint buildings.



First, the kill one with finality: The idea is dead that one or any of the sessions at the upcoming General Conference that will coincide with the 200th anniversary of the First Vision will originate from the Sacred Grove in Palmyra, New York, or another historic church site.



If church members listened closely in November or early December, they learned otherwise when their congregation’s leaders read a letter from the First Presidency announcing that the Saturday evening session will be a combined meeting of all members ages 12 and older. The letter specifically said the conference “will consist of five sessions originating from the Conference Center in Salt Lake City.”



Meanwhile, another letter last week noted that the Wi-Fi access in Latter-day Saint meetinghouses is changing. Many of you have noticed it already.



Gone is the LDSAccess Wi-Fi name, since it doesn’t conform to the naming convention about the full name of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Already in place in many buildings, the new Wi-Fi name is Liahona.



The sad part of the change is that it means the end of the revered Wi-Fi password “Pioneer47.” Members all over the world loved that password. I remember one church leader telling me about how people gathered outside a fence around a meetinghouse in Papua New Guinea to use the Wi-Fi; they all knew “Pioneer47.”



The new password is supposed to be shared by your ward or branch leaders, so I won’t share it here. I’ll just tell you it is a play on the Liahona described in the Book of Mormon.



Now you can use the Liahona at church to read the new General Handbook released today in the Gospel Library app.