Earlier today, the Utah-based smart home company Vivint announced their plans for an upcoming merger with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This move is a major win for both parties involved, and came after weeks of discussions. 

As part of this collaboration, the LDS Church has announced an overhaul to the Missionary Training Center experience. Soon-to-be missionaries will now receive extensive preparation not only in gospel doctrine, but in Vivint sales pitches as well. The new first lesson plan will cover the Plan of Salvation, as well as discuss how a Vivint SmartHome can seamlessly fit into all of our eternal journeys. 

The Church has also announced plans to rebrand its congregations as “Vivint SmartWards,” with solar-reliant chapels to begin rolling out later this year. A church spokesperson commented: “We see this as an opportunity for our chapels to better exemplify the spirit of the Celestial Kingdom. Because, like, the sun represents the Celestial Kingdom. Get it?” New features in these tech-powered churches include:

• Outdoor security cameras to prevent teenage couples (and BYU students) from making out in the parking lot every night
• High-fidelity, Spotify-equipped speakers in chapels that can play music during Testimony Meeting to subtly let Sister Johnson know that she’s been at the pulpit for way too long
• State-of-the-art silent roombas to quietly vacuum goldfish crumbs from the floor during sacrament meeting

Overall, both Vivint and the LDS Church stand to benefit from this merger. More information will likely be released at General Conference this Spring, which will now be held at the Vivint SmartHome Arena in downtown Salt Lake City.