Salt Lake City International Airport is less crowded these days, but it's due only in part to declining airline traffic after Sept. 11, 2001.

Hundreds of LDS missionaries still fly out each week, but tens of thousands of family members and friends who used to show up to say a final goodbye are, for the most part, forgoing the long-standing cultural practice. That's just one of the changes LDS Church members have seen since last October's general conference.

Barbara Gann, public relations director for the Salt Lake City Department of Airports, said tighter airport security rules, combined with a formal request by leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to their members, have dramatically cut the number of non-flying family and friends inside airport terminals.

"It's a non-issue now," she said.

Another long-standing missionary-related ritual — the farewell — also has changed. Such Sacrament meetings traditionally included speeches by the missionary's parents and family members, as well as musical numbers selected by the family.

But local bishops "had lost control" of Sacrament meetings, according to Elder M. Russell Ballard of the church's Quorum of the Twelve. That troubled church leaders, who expect local bishops to plan the meetings.

Now, departing missionaries speak at the farewell service, along with other non-family speakers designated by the bishop. Elder Ballard said there has been "no static" over the new rule. "To our knowledge, it's been very well-received," he said.

President Gordon B. Hinckley also directed that open-house receptions following the farewells — which in some areas had grown to include a full-blown meal for scores of people — were to be discontinued, but he said family gatherings would still be appropriate.

"We don't want people to be faced with that expense," Elder Ballard said, noting most families already have to sacrifice financially to prepare a missionary for service. And while gatherings after the farewell still occur, "it's now done on a family level, and that's where it ought to be."

Another, less public, change involves proselyting. Missionaries now learn basic gospel principles but don't memorize or teach them as "discussions" as in the past. The specifics of proselyting lesson plans have evolved over the years, but memorization of exact wording has long been required of missionaries.

Church leaders are "walking a fine line" with the new philosophy, Elder Ballard said, noting missionaries are "not at liberty to teach whatever they want, but they teach the principles found in the discussions . . . in their own words" as directed by inspiration.

Elder Eric Robertson of Alpine, who is serving in the Pittsburgh mission, said the new mandate is "a much more powerful way of teaching."

"I still use the discussions as guidelines, but I have much more freedom with what topics I teach, and when the right time to teach them is," he said. "The flexibility is more effective. People are interested in people, and that's how the gospel is spread."

Other changes include a new set of pass-along cards for missionaries and a new video, "Finding Faith in Christ." Some 670,000 DVD copies of the half-hour film were sent to subscribers of the church's magazine, the Ensign, this month. Studies show people referred to the missionaries by active LDS members are "much more likely" not only to join the church but to remain active, Elder Ballard said.

Leaders hope members will share the film with friends and family as a segue into potential missionary activity. Television spots offering a copy of the video will be aired "all over the English-speaking world," including England, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States, Elder Ballard said.

E-mail: carrie@desnews.com