During the week of Nov. 21-27, the First Presidency shared their Christmas message. Selected stakes, districts and missions are moving to a new, digital process for temple recommends.
On Thanksgiving, President Russell M. Nelson shared about hope and gratitude on social media, and Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke at the Provo Missionary Training Center. Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles was one of the leaders who spoke to Church members in South Africa.
A rendering of the redesigned Provo Utah Temple was released. Giving Machines were unwrapped during ceremonies in several states. This week’s Church News podcast featured Deseret News’ Director of Content Promotion Stevi Ginolfi, who reviewed the impact of the #GiveThanks invitation. A Latter-day Saint soccer player helped her team win the National Women’s Soccer League championship.
Read summaries and find links to these nine articles below.
1. Read the First Presidency’s 2021 Christmas message
Following is the 2021 First Presidency Christmas message, released Nov. 26 and signed by President Russell M. Nelson, President Dallin H. Oaks and President Henry B. Eyring:
When we sing “Silent Night,” we know the life of that Babe of Bethlehem did not begin there, nor did it end on Calvary. In a premortal realm, Jesus was foreordained by His Father to be the Messiah, the Christ, the Savior and Redeemer of all humankind. He was foreordained to atone for us. He was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities (see Isaiah 53:5).
Read the rest of the message. Plus see our guide to visiting Temple Square this Christmas
2. Temple recommend changes include new process for completing, signing and printing
Selected stakes, districts and missions are moving to a new process for issuing temple recommends, with local priesthood leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints using the online Leader and Clerk Resources to complete, sign and print most recommends. The process allows stake, district and mission presidents to determine with their bishops and branch presidents if the recommends will bear the leaders’ digital or physical signatures, the latter being the current method of signing and authorizing recommends.
Find out more about the changes
3. President Nelson shares a memory of hope and gratitude on Thanksgiving
Marking the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States, President Nelson expressed both hope and gratitude as he recounted an experience on social media. Remembering one Thanksgiving from a few years ago when dozens of his family were present, President Nelson mentioned the differences among age groups who shared what they were each thankful for.
See his social post; plus read about what BYU researchers discovered about gratitude
4. During Elder Rasband’s visit to Africa, local members told they can live, prosper in faith and joy
Elder Rasband was one of several leaders who offered heartfelt counsel and testimony on topics ranging from the COVID-19 vaccine, to sexual abuse, to a discussion about which attributes one should look for in a future spouse in response to questions by youth and young adults spanning 32 countries across the Africa Central and Africa South areas, who tuned in to watch his responses in a live Facebook broadcast.
Learn more about the event
5. Elder Stevenson offers 4 ‘missionary pillars of gratitude’ during Thanksgiving devotional at Provo MTC
Citing both the beautiful form and the important function of a column or pillar, Elder Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles offered four missionary pillars of gratitude as he spoke during a Thanksgiving Day devotional at the Provo Missionary Training Center.
Elder Stevenson and his wife, Sister Lesa Stevenson, joined the missionaries for a post-devotional holiday dinner in the MTC cafeteria. The Stevensons, along with Sister Sharon Eubank, president of Latter-day Saint Charities and first counselor in the general Relief Society presidency, also participated in the afternoon service project, as the MTC missionaries packaged an estimated 385,000 breakfast kits for Hunger Fight, a Florida nonprofit organization.
Read their remarks at the devotional and see photos from the service project’s ‘controlled chaos’
6. The Provo Utah Temple will be redesigned. Here’s what it will look like
The Church released the exterior rendering of the redesigned Provo Utah Temple on Wednesday, Nov. 24, along with the rendering for the new Smithfield Utah Temple. The Provo temple’s changes are similar to those several years ago of its sister sacred edifice, the Ogden Utah Temple, which underwent a major renovation and architectural change unlike any other temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Find out more about the Provo Utah Temple, plus see the new Smithfield Utah Temple.
7. Giving Machines open around the United States for #LightTheWorld 2021
Enthusiastic crowds, music, cutting ribbons or leis, and even dancing has marked the unwrapping of Giving Machines in several U.S. states, including Utah, Nevada, Hawaii, Tennessee and Colorado.
See more from the celebrations
8. Episode 58: The positive power of President Nelson’s #GiveThanks invitation one year later
When President Nelson invited people to share their gratitude on social media with the hashtag #GiveThanks a year ago, within the first hour of the video release, it was viewed more than a million times; the #GiveThanks hashtag was trending on Twitter in the United States at No. 1 and by the end of the day was No. 2 worldwide.
This episode of the Church News podcast features Deseret News’ Director of Content Promotion Stevi Ginolfi, who reviews the impact of the #GiveThanks movement and shares how she accepted the Prophet’s challenge to cultivate the healing power of gratitude.
Listen to the podcast about the positive impact of social media
9. Latter-day Saint soccer phenom Ashley Hatch adds NWSL title trophy to her resume
Ashley Hatch, who serves as a Young Women adviser, helped her team, the Washington Spirit, win the National Women’s Soccer League championship with a 2-1 extra time victory over the Chicago Red Stars. The title winning game marked a fitting end to an unforgettable season for Hatch, an Arizona native and former Brigham Young University star.
