During the week of April 11-17, President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency, taught about acting on promptings in a #HearHim video, and Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained that a “divine” missionary companionship includes the Holy Ghost. Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explored in this week’s podcast how revelation prepared the Church for COVID-19.
Meet the McKendrick family in Arizona with five service missionaries among their 24 children, and Bob Turner, who is the manager and interpreter for Master’s champ Hideki Matsuyama. Lloyd Newell marked 30 years as the announcer of “Music & the Spoken Word.” The Church News explored the question of why are Latter-day Saints shining in distance running?
The groundbreaking for the Tallahassee Florida Temple is set for June, and the first Deseret Industries east of the Rocky Mountains opened in Houston.
Below are summaries and links to these nine articles.
1. Why you should act on an impression, no matter how unusual, President Oaks says in #HearHim video
President Oaks detailed an experience of being asked to speak while he was serving as a counselor in the Chicago South Stake presidency more than 50 years ago. Halfway to the meeting — about an hour drive away — he felt like he needed to speak on what he had observed in the Chicago criminal courts.
“When you get an impression, act upon it, however unusual it seems or however inadequate you feel in following it. Act upon it,” President Oaks said of the experience.
Learn about the experience and watch the video
2. Elder Holland explains why a ‘divine’ missionary companionship should include the Holy Ghost
For full-time missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, divine companionship should be considered on at least two levels, explained Elder Holland.
First is the actual pairing of two elders or two sisters. The second level is that every missionary companionship should have the Holy Ghost as the third companion, taught Elder Holland in a worldwide missionary devotional.
Read more what Elder Holland taught at the devotional
3. Elder Cook on how revelation prepared the Church for COVID-19, will be significant going forward
As the Lord has hastened His work in recent years, revelation has guided the creation and implementation of new initiatives and directives in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Elder Cook joins this episode of the Church News Podcast, saying these inspired efforts now form an interlocking pattern of strength that continues to sustain and support members facing the COVID-19 global pandemic.
Listen to the podcast with Elder Cook and read more about revelation
4. How 5 service missionaries from one family have made an impact in their Arizona community
Of Kelly and Christina McKendrick’s 24 children, who range in age from 5 to 40 years old — 17 of whom were adopted — five have served service missions. They have served in a variety of ways at the area’s institute of religion, the bishops’ storehouses, cannery, distribution center, Deseret Industries and a nonprofit to help children and adults with disabilities.
Service missionaries live at home and serve locally under the ecclesiastical direction of their stake presidents. Their assignments are customized to the missionaries’ capabilities, needs and interests, and they serve as close to full time as their circumstances allow.
Find out more about the service missionary experiences in the McKendrick family
5. Meet Bob Turner — RM and interpreter/manager to Masters champ Hideki Matsuyama
Golf fans tuning in to watch the 2021 Masters were introduced to Bob Turner — a dapper, silver-haired gent performing Japanese/English interpreting duties for tournament champion Hideki Matsuyama. Many Latter-day Saint viewers likely guessed Turner picked up his language skills on a full-time Church mission.
Their guess, as they say on the links, was an ace.
Learn about Bob Turner and how he learned Japanese
6. Lloyd Newell marks 30 years of sharing the ‘Spoken Word’ — and he’s still creating them in the pandemic
Lloyd Newell officially became the announcer of “Music & the Spoken Word” 30 years ago, on March 31, 1991.
“The music is timeless,” Newell said. The “Spoken Word” message “gives us a chance to talk about what’s going on in the world and to offer perspective and hope.”
He continues to write and share new “Spoken Word” messages that are recorded in the nearly empty Conference Center auditorium and edited into a previously aired broadcast.
See photos and read about Lloyd Newell’s 30 years of writing and sharing the ‘Spoken Word’
7. Why are Latter-day Saints shining in distance running? Here are a few possibilities
A remarkable number of Latter-day Saint distance runners have been counted among the sport’s elite for decades.
Last month, the BYU women’s cross-country team at the Church-owned school won the NCAA national championship. Returned missionary Conner Mantz from the Cougars men’s side claimed the individual championship and was a member of BYU’s 2019 national championship team. And Courtney Wayment claimed the national crown in the NCAA women’s 3000-meter event a day after anchoring BYU’s victory in the distance medley relay race.
The long list of impressive Latter-day Saint performers at the recent national collegiate distance running competitions was not limited to athletes wearing BYU blue.
Learn more about Latter-day Saints successes as distance runners
8. June groundbreaking set for Tallahassee Florida Temple
The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced a June 2021 groundbreaking for the Tallahassee Florida Temple.
Elder James B. Martino, a General Authority Seventy and North America Southeast Area President, will preside at the event.
Find out about the groundbreaking and temple site
9. The first Deseret Industries east of the Rocky Mountains just opened
The first Deseret Industries outside the western United States — located in Houston, Texas — opened to the public on Thursday.
More than a thrift store, Deseret Industries’ quest to effect lasting change through job training, skill enhancement and career counseling will be a blessing to the Houston community and beyond, said Elder Sean Douglas during the dedicatory service on March 24.
