Since the Church Section first rolled off the presses on April 4, 1931, its editors, reporters and photographers have been covering the events of leaders and members around the world. This is a list of notable events from the pages of the Church News. Please note that this is not all-inclusive. Read more about the history of the Church News through the eyes of its editors here.
April 4, 1931: First edition of the “Church Section” is printed.
April 1936: Formal welfare program is introduced.
Oct. 6, 1939: First Presidency delivers message on world peace.
June 5, 1943: Church Section becomes the Church News.
September 1945: Missionary work restarts internationally after WWII.
Feb. 4, 1946: Elder Ezra Taft Benson arrives in Europe.
1947: Church reaches 1 million members.
1952: Systematic Program for Teaching the Gospel is published.
Sept. 11, 1955: The first temple in Europse, the Swiss Temple, is dedicated.
April 6, 1959: President David O. McKay issues the “Every member a missionary” slogan.
March 1960: Church Correlation starts.
1974: First Church News Almanac is published.
Oct. 3, 1975: First Quorum of the Seventy is organized.
June 9, 1978: Revelation on the priesthood is announced.
April 6, 1980: Church’s 150th anniversary.
Read more: Church News turns 90 — Here’s a look back on nine decades of covering leaders, members and events
Oct. 3, 1981: Church satellite system is installed.
April 1, 1982: Church reaches 5 million members.
Jan. 27, 1985: Churchwide fast is held for Africa
1995: Church News launches its website.
Sept. 23, 1995: President Gordon B. Hinckley issues “The Family: A Proclamation to the World.”
Oct. 4, 1997: Small temple plan is announced.
November 1997: Church reaches 10 million members.
February 2000: The 100 millionth copy of the Book of Mormon is printed.
Oct. 1, 2000: 100th operating temple is dedicated.
Oct. 7-8, 2000: Conference Center is dedicated.
March 31, 2001: Perpetual Education Fund is announced.
June 27, 2002: Rebuilt Nauvoo Illinois Temple is dedicated.
Dec. 23, 2005: 200th anniversary of the birth of Joseph Smith.
Read more: What it really means to President Ballard, Elder Christofferson to be at Joseph Smith’s birthplace
Nov. 26, 2008: First volume of the Joseph Smith Papers project is published.
October 2012: Missionary age change is announced.
October 2013: Church reaches 15 million members.
March 20, 2016: 150th operating temple is dedicated.
February 2017: BYU-Pathway Worldwide is created.
May 9, 2018: Church News publishes its first video on YouTube.
April 2019: Ministering replaces home and visiting teaching.
March 2020: Temples worldwide close due to the COVID-19 pandemic; Church members worship at home.
April 2020: 200th anniversary of the First Vision; A proclamation “The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ” is announced.
May 2020: The angel Moroni and capstone of the Salt Lake Temple is removed as part of an extensive renovation and the time capsule in the capstone is opened.
Oct. 20, 2020: Church News launches its podcast.
