During the week of June 20-26, members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught newly called mission presidents and companions during the 2021 Seminar for New Mission Leaders. The Church News released of a video of Elder Quentin L. Cook visiting Carthage Jail and remembering the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith.
The Provo Missionary Training Center welcomed new missionaries for the first time in 15 months, and the First Presidency announced dates for the Mesa Arizona Temple rededication and open house. Ground was broken for the Helena Montana Temple, and all operating temples will have been reopened in some phase in the next two weeks. Reopened Church historic sites are seeing the benefits of offering both virtual and in-person tours.
Latter-day Saint runner Anna Camp-Bennett was featured for her second national title with Brigham Young University, while Norman C. Hill, BYU associate professor and former mission president, joined this week’s Church News podcast to talk about making the most of one’s golden years by leaning on gospel principles.
Find links and read summaries of these nine article below.
1. 2021 Seminar for New Mission Leaders
For the second consecutive year, the annual Seminar for New Mission Leaders is being held virtually, with 109 couples participating remotely rather than in person at the Provo Missionary Training Center. Members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and other Church leaders are speaking during sessions broadcast June 24-26 from the Conference Center Theater in Salt Lake City and other Church headquarters locations.
Read talk summaries and see photos
2. Elder Cook remembers the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith
The Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother, Hyrum Smith, were killed by a mob on June 27, 1844 — sealing their testimonies of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with their lives. A new Church News video, titled “A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief,” features a visit this year of Elder Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Sister Mary G. Cook, to Carthage Jail.
Watch the video from Carthage and watch how an experience as a bishop taught Elder Cook to #HearHim
3. Provo MTC welcomes first new missionaries in 15 months
Wednesday, June 23, marked the reopening of in-person training at the Provo Missionary Training Center, and the Church is moving into a new phased approach to training its full-time missionaries, combining online and on-site instruction.
Learn more about the new online/on-site approach
4. Ground broken for Helena Montana Temple
Just two months and 22 days after President Russell M. Nelson announced the Helena Montana Temple in April 2021 general conference, a groundbreaking for the new temple was held, marking the beginning of its construction.
Read more about the groundbreaking ceremony
5. Dates set for Mesa Arizona Temple rededication and open house
President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency, will preside at the Sunday, Dec. 12, rededication, which will be done in three sessions. A public open house is scheduled from Saturday, Oct. 16, through Saturday, Nov. 20, excluding all Sundays during the five-week event.
Here are more details on the Mesa Arizona Temple
6. All Church temples will be operating again as last pandemic-closed temple set to reopen
On July 5, the Kyiv Ukraine Temple will become the last temple to reopen, offering living husband-and-wife sealings in what has been known as Phase 1 operations.
Read the latest temple updates
7. How reopened Church historic sites allow visitors to experience ‘the best of both worlds’
“We are happy campers here,” said Illinois historic sites President J. Stephen Rizley. “We have the best of both worlds: We teach these stories with people around the world, just as we have done since summer 2020, and we welcome in-person actual human beings who shed tears as we share these sacred places.”
The benefits of in-person visitors and extending global reach through virtual tours
8. Latter-day Saint runner Anna Camp-Bennett is a BYU national champ — again
The 23-year-old utilized a powerful kick with just over 100 meters left in the race to separate from her rivals, cross the finish line first and reward her family and teammates with a celebratory fist pump. “I did go into the race fully believing I was capable of winning, if I ran smart and ran well,” Anna Camp-Bennett said. “But you never really know how a race will go or if somebody else will have a breakout performance.”
What she credits for her national championship-winning success
9. How to make the most of your golden years, according to this BYU associate professor
Many have heard the popular adage “with age comes wisdom.” It rings true for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints living faithfully into their 70s, 80s and 90s. This episode of the Church News podcast features Norman C. Hill, former mission president in the Ghana Accra West and Sierra Leone Freetown missions. He is an affiliate associate professor at BYU’s Ballard Center for Social Impact.
