During the week of Jan. 9-15, President Russell M. Nelson marked four years since being set apart as the Prophet and President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The open house and dedication dates were announced for the Yigo Guam Temple, and six Apostles spoke in one day to young adults around the world.
Elder Ulisses Soares spoke to missionaries in a worldwide broadcast, and Primary General President Camille N. Johnson addressed BYU students in a campus devotional. The first mission leaders of the Ethiopia Addis Ababa Mission joined the Church News podcast to talk about serving the Lord amid many challenges. Other challenges did not stop a Church welfare facility from reaching a new milestone, either.
A Notre Dame linebacker from Hawaii spoke about his mission call to North Carolina. And the Young Women general presidency shared how youth can counsel together in Young Women classes and Aaronic Priesthood quorums.
Read summaries and find links to these nine articles below.
1. Photos and historic invitations from President Russell M. Nelson’s 4 years as President of the Church
Since becoming the 17th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Jan. 14, 2018, President Russell M. Nelson has used general conference, social media and other means to extend several invitations to Latter-day Saints worldwide — invitations to act in faith.President Nelson has embarked on a worldwide ministry, presided over the expansion of temple building and expanded outreach to other faiths and organizations.
Learn more about his historic invitations and see photos of his worldwide ministry
2. Yigo Guam Temple dedication, open house dates announced for May
The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced dates for the open house and dedication of the Yigo Guam Temple.
Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will preside at the May 22 dedication, with three dedicatory sessions set for 9 a.m., noon and 3 p.m.
Find out more about the open house and youth devotional
3. 6 Apostles speak in devotionals
Six members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles led devotionals for Latter-day Saint young adults in different areas across the globe on Sunday, Jan. 9.
The devotionals featured counsel geared toward members ages 18-30, both married and single.
Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Elder Quentin L. Cook, Elder D. Todd Christofferson, Elder Neil L. Andersen, Elder Ronald A. Rasband and Elder Dale G. Renlund streamed independent messages to different areas of the world representing all six major continents.
Find each devotional in this link
4. What Elder Soares taught missionaries about the doctrine of Christ and their missionary purpose
Missionaries can increase their understanding of the doctrine of Christ and implement it into their service to help others come unto Christ, taught Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in a devotional broadcast to missionaries around the world on Tuesday, Jan. 11.
Elder Soares said the Church needs missionaries who are coming unto Christ by living His doctrine and being converted by the power of the Holy Ghost. Then they will be enabled to bring others to Christ.
Learn which questions Elder Soares asked the missionaries to ponder
5. ‘Remove windage’ to be securely bound to the Savior, President Johnson tells BYU students
In a Brigham Young University campus devotional on Tuesday, Jan. 11, Primary General President Camille N. Johnson showed a picture of a large boat that lost its connection to its mooring and was thrown ashore by the winds and waves.
What happened? Some sails and flags — things the wind could grab, or “windage” — were still apparent on the boat.
“Experts say that removing windage is critical to protecting a boat in a storm …,” President Johnson said. “Sails must be secured, biminis removed, inflatable dinghies deflated and tied down. Flags, cushions, lights, everything that can be removed or lashed down should be to reduce windage.”
Read what President Johnson said about reducing windage to weather life’s storms
6. Episode 65: Leaders of the Ethiopia Addis Ababa Mission speak on faithfully and flexibly serving the Lord amid trials and the pandemic
Ethiopia’s national capital and largest city, Addis Ababa, hosts a new mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, that recently opened in summer 2020.
The first leaders of this mission, President Robert Dudfield and Sister Darice Dudfield, join this episode of the Church News podcast to talk about missionary work in Ethiopia and all that has impacted it — including the pandemic and the recent civil unrest that has caused President and Sister Dudfield, along with their missionaries, to temporarily relocate to the neighboring country of Kenya. They are examples of serving the Lord faithfully and flexibly, as well as the blessings that come from serving in the Church and testifying of Jesus Christ.
Listen to the podcast
7. Notre Dame linebacker stepping away from football for a mission to North Carolina
Kahanu Kia plays for Notre Dame, one of American football’s most storied programs. The college gridiron is his second home; the place where he plays out his athletic dreams on Saturdays in autumn.
But the Kaneohe, Hawaii, native was equally excited Monday to talk about fulfilling another fast-approaching, life-changing ambition: serving a full-time mission.
“I’m going to miss football a lot,” he said, “But I’m still ready to go and serve.”
Read what Kahanu Kia is looking forward to the most
8. Counseling together in Young Women classes and Aaronic Priesthood quorums
The Lord uses His youth to work miracles in the gathering of Israel. Young women and young men value opportunities to contribute to the work of salvation and make a difference in the lives of their peers, wards and communities. The “Counsel Together” portion of the Sunday meeting is an opportunity for the youth to unite in the cause of Christ to bring souls unto Him. Counseling together can sometimes be met with uncomfortable silence. Sometimes it is filled by the adult leaders suggesting things that youth could or should be doing or asking them about what has been going on during the week — the highs and the lows. Other times, it is quickly moved through or even skipped to get to the lesson. As a result, many have wondered, “What is the purpose of the ‘Counsel Together’ section? And how do we use this time more effectively?”
Find out which questions can prompt powerful conversations
9. How the Deseret Mill and Pasta Plant produced a record 1 million cases of food in 2021
A brown case of packaged spaghetti sits in Roberto Gaertner’s office at the Deseret Mill and Pasta Plant in Kaysville, Utah. Coming off the production line at 5:03 p.m. on Dec. 21, 2021, it marked the millionth case of food the plant produced last year, almost double what the plant produced in 2019, which was the last full year before pandemic disruptions.
Those 1 million cases are equivalent to 527,661,424 servings of food.
Nothing stops this work — not a pandemic, not global supply chain problems, not even a two-month upgrade that shut down part of the plant.
