During the week of March 20-26, a list of 72 temples that will have new presidents and matrons beginning in September was released. And as the Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple open house began, Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Sister Rosana Soares, returned to their mission roots.
In a BYU devotional, Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles challenged students to ensure that God’s first commandment always comes first. Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles met with Latter-day Saints on the island of Carti Tupile in Panama, the first time an Apostle has visited the island.
Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles assured missionaries that they don’t need to be perfect to share Christ’s perfect message. Episode 75 of the Church News podcast featured Elder Brent H. Nielson of the Presidency of the Seventy speaking about missionary work expanding in a digital age.
The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square announced a global online concert titled “He Is Risen: A Special Easter Celebration.” In the latest Temple Square renovation update, it was announced that Main Street Plaza will close beginning April 11. Latter-day Saint hoopster Nicole Heyn spoke to the Church News about her basketball career, March Madness and the role the gospel plays in her life.
Find summaries to these stories below.
1. These 72 temples will have new presidents and matrons in 2022 — read the list here
The First Presidency is calling new temple presidents and matrons to serve in 72 temples around the world in 2022. The new temple leaders will begin service in September.
Read their names and temple assignments here
2. Elder and Sister Soares return to their mission roots as the open house of the Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple begins
Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles was in Rio to help with the start of the open house for the new Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple and its media and VIP tours, as well as to participate in a symposium on religious freedom. He and his wife, Sister Rosana Soares, welcomed the assignment in Rio de Janeiro, where both served as full-time missionaries four decades earlier.
Read about their meetings with members and missionaries in Rio, leading out on temple tours, and Elder Soares’ remarks on the need for religious freedom
3. Ensure God’s 1st great commandment always comes 1st, Elder D. Todd Christofferson challenges BYU students
When a lawyer sought to entrap the Savior with this question — “Which is the great commandment?” — he received an answer that is both wonderful and profound.
As recorded in Matthew 22:37-39:
“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
“This is the first and great commandment.
“And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”
In his devotional message at Brigham Young University, Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles asked his audience to consider the majesty of those two great commandments — and also why the first commandment is first.
Read more about Elder Christofferson’s BYU devotional message
4. Elder Gary E. Stevenson visits and ministers to Latter-day Saints on the island of Carti Tupile in Panama
On Thursday, March 17, Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles visited the island of Carti Tupile in the San Blas Archipelago in Panama, becoming the first Apostle to visit this island.
The island of Carti Tupile is located in the Guna Yala indigenous district about two and half hours from Panama City. The island is one of Panama’s greatest treasures for the place’s cultural and historic value and specially for its inhabitants who stand out because of the conservation of their traditions. The Carti Tupile Branch on the island has 801 members.
Learn more about the historic visit
5. Elder Dale G. Renlund assures missionaries they need not be perfect to share Christ’s perfect message
Elder Dale G. Renlund shared a message with missionaries gathered in training centers across the globe that was equally grounded in doctrine and common sense: You don’t have to be a perfect messenger to deliver the perfect message of Christ.
“Elders and sisters, we have a perfect message,” he testified in a devotional originating from the Provo (Utah) Missionary Training Center and broadcast to MTCs around the world.
Learn more about Elder Renlund’s counsel to missionaries
6. Elder Brent H. Nielson joins the Church News podcast, speaking on the expansion of missionary work in a digital age
This episode of the Church News podcast features Elder Brent H. Nielson of the Presidency of the Seventy. Beginning in 2014, Elder Nielson was assigned to assist with the Church’s missionary efforts, serving as the executive director of the Missionary Department from 2015 to 2020.
Elder Nielson recalls the miracles he has observed as the Church began to transition from traditional missionary efforts to using technology to reach millions more people.
Listen to the podcast
7. Tabernacle Choir’s global online Easter concert to herald joyous message: ‘He Is Risen’
This year’s worldwide Easter Celebration promises to be enriched by faith-lifting music and song.
On Palm Sunday, April 10, the Tabernacle Choir, Orchestra at Temple Square, Bells at Temple Square and the Gabriel Trumpet Ensemble will present a global online concert titled “He Is Risen: A Special Easter Celebration.”
The program will focus on the joy, hope and promise the Resurrection of the Savior, Jesus Christ, brings to God’s children throughout the world.
Learn more about the worldwide online concert and how to watch
8. Latest Temple Square renovation update: Main Street Plaza to close in April
As part of the ongoing renovation on buildings and grounds at Temple Square, the Main Street Plaza — which connects North Temple and South Temple streets at Church headquarters in Salt Lake City — will close on April 11 for its own renovation and landscaping renewal.
The planned closure for the plaza, which is projected to remain closed from April 2022 until late 2023, was announced Friday, March 25, as part of the monthly updates on the Temple Square renovations published by ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Learn more about the Main Street Plaza efforts
9. ‘March Madness’ dance continues for Latter-day Saint hoopster Nicole Heyn
While the 2022 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament had come to an end for Church members on the BYU and University of Utah squads, the “Big Dance” continued for at least one Latter-day Saint.
Nicole Heyn, a forward on Georgia’s Valdosta State University team, played a key role in the Lady Blazers' run through the NCAA Division II tourney. The Spanish Fork, Utah, product and her teammates won three games in the national-championship tournament before losing March 21 to Western Washington University in a quarterfinal game in Birmingham, Alabama.
