In speaking to missionaries at the Provo Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah, Sister Amy A. Wright, first counselor in the Primary general presidency and a member of the Missionary Executive Council, said knowledge and a testimony of God’s plan changes everything.

“It transforms every aspect of your lives, your ability to fulfill your divine purpose and the lives of those you have been called to teach,” she said in a devotional on Tuesday, July 28.

When assembling a puzzle, it can be hard to recognize how a random piece itself relates to the other pieces and the puzzle as a whole. But building the foundational sides of the puzzle allows more perspective — and a piece that does not seem to fit can be set aside temporarily until additional perspective comes.

Missionaries can use this same process to better understand their missionary purpose and help those they teach. “By providing foundational context, you can help others see the bigger picture, giving hope and clarity to the not-yet-understood pieces of their lives,” Sister Wright said.

She taught of four fundamental truths found in God’s plan of salvation that will help missionaries fulfill their missionary purpose:

1. Jesus Christ is the central figure of God’s plan of salvation.
2. God’s children lived with Him before birth.
3. Under the direction of God the Father, Jesus Christ was the Creator of the earth.
4. People can return to live with God the Father and Jesus Christ as eternal families.

“Preach My Gospel: A Guide to Sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ” teaches that missionaries should always focus their message on Jesus Christ and the Restoration of His gospel. Focusing on Him and His role in God’s plan will make lessons more meaningful and spiritually powerful, Sister Wright said.

Meanwhile, “understanding that we lived with God before this life — and can return to Him — gives deeper meaning to the role of families,” Sister Wright said, explaining further, “Jesus Christ and His infinite Atonement make eternal families possible.”

This eternal perspective can help missionaries recognize that their efforts are a fundamental part of God’s effort to gather His children, she said, and missionaries more profoundly fulfill their missionary purpose when they teach with exaltation in mind.

“It means you are helping those you teach see the big picture — the entire plan of salvation. Beginning with exaltation in mind is simply making sure that preparing for the house of the Lord takes place in conjunction with preparing for baptism and confirmation,” Sister Wright said.

In an April 2022 general conference address, President Dallin H. Oaks said, “God desires all of us to strive for His highest possible blessings by keeping His highest commandments, covenants and ordinances, all of which culminate in His holy temples being built throughout the world.”

Anciently and modernly, from the Israelites to the Nephites to the early Latter-day Saints to today, the Lord has directed people to build temples with exaltation in mind, Sister Wright said.

“As we love, share and invite, beginning with exaltation in mind, we will better understand the sacred role we can play in helping our brothers and sisters progress in Heavenly Father’s plan of salvation.”

She showed a video with a poem her son wrote on his mission about a missionary who had thought he would be harvesting, but instead he was sowing seeds, after someone had plowed the ground before him. She invited the missionaries to share what they learned, and many spoke about how they know they are involved in Heavenly Father’s work.

Exaltation is possible only because of Jesus Christ and through making and keeping sacred covenants with Him and with Heavenly Father, Sister Wright taught. Choosing this also means choosing to be part of an eternal family with the capability of eternal increase. “Anything this world could possibly offer us pales drastically in comparison.”

She concluded with Matthew 2:11-12, which are verses she has shared with missionaries all around the world. It is the account of the Wise Men who met the young Jesus and worshipped Him. Then, it says “they departed into their own country another way.”

This was not simply a directional change but a spiritual transformation, she said. The same should be said of missionaries after their missions — that because of their experiences with the Savior, they will be forever changed and go home another way, a higher and holier way.

Her husband, Brother James M. Wright, spoke for a few minutes to the missionaries about miracles. John 6 tells of several of Christ’s miracles — for example, He fed the multitudes and walked on water. But perhaps the greatest miracle of this chapter, Brother Wright said, is that of testimony.

Like Peter, Brother Wright said the missionaries listening also believe that Christ is the Son of the Living God and has the words of eternal life (see verses 67-69). “That is the great miracle, and you are here preparing yourselves to go out and share that message with those you have been called to serve.”

Elder Luke Beesley, from Salt Lake City and assigned to the New Jersey Morristown Mission, learned that conversion is a lifelong process.

“Through Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, all things are possible, especially if we keep converting ourselves with faith in Jesus Christ, keeping the commandments and taking the sacrament each week,” he said.

His MTC companion, Elder Nathaniel Bennion from Atlanta, Georgia, said he knows that Jesus Christ is the center of the plan of salvation and that missionaries play different roles in His work.

“Some of us prepare people, some of us plant the seeds of His gospel, and then some of us harvest and actually baptize people, and each role is just as important as the other,” he said.

Sister Wright shares 4 fundamental truths in God’s plan that help missionaries fulfill their divine purpose

President Oaks emphasizes the role of Jesus Christ in the plan of salvation

President Oaks outlines the divine helps God provides for His children

President Oaks details God’s plan for His children, eternal truth and kingdoms of glory

She told her plan to Sister Kristin M. Yee, second counselor in the Relief Society general presidency, who was also on the council.

But during the first item on the agenda, Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles turned to President Porter and asked for her thoughts.

“What a teaching moment,” President Porter said.

She learned councils in the Church aren’t about professional experience, but coming humbly before the Lord.

“I have been tutored in the best way by our Apostles and Prophets about what it means to be in a council, how we come prayerfully prepared, having studied the issues and seeking our Heavenly Father’s help, not because we have a great background or skill in that area, but knowing that the Lord will reveal to us His mind and will,” she said.

Each member of the Primary, Young Women and Relief Society general presidencies sits on the Church’s executive councils and committees.

“It’s wonderful for sisters to be serving on these councils with members of the Quorum of the Twelve considering the great call of our Savior to take His message to all the world,” President Porter said on this week’s Church News podcast with the Primary general presidency members. “Councils are so important in the Church.”

Sister Amy A. Wright, first counselor in the Primary general presidency, had a similar experience as President Porter on her first day on the Missionary Executive Council, where she served first with then-Young Women General President Bonnie H. Cordon and now with Young Women General President Emily Belle Freeman. A significant item came to the forefront and Sister Wright was asked in the beginning for her insights.

“First and foremost, the Brethren want and need to hear the voice of women,” Sister Wright said.

Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson serves on the Priesthood and Family Executive Council.

“We touch about everything that isn’t either missionary work, or temple and family history work. And it’s been a great blessing to be part of those councils,” she told the Church News in a previous interview.

The Relief Society general presidency also sits together on several committees with the responsibility to care for those in need.

“On a regular basis, we have the privilege of participating in meetings where we make presentations to the First Presidency and the Twelve on the efforts to bless the lives of our brothers and sisters. And that has been an especially sweet experience,” President Johnson said.

Serving on councils has shown Sister J. Anette Dennis, first counselor in the Relief Society general presidency, the study, work and effort made by general officers and general authorities together.

“That has been a wonderful experience to just watch how the revelation comes,” Sister Dennis said in a previous interview, adding that frequently, the process is “gathering the revelation that is scattered among us.”

She has also experienced the Lord giving her revelation.

“I just have come to realize how important each one of us is in these council and committee settings, no matter if it’s on a general level, or on a stake or ward level,” Sister Dennis said. “Each of us is needed. We bring a perspective, we bring a background and He can work through all of us to be able to find what His will is.”

Sister Dennis said women have a voice and they are very much heard. “Our First Presidency loves the input of the women leaders, they listen, and all of the Twelve and all of those that we work with on these councils, they are very sensitive to the opinions and the insights of the women and feel that our counsel, our contribution to those councils is very valuable.”

Sister Wright knows this is Jesus Christ’s work and He invites people to be a part of it. Working in councils comes with “counsel and seeking revelation and learning together to discern His will,” she said.

She said some of the greatest opportunities for growth have come from invitations extended by the Apostles to serve, minister and teach in various capacities. “It has probably been one of the greatest blessings of my service as a general officer.”

Sister Tracy Y. Browning, second counselor in the Primary general presidency, said her assignments from the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles have given opportunity to “stretch in ways that I couldn’t have imagined before, and under the direction of prophets and apostles.”

General advisory councils

The Relief Society, Young Women and Primary general presidencies each have a general advisory council of at least 10 women each. Women also serve on the Sunday School general advisory council.

The advisory council members help the general presidencies in many ways, including serving on committees at Church headquarters, providing instruction for stakes in the United States based on need. The women have different assignments and focuses and they bring additional information and insight to the general presidencies.

Meanwhile, area organization advisers are called in areas outside the United States and Canada. Since March 2021, these women leaders help provide instruction and mentoring. Representing the Relief Society, Young Women and Primary, this position added to the Church’s organizational structure includes mentoring stake and ward women leaders and participating in leadership councils.

President Johnson said about her advisory council members, “They are wonderful resources to counsel with us about where we should be headed. ... They are a wonderful support to us.”

8 questions with President Oaks and President Eyring about revelation in councils

Inside Church headquarters: 8 videos about councils

Read more about councils in the Inside Church Headquarters series

Bo is the second-largest city in Sierra Leone, and the Bo mission covers the southeast portion of the West African nation, having been created from the Sierra Leone Freetown Mission in 2024.

Since the mission was created in the summer of 2024, 9,967 people have been baptized, with 170 people scheduled for baptism this Saturday, Sierra Leone Bo Mission President Scott L. Wyatt said.

In the first year — from summer 2024 to summer 2025 — 2,910 people were baptized, he said. The rest have been since last summer.

In the last two years, the area of the mission has gone from four stakes to six stakes. He expects two more stakes to be created soon and eight more branches in the mission before the end of 2026. Last year, the Church News wrote about 120 people baptized on the same day in the mission.

“There is only one explanation, and that is the people have been prepared to hear the gospel,” President Wyatt said.

During gatherings — where missionaries plan to teach or during meetings on Sundays — people fill the entire space, sitting on the low walls and standing outside the windows and doors to hear. Members of the Church spread the word to others and join in the work.

“I have never met people more friendly than [in] Sierra Leone,” President Wyatt said. The people love to meet those from other countries and they love the missionaries. “When we walk down the streets, everyone wants to talk to us and say hello.”

And everyone believes in God, he said, explaining how the country has tremendous tolerance between the Muslims and the Christians.

“When our missionaries stop someone on the street and just say, ‘Hey, how are you?’ and they introduce themselves, ‘Can we talk about Jesus for a minute?’ People always say ‘yes,’” President Wyatt said.

The young full-time missionaries in the Bo mission come from every inhabited continent, he said. Senior missionary couples are also valuable and more are needed, he added, because they bring knowledge, experience and love to the young missionaries and to the new members of the Church.

The members of the Church are enthusiastic about joining the missionaries in their work. Many young adults are joining the Church and then walking with the missionaries a few days after their baptism. Then a year later, they are ready to serve their own full-time mission.

When they return from their full-time missions, many are soon called to branch and ward leadership positions.

Elder C’arrive Beya, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is currently serving in the Njala Branch with his companion, Elder Ty Hatch, from Gilbert, Arizona.

“We are busy every day all day teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ,” Elder Beya wrote to the Church News.

He said the Njala Branch was organized in September 2025. When he came to the area in March 2026, there were 81 members of the branch. Between March and July 2026, 145 people have been baptized, more are preparing to be baptized and sacrament meeting attendance is growing faster than baptisms.

The branch meets in a large community hall while the members wait for a more permanent meetinghouse. After sacrament meeting, the Primary — with 85 children — moves to the back of the hall and the adults move to the front. President Wyatt said the Njala Branch will probably be divided soon.

Elder Beya said life is not easy in Sierra Leone, and the people face many challenges.

“They love God, are humble, and eager to learn. When we teach them the gospel of Jesus Christ, we watch their lives change as they feel hope and peace. Their greatest desire is to share what they know with others,” he said.

Bo Sierra Leone East Stake President Johnnie C. Walters said he believes people are receiving miracles in their lives at this time.

“I have a special feeling to know that my brothers and sisters now have the opportunity to make covenants with the Lord,” he said.

Bo Sierra Leone West Stake President Joseph Mammy has served as a counselor in the Sierra Leone Freetown Mission presidency and as a bishop. In his callings, he has spoken to hundreds of individuals and families about what made them join the Church, he said, and in part it is because of a love of their ancestors and what the restored gospel of Jesus Christ offers.

He said the largest tribe in the Bo coordinating council and in the country is the Mende tribe, which he explained has a tradition of yearly feasts that have been practiced by their ancestors and handed down over the generations.

At the end of the harvest season, families do joint hunting to have enough meat, and all the women in the village cook their food together then carry it to the cemetery. The oldest man in the village and the chief offer prayers and invite their ancestors to eat with them, he said.

“The Mende people love the truth and were in search of that truth for hundreds of years. No church in the southeast of Sierra Leone has told them that there is an ordinance to be performed on behalf of themselves and their ancestors, and not only by feeding them. This knowledge has been shared by members to their families, friends and relatives,” he said.

President Wyatt said the mission did not make any kind of quota or baptism goals; rather they focus on discipleship and conversion of the missionaries themselves.

Said Elder Beya, “We are grateful to see so many people choose for themselves to follow the Savior. It is my joy to be an instrument in God’s hand as I share the light of His gospel with others.”

‘A sacred sight’: 120 begin their covenant path on same day in Sierra Leone

From 2025: Elder Christofferson meets Sierra Leone’s president and first lady

Church efforts in Sierra Leone: ‘Our faith teaches us to care for one another’

Learn about the Freetown Sierra Leone Temple under construction

She joins the ranks of Apostles and members of the First Presidency who have had that role and is the second woman to be grand marshal. In 2022, Sister Jean B. Bingham, who was then serving as Relief Society general president, became the first woman to have the honor of grand marshal since the parade began in 1849.

President Johnson said she is thrilled for the opportunity to honor her own pioneer ancestors and also celebrate all who are pioneers in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints around the world.

“A parade is an opportunity to celebrate what we have in common, to unify, and then reflect upon the characteristics of those pioneer settlers and seek to emulate their characteristics,” President Johnson told the Church News.

This year’s theme of the Days of ’47 festivities is “Like, Learn, Love Pioneers.” The Days of ’47 Parade is scheduled to take place in downtown Salt Lake City on Friday, July 24, at 9 a.m. July 24 is a state holiday in Utah and is known as Pioneer Day.

The pioneers — walking, riding in covered wagons or pushing and pulling handcarts — first arrived in the Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847. Two years later, they began celebrating with an annual parade.

Born in Idaho and raised in Idaho, Germany, Texas and Utah, President Johnson has ancestors on both sides who crossed the Plains to the Western United States.

Some of her ancestors lived in Nauvoo, Illinois, building homes and businesses and helping build the temple. They were endowed in the house of the Lord in Nauvoo and then walked across the Plains.

They had optimism even in the midst of their circumstances and challenges, President Johnson said. “They were tenacious. They were faithful. It was clearly their faith in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ that drove them to follow the Saints and answer the Prophet’s call to gather to Zion. And when they got here, their first priority was to build the temple.”

President Johnson grew up hearing stories about her faithful progenitors. She said she always knew that through her own faith and faithfulness she had access to the same promised blessings that propelled her ancestors westward.

President Johnson will be joined by her husband, Brother Doug Johnson, in the parade. When she and Brother Johnson were serving as mission leaders in the Peru Arequipa Mission, they worked with “modern-day pioneers” as many of the missionaries were the first and only members in their families or the first to serve full-time missions.

“My pioneer ancestors and these marvelous missionaries share a faithful determination and love for the Savior, Jesus Christ, which I find inspiring,” she wrote in a social media post July 23, 2021.

On Tuesday, July 21, she told the Church News of meeting people all around the world who have been converted to the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and been baptized “and they’re pioneering in their homes and in their own communities as they seek to build Zion.”

The upcoming Salt Lake Temple Celebration is another opportunity to reflect on the pioneers who entered the Salt Lake Valley and got to work on building a house of the Lord. The six-month celebration and open house begins in April 2027.

“I’m really thrilled that the world is going to have the opportunity to come inside and have a deeper understanding of why it was a priority to those early pioneers,” President Johnson said. “We honor them. And I think that people that will come through will feel the Spirit. And I think they’ll feel a connection to these people who built an edifice out of granite worthy to call a house of the Lord.”

Recent Days of ’47 Parade grand marshals

• The late President Jeffrey R. Holland, then acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, in 2025.
• Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 2024.
• Then-Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, now second counselor in the First Presidency, in 2023.
• Sister Jean B. Bingham, then Relief Society general president, in 2022.
• Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 2021.
• The late President M. Russell Ballard, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 2018 and in 2016.
• President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, then second counselor in the First Presidency, now acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, in 2017 and in 2013.
• President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in the First Presidency, in 2015 and in 2012.
• The late President Thomas S. Monson, then Church President, in 2014.

Relief Society worldwide devotional emphasizes covenantal relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ

President Camille N. Johnson at April 2025 general conference: ‘Spiritually Whole in Him’

Read stories of pioneers in the Church News

A Latter-day Saint choir in Mongolia celebrated the anniversary with “America Days” and a performance of “America the Beautiful.”

The U.S. Embassy in Ulaanbaatar and the American Chamber of Commerce in Mongolia hosted the “America Days” celebration on June 6 and 7. The Latter-day Saint choir was part of a performance during the celebration to honor the historic milestone and celebrate the friendship between the people of the United States and Mongolia, according to a news release on the Church’s East Asia Newsroom website.

“It was such a privilege to participate in the event,” said Latter-day Saint choir member Khongorzul. (Many in Mongolia use a single name.) “It brought back fond memories of when I sang in the church choir 15 years ago.”

250 food donations

Within the United States, the Church has marked the anniversary through the donation of 250 truckloads of food to 250 food banks across the country. The donations will continue throughout the year. In June, the donations reached Hawaii and Alaska, marking the 49th and 50th states to receive at least one donation.

The America250 donations from the Church started last November with the donation of five truckloads of food from the Bishops’ Central Storehouse in Salt Lake City to food banks in Oregon, Arkansas, Texas, Missouri and Michigan.

The donations include peanut butter, rice, oats, beans, spaghetti, spaghetti sauce, flour and other items. The goods are produced by the Church and funded by Church member donations.

How volunteers are answering the call to serve for America250

Hope for thousands of families

Volunteers helped unload 40,000 pounds of food at the Partners INW food pantry in Spokane Valley, Washington, on Thursday, June 25. As the truck arrived, JustServe volunteers lined the road, cheered and waved commemorative America250 flags.

Cal Coblentz, chief executive officer of Partners INW, said the donation represents hope for thousands of families.

“Food insecurity continues to affect hardworking people throughout our region, and partnerships like this allow us to meet growing needs,” Coblentz said.

Spokane Washington North Stake President Ronald D. Hardy said the donation arrived as their community is feeling the impact of nearby wildfires.

“This isn’t just about meeting physical needs,” he said. “It’s about living the Savior’s invitation to serve, love and lift one another.”

President Hardy said the donation was also a great way to celebrate the spirit upon which the nation was built — “people coming together to help one another.”

“It’s a reminder that we take care of each other, then, now and always,” he said.

Leonard Christian, a state senator in Washington’s 4th Legislative District, said the donation reflected the enduring values upon which the nation was founded.

“Our nation’s founders risked everything, their livelihoods, their families and their futures to establish a country that would bless generations to come,” he said. “Their courage and sacrifice continue to inspire us, and this effort is a fitting way to honor that legacy through service to others.”

Latter-day Saint family finds faith and support after losing home in Upriver Fire

‘Food is never just food’

Volunteers, including members of the Church, helped unload a truckload of food donations at the High Desert Second Chance Food Bank in Hesperia, California, on Tuesday, July 14.

The food will help the organization as they serve approximately 18,000 individuals each week.

Christina Kennedy, community relations director for High Desert Second Chance, said they believe in providing people a hand up rather than a handout.

“Food is never just food,” she said. “It is stability during uncertainty. It is relief during crisis. It is hope when options feel impossible.”

Elder Gordon L. Treadway, an Area Seventy, spoke at an event celebrating the donation along with the 10th anniversary of High Desert Second Chance.

He said the donation was a meaningful example of the Savior’s teachings to love God and love one another.

“I can’t think of a better example of that than what’s happening right here today, as this donation takes place, that will bless the people of the high desert who need it the most,” he said.

Elder Treadway also spoke about how the donation was made possible thanks to the faith and generosity of members of the Church, including those who live in the area.

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints fast for two meals on the first Sunday of the month and are encouraged to donate the cost of those meals to the Church to assist the poor.

“We’re encouraged to be generous in that, and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints throughout the high desert are just that — generous with their fast offerings,” Elder Treadway said. “It’s beautiful to see that those contributions have boomeranged right back here to bless our friends, our neighbors and our community.”

— Jeannie Bundy and Jennifer Hicks contributed to this story.

Church donations arrive at food banks across the United States

Louisiana missionaries celebrate America250 with 250 service hours, 250 invitations to worship

The Church helps fill empty food pantry shelves across the United States

“Ivory Coast — Côte d’Ivoire — is a gathering oasis,” he said. “Of all the people I have been around in the world, they understand the gathering here.”

More than a year later, Latter-day Saints and missionaries in the area are living up to that vision.

In his final months as president of the Côte d’Ivoire Abidjan East Mission before being released July 1, 2026, Pascal J. Budge reported rising temple attendance among members from neighboring countries who now have a house of the Lord closer to home.

He also reported that through technology and members’ efforts, large groups of people were taught and baptized over several months in a growing branch in Bamako, the capital of Mali, north of Côte d’Ivoire.

Budge wrote there is little else that contributes more to strengthening one’s faith than to witness so many in humble circumstances living lives full of faith.

“In many instances, they have very little to nothing of any temporal value. But you would never know there was anything missing when you see and feel the light the gospel of Jesus Christ produces in their lives,” he wrote in an email to the Church News. “This is certainly one of the ways the Savior’s light is shared with the rest of the world. The profound nature of how that light transforms them, and by extension anyone in the circle of their influence, simply can’t be overstated.”

‘A gathering oasis’: Elder Rasband dedicates the Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple

Bamako Branch

Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles went to Mali in May 2017, and the Bamako Branch was formed in July of that year. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints received official recognition in Mali in January 2019. The Church sent the country’s first sister missionary to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and she began her service in June 2023.

As of July 1, the Bamako Branch was realigned to the newly formed Senegal Dakar Mission.

2019: Church receives formal recognition in Mali

2023: First sister missionary from Mali in West Africa anxious to serve the Lord

Travel to the temple

According to Budge, about 30 Latter-day Saints from Bamako traveled to Abidjan in February 2026, many to attend the temple for the first time and others to be sealed.

While at the temple, one member’s spouse was baptized in the neighboring Cocody Côte d’Ivoire Stake meetinghouse — a moment that became a spiritual highlight for the entire group.

First wave

For some time, Bamako Branch members have encouraged people from three nearby areas — Farako Mountougoula, Diatoula and Ngomi — to hear the gospel message. Many showed interest, but it was not possible to send missionaries, Budge wrote.

In February, Budge instructed Abidjan East missionaries to make contact with Bamako Branch President Ibrahima Togola and use online video chats to begin teaching those interested in the gospel.

Budge oversaw the first teaching session remotely from the mission office in Abidjan. His second counselor in the mission presidency, Sery Koné, traveled to Bamako with the mission clerk to set up the technology so the interested friends could participate from the same chicken farm where Elder Bednar visited in May 2017.

The first group was so large — upward of 40 people — that missionaries split it in two and taught each group twice a week.

The teaching continued for several weeks until the group accepted the invitation to be baptized, with a service set for April 18. Before that date, President Togola arranged civil wedding ceremonies for several couples in the group so they could be legally married prior to baptism.

While missionaries conducted 78 baptismal interviews, a tailor in the branch measured each candidate, and Relief Society sisters helped sew all the white clothing.

The Frako and Diatoula villages are about 10 miles east of Bamako, and Ngomi is a more than a two-hour drive to the north. Mission and branch members also arranged for transportation needs, including food and water, for those involved.

Before the service, Koné trained local priesthood leaders to perform the baptisms and confirmations — for many of them, their first time officiating in either ordinance.

On April 18, 74 entered the waters of baptism; four more followed on April 19. Confirmations were performed in two different rooms. Thanks to careful planning and support by the members, all ordinances were completed in less than four hours.

On April 19, 45 of the male candidates were interviewed and received the Aaronic Priesthood. It was a “historic and significant event” for the branch, said Budge, noting the following:

• All contacts were made by the members — young missionaries have not been in Mali for three years.
• Each ordinance was performed by worthy, local priesthood holders.
• All teaching and interviews by young missionaries took place with the use of technology.

“This was all done by local members, with the support of Ivorian mission presidency counselors,” Budge wrote.

Second wave

A second wave of 36 baptisms in the Bamako Branch took place in May. Some of the men ordained to the office of priest in the Aaronic Priesthood in the first wave of April converts participated in performing the baptism ordinance. Among the converts were two drivers hired to help transport people when lessons were being taught.

“They were so impacted by the lessons they received that they decided to be baptized themselves,” Budge wrote.

Eyewitness to Lord’s hastening

Reflecting on the first two waves of baptisms in Bamako, Koné said it was a “miracle” to see how the restored gospel is touching lives in a predominantly Muslim country. It reminds him of Elder Rasband’s April 2025 conference talk in which he spoke about being an eyewitness to the Lord hastening His work.

“I am watching it with my own eyes,” he wrote to the Church News.

Reflecting on the teachings of “Preach My Gospel” and every step of the process, he said he had “not seen the work of bringing people to Christ move the way it moved when every part was rowing together — leaders on the ground, missionaries online and members carrying the work between us.”

Koné said the new converts are now learning about the temple.

“They have never been there, but they speak of it often,” he wrote. “They are eager to attend and to experience for themselves what Elder Rasband called ‘a gathering oasis.’ The Abidjan Côte d’Ivoire Temple is more than a thousand kilometers (621 miles) from them, and yet it is already shaping their hearts. That, more than anything else, is how I know the Lord is hastening His work in Mali.”

2025: How the gospel of Jesus Christ transformed the life of this Ivorian Latter-day Saint

A coming third wave

A third wave of more than 50 people is being prepared for baptism. Members are learning about ministering, educational opportunities, self-reliance and temple and family history service. New branches may soon be organized.

For Budge, it’s been a “deeply inspiring” experience.

“It is a constant reminder about how important it is for us to remember to focus on the things that matter most,” he wrote. “What I see from them is that when life’s circumstances limit what can be done, they only do what matters most. But that’s not the end of it. Like Nephi, their choices reflect a ‘brightness of hope’ (2 Nephi 31:20) in a world where there seems to be very little reason for optimism.”

He continued: “They know in whom they can trust, and when that truth is shared with them, they insert themselves without reservation. The energy with which they embrace the gospel seems to say, ‘O Lord, I will praise thee forever; yea, my soul will rejoice in thee, my God, and the rock of my salvation’ (2 Nephi 4:30). It is evident in the way they choose to live, and a great inspiration and encouragement to me to do the same.”

Video: ‘A Gathering Oasis’ in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire

2025: Answered prayers — Saints prepare for historic dedication of Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple as Church grows in west Africa

2025: Read Elder Rasband’s blessing upon Ivory Coast in the Abidjan temple dedicatory prayer

Gospel Foundations: A Sunday School Class for New Members and Friends is an optional class for new, adult Church members and people who are learning about the Church, according to a notice sent to stake, ward and branch leaders on Thursday, July 23. Individuals who are returning to activity in the Church are also invited to attend.

The class may be implemented at the ward council’s discretion. Class instructions are now available in some languages on Gospel Library in the “Books and Lessons" collection under “Gospel Foundations: For New Members” and will be available in 54 languages by the end of August.

After two to four months, new Church members attending Gospel Foundations should join a regular “Come, Follow Me” Sunday School class with the rest of the ward.

“As ward leaders determine whom to call to teach the Gospel Foundations class, they should consider someone who will help new members and friends feel welcome in the ward, who can teach basic gospel principles clearly and who will help new members and friends progress as followers of the Savior,” the notice states.

Gospel Foundations is intended to help new Church members and people learning about the Church:

1. Feel welcome, comfortable, valued and needed in the ward or branch.
2. Have experiences that prepare them for lifelong discipleship in the Savior’s Church.
3. Learn basic truths of the Savior’s restored gospel.

Lesson topics are as follows:

1. The Atonement of Jesus Christ
2. Praying to Our Heavenly Father
3. Scriptures and Prophets Teach of Jesus Christ
4. Personal Revelation Through the Holy Ghost
5. The Sabbath Day and the Sacrament
6. Obedience to God’s Commandments
7. Your Body Is Sacred
8. Sacrifice: Tithes and Offerings
9. The Covenants and Ordinances of the Temple
10. Making the Blessings of the Gospel Available to Our Deceased Ancestors
11. The Restored Church of Jesus Christ Today
12. Caring for Those in Need
13. Inviting All To Receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ

From the notice

The Gospel Foundations notice reads as follows:

“To help new members become lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ, ward councils may organize an optional Sunday School class for adult new members and friends who are learning about the Church. As desired, returning members can also be invited to attend. This class is called Gospel Foundations.

“Below are instructions that describe the purposes of this class. Also included is a list of experiences that can help new members progress in the gospel, along with topics and resources to discuss in the class.

“These instructions are also available in some languages on Gospel Library in the Books and Lessons collection. They will be available in 54 languages by the end of August.

“A new member’s participation in the Gospel Foundations class depends on their needs. After two to four months, new members should join a ‘Come, Follow Me’ Sunday School class with the rest of the ward.

“As ward leaders determine whom to call to teach the Gospel Foundations class, they should consider someone who will help new members and friends feel welcome in the ward, who can teach basic gospel principles clearly and who will help new members and friends progress as followers of the Savior.”

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Initially reported by the Church’s Philippines Newsroom, these four stories show how the Church and its members are helping local communities.

Isabela schools receive educational equipment donation

On June 23, the Cabagan school district in Isabela, Philippines, received a special donation from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Consisting of essential educational resources and computer equipment, the donation provided both elementary and secondary schools supplies to help improve the quality of education in the area.

The donation was given in support of the Reading Enhancement Assistance and Development project, also known as the READY project, according to a news release. Two educational leaders in the school district, Jesus C. Malayao and Dr. Nita G. Palogan, started the initiative seeking to help students improve literacy skills and provide access to higher-quality education.

“Education is a powerful instrument for personal growth, self-reliance and community progress,” said President Jasper D. Allapitan of the Tumauini Philippines Stake. President Allapitan served as a representative for the Church at the donation ceremony, which took place at Cabagan Science Elementary School.

“And [those] collaborative efforts such as Project READY can create lasting and meaningful impacts for future generations,” he said.

The Church donated computers, printers, folding tables and a heavy-duty laminator machine to the project. President Allapitan emphasized the Church’s commitment to providing students with access to educational tools and opportunities.

Church donates medical equipment to Bay District Hospital

More than 100 individuals attended the formal donation ceremony of medical equipment from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to the Bay District Hospital in Bay, Laguna, Philippines, on May 7.

According to a news release, the donation came in tandem with the inauguration of the new free chemotherapy center. The donation consisted of various essential medical supplies including five electrocardiogram machines, 20 infusion pumps and nebulizers, cardiac monitors, surgical supplies and hospital bed mattresses.

San Pablo Philippines Stake President Ronnel R. Catungos attended the ceremony and detailed the purpose of the donation.

“One of the fundamental purposes of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is to care for the poor and the needy,” he said. “This donation from the Church is to serve this purpose. We believe that we are all brothers and sisters, children of our Heavenly Father.”

Dr. Nathaneel V. Rallos, who serves as the chief of hospital for the Bay District Hospital, detailed what the new equipment means for both doctors and the patients they treat.

“Given the limitations of our equipment and our supplies, it will greatly affect all our patients,” he said. “It will increase our capacity to serve more than what we already have.”

The opening of the new chemotherapy center is the third public center in the province of Laguna.

It is equipped with 20 chemotherapy machines and can treat up to 40 patients per day. The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, a government-funded organization, fully covers all cancer treatment for patients, whether or not they can afford the care.

The ceremony was concluded by Bishop Rey John Estera, bishop of the Calauan Ward, who offered a dedicatory prayer for the new facility.

San Pablo stake collaborates with Red Cross in community blood drive

On the morning of May 2, members of the San Pablo Philippines Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gathered at the stake center to donate blood.

Per a news release from the Church’s Philippines Newsroom, volunteers collaborated with the city’s Red Cross chapter and donated 17 units of blood that went directly to local medical facilities and providers in the surrounding area.

“This opportunity to serve by donating blood is service to our brothers and sisters, and we perform service to God,” said President Nephi L. Basco, second counselor in the stake presidency.

Each unit of blood donated provides life-saving treatment options for up to three individuals. With the donation made by local members, potentially dozens of lives can be saved. The Red Cross chapter expressed their gratitude for volunteers making the drive a success.

“Thank you everyone who helped make this annual project possible. We hope we can continue these acts of service so that we may help even more patients,” said Cecil Cortez Manalo of the local chapter.

Not only did the blood drive provide resources for future patients, but it also had a meaningful impact on the donors who participated. Lester Matthew Suarez Lim was one of those donors.

“My personal experience is that I was happy I was able to donate this time,” he said. “Last year I was not qualified. I felt that somehow I was able to serve someone who is in need of blood.”

At the end of the drive, local leaders invited donors to continue to participate in life-saving blood drives, an act, said organizers, that has a profound impact far beyond the time spent donating.

Church donates eye surgery machine to medical center

The Western Visayas Medical Center serves as a regional hospital for millions in the Iloilo region of the Philippines. It is also home to an ophthalmology residency program, which received a surgical ophthalmology machine from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 22.

“These invaluable resources will not only help address the growing number of ophthalmology patients but will also enhance the training and development of our residents, empowering them to deliver excellent, compassionate and life-changing care,” said Western Visayas Medical Center officials in a report from the Church’s Philippines Newsroom.

This marks a monumental step in eye care for the surrounding area and will benefit medical residents as they learn to work with the advanced surgical technology through hands-on training, providing beneficial experience as they prepare for professional careers.

Additionally, the Church provided intraocular lens implants to the hospital’s ophthalmology program. The implants are an important element to restoring or supplementing a patient’s vision. Primarily used in cataract surgery, the IOL implant donation will help provide sight to those who cannot afford private care.

The donation was in collaboration with Lions Clubs International, a civic organization that seeks to provide disaster relief, medical assistance and community development programs across the Philippines.

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About 10 years ago, Tingey prayed for a meaningful way to spend her time. The answer came clearly: Organize a hip-hop dance group for her friends.

Although she had no formal dance experience, Tingey took the initiative and called her friends with Down syndrome whom she had met in high school in Mesa, Arizona, inviting them to join the group. Beginning with just eight dancers, she launched “Hip Hop Homies With Xtra Chromies” in 2016 in Mesa.

“I don’t have any dance background, but I do know that my friends with Down syndrome loved music and dance,” Tingey said. “They dance with joy, and they don’t care if they are the best at it. They dance because they love it.”

The group began by performing in small recitals for parents and at activities for local church youth groups in Arizona. Today, Hip Hop Homies performs for much larger audiences, including NBA halftime shows and, most recently, the Stadium of Fire celebration in Provo, Utah.

At the latter July 4 event, 14 of the 65 dancers in total performed in front of thousands of community members. Their nearly four-minute routine showcased each dancer’s unique personality and style.

Ale Ray, mother of Hip Hop Homies member Mario Ray, attended the performance and said every performance fills her family with joy.

“It brings so much joy and happiness,” Ale Ray said. “Even though we are not in the performance at all, it is so wonderful. That’s what they share with so many people.”

Mario Ray joined Hip Hop Homies three and a half years ago after watching one of the group’s performances at his local stake center. At the time, the classes were full, so he waited patiently for an opportunity to join.

When Mario Ray was finally able to become a member of the group, Ale Ray said she watched his confidence and joy grow.

“One of the main things the class has provided for Mario is a place where he feels involved,” Ale Ray said. “He loves to share joy. He loves to dance. He loves his friends. He loves all the other Homies.”

For many of the dancers, Hip Hop Homies has become more than a dance class. It has become a community where lasting friendships are formed.

Barb Wilkins, mother of group member Eric Wilkins, said the highlight of her son’s week is reuniting with his friends at practice. Each gathering contains a prayer, cheer and group hug.

“We saw our kids happy and interacting,” Barb Wilkins said. “They have friends — good friends. They call each other, text each other and spend time together. … They can hardly wait for the next Hip Hop Homies activity so they can see their friends.”

Wilkins said the group has filled an important need for many adults with Down syndrome.

“After high school, it gets more difficult for our kids to maintain a social circle,” she said. “Most of their friends disperse. Some go to college, some work, and some marry. Our kids are no longer in an environment where they see people every day. Hip Hop Homies has provided a space where friendships can form and be sustained. New skills can be learned, and a social network can thrive.”

Tingey originally started the group because of the friendships she developed with classmates in high school. Today, she has helped more than 60 individuals become part of Hip Hop Homies, creating opportunities for friendship, fitness and a place to share the Light of Christ.

She said that through every performance, she not only watches the dancers share their talents but also learns from the example they set.

“It’s been a huge blessing in my life for more than 40 years to associate with them,” Tingey said. “It is such a blessing to watch them and see the light come on. They learn the same things I do, which is that they have so much to teach us. They are just such an awesome group of people. As I tell people, they’re not perfect people, although they’re the closest to it that I know.”

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In a recent video interview posted on the Pacific Area’s YouTube channel, Elder Peter F. Meurs, General Authority Seventy and Pacific Area president, explained how some Latter-day Saints in remote areas live in humble circumstances and lack access to electricity, internet or running water.

“In these places, there’s typically very few roads. There’s very poor or no transportation, and some will walk to church for two to three hours,” said Elder Meurs. “When they get there, they get to a bush chapel that has basically no technology, no facilities.”

As a solution, the area created what they call the Simple Meetinghouse Plus Project — an open-concept meetinghouse with an extra wing of classrooms. These simplified meetinghouses are equipped with solar panels, batteries, lights and satellite internet service.

They provide shelter from the sun and rain while also harnessing both for sustainability. The solar panels convert sunshine into electricity stored in batteries to power lights and other electronics. Tropical rain is caught and stored in tanks.

These buildings have all the facilities of a traditional Latter-day Saint chapel, but in a simple building, said Elder Meurs. The Church can build five to 10 buildings for the cost of a regular meetinghouse. “But the most important thing about these buildings is not what they’re made of; it’s what they make possible.”

Lights in the building enable school children to study and participate in the Church’s Succeed in School program. People can participate in seminary, institute and BYU–Pathway Worldwide classes. Youth activities, presidency meetings, priesthood training and self-reliance courses can be held. Church members can listen to or watch worldwide broadcasts like general conference.

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Mack Ambota, second counselor in the Eight Mile Branch of the Gerehu Papua New Guinea District in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, told the Church’s Pacific Newsroom: “It has helped us a lot with spiritual things. There is enough space to sit around and enjoy the environment. We have self-reliance courses here, and it helps them learn more and have more opportunities. The chapel brings more people. Last week there was not enough space for everyone. Plenty of people coming in.”

The branch’s Relief Society president, Rebecca Aga, noted that their old “bush chapel” was small and that many attendees would have to sit outside. “Now we have a new building here. It’s very good. It’s easy for us to fit everybody inside,” she said.

The new building has also spurred missionary opportunities. Betty Aputa, the branch’s self-reliance class instructor, said the new building “is helping us to reach out in our ministry, to reach out to others in the community. The courses run by the Church are bringing everyone here to this chapel, and we use it to introduce our self-reliance lessons. We are happy to share.”

Elder Meurs said that in these remote locations, when the sun sets, everything goes dark. “Here in the darkness of these remote locations, the people can now gather. These are more than just buildings; they are spaces where even the most remote member can experience the Light of Christ.”

So far, 10 Simple Meetinghouse Plus structures have been built. Thirteen to 16 additional meetinghouses are scheduled for completion by the end of this year, including four in Vanuatu, one in Fiji and one in Kiribati.

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This latest release brings the total to 82 new hymns and songs in the new hymnbook in English, Spanish, Portuguese and French. As more new hymns are released, they can be found in the Gospel Library on the Church’s website and the Gospel Library app, and at music.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

Additional hymns were released Thursday in other languages, including 22 in Armenian and Malagasy; nine in Cebuano, Indonesian, Italian, Samoan and Tongan; and 12 in German, Korean and Tagalog.

These new songs include familiar Christian hymns, some new submissions and some Latter-day Saint favorites with updated lyrics.

For example, “Great Is Thy Faithfulness,” “Fight the Good Fight,” “To God Be the Glory” and “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” are borrowed from other Christian hymnbooks — some were composed almost 200 years ago.

Meanwhile, “Peace, Peace, Be Still” and “What God Calls Us To” were past Church Music Submission merit award winners.

“Isaiah Said” was published in The Friend magazine in 1998 and helps the teachings of the Old Testament be accessible to children.

“The Miracle” includes a third verse that was written after the song by Shawna Edwards became popular. And “It’s Joyful To Live the Gospel” is a children’s song that aligns with a focus on joy in discipleship.

Elder Patrick Kearon of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke about “Welcome to the Church of Joy” in October 2024 general conference. In response and with direction of the Church leaders, some of the new hymns and songs sound more joyful, said Steve Schank, the Church’s Hymnbook Committee chair, on a June 2025 episode of the Church News podcast.

“We hope that you’ll sing joyfully now,” Schank said.

In another episode of the Church News podcast in April, Ryan Eggett, a music manager in the Church’s Priesthood and Family Department, said sacred music has the power to bring the Spirit into homes.

“The entire time that the music is playing — and I hope we understand this — the entire time the music is playing, the gospel is being taught in your home,” he said.

Sharing the gospel can be done in a normal and natural way through hymns and songs, he explained, and sacred music increases faith in and worship of Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.

Schank said sacred music teaches the gospel in a way that’s easy to understand. He hopes members take to heart what the Lord said in Doctrine and Covenants 25:12 — “The song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads.”

The Lord will bless people as they use sacred music in their individual lives, their homes and in their Church meetings, Schank promised.

Hanna Saffer, from Sweden, who wrote the new hymn “My Covenants,” is on the Swedish translation team for the new hymnbook. She said a Primary-age son of one of her friends told his mom he had been learning many songs in Primary but never got to sing them. Her friend brought it up in their ward council, and now the ward — and many others around Sweden — are singing more Primary songs, including the new ones, in sacrament meeting more often.

“It just felt so perfect and so right. And I realized this is exactly what the Church is on its way to doing with this new hymnbook,” Saffer told the Church News. “This is so, so right to have the children feel more included in the ward setting. And I think many adults, like I do, resonate a lot with the children’s music.”

Mateus Rangel, from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, serves as the music coordinator in his Portuguese-speaking ward in Provo, Utah. He said the new Christ-focused hymns also help Rangel select which hymns to sing on Sunday.

“All the hymns are connected to Christ, and this is our main message. This is the purpose we meet every Sunday — to increase our faith in Christ,” Rangel said in a news release on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

Rangel has felt a change in his family and ward.

“I can see the impact on my family, my kids and my congregation,” he said. “People are more inspired to follow Jesus Christ as they learn [by] singing the new hymns.”

A batch of new hymns is expected to be released later this year and another batch next year in English, Spanish, Portuguese and French, meaning there will be approximately 100 hymns released early — before the full print hymnbook is projected to be launched in late 2027 in those languages. Other language translations will follow.

Read more stories about Sacred Music in the Church News

Episode 290: The power of Primary music, with Sister Kathleen F. Kelly and Ryan Eggett

Episode 243: The Church’s Hymnbook Committee chair, Steve Schank, on new hymns and joyful singing

How wards and stakes are learning about and using the new hymns

The key is engagement — “when we do, we learn” — said Young Men General President Timothy L. Farnes during a July 14 livestream shared on the Young Men Worldwide social media accounts of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

“It’s in the doing that our hearts, our minds change, and that’s when also the Spirit is able to bear witness in a more powerful way to us of the truthfulness of the things that we’re doing,” President Farnes said. “I don’t think we wait for a mission experience. That mission experience should happen today. It’s who we are. We’re lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ.”

He added: “We witness of His name in our daily actions, in our daily invitations, by the things we do and say and invitations we make.”

President Farnes was joined on the livestream by Brother Rogelio Osuna, a member of the Young Men general advisory council and an employee in the Church’s Missionary Department.

The video’s message focused on young men engaging in missionary service now — not waiting for a full-time call — through daily, small acts of love and principles taught in the “For the Strength of Youth” guide and the Church’s “Love, Share, Invite” initiative.

First-year observation

In his first year, President Farnes has visited youth in Asia, the Pacific Islands, Latin America and across the United States. He said he is impressed by the righteous choices they are making.

“The Lord is hastening in His work, and I’m seeing that in the youth. They’re participating at levels never before seen in the Church,” he said. “I love them and am inspired by them. It’s been incredible to feel and experience their faith.”

Helping to gather Israel

President Farnes referenced the late President Russell M. Nelson’s October 2020 general conference talk “Let God Prevail,” in which the Prophet said, “Anytime we do anything that helps anyone — on either side of the veil — to make and keep their covenants with God, we are helping to gather Israel.”

Said President Farnes: “You can be a missionary today in ever so little ways. Anytime you do anything which helps anyone turn to their Savior, Jesus Christ, you’re being a missionary.”

Help others feel loved

One way young men can be missionaries today, President Farnes said, is by living the two great commandments — “Love God and love your neighbor” (see Matthew 22:37-40) — as outlined in Chapter 6 of the FSY guide.

President Farnes encouraged youth to treat others as children of God — and to “help them feel Heavenly Father’s love through you.”

“That will not only bless them, that will bless you to feel His warm embrace in your life,” President Farnes said. “The times in my life when I felt His love the greatest is when I was turned out and helping somebody else.”

He continued: “There is no greater joy than to walk to the Savior together with somebody.”

On his mission, President Farnes learned that even a simple smile, given and returned, could help both people feel closer to God.

“In a small way, we both turned to God in that moment,” he said. “Just a simple smile sometimes is all that’s needed to help somebody feel His love through you.”

Note to a friend

Youth can be missionaries by inviting a friend to seminary — something as simple as handing them a pass-along card.

President Farnes said sharing the gospel can start small — a note left on a desk, a card slipped to a friend or a message of love sent through social media. He invited youth to begin each morning by praying for “eyes to see” whom God would have them serve that day.

“Scroll down all your friends and prayerfully consider which friend needs to be ‘seen’ that day, and then send them a little message of love. Let them know that their Heavenly Father is aware of them, loves them, that you ‘see’ them, that you appreciate their friendship,” he said, adding that the invitation should be inspired. “It will make all the difference in somebody’s life, so take the chance.”

President Farnes concluded: “There is no greater joy than to walk with Him in His work. I testify that He lives, He loves you, and His greatest desire is to walk with you every single day.”

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Learning Jewish traditions in Japan

Leaning over parchment scrolls filled with Hebrew lettering, 150 Latter-day Saint youth gathered around the Torah — perhaps seeing it for the very first time — as Rabbi Andrew Scheer taught the young members about Judaism.

Rabbi Scheer read a portion of the Ten Commandments from the parchment then shared the English translation.

“Thou shalt have no other gods before me,” he translated.

The youth — from the Tokyo Japan South Stake (English), which includes English wards and military branches of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — attended the Jewish Community of Japan Synagogue on May 17, hosted by Rabbi Scheer, the Church’s East Asia Newsroom reported.

The synagogue, a 20-minute walk from the Tokyo Japan Temple, serves as a central hub for Jewish life in the country. Latter-day Saint youth were introduced to the history and design of the synagogue, key aspects of Jewish worship and daily religious life throughout their visit.

Rabbi Scheer taught about the importance of Shabbat (the Sabbath) as a time of spiritual renewal and rest:

“Shabbat is the most important Jewish ‘holiday’ because it is our anchor,” he said. “All other holidays hold significance, but none compares to the weekly worship of God.”

He also explained the role of the mikveh, a water-filled space resembling a baptismal font, used in Jewish practice as a symbol of spiritual renewal and purification.

For many members, the visit provided powerful context for the deep symbolism of their own faith, while simultaneously creating relationships with those of other faiths.

Aiding Catholic soup kitchen in Japan

Maribeth Sumang and Renato Sumang are members of the Church’s Welfare and Independent Living Services Department and local Church leaders living in Kobe, Japan, just 20 miles west of Osaka, Japan.

After speaking with a Catholic friend and former colleague, the couple learned about a soup kitchen hosted every weekend at the Kobe Central Catholic Church. Hoping to show Christlike love and serve their neighbors, they began participating in the soup kitchen years ago.

After much time volunteering, the Sumangs felt strongly they needed to find a way to improve the facilities and equipment — a desire that soon led to an official request to the Church’s Welfare and Self-Reliance Department, according to the Church’s Japan Newsroom.

“What started as a small act of service has now become a great blessing for our family,” Maribeth Sumang said, reflecting on her experience. “We have learned how much joy and fulfillment we can gain from working together as a team for a good cause.”

On May 16, the Church held a ceremony at the Kobe Central Catholic Church to present relief supplies for the soup kitchen volunteers.

“By working together and serving one another, we have come to see each other as brothers and sisters in Christ, transcending denominational differences,” said Sumang. “We share a strong common desire to follow the Savior and to care for those around us. We realize how much we have in common in this shared purpose, and this has fostered wonderful understanding and friendship.”

Interfaith dinner in Singapore

Sitting down at a table in a Singapore church meetinghouse, 50 guests of various faiths ate dinner together June 12, the Church’s Singapore Newsroom reported.

Throughout the evening, participants met the newly appointed Singapore Stake presidency members: President Christian Hsieh and his counselors, President Paul Chan and President Steven Lesser.

“Thank you for a lovely evening of fellowship and durians,” remarked Kuek Yi Hsing, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Singapore. “We really need such [a] gathering of friends from different religions, and your Church is in the right direction.”

As part of the program, guests were introduced to FamilySearch, a free online family history platform sponsored by the Church.

“This evening was a heartwarming reminder that when people of different faiths come together in friendship, understanding grows and communities flourish,” said LaVon Lew, the national director who leads the Church’s Singapore Communications Council. “We are grateful to the many faith communities, organizations and friends who have welcomed us with open hearts.”

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The council members wrote about the videos’ five topics for the Church News. This is the fifth of five articles and is about the topic “Discovering the divine design in my family.” Read part 1 about “Finding strength and relief in Jesus Christ” here, part 2 about “Managing competing priorities” here, part 3 about “Building emotional resilience” here and part 4 about “Staying committed when facing offense, hurt or trials” here.

In general conference last October, President Dallin H. Oaks reminded us that the design of the family is eternal. He taught that “our relationship to God and the purpose of our mortal life are explained in terms of the family. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the plan of our Heavenly Father for the benefit of His spirit children. We can truly say that the gospel plan was first taught to us in the council of an eternal family, it is implemented through our mortal families, and its intended destiny is to exalt the children of God in eternal families.” What a gift it is to be reminded that the family is not a temporary arrangement, but a divine and eternal design.

Our mortal families are patterned after God’s eternal family. Understanding this helps us better see the purpose of family life — not just to live together but to learn, grow, sacrifice and love as He does. Our Heavenly Father gave His Son so that all of His children could return to live with Him again, and the family is central to that plan. Through families, we learn about God’s love, His patience and His perfect timing.

This doctrine has deeply personal meaning, no matter what our families look like. For me, Andrea, my family currently consists of just two. After losing my husband to cancer when our son was still a baby, life did not unfold the way I once imagined. There have been missing pieces, unanswered questions and moments of deep grief. Yet those very gaps have required a greater reliance on divine help, service and the love and Christlike service of extended family. I have felt sustained by a Father in Heaven who is profoundly aware of families that look different than the ideal and who provides strength, comfort and hope beyond what we can provide for ourselves.

And for me, Sandy, my experience is different, but the reliance is the same. Living abroad, far from extended family and familiar surroundings, required my family to depend heavily on the Lord and on the love and service of our church family. Distance strengthened faith, deepened relationships and reinforced the truth that belonging is not limited by geography. God provides connection wherever His children seek Him.

Connection and belonging come through covenants. As we enter into covenant relationships with a loving God, we are bound more closely to Him and to one another. These covenants strengthen our earthly relationships and anchor us during times of uncertainty. Families are designed to help all members understand God’s plan and His love for them, even when circumstances are difficult or imperfect.

In his same talk, President Oaks shared stories about how his own family didn’t match the ideal, and he shared some lessons he learned from his mother. He said: “Every single mother can teach of the love of a Heavenly Father and the eventual blessings of a temple marriage.

“You too can do this. Heavenly Father’s plan assures this possibility for everyone. We are all grateful for temple marriage and for the prospective blessings of being sealed as an eternal family. Like my mother, we love to quote Lehi’s promise to his son Jacob that God ‘shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain’ (2 Nephi 2:2). That applies to every Latter-day Saint family, complete or currently incomplete. We are a family church.”

The family is where we learn some of life’s most important lessons: faith, trust, love, forgiveness and patience with God’s timing. As we model our lives after the teachings and self-sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we are blessed, even when life does not follow our expected path. He will help us love our family members like He does. He will help us learn to care and forgive like He does. He will help us live with an eternal perspective and will help us desire to repent when we are the ones in the wrong.

It is vital that we do not lose our understanding of the purpose of marriage and the value of children, and that we gently help those we love recognize these eternal blessings through example and testimony.

Because of Jesus Christ, we can find joy in God’s plan, even when our family looks different from the ideal. Everyone belongs to a family — as a parent, child, sibling or extended relative. Most importantly, each of us is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, with a divine nature and eternal destiny. That truth unites us all and testifies of the divine design of the family.

— Sister Andrea McConkie and Sister Sandra Springer are members of the Relief Society general advisory council.

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These classes provide opportunities to feel the influence of the Holy Ghost and help us better understand the character of Heavenly Father and the central role of Jesus Christ in our lives. They are intended not merely to cover material but to create spiritual experiences that deepen conversion to Jesus Christ and His restored gospel and help us become more like Him.

To help teachers create these kinds of learning experiences, teacher council meetings are held in each ward or branch. Under the new Sunday meeting schedule, each council lasts 25 minutes.

In each teacher council meeting, teachers may be given a few minutes to report on progress, briefly share experiences or ask questions. The majority of the time should be devoted to explaining, modeling and practicing principles and skills from “Teaching in the Savior’s Way: For All Who Teach in the Home and in the Church.” These principles include focusing on Jesus Christ, loving those you teach, teaching by the Holy Ghost, teaching the doctrine and inviting diligent learning. The final few minutes of the meeting could be reserved for teachers to make plans and decide how to apply what they have learned.

When possible, each teacher should participate in one teacher council meeting each month. Wards that can do so might hold more than one teacher council meeting to accommodate all teachers.

For example, Sunday School teachers could attend during Relief Society or elders quorum meetings, while Relief Society, elders quorum, Aaronic Priesthood quorum and Young Women teachers could attend during Sunday School. Primary presidencies should be consulted to determine the best time to hold teacher council meetings for Primary teachers.

These meetings could take place outside the two-hour Sunday schedule, or Primary teachers could attend during part of Primary, depending on ward needs and circumstances.

Teacher council meetings are under the direction of the ward council and are usually led by a member of the ward Sunday School presidency. Together, the ward council and Sunday School president can identify ward needs and determine how best to address them.

Resources for these meetings are available in the Gospel Library under “Books and Lessons” and then “Teaching and Learning.” Ward organization presidencies should encourage their teachers to attend council meetings and to be prepared to participate.

As teachers are given time to practice teaching skills that they can immediately incorporate, teaching and learning experiences will improve.

Teacher council meetings for parents may also be held under the direction of the ward council. They do not need to occur regularly but may be held as needs arise. They are often most effective in groups with similar family circumstances, such as parents of children preparing for baptism or missions, or parents of Primary children or youth.

As teacher council meetings are held consistently, and when they are focused on deepening conversion and implementing the principles of “Teaching in the Savior’s Way,” teachers will be better prepared to create learning experiences that help members come to Jesus Christ — which is the aim of all gospel teaching and learning.

— The Sunday School general presidency consists of President Paul V. Johnson, first counselor Brother Chad H Webb and second counselor Brother Gabriel W. Reid.

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Be grateful, develop a strong work ethic, be fair, be honest, and be kind in every circumstance and in each interaction.

“If you do, opportunities will present themselves to you. In other words, build the best product, and it will sell itself — build the best ‘you,’ and things will all work out,” Brother Wunderli, first counselor in the Young Men general presidency, assured Brigham Young University–Idaho graduates on Thursday, July 23.

Some 2,800 graduates and their friends and families gathered in the I–Center in Rexburg, Idaho, for the afternoon commencement.

In his address, Brother Wunderli encouraged this year’s cohort to develop a Christlike character.

“Wherever you land, the common denominator of your influence on others and on organizations will be your character. The responsibilities you will assume will be less important than your relationships with others and the character you develop,” Brother Wunderli told graduates.

He shared several things that matter in the process of developing Christlike character.

Words matter

As Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught in the April 2024 general conference that “words do matter,” Brother Wunderli told graduates.

Graduates can choose to use words that draw individuals closer to Jesus Christ. The Book of Mormon prophet Lehi had a dream that teaches that it is by holding fast to Christ’s words that individuals are led to His love, Brother Wunderli noted.

“Our words reflect our true character. How blessed are we that because of the gift of agency and Christ’s Atonement, our character can change. We can develop a Christlike character. We can ‘act for [ourselves] and not ... be acted upon’ (2 Nephi 2:26).”

Focus matters

Brother Wunderli noted he has witnessed both great happiness and great sadness in both the wealthy and the poor.

The late President Russell M. Nelson taught: “The joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives. ... Joy comes from and because of Him. He is the source of all joy” (“Joy and Spiritual Survival,” October 2016 general conference).

Gratitude matters

One day as a young missionary walking the dusty streets of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, Brother Wunderli and his companion watched a severely deformed young man descend from a bus and scoot himself on a makeshift skateboard. Across his back was a satchel containing a shoeshine brush, polish and a few rags, Brother Wunderli recalled.

This young man, Samuel, was 17 years old and one of 11 children. As he shined shoes, he smiled genuinely and expressed his gratitude at being able to contribute to his family’s needs.

“Samuel had found happiness in work despite near impossible circumstances,” said Brother Wunderli. “He taught me the power of gratitude — that an attitude of gratitude can transcend even the most challenging of circumstances.”

Pure intent matters

Brother Wunderli said he has learned that on the journey of becoming more like Christ, “our intent matters.”

In His Sermon on the Mount, the Savior taught, “Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 6:1-2).

Brother Wunderli asked: “In our relations with others, do we share conversations with the intent to impress them or to bless them? Do we speak out of intent to bring comfort, encouragement and love to them or to seek praise and acceptance from them?”

In a letter to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul wrote: “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).

Righteous intent — born out of love for God and neighbor — is at the core of developing Christlike character, Brother Wunderli observed.

“If all our choices were to be motivated by a love for God and love for others rather than love for self, our intent would be pure, and our becoming would be aligned more deeply with the character of Christ,” he said.

In his brief remarks, BYU–Idaho President Alvin F. Meredith III reminded graduates that the mission of BYU–Idaho is to develop disciples of Jesus Christ who are leaders in their homes, the Church and their communities.

“Beginning tomorrow for you, the mission of BYU–Idaho doesn’t end; it expands. Wherever you go, you’ll carry with you what you’ve learned here, and I hope who you became here,” said President Meredith.

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The Prophet and President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints appeared alongside his wife, Sister Kristen M. Oaks, in a vehicle in the parade route, following behind Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson and her husband, Brother Douglas R. Johnson.

President Johnson was this year’s parade grand marshal, becoming the second woman to be grand marshal. In 2022, Sister Jean B. Bingham, who was then serving as Relief Society general president, became the first woman to have the honor of grand marshal since the parade began in 1849.

In an interview before the parade, President Johnson said she is thrilled for the opportunity to honor her own pioneer ancestors and also celebrate all who are pioneers in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints around the world.

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This year’s theme of the Days of ’47 festivities is “Like, Learn, Love Pioneers.”

Different Utah stakes of the Church were chosen to create parade floats. Many volunteers were inspired by the stories of their own ancestors, pioneers around the world and temple work.

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The Otavalo Ecuador Temple was announced on May 14, 2026, in a letter from the First Presidency — Church President Dallin H. Oaks, with President Henry B. Eyring and President D. Todd Christofferson as counselors. Elder Juan Pablo Villar, a General Authority Seventy and president of the South America Northwest Area, read the letter in a devotional with the local Imbaya, Imbabura and Ibarra stakes.

Also in attendance at the devotional was Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Elder S. Mark Palmer of the Presidency of the Seventy. Elder Renlund’s visit to Otavalo was part of his ministry to Ecuador and other countries in the Church’s South America Northwest Area.

The Otavalo Ecuador Temple was announced on May 14, 2026, in a First Presidency letter, with President Dallin H. Oaks as Prophet. The letter was read by Elder Juan Pablo Villar, a General Authority Seventy, in a local devotional. Details about the temple’s groundbreaking have not yet been released.

Architecture and Design of the Otavalo Ecuador Temple

The Otavalo Ecuador Temple will be built in or near Otavalo, Ecuador. The site location and architectural rendering have not yet been released.

Per tradition, different stakes of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Utah were chosen to create a parade float in honor of those first pioneers. Each float is designed from the ground up by local Church members, and it is up to them to bring their vision to life.

This reliance on the talents of local members, and tender mercies from on high, allows those involved to participate in a special and faith-filled experience. Many of those who designed, built and perfected the floats expressed that without faith and reliance on the Lord, their visions would have never come to life.

Almost all of them used the word “miracle.”

Above the hum that filled the air, the sound of splashing water could be heard. Typically, the sound of rushing water on a parade float is cause for concern, but not for the float coordinators of the South Jordan Utah Glenmoor Stake.

“We wanted to portray the love that comes from the gospel that spreads out to the world,” said Cori Shaw, a member of the Glenmoor stake float committee.

The float depicts a model of the Salt Lake Temple atop a large granite rock. At the base of the temple, water flows out and splashes into multiple pools. The bottommost pool is surrounded by a colorful garden full of flowers, insects and animals.

However, the water does not stop its journey there. Above the lowest pool is a globe with symbols that represent the different charity efforts of the Church around the world.

The float’s theme is: “Where hope flows, love grows,” said Shaw.

The flowing water feature is something that Shaw and her husband felt captured the essence of the meaning behind their float. So with minimal engineering experience, Shaw’s husband and a next-door neighbor “just figured it out,” according to Shaw. They also chose to add turquoise dye to help the water stand out as a defining feature.

But for Shaw, the water feature wasn’t what made her float a “float of miracles,” it was the journey it took to bring it to life. A journey that Shaw says was one filled with faith.

“We have only been the hands,” said Shaw, with tears in her eyes. “This has been Heavenly Father’s plan all along.”

While trying to bring their vision to life, Shaw and her husband were searching for someone who could help sculpt the granite rock. The rock itself is made out of foam, but even still, Shaw and her husband were not well versed in “float sculpture,” as she put it.

The foam used in these floats is often expensive and can be hard to work with. While looking at blocks of foam to purchase, Shaw’s husband asked the store employee for some help. When the employee learned what the foam was going to be used for, something unexpected happened.

“He went around back, and we got all of this for free,” Shaw said, gesturing to the large rock. “We were able to do more with the money that we would have spent.”

The Shaws saw many more miracles, including the reuniting of family members. One float volunteer sent a photo of the working water feature to a son and was able to hold a lasting conversation with him, the first conversation they’ve had in years.

On another occasion, a mother-daughter duo helped arrange the various flowers and greenery seen around the lower pool. Instead of helping for the two hours they had volunteered for, they returned day after day, sometimes for up to 12 hours to help prepare the float.

Down the aisle of floats from the Glenmoor stake’s float, another float rose above the rest. This float, done by the Herriman Utah South Stake, is covered in 324 hand-milled wooden dolls. Each of these dolls represents a real pioneer ancestor of someone in the stake.

“We created a website for members of our stake to be able to upload stories of their ancestors,” said Amy Morris, a member of the float committee.

Then, after creating hundreds of wooden dolls, the committee decided to let everyone be involved in the creation of the float.

“We hosted events at our stake center where members of our stake could come and clothe, paint, however they wanted to re-create their ancestor,” Morris said.

The Herriman South stake is also home to a Polynesian ward, which proudly represented their heritage on the float with Polynesian fire-dancer dolls, complete with animatronics that allow the dancers to have spinning batons.

Jeremy Moser, co-chair of the float committee, explained that as more and more names and stories were uploaded to the stake website, he realized that the float wasn’t going to have enough room to carry that many dolls.

But as with the Glenmoor stake’s miracle float, Moser soon received the inspiration he needed to honor every pioneer ancestor that he could.

“I was in bed one night, … and the thought came to me, ‘Let’s make a treasure chest, and let’s honor them by saying everyone can go write additional names and put them in the treasure chest,’” Moser said.

Thus, on the back of the float, amid an array of dolls, is a treasure chest filled with slips of paper. Each paper has different names written on it, honoring each pioneer ancestor that didn’t have a doll made in their image.

As if the treasure chest wasn’t enough, Moser also wrote a song about the stake’s pioneer heritage that played softly from speakers as patrons walked around the float.

In the next aisle over from the Herriman South stake’s float is the West Jordan Utah Wasatch Meadows Stake (Spanish) float. The float has a family reading in 3 Nephi 11 in the Book of Mormon at the front of the float. Behind the family, the scene they are reading from the scriptural text is depicted.

A towering Mayan-style temple complete with stone-textured steps and golden stairs up the front face of the sculpture takes up the back half of the float. Beneath the temple, characters modeled as Nephites are seen staring up toward the temple. At the top, tubes of light illuminate every so often, representing the coming of the resurrected Jesus Christ.

This representation of ancient scripture is used to represent a different group of pioneers. The Wasatch Meadows stake is the first Spanish-speaking stake in Utah.

“We come from pioneers too,” said Daniel Hernandez, a volunteer from the Wasatch Meadows stake. “Our parents were baptized when they were young, or grandmothers were about when they were young. So we wanted to share our story with them too.”

For Hernandez, the float not only represents a different group of pioneers, it also represents the religious freedom that his immigrant ancestors have been able to enjoy in Utah.

“Thanks to what the pioneers did, we are able to worship Christ, even [though] we came to this land as immigrants,” he said.

That, says Hernandez, is a miracle.

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Wildfire evacuees have been sheltering with family members, friends and in the homes of Pueblo Colorado Stake members.

The fire began near the town of Beulah, Colorado, on June 29. Evacuations began that same day.

Sisters Katie and Breann Kirkland were at home in Beulah, which is in a valley in south-central Colorado on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains, when they noticed smoke and flames through a bedroom window. Their parents, Cindy and Mike Kirkland, began preparing the family for evacuation. As they loaded, Mike Kirkland recalled receiving official alerts to leave, including an unexpected visit from the Beulah fire chief.

He said, “I did not want to leave, but … it was the smart thing to do.”

The Kirkland family has lived in Beulah since 1865. Twenty members of the Kirkland family reside in Beulah in homes spread over 400 acres. In the initial days of the blaze, the fire burned some of the Kirklands’ property and came within a mile of Cindy and Mike Kirkland’s home. The fire continues to expand outward, fueled by winds and dry conditions in the area. Fire officials report that 850 structures have been destroyed including homes and commercial properties.

Since evacuation, the Kirklands have been staying with Adam and Kelli Haight of the Pueblo Ward. Despite being in the same ward, the Kirklands didn’t know the Haights well.

“This is one way to get to know them,” Mike Kirkland said. “There’s been a lot of good things coming out of this … We’re very, very thankful.”

Cindy Kirkland said: “When Kelli agreed to take us in, I really don’t think she quite expected us to be there two weeks. Everything fell into place when it was supposed to.”

Since the fire began, the evacuation zone has expanded across Custer, Pueblo and Fremont counties including the mountain towns of Rye and Colorado City in Pueblo County and Wetmore in Custer County. Beulah is in Pueblo County.

Dan and Winona Carlile of Colorado City have been evacuated twice.

Dan Carlile said: “We thought the fire was going to stay farther away, but then after a couple of days it kept coming towards us. Then we got the notice to evacuate.”

The Carliles went to a family member’s home outside of the evacuation zone. Two days later at 1 a.m., Dan and Winona Carlile evacuated again as the fire spread east.

Dan Carlile said: “We came to the Pueblo Stake center and found lots of helpful people. They’ve put us up with a family in the Pueblo West 1^st Ward. It’s been really good out there … This community has really come together because of this.”

Winona Carlile added, “Everybody’s been so kind and understanding.”

Dan Carlile observed: “We’ve always been on the giving side when we’re helping. This is different, very humbling.”

Nancy Peterson of Rye found out about the fire through other members. Her husband, Arlin Peterson, was working in Pueblo — which is northeast of Beulah, Rye and Colorado City — when the notice came for mandatory evacuation. As Nancy Peterson packed some belongings and four children into their family vehicle, her husband raced to meet her.

Arlin Peterson recalled: “I was in denial. I thought, no way. … I want to just go home. I saw the smoke on the top of the hill and realized I had to leave.”

The Petersons recalled many memories in their home of 13 years. They reminisced about holiday traditions, campfires in the backyard and missionary homecomings. On Sunday, July 5, the family fasted and prayed.

“We prayed that there would be angels around about our home,” Arlin Peterson said, adding, “On the first of the month I paid my tithing and I was just banking on that prayer and that promise.”

Nancy Peterson commented: “We’ve seen the Lord’s hand in everything that’s happened. It hasn’t been an act of injustice. It’s all been in tender mercy. In many cases [we’ve seen] an answer to prayers.”

Evacuated members anxiously await news of the status of their homes. The fire has reportedly come within 200 yards of the Petersons’ home, which sits on the southwestern perimeter of the fire at the end of a cul-de-sac. Miraculously, the home still stands.

Arlin Peterson thought about a prayer that he heard, asking for things to go back to normal. He decided, “We don’t want to go back to normal; we want to go back with a humble heart.”

Zane and Kathy Chartrand of Colorado City thought their home was a safe distance from the fire and that they would not need to evacuate.

As the fire raged closer, they reluctantly left their home with suitcases packed with clothes and pictures of their children and grandchildren.

Kathy Chartrand recalls: “We didn’t think when we left at 3:30 in the morning that the fire was going to take it because the firemen were flying helicopters back and forth … dumping water on the hilltop. We spent the night with a friend in Walsenburg, a half hour south of us. In the morning when we got up we wanted to get over there to see if it was OK. We got up and we looked and it was just gone.”

Zane Chartrand is a retired building contractor. The couple built their farmhouse-style home over 30 years including living space for their 12 children, a barn and a large shop. Kathy Chartrand recalls furniture that her husband made himself and antiques that she had refinished, including a pair of rocking chairs inherited from her grandparents.

Kathy Chartrand said: “A lot of blood, sweat and tears went into it and it all just evaporated overnight. It’s still hard to wrap our heads around it. But we have faith and the Lord has plans for us.”

Despite the loss, the Chartrands are optimistic about their future. A year prior, they felt prompted to meet with an insurance agent and update their home’s plan. Due to the upgrade, they now have the option to rebuild or relocate.

Zane Chartrand said: “I’d never really gone through a shock like that … but as the days went by, we started jokingly looking for a silver lining in the cloud. Each day we saw a good thing that came from it. A little bit at a time. We got a lot of comfort from it. Right now we’re accepting it and moving forward. We have lots of options.”

Since evacuations began, bishops of the impacted wards have been working with ward Relief Society and elders quorum presidencies to identify, contact and assist evacuees. Bishop Aaron Garner and Relief Society President Amy Fox of the Rye Ward are using a combination of email surveys, texting tools and phone calls to communicate with ward evacuees. Due to the large number of evacuees, the effort to track member needs has been extraordinary, especially given that both Bishop Garner and Fox are evacuees themselves.

Some members in Colorado City and Beulah have been allowed to return home, but Rye is still evacuated. Most homes are expected to remain without power for weeks to months. Many homes are also without water due to the use of wells that run on electric pumps. The Rye chapel remains in the evacuation zone, and displaced members have been attending sacrament meetings in chapels across the Pueblo Colorado Stake.

Church members have served wildfire evacuees through opening their homes, donating supplies and serving as volunteers.

In response to the disaster, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints donated a semitruck of bottled water, peanut butter and jam to the Care and Share food bank of southern Colorado. The supplies are being used to feed the more than 1,700 firefighters working on the front line of the fire.

Members of several stakes in Colorado Springs, which is about 45 miles (about 73 kilometers) north of Pueblo, have donated supplies for evacuees including food, toiletries and gift cards. Stake Relief Society President Shelli Garrett of the Colorado Springs East Stake reached out to stake members via email for donations. She delivered a load of supplies to Pueblo on July 10. That evening, volunteers at the Pueblo Colorado Stake Center distributed the supplies to around 200 people.

Pueblo Colorado Stake Relief Society President Mary Marble has been coordinating both donations and the effort to match evacuees with temporary housing.

Marble said, “It has touched me deeply to see so many [people] willing to share and give.”

Nikki Peterson of the Pueblo West 4^th Ward has been housing wildfire evacuee Angela Holmes since July 1. Peterson said: “This is a perfect example to teach my children about service. They’ve been wonderful with her. I have seen a different side of my children … [with] a lady who was a complete stranger to us.”

The Pueblo Colorado Stake has provided volunteers for the Pueblo County Disaster Assistance Center throughout the evacuation. The center has hosted thousands of evacuees. Melanie Maurer of the Pueblo West 4^th Ward has been serving in the center alongside members of other churches and nonprofit organizations. Maurer works at the supply distribution tables giving out food and toiletries from nonprofit organizations including Care and Share and United Way.

Maurer said: “Most people feel very grateful that they are safe, that their families are safe and that they feel so much support from the community. All of these churches coming together to donate and volunteer has been so heartwarming, and I feel privileged to be able to help in the tiniest way.”

Marble said: “Over the past two weeks, I have witnessed countless hours of service. I have watched donations pour in from hundreds of people who simply wanted to help relieve suffering and support those who have been displaced.”

She continued: “We are service-oriented people, and I think most of us would much rather be on the giving end than the receiving end … At times, each of us must allow someone else the blessing of serving us. Over these past two weeks, I have witnessed both. I have seen extraordinary generosity from those who wanted to give, and I have seen humility and gratitude from those willing to receive.”

The Aspen Acres fire is expected to burn for weeks and is currently 66% contained.

— Jenney Mead is the Pueblo Colorado Stake communications director.

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