During the week of Dec. 10 to Dec. 16, President Jeffrey R. Holland, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, rededicated the St. George Utah Temple. President Camille N. Johnson, Relief Society general president, ministered in Asia and spoke to missionaries in the Provo MTC. The “Come, Follow Me” manual for 2024 is simplified into one manual instead of four.
Elder Carlos A. Godoy of the Presidency of the Seventy spoke to BYU–Idaho graduates. The First Presidency announced dedication and open house dates for three temples, the groundbreaking date for one and the site location for another. The Church will open a new missionary training center — its 10th worldwide — next month in Bangkok, Thailand.
The Tabernacle Choir shared many announcements this week, including Lloyd Newell concluding his hosting of the “Music & the Spoken Word” broadcast, the 2022 Christmas concert on PBS and BYUtv is now available for viewers to watch, and Choir President Michael O. Leavitt and Karmel Newell, the choir’s director of member support, spoke on the Church News podcast.
Read the summaries and find links to these nine articles below.
1. President Holland rededicates St. George Utah Temple
President Holland rededicated the St. George Utah Temple on Sunday, Dec. 10.
The longest-operating temple in the Church and the first completed in Utah, the house of the Lord stands as a tribute to the past and a beacon to the future, he said. “I consider this one of the sweetest and most rewarding assignments I have had in my 34 years as a general authority.”
Read the full article here.
See the rededicatory prayer of the St. George Utah Temple here.
2. Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson ministers to Saints abroad and missionaries in the Provo MTC.
President Camille N. Johnson was in South Korea as part of a ministry assignment to the Asia North Area of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Nov. 29-Dec. 7, during which she also went to Japan and Mongolia.
President Johnson also spoke to missionaries in the Provo Missionary Training Center on the motivating power of love.
Read about President Johnson’s ministry in Asia here.
Read about President Johnson’s Provo MTC devotional address here.
3. ‘Come, Follow Me’ simplifies from 4 manuals to 1
Next year’s “Come, Follow Me” manuals will be different from previous years’ as the Church moves away from separate manuals for the home, Sunday School, Primary and youth classes. Instead of having four manuals for those groups, one unified manual has been published and distributed to individuals and families around the world.
Read the full article here.
4. Elder Godoy invites BYU–Idaho graduates to apply 3 ‘Behold, therefore’ principles
In his scripture studies, Elder Carlos A. Godoy has come across what he calls the “Behold, therefore” pattern.
Utilizing this “Behold, therefore” pattern, Elder Godoy offered three points of counsel to graduates of Brigham Young University–Idaho during commencement exercises on Thursday, Dec. 14: Be grateful, don’t be afraid of the future, and try to fulfill the Lord’s plan.
Read the full article here.
5. First Presidency announces sites, groundbreaking, open house and dedication dates for 5 temples
The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced dedication and open house dates for three new houses of the Lord — the Layton Utah, Puebla Mexico and Urdaneta Philippines temples.
In addition, the groundbreaking date for the Knoxville Tennessee Temple was released as well at the site location for the Antananarivo Madagascar Temple.
Read the article about the three temples with dedication dates here.
Read the article about the Knoxville Tennessee Temple groundbreaking here.
Read the article about the Antananarivo Madagascar Temple site here.
6. Church to open a new missionary training center in Bangkok, Thailand — its 10th worldwide
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will open a new missionary training center — its 10th worldwide — next month in Bangkok, Thailand.
Effective January 2024, the Thailand MTC will be located in the annex adjacent to the new six-story Bangkok Thailand Temple, which was dedicated and began operations in October.
Read the full article here.
7. Updates on the Tabernacle Choir
Lloyd Newell, host of the The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square’s weekly “Music & the Spoken Word” broadcast, announced Sunday, Dec. 10, that he and his wife, Karmel Newell, have received a call to be mission leaders starting in July 2024.
The 2023 Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square’s Christmas concert began on Thursday, Dec. 14, and will go through Saturday, Dec. 16. Broadway singer/actor Michael Maliakel and British actor Lesley Nicol joined the Tabernacle Choir, Orchestra and Bells at Temple Square and Gabriel’s Trumpets as the featured guest artists during the concerts.
The Tabernacle Choir’s 2022 Christmas concert, “Season of Light: Christmas with The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square” with singer and “Disney Legend” Lea Salonga and British actor Sir David Suchet will be broadcast on PBS starting on Tuesday, Dec. 12, at 7 p.m. MST (8 p.m. EST) and on BYUtv on Sunday, Dec. 17, at 6 p.m. MST (8 p.m. EST).
Tabernacle Choir President Michael O. Leavitt and Karmel Newell, the choir’s director of member support, discussing the music of the Tabernacle Choir during Christmas and year-round on the Church News podcast.
Read the article about Lloyd Newell finishing his choir service here.
Read about the 2023 Christmas concert here.
See when and how to watch the 2022 Christmas concert here.
Listen to the Church News podcast with Michael Leavitt and Karmel Newell here.
8. Church and Save the Children work together to help babies thrive
This year, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints donated $8 million to Save the Children to benefit more than 49,000 mother-baby pairs in Colombia, Kenya, Somalia, Nigeria, northwest Syria, Yemen and Mozambique.
Read the full article here.
9. Concerts mark 2023 #LightTheWorld launch in Africa
Through music, worship and service, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Africa are helping #LightTheWorld and celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
