During the week of Sept. 17-23, President Russell M. Nelson, Church historians and Church leaders celebrated the 200th anniversary of angel Moroni’s first visit to the Prophet Joseph Smith. For the first time in Church history, three temples were dedicated on the same day, and each dedication was presided over by a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles — Elder David A. Bednar in Bentonville, Arkansas; Elder Quentin L. Cook in Moses Lake, Washington; and Elder Neil L. Andersen in Brasília, Brazil.
President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency, and Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles officially installed Christopher Shane Reese as the 14th president of Brigham Young University. Elder Christofferson and Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles addressed Latter-day Saints during a historic devotional broadcast throughout Latin America. Relief Society, Young Women and Primary leaders ministered to Church and community members in San Diego, the Pacific and Brazil.
Church leaders spoke at devotionals at the Provo Missionary Training Center, BYU–Idaho, BYU–Hawaii and BYU–Pathway Worldwide. The Church released updates for both the Okinawa Japan Temple and the Orem Utah Temple. This Is the Place Heritage Park in Salt Lake City dedicated a statue of Ellis Reynolds Shipp, one of Utah’s first female doctors. The Church donated $8.25 million to two organizations in response to the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Sudan.
Read summaries and find links to these nine articles below.
1. President Nelson, Church historians and Church leaders commemorate 200th anniversary of angel Moroni’s first visit to Joseph Smith
President Nelson, Church historians and Church leaders celebrated the 200th anniversary of angel Moroni’s first visit to the Prophet Joseph Smith. President Nelson wrote a social media post, saying:
“I have reflected many times on the miracle of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. Today we commemorate the 200th anniversary of the angel Moroni’s first visit to the Prophet Joseph Smith. What a remarkable visitation this was! Moroni was a messenger sent from God to teach Joseph Smith about the work that God had for him to do. Moroni became one of Joseph’s major tutors.”
Church historian comments were also featured in the latest Church News video and podcast.
2. Three temples — Brasília, Moses Lake and Bentonville — dedicated on the same day
For the first time in Church history, three temples were dedicated on the same day — the Brasília Brazil Temple, the Bentonville Arkansas Temple and the Moses Lake Washington Temple
Each dedication was presided over by a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles — Elder Neil L. Andersen in Brazil, Elder David A. Bednar in Arkansas, and Elder Quentin L. Cook in Washington
3. Church leaders inaugurate C. Shane Reese as 14th president of BYU
President Oaks and Elder Christofferson officially installed Christopher Shane Reese as the 14th president of Brigham Young University on Tuesday, Sept. 19.
During the late-morning installation held in the BYU Marriott Center and attended by Church, government, civic and education leaders, Elder Christofferson, chairman of the executive committee of the BYU board of trustees, charged President Reese to help the university become “what prophets past and present have foreseen it would become.”
4. Church leaders emphasize education during historic Spanish-language devotional originating from Mexico City
“You can be successful in an uncertain world if you build your life upon the rock of Jesus Christ,” said Elder Christofferson, chairman of the executive committee of the Church Board of Education.
Joined by Elder Rasband and President Johnson, Elder Christofferson addressed Latter-day Saints during a historic devotional broadcast throughout Latin America.
5. Relief Society, Primary and Young Women leaders minister in San Diego, Pacific and Brazil
Sister Amy A. Wright, first counselor in the Primary general presidency, and Sister Andrea Muñoz Spannaus, second counselor in the Young Women general presidency, visited several countries in the Pacific while on a ministry visit in September, sharing Christ-focused messages with the area’s children and youth.
While meeting with a group of women leaders of community nonprofit charity groups in the San Diego, California, area, Primary General President Susan H. Porter spoke of the desire to serve others as the Savior did in His life. President Porter was joined by Sister Kristin M. Yee, second counselor in the Relief Society general presidency, and Sister Tamara W. Runia, first counselor in the Young Women general presidency.
During their ministry in multiple cities in Brazil Sept. 8-18, Sister J. Anette Dennis, first counselor in the Relief Society general presidency, and Sister Tracy Y. Browning, second counselor in the Primary general presidency, saw humanitarian efforts of the Church and met with many Brazilian Latter-day Saints.
6. Church leaders speak at devotionals in three Church educational institutions and Provo MTC
Church leaders spoke at devotionals at the Provo Missionary Training Center and three Church educational institutions. Elder Marcus B. Nash, a General Authority Seventy and the executive director of the Church’s Missionary Department, spoke at the Provo MTC about the power of MTC devotionals.
Brother Jan E. Newman, second counselor in the Sunday School general presidency, spoke at BYU–Hawaii; BYU–Pathway Worldwide President Brian K. Ashton and his wife, Sister Melinda Ashton, spoke in a devotional for BYU–Pathway students; and Elder Juan Pablo Villar, a General Authority Seventy, spoke in a BYU–Idaho devotional.
7. Open house announcements for Okinawa and Orem temples
The Okinawa Japan Temple — to be dedicated later this fall as the Church’s fourth house of the Lord in Japan and its 186th worldwide — opened to the public, with the Church offering photos of the new temple.
Also, online reservations opened to tour the newly built Orem Utah Temple during the public open house, via reservations.churchofjesuschrist.org.
8. This Is the Place Heritage Park honors medical career of Ellis Reynolds Shipp with new statue
This Is the Place Heritage Park in Salt Lake City dedicated a statue in honor of Ellis Reynolds Shipp, one of Utah’s first female doctors, on Wednesday, Sept. 20.
“This morning, we are here to honor one of those pioneers who was so instrumental in the beginnings of the state that was to become the ensign to the nation,” said Ellis Ivory, CEO of This Is the Place Foundation, during the dedicatory prayer. “We’re thankful for the ... remarkable service Ellis Shipp gave in delivering thousands of babies while teaching [and] training hundreds of nurses and midwives to ... improve the health care of the people as they struggled to build the West.”
9. $8.25 million Church donation to help refugees in Sudan
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints donated $8.25 million to two organizations in response to the urgent humanitarian crisis unfolding in Sudan.
The donations to the World Food Programme and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees will help feed and provide core relief items to hundreds of thousands of refugees living in refugee camps in Sudan and in the bordering countries of South Sudan, Chad, Ethiopia and Egypt.
