During the week of April 28 to May 3, President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency, dedicated the Urdaneta Philippines Temple. Watch this video about President Oaks’ time in the Philippines. President Camille N. Johnson, Sister J. Anette Dennis and Sister Kristin M. Yee of the Relief Society general presidency shared truths about different aspects of covenant power on the first day of the 2024 BYU Women’s conference.
This week’s episode of the Church News Podcast featured the words and testimonies of the 11 newly called General Authority Seventies. Students, faculty and staff of Ensign College and BYU-Pathway Worldwide heard messages from their respective school presidents at the start of their spring semesters. Latter-day Saint and Jewish friends shared a special interfaith moment during the Taylorsville Utah Temple open house.
Also, 125 years ago, President Lorenzo Snow was speaking in the St. George Tabernacle when he received a powerful spiritual manifestation that later resolved the Church’s financial problems. The Church worked with UNICEF to provide health, water and hygiene services to the vulnerable in Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia and Peru. Meanwhile, two Latter-day Saint returned missionaries from the University of Utah were selected in the NFL draft.
Read summaries and find links to these 9 stories below.
1. President Oaks dedicates Urdaneta Philippines Temple for faithful Filipino members who ‘believe these things’ and ‘do them’
President Oaks returned to the Southeast Asian nation on April 28 and dedicated the Urdaneta Philippines Temple — the Church’s 190th worldwide and third in the Philippines.
“As we see you wonderful brothers and sisters and youth here in the Philippines, we are thrilled to realize that you have grown much more in faithfulness in keeping the commandments of God than when Sister Oaks and I left the Philippines 20 years ago,” said President Oaks.
Read the full article here.
2. Video: President and Sister Oaks speak on the blessings of ‘Filling the Temples’
President Oaks and his wife, Sister Kristen M. Oaks, served in the Philippines 20 years ago when he was called to serve as the Philippines Area president for two years while still serving as an Apostle. He said they focused a lot during those two years on teaching the importance of being worthy to enter the house of the Lord so that more temples could be built in the country.
In this Church News video, titled “Filling the Temples,” President and Sister Oaks testify of the need to fill temples, not just build temples.
Watch this Church News Video here.
3. Relief Society general presidency opens BYU Women’s Conference by teaching covenant transformation, belonging, rest
“We choose to be disciples of Jesus Christ in following the Savior’s example. … Sisters, come take your place as covenant women.”
President Johnson taught about the power and importance of covenants during the opening keynote address for the 2024 BYU Women’s Conference on Wednesday, May 1, at the BYU Marriott Center.
She was joined by Sister Dennis, first counselor in the Relief Society general presidency, and Sister Yee, second counselor.
Their keynote address marked the start of this year’s BYU Women’s Conference, the largest annual three-day gathering of Latter-day Saint women in the world that enables women of faith to hear uplifting messages, gain insights and participate in service.
Read more about the message here.
4. Episode 186: Getting to know the new General Authority Seventies through their own words and testimonies
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sustained 11 new General Authority Seventies during the Saturday morning session of the Church’s 194th Annual General Conference on Saturday, April 6, 2024.
President Oaks presented the new General Authority Seventies for a sustaining vote, along with the sustaining of the Church’s general authorities and general officers.
This episode of the Church News podcast is dedicated to sharing their words and testimonies of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Listen to the Church News Podcast here.
5. Ensign College and BYU-Pathway students hear devotional messages from respective school presidents
Ensign College President Bruce C. Kusch taught the principles of obedience and grace during the spring semester opening devotional on Tuesday, April 23. His wife, Sister Alynda Kusch, also spoke during the devotional.
President Kusch testified that the Savior is perfectly aware of the difficulties of experiencing temptation. The scriptures don’t say that He had an extraordinary power to resist temptation; rather, they say that, “He suffered temptations” (Doctrine and Covenants 20:22).
BYU–Pathway Worldwide President Brian K. Ashton taught students that “God cares about your careers” as he spoke in the first devotional of the spring semester on April 30. He was joined by his wife, Sister Melinda Ashton.
“Your jobs allow you to support your families, educate your children and serve God’s children in the Church, your communities and your nations,” he said. “As a result, God will help you in your professions as you are humble, strive to do His will and seek His help.”
The couple testified that through humility, prayer, action and the gift of the Holy Ghost, Latter-day Saints can receive revelation to guide their professions.
Read more about the Ensign College devotional here.
Read more about the BYU-Pathway Worldwide devotional here.
6. How singing a Hebrew psalm in the Taylorsville Utah Temple led to a powerful interfaith moment for Jewish, Latter-day Saint friends
Something described as “transcendent, spiritual, powerful and meaningful” happened as a group of Utah’s Jewish leaders and members of the Church sat together in a sealing room at the end of a tour during the public open house of the Taylorsville Utah Temple on April 15.
They joined together in singing the words of Psalm 133 — in Hebrew — a rare occurrence in Latter-day Saint temples. Elder Ahmad S. Corbitt, a General Authority Seventy who led the tour, said what happened was “all very natural, it wasn’t planned.”
“It felt spiritual,” he said. “It was a powerful experience where Heavenly Father’s covenant people bridged a divide and came together in harmony, facilitated by the house of the Lord.”
Read the full article here.
7. 125 years ago: How President Lorenzo Snow’s renewed emphasis of tithing blessed the Church
In early May 1899, 85-year-old Church President Lorenzo Snow felt directed by the Lord to travel 300 miles from Salt Lake City to St. George in the southwestern corner of Utah — without knowing why.
“We can scarcely express the reason why we came,” he told a congregation of Latter-day Saints gathered in the red sandstone St. George Tabernacle on May 17, 1899, “yet I presume the Lord will have somewhat to say to us.”
The answer came as a powerful spiritual manifestation to President Snow during his remarks. Pausing unexpectedly, with a countenance filled with light, the Prophet spoke on the importance of paying a full tithe, declaring that the time had come for every Latter-day Saint to obey this law and promising blessings to those who did so, according to “Saints, Vol. 3.”
Read the full article here.
8. Church of Jesus Christ and UNICEF work to help babies, children and mothers in South America
The more-than-10-year collaboration between The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and UNICEF is now blessing tens of thousands of lives in the Church’s South America Northwest Area.
Because of significant monetary donations from the Church to UNICEF in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, the most vulnerable babies, children and mothers will have access to better health care, safer water and improved hygiene.
Read the full article here.
9. Two Latter-day Saint returned missionaries selected in NFL draft
Two college football players who served missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were selected in the NFL draft over the weekend while others signed as free agents or were invited to team mini-camps.
Safety/running back Sione Vaki and wide receiver Devaughn Vele, both from the University of Utah, heard their names called during the latter rounds NFL draft on April 27.
