During the week of May 5-11, the Church News published a look back at some of Church President Russell M. Nelson’s teachings to Latter-day Saint women about their spiritual strength and influence. Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles was the opening keynote speaker at the 2024 Utah Coalition Against Pornography Conference, combining both spiritual and professional knowledge. BYU Women’s conference keynote speaker, Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson also spoke specifically to women about ‘covenant confidence’ — watch this Church News video about her message.
Elder Carlos A. Godoy and Sister Mônica Godoy spoke at the May 5 Worldwide Young Adult Devotional, addressing how young adults can navigate loneliness, dating, institute, service, missions and marriage. Meanwhile, groundbreaking dates were set for temples in Bolivia and Texas, and dates were announced for the open house and dedication sessions of the Salvador Brazil Temple. During the BYU–Idaho devotional, President Alvin F. Meredith III invited students to look for Christ as they attend the temple; meanwhile, at BYU-Hawaii, President John S.K. Kauwe III and his wife, Sister Monica Kauwe, offered students a set of principles and expectations to guide them as they date with the goal of an eternal marriage.
Two members of the Primary general advisory council have been called and began their service in April. Amidst the major flooding in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints responded to the needs of the missionaries, members and communities affected. Olympic hopeful Courtney Wayment was featured on this week’s Church News Podcast episode to talk about her remarkable career, running and preparing for the Olympic Games.
Read summaries and find links to these nine stories below.
1. ‘Never underestimate the extraordinary power within you’: What President Nelson has said specifically to women
As Prophet and President of the Church, President Nelson has repeatedly articulated respect for women, taught about their spiritual strength and influence and encouraged them to live up to their divine privileges.
“Sisters, we need your voices teaching the doctrine of Christ. We need your ability as women to detect deception and to articulate truth. We need your inspired wisdom in your family, ward and stake councils, as well as in other places of influence throughout the world. Your family, the Church and the world need you.”
Read the full article looking back at some of his messages given specifically to women.
2. Elder Renlund combines spiritual and professional knowledge during anti-pornography conference
During the 2024 Utah Coalition Against Pornography Conference, Elder Renlund asked an audience member to do the seemingly impossible. He gave the audience member a nail, driven into a block of wood so that it stood upright. Then he asked her to balance 14 other nails on top of the one upright nail.
Not surprisingly, the woman struggled to complete the task. But then Elder Renlund showed her a trick: By interlocking 12 of the nails in a specific pattern between two horizontal nails, all 14 could successfully balance on the single upright nail.
The two horizontal nails were the key, Elder Renlund said, with one representing a person affected by pornography and the other representing faith in a higher power. And the other 12 nails represented family members, friends, ecclesiastical leaders, mental health professionals and others who can help lift the person impacted by pornography.
Read the full article here.
3. Video: President Camille N. Johnson teaches ‘covenant confidence is in Jesus Christ’
Tens of thousands of women participated in person and online in this year’s BYU Women’s Conference May 1-3, 2024 in Provo, Utah. During the conference, President Johnson shared a keynote address titled “Lessons Learned in Inviting Christ to Author My Story.”
Speaking from the Marriott Center at Brigham Young University to the women of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, President Johnson shared how she has learned to listen to the inspiration of the Holy Ghost and trust in the Savior and His Atonement.
“My covenant relationship with God brings me confidence,” she said. “My covenant confidence is in Jesus Christ.”
Watch the Church News video here.
4. Elder Godoy in worldwide devotional: Young adults can have a hopeful and joyous future through Christ
In hindsight, Elder Godoy sees that the guiding and protecting hand of a loving Heavenly Father was present throughout his life. He looks back at joining the Church and falling in love with his now-wife, Sister Mônica Godoy, as direction from a God who knows him and cares for him.
“I could not see it in those days,” said Elder Godoy of the Presidency of the Seventy in the May 5 Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults. “But I can see it now, looking back.”
Elder and Sister Godoy shared their experience as young adults — including how they met and started a family — and explained principles today’s young men and women can apply to more clearly see and follow the Lord’s direction when making critical life decisions.
Read more about the devotional here.
5. Temple updates for Brazil, Bolivia and Texas
The First Presidency of the Church has released the dedication and open-house dates for the Salvador Brazil Temple, located in the coastal Brazilian city named after the title of the Savior. Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will dedicate the Salvador temple — which will become the South American nation’s 11th operating house of the Lord — on Sunday, Oct. 20.
Elder Jorge F. Zeballos, a General Authority Seventy and president of the Church’s South America Northwest Area, will preside and offer a dedicatory prayer at the June 8 groundbreaking services for the Santa Cruz Bolivia Temple.
Elder Michael A. Dunn will preside at the Aug. 17 groundbreaking ceremony of the Austin Texas Temple and offer a dedicatory prayer. A General Authority Seventy who is currently second counselor in the North America Southwest Area presidency, Elder Dunn will serve as first counselor in the presidency beginning Aug. 1.
Read more about the Salvador Brazil Temple here.
Read more about the Santa Cruz Bolivia Temple and Austin Texas Temple here.
6. BYU-Idaho and Hawaii presidents share uplifting messages at the start of the new semester
Harkening back to the university’s date night in January, BYU-Hawaii President Kauwe and his wife, Sister Kauwe, offered students a set of principles and expectations to guide them as they date with the goal of an eternal marriage.
President and Sister Kauwe spoke side-by-side on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, during BYU–Hawaii’s first devotional of the semester and used the words of modern prophets to lay out how students should approach dating and relationships as they strive to heed God’s commandment to marry and raise children.
In his first address for the new semester, BYU–Idaho President Meredith began his remarks by reassuring students of not only the love he and his wife, Sister Jennifer Meredith, have for them but, more importantly, the love God has for them. “He loves you purely, profoundly and perfectly. He loves you beyond measure and without condition. Of all truths in the grand universe, that is the primary one. God loves you,” President Meredith said during the campus devotional held in the BYU–I Center in Rexburg, Idaho, on Tuesday, May 7.
Read more about the BYU-Hawaii devotional here.
Read more about the BYU-Idaho devotional here.
7. Meet the 2 new Primary general advisory council members
Two members of the Primary general advisory council have been called and began their service in April. Kathleen F. Kelly and Diane Wunderli will work with the Primary general presidency to help meet the needs of children around the world.
Find out more about them here.
8. Church of Jesus Christ responds to major flooding in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
In a letter sent to bishops and stake presidents, the Brazil Area presidency — Elder Joni L. Koch, president; Elder Arnulfo Valenzuela, first counselor; and Elder Mark D. Eddy, second counselor, all General Authority Seventies — shared how the Church has assembled staff and resources to assist those affected by the floods in Rio Grande do Sul.
The letter said that 21 meetinghouses are now being used as shelters for evacuated people, and thousands of basic food packages provided by the Church to the state Civil Defense have already begun to be distributed to the population.
Other humanitarian aid initiatives are underway in close coordination with the government to help the community. The Church’s Welfare and Self-Reliance and Family Services departments are coordinating support and efforts to meet the needs of members as well.
Read the full article here.
9. Episode 187: Olympic hopeful runner Courtney Wayment on ‘belief, resilience, faith and hope’
Courtney Wayment is a world-class track athlete who competes in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and is currently preparing for the United States Olympic trials. Her success spans from her collegiate career at Brigham Young University to two Team USA senior national teams and running at the World Athletics Championships.
Wayment joins the Church News podcast to talk about her remarkable career, preparing for the Olympic Games, and what running and the Church have taught her about “belief, resilience, faith and hope.”
