During the week of Oct. 27 to Nov. 2, the Church began the Tallahassee Florida Temple’s public open house phase with a media day Monday morning, Oct. 28, with Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Nine-year-old Bo Burtenshaw’s testimony grew after a chance encounter with Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. On Sunday, Oct. 27, Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Young Women General President Emily Belle Freeman and Young Men General President Steven J. Lund invited youth to share the Savior’s light during a worldwide youth broadcast. Music and other resources were released after the broadcast for the 2025 youth theme for young men and young women.
The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced the dedication and open house dates for the Auckland New Zealand Temple as well as the open house and rededication of the Toronto Ontario Temple. Renovation updates for the Salt Lake Temple were featured in a recent update on the Temple Square renovation project, published Wednesday, Oct. 30.
As approved by the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, full-time missionary opportunities for senior single members of the Church are now expanded. Historians, writers and editors gathered at the Church History Library on Tuesday, Oct. 29, to celebrate the release of the fourth and final volume of “Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days.”
In the newest episode of the Church News podcast, Deseret News sportswriters Dick Harmon and Lee Benson shared insights on the lasting legacy of BYU football’s 1984 season. Take a look back on the various seasons of the Book of Mormon Videos, as the series is planned to wrap up in December 2024. The Church News reported on The Orchestra at Temple Square celebrating its 25th anniversary on Friday, Oct. 25, with a concert in the Salt Lake Tabernacle.
Read summaries and find links to these articles below.
1. Tallahassee Florida Temple begins public open-house phase with media day
On Monday, Oct. 28, Elder Andersen and his wife, Sister Kathy Andersen, welcomed media to the Tallahassee temple, which will be the 16th and final house of the Lord dedicated in 2024.
In conjunction with the start of Monday’s news conference and media tours, the Church released interior and exterior images of the new temple on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Read more about this story here.
2. How a chance meeting with Elder Stevenson inspired a young boy to feel God’s love
Although ‘confused and sad’ after receiving news that he wouldn’t be participating in the children’s choir for the October 2024 general conference, Bo had the opportunity to meet Elder Stevenson.
“It was a testimony builder, that Heavenly Father knows and loves us individually,” he said.
Read more about this story here.
3. Worldwide broadcast for youth celebrates the light of Jesus Christ
In a worldwide broadcast, Elder Soares invited youth to share the Savior’s light and stand for truth with meekness and power. “Jesus Christ has made wonderful promises to those who act in faith as they stand as witnesses of Him to the world,” Elder Soares said. The broadcast also included a message from President Freeman and President Lund from April 2024.
The 2025 youth theme was announced on Sept. 17. Now, additional resources have been made available for youth, their parents and their leaders.
Read more about the broadcast here.
Read more about the 2025 youth theme here.
4. Temple News: First Presidency announces Auckland New Zealand Temple dedication, Toronto Ontario Temple rededication, plus the latest Salt Lake Temple update
President Jeffrey R. Holland, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, will rededicate the Toronto temple on March 23, 2025. Elder Patrick Kearon of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will dedicate the Auckland temple on April 13, 2025.
A new update on the Salt Lake Temple was released on Oct. 30 on ChurchofJesusChrist.org. The update features a completion of work on the six spires, an iconic part of the temple.
Read more about the upcoming temple dedications here.
Read more about the Salt Lake Temple renovations here.
5. Expanded opportunities for senior single missionaries, both men and women
For several decades, senior single sister missionaries have been able to serve in limited assignments, while senior single men previously were not called to serve full-time missions.
Effective Friday, Nov. 1, changes were implemented allowing single men 40 and older to now serve full-time missions, and single women the same age to have increased opportunities.
Read more about this story here.
6. Church releases 4th and final volume of ‘Saints’ series
The fourth and final volume of “Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days” was released on Tuesday, Oct. 29. “Saints, Volume 4: Sounded in Every Ear” is available in 14 languages and chronicles the history of the Church from 1955 to 2020, a period marked by rapid global growth in membership and temple building.
Read more about this story here.
7. Episode 212: Deseret News’ Dick Harmon and Lee Benson on the lasting legacy of BYU football’s 1984 season, plus a story on remembering the miracle that was BYU football’s 1984 season, 40 years later
Lee Benson and Dick Harmon shared insights on BYU football’s incredible 1984 season and how the football program advances the mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Taking a look back 40 years on the team’s success has been “a magical time,” but even without the current 8-0 season, paying tribute to the 1984 team would still be apropos — after all, 40 years is quite a milestone.
Read more about the podcast here.
Read more about BYU football’s 1984 season here.
8. A look back at the Book of Mormon Videos
The Book of Mormon Videos series wraps up in December 2024 with the final two episodes. The series will total 45 videos, available in multiple languages.
Jaelan Petrie, a producer of the Book of Mormon Videos, emphasized that the videos are meant to be a visualization of the Book of Mormon rather than a dramatization. “I think it’s a pretty important clarification there, that we’re not trying to be dramatic,” he said. “We’re not trying to do entertainment, we’re actually doing another translation of the Book of Mormon.”
Read more about this story here.
9. Orchestra at Temple Square celebrates 25th anniversary
The Orchestra at Temple Square celebrated its 25th anniversary on Friday, Oct. 25, with a concert in the Salt Lake Tabernacle.
“We express our profound love, admiration and appreciation for all that they have done for the past 25 years,” Tabernacle Choir music director Mack Wilberg, who also oversees the orchestra, said during the concert, according to a news release on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
