During the week of Dec. 22-28, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released a series of videos with apostolic insights from recent general conferences. On Monday, Dec. 23, President Russell M. Nelson, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, posted a Christmas message on social media.
Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke to missionaries at a Christmas Day devotional at the Provo Missionary Training Center on Wednesday, Dec. 25. A behind-the-scenes look was released of this year’s Light the World video.
Young Women General President Emily Belle Freeman also spoke to missionaries at the Provo MTC, on Tuesday, Dec. 24. The First Presidency released the exterior renderings of six new temples on Monday, Dec. 23. Deseret News executive editor Doug Wilks and former Church News editor and current Deseret News editor Sarah Jane Weaver are featured in the newest episode of the Church News podcast.
In preparation to study the Doctrine and Covenants in 2025, look at a guide to historic sites of the Latter-day Restoration as well as 15 resources that will enhance your study of the Doctrine and Covenants and of Church history.
1. Church releases video series of apostolic insights from general conference

The Church has released a series of videos providing “Divine Insights From Living Prophets and Apostles.”
The videos, based on general conference talks the past few years, give prophetic perspectives on how Latter-day Saints can live the gospel of Jesus Christ, care for one another and invite others to come unto Him.
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2. Read, watch and listen to the Prophet’s Christmas wish

President Nelson posted on social media his wish for “heavenly peace” and a video of him testifying of Jesus Christ’s sacred birth and mission. In the video, President Nelson plays “Silent Night” on the piano in a living room featuring several Nativity scenes and finishes with a joyful statement of “merry Christmas.”
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3. ‘Go on your way rejoicing,’ Elder Rasband tells missionaries at Christmas Day devotional
In a Christmas Day devotional, Elder Rasband and his wife, Sister Melanie Rasband, taught missionaries at the Provo, Utah, MTC that even when discouraged or frustrated, they have great causes to rejoice because of Jesus Christ and His gospel — if they have faith in Him and share the gospel with the world.
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4. Behind the scenes of this year’s Light the World video

The 2024 Light the World video is a way to feel the true spirit of Christmas, said Elder W. Mark Bassett, General Authority Seventy and executive director of the Church’s Missionary Department.
LJ Johansson, who worked on the filming, said the video “is something we are making not just for our members but for anybody who is looking or seeking Jesus Christ during the Christmas season.”
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5. ‘Some Christmases are different,’ President Freeman tells missionaries at Provo MTC on Christmas Eve
In a Christmas Eve afternoon devotional, President Freeman shared her experiences of coming to know Jesus Christ, many of which came during Christmases when she was going through a trial. She called these “different Christmases.”
“In the unexpected moments, He shows up. Just like He did in a stable,” she said. “In quiet moments, often when life isn’t going the way we thought it might, in places that feel unfamiliar, Jesus is there.”
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6. First Presidency releases additional 6 temple renderings

Just a week after releasing five renderings, for five planned houses of the Lord, The First Presidency offered the first look at six more temples — the Cincinnati Ohio, Cuernavaca Mexico, Des Moines Iowa, Missoula Montana, Tacoma Washington and Toluca Mexico temples.
Read more about this story here.
7. Podcast episode 220: Finding peace — 2024 year in review with Deseret News editors Doug Wilks and Sarah Jane Weaver

Hear observations from the year as Sarah Jane Weaver and Doug Wilks discuss politics, peacemaking, missionary work and the strength of the Church’s youth in the newest episode of the Church News podcast.
“This was a remarkable year for Latter-day Saints in a lot of ways. Again, it speaks to the hinge point President Nelson talked about, when he says, ‘Take your vitamins. There’s more work to be done,’” said Wilks.
Read more about this story here.
8. A guide to historic sites of the Latter-day Restoration
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints makes a substantial commitment to historic sites because of “the importance of remembering,” Elder Steven E. Snow said at the 2016 Seminar for New Missionary Training Center Presidents and Directors of Visitors’ Centers and Historic Sites.
“Our Heavenly Father is desirous we remember,” said Elder Snow, now an emeritus General Authority Seventy who served as Church historian and recorder and executive director of the Church History Department from 2012 to 2019.
Read more about this story here.
9. 15 resources to enhance your study of Doctrine and Covenants and Church history
Read a compilation of resources found from the Church History section of the Gospel Library that will be vital tools in the coming year as Saints begin studying the Doctrine and Covenants.
One resource that can be helpful is “Revelations in Context,” which is a collection of narratives written by historians in the Church History Department that examines what prompted the revelations and what they meant to those to whom they were addressed. It was published by the Church in 2016 and includes references to the Joseph Smith Papers.