Church President Russell M. Nelson invited new mission leaders to embrace the “converting power of the Book of Mormon” at the 2025 Seminar for New Mission Leaders, members of the First Presidency met with a Hindu spiritual leader in Salt Lake City, and Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles ministered to children with complex and terminal illnesses in Chile.
In a new video, Church leaders recount how simple member invitations contributed to their conversions.
Ground was broken for the first temple in Hungary, and a groundbreaking date was announced for the Fairbanks Alaska Temple. At a BYU-Idaho devotional, Elder I. Raymond Egbo, a General Authority Seventy, invited students to nurture their testimonies of Jesus Christ.
The week’s podcast commemorates the 5,000th broadcast of “Music and the Spoken Word,” and new stakes in Papua New Guinea and Cameroon are evidence that the gospel is spreading throughout the world.
Church leaders expressed sorrow after a vehicular accident in the African country of Lesotho resulted in the deaths of several young women and two leaders.
Read summaries and find links to these articles below.
1. President Nelson calls Book of Mormon ‘one of the greatest tools of conversion’
In the final message to new mission leaders who are about to begin their service around the world, Church President Nelson shared his testimony of the Book of Mormon and its ability to strengthen individuals’ conversion to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Read more about President Nelson’s address here.
2. Hindu spiritual leader visits with the First Presidency in Salt Lake City
Members of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints welcomed His Holiness Brahmavihari Swamiji, head of Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, a significant sociospiritual organization within Hinduism, to Salt Lake City on Wednesday, June 18.
See more about this story here.
3. Church donations help Chilean children with complex and terminal illnesses
Elder Stevenson visited the Smiles of Heroes Center in Santiago, Chile. The Church recently donated vans and various medical supplies to the center.
“It was touching to see the love that was extended to each of the children there,” Elder Stevenson said.
Read more about Elder Stevenson’s visit here.
4. Video: Simple ways to ‘Love, Share and Invite’
A new video featuring Elder Patrick Kearon of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and other Church leaders summarizes how simple invitations contributed to their individual conversions.
Watch the “Love, Share and Invite” video here.
5. Ground broken for first temple in Hungary, groundbreaking date set for Fairbanks Alaska Temple
One hundred and forty years after the first Latter-day Saint missionaries arrived in Hungary, ground was broken for the Budapest Hungary Temple — the first house of the Lord in Hungary.
The Church announced the groundbreaking date for the Fairbanks Alaska Temple in a June 23 news release.
Read about the Budpest Hungary Temple here.
Read about the Fairbanks Alaska Temple here.
6. ‘Come and see’: Elder Egbo invites BYU–Idaho students to build their testimonies of Jesus Christ
Elder Egbo centered his June 24 devotional on a story from Matthew 16 and testified of Jesus Christ.
“I call you fellow students,” said Elder Egbo, “because we are all disciples — and the key to discipleship is learning and studying.”
Read more about Elder Egbo’s address here.
7. Podcast episode 246: Looking back at 5,000 episodes of ‘Music & the Spoken Word’
Tabernacle Choir President Michael O. Leavitt and “Music and the Spoken Word” producer, principal writer and presenter Derrick Porter join this past week’s Church News podcast to discuss The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square’s historic milestone: 5,000 broadcasts.
Read more about this episode here.
8. The gospel is spreading throughout the world — new stakes created in Papua New Guinea and Cameroon
After a day of baptisms resembling the Book of Mormon’s account of the Waters of Mormon, a new stake in Papua New Guinea was organized.
The first stake in Cameroon was organized June 1 by Elder Paul B. Pieper, General Authority Seventy and first counselor in the Africa Central Area presidency, and Elder Charden Ndinga, Area Seventy in the Africa Central Area.
Read more about the new stake in Papua New Guinea here.
Read about the first stake in Cameroon here.
9. Latter-day Saints in Lesotho mourn 8 young women, 2 leaders killed in crash
The Church published a statement on June 21 expressing sorrow following an accident in which young women and their leaders died in a vehicular accident in the African country of Lesotho.
