During the week of Aug. 10-16, the Church News reported on President Russell M. Nelson‘s social post that highlighted six ways one can have confidence in God.
Just two years after Virginia’s first house of the Lord was dedicated, ground has been broken for a second, and a sixth stake in New Guinea was created on the same weekend as 129 baptisms.
BYU students are participating in experiential learning by contributing to “gold standard” research projects. Plus, new community-facing ward pages make Church activities more accessible and easier to share.
The new global hymnbook includes selections from other Christian traditions and non-English hymnbooks, some of which have been sung previously by the Tabernacle Choir.
BYU-Pathway Worldwide celebrated 144 graduates in Ghana. Also, on this week’s Church News podcast Church News reporter Sydney Walker shares how her faith has helped her serve in a variety of roles. The Church and Collin County NAACP teamed up to host Freedom School, helping middle schoolers connect with Black History.
Read summaries and find links to these articles below.
1. In social media post, President Nelson ‘frames’ 6 ways to be confident in God
Underscoring a theme from his April 2025 general conference message, President Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints highlighted six ways one can have confidence in God in a simple, six-frame post on his social media platforms Sunday, Aug. 10.
Read more about President Nelson’s post here.
2. Ground broken for 2nd temple in Virginia
Hundreds of Latter-day Saints, civic leaders and community members witnessed the groundbreaking ceremony of the Winchester Virginia Temple on Saturday, Aug. 9.
“Every temple is a sign of God’s hope for us and an invitation to live with and be like Him,” said Elder Robert M. Daines, General Authority Seventy, at the ceremony.
Read more about the Winchester temple groundbreaking here.
3. 129 baptized during the same weekend as the creation of Papua New Guinea’s 4th stake in 14 months
Membership in Papua New Guinea is rapidly growing, as 129 individuals were baptized, and a fourth stake in 14 months was created.
Read more about Papua New Guinea’s new stakes here.
4. From space tech to diagnosing disease, here’s a look at the ‘gold standard’ experiences happening at BYU
In an effort to enhance the student experience, BYU is encouraging more experiential learning among its student body. These projects are blessing students, faculty and the world.
Learn more about BYU’s research here.
5. New ward resources available to help Church members ‘love, share and invite’
Recently implemented community-targeted ward pages and Activity Sharing resources are helping members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints love, share and invite in new and simple ways by making Church activities more accessible and easier to share.
Read more about Activity Sharing resources here.
6. Learn about the new hymns from other Christian traditions
As leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Hymnbook Committee have been working on the new global hymnbook, “Hymns — For Home and Church,” they have carefully considered many selections, including existing songs from other Christian traditions and the current non-English Church hymnbooks, some of which have been sung previously by the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square.
Read about the new hymns here.
Read about the new hymns sung by the Tabernacle Choir.
7. BYU–Pathway Worldwide celebrates 144 graduates in Ghana
A celebration was held in honor of 144 Ghanaian BYU–Pathway Worldwide graduates in July who completed the PathwayConnect program.
Osmani Saed, international area director for BYU–Pathway Worldwide, said the program prepares “disciples of Jesus Christ who are leaders in their churches, families and communities.”
Read more about the graduates here.
8. Episode 253: Church News reporter Sydney Walker on embracing life’s challenges as opportunities
In this episode of the Church News podcast, Church News reporter Sydney Walker discusses how faith in a loving Heavenly Father and in the Savior, Jesus Christ, has helped her embrace opportunities to serve in various roles and places as a journalist, wife, mother and disciple of Christ.
Listen to the podcast here.
9. Church, NAACP help youth connect to Black history through Freedom School
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Collin County NAACP hosted the second annual Freedom School in Plano, Texas, July 21-25 to help middle schoolers learn about and connect with Black history.
”The Church’s support of the Freedom School underscores its commitment to strengthening families and communities through meaningful partnerships,” said Larry Lewis, the Church’s regional African heritage and cultural awareness program specialist.
