During the week of Oct. 19 to 25, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced plans to create 55 missions, effective July 1, 2026.
The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints hosted a visit from the ambassador of Mongolia to the United States at Church headquarters on Oct. 22, plus the Church News reported on the ministry of Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to members in Mongolia.
President D. Todd Christofferson, second counselor in the First Presidency, bore witness of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ to members in Las Vegas, Nevada. President Jeffrey R. Holland, president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, dedicated Colorado’s third temple, and Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke at the Rome Summit on Ethics and Artificial Intelligence in the Vatican City.
Also, ground was broken for a second house of the Lord in Ghana, construction is scheduled to begin for the first temple in Belgium, and renderings were released for temples in Samoa, Oklahoma and Texas.
In this week’s Church News podcast episode, Brother Chad H Webb and Becky Scott emphasize the importance of seminary in fostering faith, supporting youth, and encouraging missionary and temple preparation.
The Church made adjustments to 25 section introductions in the Doctrine and Covenants and two chapter summaries in the Book of Mormon, plus a replica of the first ship carrying immigrants from Norway to America docked in New York 200 years after the original voyage.
Read summaries and find links to these articles below.
1. Church announces the addition of 55 new missions in 2026
The Church announced plans to create 55 new missions in 2026, which will bring the total number of missions worldwide to 506 — the most ever in Church history.
Church President Dallin H. Oaks said, “It is inspiring to see the number of young Church members who continue to answer the call to share the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ around the world. These missionaries are helping to bless the lives of hundreds of thousands of people every year who are choosing to be baptized into the Lord’s Church.”
See the list of new missions here.
2. First Presidency meets with Mongolia ambassador; Elder Andersen sees Mongolian members’ joy and excitement for announcements about country’s 1st temple
Members of the First Presidency — comprising Church President Dallin H. Oaks; President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor; and President D. Todd Christofferson, second counselor — met with the Mongolian ambassador during his visit to Church headquarters.
Elder Andersen ministered to members in Mongolia the same week the site and rendering were released for the Ulaanbaatar Mongolia Temple. “Receiving a temple here in Mongolia is a monumental step in the Church,” he said, adding, “It is a statement to say, ‘We are never leaving Mongolia. We will be here when the Savior returns.’”
Read more about the First Presidency’s meeting with the ambassador here.
Read about Elder Andersen’s ministry in Mongolia here.
3. President Christofferson in Las Vegas testifies of Jesus Christ
Speaking just days after being named as second counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, President Christofferson bore witness of the name of Jesus Christ and of His Resurrection to thousands of people over two days of meetings in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Read more about President Christofferson’s teachings here.
4. President Holland dedicates Grand Junction Colorado Temple, the Church’s 210th
On Sunday, Oct. 19, President Holland dedicated the Grand Junction Colorado Temple.
President Holland said that in a time of division, hostility and dishonesty, the temple is a place of instruction, peace, cleanliness and divine covenants — “a world as close to God’s world as we can find in mortality.”
Read more about the Grand Junction Colorado Temple dedication here.
Read the dedicatory prayer here.
5. AI needs ‘moral grounding and moral compass,’ Elder Gong says
Elder Gong spoke at the Rome Summit on Ethics and Artificial Intelligence in the Vatican City, Oct. 21.
He said when society embeds within AI moral grounding and moral compass, “we embrace our divine identity and purpose and promote human flourishing for the common good.”
Read more about Elder Gong’s teachings on AI.
6. Temple groundbreaking in Ghana, construction to begin on Belgium’s 1st temple, plus 3 temple renderings released
The Kumasi Ghana Temple groundbreaking was held Oct. 18. This will be the second Latter-day Saint temple in Ghana.
A site dedication for the Brussels Belgium Temple, to be constructed in an existing metropolitan area building, will be held Nov. 22, commencing the temple’s construction phase.
Renderings were released for the Tulsa Oklahoma and Savai’i Samoa temples, both of which were announced in October 2023.
A rendering and site map were also released for the Houston Texas South Temple — the second house of the Lord to be built in the Greater Houston area of Texas.
Read more about the Kumasi Ghana Temple groundbreaking here.
Read about the Brussels Belgium Temple here.
See renderings for the Tulsa Oklahoma and Savaiʻi Samoa temples here.
See the site and rendering of the Houston Texas South Temple here.
7. Church News podcast, episode 263: Record seminary and institute enrollment blesses young people worldwide
On this episode of the Church News podcast, Brother Webb, administrator for Seminaries and Institutes of Religion and the first counselor in the Sunday School general presidency, and Becky Scott, associate administrator of operations for seminaries and institutes, discuss the growth and impact of these programs.
Listen to the podcast here.
8. 25 Doctrine and Covenants section introductions adjusted following Joseph Smith Papers findings
The Church recently made adjustments to 25 section introductions in the Doctrine and Covenants and two chapter summaries in the Book of Mormon for accuracy and contextual clarity.
Read more about these app updates here.
9. Descendants of Norwegian immigrants commemorate ancestors’ historic journey 200 years later
The Norwegian government and FamilySearch celebrated the 200th anniversary of Norwegian immigration to the U.S. with a replica of the first ship carrying immigrants from Norway to the U.S. The replica followed the original ship’s voyage and landed in New York exactly 200 years after the original.
