During the week of Nov. 9 to 15, family members of Church President Dallin H. Oaks shared in a Church News video what they have learned from him. President Oaks and President Jeffrey R. Holland, president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, spoke together regarding their ties to BYU as the school turns 150 years old in a video on ChurchofJesusChrist.org. Plus, the First Presidency announced a new Presiding Bishopric.
Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles dedicated a new MTC in Democratic Republic of the Congo and ministered to members in Ethiopia and Seychelles. Also, Elder Gérald Caussé of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke about stewardship over God’s creations at a stewardship symposium in Provo, Utah.
In temple news, the Church announced the Jacksonville Florida Temple groundbreaking, the future sites of the Coeur d’Alene Idaho Temple and the Calabar Nigeria Temple, and updates to the Temple Square renovations.
The Church announced the expansion of the Light the World Giving Machine initiative to 126 cities on Nov. 12 and hosted the “Luz de las Naciones” annual musical celebration Nov. 8 and 9.
In this week’s Church News podcast episode, the Church’s director of historic sites and site manager for the Palmyra area come together to discuss the importance of the site and the early history of the Church. Also, the Church began donations of 250 truckloads of food to food banks across the United States as the country prepares to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Read summaries and find links to these articles below.
1. Video: President Oaks’ family says he is here to serve the Lord
In a Church News video titled “A Father’s Influence: President Oaks Through His Descendants,” family members of President Oaks talk about the principles they have learned from him and the characteristics they have observed in him.
Watch the video here.
2. What President Oaks and President Holland say about BYU from their lifelong ties as school reaches 150th birthday
As Brigham Young University turns 150 years old, President Oaks and President Holland — who each served as presidents of the university — spoke together regarding BYU’s past half-century in a video released Sunday, Nov. 9, on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Read more about this story here.
3. First Presidency announces new Presiding Bishopric
Following the call of Elder Caussé to be the newest member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, the First Presidency has now announced a new Presiding Bishopric.
Bishop W. Christopher Waddell was announced as the Church’s new presiding bishop on Friday, Nov. 14. Bishop L. Todd Budge will serve as first counselor, and Bishop Sean Douglas will serve as second counselor.
Read more about the new Presiding Bishopric here.
4. Elder Rasband dedicates MTC in Democratic Republic of the Congo, ministers in Ethiopia and Seychelles
Elder Rasband dedicated a new missionary training center in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, on Sunday, Nov. 2. The MTC will serve one of the fastest-growing areas of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, according to a news release on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Last month, he traveled to Seychelles, an island nation of the coast of Africa, to set apart the first missionaries in the country. He also met with government leaders in Ethiopia.
Read more about the new MTC here.
Read more about Elder Rasband’s visit to Seychelles and Ethiopia here.
5. ‘A sacred duty’: Elder Gérald Caussé speaks on stewardship over God’s creations
Speaking at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, as part of a stewardship symposium on Friday, Nov. 14, Elder Caussé testified that the Eternal Father created the earth for a sacred purpose. This was the newest Apostle’s first public appearance since he was called to serve in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on Thursday, Nov. 6.
Read more about Elder Caussé’s address here.
6. Groundbreaking date set for Florida’s fifth temple; sites, renderings announced for Idaho and Nigeria temples
The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced the future sites of the Coeur d’Alene Idaho Temple and the Calabar Nigeria Temple, and accompanying exterior renderings have also been released.
Additionally, the groundbreaking ceremony for the Jacksonville Florida Temple will be held in January 2026 and is currently planned as the first groundbreaking of the year.
The Church announced that the Joseph Smith Memorial Building’s rooftop restaurant has reopened to the public on Temple Square, along with other Temple Square renovation updates on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Read more about the Jacksonville Florida Temple groundbreaking here.
See the Idaho and Nigeria temple renderings here.
Read more about the Temple Square renovation updates here.
7. ‘Like the wise men of old’: Light the World Giving Machine initiative expands to 126 locations in 2025
On Nov. 12, the Church announced the 126 cities of the Light the World Giving Machine initiative. Several Church leaders — including Young Women General President Emily Belle Freeman; Sister Kristin M. Yee, second counselor in the Relief Society general presidency; and Elder Matthew S. Holland, General Authority Seventy and executive director of the Church Communication Department — spoke during the launch event about the initiative’s impact.
Read more about Light the World here.
8. ‘Luz de las Naciones’ highlights 100 years of peace that illuminates
The annual “Luz de las Naciones” musical celebration was hosted in Salt Lake City on Nov. 9. The celebration was filled with performances of songs and dances showcasing Hispanic and Latin America cultures.
This year’s event coincided with the 100th anniversary of the Church in South America. Sister Andrea Muñoz Spannaus, second counselor in the Young Women general presidency, spoke in a prerecorded message on blessings from God.
Read more about “Luz de las Naciones” here.
9. Church News podcast, episode 266: The rededicated Hill Cumorah helps visitors strengthen their testimonies as it serves as ‘the cradle of the Restoration’
Benjamin Pykles, director of historic sites for the Church, and Sam Palfreyman, site manager for the Palmyra area, join the podcast to explore the sacred significance of Hill Cumorah. They discuss the faith-promoting experiences of visiting historic Church sites and how understanding the early history of the Church can help individuals gain and strengthen their testimonies of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.
Listen to the podcast here.
10. Church donates 250 truckloads of food for food banks across the U.S.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is sending 250 truckloads of food donations to food banks around the country to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States. The first five truckloads will leave from the Bishops’ Central Storehouse in Salt Lake City this week for food banks in Oregon, Arkansas, Texas, Missouri and Michigan.
