During the week of Jan. 18-24, the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced that congregations will hold a one-hour sacrament meeting instead of the usual two-hour meeting block to commemorate Palm Sunday this year.
President D. Todd Christofferson, second counselor in the First Presidency; Young Women General President Emily Belle Freeman; and Young Men General President Timothy L. Farnes discussed the 2026 youth theme, “Walk with me,” during a worldwide youth discussion, and Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles dedicated the Alabang Philippines Temple on Jan. 18.
Elder Bednar, Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson and Sister Tamara W. Runia, first counselor in the Young Women general presidency, were announced as speakers for the 2026 BYU Women’s Conference.
Interior and exterior photos were released as the public begins touring Zimbabwe’s first house of the Lord. Ground was broken for the Jacksonville Florida Temple and João Pessoa Brazil Temple, and site maps were released for the Flagstaff Arizona Temple and the Kahului Hawaii Temple.
A three-part series on BYUtv titled “Harvest of Faith” highlights Church welfare farms, factories and for-profit crops. Also, Elder Matthew S. Holland and Elder Edward B. Rowe, both General Authority Seventies, addressed Brigham Young University and Ensign College students, respectively, during the schools’ campus devotionals.
In the week’s episode of the Church News podcast, Latter-day Saint Jill McAuley shares how knowing her identity has helped her overcome and glory in her infirmities. Plus, member missionary work resulted in 184 new converts in two stakes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo across two weekends in December 2025.
Read summaries and find links to these articles below.
1. First Presidency announces 1-hour sacrament meeting to commemorate Palm Sunday
The First Presidency has announced that on Palm Sunday this year — March 29 — local congregations will hold a one-hour sacrament meeting rather than the usual two-hour meeting block.
Read more about this story here.
2. Prayer, repentance and covenants the way Jesus invites to ‘Walk with me,’ President Christofferson teaches in worldwide youth discussion
President Christofferson was joined by President Freeman and President Farnes during a worldwide youth discussion made available Jan. 18. The three Church leaders discussed the 2026 youth theme, “Walk with me.”
President Christofferson promised youth that as they learn all they can about the Savior’s example, they will get to know Him. “You will know that He knows you and that He is not just the Redeemer, but that He is your Redeemer and Friend.”
Read more about the youth devotional here.
3. Elder Bednar dedicates Alabang Philippines Temple, invites members to ‘bring the temple into our home’
Elder Bednar dedicated the Alabang Philippines Temple in Muntinlupa City, Philippines, on Jan. 18. This temple is the 213th Latter-day Saint temple worldwide and the fourth dedicated house of the Lord in the Philippines.
Read more about the temple dedication here.
Read the Alabang temple dedicatory prayer here.
4. Who is speaking at BYU Women’s Conference 2026?
The 2026 BYU Women’s Conference will feature keynote presentations by President Johnson and Sister Runia, with Elder Bednar offering the concluding keynote address.
Other keynote presentations will be given by Brigham Young University President C. Shane Reese and his wife, Sister Wendy Reese, as well as Sheri L. Dew, a former counselor in the Relief Society general presidency and current executive vice president of Deseret Management Corp., and Sandra Rogers, international vice president at BYU.
Learn more about BYU Women’s Conference 2026 here.
5. Harare Zimbabwe Temple open house underway
After five years of construction, the Harare Zimbabwe Temple is open for public tours. A media day was held Jan. 19, and an open house runs from Jan. 22 to Feb. 7. Invited guests toured the temple Jan. 20-21.
Read more about the Harare Zimbabwe Temple open house here.
6. Temple groundbreakings in Florida and Brazil; temple sites announced in Arizona and Hawaii
Ground was broken for the Jacksonville Florida Temple and João Pessoa Brazil Temple on Jan. 24. A General Authority Seventy presided over each groundbreaking — Elder Massimo De Feo in Jacksonville and Elder Joni L. Koch in João Pessoa.
Also, the future locations of the Flagstaff Arizona Temple and Kahului Hawaii Temple were announced by the First Presidency in a Jan. 20 news release on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Read about the Jacksonville Florida Temple groundbreaking here.
Read about the João Pessoa Brazil Temple groundbreaking here.
Read about both the Arizona and Hawaii temple sites here.
7. Church farms, factories highlighted in 3-part series on BYUtv
A three-part series on BYUtv highlights the Church’s various farms and factories used to support the mission of the Church. The series, titled “Harvest of Faith,” features comments from members of the Presiding Bishopric, President Camille N. Johnson and service missionaries who serve on the farms.
Part 1 of the series features welfare farms. Part 2 looks at welfare food processing and distribution facilities owned and operated by the Church. Part 3 focuses on AgReserves, the commercial arm of Farmland Reserve, an investment affiliate of the Church.
Read about Part 1 of the series here.
Read about Part 2 of the series here.
Read about Part 3 of the series here.
8. Elder Holland, Elder Rowe speak at Church school devotionals
Elder Holland — son of the late President Jeffrey R. Holland — counseled BYU students to “cling to the Book of Mormon” as he spoke at the school’s campus devotional Tuesday, Jan. 20.
Elder Rowe invited Ensign College students to develop faith in Jesus Christ, by partnering with Him to do what would otherwise be impossible, during a devotional on the same day.
Read more about Elder Holland’s devotional here.
Read more about Elder Rowe’s devotional here.
9. Church News podcast Episode 277: Jill McAuley discusses finding purpose and identity in faith beyond ability
The week’s Church News podcast episode features Church member Jill McAuley as she shares how she has spent the last 20-plus years deepening her spiritual and emotional growth through service, study and grace through Christ despite being paralyzed in a car crash at 18 years old.
Listen to the podcast here.
10. Member missionary work results in 184 baptized in 2 stakes in Democratic Republic of the Congo across 2 weekends
Members, missionaries and friends gathered in late December 2025 to witness the baptism of 87 converts in the Kasumbalesa Democratic Republic of the Congo Stake. In the Mwene-Ditu Democratic Republic of the Congo Stake, a similar baptismal service for 97 new converts was held the previous weekend. These baptisms were a result of individual member missionary work.
