Seven new houses of the Lord will be dedicated within the next 30 days — the Miraflores Guatemala City Guatemala, Ephraim Utah, Managua Nicaragua, Montpelier Idaho, Cody Wyoming, San Luis Potosí Mexico and Wichita Kansas temples.

A pair will be dedicated during the month after, in Torreón, Mexico, and Modesto, California, followed by one in December, the Pago Pago American Samoa Temple.

So far, three dedications are scheduled for the first part of 2027: the Fort Worth Texas, Knoxville Tennessee and Smithfield Utah temples.

This month, ground will be broken to start the construction phases of three temples: Maceió Brazil, Iquitos Peru and Vienna Austria.

Four groundbreakings are scheduled for November, for the Cincinnati Ohio, Piura Peru, Cuernavaca Mexico and La Paz Bolivia temples.

“What a blessing it is that so many temples have been announced,” Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles told the Church News. Elder Cook chairs the Church’s Temple and Family History Executive Council.

“It is amazing to see firsthand the construction and dedication of these new temples — sometimes two on the same day. We are grateful for the spiritual guidance President Dallin H. Oaks is receiving as the hastening of God’s work continues in a dramatic fashion.”

During the past six months — since the April 2026 general conference — the Church has newly announced plans for temples in two locations: Marysville, Washington, and Otavalo, Ecuador.

President Oaks speaks about the announcements of future temples

Compare Church statistical year-end reports from 2023 to 2025

See more Church News coverage of temple news

Church membership growth across U.S. states over 25 years

The changes include:

• A new Primary general presidency — President Rosemary K. Chibota with Sister Nina M. Garfield, first counselor, and Sister Theresa A. Collins, second counselor — were sustained in April 2026 and began serving on Aug. 1. Released were the three members of the outgoing Primary general presidency — President Susan H. Porter and her counselors, Sister Amy A. Wright and Sister Tracy Y. Browning.
• A new member of the Presidency of the Seventy also began serving on Aug. 1. Elder Benjamin M.Z. Tai, who was sustained a General Authority Seventy in April 2019, is the new member of the Presidency of the Seventy. He replaces Elder S. Mark Palmer, who has served in the presidency since 2021 and was one of seven General Authority Seventies who received emeritus status this year.
• In addition to Elder Palmer, six other leaders receiving emeritus status were: Elder Craig C. Christensen, Elder Eduardo Gavarret, Elder Brook P. Hale, Elder William K. Jackson, Elder Erich W. Kopischke and Elder Peter F. Meurs. Also, Elder W. Mark Bassett died in May.
• Eight new General Authority Seventies were sustained in April. They are: Elder Christian C. Chigbundu, Elder Matthew J. Eyring, Elder Hutch U. Fale, Elder James O. Fantone, Elder Kevin J. Hathaway, Elder Thabo Lebethoa, Elder Jeremiah J. Morgan and Elder Paul H. Sinclair.

Download the chart in English here.

Download the chart in Spanish here.

Download the chart in Portuguese here.

Download the chart in French here.

Learn more about the incoming Primary general presidency

Find out more about the Church’s 8 new General Authority Seventies

Elder W. Mark Bassett, General Authority Seventy and executive director of Missionary Department, dies at age 59

7 General Authority Seventies to be given emeritus status on Aug. 1

October 2026 general conference: Announcements, talk summaries, photos, session highlights

The largest percentage increases were in North Dakota, 131%; Tennessee, 96%; Arkansas, 85%; Texas, 82%; and North Carolina, 70%.

California was the only state to have fewer members in 2025 than in 2000, although that state still has the second-largest Latter-day Saint membership among the 50 states.

Church membership in the United States grew from 5.21 million at the end of 2000 to 6.93 million at year-end 2025, for an increase of 33%. The Dec. 31, 2025, numbers are the most recent available on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

Although not a state, the District of Columbia saw a larger percentage increase than any of the 50 states in number of Latter-day Saints, from 1,271 in 2000 to 3,648 in 2025, an increase of 187%.

The largest numerical increases among states were in Utah, with 576,368 more Church members, followed by Texas, 178,239; Idaho, 134,477; Arizona, 128,817; Florida, 66,612; and Washington, 48,939.

States with the largest number of Latter-day Saints in 2025 were Utah, 2.21 million; California, 725,648; Idaho, 482,905; Arizona, 442,094; Texas, 395,964; and Washington, 278,576.

Compare Church statistical year-end reports from 2023 to 2025

2025: 30 countries with the most Latter-day Saint stakes

Timeline of milestones in U.S., Church history

On April 4, during the Saturday morning session of the 196th Annual General Conference, the 2025 report was posted on ChurchofJesusChrist.org. It reflects statistics as of Dec. 31, 2025.

Following are comparisons of numbers in the 2023, 2024 and 2025 reports.

Since year-end 2025, 55 new missions have begun operation, creating a total of 506 missions as of July 1, 2026.

The 385,490 convert baptisms in 2025 set a record, topping the previous high of 330,877 in 1990.

The Church reached a record 88,500 full-time missionaries earlier this year. That surpasses the previous high of 88,000, set in 2014. Church leaders attributed the 2026 surge to the first wave of 18-year-old sister missionaries entering the field.

Church records historic increase in convert baptisms for 2025

Church announces record 88,500 missionaries worldwide

Timeline of milestones in U.S., Church history

A discussion guide titled “Celebrating the Founding of the United States and the U.S. Constitution” is available online on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

In a video, President D. Todd Christofferson, second counselor in the First Presidency, and Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles discuss the importance of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and constitutional amendments that enabled the Restoration of the Church.

Following is a timeline of a few of the significant events in the history of the nation and of the Church:

CHURCH HISTORY

1805: Joseph Smith born

1830: Church organized

1839: Latter-day Saints driven from Missouri

1844: Joseph Smith martyred

1846-47: Church members driven from Illinois and begin settling what will become Utah

1857-58: U.S. Army marches to Utah, conflict eventually resolved peacefully

1893: Salt Lake Temple dedicated

1912: 1st seminary, adjacent to Granite High School in Salt Lake County

1929: Tabernacle Choir begins weekly broadcasts

1931: 1st edition of Church News printed

1955: Temple in Switzerland is first outside of U.S. and Canada

1996: More Church members live outside U.S. than in U.S.

2002: Book of Mormon translated into 100th language

2026: 219th temple dedicated

UNITED STATES HISTORY

1776: 13 British colonies, from New Hampshire to Georgia, declare independence from Great Britain

1788-91: U.S. Constitution adopted, Bill of Rights guarantees religious freedom

1850: U.S. reaches Pacific coast with California becoming 31st state

1861-65: Civil War; 13th Amendment to Constitution abolishes slavery

1869: Transcontinental railroad completed in Utah

1896: Utah becomes 45th state

1917-18: World War I

1919: 19th Amendment guarantees women right to vote

1929-39: Great Depression

1941-45: World War II

1991: End of the Cold War

2001: Sept. 11 attacks

2020-23: COVID-19 pandemic

Unified fast for religious liberty on Sunday, July 5

The Lord preserved the U.S. for ‘the great unfolding of the gospel,’ says Elder Rasband

Read Church News coverage of Church-related events to the United States' 25th birthday

President Dallin H. Oaks, 18th President of the Church, taught Latter-day Saints on Easter Sunday, April 5, of the Savior’s great commandments to love God and neighbor and also invited all to be peacemakers. He echoed Jesus’ words from the Sermon on the Mount to “love your enemies” (see Matthew 5:43-44).

“My brothers and sisters, as followers of Christ, let us follow Him by forgoing contention and by using the language and methods of peacemakers,” President Oaks declared. “In our families and other personal relationships, let us avoid what is harsh and hateful.”

As a service to our readers, the Church News has created downloadable PDFs of the talk summaries in English, Spanish, Portuguese and French, summarizing each message shared during the April 2026 general conference.

View and download the PDF here of summaries in English.

View and download the PDF here of summaries in Spanish.

View and download the PDF here of summaries in Portuguese.

View and download the PDF here of summaries in French.

Editor’s note: This was originally published on Monday, April 6, 2026, at 2 p.m.

April 2026 general conference: Announcements, talk summaries, photos, session highlights

‘Love even your enemies,’ President Oaks says during April 2026 general conference

April 2026 general conference begins with a solemn assembly

In coming weeks, Church News will publish information and photos of each of the mission presidents and their wives. This page will be updated with links to their published profiles.

Note: Three missions were added on April 14, 2026, as three of the newly sustained General Authority Seventies were serving as mission leaders at the time of their call.

United States and Canada

Mexico, Central America and Caribbean

South America

Europe

Africa

Asia

Oceania

Church announces the addition of 55 new missions in 2026

Learn about other recently called temple, mission, stake and other leaders in the Church

During the Saturday afternoon session of the Church’s 196th Annual General Conference, President D. Todd Christofferson, second counselor in the First Presidency, presented the calls of eight new General Authority Seventies, changes to the Presidency of the Seventy and a new Primary general presidency.

The new Primary leaders will start their service on Aug. 1, and the changes to the Presidency of the Seventy will also go into effect on Aug. 1.

View or download the updated chart in English here.

View or download the updated chart in Spanish here.

View or download the updated chart in Portuguese here.

View or download the updated chart in French here.

President Susan H. Porter and her counselors, Sister Amy A. Wright and Sister Tracy Y. Browning will be released upon completion of their service on Aug. 1.

President Porter and Sister Wright were initially sustained in April 2021 as counselors in the Primary general presidency when President Camille N. Johnson was sustained as Primary general president. In April 2022, President Johnson was sustained as Relief Society general president, and President Porter was sustained as Primary general president with Sister Wright and Sister Browning as counselors. Their release was announced on Saturday, April 4, with an acknowledgement of appreciation.

President Rosemary K. Chibota has been sustained as the new Primary general president, with Sister Nina M. Garfield as first counselor and Sister Theresa A. Collins as second counselor.

During the Thursday, April 2, leadership session, 91 Area Seventies were sustained, and another 73 Area Seventies were designated for release on or before Aug. 1 of this year.

Seven General Authority Seventies will receive emeritus status effective Aug. 1: Elder Craig C. Christensen, Elder Eduardo Gavarret, Elder Brook P. Hales, Elder William K. Jackson, Elder Erich W. Kopischke, Elder Peter F. Meurs and Elder S. Mark Palmer.

More about calling changes from the April 2026 general conference:

• Who were sustained as new General Authority Seventies at the April 2026 general conference?
• Learn more about the incoming Primary general presidency
• Find out more about the Church’s 8 new General Authority Seventies
• 7 General Authority Seventies to be given emeritus status on Aug. 1
• 91 new Area Seventies sustained in leadership meeting of April 2026 general conference
• Church News podcast, episode 289: Get to know the new General Authority Seventies and Primary general presidency through their testimonies

April 2026 general conference: Announcements, talk summaries, photos, session highlights

One visible aspect of the Church becoming a vibrant, growing and increasingly international faith is the number and spread of temples worldwide. What started from the four pioneer-era houses of the Lord in Salt Lake City and the present-day state of Utah at the end of the 19th century to an initial expansion across the United States and into western Canada then led to the start of temples being built in international locations in the 1950s.

By 1981, the Church had 20 dedicated and operating temples — nearly evenly spaced throughout Utah, in the United States and in international locations. The 20 included seven in Utah, seven elsewhere across the U.S. and six outside the U.S. — in Canada, Switzerland, New Zealand, England, Brazil and Japan.

Over the next 15 years — leading to 1996, when the membership majority shifted from the U.S. to international — the Church added 27 more temples. The 17 new temples outside the United States included the first in Africa and the first two in Mexico and Central America, with houses of the Lord by 1996 across all the inhabited continents.

Following is a list of the first temples in intercontinental areas — with their current names — and their years of dedication and start of operations:

• Canada: Cardston Alberta Temple, 1923
• Europe: Bern Switzerland Temple, 1955
• Pacific: Hamilton New Zealand Temple, 1958
• South America: São Paulo Brazil Temple, 1978
• Asia: Tokyo Japan Temple, 1980
• Mexico / Central America: Mexico City Mexico Temple, 1983
• Africa: Johannesburg South Africa Temple, 1985

Of note: One could say that the Laie Hawaii Temple was Church’s first Pacific-area temple, since its 1919 dedication date came four decades before the U.S. territory became a state in 1959. But for this accounting, it is considered today as a U.S. temple.

Of the 47 houses of the Lord in 1996, eight were in Utah and 16 in other states for a U.S. total of 24, with 23 outside the United States. And several times during that stretch between 1981 and 1996, international temples outnumbered temples in the United States — the first time happening in late 1985 and early 1986, when the dedication of the Seoul Korea, Lima Peru and Buenos Aires Argentina temples resulted in three more international temples than U.S. ones at that time.

At the start of 1996, when the Church’s membership majority had shifted from being U.S.-centric to international, the balance of temple totals was already following suit — first frequently teeter-tottering between more U.S. temples and more international temples from the 1980s well into the 2000s.

The Church experienced its last and likely final switch to a majority of international temples came around during the COVID-19 era — when dedications in 2019, 2020 and 2021 of the Fortaleza Brazil, Port-au-Prince Haiti, Lisbon Portugal, Arequipa Peru, Durban South Africa and Winnipeg Manitoba temples pushed the count to plus-five in favor of international temples and a majority that hasn’t been relinquished since.

Currently, the Church of Jesus Christ has a total of 214 dedicated houses of the Lord — 103 in the United States and 111 in other countries and U.S. territories, with four more scheduled for dedication in the U.S. and three more internationally.

Looking to the future, the majority of international temples compared to those in the U.S. is projected to widen substantially. Of the 61 temples currently under construction or scheduled for groundbreaking, 42 — or 69% — are being built in countries and territories outside the United States.

As for the 105 additional announced temples that are in planning and design, 73 have been announced for international sites and 32 for the United States.

For the Church’s total of 383 houses of the Lord dedicated, under construction or announced and in planning, 158 are for temples in the United States, and 225 are temples in countries and territories outside the U.S.

President Oaks speaks about the announcements of future temples

See 50 years of temple growth in 4 charts

See more Church News coverage of temple news

Church President Russell M. Nelson died on Saturday, Sept. 27, at the age of 101. The First Presidency was dissolved, and counselors in the First Presidency returned to their positions in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. President Dallin H. Oaks presided at the October 2025 general conference as the president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

President Oaks was announced as the 18th President of the Church on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, with President Henry B. Eyring as first counselor and President D. Todd Christofferson as second counselor in the First Presidency.

View or download the updated chart in English here.

View or download the updated chart in Spanish here.

View or download the updated chart in Portuguese here.

April 2026 general conference: Announcements, talk summaries, photos, session highlights

Elder Gérald Caussé was announced as the newest member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025. He was serving as the presiding bishop at the time of his call.

The following week, on Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, Bishop W. Christopher Waddell was announced as the Church’s new presiding bishop. Also serving in presiding bishopric are Bishop L. Todd Budge as first counselor and Bishop Sean Douglas as second counselor.

Bishop Waddell and Bishop Budge served as the first and second counselors, respectively, to then-Bishop Caussé since Oct. 3, 2020. Bishop Waddell served as the second counselor in the Presiding Bishopric from 2015 to 2020. Bishop Douglas has served as a General Authority Seventy since April 2021.

President Dallin H. Oaks announced as 18th President of the Church, names counselors

Elder Gérald Caussé called as newest Apostle

First Presidency announces new Presiding Bishopric

President Jeffrey R. Holland, president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, died Saturday, Dec. 27, at age 85. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf was set apart on Thursday, Jan. 8, to be the acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in the First Presidency, is second-most senior apostle after the President of the Church and is the president of Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. When the apostle who is second in seniority is called to serve as a counselor in the First Presidency, the third-longest-serving apostle becomes the acting president of the Twelve.

Elder Clark G. Gilbert, who was serving as a General Authority Seventy and commissioner of the Church Educational System, was announced as the newest member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on Thursday, Feb. 12.

President Jeffrey R. Holland dies at age 85

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf named as acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Elder Clark G. Gilbert called as Church’s newest Apostle

The seven dedications scheduled are:

• Burley Idaho Temple, Jan. 11
• Alabang Philippines Temple, Jan. 18
• Harare Zimbabwe Temple, March 1
• Lindon Utah Temple, May 3
• Davao Philippines Temple, May 3
• Bacolod Philippines Temple, May 31
• Willamette Valley Oregon Temple, June 7

Fifty-five temples are under construction, and two groundbreakings are scheduled so far in 2026, the João Pessoa Brazil Temple and the Jacksonville Florida Temple, both on Jan. 24.

In addition, 108 locations for temples have been announced. The most recent was the Portland Maine Temple on Dec. 14.

What Church leaders have taught about temples and temple covenants

See 50 years of temple growth in 4 charts

Quiz: How well do you know temple names, firsts, locations?

“Our relationship to God and the purpose of our mortal life are explained in terms of the family,” he said. The gospel plan’s intended destiny is to exalt God’s children in eternal families.

President Russell M. Nelson died on Saturday, Sept. 27, at the age of 101. The First Presidency has been dissolved, and counselors in the First Presidency returned to their positions in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

As a service to our readers, the Church News has created a downloadable PDF, summarizing each message shared during the October 2025 general conference.

View and download the PDF here of summaries in English.

View and download the PDF here of summaries in Spanish.

View and download the PDF here of summaries in Portuguese.

Note: This has been updated with the links to the Spanish and Portuguese PDF. It was originally published on Oct. 6, 2025.

October 2025 general conference: Announcements, talk summaries, photos, session highlights

President Oaks emphasizes the family’s central role in God’s plan

President Oaks speaks of President Nelson as he opens October 2025 general conference

The area presidency changes will become effective Aug. 1.

The Church has 24 administrative areas — six that cover the United States and the remaining 18 covering other countries.

The 24 is an increase of one, with the newly created Canada Area, formed from portions of what had been the North America Northeast, North America Central and North America West areas.

The First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles preside over all affairs of the Church.

The Church has 12 quorums of the Seventy. The First and Second quorums are composed of General Authority Seventies, who have authority to serve anywhere in the world. The remaining 10 quorums are composed of Area Seventies. Under the direction of area presidencies, Area Seventies meet with and teach Church leaders, missionaries and members of the Church in local congregations. The work of each Area Seventy is generally limited to a specific area.

For each administrative area, a member of the Seventy is assigned by the First Presidency to serve as area president. Area presidencies work under the direction of assigned members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Presidency of the Seventy.

Most members of area presidencies are General Authority Seventies, with some Area Seventies — there are four Area Seventies among the total 24 area presidents and 48 counselors.

Areas in the United States are administered from Church headquarters in Salt Lake City, as is the Middle East/Africa North Area.

Other international areas are administered from area offices in those areas:

• Africa Central — Nairobi, Kenya;
• Africa South — Johannesburg, South Africa;
• Africa West — Accra, Ghana;
• Asia — Hong Kong;
• Asia North — Tokyo, Japan;
• Brazil — São Paulo, Brazil;
• Canada — Calgary, Alberta;
• Caribbean — Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic;
• Central America — Guatemala City, Guatemala;
• Eurasian — Moscow, Russia;
• Europe Central — Frankfurt, Germany;
• Europe North — London, England;
• Mexico — Mexico City, Mexico;
• Pacific — Auckland, New Zealand;
• Philippines — Quezon City, Philippines;
• South America Northwest — Lima, Peru; and
• South America South — Buenos Aires, Argentina

Download a PDF of the area leadership assignments.

Editor’s note: On Nov. 20, 2025, two area presidencies were adjusted — the Mexico and United States Area presidencies — after Bishop Sean Douglas was called into the Presiding Bishopric.

First Presidency

Read more about President Russell M. Nelson, President Dallin H. Oaks and President Henry B. Eyring.

Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Read more about President Jeffrey R. Holland, Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Elder David A. Bednar, Elder Quentin L. Cook, Elder D. Todd Christofferson, Elder Neil L. Andersen, Elder Ronald A. Rasband, Elder Gary E. Stevenson, Elder Dale G. Renlund, Elder Gerrit W. Gong, Elder Ulisses Soares and Elder Patrick Kearon.

Presidency of the Seventy

Read more about Elder Carl B. Cook, Elder S. Mark Palmer, Elder Marcus B. Nash, Elder Michael T. Ringwood, Elder Arnulfo Valenzuela, Elder Edward Dube and Elder Kevin R. Duncan.

Each of the presidencies listed below includes links to the bios of the presidency members. The photos of each area presidency has the president in the center, flanked by the two counselors. The names and links in the line below the photographs are all listed in the order of area president, first counselor and second counselor.

United States

United States Central

Read more about Elder José A. Teixeira, Elder Ricardo P. Giménez and Elder Karl D. Hirst.

United States Northeast

Read more about Elder Allen D. Haynie, Elder Mathias Held and Elder Robert M. Daines.

United States Southeast

Read more about Elder Craig C. Christensen, Elder Massimo De Feo and Elder Aroldo B. Cavalcante.

United States Southwest

Read more about Elder Michael A. Dunn, Elder Jonathan S. Schmitt and Elder Steven C. Barlow.

Editor’s note: This presidency for the United States Southwest Area became effective Nov. 20, 2025. The previous area presidency included Elder Jose L. Alonso, president; Elder Michael A. Dunn, first counselor; and Elder Jonathan S. Schmitt, second counselor.

United States West

Read more about Elder Takashi Wada, Elder Peter M. Johnson and Elder Hugo E. Martinez.

Utah

Read more about Elder Brian K. Taylor, Elder John A. McCune and Elder Jorge T. Becerra.

Outside the United States

Africa Central

Read more about Elder Thierry K. Mutombo, Elder Paul B. Pieper and Elder Christophe G. Giraud-Carrier.

Africa South

Read more about Elder Carlos A. Godoy, Elder Denelson Silva and Elder Vaiangina Sikahema.

Africa West

Read more about Elder Alfred Kyungu, Elder Adeyinka A. Ojediran and Elder Isaac K. Morrison.

Asia

Read more about Elder Benjamin M.Z. Tai, Elder Kelly R. Johnson and Elder David L. Buckner.

Asia North

Read more about Elder J. Kimo Esplin, Elder Christopher H. Kim and Elder Michael John U. Teh.

Brazil

Read more about Elder Joni L. Koch, Elder Ciro Schmeil and Elder Mark D. Eddy.

Canada

Read more about Elder Vern P. Stanfill, Elder Martin Goury and Elder James E. Evanson.

Caribbean

Read more about Elder Valeri V. Cordón, Elder Hugo Montoya and Elder Ahmad S. Corbitt.

Central America

Read more about Elder Patricio M. Giuffra, Elder Ryan K. Olsen and Elder Gregorio E. Casillas.

Eurasian

Read more about Elder Aleksandr A. Drachyov, Elder Nikolai Ustyuzhaninov and Elder Vladimir N. Astashov.

Europe Central

Read more about Elder Rubén V. Alliaud, Elder Jack N. Gerard and Elder James W. McConkie III.

Europe North

Read more about Elder Kevin W. Pearson, Elder Marcos A. Aidukaitis and Elder Alan T. Phillips.

Mexico

Read more about Elder Moisés Villanueva, Elder Jose L. Alonso and Elder Brik V. Eyre.

Editor’s note: This presidency for the Mexico Area became effective Nov. 20, 2025. The previous area presidency included Elder Sean Douglas, president; Elder Moisés Villanueva, first counselor; and Elder Brik V. Eyre, second counselor. Elder Douglas was later called into the Presiding Bishopric.

Middle East/Africa North

Read more about Elder Anthony D. Perkins, Elder Adilson de Paula Parrella and Elder Roland J. Bäck.

Pacific

Read more about Elder Peter F. Meurs, Elder Taniela B. Wakolo and Elder Jeremy R. Jaggi.

Philippines

Read more about Elder Carlos G. Revillo Jr., Elder Chi Hong (Sam) Wong and Elder William K. Jackson.

South America Northwest

Read more about Elder Juan Pablo Villar, Elder Taylor G. Godoy and Elder Sandino Roman.

South America South

Read more about Elder Joaquin E. Costa, Elder Alan R. Walker and Elder Eduardo Gavarret.

What is the difference between a General Authority Seventy, Area Seventy and general officer?

Find out more about the Church’s 16 new General Authority Seventies

In the six months since April 2025 general conference:

• 6 new temples have been dedicated.
• 6 additional dedications have been scheduled for new temples.

Temples dedicated

• Auckland New Zealand Temple, by Elder Patrick Kearon of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, on Sunday, April 13.
• Nairobi Kenya Temple, by Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, on Sunday, May 18.
• Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple, by Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, on Sunday, May 25.
• Syracuse Utah Temple, by President Russell M. Nelson on Sunday, June 8.
• Antofagasta Chile Temple, by Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, on Sunday, June 15.
• Farmington New Mexico Temple, by Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, on Sunday, Aug. 17.

Dedications scheduled

• Elko Nevada Temple, Oct. 12.
• Grand Junction Colorado Temple, Oct. 19.
• Bahía Blanca Argentina Temple, Nov. 23.
• Burley Idaho Temple, Jan. 11, 2026.
• Alabang Philippines Temple, Jan. 18, 2026.
• Harare Zimbabwe Temple, March 1, 2026.

A look at the 200 temples announced by President Nelson and each one’s current status

100th temple dedicated 25 years ago

From March 2025: See 6 maps showing the worldwide locations of the Church’s 367 temples

After its dedication, the Alabang temple will become the fourth house of the Lord in the Philippines and the second in the Manila metropolitan area. With the dedications currently scheduled, it is projected to be the Church’s 213th operating temple.

Temples in the Philippines

• Fourteen total temples announced, under construction, scheduled for dedication or operating.
• Three temples in operation: Manila Philippines (dedicated in 1984), Cebu City Philippines (2010) and Urdaneta Philippines (2024).
• Four temples under construction: In addition to Alabang, the Davao Philippines Temple (ground broken in 2020), Bacolod (2021), Cagayan de Oro (2024) and Tacloban City (2025).
• Six temples in planning and design: Naga (announced in 2022), Santiago (2022), Tuguegarao City (2023), Iloilo (2023), Laoag (2023) and San Jose del Monte (2025).
• Nation with the fourth-most temples: After the United States (156), Mexico (27) and Brazil (24); ahead of Canada (11), Peru (10), Argentina (7), Nigeria (7) and Australia (7).
• More than 49 U.S. states: Only Utah (32) among U.S. states has more total temples than the Philippines. The next states are California (12), Idaho (11), Texas (10) and Arizona (9).

More than 880,000 Latter-day Saints in over 1,300 local congregations reside in the Philippines.

Alabang Philippines Temple

• Public open house: Nov. 21 through Dec. 13, 2025. A media day will be Nov. 17, and invited guests will tour the temple Nov. 18-20.
• Dedication: Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026, by Elder Bednar. Scheduled currently as the second temple dedication of 2026, the Alabang dedication will take place just one week after the Burley Idaho Temple is dedicated Jan. 11.
• About the temple: Two-story building on 2.6-acre site at the northwest corner of Corporate Avenue and Filinvest Avenue. Alabang is a neighborhood in the city of Muntinlupa, southeast of Manila.
• Temple announced: President Thomas S. Monson announced a temple for the greater Manila, Philippines, area on April 2, 2017, during April 2017 general conference. It was one of the last five temples President Monson announced before his death in January 2018 and will be the final temple of this group to be dedicated, after the Brasília Brazil, Nairobi Kenya, Pocatello Idaho and Saratoga Springs Utah temples.
• Groundbreaking: June 4, 2020, with Elder Evan A. Schmutz, now an emeritus general authority and then president of the Church’s Philippines Area, presiding.
• The Church in the area: Alabang has been in the Manila Philippines Temple district, which comprises 52 stakes. The temples are about 16 miles apart. Plans have been announced to also construct a temple in San Jose del Monte, north of Manila.

Burley Idaho Temple dedication, open house dates announced

30 countries with the most Latter-day Saint stakes

A by-the-numbers look at the 200 temples announced by President Nelson

But because of visa difficulties with Brazil at the time, Elder Eyre’s assignment was changed to the Guatemala Guatemala City Mission. On June 15, 1983, two months and one day after entering the Provo MTC to learn Portuguese, he was headed to Spanish-speaking Guatemala.

“I knew almost zero Spanish, and I remember writing in my journal: ‘I’m praying in Portuguese, God answers in English, and everybody here speaks Spanish. I’m in a lot of trouble.’

“I was in Zone 18 in Guatemala City, and literally nobody spoke English at all. My companion was a native Spanish speaker, for which I’m very grateful.”

Elder Eyre remembers going into a bathroom, getting on his knees and praying, “I can’t do this.”

He recalls: “That’s when I began to understand the enabling and strengthening power of Jesus Christ and His Atonement. And that quiet reassurance: ‘This is my work. Just do all you can, and find joy in the work.’ That began my process.”

While still in his first area, Elder Eyre was bearing his testimony — “in beginner Spanish” — and realized that he knew that he knew. Like the Prophet Joseph declared, “I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it” (see Joseph Smith — History 1:25).

Elder Eyre said, “Those two places, that bathroom and then that little house in Guatemala City, where I knew that I knew, changed everything for me.”

Forty-two years later, Elder Eyre is a newly sustained General Authority Seventy, called by President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency, in January and one of 16 new general authorities sustained during April 2025 general conference. He begins his first area assignment Aug. 1, in Mexico City, Mexico, as second counselor in the Mexico Area presidency.

At the time of his call, Elder Eyre was serving as an Area Seventy in the Utah Area. The Eyres were living in the Park City, Utah, area.

Growing up and young adulthood

Brik Vern Eyre was born Jan. 17, 1964, in Logan, Utah, to Vern Bingham Eyre and Emma Rae Anderson Eyre; he has five older sisters. He has ancestors among early members of the Church. He grew up in Logan.

When he was 14 he felt that he would go on a mission, so he decided he needed to understand the gospel. “So, I began a study of the Book of Mormon, not a great study, but began reading the Book of Mormon, and I felt reassurance. I just always knew that I wanted to serve a mission.”

He said he also knew he wanted to be married in the temple. “I watched my parents’ marriage and the goodness of them, and the strength of their marriage.”

Elder Eyre was planning on being a dentist, like his father. But two years into a biology major, he recalled: “One day I realized that wasn’t what I wanted to do, and it shook me up a little bit. … So I started looking at other things, and I took a couple of introduction-to-business classes and loved it and realized that my mind kind of works that way.”

“That quiet reassurance: ‘This is my work. Just do all you can, and find joy in the work.’ That began my process.”

Elder Brik V. Eyre

Marriage and family

Brik Eyre and Susan Rahimzadeh met Nov. 10, 1985, after a Utah State University dance.

They dated for a year and a half, and then the Eyres were married in the Logan Utah Temple on June 27, 1987.

Sister Eyre says of her husband: “Brik handles everything so well; he’s gentle, kind, loving and very funny. … People he has worked with would tell me remarkable things about him and how he never compromises integrity.”

Elder Eyre says of his wife: “I just love being with her. We have so much fun. She has just an incredible sense of humor. … She lives charity and Christlike love that is evident to everybody she interacts with. It’s a remarkable thing.”

The Eyres have three daughters and two sons, ages 35 to 24, and six grandchildren.

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Career

Both Eyres graduated from Utah State University in 1988 and then moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where Elder Eyre worked and also earned his MBA. They’ve lived in Southlake, Texas; Claremont, California; and three times in Libertyville, Illinois, a far-north suburb of Chicago. In Libertyville, Elder Eyre served as Buffalo Grove Illinois Stake president, until the Eyres’ call as Arizona Phoenix Mission leaders.

Elder Eyre’s career was in medical products. “I just fell in love with business, but I still loved healthcare. And so I went into the business side of healthcare.”

He worked for Baxter International, Allegiance Healthcare, Cardinal Health and then back to Baxter, where he was senior vice president and president of the company’s Americas region. Most recently he was a board member of HemaSource, a medical distribution company.

Mission leaders

The Eyres were mission leaders in the Arizona Phoenix Mission from 2020 to 2023.

Elder Eyre describes the experience of being mission president as “unbelievable.” A couple of the reasons:

• He served alongside his wife: “It is a wonderful and unique calling. You are equally yoked with your companion, and so you serve side by side every day.”

• They served with almost 800 full-time missionaries — “It is an incredible blessing to spend every day with authorized representatives of Jesus Christ for three years,” Elder Eyre said.

Sister Eyre said: “I can’t even describe how much I love our missionaries. They are amazing. I loved them on their missions, and I have loved continuing the relationship with them postmission.”

The Eyres began serving as mission leaders during the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many American missionaries whose original calls had international mission assignments were given domestic assignments. Elder Eyre said: “I had all those wonderful missionaries who were temporarily assigned. Some struggled with not being in their original assignment. I was able to tell them, ‘I actually understand having a change with mission assignments.’ I was grateful that I could relate and hopefully help them through that change.”

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Sister Eyre

Susan Zari Rahimzadeh was born Oct. 14, 1966, in Salt Lake City to Mohamad Bagher Rahimzadeh and Arthea Cottam Rahimzadeh. She has two older brothers.

Her parents met in St. George, Utah, at what was then Dixie Junior College — now Utah Tech University.

Sister Eyre’s mother was a St. George resident and a descendant of early Latter-day Saint pioneers.

Sister Eyre’s father was in the United States, away from his devoutly Muslim family in Iran, to attend college and then was supposed to return to Iran for an arranged marriage.

“You can imagine St. George, Utah, in the late 1950s,” Sister Eyre said. “My mom’s family wasn’t really happy that my mom was dating my dad, and my dad’s family wasn’t happy because my dad obviously did not go back to Iran.”

After their marriage, the Rahimzadehs settled in Salt Lake City. Mohamad Rahimzadeh went from living with his family in Iran with no financial stress to starting a janitorial company and then working the night shift in the parts department of a large trucking company.

Sister Eyre recounts that it was in her Iranian grandparents that she saw religious observance, such as in the car driving to Disneyland. “They were devout Muslims; they pray five times a day. So we’d stop on I-15 at a rest stop, and my grandparents would be in full prayer. … And then at Disneyland, they would find a quiet spot to pray.”

Although her parents and siblings usually did not attend church, young Susan did. “The blessing of living in Salt Lake was the church was just down the street. And so I would often walk to church by myself, from the time I was probably 7 years old.”

She had Primary teachers and Young Women leaders who loved her. One was Rosemary M. Wixom, who later served as the Church’s Primary general president from 2010 to 2016.

Sister Wixom “didn’t care that I smelled like my father’s cigarettes, or that my family was inactive. … She just loved me. And I could feel her love.

“There are so many people just like me. They’re in the gospel fully committed because of one leader … a Primary teacher, a bishop, a Young Women leader, someone who’s loved them on their journey to come unto Christ.”

Sister Eyre has served as ward Young Women president, ward Relief Society presidency counselor, early morning seminary teacher, Sunday School teacher, Relief Society teacher and Primary teacher.

She earned a bachelor’s degree from Utah State University in English and history.

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About Elder Brik V. Eyre

Family: Brik Vern Eyre was born Jan. 17, 1964, in Logan, Utah, to Vern Bingham Eyre and Emma Rae Anderson Eyre; he has five older sisters. He married Susan Zari Rahimzadeh in the Logan Utah Temple on June 27, 1987. They have five adult children and six grandchildren.

Education: Associate degree from Snow College, bachelor’s degree in finance from Utah State University and Master of Business Administration from University of Tulsa.

Employment: Worked in the medical products industry, including for Baxter International as senior vice president and president of the Americas, and most recently as a HemaSource board member.

Church service: Area Seventy, Arizona Phoenix Mission president (2020-23), stake president, stake presidency counselor, high councilor, bishop, Young Men president, early morning seminary teacher, missionary in the Guatemala Guatemala City Mission.

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Nine of those 30 are South American countries, and five are in Africa. All six inhabited continents have two or more countries on the list.

The Church had 3,608 stakes worldwide at the close of 2024, the most recent statistics available. The number has been increasing steadily over the Church’s 195-year history.

A stake is a group of local congregations — wards or branches — generally with 3,000 to 5,000 members in five to 10 congregations.

The 30 countries with the most Latter-day Saint stakes are listed below. Where two or more countries have the same number of stakes, the nation with the most wards is listed first.

2024: 30 countries with the most Latter-day Saints

Compare Church statistical reports from 2022 to 2024

How many languages have Book of Mormon translations?

Church President President Russell M. Nelson announced in April 2025 general conference plans to build a house of the Lord in Norfolk, Virginia, and in Greenville, South Carolina; during October 2023 general conference he listed Roanoke, Virginia, as a location for a future temple.

Specific sites and groundbreaking dates have not been announced for any of the three temples.

The U.S. Census Bureau defines the eight South Atlantic states as Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware and Maryland.

There are eight dedicated temples in those states, although the Orlando Florida Temple closed in July 2024 for renovations.

The Roanoke and Norfolk temples are the third and fourth houses of the Lord planned for Virginia. The Richmond Virginia Temple was dedicated in 2023; plans to build a temple in Winchester were announced in April 2023. Much of northern Virginia is in the temple district of the Washington D.C. Temple, which is in suburban Maryland.

Roanoke Virginia Temple

The city: Situated in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Roanoke had a population of 100,011 at the 2020 census. It is the largest city in Virginia west of Richmond. The Roanoke metro area has more than 300,000 residents.

The Church in the area: Five stakes in southwest Virginia; the first, in Roanoke, was created in 1970.

Current temple district: Roanoke is in the temple district of the Richmond Virginia Temple, about 180 miles to the east.

Norfolk Virginia Temple

The city: Norfolk is in the center of the Hampton Roads region, which has about 1.8 million residents and includes four of Virginia’s five most-populous cities — Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk and Newport News. It includes one of the largest naval bases in the world, Naval Station Norfolk.

The Church in the area: Three stakes in the metropolitan area; the first, in Newport News, was created in 1977.

Current temple district: Norfolk is in the temple district of the Richmond Virginia Temple, about 110 miles to the northwest.

Greenville South Carolina Temple

• Second temple in South Carolina: The first house of the Lord in the state is the Columbia South Carolina Temple, dedicated in 1999.

• The city: The sixth-largest in the state, with 70,720 residents counted in the 2020 census. The Greenville metropolitan area is the most populous in the state, with almost 1 million residents.

• The Church in the area: Two stakes in upstate South Carolina and one in western North Carolina. The first Greenville stake was created in 1972.

• Current temple district: Greenville is in the temple district of the Columbia South Carolina Temple, about 120 miles to the southeast.

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On April 5, during the Saturday morning session of the 195th Annual General Conference, the 2024 report was posted on ChurchofJesusChrist.org. It reflects statistics as of Dec. 31, 2024.

Following are comparisons of numbers in the 2022, 2023 and 2024 reports.

Charts show Church’s ongoing growth through 194 years

October 2024 chart of general authorities and general officers

1924 and 2024: The Church 100 years ago

This kind of confidence, President Nelson explained in the concluding talk of the Sunday afternoon session, is born of the Spirit and comes when making and keeping covenants with God.

“I invite you to take intentional steps to grow in your confidence before the Lord,” President Nelson said. “Then, as we go to our Heavenly Father, with increasing confidence, we will be filled with more joy, and your faith in Jesus Christ will increase. We will begin to experience spiritual power that exceeds our greatest hopes.”

Toward the end of his message, he also announced 15 new temple locations around the world.

As a service to our readers, the Church News has created a downloadable PDF, summarizing each message shared during the April 2025 general conference.

View and download the PDF here of summaries in English.

View and download the PDF here of summaries in Spanish.

View and download the PDF here of summaries in Portuguese.

Note: This has been updated with links to the Spanish and Portuguese PDFs.

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