Standing in the Sacred Grove Historic Site in Palmyra, New York, surrounded by towering beeches, oaks, maples and other trees, President Ashton related how it was there during the spring of 1820 that Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, answered a question posed by 14-year-old Joseph Smith.

“They restored sacred truths to the earth, inviting a flood of revelation that blesses you, me and all of God’s children today and proves that God does answer prayers,” said President Ashton.

Speaking to BYU–Pathway students around the world, President Ashton invited listeners to find “a place where you can pour out your heart to your Heavenly Father.”

Follow Joseph Smith’s example and act in faith. “Search the scriptures for answers, ponder God’s will for you, kneel and pray, and ask God. Ask Him about your concerns and your problems,” President Ashton encouraged.

Where it all began

Joseph Smith’s family were humble farmers living in Palmyra in 1820. While Joseph and his family didn’t have access to much education, they had faith in Jesus Christ and read the Bible, President Ashton related.

When Joseph was 14, a religious revival was taking place in his community, with many churches with differing views claiming to be the way of God. “Joseph was confused by all these claims,” said President Ashton.

One day, Joseph read the Epistle of James: “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” (James 1:5).

Joseph decided that he “must either remain in darkness and confusion, or … ask … God” (Joseph Smith — History 1:13).

On a beautiful spring morning, Joseph walked to a grove near his family’s home. In the quiet forest, Joseph uttered his first vocal prayer. “Like many of our attempts to obtain answers to our prayers, Joseph experienced opposition. But rather than give in to despair, he ‘exert[ed] all [his] powers to call upon God,’” President Ashton related. (See Joseph Smith — History 1:16.)

In response to his prayer, Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph and told him to join none of the churches because they were all wrong. Through Joseph Smith, Christ’s Church was reestablished upon the earth, with priesthood keys and authority.

“Until his death in 1844, the Prophet Joseph continued to ask questions and receive answers through revelations that bless us today,” said President Ashton.

7 learnings from the Sacred Grove

President Ashton shared seven things he has learned as he has pondered Joseph Smith’s experience.

First, there are questions only God can answer, including personal questions like “Who should I marry?” or “What career should I pursue?”

Second, God answers prayers. “Most prayers will not be answered by an appearance of God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. But God has promised that we can know the truth of all things through the Holy Ghost,” said President Ashton.

Third, prayers are not always answered immediately. “Sometimes our faith must be tried before we will receive answers,” said President Ashton.

Fourth, “just as Heavenly Father knew Joseph Smith’s name, He knows yours,” President Ashton assured. “He is your Father in Heaven, and you are His child.”

Fifth, like Joseph Smith, individuals can be forgiven of their sins.

Sixth, there are prophets who speak with God. Today, President Dallin H. Oaks “receives revelation from God, just as the Prophet Joseph Smith did, for the whole world,” President Ashton testified.

Seventh, “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true Church, authorized and led by Jesus Christ.”

To those who have not done so, President Ashton invited to “please ask God if The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Christ’s restored Church. I promise that if you will ask with a sincere heart and with a willingness to act on the answer you receive, God will answer that prayer.” (See Moroni 10:4.)

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These were just a few of the questions addressed during a livestream event hosted by the Church Educational System of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Tuesday, Sept. 1.

Representatives from each of the six institutions within CES — Brigham Young University, BYU–Idaho, BYU–Hawaii, BYU–Pathway Worldwide, Ensign College and Seminaries and Institutes of Religion — participated in the livestream, answering questions, offering advice and discussing the unique role and strategy of each institution.

Among other topics, the panelists highlighted the global accessibility of BYU–Pathway Worldwide, the academic and research excellence of BYU, the global mission of BYU–Hawaii, the spiritual foundation provided through seminary and institute, the career-focused skills of Ensign College, and the student-centric culture of BYU–Idaho.

“The Church provides education — no matter who you are and where you’re at in your life and what you’re going through,” noted Ben Lotze, manager of enrollment services for Seminaries and Institutes of Religion.

Why the Church Educational System needs more than just BYU

Is college education still worth it?

Dan Taylor, the admissions outreach administrator at BYU who served as the event’s host and moderator, noted that with the rising cost of higher education, many wonder if college is still worth a young person’s time and investment.

“Higher education has never been more important,” responded Chad Johnson, director of admissions at BYU.

Both the late Church President Russell M. Nelson and current Church President Dallin H. Oaks have taught that education is a religious responsibility, Johnson pointed out. “And we still see across the board that those who have a college education have better outcomes when it comes to your income, to your health, to family structure, to so many other things that matter to provide a joyous life.”

The Church Educational System has the added benefit of incorporating discipleship of Jesus Christ into the learning process, Johnson added. “We hope that it’s something that builds the foundation on Jesus Christ throughout the rest of your life.”

2024: How Church education is part of preparing the world for the Savior’s Second Coming

CES institutions are affordable options compared to secular competitors, said Riley Hall, director of admissions at BYU–Idaho.

“Don’t let cost be the reason not to go to college,” said Hall. As prospective students look at the sometimes-daunting cost of higher education, “remember that the CES options are very, very affordable, and you don’t have to pay for it all on your own. With scholarships, federal financial aid, work opportunities, all those things on top of the things that you bring with you, you’re going to find that you can pay down those costs pretty quickly.”

For example, at BYU–Hawaii, where the cost of living is exceptionally high, the school offers work study programs where students can work on campus or the adjacent Polynesian Cultural Center and graduate debt free.

“Which is a miracle,” said Amber Stevenson, admissions officer at BYU–Hawaii.

2024: BYU–Hawaii and the Polynesian Cultural Center — Teaching and sharing the ‘aloha spirit’ and love of Christ

2023: BYU–Idaho and Ensign College announce new 3-year online degrees available through BYU–Pathway

How can students select the college that is right for them?

Each institution within CES has the mission of developing disciples of Jesus Christ who are leaders in their homes, in the Church and in their communities. However, each school has a distinct role, strategy and culture.

“When you’re looking at the different schools, you have to find what best fits you and the community that you’re looking for,” noted Sarah Bermudes, outreach and recruitment admissions counselor at Ensign College.

For example, while Ensign College has “a robust student life” with unique activities and opportunities, students wanting to attend a soccer game or cheer at a big football game might choose a different school, said Bermudes.

Look at the school community and what the school can offer post graduation, Bermudes advised.

BYU–Hawaii is a good example of that, added Stevenson. While all the schools have a business program, BYU–Hawaii is focused on developing leaders in the Pacific and Asian Rim. “So if it’s your dream to build a business in Europe, maybe BYU–Hawaii is not the place for you.”

Several panelists recommended taking a tour of the college campuses and noted that online tours are available if travel is prohibitive.

“Make yourself familiar with the campuses. They all have something very unique to offer, and a lot of these positive surprises that we talked about, you’ll uncover as you get familiar with them,” said Taylor.

Lotze emphasized that no matter where a student decides to go, they can attend an institute class, which is free. “Anywhere you go, there is institute and a place where you can develop your discipleship,” said Lotze.

2026: More than 85,000 of other faiths enroll in seminary and institute

What to know about admissions to CES schools

The institutions vary widely in admissions. One of the purposes of BYU–Pathway Worldwide, for example, is to remove barriers to education. As such, their application is simple, noted Mike Cordon, Utah area operations manager at BYU-Pathway Worldwide. BYU–Pathway does not require ACT or SAT scores or an ecclesiastical endorsement.

BYU, on the other hand, has about a 69% acceptance rate for its incoming freshman. A BYU education aims to be spiritually strengthening, intellectually enlarging and character building, leading to lifelong learning and service, explained Johnson. So BYU is going to look at applicants who are aligned with those aims.

Johnson also explained that this year, the university is taking a “do no harm” approach to applicants’ ACT and SAT scores, “which means for those where the test is optional, we will only use your score — either ACT or SAT — if it actually strengthens your application.”

BYU–Idaho and Ensign College, meanwhile, have unique semester tracks which enable them to enroll many more students while BYU–Hawaii prioritizes a large percentage of its student slots (around 76%) for students from Oceania and the Asian Rim.

No matter where they decide to apply, Stevenson advised parents and leaders to help students develop resilience and independence. If something goes wrong with their financial aid, it’s going to be the students who need to pick up a phone and call the financial aid office.

“There’s lots of different options, but the bottom line is, no matter what option, the gospel of Jesus Christ and deepening discipleship will always be part of it,” said Cordon.

Those interested can view a recording of the livestreams, one for parents and leaders and another for youth, at enrollment.byu.edu/ces-livestreams.

2026: Seminary and institute enrollment hits 1 million in time for institute’s 100th anniversary

2024: Elder D. Todd Christofferson and Elder Clark G. Gilbert on thriving in and through the Church Educational System

Dear Father in Heaven, in the name of Jesus Christ, we thank Thee for the beauty of this day and the faith of those present as we dedicate this, the Phnom Penh Cambodia Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

We are thankful that we are able to gather, celebrate this sacred moment and worship Thee freely.

We give thanks for so many who have made this day possible.

We feel Thy love and love of Thy Son, Jesus Christ, as we gather to express our love and gratitude to Thee.

We have gathered to dedicate this, Thy house, as an expression of our faith, love and devotion to Thee.

Elder Kearon dedicates Phnom Penh Cambodia Temple, where vision ‘draws heavenward’

Invoking the keys of the holy apostleship and by the authority of the holy Melchizedek Priesthood, I now dedicate to Thee and Thy Beloved Son the Phnom Penh Cambodia Temple for its sacred purposes. We dedicate it from its foundations to its roof and spires. We dedicate the baptistry, the altars and the sacred rooms where ordinances are performed and covenants are made and blessings promised.

We dedicate the structure of the temple, everything which will help it run in accordance with Thy will, including all of the supporting systems and services which manage the electrical, water, climate, audiovisual, data and communication systems.

We dedicate the ground upon which the temple and ancillary buildings stand.

We ask Thee to watch over and protect this sacred building from adverse forces of nature or other harm.

We are grateful for the temple presidency and ask Thee to bless them, the matron and her assistants, and all of those who will serve in Thy holy house in any capacity. We pray that they will come to a deeper understanding of Thy great love for Thy children and the purposes of the ordinances performed here.

We pray that all who enter here will feel of Thy love and peace, that patrons and workers will be lifted far beyond their worries and daily cares as they come to a greater appreciation of Thy compassionate will for them. We pray that they will feel Thy joy and be calmed, consoled and comforted.

Please grant those who come, including those present today, a deeper understanding of Thy plan of happiness and the sanctifying role of ordinances and covenants.

Please bless the lonely, those who grieve and those who feel lost or rejected. Please help them to more fully receive Thy love and come to experience the atoning blessings of Thy Son, Jesus Christ.

We pray for our young people and yearn for them to rejoice in coming here, serving and being blessed with light, peace, happiness and spiritual strength.

We thank Thee for the Restoration and for the Prophet Joseph. We give thanks for the prophets who have succeeded him and who continue to serve Thy children.

We rejoice in thanksgiving for Thy Son and His Atonement and that through Him we have the potential to live with Thee and our loved ones eternally.

This, Thy house, will be a sacred symbol of Thy love for Thy children and of their love for Thee. May it be a house of joy and a beacon of light to those of Phnom Penh and to all who will see it.

We thank Thee for these blessings and many more that will be extended by Thee. We express our love and gratitude to Thee and to Thy Son and offer this prayer of dedication in the sacred name of Thy Son, Jesus Christ, amen.

‘Light coming after darkness’ in Cambodia

Phnom Penh Cambodia Temple | Church News almanac

O God, our Eternal Father, Thou great Elohim, we present ourselves before Thee on this joyful Sabbath day of dedication. We gather in a spirit of worship and devotion. We pray that Thou wilt accept our petitions, our thanksgiving and our offering this day.

We rejoice and we thank Thee, our Heavenly Father, for the restoration and renewal of this holy house. We thank Thee for the tithes and offerings of Thy Saints around the world that have made this work possible. Wilt Thou indeed open the windows of heaven and pour out blessings upon them and rebuke the devourer for their sakes, according to Thy promise (see Malachi 3:10-11).

President Christofferson rededicates the San Diego temple — a ‘visible, tangible testimony’ of the Redeemer

We thank Thee for the plan of redemption and happiness that Thou hast constituted for the eternal progression of Thy sons and daughters. We are grateful that Thou hast established once again Thy new and everlasting covenant in this great and last dispensation. Above all, our hearts are filled with gratitude for the Atonement wrought by Thy divine Son, Jesus, knowing that His infinite sacrifice to redeem us from sin and death is essential to Thy eternal plan. We acknowledge this ultimate expression of His love and of Thy love for us — than which love there is none greater. Unitedly in this moment, we express to Thee and to Him our unending love and gratitude.

We thank Thee for having restored to the earth the Holy Priesthood after the Order of Thy Son that offers to Thy children of all generations the foreordained ordinances and covenants necessary for exaltation in Thy presence. We thank Thee for this temple and all temples that have been and will yet be built to Thy name wherein the holiest of these ordinances and covenants may be realized. We thank Thee for the keys of the holy priesthood, including and especially the keys of sealing to bind beyond the veil that which is bound on earth.

And so, beloved Father, acting in the authority of the holy Melchizedek Priesthood and in the name of Jesus Christ, at the direction of the President of the Church, President Dallin H. Oaks, we dedicate to Thee and Thy Son this, the San Diego California Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We dedicate the structure from its foundation and footings to the figure of Moroni which crowns its highest steeple. We dedicate the baptistry, the sealing rooms with their sacred altars, the endowment rooms, the beautiful celestial room and all the facilities and fixtures of the temple and consecrate them for their intended use in carrying out the work of salvation and exaltation for the living and the dead. We also dedicate and bless the temple grounds and ancillary buildings that serve the temple. May all aspects of this magnificent edifice come together to present a picture of the majesty of Thy work.

We humbly ask Thee to accept this offering at our hands and deem it worthy even though we, the givers, are imperfect. Wilt Thou consecrate and sanctify this temple as a place of holiness. Protect it, we pray Thee, from the ravages of nature and from desecration or pollution of any kind, and preserve the sacredness of this, Thy house, against evil of any form.

We pray that the long-prophesied gathering of Thy covenant people now underway both on earth and in the world of spirits may continue apace. We pray that our labors in this gathering as members and missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ might be magnified and made fruitful. May our sheaves be many, and may they, with us, be gathered into the garners where the storms and fierce winds of the enemy cannot penetrate (see Alma 26:5-6). May all who enter the temple with clean hands and pure hearts find refuge and renewal, and may they leave armed with righteousness (see 1 Nephi 14:14).

As we, Thy servants, call upon Thee in this holy house, wilt Thou hear us in heaven and hearken to our supplications. Preserve us from the sin and wickedness that surround us. Help us cast away all impurity and pride from our minds and hearts. Help us minister to those in distress in whatever circumstance we may.

We recall and renew the petitions of Thy servant President Gordon B. Hinckley in the initial dedication of this temple and reference two of them specifically:

First, “Bless this land [the United States of America], ... and bless those who govern that the precious liberties enunciated in the Bill of Rights may never be abridged nor taken from the people. Strengthen the cause of freedom among the nations of the earth.”

Second, “Bless the posterity of Lehi. ... Lift from their weary shoulders the burdens of the past. Grant unto those who walk in faith an enlarged understanding of things divine as well as blessings of temporal peace and prosperity.”

Heavenly Father, we thank Thee for the Prophet Joseph Smith, who stands at the head of this last dispensation. We are grateful for his faith and perseverance in the face of relentless opposition and persecution. We thank Thee for all that Thou hast brought to pass through his instrumentality in the prophesied “restitution of all things” (Acts 3:21). We are grateful for his successors holding and exercising the keys of this dispensation down to the present moment.

We invoke Thy blessing on the leaders and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to include the First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, the Seventy, the Presiding Bishopric, the general officers and the local leaders of the Church throughout the world, and in special measure the missionaries who represent and proclaim the Lord Jesus Christ across the earth. Protect and magnify them, we pray. “May the kingdom of God go forth, that the kingdom of heaven may come, that thou, O God, mayest be glorified in heaven so on earth” (Doctrine and Covenants 65:6).

We lift this prayer unto Thee, our Heavenly Father, in a spirit of love and rejoicing. We thank Thee for Thy tender mercies. Look upon us in love and mercy wherever we are assembled today and be mindful of us in all the days to come, we pray, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Read San Diego California Temple dedicatory prayer from 1993 offered by President Hinckley

Doors open to tour recently renovated San Diego California Temple

San Diego temple public open house an opportunity to declare knowledge of Jesus Christ, Elder Andersen says

The 45th temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints literally shimmers in the Southern California sun on a ridge above the Interstate 5 freeway in the north San Diego neighborhood of La Jolla. Drivers have a full view of the temple’s soaring double towers, surrounding spires and the gleaming statue of angel Moroni.

And yet, as President Hinckley participated in one of the 23 dedicatory sessions for what was then California’s third house of the Lord, he emphasized that whether temples are large or small, grand or rather simple, the construction of the buildings is not an end in itself.

“It is a means to an end,” he said, ”which has to do with that magnificent promise that ‘God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life’ (John 3:16).

“That is the purpose of building temples,” President Hinckley declared (“45th temple dedicated — long-held dream now reality following rites in San Diego,” Church News, May 1, 1993).

That connection — of the Savior to His house — was echoed by President D. Todd Christofferson, second counselor in the First Presidency, who rededicated the sacred structure more than 33 years later on Sunday, Aug. 23.

“Since Jesus Christ is essential for our exaltation, it is not surprising that so much in the temple and temple ordinances is tied to Him,” President Christofferson said.

He noted the words of the late Church President Russell M. Nelson, who taught: “The temple lies at the center of strengthening our faith and spiritual fortitude because the Savior and His doctrine are the very heart of the temple. Everything taught in the temple, through instruction and through the Spirit, increases our understanding of Jesus Christ” (“The Temple and Your Spiritual Foundation,” October 2021 general conference).

The San Diego temple and all Latter-day Saint houses of the Lord constitute “our visible, tangible testimony of the living reality of the Redeemer, since without His Atonement and Resurrection, the temple would serve no purpose,” President Christofferson declared.

The San Diego California Temple closed in July 2023 for extensive renovations, including improvements in accessibility; upgrades to the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system; and repairs to the roof. A public open house from June 18 to July 11 attracted close to 300,000 visitors.

Some 550 Latter-day Saints gathered within the walls of the temple on Sunday for the single 11 a.m. rededication session that was broadcast to the 16 stakes in Southern California and southwest Arizona that make up the temple district.

Also participating in the rededication was President Christofferson’s wife, Sister Kathy Christofferson, as well as Elder Steven R. Bangerter, General Authority Seventy and executive director of the Temple Department, and his wife, Sister Susan Bangerter; Elder Taylor G. Godoy, General Authority Seventy and assistant executive director of the Temple Department, and his wife, Sister Carol Godoy; Elder Hugo E. Martinez, General Authority Seventy and member of the United States West Area presidency, and his wife, Sister Nuria Martinez; and Presiding Bishop W. Christopher Waddell and his wife, Sister Carol Waddell.

The San Diego temple rededication marks President Christofferson’s second Southern California temple dedicatory service this summer. He dedicated the Yorba Linda California Temple in Orange County in June.

See photos of the recently renovated San Diego California Temple as it opens to the public

The Church’s 45th temple

Church President Ezra Taft Benson presided over the temple’s groundbreaking on Feb. 27, 1988 — his first groundbreaking.

In his remarks, President Benson noted that Latter-day Saints have been commanded to stand in holy places, like temples, in order to avoid the tribulations that are to come in the latter days.

“A temple is a constant visible symbol that God has not left man to grope in darkness,” he said (“President Benson starts 45th temple,” Church News, March 5, 1988).

Roughly 720,000 visitors toured the temple during its six-week open house from Feb. 20 to April 3, 1993.

In late April, President Benson, due to failing health, was unable to attend the dedication, so his counselors, President Hinckley and President Thomas S. Monson, took turns presiding during the 23 dedicatory sessions over six days.

In all, 25 general authorities, including most of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, participated.

In the dedicatory prayer, President Hinckley blessed the temple to be “a thing of singular beauty from which shall emanate a spiritual glow that speaks of peace and goodness” to the millions who would see it from the adjacent highway.

He blessed the structure to be “a refuge from the noise and stress of the world” and a sanctuary for the Saints.

“A refuge” was how Linda Page described the San Diego temple. She and her husband, J. Drew Page, served as the temple open house and dedication coordinators and have prayed, pondered and served there for the past 30 years. Their three daughters have all been married there.

“My testimony has been strengthened and grown and cultivated within that temple,” she said. “It is precious to us.”

The ‘incredible opportunity’ of a rededication

Since its original dedication, the San Diego temple has become an iconic landmark in the community, said Drew Page. Local news stations will use it to report on traffic. “There’s a mural painted of San Diego County, and one of the things in the mural is the San Diego temple,” he said. Colloquially, it’s known as “the castle.”

Because of its prominence, the open house became an “incredible opportunity,” said Linda Page. “People would come to the open house saying, ‘I’ve driven past this for 33 years. I’m dying to see what’s inside.’”

Local Latter-day Saints brought their friends, neighbors, co-workers and clients, Drew Page said. The temple hosted more than a quarter million visitors during the three and a half weeks of the open house.

President Art Rascon and Sister Patti Rascon, leaders of the California San Diego Mission, shared how seven to 10 sister missionary companionships were at the open house every day, sometimes for 12-hour shifts.

“Even though it was a long day and tiring, they were in heaven. They loved it and saw so many miracles,” said Sister Rascon.

Their missionaries were constantly being asked about the temple, said President Rascon. “And they were able to answer and say, ‘Come, come with us, and let’s go.’ They were able to bring thousands of people to the temple. It was truly amazing.”

President Daniel Rodríguez de Almeida, president of the Mormon Battalion Historic Site in San Diego, said they saw twice as many — or sometimes even three times as many — visitors during the open house. “We have never been so busy,” said President Almeida.

Carlsbad California Stake President Jack Shirley said that even individuals who were antagonistic toward the Church or religion were able to take a tour and come away with a better understanding and a reverence for the house of the Lord in San Diego.

President Neal Walton, president of the San Diego California Stake, and his wife, Tracy Walton, went three different times to the open house with three different neighbors.

“And wow,” President Walton said. “We’ve lived next to each other for 20 years and never had these types of conversations, but we did driving in the car there and back. That was special.”

Sister Rascon said the missionaries handed out more than 60,000 pass-along cards and read and received many “beautiful comments” from visitors. One woman asked, “How do I feel the same spirit out here every day in my work and my daily commute that I felt inside that celestial room?” Another asked, “How can I be with my family forever?”

Sister Rascon added, “And, of course, we had the answers.”

Missionary work and the temple are “aligned in a beautiful way,” President Rascon noted. “It’s all about Jesus Christ. It’s all focused on Christ. He is the center. And where do we learn more about Jesus Christ than right here in the temple? This is where we truly understand where we came from, why we’re here, where we’re going and how to gain access to God’s power through Jesus Christ.”

J. Clifford Wallace, who served as president of the San Diego temple from 1998 to 2001 and is a longtime resident, recalled standing next to President Hinckley when he received the revelation for the location for the temple. Patrons to the temple should be a little better each time they leave, he said.

Following Sunday’s rededication, Wallace, now age 97, told the Church News, “I feel just terrific. I love the temple.”

A noble history of building the community

The history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in San Diego dates back to the early Restoration when the U.S. government recruited Latter-day Saints migrating west after fleeing persecution in Nauvoo, Illinois.

Known as the Mormon Battalion, the group of Latter-day Saint volunteer infantrymen marched nearly 2,000 miles from Council Bluffs, Iowa, to San Diego, California. Though they never saw combat, they established routes and reported information that proved crucial to the settlement of the American Southwest.

When the Mormon Battalion reached San Diego in late January 1847, many mustered out and traveled to Utah to be reunited with their families, but Company B stayed and built sidewalks, dug wells, built the courthouse and continued to build the community.

A few stayed in California, establishing a Church presence in the coastal state that has continued to grow.

In 1893 — the year the Salt Lake Temple was dedicated — there were about 80 members of the Church in California. By 1930, there were more than 21,000.

A stake was organized in San Diego in 1941. When President Hinckley, then second counselor in the First Presidency, announced a temple for San Diego at the start of the April 1984 general conference, membership in the area exceeded 39,000.

The strength of the Church in the area was part of what attracted the Pages to the area in 1989.

When they moved there in the late ‘80s, Drew Page said, there were really strong stakes, wards and youth groups, and “it’s continued to grow and be strong ever since.”

Church historian Spencer McBride, who grew up in San Diego, noted that Latter-day Saints there have a legacy of service exemplified by those early Mormon Battalion members.

“The members of the Church who are there, they build their lives there, they live their faith there, but they also contribute to the building up of the community around them,” he told the Church News.

Today, the San Diego temple is one of nine operating temples in California, with one in Modesto scheduled to be dedicated in November and two others in planning stages.

Speaking of the history of the Church in the area, President Christofferson called the San Diego California Temple ”a testament to the faith of many generations, with the promise of more faithful, covenant-keeping generations to come. It is a testament that the Lord has been doing His work here for many years, and that He is now hastening His work.”

About the San Diego California Temple

Address: 7474 Charmant Drive, San Diego, California 92122-5000

Announced: April 7, 1984, by the First Presidency, with President Spencer W. Kimball as Church President

Groundbreaking: Feb. 27, 1988, presided over by President Ezra Taft Benson, Church President

Dedicated: April 25, 1993, by President Gordon B. Hinckley, first counselor in the First Presidency

Rededication open house: June 18 through July 11, 2026, excluding Sundays

Rededicated: Aug. 23, 2026, by President D. Todd Christofferson, second counselor in the First Presidency

Property size: 7.2 acres

Building size: 58,005 square feet

Building height: 169 feet to the top of the spire

San Diego temple public open house an opportunity to declare knowledge of Jesus Christ, Elder Andersen says

San Diego California Temple | Church News almanac

If he had one wish, it would be for listeners to find peace and rest in their lives — right now, said the Apostle. “Not the life you think you would have if you were able to finish your to-do list, have three extra hours in a day and finally achieve your goals. My wish is that you and I might slow down and turn more easily and comfortingly to Christ and bask in His promised peace.”

Accompanied by his wife, Sister Jennifer Kearon, Elder Kearon addressed a packed Marriott Center for Tuesday’s devotional during the annual conference.

In his remarks, Elder Kearon noted that setting and striving for goals are part of the culture of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. However, “too frequently this push to achieve goes past healthy limits, and we begin to tie our self-worth to our productivity and success.”

A truth Elder Kearon said he hopes will sink deeply into the souls of listeners is this: “Your best is certainly good enough, that you are loved more than you can imagine, and that it isn’t your achievements that define you ... .”

Goals and achievements have a place

An early Latter-day Saint symbol is the beehive, an image that evokes industry and production. Latter-day Saints believe intelligence gained in this life will rise with them in the resurrection (see Doctrine and Covenants 130:18-19).

“Lifelong learning is a prophetic directive and religious responsibility,” said Elder Kearon. “And then, there is so much more that rises with us. So much more that is more challenging to quantify, to weigh, or to measure — but certainly our gentleness, our meekness, our patience and our pure love.”

Goals, plans, industry and achievement all have places in one’s mortal journey. But individuals might have experienced where too much focus on a to-do list reduces peace. “Are we still not comfortable turning the dial down a little and taking a breath? How uncomfortable are we when a job or assignment is incomplete? Can we not rest until everything is done?” Elder Kearon asked.

Praise for — and delight in — personal accomplishment “keeps our eyes focused on us: our efforts, our lessons, our hustle. This puts us at the center of the story that our Savior is meant to occupy, and reliance on ourselves and not on Him,” Elder Kearon taught.

In constantly pushing toward the next achievement, “Might we be squeezing out the wonder, the time to dream, the time to marvel?”

Slow down

Elder Kearon recalled reporting to the late President M. Russell Ballard on a complicated and challenging issue.

Afterward, Elder Kearon received a message from President Ballard, who was acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles until his death in 2023. In the message, there were no words, simply a link to a video of Norwegian soprano Sissel singing “Slow Down.”

With emotion, Elder Kearon quoted the lyrics: “Slow down. Slow down. Be still and wait for the Spirit of the Lord. … Hear His voice and know that He is God.”

He then added: “We need goals, we need plans. They keep us focused on things that really matter. They have a place. But is it right that they consume us, and that we apply that kind of focus and pressure to every element of our lives?

“Can we be at peace just being peaceful?” he asked.

Mary and Martha

Using the story of Mary and Martha from the New Testament (see Luke 10:38-42), Elder Kearon taught that discipleship needs both service and stillness.

“The usual telling is that Martha was caught up in worldly things while Mary attended to the Savior: sacred against secular, and Jesus commends the one who chose the sacred,” he noted.

However, “it wasn’t like that,” said Elder Kearon. “Martha was also involved in sacred work, the sacred work of her loving ministry to the Messiah, whom she has invited into her home.”

Martha is a hard-working disciple in tumult, he taught. “So, what is the problem with this service? … One way to think of this might be that Martha is doing a great deal for Jesus, and not enough with Him.”

Martha is being dragged about — worried and overworked by her ministry. But “Mary was listening. … Sitting and attending are necessary parts of discipleship, and for many of us, that is harder than hands-on service,” Elder Kearon said.

There will be times when individuals will need to make the food or get the work done. “But let’s do that after we have made time to sit and focus on the Savior’s words. We want to be the disciple who does the one thing that is needful: Sit and listen to Jesus. As we learn of Him, we will see more clearly and selectively what He would have us do and become.”

President Oaks offers the way to overcome any doubt: Draw closer to the Savior

‘Sing with redeeming love,’ Elder and Sister Kearon tell young adults in worldwide devotional

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Our Father in Heaven: We come to thee in prayer on this great occasion when we will dedicate this Belo Horizonte Brazil Temple unto Thee and Thy Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, for Thy work and Thy glory. We thank Thee for Thy many blessings, including the faithfulness of thy servants throughout the world whose tithing has made it possible for us to build this temple and so many others for the blessing of Thy children.

We thank Thee for the plan Thou hast established for the eternal life of Thy children. We thank Thee for Thy Only Begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. We thank Thee for His Resurrection to assure our immortality, for His Atonement for our repented sins and for His experiencing our pains and infirmities that He may succor us in our infirmities. We thank Thee for the Holy Ghost, who testifies of Thee and Thy Son and who leads us into truth.

President Oaks dedicates Belo Horizonte Brazil Temple

We thank Thee for the restoration of the gospel, which began with Thy appearance and Thine Only Begotten Son to the Prophet Joseph Smith. We thank Thee for the Book of Mormon, the second witness of Thy Son, Jesus Christ. We thank Thee for restoring the authority and keys of the Holy Priesthood by which we teach Thy word and perform the ordinances of salvation.

We thank Thee for the pioneers of faith and devotion who have established Thy work in Brazil in such a significant way, many of whom have come together to celebrate this dedication of an additional house of the Lord.

We pray for the members of Thy Church who reside in Brazil, including the rising generation, that they may manifest the truths of Thy gospel in wise choices and activities. We also pray for such blessings on the missionaries, young and old, and for all others who seek to serve Thee. We pray that all will be drawn to this sacred temple, that through Thy work and their covenants and the ordinances of salvation and exaltation will be provided to all Thy righteous children on both sides of the veil.

Please bless the citizens of Brazil and its neighboring nations with freedom and prosperity in their spiritual and temporal activities. Please bless the leaders of this great nation. Inspire their minds and motives that they may lead in righteousness and effectiveness.

Father in Heaven, please bless the leaders of this Belo Horizonte Brazil Temple, the president and matron and their counselors and assistants, and all who work under their direction as they exercise the authority of Thy holy priesthood in these sacred ordinances and covenants. And please bless all who worthily serve in Thy holy temples that they may participate with joy and understanding that Thy work will go forward in power to fulfill Thy purposes for all Thy children. We pray that Thy Spirit will always be present in these holy spaces to enlighten and guide and bless all who are here and all that is said and done here.

We pray that Thou wilt protect this temple and all of its surrounding facilities from every destructive influence of any kind.

Now, our Father in Heaven, by the authority of the holy Melchizedek Priesthood, we dedicate and consecrate unto Thee and Thy Beloved Son this Belo Horizonte Brazil Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We dedicate every part of this sacred structure and its surroundings, including the grounds and ancillary facilities, for their holy purposes. We dedicate all of this temple’s parts, from its foundations to its crowning steeple, including the baptistry, the ordinance rooms, the sealing rooms, the celestial room and all the other locations in this holy house to perform their sacred functions.

We invoke Thy power to assure that Thy Spirit and Thy glory will always be present here and upon all Thy sacred work that will be done here.

We pray that Thy Spirit will always be present in these holy spaces to enlighten and guide and bless those who are here and what is said and done here.

And now we renew our expressions of love and thanks for Thee and Thy Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, as we dedicate this temple unto Thee and Thy Beloved Son for Thy sacred work, and we do this and pray for these blessings in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Some see President Oaks’ Belo Horizonte temple dedication as a homecoming

Belo Horizonte Brazil Temple | Church News Almanac

Sister Carmack and her husband were serving as mission leaders in the Idaho Boise Mission when he was called to be a General Authority Seventy in 1984.

They had planned to return to their home in Los Angeles, California, following their time as mission leaders. “But now the service will continue. The blessings always outweigh the sacrifices,” Sister Carmack said of their service (Ensign, May 1984).

After Elder Carmack was given emeritus status in 2001, he was asked by Church President Gordon B. Hinckley to be the inaugural managing director of the Perpetual Education Fund. These callings enabled the couple to minister to Latter-day Saints around the world.

“In all the places to which worldwide assignments have taken us, Shirley and I have felt [the love of the Saints] and tried to return it,” said Elder Carmack (“United in Love and Testimony,” April 2001 general conference).

Through the years, Sister Carmack served in a variety of capacities, including as a stake Relief Society and Young Women president. Her obituary states, “Shirley used her formidable skills of organization and leadership and her great capacity for charity to bless the lives of those they served.”

Shirley Fay Allen was born on Oct. 30, 1934, in Wendell, Idaho, to Cyril Stanford Allen and Mary Hildred Haight Allen and grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in food and nutrition from Brigham Young University and then pursued a master’s degree in dietetics from the University of California, Los Angeles.

While there, she met a law school student, John Carmack, at a young single adult activity. Immediately, “there was a high degree of interest,” Elder Carmack recalled. “The first chance I got I took her home to meet my parents in Santa Barbara” (“Elder John K. Carmack: ‘I had a thirst to know for sure,’” Church News, May 20, 1984).

The next summer, the couple were married in the Los Angeles California Temple. They welcomed six children — four daughters and two sons.

Sister Carmack was preceded in death by a son, Stephen Allen Carmack, and is survived by her husband; children Lisa Palmer (Brian), Paula Kinnison (Mark), Stanford Carmack (Heidi), Barbara Morrell (Glen) and Julia Jacobsen (Erik); 21 grandchildren; and 22 great-grandchildren.

A viewing will be held Friday, Aug. 14, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Latter-day Saint meetinghouse at 1300 E. Fairfax Road, Salt Lake City, and Saturday, Aug. 15, at 10 a.m. prior to a funeral at 11 a.m.

Interment will be at the Salt Lake City Cemetery.

Sister Kathleen McBride Crockett, wife of Elder Keith Crockett, dies at age 90

Sister Jolene Clayson Pace, widow of Elder Glenn L. Pace, dies at age 83

Sister Crockett served alongside Elder Crockett as he served as a General Authority Seventy from 2000 to 2004. The two also served as mission leaders in the Argentina Buenos Aires South Mission from 1993 to 1996 as well as the president and matron of The Gila Valley Arizona Temple from 2010 to 2012.

Kathleen “Katy” McBride was born in Safford, Arizona, on Jan. 14, 1936, the third of five children of Herald Rexal and Lydia Fay Nelson McBride. Her obituary states that her siblings were some of her closest friends and that she retained cherished friendships from childhood into her later years.

After high school, she received a scholarship to Arizona State University where she played the clarinet in the Sun Devils marching band. While there, she met a young returned missionary, Keith Crockett, from nearby Pima, Arizona. They were married a year later on Sept. 5, 1957, in the Mesa Arizona Temple, and she transferred to his school, the University of Arizona in Tucson, where she graduated in elementary education.

As a mother, teacher and disciple of Jesus Christ, Sister Crockett utilized her many talents to bless the lives of others. Elder and Sister Crockett raised their six children in Mesa, Tempe, Flagstaff and Pima, Arizona, as Elder Crockett pursued a career in the Church Educational System. When her children were older, Sister Crockett worked as a fifth-grade teacher and later as a reading specialist for the Pima School District.

Through their assignments to South America, Sister Crockett learned fluent Spanish and following their full-time Church service taught community English as a Second Language classes.

A talented seamstress, Sister Crockett made many of her children’s coats, costumes and prom dresses and completed a handmade quilt for each of her 28 grandchildren and many of her great-grandchildren. At the time she was called to be the matron of The Gila Valley Arizona Temple, she was serving as a Relief Society humanitarian quilting specialist.

Through the years, she also served as a stake Relief Society counselor, stake Relief Society board member, ward Young Women president, ward Young Women adviser, teacher, temple ordinance worker and organist.

“Katy’s greatest blessing and proudest accomplishment was her family,” says her obituary.

Sister Crockett is survived by her husband and children: Michael (Kim), Tamara (David) Brown, Rebecca (Lee) Shumway, Douglas (Susan), David (Rebecca), Mary Ann (Reed) Larson; 28 grandchildren and 58 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents; sister, Jeanette McBride Mullenaux; and brothers, Gary, Wayne and Bob McBride.

A funeral was conducted on Saturday, Aug. 8, with interment at the Pima Cemetery.

Sister Jolene Clayson Pace, widow of Elder Glenn L. Pace, dies at age 83

Sister Annette Shewell Stanley, wife of Elder F. David Stanley, dies at age 88

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

In 2026, institute marked its 100th anniversary. Also in 2026, the Lord’s Prophet, President Dallin H. Oaks, promised special blessings to those who attend. Then in March, seminaries and institutes announced a major milestone: a combined enrollment of more than one million students worldwide.

And that momentum continues. Close to five months later, worldwide enrollment in the seminary and institute programs now exceeds 1,090,000, including more than 85,000 friends of other faiths, according to a notice published on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

In a Church News podcast interview earlier this year, Brother Chad H Webb, administrator for Seminaries and Institutes of Religion, spoke of how many are finding the Church’s seminary and institute programs through the efforts of students inviting their peers — one by one.

While he might be surprised by the extent of the growth, Brother Webb said he knows “it is the hand of the Lord in hastening the work among this generation right now.”

Young people are looking for faith and to have a relationship with Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. “And they know that seminary and institute can help them with that,” said Brother Webb.

Seminary and institute Invite a Friend initiative

In the spring of 2025, seminaries and institutes — in collaboration with the Missionary Department — began an “Invite a Friend” initiative, encouraging students to invite others to attend class with them.

“When a young person personally invites a friend to join an institute class or activity, it carries special power,” Brother Webb said during the 2026 annual training for seminary and institute teachers. “Their authentic testimonies and friendships are essential in welcoming all to attend.”

Earlier this year, President Oaks promised a series of special blessings for this generation of young adults and youth who attend institute and seminary.

He then encouraged youth and young adults to invite their friends to enjoy those same blessings.

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These simple, individualized invitations are working. During a Church News podcast earlier this year, Yaw Danso, associate administrator of Seminaries and Institutes of Religion, spoke of an institute in Brazzaville, Congo, with about 3,000 students coming every week.

“More than half of them are friends of the Church,” said Danso, “and they come to institute, they feel the Spirit, they learn about Jesus Christ, and they continue coming. So it’s just been an incredible thing to see peers inviting peers, and they come.”

In that same episode, Brother Webb noted this is happening everywhere. “[There are] friends of other faiths who come and join us in classes all over the world.”

In 2025, more than 72,000 friends of other faiths enrolled in seminary and institute. “And that’s not just coming once to a class with a friend or to an activity. They actually are enrolled in the class — 72,000 worldwide, and many of them do eventually become baptized members of the Church,” said Brother Webb.

In an interview last year about the growth in seminary enrollment, Brother Webb noted that about 1 in every 3 who enroll in a seminary or institute class will eventually be baptized.

It can be an easy invitation for the youth and the young adults to invite their friends to a class or activity or to come grab food at the seminary or institute building, said Brother Webb. “And then these friends have a chance to start to study the gospel, and they feel some things and are drawn to want to come closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ through the things that they’re learning.”

New resources to invite a friend

Updated resources are now available to help students make invitations, either in-person or online, according to the notice published on ChurchofJesusChrist.org. These include:

• New posters and door clings.
• Seminary and institute patches to be given to friends attending for the first time.
• Photo-wall designs that recognize and welcome friends.
• Templates for social media posts, stories and reels.
• Customizable materials for local languages and cultures.

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Additional invitation ideas can be found on the ForStrengthofYouth Instagram account for youth, YA Weekly young adult Instagram account, local seminary and institute accounts and international youth-facing Church channels.

The new resources are available in the Invite a Friend Guidebook in English, Spanish, French and Portuguese and can be adapted to local needs.

Those interested in enrolling — whether they are a member of the Church or a friend of another faith — can find a class near them through MySeminary.ChurchofJesusChrist.org and MyInstitute.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

Episode 263: Record seminary and institute enrollment blesses young people worldwide

Seminary and institute enrollment hits 1 million in time for institute’s 100th anniversary

As institute celebrates 100 years, President Oaks issues special invitation to young adults across the world

Earlier in the day, many residents had also participated in a bit of a haphazard Fourth of July parade down the streets of Rexburg, Idaho. Some of the floats for the parade had been borrowed from other cities. Other floats had been thrown together that morning, consisting of flatbed trucks or cars embellished with hand-painted signs and carrying flag-waving children and youth.

The parade and other bicentennial activities almost didn’t happen. Plans for elaborate festivities had been in the works for months, but four weeks prior to the commemoration, disaster struck. The Teton Dam ruptured and sent a raging wall of water through Wilford, St. Anthony, Sugar City, Rexburg and other nearby communities.

The events surrounding America’s 200th birthday were canceled, as residents focused on monumental cleanup efforts.

However, “we couldn’t see letting the day go by without a parade,” Clyde Anderson, chairman of the bicentennial committee, told Ensign magazine. “The community needed the morale boost of a parade, and we wanted to show that, although the people around here had lost practically everything they owned, we were still proud to be Americans and still proud of our heritage” (“After One Flood — Another of Faith, Hope and Good Hard Work,” Ensign, September 1976).

What the parade lacked in glitz and glamour, it made up for in the enthusiasm of its participants, the magazine reported.

During the rodeo, which was held in nearby Rigby, Idaho, because the Rexburg rodeo grounds had been destroyed, a bucking bull leaped out of the chute, quickly unseating its rider. With a deep breath, the dusty cowboy stood and headed back to the chute to try again.

“The rodeo rider seemed like a symbol of the people here,” said the article. The community, about 95% Latter-day Saint, had been knocked down but one month later were picking themselves up to start again.

Now 50 years later, that resiliency is the true legacy of the disaster, said Jed Platt, Rexburg City cultural arts director. Platt was instrumental in planning and coordinating the bevy of activities surrounding the 50th anniversary and in curating a commemorative exhibit at Rexburg City Hall.

“Beyond the devastation that happened in the dam breaking, this is true Church history of how Saints showed up and lived their religion,” said Platt.

The disaster

At roughly 300 feet high — about the height of the Statue of Liberty — the earthen Teton Dam was built to provide flood control, hydropower and supplemental irrigation to thousands of acres of farmland in the Upper Snake River Valley.

For its maiden fill during the spring and summer of 1976, the plan was to let the 17-mile-long reservoir fill slowly, but an exceptional snowpack caused a heavy spring runoff, and the basin filled quickly.

At 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 5, 1976 — with the reservoir nearly full — parts of the newly constructed dam leaked like a sieve, the Church News reported. By 10 a.m., small leaks were becoming gaping holes (“Path of Destruction Continues 4 Days,” Church News, June 12, 1976).

At 11:57 a.m., the dam failed; a 1,000-foot-long, wedge-shaped gash appeared. The reservoir began emptying through the gap at the rate of 2 million cubic feet per second, triple the volume of Niagara Falls, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

Besides warnings to evacuate being blared over the radio and television, local police paraded up and down the streets with bullhorns, and neighbors spread the word house to house. Some 35,000 were evacuated from their homes and businesses. Many gathered at Ricks College (now Brigham Young University–Idaho), which was located on higher ground.

Floodwaters reached heights of 10 to 30 feet. By 2 p.m., an estimated 15-foot tidal wave hit Sugar City. By 2:30 p.m. it bombarded Rexburg. By late afternoon, the town looked “like an army war zone,” the Church News reported.

When Church President Spencer W. Kimball and other Church leaders surveyed the damage firsthand the following week, they witnessed houses wrenched from their foundations; cars deposited in trees; road surfaces ruptured, eroded or moved; downed power and telephone lines; houses turned into kindling; buildings blasted open as if by a bomb; walls that had been stripped of their brick facing; and mud-covered debris everywhere (“Thousands of Saints Left Homeless by Idaho Flood,” Ensign, August 1976).

The flood waters traveled for three days and roughly 90 miles southward along the Snake and Teton River basins to Idaho Falls, where the river rose dangerously close to the sandbagged Idaho Falls Idaho Temple, then on through Blackfoot and finally into the American Falls Dam, where the water was finally controlled.

In all, the flood resulted in 11 deaths, and 25,000 were left homeless. Between 16,000 and 20,000 livestock were killed, 32 miles of railroad tracks were damaged, and hundreds of miles of roads and seven bridges were destroyed.

The flood also laid waste to farmland. In some areas, the force of the water stripped the topsoil down 4 to 6 feet to bare rock, while in other areas the water left behind a layer of rock and gravel up to 2 feet deep across the once arable land. Damage estimates for the flood would go as high as $2 billion.

Martell Grover of the Rexburg First Ward owned a jewelry and watchmaking business on Rexburg’s Main Street. He and his family lost everything. “We had a dead calf between our house and its foundation, and a dead cow in our backyard,” Grover recounted to Ensign magazine. “We’ve lost our home and our business; there’s nothing to salvage.

“We come into the world naked, and I guess that we’re being shown that we can go out that way, too,” he said (Ensign, August 1976).

Church response: From chaos to order

Roger Wiblin is a history professor at BYU–Idaho who has gone through hundreds of hours of oral histories of locals sharing their stories and experiences of the flood. In collaboration with a professor from Brigham Young University, Wiblin recently published those recollections into a book in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the disaster.

In listening to hundreds of reminiscences, Wiblin said he saw a few lessons or themes that emerged in the aftermath of the flood. One is the effectiveness of the Church’s disaster and welfare response.

“The organization of the Church is a major factor in the recovery happening as quickly as it did,” said Wiblin.

In the immediate aftermath, Church leaders worked hand in hand with emergency personnel to account for individuals and families.

Blair Siepert, chief of police for Rexburg City in 1976, spoke of a board in the command center with a list of 300 names of citizens to be accounted for. They spoke with Church leaders who called on home teachers and visiting teachers, and by the afternoon, the list had been whittled down to about 15, he recalled in a documentary about the flood for BYUtv.

Wiblin explained that as the federal government sent in disaster relief organizations, they asked for a count of damaged and destroyed homes and businesses. “The state says, ‘OK, we’ll get you that tomorrow.’ The federal aid people said: ‘There’s no way you can get that to us tomorrow. That’s going to take months, or at least weeks, for you to gather.’ But the next morning they have those numbers because through the home teaching program, they get the information quickly. So the civil recovery is aided by the Church, which is a great blessing,” said Wiblin.

In addition to its preestablished communication structure, the Church was also able to offer relief for the immediate needs of flood refugees. The president of Ricks College at the time, President Henry B. Eyring, who now serves as the first counselor in the First Presidency, opened the campus, including student housing, to homeless families, while the food services on campus served hundreds of thousands of meals.

The flood hit Rexburg around 2:30 p.m. on Saturday afternoon. By 5 p.m. a tractor-trailer laden with relief materials — wool blankets, tents, mattresses, sheets, diapers and water purification tablets — was on its way to Idaho from Church headquarters in Salt Lake City. Two more trucks carrying 5,000 pounds of food arrived in the wee hours of Sunday morning.

“Let’s bring chaos into order the priesthood way” was the slogan adopted by the Rexburg Idaho North Stake (“From Chaos to Order: The Priesthood Way,” Church News, June 19, 1976).

Six of the Rexburg North stake’s nine wards were severely impacted by the flood, so the stake president at the time, President Ferron Sonderegger, asked six stakes in Idaho Falls to each help a ward on a one-to-one basis through the crisis.

President Sonderegger shared how bishops met with ward members daily to assess needs. Bishops then met nightly with stake presidents to coordinate efforts and to receive progress reports.

“I feel that I have seen the welfare plan work perfectly,” said President Sonderegger. “Oh, I thought I understood the welfare plan pretty well before this happened, but now I’ve seen it in action, and it can be an example to all the world,” said President Sonderegger (“Flood Victims Receive Aid,” Ensign, August 1976).

A flood of tender mercies

Another theme Wiblin has seen in the experiences of flood refugees is a recognition of the mercies of the Lord. “It’s a devastating experience, but as people reflect on it, they see the positives. They’re looking at what blessings have come from experiencing this,” he said.

One of the great miracles of the flood that is talked about is the timing, said Wiblin. The flood occurred on a Saturday afternoon in June, when everyone was awake but no children were in school. What if it had happened at night or during the first big winter blizzard?

Platt explained how one of the big worries following the disaster was the spread of disease and pestilence from an infestation of mosquitoes and flies due to all the standing water. “But there were flocks of seagulls that came during those weeks,” Platt related. The birds gorged themselves on larvae, and that summer was relatively mosquito-free.

Many of the volunteers working in food services on campus shared instances where they worried whether the soup or the bread or the chili would stretch to feed the masses, but, miraculously, it was enough. “And it happened over and over and over again,” Platt said.

A man who lost his home in the flood shared with Platt how devastated he was to lose his family history records, which in those days were all hand-written documents. However, months later, the man got a call from someone near American Falls — nearly 100 miles away — who had found the man’s genealogical book in a tree, and the documents were still legible.

These experiences and many more are a testimony to Platt, he said, “that God can make miracles from mud.”

A legion of volunteers

Another blessing to flood survivors was the veritable army of volunteers from Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, California and elsewhere who became the driving force in the cleanup effort.

“There are several [flood survivors] who say, ‘if the volunteers hadn’t arrived, I was ready to quit,’” said Wiblin.

Idaho Falls South Stake President Harold Hillam, who later became a General Authority Seventy, served as a liaison between the stricken areas and the volunteer effort.

“I estimate that by the first week in July we had passed the half-million mark in donated man-hours,” he said. By summer’s end, that number would increase to one million.

In a letter to Ensign magazine, Rexburg resident Pat Hepworth wrote of the “love of the gospel in action” as volunteers showed up to muck out sludge, remove debris and clean out homes and businesses.

“Every morning countless buses and cars, packed with enthusiastic helpers, pull into town. As I see this, my heart swells and the tears flow. Here are people who are truly showing their love by sacrificing their time in order to help their brothers and sisters in need. It seems to me that this is what the gospel is all about,” Hepworth wrote.

She then added, “The Teton Dam disaster has been a tragedy, but spiritually it has been a feast. The term ‘Latter-day Saint’ has new meaning for me now.”

In addition to volunteers, southern Idaho Latter-day Saints donated dozens of loaders, dump trucks, cranes, backhoes and other needed heavy equipment to help gnaw away at the rubble clogging homes, streets, sidewalks and parking lots (“Cleanup Runs Smoothly Under Church Leadership,” Church News, June 26, 1976).

As clean up progressed, skilled laborers such as plumbers, carpenters, welders and others were desperately needed. A week before the Fourth of July bicentennial celebrations, the call went out for volunteer electricians. President Hillam said he expected about a hundred electricians at the most. Five hundred arrived.

When U.S. President Gerald Ford signed the relief bill for flood victims in September 1976, he acknowledged the many volunteers who jumped in to help.

“Great credit must also be given to the many volunteer and church groups represented here today which played such a key role in the initial relief efforts. Each of them displayed great courage under exceptionally difficult conditions,” President Ford said.

A visit from the Prophet

The event that impressed Garrett Case, a member of the Rexburg 2nd Ward, and his family most was the visit of President Kimball one week after the flood. “Just to hear him speak gave us encouragement,” Case told Ensign magazine. “Without the Church, we would have been very discouraged” (Ensign, August 1976).

Arriving by helicopter with then-Elder Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, President Kimball surveyed the ravaged ruins of Sugar City. On Sunday, June 13, he and Elder Packer spoke to roughly 8,000 Latter-day Saints, most of whom had lost every possession they owned, during two meetings in the Hart Building’s basketball arena at Ricks College.

In his journals from that time, President Eyring wrote of how he was struck by how President Kimball was able to convey great love but only a modicum of sympathy. The Prophet’s focus instead was on moving forward (“I Will Lead You Along: The Life of Henry B. Eyring,” p. 282).

President Kimball counseled the men to exercise their priesthood to bless their wives and children and “call upon the heavens for inspired words of comfort.” He encouraged parents to keep family patterns — home evening, family prayer, etc. — and to let their children talk about their fears and frustrations.

“In some ways the greatest challenge lies ahead. Let us rebuild in a manner pleasing to the Lord,” he counseled (“Flood Victims Get New Hope,” Church News, June 19, 1976).

Elder Packer said many had asked him, “What have I done wrong?”

“Probably nothing,” he answered. “If you attach tragedy, disaster and calamities to sin, how can you explain the suffering of Christ? Fine people, living worthily, can be subject to disasters such as you have faced here. The difference will be in how you face it.”

Between the first and second meetings, President Kimball was to address priesthood leaders in the area. However, following the first meeting individuals flocked to the front to shake the Prophet’s hand.

“Parents brought their young children onto the stage by the scores, and President Kimball graciously shook hands with each of them, even squeezing the small hands of babies. It was a heartwarming occasion, and something the people, who had suffered so much, needed to buoy them up,” the Church News reported.

When asked about his tour of the area, President Kimball replied, “The devastation is terrible, but the people are courageous and have great strength.”

President Kimball’s visit validated flood victims’ experiences, Platt said. “His message of hope, it gave them courage to say, ‘OK, we haven’t done anything wrong. Let’s tighten our bootstraps, and get to work.’”

Said Wiblin, “He encouraged them to get to work, and they did.”

Larry Saunders, longtime resident and former member of the Ricks College faculty, noted that visitors to Rexburg today would have a hard time knowing there was a flood. “Because everything got built back again. A lot of things changed but today you wouldn’t know it,” noted Saunders (“Teton Dam Disaster,” PBS documentary).

Teton Dam 50 years later

The week of the anniversary, individuals from across the country gathered in Rexburg for commemorative events, including new exhibits, walking tours, a river float, a car show, a flashback fashion show, discussion panels and several service opportunities.

The flood “was an event that shaped our community,” said Platt, “and it was not a spectator event. It impacted everyone.”

Giving people the opportunity to “remember, connect and serve” and to reflect on the lessons learned was powerful, said Platt. “It’s worth remembering.”

Platt noted they are still recording and gathering stories and experiences of the flood. Those interested can email arts@rexburg.org.

How President and Sister Eyring found peace in temple covenants during the Teton Dam collapse

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20th anniversary of BYU–Idaho: How its creation is ‘one of the most important educational events of the Restoration’

Elder Cook’s talk summary

It is a special blessing to have general conference coincide with Easter. It also coincides with the vision of the Savior in the Kirtland Temple in 1836 — just one week after the Kirtland Temple was dedicated.

The appearance of the Savior to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery and the keys committed by Moses, Elias and Elijah are central to the Restoration of the gospel in the latter days. “The role of Elijah in restoring the priesthood keys of the sealing power is crucial in our journey of returning to our Father as a covenant people.”

Elijah was a prophet who held sacred priesthood keys, performed mighty miracles and exercised the sealing power of the Melchizedek Priesthood.

“Elijah ‘committed’ to Joseph Smith the priesthood keys pertaining to the sealing power to bind sacred ordinances and covenants on earth and in heaven. … Without these keys, there are no eternal families and the ‘whole earth would be utterly wasted’ (Doctrine and Covenants 2:3; see also Malachi 4).”

All can have a confirmation by the Spirit “that our Savior accomplished the Father’s plan. He atoned for our sins and broke the bands of death so that we might return to the Father and the Son in the celestial kingdom.”

Read the full text of Elder Cook’s talk: ‘Keys, Covenants and Easter’

Notable quotes

“Our emphasis at Easter encompasses the eternity-shaping events that occurred in the Garden of Gethsemane, on the cross at Calvary and in the Garden Tomb where Jesus Christ was resurrected.”

“It is my witness that His Atonement accomplished His Father’s plan of salvation and provides the way for everyone who has ever lived to be free of death unconditionally and free of sin on condition of repentance.”

“I promise to you on this Easter day that as you adhere to His ordinances, covenants and commandments, you will grow closer in your relationship with our Savior as well as your appreciation and gratitude for the sealing keys that have been restored in this dispensation.”

See more quotes, stories, video clips and other study helps for this talk

Who is Elder Cook?

• Elder Quentin L. Cook was sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on Oct. 6, 2007. He is a great-great-grandson of Heber C. Kimball, who was among the first missionaries in this dispensation to preach the gospel outside North America.
• He married Mary Gaddie on Nov. 30, 1962, in the Logan Utah Temple. They are the parents of three children.
• Elder Cook was President Jeffrey R. Holland’s mission companion in summer 1962 during their full-time mission service in the British Isles.
• He worked as an attorney and business executive in California. At the time of his calling as a General Authority Seventy in 1996, Elder Cook was vice chairman of Sutter/California Healthcare System — a California health care company with 25 hospitals and more than 26,000 employees.

What has Elder Cook done recently?

• October 2025 general conference about welcoming new converts.
• In a devotional to missionaries serving in the Provo Missionary Training Center on Christmas Day, Elder Cook shared five examples from the Savior.
• During a ministry in West Africa, Elder Cook met with the president of Ghana.
• In the age of AI, “choose truth when deception is easy,” Elder Cook encouraged BYU students during a devotional address on March 3.

Read more of Elder Cook’s general conference addresses, or follow him on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and X/Twitter.

Read more Church News coverage of April 2026 general conference

President Freeman’s talk summary

God allows mortality to do its work — and that includes both best days and worst days.

The story of Peter teaches that strength comes as individuals walk with Christ and hold fast to His eternal truths.

“From Peter’s story we learn that our understanding of eternal truth is not forged in a single moment — testimony is built over time, day after day, both best days and worst.”

In Matthew 14, Peter walks on the water to go to Jesus. “Best day.”

But in the next verse Peter begins to fear and to sink. “Worst day in a matter of moments.”

But Jesus was in the water — with Peter. “As you accept the Lord’s invitations, on both your best days and your worst, the same will be true for you.”

After some of Peter’s worst moments — at Jesus’ trial, the cross and the tomb — Christ invites him to “feed my sheep” (John 21:17).

“Sometimes we may wonder if the Lord’s promises will truly be fulfilled in us — especially when all seems lost. Especially on our worst days. Peter’s story reminds us that they will.”

It took worst days and best days for Peter to become who the Lord needed him to become.

Read the full text of President Freeman’s talk: ‘Best Days and Worst Days’

Notable quotes

“From Peter’s story we learn that our understanding of eternal truth is not forged in a single moment — testimony is built over time, day after day, both best days and worst.”

“As you spend time in [’For the Strength of Youth’] guide, you will begin to realize this is not just a guide for standards, this is a guide for strength.”

“Jesus Christ knows all about best days and worst days: Suffering so great that an angel was sent to strengthen Him. The betrayal of a good friend. The cross on Calvary. But His story also has a garden, a stone rolled away and an empty tomb.”

See more quotes, stories, video clips and other study helps for this talk

Who is President Freeman?

• President Emily Belle Freeman was sustained as Young Women general president on April 1, 2023.
• She has written more than a dozen books and spoken at a variety of conferences, workshops and gatherings. She taught for many years in the Church Educational System.
• Born in Boston, Massachusetts, on Dec. 31, 1969, she married Gregory Garth Freeman Dec. 19, 1989, in the Los Angeles California Temple. They have five children.

What has President Freeman done recently?

• Along with Young Men General President Timothy L. Farnes and the late President Jeffrey R. Holland, President Freeman spoke to youth during a 2025 Worldwide Devotional from the Kirtland Temple in Ohio.
• President Freeman participated in a press conference following the announcement of the missionary-age change for young women.
• On a Church News podcast in January, President Freeman and President Farnes discussed the 2026 youth theme, “Walk with me.”

Read President Freeman’s previous general conference addresses.

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

Elder Caussé’s talk summary

The miracle of God’s relationship with His children is that though the universe is vast beyond comprehension, every soul carries infinite worth in the eyes of the Creator.

“I bear witness of this truth: God and His Son, Jesus Christ, love all, and They love each.”

The dual reality of God’s love is clearly manifested in Jesus Christ’s Atonement. “All sons and daughters of God, without exception, will receive a full opportunity to access its supernal blessings. Yet it is a remarkably intimate gift, tailored to each individual’s needs and applied to one person at a time.”

To love all and to love each is the same divine love expressed on two scales — one expansive enough to embrace the whole world, and the other personal enough to notice an individual with unique needs and circumstances.

Service in the Church expands one’s circle of love. “We don’t serve only those we already love; rather, we come to love people as we serve them.”

In Christ’s Church there should be no anonymity. “As we extend Christlike love to each person we serve, our eyes are opened to their divine potential. We begin to see them as the Lord sees them.”

Read the full text of Elder Caussé’s talk: ‘Love All; Love Each’

Notable quotes

“Are we selective, or exclusive, in determining who deserves our love, or do we extend Christlike love to all with whom we associate?”

“Discipleship was never meant to be a comfortable circle of familiar friends focused on their own interests. Rather, our congregations are a beautiful mosaic — enriched by diverse backgrounds, cultures and experiences — yet united in devotion to Christ.”

“May we follow the Lord’s perfect example and learn to love all and to love each, just as He does.”

See more quotes, stories, video clips and other study helps for this talk

Who is Elder Caussé?

• Elder Gérald Caussé served as the presiding bishop from October 2015 until Nov. 6, 2025, when he was called to be an Apostle.
• A native of France, Elder Caussé spent his career in the food industry, where he worked with several supermarket chains and food distribution companies.
• He is an accomplished pianist and has participated in the recording of several piano albums.
• He married Valérie Babin in August 1986. They have five children.

What has Elder Caussé done recently?

• In the April 2025 general conference, Elder Caussé taught that through the Lord’s atoning sacrifice, the Savior will compensate for every inability and injustice if one offers their whole soul to Him.
• In November 2025, he dedicated the new Logan Institute of Religion building.
• In February, he returned to his home country of France to minister as an Apostle.

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Read more of Elder Caussé’s general conference addresses, or follow him on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter) and YouTube.

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

But increasing faith while acquiring knowledge and skills can be difficult, noted Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in a broadcast to BYU–Pathway Worldwide students around the world on Friday, July 31.

“The challenge is to find the time for spiritual growth while acquiring the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in a very competitive world,” said Elder Cook.

Increasing in faith, knowledge and skills all require effort and commitment. However, “we cannot expect to have faith at the center of our lives if all our efforts are expended on skills, knowledge, making money or other pursuits,” he said.

Elder Cook shared three essential principles for individuals to follow to “strengthen your faith as you face life’s challenges.”

1. Choices are critical

“Understand that there is truly opposition in all things. The choices you make are critical,” Elder Cook told listeners.

Many students are in a stage of life full of important decisions and choices. “The choices you will make are the key to your future and your happiness. Remember, you are the sum total of every decision you make,” said Elder Cook.

The prophet Lehi near the end of his life taught: “Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself” (2 Nephi 2:27).

In making tough decisions, avoid rationalization or diversion, Elder Cook counseled.

Many today argue that individuals are not accountable for their choices. “Because of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, we know that we are accountable for our choices, and we also know to whom we must account — it is the Savior.”

Do not suppose that rationalizations about bad choices will be any more effective than trying to rationalize to the ocean why a ship was built in such a way that it could not float, said Elder Cook.

“Let me make it very clear: the choices you make are critical,” he said.

2. Avoid bondage, subjugation and addictions

Addictions that impair agency, contradict moral beliefs and destroy good health cause bondage, said Elder Cook. “The impact of drugs and alcohol, immorality, pornography, gambling, financial subjugation and other afflictions impose on those in bondage and on society a burden of such magnitude that it is almost impossible to quantify.”

Some addictions, while not inherently evil, can use up one’s precious allotment of time that could otherwise be used to accomplish virtuous objectives. “These can include excessive use of social media, video and digital games and many others,” Elder Cook said.

The most universal subjugation today is making choices that are inconsistent with the gospel of Jesus Christ. “Substituting the philosophies of men for gospel truth can lead us away from the simplicity of the Savior’s message,” Elder Cook warned.

The apostle Paul tried to teach the Athenians about the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. When the crowd realized the simplicity of his message and that it was not new, they would not hear (see Acts 17:21).

“This is emblematic of our own day, where gospel truths are often rejected or distorted to make them intellectually more appealing or compatible with current cultural trends and intellectual philosophies,” said Elder Cook. “If we are not careful, we can be captured by these trends and place ourselves in intellectual bondage.”

3. Utilize the Atonement of Jesus Christ

“Live so that the Atonement of Jesus Christ can be efficacious in your life,” Elder Cook told students.

While rationalization for bad choices is not effective, repentance and following the Savior is, he said.

The Savior declared, “Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me” (Doctrine and Covenants 19:23).

Said Elder Cook, “This is the path you will want to follow.”

Those who repent will be blessed by the Atonement of Jesus Christ, he promised. “Without His Atonement, the eternal principle of justice would require punishment. Because of the Savior’s Atonement, mercy can prevail for those who have repented and allow them to return to the presence of God,” Elder Cook taught.

In conclusion, he testified of the divinity of the Savior and the reality of His Atonement. “I desire that you will prayerfully consider the significant choices that are before you.”

Elder Quentin L. Cook: How the Book of Mormon is ‘fundamental’ in missionary work

Families are ‘where we can experience the greatest joy,’ says BYU–Pathway president

Sister Pace served faithfully in numerous callings across a variety of organizations, including alongside her husband as leaders of the Australia Sydney North Mission. She also supported her husband in his general Church assignments — as a counselor in the Presiding Bishopric from 1985 to 1992, as a General Authority Seventy from 1992 to 2010 and as a counselor in the Sunday School and Young Men general presidencies.

In a devotional address at Brigham Young University in 2010, Elder Pace noted that his wife had supported his service as a general authority for 25 years. “I could not have served nor would I have been qualified to serve without her love and support. She has been the crucial key to the metamorphosis I desperately needed to become worthy and able to serve,” said Elder Pace.

In that same address, he also expressed his love and admiration for her. “She is an example of one who has retained her eternal nature through 47 years of marriage, six children, 29 grandchildren and putting up with me,” said Elder Pace.

Her obituary states that as a lifelong disciple of Jesus Christ, her life was defined by a singular mission: “Helping God’s children return to Him.”

Jolene Clayson was born Oct. 4, 1942, in Provo, Utah, to Joseph Cardon Clayson and Winnifred Farr Clayson.

Young Jolene didn’t really notice her brother’s friend from around the block, Glenn Pace, until the two were in high school.

But when they began dating, Jolene’s grandfather advised her, “You be sure to wait for Glenn while he’s on his mission because you’ll never find anyone as good as Bishop Pace’s son” (Ensign, May 1985).

She did wait, and the two were married on June 7, 1963, in the Salt Lake Temple. In their 54 years of marriage, they raised six children — four sons and two daughters. Elder Pace died on May 16, 2017.

As a family they enjoyed dirt bikes, hiking and annual camping trips. Her obituary states, “She infused her home with love, meticulous care, warm meals and legendary holiday celebrations.”

Sister Pace is survived by her six children: Kyle (Leandra); Rikki (Ryan) Riggs; Korey (Stephanie); Darin (Mandy); Brandon (Amy); and Joell (Rusty) Lindquist; her sister and best friend, Carol (Howard) VanOrman, as well as her 35 grandchildren and 31 great-grandchildren.

The funeral will be at 11 a.m., on Tuesday, Aug. 4, in the Latter-day Saint meetinghouse at 1350 N. 650 East, Bountiful, Utah. Viewing will be Monday, Aug. 3, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Russon Mortuary, 295 N. Main, Bountiful, Utah, and Tuesday 9:30-10:30 a.m., in the meetinghouse prior to services.

Interment will be at the East Lawn Memorial Cemetery in Provo, Utah.

Sister Annette Shewell Stanley, wife of Elder F. David Stanley, dies at age 88

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

After life centered on faith and family, Sister Gwen Bradford Goaslind, widow of Elder Jack H Goaslind, dies

In a recent video interview posted on the Pacific Area’s YouTube channel, Elder Peter F. Meurs, General Authority Seventy and Pacific Area president, explained how some Latter-day Saints in remote areas live in humble circumstances and lack access to electricity, internet or running water.

“In these places, there’s typically very few roads. There’s very poor or no transportation, and some will walk to church for two to three hours,” said Elder Meurs. “When they get there, they get to a bush chapel that has basically no technology, no facilities.”

As a solution, the area created what they call the Simple Meetinghouse Plus Project — an open-concept meetinghouse with an extra wing of classrooms. These simplified meetinghouses are equipped with solar panels, batteries, lights and satellite internet service.

They provide shelter from the sun and rain while also harnessing both for sustainability. The solar panels convert sunshine into electricity stored in batteries to power lights and other electronics. Tropical rain is caught and stored in tanks.

These buildings have all the facilities of a traditional Latter-day Saint chapel, but in a simple building, said Elder Meurs. The Church can build five to 10 buildings for the cost of a regular meetinghouse. “But the most important thing about these buildings is not what they’re made of; it’s what they make possible.”

Lights in the building enable school children to study and participate in the Church’s Succeed in School program. People can participate in seminary, institute and BYU–Pathway Worldwide classes. Youth activities, presidency meetings, priesthood training and self-reliance courses can be held. Church members can listen to or watch worldwide broadcasts like general conference.

BYU–Pathway Worldwide to adults in Kiribati: ‘You will have a future here’

Mack Ambota, second counselor in the Eight Mile Branch of the Gerehu Papua New Guinea District in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, told the Church’s Pacific Newsroom: “It has helped us a lot with spiritual things. There is enough space to sit around and enjoy the environment. We have self-reliance courses here, and it helps them learn more and have more opportunities. The chapel brings more people. Last week there was not enough space for everyone. Plenty of people coming in.”

The branch’s Relief Society president, Rebecca Aga, noted that their old “bush chapel” was small and that many attendees would have to sit outside. “Now we have a new building here. It’s very good. It’s easy for us to fit everybody inside,” she said.

The new building has also spurred missionary opportunities. Betty Aputa, the branch’s self-reliance class instructor, said the new building “is helping us to reach out in our ministry, to reach out to others in the community. The courses run by the Church are bringing everyone here to this chapel, and we use it to introduce our self-reliance lessons. We are happy to share.”

Elder Meurs said that in these remote locations, when the sun sets, everything goes dark. “Here in the darkness of these remote locations, the people can now gather. These are more than just buildings; they are spaces where even the most remote member can experience the Light of Christ.”

So far, 10 Simple Meetinghouse Plus structures have been built. Thirteen to 16 additional meetinghouses are scheduled for completion by the end of this year, including four in Vanuatu, one in Fiji and one in Kiribati.

Waters of baptism, walls of stone: 107 baptisms and a temple-focused people in Papua New Guinea

A prophet’s words spark a preschool movement in Papua New Guinea

How Latter-day Saints in the Pacific are helping to light the world — literally

This council is much more than a meeting, said Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles during the 2026 Seminar for New Mission Leaders on Thursday, June 18. It is both a sacred setting and sacred opportunity.

“The mission leadership council is central to establishing a strong and effective mission. It shapes the culture of the mission and helps move the Lord’s work forward,” he said.

During his remarks to 193 newly called mission leader couples going to serve in 64 nations around the world, Elder Soares invited leaders to make mission leadership councils “a place where the Spirit of the Lord can consistently teach, testify and guide.”

The missionary purpose lies at the heart of the mission leadership council — on helping God’s children come unto Christ and be transformed through His Atonement, Elder Soares taught.

He suggested three key elements to help mission leaders lead these councils in a way that invites revelation, strengthens unity and keeps the missionary purpose at the center of their efforts.

“As you do so, I promise, in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, that you will see your missionaries grow in faith, in unity and in their capacity to lead in the Lord’s way,” he said.

Read summaries, see photos from the 2026 Seminar for New Mission Leaders

1. Prepare

To prepare for a purpose-centered mission leadership council, mission leaders have to first understand the needs of the mission, said Elder Soares.

“You learn needs as you go out among your missionaries — finding, teaching and observing their efforts. Inspiration will come from missionary interviews, weekly letters and input from young missionary leaders. You will also come to understand those needs as you review how the work is progressing,” he said.

Elder Soares also encouraged mission leaders to follow up on the previous council and review key indicators, goals and plans.

“As mission leaders, you are not simply asking for an accounting of numbers. You are inviting an account. An account is a sacred opportunity for missionaries to share their experiences, their efforts and the ways they have seen the Lord’s hand in their work,” Elder Soares explained. “As they share these experiences, the Holy Ghost will teach you — and them — far more than numbers ever could.”

2. Counsel together on challenges, opportunities

One of the blessings of the mission leadership council is that it is truly a council, Elder Soares said. “In this setting, you hear the voices of your missionaries — their thoughts, their impressions and their experiences. To hear their voices, you may consider inviting them to submit questions or topics to you in advance of the meeting. As you counsel together, the Spirit is present and revelation is received.”

Elder Soares encouraged leaders to guide but not dominate these councils. “Ask inspired questions. Listen carefully. Encourage your young missionary leaders to share their perspectives.”

Missionaries who feel loved and valued will speak more freely, listen more carefully and unite more fully, Elder Soares noted. “As you counsel together in this way — listening with humility, seeking the Lord’s will and acting in unity and love — you will experience what might be called spiritual synergy.”

3. Ensure the work of the council continues

The council is not finished when the meeting ends; rather, the work continues as the principles, impressions and plans received are carried to each missionary — through zone conferences, district councils and especially through companion exchanges.

“As you go forth and labor alongside your missionaries — finding and teaching with them — you show forth the pattern,” Elder Soares told mission leaders. “You model what effective exchanges look like, and by your example, you help establish this culture throughout the mission.”

Help young missionary leaders understand the why of the exchange, what success looks like and how the exchange helps enable each missionary to fulfill their missionary purpose, Elder Soares taught. “When companion exchanges are conducted in this way, missionaries can be strengthened in their divine purpose; their faith can deepen, their gifts can be enlarged, and the work of salvation can go forward with greater unity, power and love.”

Elder Soares promised mission leaders that as they center their mission leadership councils on the Savior and on the divine missionary purpose, He will magnify them. “He will inspire your thoughts, guide your decisions and bless your missionaries to become true disciples of Jesus Christ. Through your faithful leadership, many of God’s children will come unto Him and feel His redeeming love.”

Elder Ulisses Soares: ‘Jesus Christ — the True Vine’

Read more coverage of past mission leadership seminars in the Church News

How these missionaries use nightly messages to enhance member connection

Speaking Friday, June 19, during the four-day 2026 Seminar for New Mission Leaders, Elder Gilbert shared how those early Apostles attributed their success to following the dictates of the Spirit.

To the newly called mission-leader couples gathered at the Provo Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah, Elder Gilbert said, “Like those early Apostles, I pray we can enter our service filled with the power and direction of the Holy Ghost.”

Elder Gilbert based his remarks on “one of the greatest gifts that God has given His children” — the gift of the Holy Ghost, which is outlined in “Preach My Gospel,” Chapter 4: “Seek and Rely on the Spirit.”

As mission leaders teach missionaries to seek and rely on the Spirit, “you and they will see miracles,” Elder Gilbert promised. “The message you bear is the greatest message in the world. More than any earthly substitute, you carry the truth of Jesus Christ and His restored gospel.”

Receiving guidance from the Holy Ghost requires spiritual work

Mission leaders will be strengthened as they seek and rely on the Spirit. They must also teach their missionaries and have them help those they teach to recognize the direction that comes from the Holy Ghost, said Elder Gilbert.

The late President Russell M. Nelson taught how willing the Lord is to reveal His mind and will. “The privilege of receiving revelation is one of the greatest gifts of God to His children” (“Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives,” April 2018 general conference).

Said Elder Gilbert to mission leaders, “That privilege of revelation is available to you, your missionaries and those they teach.”

Elder Gilbert recalled a time on his full-time mission in Japan as a young man when he and his companion were bickering about how to best spend their time. A young Japanese man named Maeda passed by them, and the Spirit gave the companionship a corrective interjection. They raced after Maeda, and six months later he was baptized.

“What if our pettiness had kept us from hearing the corrective impression of the Spirit?” Elder Gilbert wondered.

Any tension, whether in marital companionships or young missionary companionships, can lessen the Spirit. “Conflict, disobedience or distraction of any kind diminishes the influence of the Holy Ghost,” Elder Gilbert warned.

At the same time, behaviors such as humility, prayer, writing down thoughts and following through on impressions can enhance the direction of the Spirit.

“Preach My Gospel” teaches that as individuals seek and act on promptings, the Holy Ghost will magnify their abilities and service to far exceed what they can do on their own.

Preparing lifelong disciples

Learning to seek and rely on the Spirit will increase mission leaders’ impact, strengthen the effectiveness of their missionaries and inspire those they teach, said Elder Gilbert.

During the seminar, Church leaders have not just focused on having mission leaders track the next transfer’s key indicators of success. “We haven’t simply charged you with the stewardship of the mission for the next three years. No, we have charged you with developing your missionaries to become lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ,” said Elder Gilbert.

With emotion, Elder Gilbert shared about his own mission leaders, Doug and Michi Matsumori. “I would not be here today save the influence of Doug and Michi Matsumori,” he said. Elder Gilbert told new mission leaders they would have that same future impact on their own missionaries.

Elder Gilbert assured: “As you teach your missionaries to seek and rely on the Spirit, you are preparing them for lifelong discipleship. Certainly, their ability to act on the Holy Ghost will make them more effective missionaries. But this gift of the Spirit will guide their lives long after their missions conclude.”

Missionaries are learning to receive spiritual direction that will guide and protect them as they begin to date and marry, as they become future leaders of the Church and as they become mothers and fathers. “You are preparing them to know truth and avoid the deceptions that are so common in our day. Presidents and Sisters, we have called you to build the very future of this Church,” said Elder Gilbert.

Read summaries, see photos from the 2026 Seminar for New Mission Leaders

From June 19-22, those couples will gather at the Provo Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah, to hear counsel and instruction from each member of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, as well as other members of the Missionary Executive Council, before reporting to their missions in July.

Besides devotional-type meetings and discussions with Church leaders, the 2025 Seminar for New Mission Leaders will also include breakout sessions, panel discussions and classroom activities where the new mission leaders practice teaching with new missionaries who are training in the MTC.

Of the 167 new mission leader couples, 42 will be going to missions headquartered in 29 different U.S. states. The other 125 couples will go to missions headquartered in 48 other countries.

Church News will provide coverage of the seminar, available at TheChurchNews.com/mission-leadership-seminar.

Below is a list of articles from this year’s seminar. It will be updated throughout the four days.

See the 2025 new mission leadership assignments

Thursday, June 19

• President Jeffrey R. Holland: ‘Missionary Purpose’
• Elder Quentin L. Cook: ‘Missionary Purpose and Lessons Learned’
• Elder Dale G. Renlund: ‘Missionary Purpose and Putting on the Armor of God’
• Sister Amy A. Wright: ‘Missionary Purpose and Blessings of the Temple’
• Elder D. Todd Christofferson: ‘Seeking to teach as the Savior taught’

Friday, June 20

• President Henry B. Eyring: ‘The Lord Has Prepared You’
• Elder David A. Bednar: ‘Hearts Knit Together in Unity and Love’
• Elder Neil L. Andersen: ‘Bringing Miracles to Our Finding’
• Elder Ronald A. Rasband: ‘Missionary Purpose, Doctrine of Baptism and Real Growth’
• Elder Gerrit W. Gong: The missionary purpose in ‘repentance, commitment, conversion’

Saturday, June 21

• President Dallin H. Oaks: ‘Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration’
• Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf: ‘Exercising Moral Agency’
• Elder Gary E. Stevenson: ‘Missionary purpose in accountability’
• Elder Patrick Kearon: ‘No effort is wasted’
• President Emily Belle Freeman: ‘Missionary Purpose, Seeking Christlike Attributes and Becoming Lifelong Disciples of Jesus Christ’
• Elder Ulisses Soares: ‘The Power of the Spirit in Missionary Work’

Sunday, June 22

• President Russell M. Nelson: ‘The Converting Power of the Book of Mormon’

Episode 247: Messages from the 2025 Seminar for New Mission Leaders — Missionary purpose and personal conversion

Read more about the 2024 Seminar for New Mission Leaders