On June 14, 1989, the government of Ghana banned all activities of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the country.

That day, police and soldiers wielding machine guns rushed into the Ghana Accra Mission home and ordered everyone to leave. Emelia Ahadjie, a mission secretary, courageously decided to stay.

“I stood bold, like Esther of old, and say, ‘If I perish, I perish’ (Esther 4:16),” she recounted. ”When they open the door, they were furious. ‘We told you guys to leave, and you are still here.’ I was afraid. How about if they shot me? How about if they beat me? I was looking straight into their eyes, tears running down my cheeks, but after saying the prayer silently in my heart, I was able to gather courage and told them, ‘I’m here because of you; if we all leave, who would you talk to?’”

Her husband, President Richard Ahadjie, who served as president of the Koforidua Branch at the time, went to the mission home but was not allowed to enter. He saw Ghana Accra Mission President Gilbert Petramalo surrounded by soldiers. Richard Ahadjie attempted to return home but was detained, escorted to the police station and placed in a cell.

“They said they need to take my reports. ‘What really are you people doing in your church?’” said Ahadjie, who was released but instructed to return to the station each day while police investigated the Church. “I felt so bad that through the worship of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, one would find himself in a police station in such a manner.”

Foreign missionaries were sent home, meetinghouses were locked, and Latter-day Saints were prohibited from assembling for worship. For the next year and a half, members were permitted to hold meetings only in their homes.

For the Saints in Ghana, this period became known as “The Freeze.”

Reflecting on the experience, Emmanuel A. Kissi, who served as acting president of the Ghana Accra Mission from 1989 to 1991, said, “Why shouldn’t we be free to serve our God?”

The Freeze is among several stories highlighting the importance and value of religious freedom in the “Voices for Faith” Church News documentary series on BYUtv. The first episode aired in April 2026.

‘Marching forward with faith’

The Freeze lasted from June 14, 1989, until Nov. 30, 1990. During that time, Richard and Emelia Ahadjie said, a member of their branch had a farm in the forest. They woke before 4 a.m. and walked miles to hold a small sacrament service in the forest each Sunday.

“By the time we get here, we are exhausted, but the sacrament has been prepared, and we see our brethren seated, the joy and happiness comes back, and we realize that, yes, we are doing what the Lord expects us to do as leaders of the Church and then also as Saints,” Richard Ahadjie said.

Added Emelia Ahadjie: “The Lord is mindful of His children, and so He provided a place for us to continue with our worship. We are marching forward with faith.”

At the same time, members prayed for the government to lift its restrictions so the Church could return to normal activity.

Emelia Ahadjie was permitted into the mission office because she was the only one remaining who understood how to use the telex machine, which was connected to a dedicated point-to-point telephone switch. It was capable of quickly printing text-based messages from Church headquarters in Salt Lake City or Europe Area headquarters in Germany.

She kept dialogue open among the government, local Church leaders and general Church leaders overseas, including the Europe Area president, Elder Richard P. Lindsay, and his counselors, Elder Alexander B. Morrison and Elder Robert E. Sackley, all General Authority Seventies.

Because of the time difference, Emelia Ahadjie said, she slept in the office — on desks. “It was very uncomfortable,” she said, but “the dialogue continued, and it went on and on and on.”

The government thought Church members might revolt, but they complied with the laws, said Prince Ankrah, a historian for the Church’s Africa West Area.

Eventually, the government recognized that it had been misinformed about the Church’s activities and operations.

“Somebody, out of haste, took a drastic decision, and all this came about. There was empirical evidence to the government that this is what they are saying, but this is what the Church is exactly doing. The government gave us a listening ear, and so we were able to satisfy all their questions in entirety,” Emelia Ahadjie said.

On Nov. 30, 1990, the government of Ghana announced The Freeze was over.

“The members were obedient,” Emelia Ahadjie said. “We waited on the Lord, and at the right time, He made all things beautiful.”

Members returned to church “with tears of joy, with gratitude for Heavenly Father listening to our prayers,” said Flint Mensah, a Latter-day Saint who experienced The Freeze.

Members noted The Freeze unexpectedly served as a missionary tool. Many people became curious to learn more about the Church. Attendance at meetings was 120% of Church membership, Emelia Ahadjie said, and new congregations were organized.

The Freeze taught Ghanaian Latter-day Saints about the value of religious freedom and why it matters.

“Religious freedom is very, very important. It is necessary for every human being. It allows for us to be able to understand each other,” Ankrah said.

Mensah said religious freedom must be protected.

“I never had ever imagined taking away the privilege of worshipping the Almighty,” he said. “That experience taught me how important religious freedom is.”

Said Emelia Ahadjie: “If we are allowed religious freedom, we know our purpose as human beings on earth.”

Added Richard Ahadjie: “Our Heavenly Father wants us to be free in all things. We have to be conscious and be responsible because freedom of religion matters.”

The power of ministering: How the enduring faith of members overcame ‘The Freeze’ in Ghana

Thoughts on religious freedom

“Voices for Faith” Part 1 features some discussion with faith leaders and scholars on why religious freedom matters.

Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Church’s Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said religious freedom isn’t about power, it’s about faith.

“It’s about what you believe, allowing everybody to have that relationship with God and their faith that allows them to be who they think they ought to be,” he said.

G. Marcus Cole, Joseph A. Matson dean and professor of law at the University of Notre Dame, said: “There is a misconception that religious freedom is about allowing people of faith to dominate other people or to create a legal structure that imposes their faith on other people. That conception of religious freedom has led to what we think of as the culture wars.”

Asma T. Uddin, author, lawyer and assistant professor of law at Michigan State University, said, “I think some of those complexities can be scary and intimidating for even the most devoted advocates of religious liberty, which is just what are the realities on the ground.”

Said the Rev. Amos C. Brown, pastor emeritus of Third Baptist Church of San Francisco, California: “Freedom is a human right, but also if that freedom is to have integrity, if it’s to have authenticity, there must be responsibility. You don’t have freedom and use the freedom irresponsibly.”

Standing up for others

Growing up in a “tumultuous” home, Rabbi Diana Gerson said she used to visit her local synagogue on a regular basis.

“The synagogue really became, for me, my safe place,” she said. “Sitting kind of under the Ner Tamid, that eternal light, having my own personal conversations with God. What an incredible gift that was. The door wasn’t locked, that a child at the age of 5, feeling a need to have a connection to something bigger and greater, to bring troubles or questions, was right there. It was so accessible.”

Religious freedom can always be taken too far, and that’s generally when it diminishes the voice or practice of somebody else, said Rabbi Gerson, who serves as an associate executive vice president with the New York Board of Rabbis.

“I think we run the risk when we wave the flag of religious freedom, we use it sometimes to discriminate against others,” she said. “Can a law legislate according to everyone’s faith and belief? I say no, because there’s going to be someone out there whose religious belief and practice is going to be infringed upon either way.”

Rabbi Gerson believes that when someone attempts to close another’s church, mosque or temple, individuals, groups and communities must stand up in response.

“We need to put ourselves out on the line for them,” she said. “Break bread with people. Go sit down at each other’s table. Don’t shrink. Don’t change who you are. Inside of every human being, there is a light of the divine. We are made, created B’Tzelem Elohim — in the divine image — that’s what Judaism teaches. Find your path, and there will be someone to walk with you."

‘One generation away’

Robert P. George was the first in his family to go to college.

Today he is the McCormick professor of jurisprudence and director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University.

In his professional life, George has been “blessed and honored” with numerous opportunities for public service, including serving as chairman of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, where he advocated against the persecution of religious minorities.

While Americans are blessed with religious freedom, George noted, 75% of the population of the world lives under regimes that do not fully honor religious freedom, and some regimes “viciously” persecute religious minorities.

“It’s an inestimable blessing to live in the United States, where we can arrive at our own conclusions. The conclusions aren’t imposed on us by the government or some other power, and where we can live faithfully according to our beliefs, we can practice our religion, and that’s why we have to push back these assaults on religious freedom,” he said.

“It’s a cliche, but it’s a true cliche that we’re always just one generation away from the loss of liberty; it doesn’t become a machine that goes of itself. Each generation must protect and preserve it and hand it on to the next generation.”

2 previous ‘Living Record’ series

“Voices for Faith” is the third three-part series produced by “Living Record: A Church News Documentary Series” for BYUtv.

Toward the end of last year, the first series, “Harvest of Faith,” featured a look at the Church’s welfare farms, food processing and distribution facilities, and AgReserves, an investment auxiliary of the Church.

It was followed by another series, “People of Faith,” featuring the stories of Latter-day Saint pioneers in Brazil, Hawaii and the Philippines.

‘Voices for Faith’ Part 2: Finding ways to preserve religious freedom

‘Harvest of Faith’ Part 1: A look at the Church’s welfare farms

‘People of Faith’ Part 1: Meet 3 pioneering Latter-day Saints in Brazil

The Rev. Amos C. Brown, friend of President Russell M. Nelson, granted pastor emeritus status

In June 2023, Kori Porter was one of the featured speakers at the 10th Religious Freedom Annual Review at the BYU Conference Center in Provo, Utah.

The founder and CEO of Peacemakers Coalition and a former campus minister for 13 years, Porter contrasted her own trials and personal faith journey in a country with religious freedom to those of a young African woman who does not.

“Religious freedom is not just something that we talk about,” she said on that occasion. “It’s not just academic, it’s not just political entrapment, but it is a right, a fundamental right, that all humans should be able to hold on to.”

It would have been hard for attendees to believe that the confident, self-assured woman they saw had once struggled with drug use and been expelled from high school before a spiritual awakening set her on a path of advocacy and service to others.

Porter’s story is one of several featured in Part 2 of the “Voices for Faith” Church News documentary series on BYUtv. Their stories highlight various approaches to finding solutions for the preservation of religious freedom. The second episode in the series aired in April 2026.

Shaping minds and souls

Growing up in Oxford, Mississippi, Porter showed promise as a track and field athlete, competing in the 100- and 200-meter sprints as well as the shot put and discus events.

“I was really good,” she said. “I made it to state several times. I was just always in trouble.”

Spending time with the wrong crowd led Porter to make poor choices, resulting in bad grades and drug use. She was expelled from school, and her mother sent Porter to live with her biological father in Cleveland, Ohio.

Porter’s behavior did not improve. One night after a fight with her father, she found herself standing barefoot in a snowstorm with only her cellphone.

“I was past rock bottom,” she said.

In that difficult moment, Porter recalled sitting in church as a little girl with her Christian grandmother, who would raise her hand and call for Jesus. The memory prompted her to pray to God for help.

“I think this experience was God’s grace to me, because the only way I knew how to reach out and get any help was remembering my grandmother,” she said. “So that’s what I did — cold, crying and calling on God.”

For the first time, Porter felt true peace.

“Nothing had changed in my environment, but something had changed inwardly,” she said. “The Lord started to show Himself in a way that I had never experienced before.”

Porter completed her high school education. Her body recovered from drug use, and she began to think clearly. She took advantage of a “second chance” program and enrolled at the University of Mississippi, where she met new friends and found new purpose.

“Everything completely changed,” she said. “I wanted to be for that God who would do that good thing for me.”

As a college student, Porter was surprised to discover that in some parts of the world, it was illegal to proselytize or share one’s faith. This realization helped her understand and appreciate how fortunate she was to hear the gospel openly expressed.

“I started to see people of different faiths come together to minister and try to promote religious freedom,” she said. “I felt like the Lord was moving me to form Peacemakers Coalition.”

The Peacemakers Coalition is an international organization dedicated to advocating for the religious freedom rights of individuals from all faiths.

“It’s really important that universities and places of higher education allow students to not just shape their minds but also their souls,” Porter said. “Ole Miss was a space that liberty was given so freely. That’s not the case for a lot of campuses. I believe that religious freedom is so important in my life and my own story. Without it, I wouldn’t have been able to be formed into the person I am.”

Thoughts on religious freedom

Faith leaders and scholars agree that having mutual respect for other faiths is foundational to all other freedoms and essential for a united and harmonious society.

“I think people are seeing that a multiplicity of faiths is really a benefit. In fact, it shouldn’t be political, but it should be understood and be part of our culture and part of our doctrine,” said Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Rabbi Diana Gerson, who serves as an associate executive vice president with the New York Board of Rabbis, said: “When you walk with God, you’re not alone. I think that is really what we have to do, is to create that space for people to follow their path. Sharing our faiths and what we believe in should enhance our public discourse.”

Robert P. George, McCormick professor of jurisprudence and director of the James Madison program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University, said: “Among the great things about the United States is that historically, people of different faiths have been able to live together in peace, and not only in peace, but with mutual respect.”

Said Rev. Amos C. Brown, pastor emeritus of Third Baptist Church of San Francisco, California: “Respect means making sure that you see in every human being worth, dignity and potentiality.”

Added G. Marcus Cole, Joseph A. Matson dean and professor of law at the University of Notre Dame: “People talk about freedom of speech or freedom of the press; who cares what you have to say if you don’t believe what you have to say? Freedom of belief is the foundational freedom upon which all other freedoms rest. We don’t have that, we have nothing.”

‘I am a Sikh’

In the Sikh faith, maintaining a long beard and uncut hair are sacred symbols representing a commitment to the Sikh way of life.

When Simratpal “Simmer” Singh entered the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, in 2006, he was forced to cut his hair and shave his beard.

Singh was devastated and recalls questioning whether he was still a member of the Sikh faith.

“I remember hair would fall, and I’d be like, ‘I can’t believe that’s my hair, and I can’t believe that I’m betraying and violating all my beliefs and values,’” he said. “It’s just a regular haircut, but it’s essentially me saying the Sikh values that I had believed in for 18 years weren’t valid.”

Singh began collaborating with the Becket Fund and successfully secured landmark religious freedom rights for Sikhs, enabling them to serve while wearing turbans and maintaining their beards and uncut hair. Receiving a permanent accommodation felt “unreal,” he said.

“Religious freedom means that every individual has the opportunity to practice their faith as they see fit, as long as they’re not preventing anyone else from their liberties. ... Religious freedom means that people are going to draw inspiration and be better individuals, be better members of society,” said Singh, who was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel in 2025.

“Being able to outwardly express with my articles, my values, my faith and tell the world that I am a Sikh has helped me connect with people on a more genuine level. This is me. I’m a Sikh, and this is who I am.”

Building something bigger

Asma T. Uddin loves her Muslim faith but decided to stop wearing a headscarf because it created a significant burden and fear in public.

“That sort of fear about Islam and Muslims has led, unfortunately, to many concerted efforts to limit the rights that Muslims have to religious freedom,” she said.

Uddin’s experiences as a Muslim have been very different from her parents’. They didn’t have to deal with life after the events of Sept. 11, 2001 — she did.

“Moving from a relatively obscure religious community to being in the limelight was something that I have grappled with and has been sort of the center of my experience advocating for religious liberty,” she said.

Uddin is an author, lawyer and assistant professor of law at Michigan State University. In Part 2 of the series, she is also a visiting assistant professor of law at the Columbus School of Law at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., which appeals to her interest and work at the intersection of Muslim-Christian relations.

Uddin recounted a 2010 case where the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro in Tennessee encountered significant opposition and anti-Muslim sentiment upon applying for a land use permit. Although the center opened in 2012, it faced ongoing legal challenges until 2014 when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case.

“Religious liberty for some is religious liberty for none. The idea is that if you’re selective about who you extend these rights to, then ultimately you destroy the rights for everyone,” she said.

Her career with religious freedom started at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, a nonprofit, public interest law firm in Washington, D.C., that defends religious freedom for all faiths.

“But I think in order to actually protect it in a sincere, substantive and meaningful way, you have to actually deeply understand the types of religious beliefs and the motivations behind those beliefs, because at the end of the day, we’re built for something bigger.”

‘Love and respect for others’

At the University of Notre Dame Law School, Cole says students learn what it means to be a lawyer “with and for others.” The law school welcomes students from all cultures and backgrounds, including Orthodox Jews, Muslims and atheists, all of whom have an appreciation for the university’s Catholic mission.

“True religious freedom is about love and respect for others,” he said. “That’s why I started a religious liberty legal clinic.”

The Lindsay and Matt Moroun Religious Liberty Clinic gives students the opportunity to learn the profession of the lawyer by representing real clients in real cases that pertain to their religious freedoms, said John Meiser, the clinic’s director.

“Without that freedom to believe, the freedom to act, the freedom to exercise your religious beliefs, it really deprives you of the ability to be who you are as a human being,” said Meredith Holland Kessler, a staff attorney with the clinic.

Cole said one of its highest-profile cases involved the clinic representing Native Americans whose sacred lands were threatened by copper mining interests. A student legal team that included Catholics, atheists, Muslims and Latter-day Saints worked together to defend the rights of Native Americans to worship on their sacred lands.

“God bless America,” he said. “That is exactly what we want, and that’s exactly who we are.”

2 previous ‘Living Record’ series

“Voices for Faith” is the third three-part series produced by “Living Record: A Church News Documentary Series” for BYUtv.

Earlier this year, the first series, “Harvest of Faith,” featured a look at the Church’s welfare farms, food processing and distribution facilities and AgReserves, an investment auxiliary of the Church.

It was followed by another series called “People of Faith,” featuring the stories of Latter-day Saint pioneers in Brazil, Hawaii and the Philippines.

‘Harvest of Faith’ Part 1: A look at the Church’s welfare farms

‘People of Faith’ Part 1: Meet 3 pioneering Latter-day Saints in Brazil

What questions might a reader have? That’s what Elder W. Mark Bassett asked hundreds of missionaries to consider during a Tuesday, May 5, devotional at the Provo Missionary Training Center.

“What does this mean? What is the gate? Where is the gate? What is it that I need to do?” said the General Authority Seventy and executive director of the Church’s Missionary Department.

Answers are found in the Book of Mormon, Elder Bassett said, turning to 2 Nephi 31:17-20, which reads in part: “For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost. And then are ye in this strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life.”

The verses outline the key elements of the doctrine of Christ, which are faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism by immersion, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end.

“The doctrine of Christ, that is our message. For a missionary, that is the hinge point,” Elder Bassett said. “Inviting people to exercise faith in Jesus Christ, to have a desire to know Him, to understand Him and learn of Him, that causes them to have a desire to change.”

Teaching from the scriptures and “Preach My Gospel: A Guide to Sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ,” Elder Bassett emphasized the need for missionaries to teach the doctrine of Christ, the importance of baptism, the significance of the sacrament and how following the gospel path can lead to the temple and eternal life. He was joined by his wife, Sister Angela Bassett, who also spoke.

Significance of the sacrament

In John 6:53, many followers didn’t understand when Jesus Christ said, “Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.”

Greater understanding came when Jesus Christ introduced the sacrament during the Last Supper (Matthew 26). The resurrected Lord also taught about this sacred ordinance during His visit to the Nephites in the Americas.

“Of all the invitations you extend, I hope that you will quickly invite people to come worship Jesus Christ with us [in sacrament meeting] so they might witness the power of godliness through the ordinance of the sacrament,” Elder Bassett said.

“Our purpose as missionaries is to invite people to live the doctrine of Christ, to teach them where the gate is, to get them on this path and have them partake of the sacrament in their lives. ... Make sure your sacrament experience is a personal, worshipful experience.”

‘Watch with Him’ an hour

Later in Matthew 26, the Savior and his disciples go to Gethsemane. In verses 37-40, Jesus Christ asked Peter, James and John to “Tarry ye here, and watch with me.” One hour later, the Savior returned to find them asleep and “saith unto Peter, What could ye not watch with me one hour?”

“How long is sacrament meeting?” Elder Bassett said.

“You and I have the blessing to watch with Him one hour — to set aside our mobile device, even the scriptures, to not read, to focus on Him, and remember Him, and remember the promises we are making with the Father. Watch with Him at least an hour each week and invite people to join you and participate in this.”

Elder Bassett cited research suggesting that an individual is much more likely to be baptized if they attend sacrament meeting during the first week they meet missionaries.

“Something happens, and the quicker that can happen to an individual, the more likely they are to enter this gate and covenant path, which leads to eternal life,” he said.

Elder Bassett concluded by bearing his witness of the Savior.

“Invite everyone to come and do everything you can to help them enter this beautiful gate which leads to eternal life,” he said.

Help people remember

In her remarks, Sister Bassett asked, “When did you know you were going to serve a mission? When did you start preparing to serve a mission?”

Sister Bassett referenced Doctrine and Covenants 138:56, which teaches that individuals began receiving first lessons as spirits in the premortal world.

“All of us made the choice to follow Jesus Christ, and a lot of what you are going to be doing as missionaries is helping people remember that decision that they made,” she said.

Sister Bassett bore her testimony of the Savior’s divine love and power as well as Heavenly Father’s love for the missionaries.

What missionaries learned

Elder Joshua Hobby, of Sydney, Australia, and assigned to the Peru Lima East Mission, said he appreciated Elder Bassett’s emphasis “watching” with the Savior one hour each week during sacrament meeting.

“I’ve gained such a strong testimony and love for the sacrament on Sunday. I find so much comfort in the sacrament. I can feel His love,” he said. “I feel that is so important. We can get distracted sometimes.”

Sister Clara Chappell, from Graham, Washington, assigned to the Ohio Historic Sites and Texas San Antonio Mission, said she was inspired when Elder Bassett shared the story of the Savior feeding the 5,000. The story illustrates how the Savior can take a person’s small contribution and use it to bless many lives.

“As I bring what I have to offer, Jesus Christ will make up the difference ... to fulfill the needs of all the people I meet,” she said. “That is comforting.”

‘Bring people to the healing waters,’ invites Elder Bassett at Provo MTC

Elder Bassett: Confidently teaching the doctrine of baptism

Episode 196: Excerpts from the 2024 Seminar for New Mission Leaders focus on missionary purpose of inviting others to come unto Christ

Elder Rasband’s participation in the special conference and his meeting with the missionaries were reported on the Church’s Dominican Republic Newsroom.

Special conference

On Saturday, April 25, Latter-day Saints gathered for a special conference at the Eleoncio Mercedes Sports Center in La Romana, Dominican Republic, where Elder Rasband delivered a Christ-centered message of faith, hope and spiritual strength.

Elder Rasband was joined by the three General Authority Seventies who serve in the Caribbean Area presidency and each’s wife: Elder Valeri V. Cordón, area president, and Sister Glenda Zelmira Zea Diaz; Elder Hugo Montoya and Sister Maria del Carmen Balvastro; and Elder Ahmad S. Corbitt and Sister Jayne Corbitt.

The conference was attended by Latter-day Saints from the eastern region of the country, particularly from the La Romana Dominican Republic Stake. Local government and community leaders also attended.

During his remarks, Elder Rasband invited all to strengthen their faith in Jesus Christ and to live with purpose amidst current challenges.

Missionaries

During his visit to the country, Elder Rasband presided over a devotional attended by more than 800 missionaries at the meetinghouse of the Los Alcarrizos Dominican Republic Stake.

Missionaries from the Dominican Republic’s Santiago, Santo Domingo East, Santo Domingo North and Santo Domingo West missions attended.

Elder Rasband delivered messages focused on trust in Jesus Christ, obedience and the purpose of missionary work. He also emphasized the importance of serving with faith and dedication, even when facing challenges.

Missionaries described the meeting as spiritually inspiring and uplifting, according to the Church’s Dominican Republic Newsroom.

Elder Rasband last ministered in the Caribbean Area in November 2024.

Elder Rasband teaches missionaries in Barbados to ‘love the small’ and receive revelation

Elder Rasband awarded honorary doctorate from University of Utah

‘A remarkable time to serve’: At MTC, Elder Rasband testifies the Lord is hastening His work

The discussion guide is titled “Celebrating the Founding of the United States and the U.S. Constitution" and found on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

“Throughout the earth’s history, the principle of moral agency has not been universally honored. Too many of God’s children have been — and still are — oppressed," the introduction reads. “At the same time, God has been inspiring His children to protect ‘that principle of freedom [that] belongs to all mankind’ (Doctrine and Covenants 98:5)."

The lesson focuses on moral agency and how the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence support religious liberty.

A new video with President D. Todd Christofferson, second counselor in the First Presidency, and Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, provides instruction about the significance of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and related events that enabled the Restoration of the Church. Members can watch the video and discuss a list of questions.

The discussion guide also offers several related gospel principles supported by scripture references and quotes by prophets, apostles and other Church leaders, including the Prophet Joseph Smith.

“I am bold to declare before Heaven that I am just as ready to die in defending the rights of a Presbyterian, a Baptist or a good man of any other denomination; for the same principle which would trample upon the rights of the Latter-day Saints would trample upon the rights of the Roman Catholics or of any other denomination who may be unpopular and too weak to defend themselves,” he said. “It is a love of liberty which inspires my soul — civil and religious liberty to the whole of the human race."

The May 31 fifth-Sunday lesson is part of an invitation by the First Presidency in a March 12 letter “to participate in a unified fast to express gratitude for religious liberty and to pray that it be strengthened throughout the world” on July 5, as the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary.

Latter-day Saints can learn more about religious freedom at ReligiousFreedomLibrary.org, an online collection of talks and statements about religious freedom by Church leaders and others.

First Presidency invites all to participate in united fast of gratitude for religious liberty

How President Oaks has defended religious freedom throughout his apostolic ministry

17 times Church leaders emphasized the importance of religious freedom

Czech Republic

President Henry B. Eyring and President D. Todd Christofferson, first and second counselors in the First Presidency; President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; and Elder Gary E. Stevenson, also of the Quorum of the Twelve, met with Miloslav Stašek, ambassador of the Czech Republic to the United States, at the Church Administration Building on Temple Square.

Following their meeting, the ambassador toured Temple Square and the FamilySearch Library.

President Uchtdorf participated in the creation of the first Latter-day Stake in Czech Republic in May 2016.

Elder James W. McConkie III, a General Authority Seventy and member of the Europe Central Area presidency, represented the Church at an international seminar on religious freedom in Czech Republic in November 2025.

There are more than 2,600 members attending 12 congregations in Czech Republic, according to ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

Kazakhstan

The same day, a delegation of 15 government, business, academic and industry leaders from Kazakhstan, including Nazira Nurbayeva, the consul general of Kazakhstan in San Francisco, California, met with Elder Patrick Kearon of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

The delegation toured Welfare Square, the Humanitarian Center and the Bishops’ Central Storehouse, among other Church sites, before gathering for a luncheon with Elder Kearon.

In September 2025, Elder Kearon spoke to global faith leaders at the Eighth Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in Astana, Kazakhstan.

“Just as holy edifices rise one stone at a time, so too are peace and understanding built, moment by moment, encounter by encounter,” Elder Kearon said in his 2025 address.

According to the most recent statistics from the Church’s website, Kazakhstan is home to over 200 Latter-day Saints and three congregations and is part of the Russia Yekaterinburg Mission.

2016: President Uchtdorf creates first stake in Czech Republic

2025: Elder Kearon sees Salt Lake Temple restoration as a blueprint for building relationships

2026: First Presidency welcomes Thai ambassador to Temple Square

2026: First Presidency welcomes Estonia’s ambassador to Church headquarters

“A sower is one who scatters seeds broadly. They do not know which soil will receive the seed. Nor can they force the seed to grow. They simply do the best they can — faithfully planting and trusting in the natural growing process,” Sister Wright said, speaking to hundreds of missionaries during a devotional at the Provo Missionary Training Center on Tuesday, April 28.

A missionary’s purpose is the same, she said.

“You invite all to come unto Christ by sharing the gospel with everyone you meet. You do not know who will accept your invitation, nor do you determine or have any control over the outcome. Like the sower, a missionary’s work is a work of faith.”

Sister Wright examined the New Testament parable of the sower utilizing the scriptures and “Preach My Gospel: A Guide to Sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ,” offering inspiring insights for missionaries. Her husband, Brother James McConkie Wright, accompanied her and also spoke.

Parable of the sower

The parable of the sower is found in Matthew 13:3-23, Mark 4:2-20 and Luke 8:4-15. Jesus Christ delivered the parable from a ship near the shore of the Sea of Galilee, with a large crowd gathered on the beach.

The seed

The seed represents the word of God or the gospel of Jesus Christ.

“As missionaries, you are called to scatter seeds, sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ to all who will listen,” Sister Wright said.

“Preach My Gospel” teaches that a missionary’s power comes not from persuasion, eloquence or personal skill but from the word of God. Missionaries are encouraged to study the scriptures, treasure up doctrine and follow the Spirit in their teaching.

“The gospel of Jesus Christ has the power to soften hearts and change lives,” Sister Wright said. “Your responsibility ... is to plant, nurture and invite, trusting that the Lord of the harvest will bless your efforts, bless the seed and bring forth growth.”

The soil

The Savior describes four types of soil where seeds fall: wayside, rocky places, thorns and good ground.

“The different soils represent the different ways in which individuals receive the gospel of Jesus Christ,” Sister Wright said.

Wayside: Seeds that fell by the wayside were eaten by birds, representing those who hear the word but quickly reject it, Sister Wright explained, noting that missionaries often meet individuals who are not yet prepared or interested in the gospel message. When this happens, missionaries should stay positive and remember that no effort is wasted.

Stony places: Some seeds fell on stony places, sprouting quickly but withering due to shallow soil. This represents individuals who initially accept the gospel but struggle from social, family or personal challenges. “Preach My Gospel” teaches that “conversion is a process, not an event.”

Thorns: Seeds that fell among the thorns began to grow but were choked by weeds, depriving the plants of essential nourishment. This represents individuals more focused on worldly distractions than the kingdom of God.

“Your role is to help them see how living gospel principles can bring peace and clarity while respecting their agency,” she said.

Good ground: Some seeds fell on good ground, took root, grew and produced fruit.

“Good soil is not passive — it actively nurtures the seed,” she said. “It is the same with individuals who accept the gospel of Jesus Christ; they must act on the word for it to take root and flourish. True conversion requires action.”

Sister Wright noted that sometimes soil can change. “Bearing testimony, nurturing sacred experiences and the influence of the Holy Ghost can help prepare and change hearts,” she said.

The harvest

The harvest comes when God, through the Holy Ghost, causes changes in a person’s heart and soul, leading to conversion. A sower cannot make the seed grow.

Sister Wright invited missionaries to do the spiritual work required to have the guidance of the Holy Ghost and guide individuals and families to receive the blessings of the temple.

“As you faithfully strive to do your part, God will do the rest,” she said. “This is Jesus Christ’s harvest, and every single soul is precious to Him.”

Sister Wright illustrated the law of the harvest by showing a video, based on her oldest son’s experience in the Italy Milan Mission, called “The Plower and the Sower.”

Sister Wright concluded: “The key indicator of your success as a missionary is not how many sheaves you gather to the garners. Your success as a missionary is how you live your life after your mission. We want you to be valiant in your testimony of Jesus Christ all the days of your life. We want you to establish a foundational pattern of lifelong discipleship and look back on your missionary service as a time of immense joy.”

Doctrine and Covenants 34

In his message, Brother Wright discussed Doctrine and Covenants 34 — a brief revelation given to 19-year-old convert Orson Pratt before his mission — and invited missionaries to apply it to their own lives.

“This scripture is very much for you,” he said, noting the gospel principles taught in each verse before bearing his testimony. “I know Jesus Christ lives. This is His gospel. You are about His work.”

What missionaries learned

Sister Emily Barlow, of Provo, Utah, assigned to serve in the France Paris Mission, read the parable of the sower earlier in the day and shared it during companionship study. Then Sister Wright presented it at the devotional.

“I really think God was trying to tell me something today,” she said. “We can plant seeds, and we might not see the results of our efforts right now, but God sees the work that we are doing, and He knows our efforts, and He cares about every single soul. I have had so much peace and joy from the gospel, and I’m super excited to share with everyone.”

Elder Noah Goodare, of Edinburgh, Scotland, and preparing to serve in the Thailand Bangkok West Mission, knows he can scatter and nurture seeds, but he appreciated knowing he could leave the rest to the Lord.

“Sometimes I worry too much about doing [missionary work] all myself,” he said. “What I loved that she said is that we don’t have to worry about the harvest, because this is Christ’s harvest.”

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Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will preside at the dedication in historic Nauvoo, Illinois, on Saturday, June 27, according to the announcement on Tuesday, April 21, on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

June 27 marks the anniversary of the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother, Hyrum Smith, who were killed in Carthage, Illinois, on June 27, 1844. The date also commemorates the dedication of the reconstructed Nauvoo Illinois Temple, on June 27, 2002.

The dedication will be a ticketed event for in-person attendees; it will also be broadcast live on ChurchofJesusChrist.org. The broadcast can also be viewed at multiple locations in Nauvoo.

Nauvoo Temple Visitors’ Center

The new visitors’ center will feature historical artifacts, interactive exhibits, a short film, children’s activities and a Tiffany stained-glass window of Jesus Christ. Visitors can learn about the history of Nauvoo’s original temple, the current Nauvoo Illinois Temple and the significance of houses of the Lord in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

“Our hope is that all who come here will feel the love of Jesus Christ and gain a deeper appreciation for the sacred covenants and ordinances of His holy house. The vast majority of covenants and ordinances performed in temples today were first restored in Nauvoo,” Elder Kyle S. McKay, a General Authority Seventy who serves as the Church historian and recorder, said in the announcement.

Brigham and Mary Ann Young Home

The recently restored Brigham and Mary Ann Young Home will be rededicated in the same ceremony. The home was initially restored in the 1960s and has since received structural and program updates. The new guided tour focuses on the preparations of the Young family to leave their Nauvoo home and begin the long journey to the West.

Open June 29

Starting Monday, June 29, the Nauvoo Temple Visitors’ Center, at 155 Wells St., Nauvoo, Illinois, and the Brigham and Mary Ann Young Home, at 610 Kimball St., Nauvoo, Illinois, will be open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. Admission is free.

Early Nauvoo

Latter-day Saints began gathering in Nauvoo when it was little more than a swamp in 1839. Within six years, they built a thriving city of more than 10,000 residents that included the construction of a house of the Lord. Nauvoo was the Church’s headquarters from 1839 to 1846.

During the early 1840s, Joseph Smith received several revelations, taught foundational doctrines, organized the Relief Society and established temple ordinances.

‘Come, see and learn’: Additional Joseph Smith historic buildings will give Latter-day Saints a new experience

The Lord directed the Saints to build a house of the Lord in Nauvoo in 1841. Despite persecution and the death of Joseph and Hyrum Smith in 1844, many received temple blessings before their exodus west in 1846. A fire and subsequent tornado destroyed the building. Church President Gordon B. Hinckley announced the reconstruction of the temple to be built on the historic site on April 4, 1999, which was dedicated on June 27, 2002.

Learn more about these and other historic sites in the Nauvoo area on the Church’s website, ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

The dedication of the new Nauvoo Temple Visitors’ Center follows the Church’s acquisition and reopening of historic buildings for free public tours in 2024, including the Joseph and Emma Smith Mansion House, the Smith Family Homestead and the Red Brick Store.

The last dedicatory event at a Church historic site occurred last September when Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles rededicated the refurbished Hill Cumorah Historic Site near Palmyra, New York.

Church launches new website to help Latter-day Saints discover, learn about and visit historic Nauvoo

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When starting their family, the couple first adopted a daughter named Isabel. Three months later, Ann Reid gave birth to their second daughter, Elizabeth, who goes by Elle. A year later, they welcomed twin boys, Eli and Isaac. The family also has three younger children, for a total of seven.

All four older siblings — the girls are both 18, and the twin boys turn 18 in July — have desires to serve the Lord.

Isabel Reid, who prayed she would remain in the United States and speak English, was “thrilled” to be assigned to the Missouri Independence Mission, where her aunt also served. She enters the Provo Missionary Training Center on May 20.

Her sister, Elle Reid, prayed to serve in Germany, and her prayer was answered. She was assigned to labor in the Germany Frankfurt Mission, the homeland of her mother’s ancestors. She also enters the Provo MTC on May 20.

Twin brothers Eli and Isaac Reid both opened their mission calls on the deck of a cruise ship during a family vacation. Eli will serve in the Guatemala Quetzaltenango Mission. Isaac was assigned to the neighboring Guatemala Antigua Mission. Both brothers enter the Mexico Missionary Training Center on Sept. 3.

Said Isabel, “I know we will have very different experiences as we serve in different parts of the world, but I love the idea of having the same common purpose of sharing the gospel of Christ.”

The idea of serving simultaneously with his three siblings is exciting to Isaac.

“Although we have each been called to labor in different missions, the knowledge that we will all be wearing the name tag of Jesus Christ and sharing His gospel simultaneously is deeply meaningful to me,” he said. “We grew up together in one home, and now we will be serving in different parts of the world with the same purpose. I look forward to hearing through letters and emails how the Savior is changing lives in four different places at once.”

Ann Reid, their mother, acknowledges that although the family will miss their missionaries, she knows they will touch and positively impact many lives. She understands that making and keeping temple covenants can strengthen individuals, helping them to overcome challenging circumstances — a compelling reason for allowing her children to serve.

“They are excited to serve. I’m willing to let my children go, to let them have this experience, to support them, to miss them, to sacrifice so that people’s situations can improve, families can become stronger, their economic situations can develop for the better, so that they can have the light of Christ in their lives. In the grand scheme of things, it’s such a small sacrifice,” she said.

“It’s not going be easy financially to have four missionaries out. But the idea that my children could help somebody else’s situation change by developing a relationship with Christ and having access to temple covenants is worth the cost.”

As they grew up, the children often talked about serving missions. Christopher Reid, their father, served in the Colorado Denver North Mission. The siblings competed together on the high school swim team, attended seminary and participated in various missionary activities with the full-time missionaries in the Idaho Pocatello Mission.

“My siblings and I do just about everything together,” Elle said. “It’s reassuring to know I’ll have someone close to me experiencing mission life at the same time. I know they will be waking up when I do, studying the same scriptures and facing similar challenges. Serving a mission together will help us build a lifelong spiritual foundation.”

Added Eli, “I’m nervous to be away from my siblings but knowing we will reunite after our missions gives me peace.”

As a college student, Ann Reid studied Spanish and spent a semester in the Dominican Republic. Her ability to speak the language influenced the family’s decision to begin attending the Spanish-speaking Centennial Ward in the Twin Falls Idaho Stake five years ago.

“It was right after COVID, and we felt we needed a change of pace,” said Ann Reid, who added that she and her husband attended a Spanish ward when they were first married and had a good experience. “We felt inspired to do it.”

The experience wasn’t overwhelming for the children because most of the youth speak English, Ann Reid said. But her sons have only ever said the sacrament prayers in Spanish, and her daughters have learned to be door-greeters in Spanish.

Bishop Julian Murillo of the Centennial Ward, a convert from Mexico who does not speak English, has been a righteous example and has significantly influenced the Reid children, especially the twin boys, their mother said.

“He has never let the language stop him from serving as their bishop and being involved in their lives,” Ann Reid said. “As soon as the boys got their calls to Guatemala, the first call they made was to their bishop to say, ‘When we get back, we will never have to use a translator again.’”

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For the first time, the Young Men general presidency used the Young Men Worldwide social media account to create a livestream in which they discussed the new “For the Strength of Youth” guide and Sunday youth curriculum. They invited youth to read the entire FSY guide before Sept. 6 to become familiar with its teachings and learn how to use it as a lifelong resource for discipleship and decision-making.

In the livestream video, Young Men General President Timothy L. Farnes said the new resources will help young people to draw closer to Jesus Christ.

“It’s about deepening our understanding of the strength that He offers us, letting Him be the strength in our life,” he said. “Too often we look other places for that strength, for that power, and He is the source of all strength, all power.”

The Young Women general presidency produced a video containing similar information and invitations on April 7.

The Church reinforced their messages with an additional invitation and related information posted on ChurchofJesusChrist.org on April 17.

“The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is inviting youth, parents and leaders to begin preparing now for changes that will take effect on Sept. 6,” the statement read. “Church leaders emphasized that these changes are designed to strengthen youth in their discipleship, deepen home-centered gospel learning and build unity as young people worldwide study the same principles together.”

How Young Women classes will be structured during shorter, 25-minute classes

‘A guide to abide’

The updated “For the Strength of Youth” guide contains 12 chapters — one for each month of the year — each focused on doctrine, principles and real-life application.

Classes and quorums will study one chapter per month to learn how to make choices with the Savior Jesus Christ at the center of their lives.

The guide is accessible in the Gospel Library, and printed copies are being distributed to units globally.

The desired outcomes for youth who study the guide include:

• Become lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ with a firm understanding of His gospel.
• Be prepared for the temple endowment with a deeper understanding of priesthood ordinances and covenant promises.
• Be prepared for a mission with a desire to serve the Lord.
• Be focused on their future family with an understanding that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Father’s plan.
• Know Jesus Christ is their strength.

Brother David J. Wunderli, first counselor in the Young Men general presidency, likes to think about the FSY guide as “a guide to abide.”

“In other words, if we want to abide with the Savior and be close to Him and grow and become like Him, this is a guide that will lead us to the scriptures, to the doctrine that helps us abide with Him,” he said in the video. “So you can think of it as ‘a guide to abide.’ Hopefully you will embrace it, love it, study it.”

Blessings will come to those who diligently study the FSY guide, said Brother Sean Dixon, second counselor in the Young Men general presidency.

“Our overall objective is to help the youth of the Church to become lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ, and one of the core ways to do that is to help them to focus on the essential doctrines, which are found in this ‘For the Strength of Youth’ guide,” he said.

‘Sacred time’

In youth Sunday School classes, teachers will lead 25-minute discussions focused on the scriptures and “Come, Follow Me.”

In their video, the Young Men general presidency encouraged youth to come prepared, treat class time as “sacred time” and learn eternal doctrines and principles.

“Every month you’ll have a doctrine, you’ll have a call to action, an invitation to act, promised blessings and then scriptures and deeper doctrine to back it up,” said Brother Wunderli. “It’s that simple. Every month you are going to learn more, feel more, and you are going to be closer to the Savior.”

The Young Men general presidency expressed love for the young men and said they plan to do a live video each month. President Farnes concluded with his testimony of the Savior.

“Above all things, we invite you to continue to walk with Jesus. His greatest desire is that you walk with Him, that you know Him, you feel His love and feel sustained in that love,” he said. “My desire is that you will feel His warm embrace tonight, tomorrow and every day of your life.”

Read one chapter a week

The Church’s youth-focused social media channels, formerly known as “Strive to Be,” have been renamed “For the Strength of Youth.”

Starting May 3, the “For the Strength of Youth” social media channels (@forstrengthofyouth) will launch a global reading experience.

Youth, their families and leaders are invited to read one chapter per week as preparation for the upcoming curriculum. Weekly social media posts will feature:

• Reading invitations.
• Insights and testimonies from other youth.
• Application ideas to help youth apply their learning.

5th-Sunday youth discussion

To prepare youth and their families for the new curriculum, the Church has designated Sunday, Aug. 30, the fifth Sunday of that month, as a global discussion day for youth.

Youth, parents, leaders and Primary children who will turn 12 in 2027 are invited to gather together in their wards and branches to watch instructional videos provided by the Church and conclude with a local discussion.

This fifth-Sunday meeting will introduce the new curriculum, demonstrate effective use of the guide and provide practical instruction to help youth actively participate in weekly classes starting Sept. 6.

‘For the Strength of Youth’ magazine

Beginning in September 2026, curriculum materials for weekly Young Women classes and Aaronic Priesthood quorum meetings will be printed in the back of each issue of the “For the Strength of Youth” magazine.

To ensure households receive these materials, youth, parents and leaders are encouraged to subscribe as soon as possible: magazines.ChurchofJesusChrist.org. Each household can subscribe to receive one subscription of each magazine at no cost.

For a preview of the September curriculum, click here.

Church’s youth social media channels

Along with “For the Strength of Youth (@forstrengthofyouth), parents, leaders and youth are also invited to follow:

• Young Women Worldwide (@youngwomenworldwide on Facebook and Instagram)
• Young Men Worldwide (@youngmenworldwide_ on Facebook and Instagram)

Youth are encouraged to follow the Church’s youth-focused social media channels, which provide uplifting, Christ-centered messages, positive and inspirational content and global perspectives from youth and leaders. The purpose is to help young men and young women feel connected to other disciples of Jesus Christ worldwide.

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Sunday class meeting schedule adjustments announced

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In March, Church leaders and local members visited the Industrial Penitentiary Unit La Esperanza, located in Asunción, according to the Church’s Paraguay Newsroom.

Elder A. Enrique Texeira, an Area Seventy; Obrero Branch President Óscar Riquelme; and other members met with the unit’s director, Teófilo Báez, and the head of vocational training, Gerardo Solís, to discuss the purpose and objectives of this spiritual and social support program.

While visits to Church members in the penitentiary system were already taking place, the meeting served to formalize these efforts and established a collaborative framework with the unit’s authorities.

“Ministering to those who are in prison is not merely an act of compassion but a profound expression of genuine discipleship. It is, in some measure, to participate in the redemptive ministry of Jesus Christ.”

Elder Eduardo Gavarret, General Authority Seventy

Báez expressed optimism about the initiative, applauding its support and positive impact on the social reintegration process.

The initiative to minister to those in prison in Paraguay is supported by the Church’s South America South Area presidency. Elder Eduardo Gavarret, who serves as a General Authority Seventy and second counselor in the area presidency until Aug. 1 when he reaches emeritus status, told the Church News:

“In a conversation with Elder Enrique Texeira, we reflected on how to minister to those who are in prison. There is a scripture that, over the years, has profoundly shaped my understanding of true Christian service, found in Matthew 25:35–36: ‘For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.’”

Elder Gavarret continued: “Ministering to those who are in prison is not merely an act of compassion but a profound expression of genuine discipleship. It is, in some measure, to participate in the redemptive ministry of Jesus Christ, who came to heal the brokenhearted, give sight to the blind and extend hope to those who are oppressed by sin and sorrow. In this way, as we draw near to them, we do not simply fulfill a commandment, but we learn to reflect more faithfully the character and love of the Savior.”

The initiative is based on the scriptural teachings of Jesus Christ and utilizes resources from Gospel Library’s “Prison Ministry” section in “Life Help,” including materials such as “Help for Leaders and Ministering Support.”

In “General Principles,” it reads, “The purpose of prison ministry efforts is to do the will of the Lord as we help adults and youth in custody come unto Jesus Christ, repent, heal and prepare for progress along the covenant path and for a productive life.”

Elder Texeira said the idea for the prison ministry initiative started when a Latter-day Saint inmate began requesting ministry visits. If the prison ministry initiative at the penitentiary in Asunción is successful, local Church leaders plan to expand to 14 correctional institutions nationwide.

“What I have learned is people are praying and anxiously waiting for our ministry visits,” Elder Texeira told the Church News.

“Just as the souls on the other side of the veil are praying and waiting for ordinances to be performed on their behalf, our brothers and sisters who are deprived of their liberty pray for our ministration — to receive words of hope and priesthood blessings. In doing so, we become the hands and the voice of the Savior, Jesus Christ, for these, His children.”

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President Christofferson’s talk summary

Acquiring the character of Jesus Christ is one of the most important ways that members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can take upon them the Savior’s name.

Christlike character — His virtue, integrity, humility, compassion and courage — grows out of a Christlike heart. “If we are to succeed in developing a Christlike character, we must possess His motivations — His thoughts, desires and intents of the heart.”

The good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that through the Holy Spirit, the Savior’s grace, His influence and spiritual gifts, members are entitled to “the power of godliness” in their lives.

Three desires of Christ’s heart that each person should carry in their own heart are the pure love of Christ, lifting and ministering to others, and devotion to the will of God.

“With faith in Christ, we can pray that the Holy Spirit will effect a mighty change in us to instill these same divine motivations in our heart and help us practice the attributes of a Christlike character.”

Adopting the character of Christ not only prepares a person personally for Christ’s Second Coming but is a primary element for preparing the world for His return and glorious millennial reign.

Read the full text of President Christofferson’s talk: ‘The Character of Christ’

Notable quotes

“Acquiring the character of Christ is one of the most important ways we take His name upon us.”

“Christlike character grows out of a Christlike heart.”

“Adopting the character of Christ is not only a question of our personal preparation but a primary element of preparing the world for the Lord’s return and His glorious millennial reign.”

Who is President Christofferson?

• President D. Todd Christofferson was set apart as second counselor in the First Presidency on Oct. 14, 2025. He has been a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles since April 5, 2008. He was called as a General Authority Seventy in 1993 and served in the Presidency of the Seventy from 1998 until his call as an Apostle.
• In 1968, he married Kathy Jacob. The two met at a BYU football game — at the time, he had been helping with crowd control, and she was a Cougarette. They are the parents of five children.
• President Christofferson was born on Jan. 24, 1945, in American Fork, Utah. He graduated from high school in Somerset, New Jersey, and earned his bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University, where he was an Edwin S. Hinckley Scholar. He earned his law degree from Duke University.
• From 1975 to 1980, Elder Christofferson practiced law in Washington, D.C., after serving as a law clerk to U.S. District Judge John J. Sirica during the trials and other proceedings known as Watergate (1972-74).
• Prior to his call as a General Authority Seventy, President Christofferson was associate general counsel of NationsBank Corp. (now Bank of America) in Charlotte, North Carolina. Previously he was senior vice president and general counsel for Commerce Union Bank of Tennessee in Nashville.

What has President Christofferson done recently?

• During October 2025 general conference, President Christofferson spoke about looking to God.
• In December 2025, President Christofferson spoke about the birth of the Savior in a BYU devotional.
• In January, President Christofferson participated in a worldwide youth discussion with Young Women General President Emily Belle Freeman and Young Men General President Timothy L. Farnes.
• President Christofferson celebrated his 81st birthday on Jan. 24.

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

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

Getting to know President D. Todd Christofferson, second counselor in the First Presidency

Jesus’ condescension — to be born a helpless babe in a humble stable — is an act of genuine love, says President Christofferson

Prayer, repentance and covenants the way Jesus invites to ‘Walk with me,’ President Christofferson teaches in worldwide youth discussion

Elder Larreal’s talk summary

Each week, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have the opportunity to feel the Savior’s love and renew the influence of the Holy Ghost by personally preparing to partake of the sacrament.

The resurrected Lord emphasized the importance of the sacrament when He visited the Americas and instituted the sacrament ordinance among the faithful Nephites and Lamanites. The Lord promises those who partake of the sacrament with a broken heart the blessing of having the companionship and constant guidance of the Holy Ghost.

The sacrament represents the Atonement of Jesus Christ. “During that sacred moment, when we give our full attention to Him and focus on His atoning sacrifice, how can we not feel His great love for us?”

The scriptures teach that the sacrament is for those who partake of it. “The Lord uses the pronoun ‘you’ again and again to emphasize and remind us that the sacrament is for us — for you and for me.”

During the sacrament, members should strive to remove worldly thoughts; be prayerful, be reverent and seek to feel His love and remember Him.

“Elevate your spiritual preparation and reverence as you partake of the sacrament. It is vital.”

Read the full text of Elder Larreal’s talk: ‘I Feel My Savior’s Love’

Notable quotes

“The Lord uses the pronoun ‘you’ again and again to emphasize and remind us that the sacrament is for us — for you and me.”

“The ordinance of the sacrament makes sacrament meeting the most sacred and important meeting in the Church.”

“Elevate your spiritual preparation and reverence as you partake of the sacrament. It is vital.”

Who is Elder Larreal?

• Elder Pedro X. Larreal was sustained as a General Authority Seventy on April 5, 2025. At the time of his call, he was serving as president of the Texas McAllen Mission.
• Elder Larreal was born in Valencia, Venezuela, on July 6, 1976. He was sealed to Sariah Alvarez Campos in the Caracas Venezuela Temple in August 2001. They are the parents of three children.
• Elder Larreal earned a bachelor’s degree in management, a Master of Science Education and a Master of Business Administration. He worked as a Seminaries and Institutes of Religion coordinator. He also worked as a general manager and director of Latin America for Nature Sunshine Products Inc.
• In addition to mission leader, Elder Larreal served as an Area Seventy in both Mexico and Utah areas, stake president, stake presidency counselor, high councilor, stake executive secretary, bishop and full-time missionary in the Venezuela Caracas Mission.
• This is Elder Larreal’s first opportunity to speak in general conference.

How trusting in a Prophet’s promise blessed Elder Larreal, new General Authority Seventy

Brother Wunderli’s talk summary

Many of today’s youth are choosing to accept the Savior’s scriptural invitation to “abide” with Jesus Christ — keep Him in their lives and walk with Him. They are serving in temples, attending seminary and serving missions. They “are committed to becoming lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ.”

During life’s journey, rocks will collect in one’s backpack — naturally and through choices. “As weight increases, remember that taking Jesus Christ out of your life is not the answer. Removing Him will not lighten your load.”

Satan wants to separate people from Christ, but Satan is a liar. “Jesus Christ is not the weight; He is the relief.”

Invite the Savior’s presence each morning and keep Him present through daily worship, including prayer, scripture study, repentance and keeping covenants.

“Abiding with Him eases your burdens. Walking with Him shapes your character and helps you become even as He is. It brings you real and lasting joy.”

When feeling alone or weighed down by life’s challenges, hold strong to the resolve to keep the Savior with you.

“Jesus Christ is not the weight. He is our relief. He is our strength. He is our way. May we all walk with Him.”

Read the full text of Brother Wunderli’s talk: ‘Jesus Christ Is Not Our Burden; He Is Our Relief’

Notable quotes

“As the weight increases, please remember that taking Jesus Christ out of your life is not the answer.”

“Jesus Christ is not the weight; He is the relief.”

“Each morning as you begin your daily walk, please make sure that Jesus Christ is with you.”

Who is Brother Wunderli?

• Brother David J. Wunderli was sustained as first counselor in the Young Men general presidency on April 5, 2025. He began serving on Aug. 1, 2025. He previously served on the Young Men general advisory council.
• Brother Wunderli was born on June 22, 1961, in Salt Lake City. He and his wife, Sister Diane Wunderli, are the parents of four children.
• Brother Wunderli received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Utah in accounting with a minor in Portuguese. He worked as a senior executive at Easton Sports and as president of OGIO International. He has served on several corporate and philanthropic boards and was chairman of the board for ORI Inc.
• His previous Church callings include Cape Verde Praia Mission president, stake president, bishop, counselor in a missionary training center branch presidency, high councilor, ward Young Men president and full-time missionary in the Brazil Rio de Janeiro Mission.

What has Brother Wunderli done recently?

• This is Brother Wunderli’s first opportunity to speak in general conference.
• In August 2025, Brother Wunderli spoke at BYU Education Week about being examples for and helping the rising generation to gather Israel.
• In March, Brother Wunderli and the other members of the Young Men general presidency shared welcoming messages to new deacons, teachers and priests on social media.

Youth belong, and this is their Church too, says Brother David J. Wunderli

BYU Education Week: What this new Young Men general presidency counselor has to say about the rising generation

Young Men general presidency welcomes new deacons, teachers and priests

Elder Gilbert’s talk summary

Jesus Christ, the Redeemer and Repairer, has invited all of Heavenly Father’s children to come home.

Each person is given the agency to choose, and those choices have consequences. When a person loses their way spiritually, the Savior still allows the person to change so they can return home.

“I have repeatedly witnessed people finding their way home. It may not have always come quickly, but it happened — over and over again.”

Some reasons people don’t immediately find their way home include feeling as though they don’t belong, feeling inadequate, struggling with doubts or being limited by traditions. But life’s deeper questions don’t go away.

Prophets have taught that the journey home starts by reanchoring in Jesus Christ. He can fully restore light and joy in life amid the struggles. Hold on to truth and keep covenants.

“To those who are struggling to come home, know you are loved and the Savior is calling you back.”

In the end, everyone must make their own choices to come home.

“I witness that Christ is our Redeemer. When we fall short, He repairs the breaches in our lives. The Savior loves all of us and is tenderly calling for you and me to come home.”

Read the full text of Elder Gilbert’s talk: ‘Come Home’

Notable quotes

“I pledge my life to be a witness to the name of Jesus Christ.”

“To those who are struggling to come home, know you are loved and the Savior is calling you back.”

“I witness that Christ is our Redeemer. When we fall short, He repairs the breaches in our lives.”

Who is Elder Gilbert?

• Clark G. Gilbert was ordained a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on Feb. 12, 2026, filling a vacancy in the quorum after the death of President Jeffrey R. Holland. At the time of his call, Elder Gilbert was serving as a General Authority Seventy and as the commissioner of Church education. Prior to that assignment, he was the inaugural president of BYU-Pathway Worldwide. He also served as the president of BYU-Idaho. He was sustained as a General Authority Seventy on April 3, 2021.
• He was born in Oakland, California, on June 18, 1970, the oldest of Paul Ensign Gilbert and Susan Carlson Gilbert’s four children.
• After receiving a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University and a master’s degree from Stanford University, he earned a Doctor of Business Administration degree from Harvard University.
• He worked as a professor of entrepreneurial management at Harvard University. He was later the chief executive officer of the Deseret News and Deseret Digital Media.
• He met Christine Calder, who was roommates with his sister, while the two were attending BYU. They were married on Feb. 5, 1994, in the Salt Lake Temple and are the parents of eight children.

What has Elder Gilbert done recently?

• In the October 2021 general conference, Elder Gilbert testified that it is not where one starts, but where one is headed, that matters most.
• In March, Elder Gilbert discussed the role of faith in the public square at Harvard University.
• After his call to the Quorum of the Twelve in February, Elder Gilbert sat for his media interviews, including a Church News podcast episode.

Read more of Elder Gilbert’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

Elder Gilbert says ‘Christ is always pointing you to something better’ as he accepts apostolic call

Podcast Episode 282: Elder and Sister Gilbert on answering the Lord’s call

Elder Clark G. Gilbert invites Harvard students and faculty to stand up for faith in the public square

Resurrection — a core doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as taught in the Book of Mormon — refers to the reuniting of the spirit with the body after death into an immortal state. The Savior was the first person on earth to be resurrected.

“I wonder if we fully appreciate the enormous significance of our belief in a literal, universal resurrection,” President Oaks said. “The conviction that death is not the conclusion of our identity changes the whole perspective of our mortal life.”

President Oaks said knowledge of the Resurrection provides strength and perspective to endure the challenges of mortality.

“It signifies that mortal deficiencies are only temporary. It also gives us the courage to face our own death or that of loved ones — even deaths we might call premature,” he said. “Our belief in the resurrection also encourages us to fulfill our family responsibilities in mortality. It helps us live together in love in this life in anticipation of joyful reunions and associations in the next.”

President Oaks also bore his prophetic witness in his Saturday morning introductory remarks: “At this Easter season, I reaffirm our testimony of the resurrected Lord and recognize that He is the head of this Church.”

The Prophet’s message on the Resurrection was among several centered on the theme of Easter during general conference weekend.

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

Encountering the empty tomb

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, spoke about the life-changing experience of those who encountered the Savior’s empty tomb and what it means today.

“Because of what happened on that Sunday morning, we can speak of Jesus Christ in the present tense,” he said. “He lives. Today. At this moment. … The message of the risen Christ is that, with His strength, all obstacles can be overcome. Because Jesus Christ conquered death, surely, He can conquer any danger, confusion or doubt we face.”

Like those who encountered the empty tomb, President Uchtdorf taught, “we must encounter the empty tomb, experience the reality of what it means and, in turn, share that witness with others.”

‘We must encounter the empty tomb,’ President Uchtdorf teaches

‘Special blessing’

Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said it was a “special blessing” to have general conference Sunday coincide with the day the Christian world celebrates Easter.

“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,” he said.

“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. Therefore, the seminal doctrines of the Resurrection and the Atonement have been accomplished by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”

Elder Cook noted that Easter Sunday coincides with Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery’s vision of the Savior that occurred in the Kirtland Temple in Kirtland, Ohio, on Easter Sunday 1836 — 190 years ago — one week after the Kirtland Temple was dedicated. After the Savior’s appearance, Joseph and Oliver also received visits from ancient prophets Moses, Elias and Elijah, committing essential keys to the Restoration of the Church in the latter days.

“That day, like today, was one of those times when Easter and the Passover season overlap,” Elder Cook said. “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.”

Elder Cook concluded his remarks with a promise.

“I promise 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,” he said.

“As an Apostle, I bear my sure and certain witness of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, who leads this Church. I testify of His Atonement and Resurrection and rejoice with you on this special Easter Sunday for all that the Savior has accomplished that we might have eternal life.”

Elder Quentin L. Cook: ‘Keys, Covenants and Easter’

‘He Is Risen’

Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles titled his remarks, delivered in the Sunday morning session, “He Is Risen.”

“This Easter Sunday, all Christians, brothers and sisters in the Lord, honor and celebrate the Resurrection of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ,” he said. “His Resurrection and His Atonement are the most powerful, far-reaching and sacred events in all human history.”

Elder Rasband taught that Jesus Christ and His Resurrection are “at the very core” of Church doctrine. After three days in the tomb, the Savior broke the bands of death imposed by the Fall and secured salvation from physical death for all of God’s children throughout the ages.

“Those glorious words, ‘He is risen,’ have sparked religious ceremony, gratitude, faith in Jesus Christ and His promises for centuries,” Elder Rasband said. “This scene of Him resurrected, reaching out with hands once nailed to a cross, touches me deeply.”

Elder Rasband spoke of his grandson Paxton, who was born with a rare chromosomal deletion and lived only three years. He testified of the joyful future day when Paxton is resurrected.

“All who live or ever have lived, who come unto Christ and live His gospel, will feel joy beyond any earthly expression as we reunite, resurrected, with our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ, our parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins and ancestors,” he said.

“May we feel to our very souls these stirring words: ‘He is risen! He is risen! Tell it out with joyful voice’ and ‘Let the whole wide earth rejoice’ (‘He Is Risen!’ ‘Hymns,’ No. 199).”

Elder Ronald A. Rasband: ‘He Is Risen’

‘’Tis Eastertide’

In the Sunday afternoon session, Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke about Easter.

“As Easter Sabbath general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints draws to a close, we, like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, long for our Savior to abide with us, for ‘tis Eastertide,” he said.

Elder Gong invited Latter-day Saints to place themselves in the Luke 24 story of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus who are joined by the Savior. He taught that the account reveals a covenant pattern.

“Sometimes, on our dusty roads to Emmaus, we feel alone, misunderstood, burdened, unseen. But as He ‘talk[s] with us by the way’ (Luke 24:32), His words in scripture can cause our hearts to burn,” he said. “As He breaks and blesses the sacramental bread, His ordinances and covenants can help us know Him. As we walk by faith with Him, abiding in Him, and Him in us, we come to know He lives. His Easter promises are real.”

Elder Gong testified that Christ’s Atonement “changes everything.”

“It brings literal resurrection. It can enable our return to the presence of God and the eternal uniting of families. We can heal, reconcile, abide in covenant belonging,” he said.

He concluded: “Let us see and walk together in His love so He can abide with and in us, and us in Him, at this Eastertide and each day.”

Elder Gerrit W. Gong: ‘Abide with Me; ’Tis Eastertide’

Easter testimonies

Several Church leaders concluded their talks with testimonies of the Savior.

In the Sunday afternoon session, President D. Todd Christofferson, second counselor in the First Presidency, testified: “On this joyful Easter Sunday, I bear testimony of the resurrected, living Jesus Christ. He is the head of this, His Church.”

How the ‘character of Christ’ can prepare members for the Savior’s Second Coming, President Christofferson teaches

Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught: “Jesus Christ conquered death; He literally rose from the tomb. Because of Him, resurrection is a universal and unconditional gift for everyone who comes to earth.”

Elder Dale G. Renlund: ‘Because of Jesus Christ’

Bearing his witness of the Savior, Elder Renlund concluded: “Celebrate the joyous message of Easter every day by reflecting every day on the blessings you receive because of Him.”

Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles bore his witness of the Savior “in this sacred Easter season” at the end of the Saturday afternoon session.

“In this sacred Easter season, I solemnly testify that Jesus Christ is the True Vine. He lives. He rose from the dead, and His redeeming power is real.”

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

Young Women General President Emily Belle Freeman testified: “His story has a garden, a stone rolled away and an empty tomb. Because of Him, no matter how bad things are right now, your best days are ahead.”

President Emily Belle Freeman: ‘Best Days and Worst Days’

Two General Authority Seventies testified of Jesus Christ during the Sunday morning session.

Said Elder Pedro X. Larreal: “On this Easter Sunday, as we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, I want to invite you, with all my strength and with all my love, to leave today determined to elevate your spiritual preparation and reverence as you partake of the sacrament. It is vital.”

Said Elder Edward B. Rowe: “This Easter morning, may we all accept Christ’s invitation to be our guide and walk with Him.”

Elder Pedro X. Larreal: ‘I Feel My Savior’s Love’

Elder Edward B. Rowe: ‘Choose Jesus Christ as Your Guide’

In the Sunday afternoon session, Elder Chi Hong (Sam) Wong, a General Authority Seventy, testified, “Easter Sunday is the ultimate celebration of Jesus Christ’s redeeming mission, especially His Resurrection. The Easter season invites disciples of Jesus Christ not only to rejoice but also to remember our Savior.”

He continued: “Let us remember, remember our Savior, especially in this Easter season. He is resurrected. He wants us to come unto Him.”

Elder Aaron T. Hall, a General Authority Seventy, wished everyone “Happy Easter, He is Risen.”

“On this Easter Sunday, and always, I invite us to glory in Jesus Christ.”

Elder Chi Hong (Sam) Wong: ‘Remember “Remember, Remember”’

Elder Aaron T. Hall: ‘I Glory in My Jesus’

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

See photos from the Sunday afternoon session of April 2026 general conference

The second counselor in the First Presidency focused his remarks on the need to acquire “the character of Jesus Christ.”

“It is in emulating the character of Christ that we become the ‘manner of persons’ (2 Peter 3:11) we ought to be,” he said. “Acquiring the character of Christ is one of the most important ways we take His name upon us.”

President Christofferson explained that acquiring the character of Christ — attributes such as virtue, integrity, humility, compassion and courage — begins by reflecting on what it is in the Savior that gives rise to such character traits.

“I believe they are the natural fruit of the thoughts, desires and intents of His heart,” he said. “Christlike character grows out of a Christlike heart. Thus, if we are to succeed in developing a Christlike character, we must possess His motivations — His thoughts, desires and intents of the heart.”

President Christofferson taught that through consistent and sustained effort, individuals can access the promised blessings of baptism, the companionship of the Holy Ghost, and the Savior’s grace, influence and spiritual gifts. This access to the power of godliness results in a transformation of heart and the development of the associated character qualities.

President Christofferson focused on three desires of Christ’s heart that will help to develop the other traits.

The first is the pure love of Christ, which yields character traits such as compassion, patience, a willingness to correct when influenced by the Holy Ghost and a willingness to forgive.

“Foremost among the motives that form Christ’s character is charity, ‘the pure love of Christ’ (Moroni 7:47),” he said. “It was pure love that, before the Creation, led Him to offer Himself as our Redeemer. His Atonement was and is the supreme act of love.”

The second is lifting and ministering to others — “His passion to foster happiness and advancement of others,” said President Christofferson. “After all, His entire object, in harmony with the Father, is ‘to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life’ of God’s children (Moses 1:39).”

Character qualities that grow out of devotion to the well-being and success of others include humility, meekness, selflessness and courage.

A third motivating force that President Christofferson said is essential to the character of Christ is devotion to the will of God.

“A Christlike desire to glorify God and do His will leads to the character qualities of honor, integrity and virtue.” He added that a life of moral excellence is a life of virtue, a pattern of thought and behavior based on high moral standards, fidelity to God and others, and striving to be clean and pure spiritually and physically.

“It entails a search for and devotion to truth, to right thinking and right action,” President Christofferson said.

President Christofferson emphasized the point with a thought from President Russell M. Nelson’s final general conference address in April 2025: “Our thoughts, words and actions need to be unfailingly virtuous and filled with the pure love of Jesus Christ towards all men. The great opportunity before us is to become the people God needs us to be.”

Summarizing, President Christofferson said Jesus acts and thinks out of pure love, He yearns to bless and lift others, and He delights to do the will of God.

“With faith in Christ, we can pray that the Holy Spirit will effect a mighty change in us to instill these same divine motivations in our heart and help us practice the attributes of a Christlike character,” he said.

Adopting the character of Christ will not only bless individuals but help prepare the world for the Savior’s Second Coming.

“We tend to underestimate the influence of Christlike individuals in the world, but working one by one has always been Jesus’ approach to changing society and establishing His kingdom,” he said. “It is the aggregation of individual choices over time that forms and changes societies for good or ill. No one of us alone can change the world, but each of us can have an influence in the world.”

President Christofferson concluded by bearing his witness of the living, resurrected Savior and of President Dallin H. Oaks’ role as the Lord’s prophetic spokesman to the world.

Read more Church News coverage of the April 2026 general conference

President D. Todd Christofferson: ‘The Character of Christ’

Jesus’ condescension — to be born a helpless babe in a humble stable — is an act of genuine love, says President Christofferson

Prayer, repentance and covenants the way Jesus invites to ‘Walk with me,’ President Christofferson teaches in worldwide youth discussion

Sister Kristin M. Yee, second counselor in the Relief Society general presidency, expressed gratitude to the editors and others for their work to bring forth Sister Snow’s words, which have “power and strength” and point to the Savior, Jesus Christ.

“She spoke as a devoted disciple of the Savior. She spoke by the Spirit and encouraged all women to do the same,” Sister Yee said. “The works that Eliza talked about are the works that we do today as sisters in Relief Society. It tells me this work is eternally relevant ... and it carries on today. Their stories are our stories.”

“Rise Up and Speak” is the latest in a series of publications that highlight Latter-day Saint women’s history. Since 2016, historians, scholars and editors in the Church History Department have demonstrated an ongoing commitment to women’s history, producing the following works, three of which are available only in digital format at ChurchHistoriansPress.org:

1. "The First Fifty Years of Relief Society: Key Documents in Latter-day Saint Women’s History"
2. "At the Pulpit: 185 Years of Discourses by Latter-day Saint Women"
3. "The Diaries of Emmeline B. Wells" (digital only)
4. "The Prison Journal of Belle Harris" (digital only)
5. "Journals of Early Sister Missionaries" (digital only)
6. "Carry On: The Latter-day Saint Young Women Organization, 1870–2024"
7. “Rise Up and Speak: Selected Discourses of Eliza R. Snow”

Sister Yee said it’s a blessing to have these publications. Learning about and understanding the past can help Latter-day Saints prepare for the future and what the Lord has in store, she told the Church News.

“It’s such a gift that we have this history. Their experiences are our experiences. You begin to see yourself in the same places they have been in and how they did it,” she said. “It’s powerful, and it inspires me to keep going. They did it, and so can I. They had great purpose and faith, and so can I, if I choose to follow Christ.”

Sister Snow’s discourses will fit nicely with the growing collection of works showcasing Latter-day Saint women’s history, said Jennifer Reeder, a women’s history specialist for the Church History Department.

“This is one more [volume] of hopefully many to come,” she said.

Here is a look back at each publication.

‘The First Fifty Years of Relief Society’

“The First Fifty Years of Relief Society: Key Documents in Latter-day Saint Women’s History” was the first volume published by the Church Historian’s Press that wasn’t part of the Joseph Smith Papers series.

The nearly 800-page book features 78 documents, including meeting minutes, sermons from women and men, newspaper articles and editorials, political speeches, poetry, letters and journal entries. The volume also contains six sermons by the Prophet Joseph Smith.

The collection of documents, including the original minute book, chronicles the founding of the Relief Society in 1842 in Nauvoo, Illinois. It explains why Brigham Young chose to disband the women’s organization following Joseph Smith’s death and how it was reestablished after the Latter-day Saints resettled in Utah.

“One of my favorite parts of the book has just been seeing ordinary women, Church members, called to a specific calling and seeing all of the ways that they sacrifice, pray and work to do the good of that calling,” said the late Kate Holbrook, one of the volume editors, when the book was released in 2016. Holbrook died in 2022.

First 50 years of Relief Society reflected in new book of original documents

Church historian, writer and leading voice for women’s history, Kate Holbrook, dies at age 50

‘At the Pulpit’

In 2017, the Church Historian’s Press published a book highlighting 54 discourses of women in the Church from 1831 to 2016 titled “At the Pulpit: 185 Years of Discourses by Latter-day Saint Women.” Many of the speeches had never before been published or accessible.

Holbrook, who co-edited the volume with Reeder, said the title was carefully chosen. “We think the ‘At’ is important,” she said in a Church News interview, explaining that it at once conveys the immediacy of the women expressing themselves in front of congregations.

Holbrook said the topics reflect a broad diversity, all pertaining to the gospel of Jesus Christ. The discourses were uncovered in old minute books, newspapers and online recordings. Editors selected those they considered most “powerful, with strong theological analysis,” that left readers with the desire to share a quote on social media or discuss it with family.

Reeder added, “We also wanted to represent women throughout the history of the Church, so we tried to choose a couple from every decade.”

‘At the Pulpit,’ comprising Latter-day Saint women’s speeches over 185 years, now online

Emmeline B. Wells’ 47 diaries

In October 2022, the Church Historian’s Press celebrated the completion of a project decades in the making.

Nearly 20 years earlier, historians and editors Cherry Bushman Silver and Sheree Maxwell Bench began transcribing and annotating the diaries of Emmeline B. Wells.

Sister Wells (1828-1921) was a writer, editor, public speaker and nationally recognized champion of women’s rights. She served as the Church’s fifth Relief Society general president.

In 2017, the Church History Department arranged to support completion and publication of the diaries. The Church Historian’s Press created a website that features Wells’ 47 diary volumes that span 1844-1920, historical introductions, chronology entries, photographs and biographical information about the people mentioned in the diaries.

The monumental project was completed and celebrated in October 2022. On that occasion, Lisa Olsen Tait, a historian and editor, described the diaries as an “invaluable collection of records.”

“We believe that Church members will find wonderful stories and details about the leading sisters in a dynamic period of women’s activism and leadership in the Church, alongside many powerful personal expressions of faith from Emmeline herself,” Tait said in 2022.

Church celebrates completion of landmark projects featuring influential women Eliza R. Snow, Emmeline B. Wells

Eliza R. Snow’s discourses

More than 1,200 discourses of Eliza R. Snow from 1840 to 1887 were also published online by October 2022.

Editors and historians selected 52 discourses that they felt demonstrated Sister Snow’s service and leadership in the early Church, culminating in the publication of “Rise Up and Speak” in March 2026.

Sister Snow (1804-1887), sister of the Church’s fifth President, President Lorenzo Snow, was a prolific poet, writer, teacher and historian.

Reeder, lead editor and historian on the project, said it was a “privilege to come to know Eliza R. Snow” through her discourses.

“One of the things I love about this project is feeling like I belong to this heritage and legacy of women,” she said. “When I read her words and see how diligent and urgent she is about this responsibility as a woman of God, to be a part of that, I think that’s so important, and I love that.”

Multiyear Eliza R. Snow discourse project culminates in ‘Rise Up and Speak’ publication

Prison journal of Belle Harris

In February 2023, the Church Historian’s Press published online a transcript of “The Prison Journal of Belle Harris.”

Harris was a 23-year-old Latter-day Saint woman who refused to answer questions regarding her plural marriage to a former husband before a grand jury at a courthouse in Beaver, Utah, in 1883.

As a result, the young mother and her baby were imprisoned at the Utah Territorial Penitentiary for more than three months. While behind bars, Harris wrote about her experience in a journal. Hers is the only known record of a woman who was imprisoned on charges related to polygamy.

“It’s powerful to read and hear her words, the way she thought about her experience, the way she stood up for something that was a deeply felt religious belief,” said Matthew McBride, director of publications for the Church History Department.

From ‘footnote’ to ‘foreground’: Church publishes 1883 prison journal of Belle Harris

Journals of early sister missionaries

In March 2024, the Church published the journals of two of the first young women to serve as full-time sister missionaries, Eliza Chipman and Josephine Booth.

The journals, only available online, feature the day-to-day missionary experiences of Sister Booth and Sister Chipman, who both served in the United Kingdom from 1898 to 1901, and as companions in Scotland from 1899 to 1900.

Along with the journals, the website features images, biographical information for many of the people mentioned in the journals, maps that show where they served and traveled, and other related sources.

Because tens of thousands of Latter-day Saints have served missions, missionary journals are an important part of Latter-day Saint literature, McBride said in 2024.

“Missionary journals in general are an important source for understanding the Church and how it has changed over time. They are also important for understanding the experience of young adults in the Church,” he said. “These are two of the earliest women to serve in this capacity, and their experience tells us a lot.”

Church publishes journals of two of the first young women to serve as full-time sister missionaries

‘Carry On’

One year later, in March 2025, the Church published the first scholarly history of the Young Women organization with “Carry On: The Latter-day Saint Young Women Organization, 1870–2024.”

The landmark publication was the first to address and contextualize the place of young women within the Church, tracing the organization’s growth from a small group of Brigham Young’s daughters into today’s global organization.

The volume chronicles the lives and contributions of past Young Women general presidents such as Ruth May Fox and Ardeth G. Kapp, in addition to featuring personal stories from individual young women around the globe.

“This is an organization for young women all over the world, between the ages of 11 and 18, to come together to strengthen belief, to find belonging and to discover who they can become,” Young Women General President Emily Belle Freeman said in 2025.

Church honors Young Women organization with new scholarly history, ‘Carry On’

These 9 women in Church history rose to face their challenges. Which ones have you heard of?

Engaging in the ‘work of remembering’: Historians share stories of Latter-day Saint women

Church News podcast, episode 111: What members today can learn from ‘powerful’ early Latter-day Saint women leaders

During the Sunday morning session, the miracle of satellite technology transported the sesquicentennial proceedings from the Salt Lake Tabernacle in Salt Lake City to Fayette, New York, where President Spencer W. Kimball was standing in the newly restored Peter Whitmer Sr. Farmhouse, the modest dwelling where the Church was organized a century and a half earlier. The Church was only beginning to use satellites to transmit broadcasts of the conference.

“My brothers and sisters, it is a deeply moving and wonderful experience to stand here today where the prophet Joseph Smith stood 150 years ago,” Pres. Kimball said as the cameras moved in close.

Following President Kimball’s short remarks, then-Elder Gordon B. Hinckley read a proclamation to the world from The First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

President Kimball later dedicated the restored Whitmer log farmhouse, which he said was a reminder of the humble beginnings from which the Lord’s “mighty work has grown.”

Then-Church News editor Dell Van Orden reported that nearly 30 television and newspaper reporters and photographers covered the event. Elder Hinckley and Latter-day Saint businessman J. Willard Marriott were featured on a segment of NBC’s “The Today Show.” The New York Times and Washington Post were among several national news organizations to acknowledge the Church’s milestone.

“A century and a half after its founding by a poorly educated, mystically inclined New York farmer named Joseph Smith, the Mormon Church stands at the threshold of great worldly success — a wealthy, powerful institution moving quickly toward its goal of becoming one of Christianity’s major denominations,” wrote Joel Kotkin of the Washington Post.

A time capsule with historical items not to be opened until 2030 was placed at the Fayette Visitors’ Center and a grand ball — where President and Sister Camilla Kimball delighted the crowd with a dance — were among other activities commemorating the sesquicentennial, according to the Church News.

The 1980 sesquicentennial is one of several occasions when the Church has commemorated events of the Restoration. As Church members reflect on Joseph Smith’s First Vision during this bicentennial year, here’s a look back at some of the historic celebrations, the acquisition and development of historic sites, the building of monuments and other efforts by the Church to honor the Restoration, according to sources at the Church History Library.

1880

At general conference on April 6, a special jubilee year celebration was inaugurated to remember the 50th anniversary of the Church. Charitable actions, reminiscent of Old Testament jubilee celebrations, included rescinding half the debt owed to the Perpetual Emigrating Fund Company, distribution of cows and sheep among the needy, and advice to Saints to forgive the worthy poor of their debts.

1905

On May 23, the Church purchased the Solomon Mack farm (68 acres) in Royalton/Sharon, Vermont.

On Dec. 23, President Joseph F. Smith dedicated the Joseph Smith Memorial Cottage and large granite monument at Sharon, Vermont, the site of the Prophet Joseph’s birth 100 years earlier. A missionary couple lived on the farm and hosted visitors as part of their assignment.

Many Latter-day Saint congregations also held local observances.

1907

Apostle George Albert Smith, likely acting as an agent for the Church, purchased the 100-acre Joseph Smith and Lucy Mack Smith farm in Manchester, New York, along with 39 additional acres to the west. The previous owner, William A. Chapman, leased back the property and continued to farm until 1915.

1915

Willard and Rebecca Bean were called as missionaries to live on the Joseph and Lucy Mack Smith farm in Manchester, New York, to farm the property and host visitors.

1916

Then-Elder George Albert Smith conveyed the title to the Joseph and Lucy Mack Smith farm in Manchester, New York, to the Presiding Bishopric.

1923

Acting as an agent for the Church, Bean purchased the 97.5-acre farm at the north end of the Hill Cumorah. The purchase included property halfway up the west side of the hill.

On Sept. 23, President Heber J. Grant and other Church leaders met in Palmyra and Manchester, New York, for the centennial of the angel Moroni’s first visitation to Joseph Smith on the Hill Cumorah.

1926

President B.H. Roberts of the Eastern States Mission purchased the 100-acre farm once owned by Peter and Mary Whitmer in Fayette, New York, on behalf of the Church.

1927

On Sept. 22, President Heber J. Grant conducted a devotional on the Hill Cumorah near the area where Joseph Smith received the gold plates from the angel Moroni 100 years earlier. That week, congregations throughout the Church held commemorative programs as part of their Sunday worship services, according to the Encyclopedia of Mormonism.

1928

The Church purchased three additional farms that included the main portion of the Hill Cumorah (283 acres) near Palmyra, New York.

The same year, the first Book of Mormon Pageant was held at the Smith Manchester frame home about three miles from the hill.

1930

The Church purchased an additional 16 acres to add to the Joseph and Lucy Mack Smith farm in Manchester, New York.

Prior to celebrating the Church’s centennial anniversary, radios were installed in more than a thousand meetinghouses within broadcasting range of KSL Radio. During the first session of general conference, members gathered in these and other chapels and at the appointed time, they participated in the Hosanna Shout, normally reserved for temple dedications. Speakers during the conference focused on the Church’s century-long legacy, according to the Encyclopedia of Mormonism.

During the week of April 6-12, people filled the Salt Lake Tabernacle to see a pageant called “Message of the Ages,” a stage production with a thousand actors, singers and musicians that recounted the history of the Church.

B.H. Roberts prepared his comprehensive history of the Church as a centennial memorial.

1935

The Church erected a monument depicting the angel Moroni with the gold plates at the crest of the Hill Cumorah, where Joseph found the buried record.

1936

A pageant titled “Truth from the Earth” was staged at the base of the Hill Cumorah, with the audience sitting on the hillside.

1937

Bean made arrangements to purchase the Martin Harris farm in Palmyra, New York.

Another pageant, “America’s Witness for Christ,” took place on the side of the Hill Cumorah while the audience watched from the base of the hill. It was the first year of the production that became known as the Hill Cumorah Pageant. In 2018, the Church announced the final Hill Cumorah Pageant would take place in 2020.

1946-1948

Acting as an agent for the Church, Wilford Wood purchased the Joseph and Emma Smith property and Isaac and Elizabeth Hale property at Harmony, Pennsylvania.

1960

The Church erected a monument commemorating the restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood on the Joseph and Emma Smith farm in Harmony, Pennsylvania.

1967

A new visitors’ center and missionary residence was dedicated at the Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial in Sharon, Vermont.

1978

The Church purchased the building in Palmyra, New York, where Egbert Grandin operated his printing business and the Book of Mormon was published.

1980

In addition to the year-long sesquicentennial celebration highlighted by President Kimball’s conference broadcast from the Whitmer farmhouse, the Grandin Building in Palmyra, New York, was partially restored and exhibits were installed.

1996-1998

The Church acquired the rest of the 80-acre farm adjacent to the Joseph and Lucy Mack Smith farm in the Palmyra-Manchester area of New York. A portion of the property was first purchased in the 1940s.

1998

The reconstructed Smith log home and the restored Grandin Building in Palmyra, New York, were dedicated by President Gordon B. Hinckley.

2000

The restored frame home on the Joseph and Lucy Mack Smith farm in Manchester, New York, was dedicated by then-Elder M. Russell Ballard, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve.

2005

As part of a year-long celebration of the 200th anniversary of the birth of the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Church held a commemorative satellite broadcast on Dec. 23 that featured segments from the prophet’s birthplace in Vermont and the Conference Center in Salt Lake City.

The commemorative program was telecast to 61 countries by satellite and worldwide by internet with the proceedings translated into 81 languages.

2015

The Priesthood Restoration Site in Harmony (now Oakland), Pennsylvania, was dedicated by President Russell M. Nelson.

The first-of-its-kind event featured participation from several different Christian denominations and was held at Aula Magna of the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo). News of the event was first reported on the Church’s Caribbean Newsroom.

The event will be broadcast on the Iglesia de Jesucristo Caribe YouTube channel and the television networks Telesistema and Teleantillas on Good Friday, April 3, at 7 p.m. There will also be a special broadcast on Color Visión on Easter Sunday, April 5, at 6 p.m.

The production is part of the Church’s global “Greater Love” Easter campaign, a initiative during Holy Week.

Two General Authority Seventies — Elder Hugo Montoya, first counselor in the Church’s Caribbean Area presidency, and Elder Ahmad S. Corbitt, second counselor — attended the event.

Numerous interfaith, civil and government leaders attended the event, including María Ramos Agramonte, attorney general of the Santo Domingo Court of Appeals; Benny Metz, president of the National Disability Council (CONADIS); Yolanda Castillo, director of human resources at the Ministry of the Presidency; and Eva Fernández, advisor to the Ministry of Education.

The devotional featured the music and talents of choirs from the Catholic Church, the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Dominican National Children’s Choir and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Each choir and group performed music and artistic expressions focused on Jesus Christ.

Elder Corbitt emphasized in a closing message that faith in Jesus Christ enables people to unite in purpose and hope despite their differences. He spoke about the importance of living principles such as love for one another, service and unity.

“We live in a world that often emphasizes differences, that divides and separates,” Elder Corbitt said. “But Jesus Christ invites us to something higher: to love one another, to understand one another and to walk together. What we have experienced tonight shows that when faith and goodwill come together, we can find harmony. In Him, we are one.”

Attendees enjoyed musical performances by several choirs. A choir from the Seventh-day Adventist Church sang “Via Dolorosa.”

The Dominican National Children’s Choir, directed by Maestro Ángel Herdz, performed “Dona Nobis Pacem,” “Magnificat” and “Resurrexit.”

A choir of Latter-day Saints from the Santo Domingo Dominican Republic Central Stake performed Kenneth Cope’s “His Hands” and “Never a Better Hero” as well as “I Know That My Redeemer Lives.”

The Fe y Alegría Foundation Choir, representing the Catholic Church, performed “Ave Verum Corpus” and “Anima Christi.”

A few days earlier, Elder Montoya and Elder Corbitt visited Monsignor Carlos Tomás Morel Diplán, coadjutor archbishop of the Archdiocese of Santo Domingo and the presiding Roman Catholic Church leader in the Dominican Republic. The Church leaders expressed their admiration and support for the social work provided by the Catholic Church through Cáritas and Fe y Alegría, both global Catholic humanitarian organizations.

Members of Caribbean Area presidency meet with presiding Catholic leader in Dominican Republic

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