During the week of July 15-21, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced a change to the ages of young single adult congregations. Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke in a Church News video about renewing acquaintances with people from his mission. The Church News took a look at 50 temples currently in the stages between groundbreaking and dedication.
The Church News spoke with Elder Paul V. Johnson about his upcoming calling as Sunday School general president. The 2024 Notre Dame Religious Liberty Summit drew almost 200 leading scholars, advocates and faith leaders from more than 10 countries to discuss “Depolarizing Religious Liberty.” Elder Juan Pablo Villar, a General Authority Seventy, spoke to students in a BYU–Pathways devotional about his experiences joining the Church and developing a closer relationship with God.
A Finnish translator spoke on the Church News podcast, sharing her experiences and what she learned from the visit of President Jeffrey R. Holland, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, to Finland in 2022. Primary children in Washington and Texas participated in Primary day camps to learn from youth leaders and find connection to others through service. The Church News released a list of a dozen athletes affiliated with the Church who will be competing in the upcoming Olympics.
Read summaries of these nine stories here.
1. Church announces age-range adjustments for young single adults
The age ranges for the young single adult and single adult members of the Church have been adjusted. Effective immediately, “young single adult” or YSA now refers to unmarried Latter-day Saints ages 18-35, with the term “single adult,” or SA, now describing unmarried Church members ages 36 and older. Where available, young single adult wards may include those ages 18 to 35, with single adult wards for those ages 36 to 45.
Read the full story here.
2. Video: Elder Christofferson on ‘Renewed Acquaintances’ and seeing miracles as he returned to Argentina
Elder Christofferson spoke about his time as a full-time missionary for the Church in Argentina when he was a young man. While he had never expected to return to the country he had grown to love, he has been able to return several times to fulfill multiple assignments as a Church leader.
“What a wonderful thing to live long enough to see that transition and the progress of the Lord’s kingdom, all day-to-day invisible to us,” Elder Christofferson, adding “We don’t see what’s happening — but looking back see a tremendous miracle has occurred.”
Watch the full video here.
3. At a glance: A reminder of the 50 temples between groundbreaking and dedication
With no new temple groundbreakings occurring in the month of July, the Church News offered a quick glance at the seven houses of the Lord that are coming out of construction and will be dedicated over the next five months, the 43 additional temples under construction, and the four temples that will have their groundbreaking services held next month.
Read the full story here.
4. Incoming Sunday School General President Paul V. Johnson on what matters most in teaching and in life
Elder Johnson was sustained as Sunday School general president during the Saturday morning session of the Church’s 194th Annual General Conference on April 6. He began serving as a General Authority Seventy in April 2005 and has been serving as a member of the Presidency of the Seventy since Aug. 1, 2021. He will begin serving as Sunday School general president effective Aug. 1, 2024, the same day he receives emeritus status as a General Authority Seventy.
Read the full story here.
5. Notre Dame Religious Liberty Summit: The key to depolarizing religious liberty is restoring ‘faith in faith’
Almost 200 leading scholars, advocates and faith leaders from more than 10 countries gathered on the Notre Dame campus to discuss “Depolarizing Religious Liberty” during the 2024 Notre Dame Religious Liberty Summit.
During this time of political and cultural polarization, the best way to make the case for religious liberty is to “restore faith in faith,” G. Marcus Cole, dean of Notre Dame Law School, told them.
Read the full story here.
6. Elder Villar extends two invitations to those who may be experiencing temporal challenges
While speaking to BYU–Pathway Worldwide students on Tuesday, July 16, Elder Villar introduced listeners to where his journey began as a disciple of Jesus Christ and a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
In his address, Elder Villar spoke of the power that comes from individuals making covenants and issued two invitations: first, to develop a closer relationship with God through covenants, and second, to seek His help through revelation.
Read the full story here.
7. Episode 197: Finnish member Mia Kemppaala on the power of personal revelation
On Nov. 13, 2022, President Holland addressed members of the Church in Finland during a special member meeting. President Holland promised Finnish Latter-day Saints that the prayers of the righteous will prevail. Finnish Latter-day Saint Mia Kemppaala, who also spoke during the meeting, joins the podcast to discuss what it is like to be a member of the global Church and what her calling as a ward translator has taught her about the principles of personal revelation.
Listen to the Church News podcast here.
8. Primary children learn from youth leaders, find connection in service at day camps in Washington and Texas
During a three-day stake Primary day camp this month in Lake Stevens, Washington, the children took part in a service project creating butterfly-shaped pillows to donate to a nearby hospital. After much brainstorming with the presidency, leaders in the Corpus Christi Texas Stake decided to turn their stake senior Primary day camp activity into a junior FSY — with the youth as their group counselors.
Read the full story here.
9. Meet Latter-day Saints competing in the 2024 Paris Olympics
With the Friday, July 26, opening ceremonies officially starting the 2024 Paris Olympics, athletes will be lifting, kicking, throwing, shooting, dribbling, rowing, dancing, running and swimming as they compete on the world stage.
About a dozen athletes with connections to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will be part of the Olympics. See a list of the athletes and when they compete.. Events run through Sunday, Aug. 11.
