During the week of June 23-29, Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf taught about finding peace in Jesus Christ at a Utah National Guard devotional. Elder D. Todd Christofferson shared his testimony in Spanish while interviewing with the Church News. The Church News podcast spoke with Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson and her counselors, Sister J. Anette Dennis and Sister Kristin M. Yee about the global initiative for women and children.
The Church News reported on the ministry of Sisters Kristin M. Yee of the Relief Society general presidency, Tracy Y. Browning of the Primary general presidency and Andrea Muñoz Spannaus of the Young Women general presidency as they taught in Guadalajara, Mexico in early June. Sister Andrea Muñoz Spannaus spoke at a devotional at Brigham Young University-Idaho about the power of fasting and prayer. Updates were released for three upcoming temples in Ribeirão Preto, Brazil; Springfield, Missouri; and Santiago, Chile.
General Authority Seventies from Africa represented the Church at the 6th annual Strengthening Families Conference in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Derrick Porter, the new announcer for “Music & the Spoken Word,” released his first broadcast. Members of the Church performed acts of service in Washington, D.C.; Nevada and Utah; and Missouri and Texas.
Read summaries of these nine stories below.
1. ‘Find peace in Jesus Christ,’ Elder Uchtdorf teaches at Utah National Guard devotional
Elder Uchtdorf spoke at a Utah National Guard devotional on Sunday, June 23, thanking members of the military for their dedicated service and sacrifices “known in heaven,” and for carrying the light of the gospel in to dark places and circumstances.
Close to 400 — many dressed in military uniforms — attended the event at a meetinghouse of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Draper, Utah. Elder Uchtdorf was accompanied by his wife, Sister Harriet Uchtdorf.
Read the full story here.
2. Elder Christofferson shares his ‘Basis of Testimony’
Elder Christofferson is both comfortable and adept in expressing his testimony in both English and Spanish. The latter is the language he learned as a young, full-time missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, serving in northern Argentina in the mid-1960s. He continues to teach and testify in Spanish in assignments as a Church leader across the globe.
Watch the full video here.
3. The Relief Society general presidency on the blessings of the global initiative for women and children
The First Presidency has asked the Relief Society organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to take the lead in a global initiative for women and children. This initiative seeks to provide the Savior’s relief through maternal and newborn care, child nutrition efforts, immunizations and education. Relief Society General President Johnson and her counselors, Sister Dennis and Sister Yee, spoke to a Church News reporter about how Relief Society sisters around the world are part of this global initiative.
Listen to the Church News podcast here.
4. Church leaders minister in Guadalajara, Mexico
Sisters Kristin M. Yee of the Relief Society general presidency, Tracy Y. Browning of the Primary general presidency and Andrea Muñoz Spannaus of the Young Women general presidency ministered in Guadalajara, Mexico in early June. Their time was split among visiting the Hospital Civil de Guadalajara, meeting with the Mexican Diabetes Association and meeting with local Church members.
Read the full story here.
5. Sister Spannaus shares how fasting and prayer lead to obtaining more light and truth
Fasting and prayer are a great source of power and knowledge and a tool to gain more light and truth, taught Sister Spannaus, second counselor in the Young Women general presidency, during a BYU–Idaho devotional on Tuesday, June 25.
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have a mission to help prepare the children of God to receive Jesus Christ at His Second Coming. And in order to be able to do God’s will, each person will need to not only have a firm foundation and faith in Jesus Christ but also be able to receive more light and truth.
Read the full story here.
6. Three upcoming temples receive updates
Elder Joni L. Koch, a General Authority Seventy and president of the Brazil Area, presided at the Saturday, June 22, groundbreaking ceremony for the new temple being built in Ribeirão Preto, Brazil, offering remarks and a prayer dedicating the site and construction process. The First Presidency of the Church released the site location for the Springfield Missouri Temple. The First Presidency of the Church also announced announced the date of the groundbreaking ceremony for the Santiago West Chile Temple.
Read more about the Ribeirão Preto Brazil Temple here.
Read more about the Springfield Missouri Temple here.
Read more about the Santiago West Chile Temple here.
7. General Authority Seventies attend Africa’s Strengthening Families Conference
Last weekend, from June 21-22, more than 8,000 people met at the Abidjan Exhibition Center in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, for the sixth annual Strengthening Families Conference hosted by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Representing the Church this year were four General Authority Seventies from Africa: Elder Alfred Kyungu, the second counselor in the Africa West Area presidency; Elder Thierry K. Mutombo, the second counselor in the Africa Central Area presidency; Elder D. Martin Goury and Elder I. Raymond Egbo. They were joined by Elder Tonga Sai, an Area Seventy in the Ivory Coast, and the mission leaders from the three missions in the Abidjan area.
Read the full story here.
8. Derrick Porter’s 1st Sunday as the ‘Music & the Spoken Word’ announcer, plus see photos from the broadcast
Derrick Porter, the new announcer for “Music & the Spoken Word,” greeted the audience gathered Sunday, June 23, for The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square’s weekly broadcast with “Good morning, everyone. Welcome to ‘Music & the Spoken Word.’”
Sunday was Porter’s first week as the announcer. On Sunday, June 16, Lloyd Newell gave a farewell message after being the announcer and primary writer for the weekly “Spoken Word” messages for 34 years.
Read the full story here.
9. Reports of service from across the United States
Members of the Church across the United States have been able to help serve their communities through planned and unplanned acts of service. In response to disasters in Missouri and Texas, communities rallied together to help those whose homes had been destroyed. In Nevada, youth and their friends came to paint the fences and areas around the Anthem Hills skate park in Nevada on April 27, while other teams of youth created hygiene kits for refugees. In Washington, D.C. more than 300 volunteers spent hours distributing personal hygiene items, cleaning supplies, diapers, socks, school supplies and toys for children to families in need.
