LDS Today - News & Resources

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: The name matters (Missoulian) (October 18, 2018)
What’s in a name? Well, a lot. On Oct. 5, 2018, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced that the iconic Mormon Tabernacle Choir would drop “Mormon” from its name...

Salt Lake City Renovates Airport With Nod to Mormon Clients (Bloomberg) (October 18, 2018)
When members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints return from missionary work, they’re usually greeted at the airport by their entire family, sometimes with professionally made ‘Welcome Home’ banners, balloons, horns and even photographers.

Only black GOP woman in Congress running in Trump-wary Utah (Philadelphia Tribune - Pennsylvania) (October 18, 2018)
The first black female Republican in Congress is facing a tough challenge from a well-known Democratic mayor in a largely suburban Utah district where many say they are wary of President Donald Trump. U.S. Rep. Mia Love has sought to create some distance from the president while challenger Ben McAdams criticizes her record and pitches himself as a moderate.

The unexpected moment that taught Elder Gong the eternal importance of learning (LDS Church News) (October 17, 2018)
During a recent flight from Salt Lake City to New York City, Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles had a last-minute seat assignment change. “In this case, perhaps not without purpose,” he recalled during a campus devotional at Brigham Young University on Oct. 16.

Why Are We Still Called Mormon Newsroom? (LDS Newsroom) (October 17, 2018)
When President Russell M. Nelson announced the need to correct usage of the full name of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he concluded with this clarification: “Additional information about this important matter will be made available in the coming months.” Less than two months later, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir changed its name to The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square.

A Mexican Man’s Fatal Journey to Reclaim His American Life (New York Times) (October 17, 2018)
Belinda Luna, the librarian in this outpost in Idaho farm country, still shakes when she remembers a visit one day a little more than a year ago to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Idaho Falls. An immigration official informed her husband, right in front of her and their children, that he was being deported to Mexico.

Why Latter-day Saint women are participating in the social media fast and what they hope to gain from it (LDS Church News) (October 17, 2018)
During his October 2018 general women’s session address, President Russell M. Nelson issued four challenges to the women of the Church, one of which included taking a 10-day fast from social media. President Nelson made a similar challenge to the youth in June 2018 — while acknowledging the positives of social media, he stated that it can detract from the Spirit, as well.

How living the Word of Wisdom helped WWII veteran twin brothers reach their 100th birthdays (LDS Church News) (October 17, 2018)
Before they celebrated their 100th birthdays with friends and family earlier this month, twin brothers and World War II veterans Boyd and Ralph Henderson shared lessons learned over a lifetime of membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

BYU students grow beards, long hair for Book of Mormon videos (Daily Universe - Utah) (October 17, 2018)
BYU students are playing a significant role in the production of a series of Book of Mormon videos in a project that started in 2011 with a video series on the New Testament. General Authority Seventy Elder LeGrand R. Curtis Jr. is on the project’s steering committee. “What we are producing through the videos and the still images that are being captured are tools that can be used in helping to introduce people to the Book of Mormon,” Elder Curtis said.

Homeless task force chief executive taking leave to open Mormon temple in Italy (San Diego Union-Tribune - California) (October 16, 2018)
Gordon Walker has announced he is taking a temporary leave as the chief executive officer of the Regional Task Force on the Homeless to help open a Mormon temple in Rome, Italy.

WWE legend Don Leo Jonathan also known as the 6-foot-6, 340-pound Mormon Giant dies, aged 87 (MSN) (October 16, 2018)
The WWE and its fans are in mourning after the death of wrestling legend Don Leo Jonathan. He was 87. Jonathan, who was known to millions as The Mormon Giant, passed away on Saturday, the WWE confirmed.

Southern Folks: I'm a Mormon, Methodist, Presbyterian and Catholic (Times Free Press) (October 16, 2018)
By the time I was 10 years old, I'd been baptized three times. It would take a while to explain why. I was first baptized a Mormon in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The second time as a Methodist in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. And my last baptism took place at a Presbyterian church in Columbia, Tennessee — my grandmother, Miz Lena's, church. She was of the opinion that the first two didn't count and probably weren't going to do me much good.

Elder Pieper and Elder Echo Hawk Meet with Native American Latter-day Saints (Church News) (October 15, 2018)
When the missionaries knocked on her door nearly a year ago, Felicia Neswood Nelson had already heard of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Her husband was a less-active member, and one of her uncles was a member as well.

“Jane and Emma” Film Examines Power of Unlikely Friendships (Church News) (October 15, 2018)
Imagine walking more than 700 miles with blistered and bleeding feet to reach a destination after being denied passage on a boat that would go directly there.

Sugar Land man to appeal excommunication from Mormon church (Houston Chronicle - Texas) (October 15, 2018)
A Sugar Land man who was excommunicated from the Mormon church last month for criticizing its practice of allowing one-on-one interviews between youth and bishops announced Thursday that he is appealing the decision.

Storm-savvy Area Seventy in Florida staggered by Hurricane Michael's destructive force (LDS Church News) (October 15, 2018)
Elder Douglas B. Carter is a longtime Florida resident and priesthood leader. The Area Seventy has seen a fair share of hurricanes and been involved in several Church-sponsored clean-up efforts.

Music Festival to Feature Works from 2018 Church Music Submission (Church News) (October 12, 2018)
Print Share RELATED LINKS See Temple Square parking information. Find other guidelines for Temple Square events. The Fall Church Music Festival will be held in the Assembly Hall on Temple Square on Friday, October 19, 2018, at 7:30 p.m. mountain daylight time, and will be streamed live at lds.org/events.

Mormons in Las Vegas Valley embrace less church, more home study (Las Vegas Review-Journal - Nevada) (October 12, 2018)
What to do with an extra hour of Sunday free time? Take a nap? Watch one-third of a football game? Go for a quick jog in the park? Or if you’re a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: Spend it teaching your kids, and yourself, more about your faith.

Rising Generation Aiding Remarkable Growth of Church in Cambodia (Church News) (October 12, 2018)
When it comes to loving and serving his neighbors, Keom Chhoeun Hul doesn’t hesitate. As the elders quorum president in his local branch, Hul has taken it upon himself to see that one of the most common challenges facing Church members is overcome with relative ease, every Sunday morning.

We Are Accountable to God for How We Treat the Earth (LDS Newsroom) (October 11, 2018)
While acknowledging that the Latter-day Saint focus on Church and family is appropriate, Elder Steven E. Snow of the Seventy said he hopes members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints also give high priority to how they treat all of God’s creations.

Church Joins Community Leaders in Call to Prevent Child Abuse (LDS Newsroom) (October 11, 2018)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and other Utah community faith leaders called on the entire state Wednesday to “join with us in protecting Utah’s children and making their safety and well-being one of our highest priorities.”

New Mormon temple, California’s eighth overall, to open in Yuba City (Sacramento Bee - California) (October 11, 2018)
Yuba City, a town whose origin is steeped in the legacy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, will soon be home to one of 12 new temples being built across the world. “Known for our diversity, our City embraces all cultures and religious beliefs,” Mayor Preet Didbal said in a statement. “I look forward to working with the Church to ensure a smooth and efficient processing of this project.”

Text from October 2018 General Conference Is Now Online (Church News) (October 11, 2018)
The official English text for all the general conference talks is now available at conference.lds.org and will soon be in the Gospel Library app. Text in many languages will be posted over the next several days.

Change Made in Africa West Area Presidency (Church News) (October 11, 2018)
The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced a change last month to the Africa West Area Presidency that is effective today, October 9. Elder Larry S. Kacher was released as First Counselor in the presidency and has a new assignment at Church headquarters.

President and Sister Nelson Prepare for Concepción Chile Temple Dedication (LDS Newsroom) (October 10, 2018)
President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and his wife, Wendy, along with Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Lesa, will embark on a ministry tour to South America, culminating with the dedication of the Concepción Chile Temple, in October.

President and Sister Nelson Set for Ministry Tour to South America (Church News) (October 10, 2018)
Share Fresh off of October general conference, President Nelson and his wife, Sister Wendy Nelson, are set to travel to South America later this month, with the trip culminating in the dedication of the Concepción Chile Temple.

What was talked about at general conference? Review the talks by theme (Deseret News - Utah) (October 10, 2018)
Ministering to others, the Savior Jesus Christ and a "home-centered" approach to church were some of the more common themes of talks during this weekend's 188th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The hymn President Nelson wrote that the Tabernacle Choir performed during general conference (LDS Church News) (October 10, 2018)
President Russell M. Nelson's final contribution to October 2018 general conference wasn't his concluding remarks and temple announcements in the Sunday afternoon session. Rather, it was the conference's closing hymn he penned, as performed by the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square immediately after those remarks.

Why America's religious freedom ambassador thinks everyone can help 'fight' for this 'foundational' right (Deseret News - Utah) (October 10, 2018)
Sam Brownback is a diplomat, chosen by the Trump administration to travel the world promoting religious freedom. But he sometimes describes himself as a salesman, and he thinks he's got a great deal for global leaders.

BYU Seeks Individuals and Couples to Teach at Universities in China (Church News) (October 10, 2018)
The David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies at Brigham Young University (BYU) is seeking qualified couples and individuals to teach at highly respected universities in the People’s Republic of China during the 2019–20 academic year.

In the time of #MeToo and the Year of the Woman, Mormon Church president tells women to get off social media for 10 days (Washington Post) (October 10, 2018)
For over a year since the #MeToo movement began, women have turned to social media with stories of sexual harassment and calls for reform that have powerfully reshaped our society. In recent weeks, women have flooded Facebook and Twitter and Instagram with pleas to #BelieveWomen, as Brett M. Kavanaugh gained a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court amid turmoil over accusations of sexual assault.