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In the News
In the Almanac
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Rachel Sterzer Gibson

Rachel is a reporter for the Church News, sharing stories intended to inspire, enlighten and build faith.

President Henry B. Eyring, second counselor in the First Presidency, speaks during the Sunday morning session.
General Conference
What President Eyring wants his family to know about the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost
President Eyring has pondered “what I might teach my children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren about how to have that crucial guidance.”
President Henry B. Eyring, second counselor in the First Presidency, speaks during the Sunday morning session
General Conference
President Henry B. Eyring: ‘Our Constant Companion’
“If you have felt the influence of the Holy Ghost today, you may take it as a sweet evidence that the Atonement is working in your life,” said President Henry B. Eyring.
Brother Jan E. Newman of the Sunday School general presidency speaks from the Conference Center pulpit.
General Conference
Brother Jan E. Newman: ‘Preserving the Voice of the Covenant People in the Rising Generation’
“Let us accept the Savior’s invitation and bring our children to Him,” said Brother Jan E. Newman.
Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles speaks at the pulpit of the Conference Center in downtown Salt Lake City.
General Conference
Elder Neil L. Andersen: ‘Tithing: Opening the Windows of Heaven’
“Being honest in our tithes is one way we show our willingness to put the Lord first in our lives,” Elder Neil L. Andersen taught.
The sun shines on Temple Square during the Saturday morning session of October 2023 general conference.
General Conference
Saturday morning session: See photos, read summaries from the opening of October 2023 general conference
President Eyring noted the absence of President Nelson and Elder Holland in the Conference Center and the recent death of Sister Patricia Holland.
Christus statue stands in front of a night sky background
Living Faith
Rachel Sterzer Gibson: Things to remember when we feel like we’re forever falling short
Two lessons to remember when we feel weak or mistake-prone or sinful or want to “hide ourselves” from God
A depiction of Jesus is displayed on the wall while a young service missionary stocks shelves with canned goods in the bishops’ storehouse
Members
Young service missionaries to be integrated into teaching missions, Church announces
The integration will begin in January 2024.
Kahului Hawaii West Stake President Benjamin Hanks and his wife, Nanci Hanks, pose for a photo with a BYU–Hawaii student.
Members
Maui stake president shares miracles and lessons learned from Lahaina fires
During a BYU–Hawaii devotional, Kahului stake president shared four ways to remember to find Jesus — and recognize His miracles — “as we go.”
BYU President C. Shane Reese hugs his wife, Sister Wendy Reese, after being installed as president of Brigham Young University while President Dallin H. Oaks looks on.
Leaders & Ministry
Church leaders inaugurate C. Shane Reese as the 14th president of BYU
President Oaks, Elder Christofferson, Elder Rasband and President Johnson participated in the inauguration for BYU’s next leader.
Families wander the grounds of the new Moses Lake Washington Temple after taking family photos in the late afternoon sunlight.
Temples
Moses Lake temple dedicatory prayer: Temple blessed to be ‘a refuge from the evil and turmoil of the world’
Elder Quentin L. Cook blessed the temple to be “an inspiration to the entire community.”
Attendees leave the first dedicatory session of the Bentonville Arkansas Temple.
Temples
Read Elder Bednar’s blessing upon the Saints in the dedicatory prayer of the Bentonville Arkansas Temple
Latter-day Saints’ “hearts are brimmed with joy” for the Lord’s “bounteous blessings.”
The Brasília Brazil Temple grounds
Temples
Brasília temple dedicatory prayer: Temple blessed to be a ‘beacon of truth and light’ in capital city of Brazil
Elder Andersen blessed the temple to provide “added goodness, honesty, peacemaking, and prayer” to the “precious land of Brazil.”
From left, Brother Alin Spannaus, Sister Andrea Muñoz Spannaus, Sister Amy A. Wright, Brother James M. Wright during their trip to the Church’s Pacific Area in September 2023.
Global
Sister Wright and Sister Spannaus help children and youth in the Pacific feel love of the Savior
The women leaders visited several countries in the Pacific this month, focusing on ministering to children and youth.
BYU President C. Shane Reese smiles after being announced as the university’s new president.
Members
How C. Shane Reese went from 1st-generation college student to university president
Raised by a single mom, BYU’s newest leader knows the value of education.
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Leaders & Ministry
Special devotional to Latin America to feature two Apostles and the Relief Society general president
The Church leaders will focus their remarks on the importance of education and the opportunities available, including BYU–Pathway.
Elder E Ray Bateman, an emeritus general authority, and his wife, Sister Mira Dorene Bateman.
Members
Elder E Ray Bateman, emeritus general authority, dies at age 85
Elder E Ray Bateman retained a deep love for the gospel and desired to share it with the world.
Mile Waddoups, who is blind, uses his walking cane to guide him on the ground of the newly renovated St. George Utah Temple.
Temples
Blind individuals get a special tactile tour of the St. George Utah Temple
More than a dozen individuals with visual impairments, along with their friends, family and loved ones, were able to experience the temple in a unique way.
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Temples
Why the St. George temple holds ‘a special place in the hearts of Latter-day Saints’
The temple’s nine-week open house precedes the rededication to take place on Sunday, Dec. 10
A rendering of an aerial view of BYU–Hawaii’s campus following a reconstruction of the center of campus.
Members
See renderings for a new complex of buildings at the heart of BYU–Hawaii’s campus
Five new buildings at the center of BYU–Hawaii’s campus will include a new welcome center, courtyard, offices and auditorium.
Ensign College graduates, including one holding a flag, line up for processional outside the Assembly Hall.
Members
BYU–Idaho and Ensign College announce new 3-year online degrees available through BYU–Pathway
BYU–Idaho and Ensign College — and facilitated by BYU–Pathway — will offer the three-year degrees starting in April 2024. The degrees require 90 to 96 credits, while a typical bachelor’s degree is 120 credits.
BYU’s Education Week attendees walk between sessions in Provo, Utah, on Monday, Aug. 15, 2022.
Living Faith
What attendees can expect from BYU Education Week 2023
The five-day event features a Tuesday devotional with Elder Renlund, plus classes taught by hundreds of presenters, including the Young Women and Young Men general presidencies.
The Brigham Young University campus in Provo is pictured on Monday, Oct. 12, 2020.
Living Faith
Leaders update Honor Code and dress and grooming standards for Church schools
Revisions include Student Ecclesiastical Endorsement questions, the Honor Code, and dress and grooming standards at BYU, BYU–Idaho, BYU–Hawaii and Ensign College.
Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles speaks at BYU Education Week in Provo on Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023.
Leaders & Ministry
Elder Renlund explains how observation and reason work synergistically with faith
The Apostle delivered the keynote address to a capacity crowd for BYU Education Week on Tuesday.
A man in a suit standing behind a pulpit.
Leaders & Ministry
Why is the Church so committed to education?
Elder Gilbert, BYU President Reese and BYU–Idaho President Meredith highlight the importance of education to Latter-day Saints during Las Vegas devotional.
French Polynesian youth use each other’s backs as tables to write in notebooks during an FSY activity.
Members
See photos, details of faith-filled FSY conferences in American Samoa, French Polynesia
The five-day events combined faith and fun for Latter-day Saint youth in the Pacific.
Elder Teddy E. Brewerton and his wife, Sister Dorothy H. Brewerton.
Members
Sister Dorothy H. Brewerton, wife of Elder Teddy E. Brewerton, dies at age 89
Elder and Sister Brewerton served as leaders of the Central America Mission and as president and matron of the Mexico City temple.
A child holds the printed program for the Port Vila Vanuatu Temple groundbreaking ceremony.
Members
From a rented tin house to a temple — A look at the Church’s growth in Vanuatu
Fifty years ago, the archipelago was home to a tiny branch. Soon it will have its own temple.
A row of college students sitting in an auditorium dressed in graduation regalia.
Leaders & Ministry
Elder Bednar tells graduates to both ‘believe and see’ and ‘see and believe’
Wednesday’s graduation also included goodbyes to BYU–Idaho President Henry J. Eyring, who steps down on Aug. 1
President Russell M. Nelson speaks during a worldwide devotional for young adults in the Conference Center.
Leaders & Ministry
The ripple effect of the Prophet’s counsel to young adults
In the past year, leaders within Church education have shared insights and guidance they received from listening to President Nelson’s Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults.
Elder Arnulfo Valenzuela speaks during a BYU–Pathway Worldwide devotional broadcast.
Living Faith
Stay on the path to a better future, Elder Valenzuela tells BYU–Pathway students
The Mexican General Authority Seventy’s unique path shows the blessings of education.