Latest news with #DoctrineandCovenants
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Syracuse Utah Temple open set to begin this week
Syracuse Utah Temple open set to begin this week SYRACUSE, Utah (ABC4) — The open house at the Syracuse Utah Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is set to begin later this week. The First Presidency announced the dates for the open house back in January, along with its dedication date, which will be on Sunday, June 8th. That dedication will take place in one session according to the Church. TIMELINE: The year-long debate surrounding the now-approved Fairview Texas Temple Church Newsroom says that the Prophet and President of the Church, Russell M. Nelson, announced the Syracuse Utah Temple during the April 2020 general conference. 'Temples are a crowning part of the Restoration of the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. In God's goodness and generosity, He is bringing the blessings of the temple closer to His children everywhere,' he said during the conference. 'The temple in the city of Syracuse will be the 31st temple in Utah, either in operation, under renovation, under construction or announced,' the Church states. The temple will also be Davis County's third, joining the Bountiful Utah temple and the Layton Utah temple, Layton being dedicated last year. Invited guests will be taken on an early tour on Thursday and Friday before the public is allowed to step into the newly completed temple on Saturday. What are temples? Temples of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are referred to by members as 'Houses of the Lord,' according to the Church website. Members hold the entire property of Temples sacred, from the grounds outside to what is inside and what happens inside. 'From the very beginning, there have been sacred places upon the earth where God has communed with His children. They were designated by God and hallowed by His presence as places where He would teach and bless His children,' the Church says on its site. The Church teaches that throughout biblical history, the Tabernacle carried around was a 'portable temple.' The Church also points to several additional scriptures from the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants, which mention temples on several occasions. What happens here? Inside the Temple, members of the Church seek to draw closer to God by making covenants and performing 'saving' ordinances from themselves or members of their family who have passed on. These temples are typically only open to members who have a temple recommend card. Members believe that through the temple endowment ceremony, they can 'be endowed power from on high,' which appears in Luke 24:49. 'Those who are endowed in the house of the Lord receive a gift of God's priesthood power by virtue of their covenant, along with a gift of knowledge to know how to draw upon that power,' President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Russell M. Nelson, has said. The Endowment is one of many things that can happen inside a Latter-day Saint temple. In the LDS church, members can also baptize family members who have passed away and confirm them as members of the Church if they wish to accept them in the spirit world. Sealings for marriage and family sealings can also be performed in the temple. 'Unlike marriages that last only 'until death do you part,' temple sealings ensure that death cannot separate loved ones. For marriages to continue after death, they must be sealed in the right place and with the right authority. The right place is the temple and the right authority is the priesthood of God,' the Church teaches. What occurs in the sealing is outlined in Matthew 16:19, the Church states. The Church says that children born into a sealed temple marriage are 'children born in the covenant, thus, they are part of an eternal family, based upon their faithfulness.' Sealings are only performed in temples. Some may ask about those children not born in the covenant, the Church teaches that they too can become part of an eternal family. 'Children who are not born in the covenant can also become part of an eternal family once their natural or adoptive parents are sealed to one another,' the Church says. Can the public go inside? The answer is both yes and no. In this case, the answer is yes, because this is an open house. When a temple is complete, the Church opens the building to the public for an 'open house.' During these open houses, the public can walk through the temple and see all the rooms from the baptistry to the celestial room. After the open house and dedication of the temple to the Lord, the temple is open to members in 'good standing' meaning, the person possesses a temple recommend card. Temples dotting the world There are currently over 350 temples across the world that have been announced, are operational, or are presently under construction — over 180 of those have been announced by President Russell M. Nelson. The first temple of the latter days was constructed in Kirtland, Ohio beginning in 1833. The temple took three years to complete and was dedicated in 1836. According to the Church, in what is now canonized in section 110 of Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to the LDS Prophet Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery and accepted the Kirtland Temple as His house. It is said by the LDS Church that Moses, Elias, and Elijah also appeared before them and gave them the keys to gather the scattered, keys of the Abrahamic covenant and the sealing keys from Elijah. The church built temples in Kirtland, Nauvoo, Ill., and announced temples in Independence, Mo., Adam-ondi-Ahman, Mo. (or Spring Hill, Mo.), and Far West, Mo. The following Missouri temples were never built, some have cornerstones laid while the Spring Hill site is just a field. The Nauvoo one was burned down in 1848 and rebuilt on its original property in the late 90s and early 2000s. Once in Utah, Latter-day Saints were able to establish temples in Salt Lake, St. George, Logan, and Manti. The Church still constantly is building and announcing temples all over the world. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Religion, research among the 5 goals the First Presidency set for BYU's new School of Medicine
PROVO — The key design elements for the planned BYU School of Medicine were set by the leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the inaugural dean of the BYU School of Medicine said this week. The chief goal for the medical school is to support the mission of the church and BYU, Dr. Mark Ott said during a presentation Monday at the annual International Society conference at the Hinckley Center on campus. Medical science and research are among the five key design elements set by the First Presidency, Ott said. At the same time, even though there already are other religious-based medical schools around the country — 'and they all do a great work,' Ott said — BYU intends to be unique in the way it combines medical science and faith. The five design elements are to: Be spiritually based and mission-focused. Have a teaching and research emphasis. Offer an integrated bachelor's/medical degree to reduce time to complete medical training. Include international outreach, enrollment and alignment with church humanitarian efforts. Offer a reduced cost model. 'Those are the design principles that were given to us by the prophet and by the Lord himself,' Ott said. That conviction gives him confidence as he pursues a dynamic timeline in an attempt to secure accreditation and open the doors to the first 60 students in fall 2027. 'It's an exciting time and it's a terrifying time, but we're seeing over and over again the Lord's hand in this process,' he said. He added, 'When we're on the Lord's errand, we can expect his help.' BYU medical students will be taught that they need more than their human capacity to succeed, Ott said. The school will emphasize to students the importance of the covenants Latter-day Saints make with God through baptism and temple worship. 'We want our students to understand, first and foremost, that they are a child of a loving Heavenly Father, that they are a child of covenant and a disciple of Jesus Christ. Those three things that President Nelson talks about are very important,' he said. The inaugural dean shared several experiences of ways he felt God was helping his team over the past six months. One related to the way medical schools are compressing what once was the first two years of lectures to somewhere between one year and 18 months. What would BYU do? The working group addressing the issue struggled to reach a consensus. Ott said he attended the temple the next day and was struck by the increased capacity and endurance promised to those who make one of the covenants there. He also recalled a Latter-day Saint scripture that states, 'Doubt not, fear not.' (Doctrine and Covenants 6:36) 'I knew if our students would honor their covenants, that they would be able to do a 12- to 15-month curriculum,' he said. Another committee member had the same experience, and the committee moved ahead. BYU President Shane Reese also addressed the role spirituality can play in education at Monday's event. He said the leader of a state university system recently told a conference of American university presidents that leaders in higher education needed to practice more humility and listen and learn from critics. Reese added that schools also should practice an abundance of forgiveness. 'You see, these are gospel methodologies, and gospel methodologies will serve and solve the world's problems in ways that secular ideologies cannot. They simply fall short,' he said. Teaching students takes precedence over faculty research at BYU, a decadeslong practice restated again recently by church leaders and Reese. BYU does emphasize mentored research, with undergraduates conducting research under faculty supervision. Ott reiterated that teaching will be the primary responsibility of the School of Medicine, but he said a focus on research must be built into the curriculum. 'We want these young women and men to learn the principles of science and to understand that asking questions and coming up with theories of how to address those questions and then implementing those theories and seeing if they hold up is a critical part of becoming a physician,' he said. Such research can move health care forward. 'As important as it is to solve problems, it is even more necessary to find new solutions to problems so that we can put old problems in the rearview mirror and go on to newer problems that need to be addressed,' he said. One of the efforts of the 15 working groups building the plans for the school is to fulfill a vision to create a shorter and less expensive model. 'The Lord's prophets would like to reduce the cost and shorten the time it takes to become a physician,' Ott said. 'There's a big demand on both time and money. So the (plan) is to develop an integrated pathway that lets you go from a bachelor's degree into medical school in an accelerated fashion.' He didn't share any details about the integrated bachelor's/medical degree, but he did say that students will still be able to enter the school in the traditional way of earning a bachelor's degree at another school and applying to BYU as a first-year medical student. He said church leaders wanted an alternative pathway that would save time and save money to help international students, especially. The Church of Jesus Christ already subsidizes the tuition of every BYU student. The same will be true of the School of Medicine, making its tuition significantly lower than other medical schools. Part of the goal is to encourage the international students BYU hopes to attract to return and practice medicine in their home countries. 'That will be a blessing in the lives of our students, so they don't accumulate as much debt that then drives career decisions about making money to pay that debt back,' Ott said. 'We don't do any favors to their communities if they stay here in North America and never go back and be great leaders in health care and leaders in the church in the countries of their origin.' Ott said the advisory council and working groups continue to hone the way the school will reach the goal of aligning with the church's humanitarian efforts. 'That research emphasis and that humanitarian emphasis is built into the curriculum, from the first day through the last day of the fourth year,' he said. 'We want them to experience serving and understanding the needs of underserved populations and peoples throughout the world, and to be in those environments.' Part of the faculty's job will be to help students see that they need to be engaged in church and community service even while juggling the demands of medical education. 'One of the traps of medicine is that it is so demanding to learn and master this material that you can easily justify saying ... 'I just need to focus on that,'' Ott said. 'My experience through the years is that those who do that, more often than not, don't get back to (doing that).' He wants students to understand that more time doesn't materialize later, as responsibilities build. 'If you don't learn to master them at each level, you become overwhelmed at the next level,' he said. 'So that's part of our process is helping them to understand that they need to serve in the church and in their families and in their communities while they're doing this demanding work in school.'
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Notre Dame professor: BYU-Pathway Worldwide may become Latter-day Saints' ‘biggest gift to the world'
BYU-Pathway Worldwide is on pace to see a 40% surge in students this year as a major piece of the way The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints approaches inequities across the globe, humanitarian experts and church leaders said this week at BYU. 'BYU-Pathway Worldwide, this investment of your church to bring quality online education at a low cost to the world, to me is extraordinary,' said Viva Bartkus, business professor emerita at Notre Dame and an expert on how businesses can help impoverished communities. 'I've been on Catholic Relief Services' board. I've worked with World Vision. I've worked with Aga Khan. I am telling you, BYU-Pathway may end up becoming your church's biggest gift to the world, hands down,' she said. BYU-PW now serves 80,000 students in over 80 countries, BYU-PW President Brian Ashton said during a panel discussion immediately after Bartkus made her presentation. 'I believe we will reach 100,000 this year,' Ashton predicted at the 35th Annual International Society Conference at BYU's Hinckley Center. The conference theme was 'Becoming One: Addressing Global Disparity.' BYU-PW is a vital way the Church of Jesus Christ confronts global disparities, said Ashton and Elder Edward Dube, a member of the church's Presidency of the Seventy and its Welfare and Self-Reliance Committee. 'The Lord Jesus Christ, whispering to our prophets, seers and revelators, made this BYU-Pathway Worldwide,' Elder Dube said. He spoke about being raised in Zimbabwe in a hut with a mud-and-grass-thatched roof and a floor covered with dried cow dung. He said he and his sister walked 12.5 miles each way to school. When they got stomach aches, their mother healed them by feeding them ants. He said Jesus Christ's intercessory prayer (John 17:21-22) encourages all people to address the root causes of global disparity. 'We must confront the dark realities of these stark disparities,' he said. Concerns about inequities — Bartkus referred to being born in America as winning the lottery — are as old as humanity, said the BYU School of Medicine's inaugural dean, Dr. Mark Ott. They also are referenced in scripture. Ashton quoted a Book of Mormon prophecy that after Christ's church would be restored, those who gathered in it would remain in their homelands, where they 'shall be established' (2 Nephi 9:1-2 and Doctrine and Covenants 78:6). 'Many members do not have this,' the BYU-PW president said. 'They are not established.' Ashton said BYU-Pathway is now designed to be both an education institution and an economic engine for its students who live in underdeveloped economies. On one hand, BYU-PW offers PathwayConnect, a confidence-building on-ramp into higher education, certificates, and associate and bachelor degrees at reduced costs. On the other end, it provides work study, skill development, internships and career opportunities. For example, a student might work in a basic accounting entry job in the first year after learning how to enter receipts into a computer program, Ashton said. When the student completes a certificate, she can become a bookkeeper. With advanced skills, she can be an accounting clerk and then an accountant. This is what drew Bartkus to BYU-PW. The Notre Dame professor developed a system that has launched 90 projects in more than 20 countries based on accompaniment, a Catholic social work model in which the teacher walks alongside the learner. She said the teachers must practice humility and first learn from the learner to understand the problem and the possibilities. The teacher must never do for the student. 'Walk alongside people as they're building their lives,' she said. Bartkus is the author of 'Business on the Edge: How to Turn a Profit and Improve Lives in the World's Toughest Places.' She developed a model, Business on the Frontlines, that Forbes named one of the 10 most innovative MBA courses in the country. It is a road map for how businesses can promote peace and reduce poverty while growing and making money in challenging environments. 'One of the ways of closing global disparities is to never underestimate the sheer human dignity of a good day's work,' Bartkus said. 'What's really, really unique about BYU-Pathway,' she said, 'is it is the only organization that I know of that essentially, under the same umbrella, is both an academic institution and an economic development engine.' Most universities see education as an end in itself. 'In these places that I've described to you, education is not an end in itself, it's a means towards an end, which is a job, a better job, a way of looking after your family, your community, serving in your faith,' Bartkus said. 'What is extraordinary about BYU-Pathway is that you provide the opportunity for education, and then BYU-Pathway Worldwide helps with the initial jobs, helps with the initial employment, so that people can get on their feet. That is an extraordinary contribution.' Like the man who liked a shaver so much he bought the company, Bartkus liked BYU-PW so much she joined on as a consultant. For BYU-Pathway to use the lessons she's learned on the frontlines, she said it must not say it is there to help. 'Don't help. You can serve. You can learn, or you can create the conditions so that people can work really, really hard to lift themselves out of poverty. You can't give them that. They have to do that themselves,' she said. Bartkus quoted Latter-day Saint scripture to the mostly Latter-day Saint audience at the conference. 'And when the priests left their labor to impart the word of God unto the people, the people also left their labors to hear the word of God. And when the priest had imparted unto them the word of God they all returned again diligently unto their labors' (Alma 1:26). 'I find it an extremely exciting gift that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is giving to the rest of the world,' she said.
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Latter-day Saints sustain new leaders — 16 general authorities, young men general presidency
During the opening moments of the 195th Annual General Conference for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Saturday morning, President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency announced 16 new General Authority Seventies and a new Young Men General Presidency. President Oaks also announced that Elder Kevin R. Duncan has been called to serve in the Presidency of the Seventy, effective August 1, 2025. He will replace Elder José A. Teixeira, who has served in the presidency since 2018. In addition, President Oaks announced that five General Authority Seventies will be released and receive emeritus status on Aug. 1. Those leaders include: Elder David S. Baxter, Elder Randall K. Bennett, Elder Kevin S. Hamilton, Elder Rafael E. Pino and Elder Jorge F. Zeballos. Following is a brief biography of each new General Authority Seventies. General Authority Seventies are church leaders called by the First Presidency to be 'especial witnesses' and to assist the Twelve in 'building up the church and regulating all the affairs' and 'preaching and administering the gospel' throughout the world (Doctrine and Covenants 107:25, 34, 38). They act under the direction of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, according to a press release on General Authority Seventies serve full-time in the church. They are usually released in the year they turn 70 years old and are granted emeritus status. Elder Amos was born in Lafayette, Louisiana, on November 2, 1961. He graduated with engineering degrees from Southern University, Baton Rouge and the University of Central Florida, Orlando. He is now retired from the United States Navy Reserve and Siemens Energy Inc. At the time of this call, he was serving as a member of the Tenth Quorum of the Seventy in the North America Southeast Area. He and his wife, Michelle Evette Wright, have three children. Elder Barcellos was born in São Paulo, Brazil, on November 4, 1975. He studied business administration at São Marcos University. He went on to work in sales and marketing for several companies. In 2011 he cofounded GreenMile, LLC, where he worked as chief operating officer for four years and chief executive officer for six years. When called to be a General Authority, Elder Barcellos was serving as a seminary teacher in the Orlando Florida South Stake. He and his wife, Karin Spat Albino, are the parents of three children. Elder Barlow was born in Bountiful, Utah, on January 1, 1969. He received a bachelor's degree in health education from the University of Utah in 1993. He worked as an executive in data analytics and quality improvement in health care. At the time he accepted this assignment to be a General Authority, Elder Barlow was serving as a member of the Twelfth Quorum of the Seventy in the Utah Area. He and his wife, Christina Evans, have five children. Elder Brown was born in Manchester, Jamaica, on May 18, 1976. He received a bachelor's degree in computing with management studies from the University of Technology, Jamaica, in 2008. He went on to receive a master's degree in governance and public policy from the University of the West Indies in 2012. Since 2001 he has worked for the Church's Seminaries and Institutes of Religion as an Institute coordinator, division director–training services, coordinator, and associate administrator. At the time of this call, Elder Brown was serving as a member of the Twelfth Quorum of the Seventy in the Utah Area. He and his wife, Nadine Lezanne Carter, have five children. Elder Cuvelier was born in Los Angeles, California, on January 12, 1969. He received a bachelor's degree in public relations from Brigham Young University in 1994. He joined Shell Oil Company in 1996 and worked across various business units throughout North America. He has also served as a director on several national and regional boards. When called to the ranks of the General Authorities, Elder Cuvelier was serving as a member of the Eleventh Quorum of the Seventy in the North America Southwest Area. He and his wife, Wendi Sue Manwaring, have four children. Elder Cziesla was born in Neumünster, Germany, on July 26, 1972. He received a degree in law from the University of Mainz in 2000. He also obtained a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Mainz in 2003, comparing German and U.S. law as a visiting scholar at BYU. He worked as an attorney and partner for SJ Berwin LLP from 2003 to 2016, and in 2017 became senior corporate partner at McDermott Will & Emery. At the time of this call, Elder Cziesla was serving as ward activity committee chairman for the Darmstadt Ward. He and his wife, Margret Anne Rauh, are the parents of five children. Elder Evanson was born in Taber, Alberta, Canada, on August 16, 1968. He received a bachelor's degree in dental materials in 1993 followed by a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree in 1995, both from the University of Alberta. He has worked as a dentist in private practice for over 26 years. When he was called as a General Authority, Elder Evanson was serving as a Sunday School teacher and activity days leader in his congregation. He and his wife, Jody Karil Zobell, have five children and 11 grandchildren. Elder Eyre was born in Logan, Utah, on January 17, 1964. He received a bachelor's degree in finance from Utah State University in 1988. In 1993, he received a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Tulsa. From 2008 to 2019, he worked for Baxter International in a variety of roles including general manager, corporate vice president, and senior vice president. Since 2023, he has been a board member for HemaSource. At the time of this call to be a General Authority Seventy, Elder Eyre was serving as a member of the Twelfth Quorum of the Seventy in the Utah Area. He and his wife, Susan Zari Rahimzadeh, are the parents of five children. Elder Farias was born in Recife, Brazil, on October 19, 1969. He received a bachelor's degree in accounting from the Catholic University of Pernambuco in 1995, a postgraduate degree in finance from Pernambuco University, and later received a master's degree from the Getulio Vargas Foundation. He has worked for the Church since 1995 in various positions, including financial manager, human resources manager, and director of temporal affairs in the Brazil Area. When he accepted the call to be a General Authority, Elder Farias was serving as president of the Georgia Atlanta Mission. He and his wife, Giovanna de Medeiros Prata, are the parents of three children. Elder Hall was born in Provo, Utah, on March 4, 1971. He received a degree in professional sales from Weber State University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Utah. He worked as an executive for technology and private equity firms. Most recently, he was working for the Church as a director in the Missionary Department. At the time of this call, Elder Hall was serving as a member of the Twelfth Quorum of the Seventy in the Utah Area. He and his wife, Kimberly Wade, are the parents of four children. Elder Holmes was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, on December 5, 1977. He received a bachelor's degree in political science in 2008 and a Juris Doctor degree in 2012, both from Arizona State University. He was vice president of Holmes Homes of Arizona from 2006 to 2010. In 2014, he founded Holmes Law, PLC. Since 2021 he has worked as general counsel for Charter One, LLC. When he was called to be a General Authority, Elder Holmes was serving as a member of the Eleventh Quorum of the Seventy in the North America Southwest Area. He and his wife, Alyson Margaret Wilson, have six children. Elder Larreal was born in Valencia, Venezuela, on July 6, 1976. He received a bachelor's degree in management from Simón Rodriguez University in 2005. He went on to receive two Master of Business Administration degrees, one in 2008 from Santa Maria University and one in 2021 from BYU. From 1998 to 2008, he worked for the Church as a Seminaries and Institutes coordinator. Since 2009, he has worked for Nature Sunshine Products Inc. as general manager and then as director of Latin America from 2017 to 2023. At the time of this call, Elder Larreal was president of the Texas McAllen Mission. He and his wife, Sariah Alvarez Campos, are the parents of three children. Elder Matswagothata was born in Middlepits, Botswana, on January 8, 1980. He received a bachelor's degree in philosophy. He has worked in the automotive industry since 2004 with various car brands. He has held several leadership positions, including sales manager, general manager, and country manager for Barloworld Motor. When he accepted this assignment, Elder Matswagothata was serving as a temple ordinance worker in the Johannesburg South Africa Temple and as an area self-reliance specialist. He and his wife, Novelty Busisiwe Buthelezi, have three children. Elder Ortega was born in Godoy Cruz, Argentina, on July 10, 1977. He received a bachelor's degree in architecture from the John F. Kennedy University, Argentina in 2008 and a master's degree from the University of Belgrano in 2016. In 2017, he received a diploma in leadership from Harvard Business School. Elder Ortega worked as a construction project manager, first for SBS Co. and then for Village Roadshow Co. He became real estate director for American Express Company in 2014, board member for Arch Royale Projects Limited in 2023, and board member for CorNet Global in 2024. At the time of his call to be a General Authority, Elder Ortega was serving as a member of the Sixth Quorum of the Seventy in the Mexico Area. He and his wife, Gabriela Alejandra Cappi Franzia, are the parents of three children. Elder Rowe was born in Provo, Utah, on April 23, 1967. He received a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Brigham Young University. He also received a master's degree in public policy and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Chicago. He practiced international law for many years as a partner in various law firms in Washington, D.C., and overseas. He has served as chief executive officer for the Stirling Foundation since 2019. When he was called as a General Authority, Elder Rowe was serving as a member of the Twelfth Quorum of the Seventy in the Utah Area. He and his wife, Brooke Francis, have five children. Elder Wu was born in Taipei, Taiwan, on December 22, 1970. He received a bachelor's degree from the Universidad Argentina de la Empresa in 2014 and a Master of Business Administration degree from the Universidad del CEMA in 2020. He has worked for the Church since 2007, first in the Meetinghouse Facilities Department and then, beginning in 2016, as the operations and maintenance manager for the South America South Area. When he accepted this assignment, Elder Wu was president of the Chile Antofagasta Mission. He and his wife, Marcela Beatriz Castellani, are the parents of three children. Members of the new Young Men General Presidency will begin service on August 1. The Young Men organization promotes faith, growth, and development in young men through Sunday instruction, weekday service and activities, and annual camps and conferences. The Young Men General Presidency, which directs this organization for the whole Church, consists of a president and two counselors, according to a press release on These three men are responsible for supporting young men ages 12 to 18 in the Church. President Farnes, 55, lives in Bountiful, Utah. He is a self-employed investor and advisor. He currently serves as an Area Seventy in the Utah Area. His previous Church assignments include mission president, stake president, stake presidency counselor, high councilor, bishop, young single adult (YSA) bishop, and bishopric counselor. He and his wife, Linsey, have five children. Brother Wunderli, 63, lives in Alpine, Utah. He is chairman of the board for ORI Inc. He currently serves on the Young Men general advisory council. His previous Church assignments include mission president, young single adult (YSA) stake president, YSA bishop, missionary training center branch presidency counselor, and ward Young Men president. He and his wife, Diane, have four children. Brother Dixon, 54, lives in Spanish Fork, Utah. He is director of the Utah South Institute Region and has worked in various assignments in Seminaries and Institutes for the past 30 years. He currently serves as president of the Spanish Fork Utah East Stake. His previous Church assignments include mission president, stake presidency counselor, bishop, and ward Young Men president. He and his wife, M'Shelle, have five children. President Oaks also announced that Elder Duncan has been called to serve in the Presidency of the Seventy. Elder Duncan was born in Ogden, Utah, on October 6, 1960. He has served as a General Authority Seventy since 2010. During his full-time Church service, his assignments have included president of the Central America Area and, most recently, executive director in the Temple Department. He received a bachelor's degree in accounting, a master's degree in taxation, and a Juris Doctor from Brigham Young University (BYU) in 1991. He began his career as a tax attorney in Seattle, Washington. In 1996 he founded CaseData Corporation, from which he retired in 2005. Elder Duncan and his wife, Nancy Elizabeth Smart, are the parents of five children. The Presidency of the Seventy is a group of seven General Authority Seventies called as presidents by the First Presidency to preside over all members of the Seventy. One of the seven presidents is chosen to preside over the other six (see Doctrine and Covenants 107:93–94), according to a press release on The Presidency of the Seventy oversees the work of the Seventy and assists the Quorum of the Twelve in their work throughout the world. This work includes traveling to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ; administering missionary, temple, family history, humanitarian, and other efforts; meeting with Church members and missionaries; organizing Church units; working and counseling with local Church leaders; and many other responsibilities. The other six members of the Presidency of the Seventy are Elders Carl B. Cook (the Senior President), S. Mark Palmer, Marcus B. Nash, Michael T. Ringwood, Arnulfo Valenzuela and Edward Dube.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Church historian reflects on 2024 Kirtland Temple purchase ahead of general conference
KIRTLAND, Ohio () — Nearly a year after acquired the Kirtland Temple, a Church Historian reflects on the purchase and the impact it has had on the faith and on the sellers, the Community of Christ. Why is the Kirtland Temple so significant? And what happens next? Ahead of the April 2025 General Conference, Senior Managing Historian with the Church History Department, Matthew Godfrey spoke to about Kirtland and the history that Kirtland holds. Last year, the Salt Lake City-based church from the Community of Christ (formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). Members believe the artifacts purchased were used by Joseph Smith, the first President of the Church, in his translation of the Bible. Just over a year has passed since the historic $192.5 million exchange between the two largest denominations in the Latter-day Saint movement. 'Kirtland is definitely a special area for the Church,' he said. 'It's a place where [Joseph Smith] received the vast majority of the revelations that are in the Doctrine and Covenants. The Kirtland Temple has been a special place because the church had to sacrifice a lot to build it.' Many Latter-day Saints settled in the Kirtland area after leaving upstate New York due to persecution in 1830 to 'go to the Ohio .' The Kirtland Temple was completed in 1836 and was dedicated on March 27. Church adherents believe that on April 3, 1836, Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery recorded that . Godfrey says that many members of the Church hoped that the temple would be back in their possession. 'I think a lot of church members, over the years, really hoped, that at some point the church would reacquire the Kirtland Temple. So, when that happened there was a lot of excitement among church members,' he said. He also said that the purchase had some bittersweet notes to it because the Independence, Missouri based church had owned and preserved the temple for over 100 years. 'It was a little bit of a bittersweet thing, because we have good relationships with the Community of Christ,' Godfrey told 'We understand how important that building was to them.' This isn't the first time the two churches have made trades of assets and artifacts. One other such time was 2017 when . LDS Church acquires printer's manuscript of Book of Mormon for $35 million The two churches also made an agreement in 2012 to purchase the Hawn's Mill Massacre site. That purchase included the Joseph and Emma Smith home in Kirtland. The Church has launched a new website that will help you plan your visit. The not only lists time slots but gives visitors a brief understanding of the history of the temple. The April 2025 Conference will mark the 25th anniversary of the first-ever general conference to be held at the Conference Center. Prior to that, conferences were held inside the Salt Lake Tabernacle. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
