Church News

For over eight decades, the Easter Pageant at the Mesa Arizona Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has entertained and uplifted generations of people as it boldly declares the reality of the resurrected Christ. Performed the two weeks before Easter each year, the annual pageant draws more than 100,000 people to celebrate the life and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This epi...

The Church Historian’s Press was created in 2008 with the goal to publish works of Latter-day Saint history that meet high standards of scholarship. Over the years it has helped scholars, as well as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, have direct access to primary documents and contextual histories. In February of this year, the Church Historian’s Press published the “Priso...

RootsTech 2023 will be held in person for the first time since 2020. While the COVID-19 pandemic moved the annual three-day family history event online, attendance spiked from 50,000 people in 2020 to several million participants worldwide in 2022. This year, RootsTech encompasses the best of both platforms with the theme “Uniting .” This episode of the Church News podcast features Elder Kevin S....

Deseret News , the media company that publishes the Church News , is Utah's oldest continuously operating business. Founded in 1850 by pioneer members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the publications began with the motto of "Truth and Liberty." In January of 2023, Burke Olsen was named publisher of the Deseret News . He joins this episode of the Church News podcast to explain w...

What does it mean to be “all in” the gospel of Jesus Christ ? That's the question Morgan Jones Pearson asks those she interviews each week on her popular Latter-day Saint Living podcast, “All In. ” She joins this episode of the Church News podcast to share why she is an ‘all in’ member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, her atypical journey into marriage, and what she has learned...

Davis and Asialene Smith , founders of Cotopaxi — an outdoor gear company that commits a percentage of its profits to help communities experiencing poverty — join the Church News podcast to talk about their decision to serve as mission leaders for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Leaving Cotopaxi and other interests behind, the Smiths will lead the Brazil Recife North Mission , beg...

During the October 2022 general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles announced a new “For the Strength of Youth” guide , reminding the rising generation that Jesus Christ is their strength. This episode of the Church News podcast features the Church’s Young Women general presidency, President Bonnie H. Cordon ,...

In Doctrine and Covenants 21:1 , the Lord commanded the Prophet Joseph Smith that the Church's records and history should be kept "continually." While the prospect of recording and preserving those records can seem daunting, the Lord has promised that the keeping of records would be " for the good of the Church, and for the rising generations ." Matt Heiss is the manager for the Global Support and...

The Church News recently launched a new Inside Church Headquarters series focusing on the work of the Presiding Bishopric of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Under the direction of the First Presidency, the Presiding Bishopric manages the temporal affairs of the Church, including — among many responsibilities — the building and maintenance of meetinghouses and temples, the distribu...

President Russell M. Nelson was sustained and set apart as the 17th president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Sunday, Jan. 14, 2018, in the upper room of the Salt Lake Temple. In the five years since then , he has embarked on a fast-paced global ministry — traveling to 35 nations, extending countless invitations , leading the Church through a global pandemic and overseeing th...

This episode of the Church News podcast features an interfaith conversation on the recent Christmas season when, after a pandemic pause, the annual Tabernacle Choir Christmas concert returned in full form . The performance featured the choir, orchestra, bell ringers and the “Pride of the Philippines,” singer and actress Lea Salonga . Also returning to the concert was a live audience, which feature...

The year 2022 has been marked by major news for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including the announcement and building of temples , the impact of armed conflict in Eastern Europe , historic direction from Church leaders , and other major Church milestones and announcements. Deseret News Executive Editor Doug Wilks , a journalist who serves as president of the Salt Lake Stake , re...

Each Christmas season, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and others across the world, turn their thoughts to the town of Bethlehem and the traditional interpretation of the Nativity . This episode of the Church News podcast features Dr. Matthew Grey , a professor of ancient scripture at Brigham Young University. He shares historical insights and biblical context on the vi...

In 2022, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints focused their “home-centered, Church-supported” study on the Old Testament, completing the first scriptural cycle of the “Come, Follow Me” curriculum. Now, looking to 2023, study of the New Testament is an opportunity to learn again that the Jehovah of the Old Testament is the Son of God, the Savior of the World and that He was, a...

The message of the 2022 Light the World campaign for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is simple: “By following Jesus Christ, the true Light of the World, you can bring a little light into the lives of friends, family members, coworkers and even strangers.” This episode of the Church News podcast focuses on sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ light through the Light the World initiati...

In 2023, the Joseph Smith Papers will publish its final two volumes, marking the end of a monumental project that has spanned decades. Trent Toone recently joined the Church News as a reporter and has documented this important project. Before moving to the Church News, Trent worked as a journalist for the Deseret News faith team , focusing on coverage of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Sa...

The words of two prominent Latter-day Saint women have been published by the Church Historian’s Press — “ The Discourses of Eliza R. Snow ” and “ The Diaries of Emmeline B. Wells ”.  The “Discourses of Eliza R. Snow” include more than 1,200 discourses, prepared from 1840 to 1887. The “Diaries of Emmeline B. Wells” include 47 diary volumes spanning from 1844 to 1920. They are both now available onl...

For the first time in the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, two women are serving on the Military Advisory Committee . This committee was established by the First Presidency during World War II to help support and minister to military members , chaplains and their families. Now, Army Lt. Col. Sonie Munson, media operations chief for U.S. Northern Command, and Andrea Wagen...

This episode of the Church News podcast is dedicated to the American Family Survey , an annual nationwide study of 3,000 Americans by the Deseret News and the Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy at Brigham Young University . The 2022 survey found that Americans are divided politically and losing confidence in marriage, but are committed to their own families. Deseret News national poli...

On July 22, 1997, a pioneer trek reenactment honoring early members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reached This Is the Place Heritage Park. President M. Russell Ballard , now Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, was there watching as hand carts and wagons entered the valley 150 years after the first pioneers arrived. At the time, President Ballard was serving...

As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints around the world study the Old Testament in 2022, this episode of the Church News podcast focuses on the Old Testament — called the Hebrew Bible by those of the Jewish faith — and scriptures and doctrines shared by members of the Jewish and Latter-day Saint faiths. Featured is guest Rabbi Dr. Meir Y. Soloveichik , Senior Rabbi of Congre...

During the October 2022 general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles announced a new “For the Strength of Youth: A Guide for Making Choices.” This episode of the Church News podcast features the Church's Young Men general presidency, President Steven J. Lund and his counselors, Brother Ahmad S. Corbitt and Brot...

In 1969, 14 members of the University of Wyoming football team were unfairly dismissed for asking to participate in a peaceful racial protest in a game against Brigham Young University. A half-century later on Sept. 24, 2022, two members of the group, now known as the “Black 14”, ceremoniously lit the Y on the mountain above BYU’s Cougar Stadium . At their side was Elder S. Gifford Nielsen , a Gen...

Latter-day Saints across the globe tuned in to the October 2022 general conference for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to receive council, direction and invitations from the First Presidency, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and other Church leaders. They shared messages of hope, faith and peace amid turbulent times — decrying abuse , announcing a new “For the Strength of Youth” guide...

n 2020, David Schneider, Church News chief copy editor and print production manager , began work with the Church News after working for Deseret News for 40 years in various writing and editing roles. Just as he was moving to a new job, he lost his wife, Carma, to cancer and a heart condition, leaving him as a single father to five children. This episode of the Church News podcast features his expe...