Members and friends of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints participated in the 193rd Semiannual General Conference on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1. Rabbi Joseph Charnes, a long-time friend of the Church and an interfaith advocate, attended In the Conference Center to listen as Latter-day Saint leaders offered counsel and direction. This episode of the Church News podcast features Rabbi Charnes — joined by guest host Church News reporter Mary Richards . He shares his conference insights and sp...
Oct 10, 2023•39 min•Ep. 157
Millions tuned in to the 193rd Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, 2023. During the conference, messages from the First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and other Church leaders focused on faith in Jesus Christ , the happiness that comes from covenant keeping and the invitation to “think celestial .” This special edition of the Church News podcast features highlights from every general conference talk, including th...
Oct 02, 2023•47 min•Ep. 156
On Tuesday, Sept. 19, C. Shane Reese was inaugurated as the new president of Brigham Young University , becoming the 14th president of the Church’s flagship university. President Dallin H. Oaks , first counselor in the First Presidency, and Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles officially installed President Reese, who Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles announced in March would lead the university. “The Lord has prepared him in profound ways...
Sep 26, 2023•52 min•Ep. 155
On the evening of Sept. 21 and the morning of Sept. 22, 1823, the angel Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith, teaching him and revealing the nearby location of an ancient record written on gold plates — the Book of Mormon. He quoted scripture about the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the gathering of Israel. With the approaching 200th anniversary of Moroni’s visits — four total — the Church News podcast features Elder Kyle S. McKay , a General Authority Seventy and Church historian and ...
Sep 19, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 154
In August 2023, a series of wildfires broke out and spread devastation on the Hawaiian island of Maui. Property and lives were lost, including five members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Church members and others in the community rallied to support each other and begin the long process of recovering from the disaster. Church News reporter Mary Richards traveled to the island shortly after the disaster, documenting the post-fire relief efforts and observing the strength of th...
Sep 12, 2023•50 min•Ep. 153
President Russell M. Nelson has spoken repeatedly about forgiveness — pleading with Latter-day Saints to end personal conflicts , free themselves from a grudge they may be harboring and forgive someone who has wronged them . “There is nothing easy about forgiving those who have disappointed us, hurt us, cheated us or spread false rumors about us,” President Nelson said . “However, not forgiving others is poison for us. Grudges weigh us down. Angry disagreements separate us. Animosity and hatred ...
Sep 05, 2023•44 min•Ep. 152
After six years as head football coach of University of Virginia, Coach Bronco Mendenhall resigned his post at the end of the 2021 season. Mendenhall — who also spent 11 years as head football coach at Brigham Young University — and his wife, Holly Mendenhall, speak about family, faith and football on this episode of the Church News podcast. They are joined by fellow sports fan and guest host Sister Sheri Dew , executive vice president of Deseret Management Corp. and a former member of the Relie...
Aug 30, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 151
On June 27 — the 179th anniversary of the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith in Carthage Jail — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints published the final volume of the Joseph Smith Papers . Much of the project was made possible by Gail Miller and her late husband, Larry H. Miller. Gail Miller, owner of the Larry H. Miller Company, joins this episode of the Church News podcast to talk about her family's initial $10 million investment and the significant subsequent financial support the...
Aug 22, 2023•27 min•Ep. 150
During the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon, on July 8, Brigham Young University distance runner Kenneth Rooks fell — and then got up and won the 3,000-meter steeplechase . The victory — as well as his tenacity — has thrust him into the national spotlight. After the race, he was widely featured in headlines and on social media. He joins this episode of the Church News podcast to talk about overcoming hurdles and to share how his membership in The Church of Jesus Christ...
Aug 15, 2023•29 min•Ep. 147
Many members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints already know of Emily Belle Freeman , a popular speaker, author, podcaster and teacher. Now they will get to know her in another way — as a general officer of the Church. President Freeman — with her counselors, Sister Tamara Wood Runia and Sister Andrea Muñoz Spannaus — began her service as the Church’s Young Women general president on Aug. 1. President Freeman, who was sustained during April 2023 general conference , said she has ...
Aug 08, 2023•44 min•Ep. 148
President Russell M. Nelson announced the second edition of “Preach My Gospel” in June 2023, explaining that members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have a sacred and covenant responsibility to share the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. President Nelson's message was shared during the four-day 2023 Seminar for New Mission Leaders at the Provo Missionary Training Center. This episode of the Church News podcast, the second of two special episodes , features members of the First ...
Aug 01, 2023•37 min•Ep. 147
President Russell M. Nelson announced the second edition of “Preach My Gospel” in June 2023, explaining that members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have a sacred and covenant responsibility to share the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. President Nelson's message was shared during the four-day 2023 Seminar for New Mission Leaders at the Provo Missionary Training Center. This episode of the Church News podcast, the first of two special episodes, features members of the First Pr...
Jul 25, 2023•24 min•Ep. 146
On July 24, 1847, a company of early Latter-day Saint pioneers piloted their way into the Salt Lake Valley. The leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Brigham Young looked upon the valley and was said to declare, “This is the right place ; drive on.” These early pioneers were joined by Latter-day Saints from around the world. Near the location where Brigham Young gave this prophetic declaration now stands “This Is The Place Heritage Park ,” a Utah state park populated with hi...
Jul 18, 2023•29 min•Ep. 145
Weeks before Young Women General President Bonnie H. Cordon completes her calling as a general officer of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, she joins the Church News podcast to share the joy of service, recent inspired changes to Church organization and the peace that comes by turning to the Savior Jesus Christ. Since being sustained as a member of the Primary General Presidency in 2016 and then as Young Women General President in 2018, she has served through significant trials an...
Jul 11, 2023•47 min•Ep. 144
In July 2022, President Dallin H. Oaks , first counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, offered a historic address at the 2022 Notre Dame Religious Liberty Summit in Rome, Italy . He called for a global effort to defend and advance the religious freedom of all of God’s children in every nation of the world . While he was in Rome in 2022, President Oaks participated in a Church News interview about religious liberty — detailing why it should matter to ...
Jul 04, 2023•33 min•Ep. 143
The night before His crucifixion, the Savior washed His apostles' feet, taught them and administered the sacrament. He also prayed for them, saying, as recorded in John 17 : “I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world…As thou hast sent me into the world, even so, have I also sent them into the world.” This episode of the Church News podcast features leaders of the Sandy Utah ...
Jun 27, 2023•47 min•Ep. 142
During the April 2022 general conference, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sustained Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson and her counselors, Sister J. Anette Dennis and Sister Kristin M. Yee . President Johnson articulated the theme of their global ministry in her April 2023 general conference address , titled “ Jesus Christ Is Relief ”: “We can partner with the Savior to help provide temporal and spiritual relief for those in need — and in the process f...
Jun 20, 2023•52 min•Ep. 141
For the past 13 years, Rachel Sterzer Gibson has worked for the Church News, helping to create a “Living Record of the Restoration” through her writing, editing, web publication and support. She joins this episode of the Church News podcast to discuss her most compelling assignments, her current beat writing about Church education , her role as a wife and mother , the years she navigated as a single adult, and the tender time she and her family cared for her aging father . These experiences magn...
Jun 13, 2023•35 min•Ep. 140
“ We believe it is our obligation to understand and learn from the past ,” Elder Henry B. Eyring, then of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, remarked on Sept. 11, 2007, at an event commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Mountain Meadows Massacre . The massacre is perhaps the grimmest episode in the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — when brewing tensions between early Church pioneers and immigrants traveling through the Utah Territory erupted, resulting in the death...
Jun 06, 2023•52 min•Ep. 139
President Henry B. Eyring , second counselor in the First Presidency, will celebrate his 90th birthday on May 31, 2023. Born in Princeton, New Jersey, in 1933, President Eyring has dedicated his life to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As an educator by profession, President Eyring has served as president of Ricks College , the Church commissioner of education, in the Presiding Bishopric, as a General Authority Seventy, in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and as a counselor to ...
May 30, 2023•53 min•Ep. 138
With Mental Health Awareness Month observed in May, this episode of the Church News podcast is dedicated to discussing mental health. Sherilyn C. Stinson, the commissioner of Family Services for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a licensed clinical social worker, joins this episode of the podcast. She talks about mental health and discusses how to identify problems , when and how to seek help and what Church leaders teach about this important topic. The Church News Podcast is a...
May 23, 2023•42 min•Ep. 137
Janice Kapp Perry has composed 3,000 songs and hymns beloved by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Her well-known repertoire includes Primary hymns, “ A Child’s Prayer ,” “I Love To See the Temple” and “I’m Trying To Be Like Jesus.” She started her music career later in life after two lucky breaks — a broken TV and an injury — took her from the sports court to roadshow music writing. Her work has been featured in the Church hymnbook and Primary songbook and translated an...
May 16, 2023•51 min•Ep. 136
As Mother's Day fast approaches, this episode of the Church News podcast looks at the power of love , service, faith, community involvement and recognizing and elevating the potential we see in others – just as so many mothers do every day. The editor of Utah Policy, Holly Richardson is a former Utah legislator, current columnist and contributor to the Deseret News; she holds a master's degree in professional communication and a doctorate in political science. She and her husband, Greg, are the ...
May 09, 2023•53 min•Ep. 135
After spending years researching and teaching behavioral economics and household finance at Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School and the University of Chicago, Brigitte C. Madrian accepted a position as the ninth dean of the Marriott School of Business at Brigham Young University . She brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to this episode of the Church News podcast, discussing the importance of faith-based education, ethics and empathy in economics and business,...
May 02, 2023•45 min•Ep. 134
During April 2023 general conference for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, President Russell M. Nelson announced 15 new temples , bringing the total number of Latter-day Saint temples that are operating, announced, or under construction to 315. This episode of the Church News podcast features Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He testifies about the blessings of the House of the Lord and how covenants and ordinances connect Church members to the Savior Jes...
Apr 25, 2023•30 min•Ep. 133
Members of the Church News staff strive each day to create a record of the Restoration. In the process, they witness how members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints across the globe connect to one another through their belief in the Savior Jesus Christ. This episode of the Church News podcast features Church News Spanish Translation Coordinator Nadia Gavarret , who has seen the joy of the spreading gospel. Raised in South America and fluent in Spanish, Portuguese and English, Gava...
Apr 18, 2023•28 min•Ep. 132
For the first time in its 175-year history, participants living outside the United States joined the 360-voice Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square during the 193rd Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The singers, part of a pilot program for the choir, sang with the storied choir in the Saturday morning session and both Sunday sessions of general conference on April 1 and 2, 2023. The 10 singers from six countries — Brazil, Mexico, Ghana, Malaysia, Philippi...
Apr 11, 2023•43 min•Ep. 131
On Palm Sunday weekend, leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints shared messages of hope, faith and peace during the 193rd Annual General Conference on April 1 and 2, 2023 . They spoke about the blessings of temple service , gathering Israel , avoiding contention by being peacemakers and finding lasting joy . Each speaker also bore testimony of Jesus Christ during this sacred Easter season . This episode of the Church News podcast features excerpts from these general conference...
Apr 04, 2023•37 min•Ep. 130
For more than a year, Church News staff writer Mary Richards has written about JustServe.org , a free online platform that connects volunteers with service opportunities in their communities. In this general conference special edition of the Church News podcast, produced in connection with KSLNews Radio , Mary Richards talks with numerous guests about JustServe: Isabelle Harris, a high school senior from Heber, Utah, who started a JustServe Club at her school; Doraleen Taulanga, who uses JustSer...
Mar 29, 2023•47 min•Ep. 129
In the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord declares: “For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads” ( Doctrine and Covenants 25:12 ). Ryan Eggett , a music manager for the Church’s Priesthood and Family Department — and the former director of the Provo Missionary Training Center choir and the choir at the Utah Valley Institute of Religion — joins this episode of the Church News podcast....
Mar 21, 2023•42 min•Ep. 128
