2024 Spring LDS Conference Issue

A look at the life and service of the leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as he approaches his 100th birthday

Russell M. Nelson CONFERENCE

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Spring 2024 General Conference

CONFERENCE

Table of Contents:

4

A Life’s Work: Russell M. Nelson

10

8 President of a Worldwide Church: A timeline

The Human Heart: As a physician, Nelson developed groundbreaking methodologies

Six Years of Leadership: Major policy changes made during Nelson’s time as president

14 Temple Construction: More than 150 temples announced by President Russell M. Nelson

24 Utah Temple Construction

30

1200

332

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A Life’s Work: Russell M. Nelson

Before he became the leader of a church with more than 17 million members, Russell M. Nelson was a child, a high school valedictorian, a husband, a parent and a surgeon. He served in the military and held various leadership positions in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including becoming a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

On Sept. 9, 2024, Russell M. Nelson will celebrate his 100th birthday. Here is a collection of highlights in the life of Russell M. Nelson stretching from his birth in 1924 to 2018, when he became president of the Church.

SEPT. 9, 1924

Born to Marion C. and Edna Anderson Nelson in Salt Lake City.

1941

Graduated from East High School in Salt Lake City as the valedictorian. At age 16, he was the youngest member of his class.

1945

Received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Utah.

AUG. 31, 1945

Married Dantzel White in the Salt Lake Temple.

1945-1947

Served in the United States Navy Reserve.

AUGUST 1947

Graduated first in his class with his M.D. degree from the University of Utah. He went on to serve residencies at University of Minnesota Hospitals and Massachusetts General Hospital.

JULY 1948

The Nelsons’ first child, Marsha, was born. They would have eight more daughters and one son over the next several years.

1951-1953

Served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps during the Korean War.

1954

Awarded his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota.

1955

Accepted a faculty position at the University of Utah’s medical school as assistant professor of surgery.

1955-66

Served as a Temple Square missionary, helping visitors from 4 to 5 p.m. each Thursday.

NOV. 9, 1955

Performed the first open-heart surgery in Utah at age 31.

President Nelson at 28 months old in 1927.

Russell M. Nelson as a teen.

Russell & Dantzel

Russell M. Nelson college graduation 1947

Photos

1964-1971

Served as president of the Salt Lake Bonneville Stake.

1968-1984

Served as director of the thoracic surgical residency program at the University of Utah.

1970

Received an honorary doctor of science degree from Brigham Young University.

1971-1979

Served as general president of the Sunday School organization.

MARCH 1972

The Nelson’s 10th child, Russell Marion Nelson Jr., is born.

APRIL 12, 1972

Performed life-saving open-heart surgery for President Spencer W. Kimball, who lived 13 more years and went on to serve as 12th president of the Church.

FEB. 6, 1977

Ordained his father, Marion Nelson, an elder in the Melchizedek Priesthood. The following month, Marion and Edna Nelson and their children were sealed in the Provo Utah Temple.

1979-1984

Served as regional representative for the Church.

SEPTEMBER 1980

Accepted a role as visiting professor of surgery at the Shandong Medical College in Jinan, China, and developed relationships with Chinese doctors.

APRIL 7, 1984

Ordained an apostle and set apart as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles at age 59.

1985-1990

Assigned to oversee the Church’s affairs in Europe and Africa, with special assignment to open nations in Eastern Europe under communist rule for the preaching of the gospel.

MARCH 4, 1985

Performed his last open-heart operation. It was performed on famous Chinese opera star Fang Rongxiang.

APRIL 19, 1987

Dedicated Hungary for the preaching of the gospel.

Russell M. Nelson, surgeon

Russell M. Nelson with son Russell, 1972

Russell M. Nelson in 1984

Nelson Family Portrait

Russell & Dantzel in the 1980s

1989

Received an honorary doctor of medical science degree from Utah State University.

FEB. 13, 1990

Dedicated Bulgaria for the preaching of the gospel.

1994

Received an honorary doctor of humane letters degree from Snow College.

JAN. 29 1995

The Nelsons’ sixth daughter, Emily, died of cancer at age 37, leaving behind a husband and five children.

MAY 18, 1997

Dedicated the Sao Paulo Brazil Missionary Training Center, one of the Church’s first two international MTCs.

FEB. 12, 2005

Dantzel Nelson died after nearly 60 years of marriage.

APRIL 6, 2006

Married Wendy L. Watson in the Salt Lake Temple.

SEPTEMBER 2010

Dedicated six countries on the Balkan Peninsula for the preaching of the gospel: Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Macedonia.

OCT. 6, 2012

Served as chairman of the Missionary Executive Council when President Thomas S. Monson announced a minimum-age change for missionaries. As an apostle, he also served as chairman of the Temple and Family History Executive Council and the Priesthood and Family Executive Council.

2015-2018

Served as president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Quotea

“When you make choices, I invite you to take the long view — an eternal view. Put Jesus Christ first because your eternal life is dependent upon your faith in Him and in His Atonement. It is also dependent upon your obedience to His laws. Obedience paves the way for a joyful life for you today and a grand, eternal reward tomorrow.”

- Russell M. Nelson, October 2023 General Conference

Quotea

“To be sure, there may be times when you feel as though the heavens are closed. But I promise that as you continue to be obedient, expressing gratitude for every blessing the Lord gives you, and as you patiently honor the Lord’s timetable, you will be given the knowledge and understanding you seek. Every blessing the Lord has for you—even miracles—will follow. That is what personal revelation will do for you.”

- Russell M. Nelson, April 2018 General Conference

Sao Paulo Brazil Missionary Training Center

Russell & Wendy Nelson married April 6, 2006

The Human Heart

As a physician, Nelson developed groundbreaking methodologies

From University of Utah Health Reprinted with permission

There was a time in the 1920s when it was considered absurd to work on the human heart.

By the time Russell M. Nelson, M.D., attended medical school at the University of Utah, little progress had been made.

“When we were in medical school we were taught that one must never touch the beating heart,” said Nelson, remembering his early years of medical training in the late 1940s and early 1950s. “If you touched it, it would stop beating.”

Nelson, a cardiothoracic surgeon known for building the first heartlung bypass machine used on a human, reflected on the advances made in his discipline in his keynote address at an Oct. 8, 2015, University of Utah School of Medicine alumni event celebrating 60 years of cardiac surgery in Utah.

Division Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Professor of Surgery Craig Selzman, M.D., gave a brief historical presentation of the division, hailing Nelson as one of its founding fathers and a true visionary.

“In the ‘50s, heart surgery was

considered an experiment,” said Selzman.

Nelson helped lead Utah and the nation to a better understanding of the human heart. Utah was the third state in the country to have a physician perform open heart surgery on a person.

Nelson’s interest in studying the human heart became a passion after seeing an early experimental version of the heart-lung bypass machine during his residency and Ph.D. studies at the University of Minnesota.

“In 1948, I helped build the first machine ever to sustain the life of a dog for 30 minutes,” said Nelson.

When the machine was ready to use on human patients, it couldn’t be moved due to its size.

So Nelson and his colleagues began again, creating the first heart-lung bypass machine used for the first open heart operation performed on a human being in March 1951.

“The patient was a very complicated case and did not survive the surgery,” said Nelson.

But this brought Nelson and his colleagues to a whole new level of learning.

“What do you do once you can get inside the beating heart?” asked Nelson. “This was a whole new chapter for us.”

Nelson returned to the University of Utah in 1955 as an assistant professor of surgery and the director of the Thoracic Surgery Residency Program. In Utah, he developed his own updated version of the heartlung bypass machine.

His machine was used during the first open heart operation in Utah on Nov. 9, 1955, at Salt Lake Gener-

al Hospital. Patient Vernell Worthen had an atrial septal defect and lived for many years after the surgery.

“Our machine got a little better,” said Nelson. “We finally knew what we had to have, and at that point got a professional machine company to create the device.”

Nelson shared this knowledge and technology across the world.

In 1980, he trained heart surgeons at three universities in China, and it was there that he performed his last open heart surgery in 1985.

Nelson retired from surgery after he was called to the Quorum of the 12 Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1984.

“I’m very grateful for the privilege it’s been to one who could make a contribution to medicine,” said Nelson.

Lyle Joyce, M.D., a cardiovascular surgeon at the Mayo Clinic, learned firsthand from Nelson as a student. He referred to Nelson a “master teacher with consistent surgical technique.”

But Nelson’s impact didn’t end there.

“He was a master of looking for the good in people,” said Joyce. “This was very encouraging and helped spur me forward.”

Russell M. Nelson, M.D. Awards

& Achievements

• Bachelor’s degree in 1945 and an M.D. in 1947, both from the University of Utah

• Elected to Phi Beta Kappa and Alpha Omega Alpha honor societies

• Trained at Massachusetts General Hospital and University of Minnesota, where he received Ph.D. in 1954

• University of Utah professor of surgery and director of the Thoracic Surgery Residency Program

• Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Utah

• Heart of Gold Award from the American Heart Association

• Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement

• Honorary professorships from three universities in the People’s Republic of China

“God wants us to work together and help each other. That is why He sends us to earth in families and organizes us into wards and stakes. That is why He asks us to serve and minister to each other. That is why He asks us to live in the world but not be of the world. We can accomplish so much more together than we can alone.”

- Russell M. Nelson, April 2021 General Conference

President of a worldwide Church

President Russell M. Nelson has accomplished a great deal during his tenure as prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Here are some of the most prominent events and activities he has been involved with during his time as president of the Church.

JAN. 14, 2018

Ordained and set apart as the 17th president of the Church after the death of President Thomas S. Monson.

MARCH 31-APRIL 1, 2018

Sustained in a solemn assembly during General Conference; announced that ministering will replace home and visiting teaching and Melchizedek Priesthood quorums are to be combined.

APRIL 12-23, 2018

Embarked on a global ministry with stops in London, England; Jerusalem; Nairobi, Kenya; Harare, Zimbabwe; Bengaluru, India; Bangkok, Thailand; Hong Kong, China; and Laie, Hawaii.

MAY 17, 2018

Released a joint statement with national leadership of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

JUNE 3, 2018

Spoke during a worldwide devotional for youth in the Conference Center and invited them to join the Lord’s youth battalion.

AUG. 16, 2018

Issued a statement about the correct name of the Church, initiating changes to the names of Church communication channels.

OCT. 19-28, 2018

During a South American ministry trip, visited Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay and Chile. The trip culminated with dedication of the Concepcion Chile Temple.

MARCH 10, 2019

Dedicated the Rome Italy Temple, with every member of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in attendance.

MAY 17-24, 2019

During a Pacific ministry trip, visited Hawaii, Samoa, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga and Tahiti.

JULY 21, 2019

Spoke at the NAACP national convention in Detroit, Michigan.

AUG. 24-SEPT. 1, 2019

Traveled to five countries in Central and South America: Guatemala, Colombia, Ecuador, Argentina and Brazil.

SEPT. 9, 2019

Honored as “a heart healer” during his 95th birthday celebration in the Conference Center.

NOV. 15-22, 2019

Traveled to four countries in Southeast Asia: Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam and Cambodia.

NOV. 20, 2020

Invited all to #GiveThanks in a worldwide message on the healing power of gratitude.

MAY 1, 2021

Announced plans to preserve the pioneer craftsmanship as well as hand-painted murals inside the Manti Utah temple as well as plans to build a new temple in Ephraim.

JUNE 14, 2021

Announced educational and humanitarian initiatives with the NAACP.

AUG. 12, 2021

With the First Presidency, issued a statement urging Church members to wear face masks when needed and get vaccinated against COVID-19.

SEPT. 15, 2021

Launched a Spanish Instagram account to better connect with Hispanic Latter-day Saints around the world. It is the first Spanish-only social media account created by any senior Church leader.

APRIL 3, 2022

With the announcement of 17 new temples in General Conference, reached a total of 100 temples announced since he became president of the Church.

APRIL 14, 2022

Became the oldest president of the Church.

Conception Chile Temple dedication

Interior murals of the Manti Temple

Photos courtesy of Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

MAY 15, 2022

Spoke during a worldwide devotional for young adults in the Conference Center about three fundamental truths to prepare them for eternity.

AUG. 8, 2022

Became the Church’s longest-living apostle in the latter-day dispensation.

AUG. 14, 2022

Rededicated the Washington D.C. Temple.

AUG. 27, 2022

Dedicated the site of the future Ephraim Utah Temple during groundbreaking services.

OCT. 8, 2022

Dedicated the site of the future Heber Valley Utah Temple during groundbreaking services.

APRIL 13, 2023

Received Ghandi-King-Mandela Peace Prize from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia.

JUNE 15, 2023

Following his April 2 General Conference talk titled “Peacemakers Needed,” President Nelson encouraged individuals to become peacemakers in posts he made on Facebook and Instagram.

JUNE 22, 2023

With the First Presidency, announced the release of the second edition of “Preach My Gospel: A Guide to Sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

AUG. 1, 2023

Shared six ways to disagree peacefully and respectfully in a social media post.

MAY 16, 2023

With other members of the First Presidency, met with Csaba Korosi, president of the General Assembly of the United Nations. This was the first time a president of the General Assembly has met with the First Presidency at Church headquarters in Salt Lake City.

AUG. 30, 2023

Donated his medical journals to the University of Utah.

SEPT. 9, 2023

Turned 99 years old. Celebrated on Sept. 8 with members of his family and his counselors in the First Presidency.

Washington D.C. Temple rededication

Photos courtesy of Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

OCT. 1, 2023

Invited Church members to “Think celestial” and “put Jesus Christ first” during a General Conference address. His address was pre-recorded and played at the conference; Nelson shared on Sept. 28 that he would participate in the conference remotely due to a back injury.

Donated medical journals Celebrating

Six Years of Leadership

Major policy changes made during Nelson’s time as church president

Many major policy changes, as well as facilities announcements, have been made during President Russell M. Nelson’s service as leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Here is a list of some of the most notable announcements made by the church while he has served as its president.

MARCH 31, 2018

Elder Gerrit W. Gong and Elder Ulisses Soares are sustained as members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

MARCH 31, 2018

Priesthood quorums are restructured; high priests and elders are combined into one elders quorum.

APRIL 1, 2018

Ministering replaces home and visiting teaching.

MAY 8, 2018

A joint statement from the Church and the Boy Scouts of America is released stating that, effective Dec. 31, 2019, the Church will conclude its relationship as a chartered organization with all Scouting programs around the world.

SEPT. 5, 2018

Missionaries will now receive their assignments online instead of in the mail.

OCT. 6, 2018

President Nelson announces a home-centered, Church-supported approach to gospel learning with “Come, Follow Me.” The Sunday meeting schedule is shortened to a two-hour block.

OCT. 30, 2018

The Church announces that some church pageants, including the Mormon Miracle Pageant in Manti, will be discontinued.

Elder Gerrit W. Gong

Elder Ulisses Soares

DEC. 14, 2018

Progression within youth programs is altered: children in Primary, Young Men and Young women will now move forward at the beginning of each year instead of on their birthdays. This results in earlier ordination for some boys in the priesthood.

DEC. 20, 2018

FEB. 15, 2019

Missionaries are allowed to communicate with their families each week on their preparation day via text messages, online messages, phone calls and video chats.

APRIL 4, 2019

Children who have LGBT parents may be baptized into the faith without prior approval of the church’s First Presidency if the parents give permission and understand the doctrine children will be taught.

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Mormon Miracle Pageant. Photo courtesy of The Pyramid

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Sister missionaries may now wear dress pants if desired.

Salt Lake Temple under rennovation

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APRIL 19, 2019

Plans are unveiled for a major structural and seismic renovation of the Salt Lake Temple.

MAY 6, 2019

The waiting period of one year following a civil marriage before obtaining a temple sealing is discontinued.

JULY 19, 2019

Stakes in the United States and Canada will sponsor Strength of Youth conferences modeled after Brigham Young University’s Especially for Youth program.

OCT. 2, 2019

Women, youth and children may now serve as witnesses of sealing and baptismal ordinances.

“Leading your dental team to success.”

OCT. 5-6, 2019

The discontinuation of ward Young Men presidencies, other organizational changes for youth and revised temple recommend questions are announced during General Conference.

JAN. 17, 2020

Adjustments made to temple ceremonial clothing to make them more simple, comfortable and cost effective.

JAN. 30, 2020

A new general handbook is released for all Church leaders and members.

MARCH 11, 2020

A significant change to the format of the April 2020 General Conference is announced. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, attendance at conference sessions is limited to a small number of general authorities, general officers and their spouses, technicians and others; the public will not gather to watch the sessions in the conference center or at meetinghouses where the contagion is a concern.

Usage of the Church’s formal name emphasized

On Aug. 16, 2018, the Church issued a statement from President Russell M. Nelson regarding the name of the Church:

“The Lord has impressed upon my mind the importance of the name He has revealed for His Church, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We have work before us to bring ourselves in harmony with His will. In recent weeks, various Church leaders and departments have initiated the necessary steps to do so. Additional information about this important matter will be made available in the coming months.”

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Two months later, in the October 2018 General Conference, President Nelson elaborated on the issue.

“For much of the world, the Lord’s Church is presently disguised as the ‘Mormon Church.’ But we as members of the Lord’s Church know who stands at its head: Jesus Christ Himself,” President Nelson said. “I realize with profound regret that we have unwittingly acquiesced in the Lord’s restored Church being called by other names, each of which expunges the sacred name of Jesus Christ!”

The statement led to adjustments in the names of church organizations, social media channels and more. These included:

• The Church’s official website, LDS.org, became ChurchofJesusChrist. org; MormonNewsroom.org became Newsroom.ChurchofJesusChrist. org; and Mormon.org became ComeUntoChrist.org.The Church’s wireless network for chapels and facilities, formerly named “LDSAccess,” was renamed “Liahona.”

• LDS Charities was renamed Latter-day Saint Charities, and LDS Family Services was renamed Family Services.

• Many of the Church’s mobile apps were renamed: LDS Tools became Member Tools; LDS Media Library became Gospel Media; LDS Music became Sacred Music; and LDS Sing-Along became Sing-Along Hymns.

FSY Conferences announced

Conference during COVID-19 pandemic

APRIL 4-5, 2020

President Nelson introduces a new Church symbol during General Conference and leads the Hosanna Shout after issuing “The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ: A Bicentennial Proclamation to the World.”

JUNE 12, 2020

It is announced that Area Presidencies have been given the ability to adjust missionary attire in specific locations to improve and maintain missionary dignity, safety, effectiveness, approachability and cultural sensitivity while properly representing the Lord and His Church. These exceptions included the possibility of wearing a white or plain blue dress shirt without a tie.

AUG. 14, 2020

Church magazines are consolidated from four to three publications, with the name of the New Era youth magazine changed to For the Strength of Youth and the Ensign magazine for adults now known as the Liahona.

FEB. 1, 2021

An 18-month renovation of the plaza on Temple Square between the Church Office Building and Joseph Smith Memorial Building is announced.

MAY 24, 2021

Time-only marriages within temples are discontinued.

JUNE 7, 2021

The Saturday evening session held during General Conference is discontinued. On July 27, it is announced that following “additional study and prayer,” the session will again be held but in a different format.

OCT. 2, 2021

Reconstruction of the Provo Utah temple is announced.

DEC. 1, 2021

Select stakes, districts and missions move to a new online process for issuing temple recommends.

New church symbol

Temple Square plaza renovation

AUG. 4, 2022

The Church endorses its first female military chaplain.

AUG. 11, 2022

“Tithing settlement” will now be known as “tithing declaration.”

SEPT. 14, 2022

The Church gives the United Nations World Food Programme a $32 million donation, the largest one-time contribution to a humanitarian organization made by the Church to this date.

NOV. 29, 2022

The Church announces that the Lion House, the Beehive House and the Joseph Smith Memorial Building will close in 2023 for renovations.

APRIL 28, 2023

The First Presidency announces that in 2024, all ages will study the Book of Mormon using one manual titled “Come, Follow Me - For Home and Church” instead of separate manuals for Primary, Sunday School, Young Women classes and Aaronic Priesthood quorum meetings.

SEPT. 17, 2023

Temples are dedicated in Moses Lake, Washington; Bentonville, Arkansas; and Brasilia, Brazil. It’s the first time in the history of the Church that three temples are dedicated on the same day.

SEPT. 29, 2023

The Church announces that “Hymns - For Home and Church,” an update to the Church’s current hymnbook, will be released by the end of 2026 in four languages, with others languages to follow. The new book will combine hymns and children’s songs into one collection. Some new songs will be released digitally during the first half of 2024.

NOV. 1, 2023

The Church announces it will create 36 new missions to accommodate the rising number of missionaries. This puts the total number of missions at 450, the highest number in Church history.

NOV. 27, 2023

The 2023 Light the World Giving Machines campaign is launched in Times Square in New York City.

New hymnbook announced

DEC. 1, 2023

New worldwide, uniform standards for the creation and adjustment of ward and stake boundaries are announced. Effective Jan. 1, 2024, the new standards eliminate differences previously existing between wards and stakes in the United States and Canada and the rest of the countries where the Church is currently organized.

DEC. 7, 2023

Elder Patrick Kearon is ordained a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Reconstruction of Provo Temple announced

Large donation made to United Nations World

Programme

Brasilia, Brazil temple dedication, Sept. 17, 2023

DEC. 13, 2023

A new Missionary Training Center is announced. It will be located in Bangkok, Thailand.

FEB. 29, 2024

Announcement is made that a record number of Giving Machines were made available during the 2023 Christmas season. Set up in 61 locations around the world, the machines were visited by about 600,000 individuals who contributed $10.4 million in donations.

Ministering to replace home and visiting teaching

During his first General Conference as prophet, President Russell M. Nelson announced that the Church’s home and visiting teaching programs would be replaced by a coordinated, more personal approach called “ministering.”

“For months, we have been seeking a better way to minister to the spiritual and temporal needs of our people in the Savior’s way,” President Nelson said. “We have made the decision to retire home teaching and visiting teaching as we have known them. Instead, we will implement a newer, holier approach to caring and ministering to others,” he said.

Unlike the previous programs of home and visiting teaching, ministering would not include a set monthly message in the Church magazines nor a prescribed way to keep in contact, such as in-home, face-to-face visits each month.

The new method would focus on flexibility to the needs and circumstances of individuals throughout the world coupled with quarterly face-to-face interviews between leadership and everyday members about personal and family needs.

Church membership growth during President Nelson’s lifetime

Sources: 2013 Church Almanac and churchofjesuschrist.org

*Most current data available

Light the World campaign

Elder Patrick Kearon

MARCH 5, 2024

The Church announces that the responsibility and ownership for the Kirtland Temple, several historic buildings in Nauvoo and various manuscripts and artifacts have been officially transferred from Community of Christ to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Quotea

“Brothers and sisters, the gospel of Jesus Christ has never been needed more than it is today. Contention violates everything the Savior stood for and taught. I love the Lord Jesus Christ and testify that His gospel is the only enduring solution for peace. His gospel is a gospel of peace.”

- Russell M. Nelson, April 2022 General Conference

New ordinance witness policy announced

In October 2019, a new Church policy was announced related to the witnessing of ordinances. This policy allowed any baptized member of the Church to serve as a witness of the baptism of a living person outside of the temple.

Also, anyone holding a current temple recommend, including a limited-use recommend, could serve as a witness of a proxy bap -

tism of a deceased person in the temple.

Likewise, any endowed Church member with a current temple recommend could serve as a witness to sealing ordinances in the temple, whether living or proxy.

This change meant women and youth could now serve as witnesses for baptismal and sealing ordinances.

Quotea

“Today we often hear about ‘a new normal.’ If you really want to embrace a new normal, I invite you to turn your heart, mind, and soul increasingly to our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. Let that be your new normal.”

- Russell M. Nelson, October 2020 General Conference

Kirtland Temple

Photo courtesy of Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

COVID: Temples shut down, missionary work adjusted

The COVID-19 pandemic brought with it many challenges that required adaptation in Church operations. During March 2020, a variety of announcements were made by the Church, including:

• Church gatherings were suspended worldwide.

• All temples were closed.

• The April General Conference would be broadcast from a small auditorium in the Church Office Building.

- MTCs worldwide would receive no new missionaries; all new missionaries would be trained online. Missionaries continued to be called, but some were temporarily reassigned to other missions and others returned home a few months early. For a time, young missionaries needing to work primarily from their apartments continued teaching using technology.

The April 2020 General Conference was broadcast from a small audito -

Sunday church services reduced to

2 hours

On Oct. 6, 2018, President Russell M. Nelson announced a major change to the schedule of worship services each week in Church of Jesus Christ chapels worldwide.

Prior to this announcement, Church members attended three consecutive hours of worship services each Sunday. This format was first implemented in 1980; prior to that, Church meetings were held throughout the Sabbath day and during the week.

President Nelson announced the change during an address to the Church membership that opened the 188th Semiannual General Conference.

“As Latter-day Saints, we have become accustomed to thinking of ‘church’ as something that happens in our meetinghouses, supported by what happens at home. We need an adjustment to this pattern. It is time for a home-centered Church, supported by what takes place inside our branch, ward, and stake buildings,” Nelson said.

President Nelson then turned the time over to Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to provide details of the forthcoming adjustments.

“The Sunday meeting schedule will be adjusted in the following ways, beginning in January 2019,” Elder Cook said. “The Sunday Church meetings will consist of a 60-minute sacrament meeting each Sunday, focused on the Savior, the ordinance of the sacrament, and spiritual messages. After time for transition to classes, Church members will attend a 50-minute class that will alternate each Sunday. Sunday School will be held on the first and third Sundays. Priesthood quorums, Relief Society and Young Women meetings will be held on the second and fourth Sundays. Meetings on the fifth Sunday will be under the direction of the bishop. Primary will be held each week during this same 50-minute period and will include singing time and classes.”

rium in the Church Office Building. The First Presidency presided at and conducted the sessions, and only those who were invited to speak or pray were in attendance. The music was prerecorded.

The October 2020 General Conference followed a similar format to that in April 2020 but was held in the Conference Center Theater. Members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles sat masked and socially distanced across the theater’s stage.

The April 2021 General Conference

was again held in the Conference Center with attendance limited to speakers and their spouses.

In October 2021, General Conference returned to the Conference Center’s main auditorium, albeit with limited attendance. Up to 900 people were cleared to be in the auditorium during each of the conference sessions, although actual attendance was well below that number. Live music was provided by members of the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square for the first time since October 2019.

Quotea

“Contention is a choice. Peacemaking is a choice. You have your agency to choose contention or reconciliation. I urge you to choose to be a peacemaker, now and always.”

- Russell M. Nelson, April 2023 General Conference

Temple Construction

More than 150 temples announced by President Russell M. Nelson

When Russell M. Nelson was ordained and set apart as the 17th president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Jan. 14, 2018, it began an unprecedented era of temple building within the Church.

In the years just prior to his presidency, the Church was announcing new temples regularly, but in much smaller numbers. In 2015, three new temples were announced; in 2016, four were announced; and in 2017, five were announced.

On April 1, 2018, when President Nelson made his first announcement of new temples during

General Conference, he announced seven new temples. Six months later, in the October 2018 General Conference, he announced an additional 12 new temples.

Since then, he has twice announced 20 new temples during one conference.

In fact, since becoming leader of the Church, President Nelson has announced a total of 153 new temples. Twenty-eight of these new temples will be the first built in their nation or state.

At the time of the April 2018 General Conference, the Church had 159 functioning temples,

meaning President Nelson has now announced nearly as many new temples as were operating when he became leader of the church.

APRIL 1, 2018

1. Salta, Argentina

2. Bengaluru, India*

3. Managua Nicaragua*

Here is a complete list of all the temples announced by President Nelson according to the date of their announcement.

4. Cagayan de Oro, Philippines

5. Layton, Utah

6. Richmond, Virginia*

7. Russia (specific city unnamed)*

The Singapore Temple, the first to be built in the Republic of Singapore, is in the planning and approval phase. A location has been announced and this rendering released by the Church. The temple was announced by President Russell M. Nelson on April 4, 2021. Photo courtesy Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

OCTOBER 7, 2018

8. Mendoza, Argentina

9. Salvador, Brazil

10. Yuba City, California

11. Phnom Penh, Cambodia*

12. Praia, Cape Verde*

13. Yigo, Guam*

14. Puebla, Mexico

15. Auckland, New Zealand

16. Lagos, Nigeria

17. Davao, Phili.ppines

18. San Juan, Puerto Rico*

19. Washington County, Utah

APRIL 7, 2019

20. Pago Pago, American Samoa*

21. Okinawa City, Okinawa

22. Neiafu, Tonga

23. Tooele Valley, Utah

24. Moses Lake, Washington

25. San Pedro Sula, Honduras

26. Antofagasta, Chile

27. Budapest, Hungary*

* Denotes first temple to be locaed in this nation or state

The Salta Argentina Temple, shown here in an architectural rendering, was the first temple announced by President Russell M. Nelson. This temple will be dedicated on June 16, 2024. Photo courtesy Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

OCTOBER 5, 2019

28. Freetown, Sierra Leone*

29. Orem, Utah

30. Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea*

31. Bentonville, Arkansas*

32. Bacolod, Philippines

33. McAllen, Texas

34. Cobán, Guatemala

35. Taylorsville, Utah

APRIL 5, 2020

36. Bahía Blanca, Argentina

37. Tallahassee, Florida

38. Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo

39. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

40. Benin City, Nigeria

41. Syracuse, Utah

42. Dubai, United Arab Emirates*

43. Shanghai, People’s Republic of China

OCTOBER 4, 2020

44. Tarawa, Kiribati*

45. Port Vila, Vanuatu*

46. Lindon, Utah

47. Greater Guatemala City, Guatemala

48. São Paulo East, Brazil

49. Santa Cruz, Bolivia

APRIL 4, 2021

This is the second-highest number of temples announced at one time in the history of the Church. At the April 1998 general conference, former Church President Gordon B. Hinckley announced plans to construct as many as 32 new temples, though he did not list specific locations.

50. Oslo, Norway*

51. Brussels, Belgium*

52. Vienna, Austria*

53. Kumasi, Ghana

54. Beira, Mozambique*

55. Cape Town, South Africa

56. Singapore, Republic of Singapore*

57. Belo Horizonte, Brazil

58. Cali, Colombia

59. Querétaro, Mexico

60. Torreón, Mexico

61. Helena, Montana

62. Casper, Wyoming

63. Grand Junction, Colorado

64. Farmington, New Mexico

65. Burley, Idaho

66. Eugene, Oregon

67. Elko, Nevada

68. Yorba Linda, California

69. Smithfield, Utah

This architectural rendering shows the Port Moresby Papua New Guinea Temple, which is currently under construction. Announced by President Russell M. Nelson on October 5, 2019, the temple will be the first in Papua New Guinea. Completion is estimated for early to mid-2026. Photo courtesy Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

MAY 1, 2021

70. Ephraim, Utah

OCTOBER 3, 2021

71. Kaohsiung, Taiwan

72. Tacloban City, Philippines

73. Monrovia, Liberia*

74. Kananga, Democratic Republic of the Congo

75. Antananarivo, Madagascar*

76. Culiacán, México

77. Vitória, Brazil

78. La Paz, Bolivia

79. Santiago West, Chile

80. Fort Worth, Texas

81. Cody, Wyoming

82. Rexburg North, Idaho

83. Heber Valley, Utah

APRIL 3, 2022

84. Wellington, New Zealand

85. Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo*

86. Barcelona, Spain

87. Birmingham, United Kingdom

88. Cusco, Peru

89. Maceió, Brazil

90. Santos, Brazil

91. San Luis Potosí, Mexico

92. Mexico City Benemérito, Mexico

93. Tampa, Florida

94. Knoxville, Tennessee

95. Cleveland, Ohio

96. Wichita, Kansas*

97. Austin, Texas

98. Missoula, Montana

99. Montpelier, Idaho

100. Modesto, California

President Russell M. Nelson turns the first dirt at the groundbreaking of the Ephraim, Utah Temple August 27, 2022. Photo by Marci Harris

OCTOBER 2, 2022

101. Busan, Korea

102. Naga, Philippines

103. Santiago, Philippines

104. Eket, Nigeria

105. Chiclayo, Peru

106. Buenos Aires City Center, Argentina

107. Londrina, Brazil

108. Ribeirão Prêto, Brazil

109. Huehuetenango, Guatemala

110. Jacksonville, Florida

111. Grand Rapids, Michigan

112. Prosper, Texas

113. Lone Mountain, Nevada

114. Tacoma, Washington

115. Cuernavaca, Mexico

116. Pachuca, Mexico

117. Toluca, Mexico

118. Tula, Mexico

APRIL 2, 2023

119. Retalhuleu, Guatemala

120. Iquitos, Peru

121. Teresina, Brazil

122. Natal, Brazil

123. Tuguegarao City, Philippines

124. Iloilo, Philippines

125. Jakarta, Indonesia*

126. Hamburg, Germany

127. Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada

128. San Jose, California

129. Bakersfield, California

130. Springfield, Missouri

131. Winchester, Virginia

132. Charlotte, North Carolina

133. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

OCTOBER 1, 2023

This is the second time President Nelson announced 20 new temples, the first being on April 4, 2021.

134. Savai’i, Samoa

135. Kahului, Hawaii

136. Fairbanks, Alaska

137. Vancouver, Washington

138. Colorado Springs, Colorado

139. Tulsa, Oklahoma

140. Roanoke, Virginia

141. Cancún, Mexico

142. Piura, Peru

143. Huancayo, Peru

144. Viña del Mar, Chile

145. Goiânia, Brazil

146. João Pessoa, Brazil

147. Cape Coast, Ghana

148. Calabar, Nigeria

149. Luanda, Angola*

150. Mbuji-Mayi, Democratic Republic of the Congo

151. Laoag, Philippines

152. Osaka, Japan

153. Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia*

* Denotes first temple to be locaed in this nation or state

Quotea

“Let us never lose sight of what the Lord is doing for us now. He is making His temples more accessible. He is accelerating the pace at which we are building temples. He is increasing our ability to help gather Israel. He is also making it easier for each of us to become spiritually refined. I promise that increased time in the temple will bless your life in ways nothing else can.”

- Russell M. Nelson, October 2022 General Conference

The San Juan Puerto Rico Temple was announced by President Russell M. Nelson on October 7, 2018, and was dedicated on Jan. 15, 2023. It is the first temple to be built in Puerto Rico. Photo courtesy Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

Utah Temple Construction

While President Russell M. Nelson’s announcements of new temples have spurred planning and construction efforts in nations around the world, Utah has also experienced an unprecedented period of temple construction during his time as Church president.

In addition to new temples being built in communities stretching from Smithfield to St. George, three of Utah’s four pioneer-era temples have undergone major renovations during his tenure as leader of the church and another modern-era temple is now being renovated.

Here is a list of Utah temples announced to be constructed or renovated by President Nelson and their current status.

ST. GEORGE UTAH TEMPLE

Renovation Completed

Renovation began Nov. 4, 2019

Rededicated Dec. 10, 2023

Total floor area: 143,969 sq. ft.

OREM UTAH TEMPLE

Completed

Announced October 5, 2019

Dedicated Jan. 21, 2024

Total floor area: 71,998 sq. ft.

RED CLIFFS UTAH TEMPLE

Completed

Announced October 7, 2018

Dedicated March 24, 2024

Total floor area: 96,277 sq. ft.

MANTI UTAH TEMPLE

Renovation Completed

Renovation began Oct. 2, 2021

Rededication scheduled for April 21, 2024

Total floor area: 74,792 sq. ft.

TAYLORSVILLE UTAH TEMPLE

Nearly Complete

Announced October 5, 2019

Public open house to be held April 13-May 18, 2024

Dedication scheduled for June 2, 2024

Total floor area: 70,460 sq. ft.

LAYTON UTAH TEMPLE

Nearly Complete

Announced April 1, 2018

Public open house to be held

April 19-June 1, 2024

Dedication scheduled for June 16, 2024

Total floor area: 87,000 sq. ft.

DESERET PEAK UTAH TEMPLE

Construction Underway

Announced April 7, 2019

Estimated completion: Mid-2024

Total floor area: 70,000 sq. ft.

SYRACUSE UTAH TEMPLE

Construction Underway

Announced April 5, 2020

Estimated completion:

Late 2024 to early 2025

Total floor area: 88,886 sq. ft.

LINDON UTAH TEMPLE

Construction Underway

Announced October 4, 2020

Estimated completion: Mid-2025

Total floor area: 87,005 sq. ft.

SMITHFIELD UTAH TEMPLE

Construction Underway

Announced April 4, 2021

Estimated completion:

Mid- to late 2025

Total floor area: 81,000 sq. ft.

EPHRAIM UTAH TEMPLE

Construction Underway

Announced May 1, 2021

Estimated completion:

Mid- to late 2025

Total floor area: 39,000 sq. ft.

SALT LAKE TEMPLE

Renovation Underway

Renovation began Dec. 29, 2019

Estimated completion: 2026

Total floor area:

Changing due to renovation

HEBER VALLEY UTAH TEMPLE

Ground Broken, Full Scale

Construction Pending

Announced October 3, 2021

Estimated completion: 2027

Total floor area: 87,626 sq. ft.

PROVO UTAH ROCK CANYON TEMPLE

(Formerly the Provo Utah Temple)

Renovation Underway

Renovation began Feb. 24, 2024

Estimated completion: 2027

Total floor area:

Changing due to renovation

Red Cliffs Utah Temple. Photo by Christi Babbitt.