The following is excerpted from the Church News. To read the full article, CLICK HERE.
As the year comes to a close, it’s an opportunity to reflect on what has happened in the Church in the last 12 months.
In 2023 the Church dedicated 11 temples and announced 36 new missions. Leaders also ordained a new Apostle.
Also in 2023 Church members mourned the loss of President M. Russell Ballard and the wives of a First Presidency counselor and two Apostles.
Here is a brief look back at the news of the Church in 2023:
January
- In his first official communication of 2023, President Russell M. Nelson on Jan. 1 shared three lessons he has learned as a deep sea fisherman to help others in the coming year.
- The new leaders of 134 missions around the world, including six new missions, were announced on Jan. 6.
- The Querétaro Mexico Temple groundbreaking was held on Jan. 7.
- Then-Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Sister Patricia Holland, spoke to young adults in a worldwide devotional on Jan. 8.
- On Jan. 10, FamilySearch announced the new name for the Family History Library in Salt Lake City — the FamilySearch Library.
- Leaders of UNICEF USA, senior Church leaders, and the Church’s Welfare and Self-Reliance Services Department celebrated 10 years of collaboration to help children and families around the world, on Jan. 12.
- Jan. 14 marked five years since President Nelson was set apart as the 17th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
- Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles dedicated the San Juan Puerto Rico Temple on Jan. 15.
- Sister Mary Hales, wife of the late Elder Robert D. Hales, died at age 90 on Jan. 15. President M. Russell Ballard, then acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, spoke at her funeral on Jan. 21.
- In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Jan. 16, Sister Kristin M. Yee of the Relief Society general presidency and Sister Tracy Y. Browning of the Primary general presidency participated in a drive-thru food drive in St. Louis, Missouri.
- On Jan. 23, the First Presidency announced plans to resize, reconstruct and relocate the Anchorage Alaska Temple. Construction will begin in early 2024.
- Members of the Church Educational System’s Executive Committee — including Elder Christofferson; Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson; the Church commissioner of education, Elder Clark G. Gilbert; and Elder Paul V. Johnson of the Presidency of the Seventy — all participated in the BYU–Hawaii weekly campus devotional on Jan. 24.
- During the Seminaries and Institutes of Religion annual training on Jan. 27, Elder Gilbert highlighted five prophetic themes for educators to utilize. During this training, changes to seminary credit requirements and updates to the official seminary objective statement were announced.
- Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles participated in a worldwide devotional for youth with then Young Women General President Bonnie H. Cordon and Young Men General President Steven J. Lund, on Jan. 29.
- Between Jan. 29 and Feb. 3, five members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke to young adults in U.S. college settings. Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf spoke at the Weber Institute of Religion (Jan. 29); Elder David A. Bednar spoke at Ensign College (Jan. 31); Elder Gary E. Stevenson spoke at the Utah Valley Institute of Religion (Feb. 3); Elder Dale G. Renlund spoke at the Tempe Arizona Institute of Religion (Jan. 29); and Elder Ulisses Soares spoke at BYU–Hawaii (Jan. 29).
February
- In the first devotional of its kind for Portuguese-speaking members in the Utah Area, Elder Soares and his wife, Sister Rosana Soares, and Elder Carlos A. Godoy of the Presidency of the Seventy and his wife, Sister Monica Godoy, spoke to around 3,500 devotional attendees in Provo, Utah.
- Following devastating earthquakes that hit Turkey and Syria on Feb. 6, the Europe Central Area presidency issued a statement of empathy and support in response. On Feb. 10, the Church reported it was sending an initial shipment of food, clothes, blankets, medical supplies, medicines, shelters, water, sanitation kits and other items to the victims of the back-to-back quakes of 7.8 and 7.6 magnitude.
- Elder Uchtdorf and his wife, Sister Harriet Uchtdorf, visited India on a Church assignment for the first time, Feb. 6-17.
To read the full article, CLICK HERE.