As the United States Celebrates Its 250th Anniversary, the First Presidency Invites Us to Fast

The First Presidency has sent a letter to Church leaders in the United States inviting members to be a part of a “unified fast to express gratitude for religious liberty and to pray that it may be strengthened throughout the world.” This will be held on July 5^th, the day following the 250^th anniversary of the United States.

In addition, a new video will become available at ChurchofJesusChrist.org in which President D. Todd Christofferson and Elder Quentin L. Cook will teach about the importance of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Wards and branches in the United States are invited to show this video at a fiftth-Sunday screening on May 31. It will probe how these two national documents support religious freedom and moral agency.

In addition service projects will be available throughout the year on JustServe and FamilySearch.

The intense interest in religious freedom for the Church of Jesus Christ lies both in the present and the past. Latter-day Saints were denied their basic human rights as citizens when they were driven from their homes twice in Missouri and again in Nauvoo. The reason was made to clear to them, even in written documents: we do not like your religion and we cannot tolerate you.

When Joseph Smith went to Washington to attempt to get help for the Saint’s situation, he was also interested in the persecution of any religion. This position was also reflected in his 1844 presidential bid.

In his journal of July 9, 1843, he wrote:” If it has been demonstrated that I have been willing to die for a Mormon, I am bold to declare before heaven that I am just as ready to die for a Presbyterian, a Baptist, or any other denomination. It is a love of liberty which inspires my soul. Civil and religious liberty were diffused into my soul by my grandfathers, while they dandled me on their knees.”

On the January 22, 1840, he wrote a newspaper editor:

“I believe that a religion is instituted of God and that men are amenable to him and to him only for the exercise of it unless their religious opinion prompts them to infringe upon the rights and liberty of others. But I do not believe that human law has a right to interfere in prescribing rules of worship to bind the consciences of men nor dictate forms for public or private devotion. The civil magistrate should restrain crime but never control conscience, should punish guilt but never suppress the freedom of the soul.”

In our day, many of our apostles have addressed public gatherings about the importance of religious freedom. President Dallin H. Oaks was awarded the Canterbury Medal for a lifetime of supporting religious liberty by the Becket Fund.

When he received the award he said:

“The free exercise of religion is the basic civil liberty because faith in God and His teachings and the active practice of religion are the most fundamental guiding realities of life.”

First Presidency Letter

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

The United States will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence throughout 2026. A new video will be available on ChurchofJesusChrist.org in which President D. Todd Christofferson and Elder Quentin L. Cook will offer instruction about the significance of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and related events that enabled the Restoration of the Church. All wards and branches in the United States are invited to use this video during a fifth-Sunday meeting on May 31 to discuss the importance of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution and how these documents support religious freedom and our God-given agency.

Additionally, on Sunday, July 5, 2026, all are invited to participate in a unified fast to express gratitude for religious liberty and to pray that it be strengthened throughout the world. Please convey this invitation to members of your stakes, wards, and branches beforehand so they can prayerfully consider the focus of their fast.

Over the course of 2026, members are also invited to participate in service projects and activities associated with the 250th anniversary observance, including projects organized through JustServe and FamilySearch.

Sincerely,

The First Presidency

Dallin H. Oaks
Henry B. Eyring
D. Todd Christofferson

Elder Cook to BYU Students: Follow the Prophets to Navigate the World of AI

To read more from Larry Richman, Visit Here.

Elder Quentin L. Cook challenged Brigham Young University students this week to increase their spirituality to better navigate the world of artificial intelligence.

In his devotional address, Elder Cook said, “choose truth when deception is easy. Slow down enough to listen to the Spirit and allow Him to direct you. We must all learn to use technology as a servant, not a master. The future of the Church and our very civilization depend on members and individuals who have deep faith, moral courage, and the ability to navigate an increasingly complex world.”

Elder Cook gave his counsel in the context of the accelerating shift now underway in society. He noted that BYU’s 150‑year history has spanned the agricultural, industrial, and information ages — and that today we are moving into the artificial intelligence age. This new era is marked not just by advanced computing power but by systems and algorithms capable of influencing attention, belief, and behavior. He said that these conditions heighten the need for discipleship rooted in spiritual clarity and moral agency.

He explained that technology can help advance the Lord’s work when used under the influence of the Spirit, but when used incorrectly, it can magnify confusion or compromise spiritual sensitivity.

Watch Elder Cook’s talk in the video below:

Elder Cook Counsels BYU Students to Follow the Prophets to Navigate the World of AI

Elder Quentin L. Cook challenged Brigham Young University students on Tuesday to increase their spirituality to better navigate the world of artificial intelligence.

“Choose truth when deception is easy,” the Apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints told students gathered in the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah, on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. “Slow down enough to listen to the Spirit and allow Him to direct you. We must all learn to use technology as a servant, not a master. The future of the Church and our very civilization depend on members and individuals who have deep faith, moral courage, and the ability to navigate an increasingly complex world.”

Elder Cook emphasized a 2018 teaching from President Russell M. Nelson that was reaffirmed last month at the same BYU pulpit by his successor, President Dallin H. Oaks: “In coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.”

“Listen to and follow the prophet, filter out the loud and confusing noise, and follow the Spirit,” Elder Cook said. “In this uniquely challenging time as we enter the artificial intelligence world, you would be wise to study the scriptures and follow the Lord’s prophet.”

Elder Cook placed his counsel in the broader context of the accelerating shift now underway in society. He noted that BYU’s 150‑year history has spanned the agricultural, industrial, and information ages — and that today’s students are now stepping squarely into what he called the “artificial intelligence age.” This new era, he explained, is marked not just by advanced computing power but by systems and algorithms capable of influencing attention, belief, and behavior.

These conditions, he said, heighten the need for discipleship rooted in spiritual clarity and moral agency.

He also spoke of the opportunities that come when disciples use technology to advance the Lord’s work. Missionary efforts and temple work, he said, have grown at an “almost exponential” pace as digital tools have made it easier to share the gospel and to gather Israel among the living and the dead. Elder Cook emphasized that innovations in information technology — when used under the influence of the Spirit — can strengthen faith, expand service, and help fulfill divinely appointed responsibilities.

Elder Cook warned, however, that the same technologies that amplify good can also magnify confusion or compromise spiritual sensitivity. He pointed to past examples, such as early film depictions of alcohol and cigarette use, to illustrate how cultural messaging can subtly normalize behaviors contrary to revealed doctrine.

Prophetic guidance, he taught, has consistently helped the Saints recognize those dangers early. In the AI age, he added, disciples will likewise need to cultivate discernment to identify voices and influences that obscure eternal truth.

Elder Cook said this moment calls for deliberate, Spirit-led discipleship. He encouraged students to deepen their character and accountability to God.

“Let me be clear,” he emphasized. “We want you to be successful in all aspects of your life — but not at the expense of faith and family.”

The Apostle’s message echoes the Church’s recent counsel on artificial intelligence, including updates in the “General Handbook” that encourage responsible, transparent use of AI and caution against tools or practices that could mislead or erode trust. Elder Cook’s invitation to “choose truth when deception is easy” and to let technology remain a servant rather than a master reinforces that guidance.

Elder Cook concluded by encouraging students to persevere through difficulty, deepen their discipleship, build character, and rely on the Spirit so they can contribute to the Lord’s work with confidence in an increasingly complex world.

“Please do not be discouraged as we all face these unique times,” he said. “I often contemplate the challenges that our early members in this dispensation faced in Kirtland, Missouri, Nauvoo, and crossing the plains. More importantly, let us never forget that it was not easy for the Savior in the volatile world during His mortal sojourn — especially in His final hours as He accomplished the Atonement.”

Funeral Services Planned for President Jeffrey R. Holland

Funeral services for President Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will be held in the Tabernacle on Temple Square on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. MST.

President Holland died on December 27, 2025, in Salt Lake City at the age of 85 (read more about his life).

The funeral will be open to the public, ages 8 and older. Seating in the Tabernacle will be available to the public with doors opening at 9:30 a.m. Admission to the Tabernacle will be on a space available basis. Overflow seating will be made available as appropriate.

President Dallin H. Oaks will preside and Elder Quentin L. Cook, a former mission companion of President Holland, will conduct the service. The program will include remarks by members of the Holland family. Music will be provided by the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square.

The funeral services will be streamed live and available on demand in 38 languages on ChurchofJesusChrist.org and on YouTube in 10 languages noted with an asterisk:

American Sign Language (ASL), Armenian, Albanian, British Sign Language (BSL), Cambodian, Cantonese, Cebuano, *Chinese (Trad.), Czech, Danish, Dutch, *English, Estonian, Finnish, *French, *German, Greek, Hungarian, Indonesian, *Italian, *Japanese, *Korean, Latvian, Lithuanian, *Mandarin, Mongolian, Norwegian, *Portuguese, Portuguese (Portugal), Romanian, *Russian, Samoan, *Spanish, Swedish, Tagalog, Tahitian, Thai, Tongan, and Ukrainian.

President Holland will be buried in his hometown of St. George, Utah, next to his wife, Patricia, who died in 2023.

Those wishing to send condolences can email them to [email protected].

Please follow The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ social media or visit Church Newsroom for further details about the funeral services and broadcast.

Apostles Share Christmas Messages with the World

The following comes from the Church Newsroom. To visit their website, CLICK HERE.

The First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are publishing heartfelt messages on social media in the days leading up to Christmas.

Senior leaders are bearing testimony of the Savior Jesus Christ and sharing various family memories and traditions.

Their posts can be seen below:

President Dallin H. Oaks

President Henry B. Eyring

President D. Todd Christofferson

President Jeffrey R. Holland

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Elder David A. Bednar

Elder Quentin L. Cook

Elder Cook and President Freeman Advance Interfaith Dialogue at New York Forum

The following is excerpted from the Church Newsroom. To read the rest of the article, CLICK HERE. 

Several leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — including Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Young Women General President Emily Belle Freeman — took part in the Forum on Faith in New York City on Thursday, October 9, 2025.

The forum brought together leaders from religion, government, business, education and the community to talk about the benefits of faith in strengthening individuals and societies. New York Governor Kathy Hochul and the Rev. Al Sharpton were present, among many others.

“Religious people believe that they’re accountable to God for their actions,” Elder Cook said. “It blesses all of society when you have a lot of people who have faith and feel like they are accountable to God for their conduct. Everything will go better. Our children will have greater lives and greater blessings if that occurs.”

Elder Cook expressed gratitude to Elder David R. Marriott, an Area Seventy, who serves on the New York Commission of Religious Leaders, for helping organize Thursday’s event. Members of the commission played a key role in the gathering, including His Eminence Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York, along with Rabbi Joseph Potasnik of the New York Board of Rabbis and the Rev. A. R. Bernard, CEO and pastor of the Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn. Elder Cook was also grateful for the participation of Dave Checketts, a Latter-day Saint, businessman and sports executive.

The Apostle briefly spoke twice at the event, first introducing Michael W. McConnell, a professor and director of Stanford Law School’s Constitutional Law Center, then presenting an award to William P. Mumma, who chairs the board at The Becket Fund.

Elder Cook called Professor McConnell a “friend to all faiths — my own faith included.”

“Professor McConnell’s great work and calling is to be one of the nation’s foremost scholars of constitutional law, with a particular focus on understanding and protecting religious freedom,” Elder Cook said. “His scholarship and public service have deepened our national commitment to a far richer understanding of the place of religion and thus the role of religious freedom — not only as an individual right, but as a cornerstone of a pluralistic and democratic society.”

After McConnell spoke, Elder Cook presented the “Preserving Religious Freedom” award to Mark Rienzi, president & CEO at The Becket Fund, who accepted on behalf of Mumma, who was unable to attend. Elder Cook praised The Becket Fund leader for his guidance through a period of historic successes protecting religious freedom, beginning in 2012 with the unanimous Supreme Court decision in Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. EEOC.

“That win was hailed by the Wall Street Journal as ‘among the most significant religious liberty cases in a half century’ because it affirmed that religious groups — not the government — must be free to choose who will guide their congregation,” Elder Cook said.

To read the rest of the article, CLICK HERE. 

General Conference: The Lord Offers Invitations and the Work Hastens

When President Russell M. Nelson died just a few days before, we knew we were in for a rare General Conference, and it was. Seamlessly, gracefully, the Church rolls on in power even when its beloved prophet has passed. The minute the prophet dies, the First Presidency is dissolved, and the Church is under the direction of the Quorum of the Twelve, with its senior apostle, President Dallin H. Oaks, leading and the Spirit of the Lord directing.

The keys and authority are intact.

Arguing, infighting, and jockeying for power is completely foreign in leadership change for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. President Nelson had already made assignments and given instruction for this conference, and his imprint was still upon it. Yet, it is the profound immersion of the Spirit that will continue to guide.

What a time this has been. Elder Quentin L. Cook began his talk by quoting the famous Charles Dickens quote, “It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.” The lethal attack on the Grand Blanc ward in Michigan reminds us quite personally of the unrest, division, and hatred that too often marks our civil dialogue, and we are still weeping for the dead, the wounded, and the traumatized of our fellow Latter-day Saints and all who are terrorized in news that has become all too frequent.

Yet, it is also the best of times. Elder Cook told us just how manifestly the Lord is hastening his work. “In the last 36 months nearly 900,000 converts have joined the Church. These converts constitute approximately 5% of the total church membership…These 900,000 converts in the last 36 months exceed the total membership of the Church at its 110th anniversary in 1940, which was just over 860,000 members.”

Elder Gerrit W. Gong reported that “Every Sabbath, members and friends from 195 birth countries and territories gather in 31,916 Church congregations. We speak 125 languages.”

Seeing the Invitation

This General Conference seemed particularly designed to hasten the work within and throughout the heart and soul of each listener. It was full of invitations to be more and to see more, to come closer to a Lord who was relentlessly pursuing you and offering you your only chance for complete peace. It is as if we could hear the Lord speaking to us, saying, “I am able to make you holy.”

Here are just a few of the invitations:

An Invitation to Fresh Starts

Elder Patrick Kearon said, “Everything He said and did provided a new beginning for each of those He healed, blessed, taught, and relieved of sin. He didn’t withdraw from them, and He certainly won’t withdraw from you. Imagine in this moment, hearing any of these life-giving words from Him:

“’Son, thy sins be forgiven thee’.

“’Damsel, I say unto thee, arise’

“’Be thou clean’.

“’Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more’.

“’Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace’.

“The Savior’s words to these individuals were brief, but with them He painted vast new horizons of forgiveness, healing, restoration, peace, and eternal life. And the glorious news is, He offers the same new beginning to you and to me. All of us can have a new beginning through and because of Jesus Christ. Even you. New beginnings are at the heart of the Father’s plan for His children. This is the church of new beginnings! This is the church of fresh starts!”

An Invitation to be Unafraid of Being Proved

Elder Eyring was struggling as he studied physics and mathematics in college, so much so that learning it seemed beyond him. He said, “I felt weak. As I prayed, I felt the quiet assurance of the Lord. I felt Him say to my mind, “I am proving you, but I am also with you.”

He went on to explain what it meant to be proved. “To prove something is not simply to test it. It is to increase its strength. To prove a piece of steel is to place it under strain. Heat, weight, and pressure are added until its true nature is enhanced and revealed. The steel is not weakened by the proving. In fact, it becomes something that can be trusted, something strong enough to bear greater burdens.

“The Lord proves us in much the same way to strengthen us. That proving does not come in moments of ease or comfort. It comes in moments when we feel stretched beyond what we thought we could bear.”

He continued, I bear witness that these moments are not evidence that the Lord has abandoned you. Rather, they are evidence that He loves you enough to refine and strengthen you. He is making you strong enough to carry the weight of eternal life. If we remain faithful in our service, the Lord will refine us. He will strengthen us. And one day, we will look back and see that those very trials were evidence of His love. We will see that He was shaping us to be able to stand with Him in glory. “

An Invitation to Take Charge of Your Testimony

When Elder Kevin G. Brown was baptized, his friends belittled his choice to become a member and asked him, “Why are you wasting your life away?” But he had attained a witness.

He said, “Jamaica is to me like Palmyra was to Joseph Smith. It is my Sacred Grove. I do not know the exact spot where Joseph knelt to pray in the Sacred Grove, but I know exactly where I was when my Sacred Grove became reality. It happened at Four Grove Road, Mandeville, Jamaica, in my bathroom, at 6 a.m. on a Wednesday- three years after my baptism. This sacred experience happened because two weeks earlier, an inspired sister missionary had invited me to read the Book of Mormon. That experience changed me.”

He said, Brothers and sisters, a testimony is not given for temporary use. This gift from our loving Heavenly Father is meant to be eternal because the giver is eternal. A testimony should not have an expiration date. It should not weaken or diminish because something in my life has changed or something in the world has changed. It should get stronger because, like the servant in the parable of the talents, my personal testimony is a gift to be multiplied—not buried.”

“I plead with you to take charge of your testimony. Work for it. Own it. Care for it. Nurture it so that it will grow. Feed it truth.” To me, the words take charge, work, care, own, nurture, and feed sound like an agent given stewardship for something precious and important.

Elder Brown continued, “I invite you to think about your path to a sure witness of Jesus Christ and His gospel. Take charge of your testimony, use your agency wisely, and acknowledge the giver and all His glorious attributes. I bear witness that the power is within you. No one can choose for you. No one can take this gift away. You can choose to believe.

“I promise that as you do this, your testimony will be a ‘well of living water springing up unto everlasting life.’ It will be an anchor and a motivator and it will sustain you through difficult times. It will enable you to develop spiritual gifts. It will help you in your personal ministry and service. It will be a weapon against Satan and your adversaries. Your testimony will be a joy as you see it replicated in your children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren and in those you love and serve. It will be powerful when you share it and use it to testify. If you know, you know. I know that I know. We need more sure witnesses of Jesus Christ and His gospel. Get there! Seek it! It is urgent! This is the final dispensation—the dispensation of the fullness of times.

He continued, “Brothers and sisters, a testimony of Jesus Christ was never meant to be a temporary gift. Nothing about it is temporary. Not the giver, not the gift itself, not the deliverer of the gift, not who the gift is about.”

An Invitation to Discipline

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf found himself in a flight simulator at Lufthansa, the company where he was once chief pilot. He wondered if his old skills had become rusty with disuse. Then he taught:

“You might spend years acquiring a skill or developing a talent. You might work so hard that it becomes second nature to you. But if you think that means you can stop practicing and studying, you’ll gradually lose the knowledge and abilities you once acquired at great cost.

“This applies to skills like learning a language, playing a musical instrument, and flying an airliner. It also applies to becoming a disciple of Christ.

“Simply put, discipleship takes self-discipline. It is not a casual endeavor, and it doesn’t happen by accident. Faith in Jesus Christ is a gift, but receiving it is a conscious choice that requires a commitment of all our “might, mind, and strength.” It is a practice of every day. Every hour. It takes constant learning and determined commitment. Our faith, our loyalty to the Savior, becomes stronger as it is tested against the opposition we face here in mortality.

“It is because we keep nourishing it, we keep actively applying it, and we never give up.

“On the other hand, if we fail to use faith and its convincing power, we become less sure of things we once held sacred—less confident of things we once knew were true. Temptations that would never have enticed us begin to look less appalling and more appealing. The fire of yesterday’s testimony can warm us for only so long. It needs constant nourishment to keep burning brightly.”

An Invitation to Look to the Lord in Times of Trouble

Elder D. Todd Christofferson reminded us of the horrible bus accident in Lesotho in June that killed 6 young women, 2 of their leaders, and the branch president and his wife.  Others were deeply injured, some with severe burns.

Elder Christofferson said, “There seems to be no end to the different sources people look to for meaning, happiness, and help. Most are “looking beyond the mark.” But we need not be “children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine [or fashion]”

“In looking to God, we can find peace in difficulty, and our faith can continue to grow even in times of doubt and spiritual challenge. We can receive strength in the face of opposition and isolation. We can reconcile the ideal with present reality.

“There truly is no other way than what God Himself has ordained, ‘Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.’ Looking to God means that He is not just one of our priorities; it means rather that He is our one highest priority.

I call to mind again that awful crash in Lesotho last June. From her hospital bed, one of the Young Women leaders who survived, who did not believe in God before joining the Church, said that her purpose is now to discover why her life was spared. “Constantly serving God is how I will come to an answer, if I come to an answer,” she stated. “I used to think that I loved God, but now I really, really, really, really love Him. Now He is the number one priority in my life.”

An Invitation to be Peacemakers

Elder Gary E. Stevenson continued the call given to us by President Russell M. Nelson.

“Peacemakers Needed.  Disagree without being disagreeable.  Replace contention and pride with forgiveness and love. Build bridges of cooperation and understanding, not walls of prejudice or segregation. And the same promise: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.’

“The hearts of today’s rising generation are filled with a testimony of Jesus Christ and a hope for the future. Yet they too ask, ‘Can I truly become a peacemaker when the world is in commotion, my heart is filled with fear, and peace seems so far away?’

“The resounding response is once again yes! We embrace the words of the Savior: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you…Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ Peacemaking still begins in the most basic place—in our hearts. Then in homes and families. As we practice there, peacemaking will spread into our neighborhoods and communities.

An Invitation to Study the Book of Mormon

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland reminded us that one of Jesus’ miracles was healing a blind man by first requesting him to put a mixture of mud and spit on his eyes. He observed:

A “truth that is evident here are the instruments the Creator of Heaven and Earth used to provide this miracle: spit and a handful of dirt! These very unlikely ingredients declare that God can bless us by whatever method He chooses. Like Naaman resisting the River Jordan or the children of Israel refusing to look at the serpent on the staff, how easy it is for us to dismiss the source of our redemption because the instruments pointing to it seem embarrassingly plain.

But we remember from the Book of Mormon that some things are both plain—and precious—and that prior to Jesus’s birth it would be prophesied that “he [would have] no form nor comeliness; and when we [should] see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.” How often God has sent His majestic message through a newly called and very anxious Relief Society president, or an unlearned boy on a New York farm, or a baby lying in a manger. So what if the answers to our prayers come in plain or convoluted ways? Are we willing to persevere in trying to live Christ’s gospel no matter how much spit and clay it takes? It may not always be clear to us what is being done or why, and, from time to time, we will all feel a little like the senior sister who said, “Lord, how about a blessing that isn’t in disguise?”

My first sight-giving, life-giving encounter with real evidence of truth did not come with anointing clay or the Pool of Siloam. No, the instrument of truth that brought my healing from the Lord came as pages in a book, yes, the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ! The claims about this book have been attacked and dismissed by some unbelievers, the anger often matching the vitriol of those who told the healed man he could not possibly have experienced what he knew he had experienced.

It has been hurled at me that the means by which this book came to be were impractical, unbelievable, embarrassing, even unholy. That is harsh language from one who presumes to know the means by which the book came to be, inasmuch as the only description given about those means is that it was translated “by the gift and power of . . . God.”

In any case, the impact in my life of the Book of Mormon is no less miraculous than was the application of spit and dirt placed on the blind man’s eyes. It has been, for me, a rod of safety for my soul, a transcendent and penetrating light of revelation, an illumination on the path when mists of darkness come as surely they have and as surely they will.

An Invitation to Stand by and Live the Proclamation on the Family

The concluding speaker of this conference was President Dallin H. Oaks, acting in his role as President of the Quorum of the Twelve. He spoke with a great deal of tenderness on The Family: A Proclamation to the World, becoming personal and vulnerable when he spoke of losing his Dad.

“I will never forget the promise of my maternal grandfather, when we children were living on his farm near Payson, Utah. He gave me the tragic news that my father had died in faraway Denver, Colorado. I ran into the bedroom and knelt beside the bed, crying my heart out. Grandpa followed me and went to his knees beside me and said, ‘I will be your father.’

Elder Oaks stands with Elder Nelson, who said of the Proclamation, that it is “pivotal to God’s plan . . . . In fact, a purpose of the plan is to exalt the family.”

President Oaks reminds us of all the ways that we are a family-centered church: “We can truly say that the gospel plan was first taught to us in the council of an eternal family, it is implemented through our mortal families, and its intended destiny is to exalt the children of God in eternal families.

“Despite that doctrinal context, there is opposition. In the United States, we are suffering from a deterioration in marriage and childbearing. For nearly a hundred years, the proportion of households headed by married couples has declined, and so has the birthrate. The marriages and birthrates of our Church members are much more positive, but they have also declined significantly. It is vital that Latter-day Saints do not lose their understanding of the purpose of marriage and the value of children. That is the future for which we strive.”

He reminded us. “The national declines in marriage and childbearing are understandable for historic reasons, but Latter-day Saint values and practices should improve—not follow—those trends.”

President Oaks reminded us, “The family circle is the ideal place to demonstrate and learn eternal values such as the importance of marriage and children, the purpose of life, and the true source of joy. It is also the best place to learn other essential lessons of life, such as kindness, forgiveness, self-control, and the value of education and honest work.”

Preparing to Meet the Lord is Not a Passive Activity

See What Elder Cook Talked About with the President of Argentina

The following is excerpted from the Church Newsroom. To read the full article, CLICK HERE. 

Elder Quentin L. Cook of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints met Argentine President Javier Milei on August 20, 2025, at the country’s presidential palace.

The meeting at the Casa Rosada occurred while Elder Cook, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, was in Argentina for the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square’s centennial celebration of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ in South America

“The meeting with the president was marvelous,” said Elder Cook. “We were quite frank with him that we felt like we have been given a wonderful gift in this country as a result of its dedication a century ago.”

In 1925, Elder Melvin J. Ballard, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, traveled to Buenos Aires, and in a prayer asked God to open South America for the preaching of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

These meetings with country leaders, Elder Cook explained, are part of the blessing Elder Ballard asked for.

To read the full article, CLICK HERE. 

Perspective: The horizon is bright for the future of global faith

This article was originally published on the Deseret News. Read the full article here.

Religion has been through the wringer over the last couple of decades. When I returned home from my Latter-day Saint mission toward the end of 2007, the so-called “New Atheism” was in full swing. In the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, this more militant form of atheism gained even more cultural traction.

But perhaps there are reasons for hope — and even for a little more boldness. In a recent talk to new mission leaders, Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve shared that, in 2024, the Church had its highest number of converts in a quarter century.

Between June 2024 and 2025, the apostle reported that “convert baptisms were the highest of any 12-month period in church history. Every region of the world saw at least a 20% increase in convert baptisms in the first quarter of 2025 compared with the same period in 2024.”

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints today has more members, missionaries, congregations, missions and temples than it has at any point in its history.

Read the full article here.