During the week of January 18-24, the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced that each congregation will hold a one-hour sacrament meeting instead of the usual two-hour meeting block to commemorate Palm Sunday this year.
President D. Todd Christofferson, Second Counselor in the First Presidency. Emily Bell Freeman, Young Women general president; Elder Timothy L. Ferns, General Youth President, discussed the 2026 Youth Theme, “Let Us Walk Together” at the Global Youth Forum, and Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles dedicated the Alabang Philippines Temple on January 18.
Elder Bednar, Relief Society general president Camille N. Johnson, and Sister Tamara W. Runia, first counselor in the Young Women general presidency, have been announced as speakers for the 2026 BYU Women’s Conference.
Photos of the interior and exterior have been released as the public begins touring Zimbabwe’s first Lord’s House. Groundbreaking ceremonies were held for the Jacksonville Florida Temple and João Pessoa Brazil Temple, and site plans for the Flagstaff Arizona Temple and Kahului Hawaii Temple were released.
BYUtv’s three-part series titled “The Harvest of Faith” focuses on church welfare farms, factories, and commercial crops. Elder Matthew S. Holland and Elder Edward B. Lowe, General Authority Seventies, also addressed students at Brigham Young University and Ensign College, respectively, during devotions on the school campuses.
On this week’s episode of the Church News podcast, Latter-day Saint Jill McCauley shares how knowing her identity has helped her overcome her weaknesses and find glory. Additionally, members’ missionary efforts resulted in 184 new converts in two stakes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo over two weekends in December 2025.
Read the overview and find links to articles below.
1. First Presidency announces one-hour sacrament meeting to commemorate Palm Sunday
The First Presidency announced that local congregations will hold a one-hour sacrament meeting on Palm Sunday (March 29) this year, instead of the usual two-hour meeting block.
Read more about this story here.
2. Prayer, Repentance, and Covenants are the Ways Jesus Invites “Walk with Me,” President Christofferson Teaches in a Global Youth Discussion
President Christofferson was joined by Presidents Freeman and Ferns in a global youth discussion published on January 18. Three Church leaders discussed the 2026 youth theme, “Let’s Walk Together.”
President Christofferson assured the youth that they would come to know the Savior as they learned all they could about his example. “You will know that God knows you and is not just your Savior, but your Savior and Friend.”
Learn more about youth dedication.
3. Elder Bednar Dedicates Alabang Philippines Temple and Calls on Members to “Make the Temple Home”
On January 18, Elder Bednar dedicated the Alabang Philippines Temple in Muntinlupa City, Philippines. The temple is the 213th Latter-day Saint temple in the world and the fourth dedicated House of the Lord in the Philippines.
Learn more about temple dedications here. Click here to read the prayer for the dedication of the Alabang Temple.
4. Who will speak at BYU Women’s Conference 2026?
The 2026 BYU Women’s Conference will feature keynote addresses by President Johnson and Sister Runia, with Elder Bednar concluding the keynote address.
Other keynote speakers will include C. Shane Reese, president of Brigham Young University, and his wife, Wendy Reese, Sheri L. Dew, former advisor to the Relief Society General Presidency and current executive vice president of Deseret Management Corporation, and Sandra Rogers, BYU vice president for international affairs.
Learn more about BYU Women’s Conference 2026.
5. Harare Zimbabwe Temple open house underway
After five years of construction, the Harare Zimbabwe Temple is now open to public tours. A media day was held on January 19th, and an open house was held from January 22nd to February 7th. Invited guests toured the temple from January 20th to 21st.
Learn more about the Harare Zimbabwe Temple Open House here.
6. Temple groundbreaking ceremonies in Florida and Brazil. Temple locations announced in Arizona and Hawaii
On January 24, groundbreaking ceremonies were held for the Jacksonville Florida Temple and the João Pessoa Brazil Temple. General Authority Seventies Elder Massimo De Feo of Jacksonville and Elder Joni L. Koch of João Pessoa presided over each groundbreaking ceremony.
Additionally, the future locations of the Flagstaff Arizona Temple and the Kahului Hawaii Temple were announced by the First Presidency in a January 20 news release on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Click here to learn about the groundbreaking ceremony for the Jacksonville Florida Temple. Click here to learn about the groundbreaking ceremony for the Temple of João Pessoa in Brazil. Click here to learn about temple ruins in Arizona and Hawaii.
7. Church farms and factories featured in BYUtv’s three-part series
BYUtv’s three-part series focuses on the church’s various farms and factories that are used to support the church’s mission. The series, titled “Harvest of Faith,” includes comments from members of the Presiding Diocese, President Camille N. Johnson, and service missionaries who serve on the farm.
The first installment of the series features welfare farms. Part 2 focuses on church-owned and operated welfare food processing and distribution facilities. Part 3 focuses on AgReserves, the commercial arm of Farmland Reserve, the church’s investment affiliate.
Read about part 1 of the series here. Read about part 2 of the series here. Read about part 3 of the series here.
8. Elders Holland and Lowe speak at a church school devotional.
Elder Holland, the son of the late President Jeffrey R. Holland, spoke at a devotional on the school’s campus on Tuesday, January 20, advising BYU students to “cling to the Book of Mormon.”
Elder Rowe encouraged Ensign College students to develop their faith in Jesus Christ by working with Him in the same day devotional to do things that would otherwise be impossible.
Learn more about Elder Holland’s devotional here. Learn more about Elder Lowe’s devotional here.
9. Church News Podcast Episode 277: Jill McCauley talks about finding purpose and identity in faith beyond ability
In this week’s Church News podcast episode, church member Jill McCauley shares how, despite being paralyzed in a car accident at the age of 18, she has spent the past 20-plus years deepening her spiritual and emotional growth through service, learning, and the grace of Christ.
Listen to the podcast here.
10. As a result of member missionary work, 184 people were baptized over two weekends in two stakes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Members, missionaries, and friends gathered in late December 2025 to witness the baptism of 87 converts at the Kasumbalesa Stake in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A similar baptism ceremony was held last weekend for 97 new converts in the Mwene Ditu Democratic Republic of Congo Stake. These baptisms were the result of the missionary work of individual members.
Learn more about baptism in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
