2+ week, 5+ day ago (283+ words) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" lineup for the 2025 Light the World Giving Machine kiosks includes the addition of a new Utah Valley location. According to a map of 2025 Giving Machines released Wednesday, the kiosks will be at Brigham Young University from Dec. 1 to Dec. 23. Natalie Ipson, a digital communications director for BYU, confirmed to the Daily Herald on Wednesday that the university will have Giving Machines on campus this December for the first time. Ipson said the school will receive six digital kiosks and that the machines will split time and locations between the Wilkinson Student Center and the Marriott Center. She added that the machines will be launched during BYU"s 150th: Night of Light event at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 1 at Brigham Square. A Giving Machine will also return to its usual Utah Valley location at University Place in…...

2+ week, 4+ day ago (226+ words) The reshaping of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" Presiding Bishopric was announced Friday following Elder G'rald Causs's appointment to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The church named W. Christopher Waddell the new Presiding Bishop, while L. Todd Budge was called as first counselor and Sean Douglas as second counselor. Waddell and Budge previously served as counselors under Causs' in the Presiding Bishopric. The Presiding Bishopric manages the church"s humanitarian aid, welfare programs, tithing and fast offerings, among other programs. Waddell, who was called to the Presiding Bishopric in 2015, is a Los Angeles native who received a bachelors degree from San Diego State and served as the vice president of investments at Merrill Lynch. In his role in the Presiding Bishopric, he has prioritized environmental sustainability, including conserving water in the Great Salt Lake, according to a church…...

1+ week, 6+ day ago (214+ words) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced Wednesday it will discontinue the Saturday evening session of its semiannual general conference. According to a news release, the decision was made by the First Presidency and will go into effect in April 2026. The church said it will increase the focus on the four daytime sessions of conference instead. A general session of conference has been held Saturday night since fall 2021. Traditionally, the Saturday evening time slot on general conference weekend was reserved for the general priesthood session, while the general women's session was held the week prior. In 2017, the church announced it would rotate between priesthood session on Saturday evening in the spring and the general women's session on Saturday evenings in the fall. Saturday evening sessions were held in April 2020 and October 2021 and have been held each conference since…...

1+ week, 5+ day ago (208+ words) The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced a significant change to missionary requirements in a Friday news release. Effective immediately, women may begin full-time missionary service at 18 following high school graduation or an equivalent. The announcement comes just over a month after Dallin H. Oaks was called as the president and prophet of the church on Oct. 14, following the passing of President Russell M. Nelson on Sept. 27. Since 2013, women have become eligible for missionary service at 19, while men have been eligible to leave at 18. The change allows men and women to leave on missions at the same age. President Emily Belle Freeman of the Young Women's General Presidency said the change will allow young women to consider the options available to them as they reach adulthood. "We are so excited about this announcement as a Young…...

2+ hour, 29+ min ago (449+ words) Brigham Young University ushered in the Christmas season Monday night on its campus with a new tradition. Approximately 10,000 people packed into Brigham Square to witness the university's first-ever Christmas tree lighting as part of the school's ongoing 150th anniversary celebration and its theme of celebrating gifts of light. Students counted down from 10, and a yellow luminescent glow then appeared from the towering tree standing between the Wilkinson Center and Harold B. Lee Library, prompting a loud roar from the crowd. "The whole point of this sesquicentennial celebration was to remind us of our unique mission as a university, but to do it in fun, celebratory ways," BYU Advancement Vice President Keith Vorkink said. "We'd done some research, and we don't think there's been a Christmas tree on campus, at least in recorded history, so we thought, what a cool way to celebrate…...

2+ week, 6+ day ago (1041+ words) This is going to be another column where I start with: "I heard someone in church say" It happens every so often that someone speaking in church gets my attention and my mind activated. And I start thinking " about everything other than the main topic of the talk. In this case, a guy was giving a sermon about the simplicity of the gospel. Don't overcomplicate it. Master the basics. Focus on Jesus. Then he mentioned socks. Then I was lost. The "railroad lever was pulled," and my thoughts went down a "side-track." The speaker reminded us, about John Wooden, the legendary, former basketball coach at UCLA. He died June 4, 2010, at the age of 99. In his record setting career, he won 12 national titles, including seven national championships in a row (1967 " 1973). Famously, when new players, who were all cream of the crop…...