Below are some of the summarized weekly news headlines from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for the week of Feb. 10-16.

The Prophet Announces Salt Lake Temple Open House Celebration Dates

This landmark house of the Lord will reopen for tours from April 2027 to October 2027

In a post to his social media channels on February 14, 2025, President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced dates for an open house celebration for the Salt Lake Temple. He invited people from around the world to take part in this unique opportunity which will occur from April 2027 to October 2027.

The post text is below.

“On February 14, 1853, a groundbreaking ceremony in Salt Lake City began a 40-year journey of faith and sacrifice, culminating in the dedication of the Salt Lake Temple in 1893.

“A current and comprehensive renovation to strengthen this sacred house of the Lord for future generations is now nearing completion.

“Today, exactly 172 years after the groundbreaking ceremony, I am delighted to announce that the temple will reopen for tours during a public open house from April 2027 to October 2027.

“We warmly invite our friends to come and learn about God’s plan for His children and rejoice in the love of Jesus Christ. Details about this event will be shared as April 2027 approaches.

“As houses of the Lord now dot the earth, I invite you to cherish your time and service at the temples closest to you as we prepare for the reopening of the Salt Lake Temple in 2027.”

At the present time, much of Temple Square is open. Visitors can enjoy the Conference Center, Tabernacle, Church History Museum, Church History Library, FamilySearch Library and the newly renovated Main Street and Church Office Building plazas.

Visit TempleSquare.org to learn more.

President Freeman Shares the Love of Christ in Japan

The Young Women General President speaks to the rising generation

During a five-day stop in western Japan, the Young Women General President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints invited youth and young adults to bring people to the Savior of the world.

“You live in a country where not a lot of people believe in Jesus Christ — but you do,” President Emily Belle Freeman said in Hiroshima. “Part of our greatest work is to bring people to Christ. As many people as we can bring. And we will bring them here because this is the place where they will feel joy. This is the place where they will find healing. This is the place where they will find Jesus Christ.”

She made these remarks at a nationwide devotional broadcast to more than 225 congregations on Sunday, February 9, 2025.

President Freeman shared important lessons from the scriptures — first for the young men, then for the young women.

What the Lord said to the ancient prophet Moses is the same thing the Lord says to the young men of Japan: You have important work to do.

More on this story can be found by clicking here.

Fifteen New Hymns Available to Use in Church and at Home

This new global hymnal “is a manifestation of … prophecy”

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is adding 15 new hymns to its global collection, “Hymns—For Home and Church,” on Thursday, February 13, 2025. These songs will be available in the online Music Library, Gospel Library and Sacred Music app in English, Spanish, Portuguese and French within the next 24 hours.

The 15 new hymns are:

• “Close As a Quiet Prayer”
• “Come, Hear the Word the Lord Has Spoken”
• “Faith in Every Footstep”
• “Holy Places”
• “I Can’t Count Them All”
• “I Have Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ”
• “I Know That My Savior Loves Me”
• “Let Easter Anthems Ring”
• “Softly and Tenderly Jesus Is Calling”
• “Standing on the Promises”
• “Take My Heart and Let It Be Consecrated”
• “This Little Light of Mine”
• “To Love Like Thee”
• “Welcome Home”
• “Were You There?”

This release includes newly submitted music, songs from other Christian faith traditions and hymns that have only been available in a small number of languages before now. This brings the total number of hymns in the new global hymnbook to 37. More songs will continue to be published every few months leading up to the release of the full hymnbook in print and digital formats.

Individuals, families and Church congregations are encouraged to use this new music now in meetings and at home.

“Faith in Every Footstep” was composed to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Latter-day Saint pioneers entering the Salt Lake Valley. It was first printed in Church magazines in 1997, and used during the pioneer sesquicentennial celebrations. It was included in the Croatian, Czech, Estonian, Hungarian and Romanian hymnbooks before being added to “Hymns—For Home and Church.”

Another familiar addition is the children’s song “I Know That My Savior Loves Me,” which was originally published in the “Friend” magazine in 2002. It has since been used with children in Primary and general conferences.

“This Little Light of Mine” originated in early African American Christian traditions in the Southern United States and grew in popularity during the U.S. Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. The version included in “Hymns—For Home and Church” is an example of an expansion of musical styles in the collection.

More on this story can be found by clicking here.

Living the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the South Pacific in Environmentally Sustainable Ways

Across the cities, towns, and villages of the South Pacific, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is embracing innovative solutions to support both spiritual and temporal well-being.

By incorporating environmentally sustainable construction and maintenance practices into new meetinghouses, the Church is not only providing sacred spaces for members to worship, it’s also safeguarding and generating vital resources, blessing entire communities.

In a recent interview, Elder Peter F. Meurs, Pacific Area President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, noted that many new Church buildings have water collection systems. Without these systems, finding a clean water source is a struggle and often forces people to use contaminated water or to walk many kilometres every day to find water that’s suitable to use.

“We can collect water off the roofs into tanks,” Elder Meurs said. “In places like Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, and Solomon Islands, you not only have sunshine, but you have lots of rain, so the tanks fill up quickly.”

“As we build a meetinghouse in a village, it gives them a very beautiful, clean water supply. It’s a little benefit of having a Latter-day Saint church in their village,” he said.

More on this story can be found by clicking here.

Technical School in Ghana Receives Church Donation of Tools and Equipment

Hundreds Attend Joyful Celebration of Handover

Dozens of government officials, community and religious leaders, local chiefs and tribal elders, and school administrators and staff, along with most of the 1,045 students who attend the Father Dogli Memorial Technical Institute (DOTECH), gathered for festivities and celebrations at a handover ceremony held on 4 February, 2025. DOTECH, a public school in New Ayoma in the Oti region of Ghana, hosted the event in acknowledgement of a donation of practical tools and equipment made to the school by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Founded in 1997 by the Reverend Father Dogli, a priest of the Catholic Diocese of Keta-Akatsi, DOTECH’s mission is to provide education, especially technical and vocational training, that gives young people in the area an opportunity for better employment prospects. Offering 11 different programs such as building construction, cosmetology, plumbing, hospitality services, and more, the school has been successful across all programs offered. It achieved a pass rate of 92.75% in 2023. However, rapid growth in the school has strained the resources available, challenging its ability to continue with its success. Recognizing the need for help in acquiring the needed resources, the school reached out to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for help.

In recognition of the impact the school is making and has the potential to make, the Church responded by  providing resources for several of the programs, including equipment and practical tools ranging from industrial sewing machines to computerized pattern cutting machines, digital multimeters, soldering irons, styling chairs, computers, routers, projectors, refrigerators, hack saws, pliers, wire strippers, and much more.  Also donated were two 10,000 litre poly tanks for storing and providing clean water to the students. These tools and the donated equipment enable the students to receive hands-on training and gain valuable experience that will benefit the community and the country in years to come.

More on this story can be found by clicking here.

The Church Funds the Renovation of a School in Babaka, Papua New Guinea

Community celebrates the joy of education following a Church funded school renovation project.

The village of Babaka, in the remote Rigo district of southern Papua New Guinea, has always worked hard to provide its children with a good education. But the village’s primary school was suffering from aging and decaying buildings, causing problems for both students and staff.

Church humanitarian missionaries Wayne and Dina Robbins became aware of the problem and found ways to help. Contractors were hired to meet the school’s needs, supplies were gathered, plans were created, and the work began. The costs were covered by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, thanks to donations by members and friends of the Church.

More on this story can be found by clicking here.

Open House Begins for Newly Renovated Toronto Ontario Temple

Public invited to tour the temple February 13 to March 8

The public open house begins this week for the recently renovated Toronto Ontario Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The First Presidency of the Church has announced that an open house will be held from February 13 to March 8, excluding Sundays. The open house gives people of all faiths the opportunity to tour the temple’s beautiful interior and grounds and learn about the purpose of these sacred structures.

Tours are free, but reservations are recommended and can be made at TorontoTemple.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

The temple is located at 10060 Bramalea Road in Brampton. It was announced on April 7, 1984, and was dedicated by President Gordon B. Hinckley on August 25–27, 1990. At that time, the temple served all of the Latter-day Saints in Eastern Canada.

Today, there are more than 200,000 Latter-day Saints in Canada, with 55,000 Church members in Ontario. During the renovation, these Church members had to travel to Montreal, Quebec; Detroit, Michigan; or Palmyra, New York, to worship in a temple.

The renovation of the 5,010-square-metre (55,000-square-foot) temple began in October 2023 and lasted until December 2024. The scope included interior reconfigurations and improvements to meet increased patron demand and increase accessibility. A major upgrade of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems was also completed.

Local Church members are excited to share the temple with their friends and neighbours. “This sacred building has been a landmark in Brampton since 1990,” said Russ Willmott, who is helping organize the open house with his wife, Anna. “Latter-day Saints consider temples to be the holiest places on Earth. We feel great joy and heavenly direction when we worship there, and we look forward to sharing this peaceful place with the public.”

After the open house, the temple will be formally rededicated on Sunday, March 23, by President Jeffrey R. Holland, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, at 10:00 a.m. EDT. The rededication will be broadcast to all units in the Toronto Ontario Temple district.

Other Latter-day Saint temples currently operate in eight cities across Canada: Halifax, Montreal, Winnipeg, Regina, Edmonton, Calgary, Cardston and Vancouver. Additional temples are planned for Lethbridge and Victoria.

Temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints differ from meetinghouses or chapels, where members meet for Sunday worship services. Each temple is considered a “house of the Lord,” where Jesus Christ’s teachings are reaffirmed through baptism and other ordinances that unite families for eternity. In the temple, Church members learn more about the purpose of life and make covenants to follow Jesus Christ and serve others.