Church News Update

The Church has posted so much news in the last little while that I felt a need to pass some items along. Thanks to all of you who will bear with me as I share items that, for me, struck a very personal chord.

First of all, the Church is offering a glimpse inside the newly completed Idaho Falls Idaho Temple, which is currently hosting media tours in preparation for its open house, which, along with the Paris France Temple open house, will start this Saturday. Click here for that article.

In New Zealand, a monument was recently dedicated in memory of Elder Matthew Cowley, who was known as "the apostle to the Maoris." The event was well attended by Church leaders, and is a fitting tribute to this apostle's work. Click here to read about that.

In connection with the Easter post I did four days ago, I found a Church News article which I had somehow overlooked. It recounted a presentation by a BYU scholar on updated research about the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, particularly how it updated the content of the scholarly work Jesus the Christ, written by James E. Talmage. His prolific writing and speaking skills were akin to those of more recent apostles Bruce R. McConkie and Neal A. Maxwell. They made people think.

Quick sidenote: I remember when I first read Jesus the Christ, around my 19th birthday when I received my "missionary library". My part-time service, which came in parts and took three months after my birthday to officially start, allowed me the flexibility to serve as I could and do normal activities when I wasn't doing my missionary service, as long as I remained worthy of a temple recommend. Some might not term that as a "real mission", but it was work, and it turned out to be the most rewarding period of my life. As I tried to get through the written work by Elder Talmage, more often than not, trying to understand the profound insights wore me out physically, spiritually, and intellectually. And I know why I and so many others found it so hard to get through. It had been thoroughly researched and prayed about, and had, for the most part, been composed in a private room in the Salt Lake Temple. Written under the direction of the Spirit, the presence of the Spirit was necessary to understand that.

But getting back to the Church News article, this modern scholar who had extensively studied the Savior's final days, provided an important update to some of the things Elder Talmage had said in his landmark work, particularly as it relates to the trial of Jesus. These inspiring additional insights can be found by reading this article.

BYU held its annual Easter Conference on the day Christians refer to as "Good Friday." Speakers at the conference touched on many important aspects of the Savior's life and mission. Read about that conference here.

The history of Mexico, particularly the progress of the Church there, is now preserved at a museum that was dedicated recently. Many General Authorities of the Church were in attendance, including two members of the Mexico Area Presidency (Area President Paul B. Pieper, who offered remarks, and his first counselor, Elder Arnulfo Valenzuela, a native of Mexico), one other General Authority Seventy (Elder J. Devn Cornish, who currently serves as an Assistant Executive Director of the Church History Department), and another Church History Department representative, Brother Matthew Gellman. Click here for more on that.

In honor of the Child Abuse Awareness Month, the Church donated a sizable contribution to the South Valley Children's Center, and sent several women's auxiliary leaders to observe the presentation. Sister Joy D. Jones, Primary General President, represented the Church in presenting the donation. She was accompanied by Sister Bonnie L. Oscarson, Young Women General President, her first counselor Carol F. McConkie, and Sister Reyna I. Aburto, newly sustained Second Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency. Local law enforcement representatives and journalists were also in attendance for the presentation and tour of the facility. To read more about this, click here.

More coming in a minute.