Church News Update

Hello, all! I am posting today with an update on Church News that has come to my attention within the last 3 hours or so. Let's dive right in to the latest news.

First, the Church News has reported the deaths of seven members of the Church in a mud slide. There were 330 people total who died in that mudslide, so Latter-day Saints only constituted 2% of all casualties. Church representatives further noted that all missionaries serving in that nation are safe and accounted for, and that no Church buildings were impacted by that mudslide. 3,000 people were displaced, while almost six hundred people were reported missing. It is unclear whether or not any of those 600 or so were Church members, nor is it known  if those people are still alive and lost somewhere.. In the meantime, I don't know how or if this natural disaster will impact any plans that might be under consideration for a possible temple in Sierra Leone. You can find the full report of this news here.

The Church also released today a copy of the dedicatory prayer offered by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf for the Tucson Arizona Temple. You can read the text of that prayer here.

Members and missionaries in Ghana are celebrating the opening of the MTC in that city. For a full report on that, click here.

This year marks 50 years since BYU professor and Book of Mormon scholar John Welch, while serving his mission, discovered chiasmus in the Book of Mormon. Chiasmus, for those not aware with the concept, is the way a sentence is put together for it to build from beginning to middle, then to repeat the same ideas in reverse order until the end of that sentence. Other religious texts (the Bible included) feature some form of this concept, so it is not new to most religions. But Brother Welch was the first person to actually notice this concept in the Book of Mormon, which is part of what likely influenced his career path.

The Church News wrote an article about this which I read earlier today, but cannot find anywhere now, but it was also covered here, in an article about how Elder Holland spoke at the BYU annual chiasmus conference. Because John W. Welch wrote about this discovery in an Ensign several years before I was born, I somehow never came across that article when perusing old Church magazines in my parents' basement. But this is a most intriguing concept, and I hope it will enhance my study of the Book of Mormon going forward..

Aside from these new items, I am not aware of any other news from any Church website I regularly visit.. So for now, thank you for the privilege of your time. Comments are always welcome and appreciated. Until my next post, I wish you all the best.

Church Issues Statement on LoveLoud Festival

Hello, everyone! Based on inquiries from the media, the Church has issued another official statement, this one about the LoveLoud Festival that is set to be held in Orem, Utah 8 days from now (on August 24). The statement voices support for the effort, as it is being held to help all youths feel included. The statement also focuses on the common goals the Church and this festival shares. It was good to read about this. You can find that statement here. In the meantime, comments are always welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish you all the best.

BREAKING NEWS: Big Changes in Planned Curriculum for 2018 Announced

Hello, all! Over the past two weeks, I have checked regularly to try and find out what the Church has planned for curriculum for 2018. And just now, I stumbled across the Church's annual Instructions for Curriculum that reveal the details. What's in the works for next year? Let's explore that.

For Melchizedek Priesthood holders and the Relief Society, the first Sunday will be used for a Council Meeting. The purpose of these meetings will be to discuss local needs (on the ward and stake levels), and how members can work together to meet those needs. The second and third Sundays will be spent discussing General Conference talks (twice as frequently as we previously did). Fourth Sundays will now involve study of a doctrinal topic using the Come Follow Me Manual that was put together for adults by those leaders in charge of curriculum. Any fifth Sundays of the month will continue to be held under the direction of bishoprics or branch presidencies.

For the youth, they will continue to use the Come Follow Me curriculum which they started last year. For Sunday School, the youth will continue with the Come Follow Me curriculum, while adults will be studying the Old Testament. Primary-aged Latter-day Saints will follow the traditional rotation of manuals that has been in place for a while.

For a complete PDF version of these curriculum changes, click here. In the meantime, I am pleased to have been able to learn of and report about these changes. I think it will be awesome to see what happens with them.

In the meantime, thank you for the privilege of your time. Any comments are welcome and appreciated. Until my next post, I wish you all the best.