President Russell M. Nelson now has a Spanish-language Instagram account to reach Hispanic Latter-day Saints around the world. This is the first Spanish-only social media account by any senior leader of the Church.

“Years ago, I had the desire to learn the language of my Spanish-speaking brothers and sisters,” President Nelson said in his first Instagram Reel. “Although my Spanish is not perfect, I desire to speak with you in your own language.”

President Nelson has consistently shared his testimony of Jesus Christ in the Spanish language when traveling to Spanish-speaking countries.

Spanish is the second-largest language group in the Church.

President Nelson’s Spanish Instagram account is @russellmnelson.esp.

Learn more in the article “President Nelson Launches Personal Instagram Account in Spanish.”

The Church has published updates to additional chapters of the General Handbook in more languages. These updates were previously published in English.

The following chapters are now available in 23 languages in addition to English:

• Chapter 5: Stake Leadership
• Chapter 6: The Bishopric
• Chapter 16: Living the Gospel of Jesus Christ
• Chapter 21: Ministering
• Chapter 22: Providing for Temporal Needs and Building Self-Reliance
• Chapter 23: Sharing the Gospel and Strengthening New and Returning Members
• Chapter 24: Missionary Recommendations and Service
• Chapter 25: Temple and Family History Work in the Ward and Stake
• Chapter 26: Temple Recommends
• Chapter 27: Temple Ordinances for the Living
• Chapter 29: Meetings in the Church
• Additional updates in other chapters

These chapters are now available in the following languages: Bislama, Cebuano, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Danish, Dutch, English, Fijian, French, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Marshallese, Mongolian, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Samoan, Spanish, Tagalog, Thai, Tongan, and Ukrainian.

The chapters are published on ChurchofJesusChrist.org and in the Gospel Library app.

Church leaders should use newly revised chapters as they become available in their languages. They should continue to use the existing chapters in Handbook 1: Stake Presidents and Bishops and Handbook 2: Administering the Church if newly revised chapters are not yet available.

The Church provides support for members serving in the armed forces—and their families. The Military Relations and Chaplain Services Division coordinates with and supports:

• Senior couples called as military relations missionaries.
• More than 258 chaplains are affiliated with the Church. 109 military chaplains provide religious support to members of the military and safeguard their religious rights. 149 civilian chaplains serve in hospitals, hospice organizations, assisted living centers, police and fire departments, prisons, Border Patrol, Civil Air Patrol, universities, and rehabilitation centers.
• Members of the Church who wish to become chaplains.
• Leaders who have members of their ward or stake serving in the armed forces.
• Cadets at military academies who wish to take time out to serve a full-time mission.

The Church provides resources such as the following for service men and women, their families, and their leaders:

• A letter, signed by a General Authority, that arrives during basic military training. It thanks them for their service, suggests things they can do to maintain Church activity while in the military, and reminds them that  the Church stands ready to support them.
• A pocket-sized edition of the scriptures.
• The book Principles of the Gospel, which contains a message from the First Presidency, instructions for Latter-day Saints in the military, gospel topics, instructions for priesthood ordinances and blessings, and selected hymns.
• Lessons, pamphlets, and brochures about military life, family resiliency training, and priesthood leader support.
• Online videos to support members serving in the military, as well as presentations from the annual seminar for chaplains.

Find these resources in the Military Members section of ChurchofJesusChrist.org or in the Gospel Library app under Audiences, then Military Members.

Learn more in the article “Support for Those Who Serve in the Military,” in the September 2021 issue of the Liahona.

Consultants from the Church History Library have compiled a list of the most common questions they have received about Orrin Porter Rockwell.

Below are the top five questions and answers about Orrin Porter Rockwell from the article “Ask Us: Top Five Reference Questions about Orrin Porter Rockwell.”

1. What was the relationship between Orrin Porter Rockwell and Joseph Smith? Was Rockwell a (friend/bodyguard/etc.) to Smith?
2. Did Joseph Smith really promise Porter that as long as he didn’t cut his hair, he would be protected from harm?
3. Did Porter shoot Lilburn W. Boggs?
4. Did Porter practice plural marriage?
5. How did Porter die? What were the circumstances surrounding his death?

When someone new visits church, you can help them feel that they belong. All it takes is love, inclusion, and an invitation.

Watch the Church video “Inviting Others to Come and Stay.”

Feeling welcomed is an essential part of belonging to a community. That’s why making our visitors feel welcome is a top priority!

The Church’s page Welcoming Others to Our Community of Faith gives examples of how others have helped people feel welcome and comfortable at church.

One way to strengthen family relationships is to celebrate National Grandparents Day on Sunday, September 12, 2021.

What is Grandparents Day?

This year will mark the 43rd year that Grandparents Day has been observed in the United States. In 1978, the U. S. President officially proclaimed the first Sunday after Labor Day as National Grandparents Day.

• Since 1978, at least 22 countries have adopted Grandparents Day.
• Poland has celebrated a separate Grandmothers Day and Grandfathers Day since 1964.
• The blue flower forget-me-not is the symbol of Grandparents Day.
• In 2021 Pope Francis announced the World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly to be celebrated each year on the fourth Sunday of July.

The connection between grandparents and grandchildren is unlike any other relationship. Science shows that grandparents live longer and kids are more emotionally resilient when they spend time together. Close inter-generational relationships also help kids to have a stronger sense of personal identity. Pope Francis said that grandparents “remind us that old age is a gift and that grandparents are the link between generations, passing on the experience of life and faith to the young.”

Read the article “Building Family Bonds by Celebrating Grandparents Day” for ideas on how to celebrate Grandparents Day.

On September 17, 2021, you are invited to participate in the Church Music Festival. It will be a virtual concert to showcase music from the annual Church Music Submission. Music submitted annually is published in the Church music library for members to use freely, including hymn arrangements for choirs, soloists, and instrumentalists as well as choir anthems.

How to Watch

On Friday, September 17, 2021, tune in at 6:00 p.m. MDT to watch the concert live or on demand on the Church broadcast page.

The prerecorded concert will feature performances of 20 music submissions and short gospel messages from children.

Invite your friends to watch. Though this year’s festival will be broadcast just in English, more languages will be added in future years.

Having a disability can raise some deep questions, both for the individual and their loved ones. Understanding the principles surrounding this topic can offer more hope and strength.

The Church’s website about disabilities provides an overview of what is taught in the scriptures and by prophets about disabilities.

You may also want to read the Gospel Topic “Disabilities.”

Social media can be a fun way to share beliefs, gather ideas, and connect with friends and family. However, using this creative outlet also means we are bound to see posts, comments, and ideas that contradict or even attack our faith, which could leave us feeling defensive and offended.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught, “Defend your beliefs with courtesy and with compassion, but defend them.” This can be a daunting task—especially considering that some people on the internet are just looking to pick a fight.

In the article “How and When Should You Defend Your Beliefs on Social Media? By Emily Abel and Chelsea Kern,” young adults offer tips on sharing the light of the Savior on social media.

Food allergies and reactions to food can have a significant effect on a person’s physical and emotional health and ability to participate in Church meetings and activities.

• How can we administer the sacrament in a way that ensures the safety of someone who has food allergies?
• What should we do about refreshments at Church activities?

Learn about the Church’s policies on food allergies, and see how to help make Church meetings and activities safer and more inviting to people with allergies.

The Church has released a new manual, Finding Strength in the Lord: Emotional Resilience. This manual is an addition to the family of self-reliance manuals that are used in self-reliance courses.

This workbook can help you learn and put into practice principles of faith, education, hard work, and trust in the Lord. Accepting and living these principles will help you receive the strength promised by the Lord.

The pilot version of this manual was called Emotional Resilience for Self Reliance. The manual is currently available in English only.

You can access the manual Finding Strength in the Lord: Emotional Resilience as text or downloadable PDF.

Read the article “Blessed by the Emotional Resilience Course” to learn how emotional resilience can help you.

In the Church video “Pray for Eyes to See as He Sees,” Sister Michelle Craig suggests that we pray to God to open our eyes to see things we might not normally see.

“Jesus Christ sees people deeply,” says Michelle Craig of the Young Women General Presidency. He sees the individual, their needs and who they can become. In her October 2020 general conference address, Sister Craig shares how each of us can see life and other people as Jesus Christ does.

“The more you understand your true identity and purpose soul deep,” she says, “the more it will influence everything in your life.”

To see others more deeply, she asks herself two questions: What is she doing that she should stop doing, and what is she not doing that she should start doing?

One day, shortly after reflecting on those questions, she felt prompted to put her phone away while standing in a grocery store check-out line. She then noted an elderly man ahead of her who apparently had only a cat for companionship. She engaged him in conversation, where he revealed it was his birthday.

“I don’t want to be like those in the parable of the good Samaritan who see a need and pass by,” she says.

Jesus Christ can give us eyes to see, even when it’s hard or we are tired or lonely. “Through His grace, He will increase our capacity,” she affirms. “With His help, we will see deeply.”

Read Sister Craig’s conference talk “Eyes to See.”

President Russell M. Nelson urged us to “expand our circle of love to embrace the whole human family” (Teachings of Russell M. Nelson [2018], 83). With so much diversity among God’s children, how can we create a community where all people live in harmony?

Creating unity in our diversity is not only a commandment (see John 17:21; Doctrine and Covenants 38:27), but also it is an opportunity for us to learn from and be blessed by our brothers and sisters of other cultures, ethnicities, and experiences.

The September 2021 issue of the Liahona has several articles to help us overcome racism and prejudice.

• “Overcoming Racism and Prejudice: We Can Build Bridges.” How to lead out in abandoning prejudice and promoting respect.
• “Jesus Christ Knows the Pain We Feel from Prejudice.” A quest to see people as the Saviour would see them.
• “How Can I Help Overcome Prejudice?” Six ways we can abandon prejudice and promote respect.
• “We Are Family: A Discussion on Overcoming Prejudice with Elder Jack N. Gerard and the Reverend Amos C. Brown.” A discussion on overcoming prejudice between Elder Jack N. Gerard of the Seventy and the Reverend Amos C. Brown.
• “We Are Better Together.” A Black member of the Church shares how we can find strength in embracing one another’s differences.
• “Facing Prejudice in the Workplace.” A man from Mexico shares how he experienced prejudice and was refused a job as a member of the Church.
• “Finding Belonging in Christ.” A mother in Japan shares how her ward welcomed her family after years of prejudice because of her children’s autism and ADHD.
• “Our Differences Don’t Have to Divide Us.” A young adult shares how she was able to maintain a friendship despite differing beliefs.
• “How to Disagree without Being Disagreeable.” A psychotherapist shares how we can learn to disagree without contention.
• “Gospel Topics: Racial and Cultural Prejudice.” An excerpt from the Gospel Topics entry on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

Service animals often accompany people with particular disabilities to help them with their day-to-day activities. Other people have animals for emotional support. Are both service animals and emotional support animals allowed in Church buildings?

Definitions

A service dog is a trained animal that performs tasks directly related to the disability of the owner. The dog’s preparation and training typically take 18-24 months.

An emotional support animal or comfort pet is a companion to someone with a psychological or emotional disability. A variety of animals can be emotional support animals, including current pets. Such animals are not trained to perform tasks but are distinguished by the close emotional and supportive bond between the animal and the owner.

Church Policy

Bishops and stake presidents may determine whether to allow people with disabilities to use trained service dogs in meetinghouses. Other types of animals, including emotional support animals (comfort pets), are generally not permitted in meetinghouses or at Church-sponsored events, except as specifically required by law. Bishops and stake presidents make local decisions, taking into account the needs of people with disabilities and the needs of others in the congregation. While on Church property, service animals must be attended and restrained.

Service dogs and emotional support animals are not allowed in temples. Patrons with special needs are encouraged to attend the temple with family members or friends who can assist them as needed. Temple workers are also available to assist members while at the temple.

Read the Church guidelines on service animals for more information.

Latter-day Saints have a responsibility to welcome and help refugees. See this entry from the Church’s General Handbook, 38.8.35:

38.8.35
Refugees
Many people have fled their homes seeking relief from violence, war, religious persecution, and life-threatening situations. As part of their responsibility to care for those in need (see Mosiah 4:26), Church members offer their time, talents, and friendship to welcome refugees as members of their communities. See Matthew 25:35; ChurchofJesusChrist.org/refugees.

Learn more on the Church’s page ChurchofJesusChrist.org/refugees.

In a recent Church News podcast, Keith Erekson discussed the tools he uses to determine if information is accurate and true. He talked about accuracy, authenticity, reliability, fairness, and comprehensive search.

There are many reasons to study Church history. It gives us insights into the nature of God as we learn about God’s dealings with His children. Studying history can also bring understanding about current circumstances. “The present that we live in was built in the past,” said Keith A. Erekson, director of the Church History Library. “All of the things that we deal with — the current challenges, the current infrastructure, our societies … they all have a history, and it influences everything we do each day.”

Listen to the Church News podcast “Episode 43: Church History Library Director Keith A. Erekson on dispelling latter-day myths and rumors.”

A new Church video in the “His Grace” series features a young Latter-day Saint man named Danor. He discusses the challenges he faced about race and priesthood when he joined the Church.

Watch the video “Struggling with the History of Race and the Priesthood.”

Danor acknowledges certain challenges of race and priesthood that young Black men face when joining the Church. In a private and personal way, he learned that not all past issues need justification if you know the reality of God.

One day early in his investigation into the Church, he told a friend that what the missionaries were teaching felt right to him. He felt something whispering to him that this was what he was looking for. He later learned about the Holy Ghost and was baptized and confirmed.

He soon heard criticisms over past priesthood issues and was shocked. Wondering about the reasoning, he prayed to understand. Seeking the Lord’s voice, he wondered, “Am I not good enough [to hear]?”

In time, “I did hear His voice,” he said. “It was the most beautiful, soft, amazing thing.” To verify what he heard, he asked again. “Yes, my son,” he heard in response.

“I know I’m a son of God, and I know He loves me more than I can stand,” he said. “I don’t need justification for the past. … All I want is a personal relationship [with God].”

“His Grace” is a video series by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that features members of the faith discussing important topics on a deeply personal level.

Learn more in the Gospel Topic “Racial and Cultural Prejudice.”

Endowed members of the Church can purchase garments and temple clothing in the following ways:

• In person at a Distribution Services or Deseret Book store.
• Online at store.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
• By phone by calling the Global Service Center.

Who May Buy Garments and Temple Clothing

You must be endowed or have a signed and activated temple recommend to receive your endowment before you may purchase garments or temple clothing. Your Church Account will verify this information and permit you to purchase garments and temple clothing.

If you have not yet received your endowment, an endowed member with an Church Account may enter his or her information for authorization and the Church can bill and ship the order to you. Learn more at store.ChurchofJesusChrist.org/garments or call Customer Support.

Discounts

A discount is available on certain items for members purchasing temple clothing for the first time and for first-time temple workers. The discount is only available on purchases made by phone or at a retail store and does not include garments. Please contact Customer Support for program details.

Additional Information

The section “Temple Clothing and Garments” in the General Handbook, 38.5, gives additional information about wearing the garment and temple clothing, and about garments and temple clothing for members who have disabilities or allergies.

Background

Adult members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who receive the endowment enter into sacred promises, known as covenants, to follow the highest standards of moral integrity and dedication to God. As part of entering into these covenants in the temple, members receive a simple undergarment—often referred to as the “temple garment” or “garment of the Holy Priesthood.” Unlike other ceremonial clothing used during the endowment, the garment is worn underneath members’ normal clothing for the rest of their lives, serving as a daily physical reminder of their covenant relationship with God. Learn more in the Gospel Topic “Garments.”

The brief video below provides additional context on temple garments and temple ceremonial clothing.

Elder Jack N. Gerard of the Quorum of the Seventy had a discussion about overcoming prejudice with Rev. Amos C. Brown of the Third Baptist Church of San Francisco.

Latter-day Saint leaders, including President Russell M. Nelson, have worked with Rev. Brown and others of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to promote civility and collaborate on educational and humanitarian projects.

A portion of the full interview is featured in the video below.

A transcript of the interview can be found in the September 2021 issue of the Liahona.

Learn more in the article “Elder Jack N. Gerard Talks with the Rev. Amos C. Brown about Overcoming Prejudice.”

Also, read the article “Overcoming Racism and Prejudice: We Can Build Bridges” in the September 2021 Liahona.

The First Presidency has encouraged ward and branch leaders to help members access print or digital magazine content from the Church in the following ways:

• Offer Magazines to Newly Baptized Members. After new members are baptized, show them how to access Church magazines on the Gospel Library app or online. If they prefer a print magazine, give new members a free one-year subscription using unit funds.
• Provide Magazines to Youth and Children. Provide subscriptions free of charge, using unit funds, to all children and youth who attend church without a parent or guardian. Be sensitive to individual and family circumstances when determining how best to distribute the magazines.
• Ensure That All Members Have Access to Church Magazines. Call a magazine representative or assign an executive secretary or clerk to help ensure that all members are aware of and can access Church magazines. Give special attention to members who need help subscribing or finding digital content.

Church magazines can help members learn the gospel of Jesus Christ, study the teachings of living prophets, feel connected to the global Church family, face challenges with faith, and draw closer to God.

How to Order Magazines

Subscriptions for the printed magazines are available online at store.ChurchofJesusChrist.org, by calling the Global Services Department, and by visiting a distribution center. In some areas, units order on behalf of their members and distribute magazines at their meetinghouses.

Magazine articles can be accessed digitally for free online and in the Gospel Library app.