Beginning in January 2024, young service missionaries worldwide will become part of teaching missions, and the mission president will have responsibility for these missionaries as they continue their service missions. Under the direction of the mission president, service mission leader couples will continue to provide day-to-day assistance. The local stake president and bishop will continue to function as their ecclesiastical leaders.

Service missionaries will continue to report to a service mission leader couple who will work under the priesthood keys of the mission president. The service mission leader couple currently provides—and will continue to provide—day-to-day supervision and assistance to each young service missionary.

The announcement was made in a notice dated September 21, 2023, to general and local priesthood leaders.

Learn more in the article “Young service missionaries to be integrated into teaching missions, Church announces.”

The post Young Church Service Missionaries To Be Integrated Into Teaching Missions first appeared on LDS365: Resources from the Church & Latter-day Saints worldwide.

Hashtags

Many social media sites let you categorize your posts by using hashtags. Hashtags consist of a pound sign (#) followed by a key word(s). These subject tags can be searched on sites such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, Flickr, and Tumblr to find information about a given topic.

Here are suggested hashtags you can use when posting comments about conference:

• #GeneralConference
• #HearHim, #Restoration, #FirstVision (hashtags specific to this conference)
• #‎inspiredby‬ (to share what you find inspiring)
• #next6months (to share how you want your life to change over the next 6 months)
• #last6months (to share how your life has changed since last conference)
• #TabChoir (when referencing the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square)

Use this format when mentioning the names of Church leaders:

• #PresNelson, #PresOaks, #PresEyring (First Presidency)
• #PresBallard (President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles)
• #ElderHolland, #ElderClayton, etc. (members of the Quorum of the Twelve and the Seventy)
• #BishopCausse (Presiding Bishopric)
• #SisterBingham, #BrotherPace (General Officers)

See a more complete list of suggested LDS hashtags you can use when discussing the Church on social media.

The free book 101 Ways to Hasten the Work Online also has ideas about using hashtags.

And remember the words of President Dieter F. Uchtdorf from the April 2011 General Conference:

With so many social media resources and a multitude of more or less useful gadgets at our disposal, sharing the good news of the gospel is easier and the effects more far-reaching than ever before. In fact, I am almost afraid that some listening have already sent text messages like “He’s been speaking for 10 minutes and still no aviation analogy!” My dear young friends, perhaps the Lord’s encouragement to “open [your] mouths” might today include “use your hands” to blog and text message the gospel to all the world! But please remember, all at the right time and at the right place.

Direct URLs

The Church provides a number of direct URLs (also called “vanity URLs”) that you can use to quickly access general conference online.

Conference Page

• conference.ChurchofJesusChrist.org or gc.ChurchofJesusChrist.org take you directly to the main general conference site (ChurchofJesusChrist.org/general-conference)
• conferenciageneral.ChurchofJesusChrist.org takes you to the general conference page in Spanish (ChurchofJesusChrist.org/general-conference?lang=spa)
• conferênciageral.ChurchofJesusChrist.org takes you to the general conference page in Portuguese (ChurchofJesusChrist.org/general-conference?lang=por)

Conference Music

• gcmusic.ChurchofJesusChrist.org takes you to the conference music playlist (ChurchofJesusChrist.org/general-conference/music)

Conference Children’s Activities

• conferencegames.ChurchofJesusChrist.org takes you to general conference activities for children (ChurchofJesusChrist.org/general-conference/activities-for-children)

See a list of short URLs to find many other Church websites.

Related articles:

• How to Prepare for General Conference
• Invite Your Friends to Watch General Conference
• 8 Ways to Access General Conference
• Direct URLs to Access General Conference

Take this poll and see how you stack up against other LDS365 readers:

The post Hashtags and URLs for General Conference first appeared on LDS365: Resources from the Church & Latter-day Saints worldwide.

Did you know that you can listen to general conference using smart speakers? Just ask your Amazon Alexa device or your Google Assistant device to play conference to you using the Church’s Gospel Voice.

Audio of all sessions will be streamed live in English and Spanish. Below are the instructions on how to use each device.

Amazon Alexa Devices (Echo, Echo Dot, Amazon Fire TV Cube, etc.)

• For English, first add Gospel Voice to your Alexa, then say, “Alexa, enable Gospel Voice.” Then say, “Alexa, ask Gospel Voice to play general conference.”
• For Spanish, first enable TuneIn skill, then say, “Alexa, open TuneIn Live.” Then say, “Alexa, play Canal Mormón,” or “Alexa, ask TuneIn to play Canal Mormón.”

Google Assistant Devices (Home, Mini, Auto etc.)

• For English, first add Gospel Voice to your Google Assistant. Say, “Hey, Google. Talk to Gospel Voice.” Then say, “Hey Google, ask Gospel Voice to play general conference.”
• For Spanish, first enable TuneIn skill, then say, “Hey, Google, talk to TuneIn Live.” Then say, “Hey, Google, play Canal Mormón,” or “Hey, Google, ask TuneIn to play Canal Mormón.”

Learn more in the Gospel Voice Quick-Start Guide.

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President Russell M. Nelson fell and injured muscles in his back two days after his 99th birthday. Therefore, he will not attend this weekend’s general conference in person, but he hopes to record his conference message so he can participate through technology.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland continues to recuperate from his recent health challenges and, while improving, will participate in conference sessions by watching at home.

The following is “A General Conference Message from the Prophet” just published on the Church’s Newsroom:

Dear brothers, sisters and friends, we have the cherished opportunity this coming weekend to attend or watch our semiannual general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! General conference weekends are two of my favorite weekends of the year. How I love meeting in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City with all who gather there.

 

This weekend, however, I will be watching general conference through technology just as most of you will. Three weeks ago, I fell and injured the muscles in my lower back. This episode has reminded me of the reality that things sometimes change quickly in our lives. This photo of my counselors and me was taken at the celebration of my 99th birthday. Two days later, I fell.

 

Thankfully, my healing is progressing. But as my physician says, “We don’t have much data on how 99-year-olds recover from an injury like this one, so I am prescribing a slow, careful approach to healing so that you achieve a full recovery.” Having prescribed just such a course of action for many of my own patients years ago, I feel duty-bound to follow doctor’s orders.

 

I am still not able to sit in a chair for long periods of time. However, I am hoping to record my general conference message and look forward to participating in this marvelous October 2023 general conference through technology.

 

I pray that each of us, wherever we may be, will approach this sacred weekend with our hearts full of gratitude for the privilege of hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ proclaimed by His servants. May this general conference be a time of joy and spiritual rejuvenation for you. I know that it will be for me!

The post President Nelson and Elder Holland Will Not Attend General Conference In Person first appeared on LDS365: Resources from the Church & Latter-day Saints worldwide.

At general conference every six months, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issues an official World Report of Church news and events around the world.

You can watch it in English below. The program is also available in Spanish, Portuguese, traditional Chinese, simplified Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean and Russian.

During conference weekend, the World Report will be broadcast in these 10 languages on the Church satellite system. It will also be shown on KSL-TV and BYUtv.

Learn more about the World Report in the article “The October 2023 Edition of the World Report.”

Watch the English video below:

The post October 2023 Church World Report first appeared on LDS365: Resources from the Church & Latter-day Saints worldwide.

The Church provides a page of general conference activities for children and youth in English, Portuguese, and Spanish to help them enjoy and learn more from watching or listening to general conference.

Also see the following resources from the Church:

• General Conference Notebook from the For the Strength of Youth magazine.
• Conference activities for children from The Friend magazine.
• General Conference Notebook for children to write or draw about conference.
• My General Conference Notes for children
• Coloring pages of members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (with names and without names)
• A coloring page with all members of the First Presidency and Apostles on a single page.
• Conference Squares, consisting of 7 cards that encourage children to listen carefully, and when a speaker talks about one of the topics on the card, cover that square.
• Games and activities from the Friend magazine.
• Coloring pages by topic from the Friend magazine.
• Scripture stories coloring books.
• The Friend magazine offers videos about each of the apostles. If your children watch these, they will know more about them when they see them speak in conference.

Please download and share these materials with others. If you have any suggestions to improve the Church’s conference activities for children, please comment below.

There are also useful conference activities available on other websites, such as the following:

• Free General Conference Activity Packet from LDS Bookstore
• General Conference Workbook for Kids from LDS Bookstore
• 6 Tried and True General Conference Activities for Kids from LDS Daily
• General Conference Activity & Coloring Sheets by HeyFriendShop.com
• Conference Bingo Mobile app
• Free general conference activity packet from Deseret Book
• General Conference Workbooks from Deseret Book
• How to Prepare for General Conference With Kids – Minimalist Idea
• FREE General Conference Activities from LDS Daily
• General Conference Bingo – a site that randomly generates different bingo cards
• Making memories: 5 ways to make general conference fun for kids by Utah Valley 360.

If you know of others you want to share, please comment about them below.

The post General Conference Activities for Youth and Children first appeared on LDS365: Resources from the Church & Latter-day Saints worldwide.

General Conference may be one of the best ways to introduce your friends to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This article provides references to help you explain to others what general conference is all about and to invite them to watch the upcoming general conference. Below are images you can use to share on your social media accounts. Share this video invitation to watch general conference.

Saturday, September 30, 2023

• Saturday Morning Session (10:00 a.m.) for everyone
• Saturday Afternoon Session (2:00 p.m.) for everyone
• Saturday Evening Session (6:00 p.m.) for everyone

Sunday, October 1, 2023

• Sunday Morning Session (10:00 a.m.) for everyone
• Sunday Afternoon Session (2:00 p.m.) for everyone

What is General Conference?

• Read the article about general conference from the Church’s Newsroom.
• Learn about today’s prophets and apostles.

Invite Others to Watch General Conference

• See the page 8 Ways to Access LDS General Conference to learn all the ways that you can watch general conference. The sessions on Sunday are especially good for those who don’t know much about our faith. Tell people how they can access conference in their homes on radio, Internet, broadcast TV, cable TV, and Internet TV.
• Share the what is general conference page.
• Share your favorite quotes and stories from general conference through social media and blogs.
• Put an image on your website or blog. The Church provides collections of images you can use, including images for General Conference and Current Church Leaders.
• Click the Share icons on your favorite talks at conference.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
• Follow LDS365.com for additional ideas, images, picture quotes, and videos to share.

Cover images you can use on your Facebook page:

Related articles:

• How to Prepare for General Conference
• Invite Your Friends to Watch General Conference
• 8 Ways to Access General Conference
• Direct URLs to Access General Conference

The post Invite Your Friends to Watch General Conference, Sep 30-Oct 1, 2023 first appeared on LDS365: Resources from the Church & Latter-day Saints worldwide.

RootsTech, the world’s largest genealogy conference and celebration of family, announced registration for RootsTech 2024 is now open. The global event is February 29 to March 2 at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, and online at RootsTech.org.

The theme of the 2024 event will be “Remember.” Families, friends, genealogists, historians and family history enthusiasts from around the world will gather online and in person to discover, share, connect and remember. The in-person experience is $99 before November 17, 2023. Although the online event is free, registration is still encouraged to maximize the experience.

RootsTech 2024 offers something for everyone, from beginners to advanced researchers with over 300 class sessions, keynote speakers, interactive workshops, and hundreds of exhibitors who will showcase their latest innovative products and features.

Register now at RootsTech.org.

Learn more in the article “RootsTech 2024 Opens Registration.”

The post RootsTech 2024 Is Now Open For Registration first appeared on LDS365: Resources from the Church & Latter-day Saints worldwide.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints invites people around the world to participate in general conference twice a year. In these meetings, the First Presidency, members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and other General Authorities and General Officers of the Church deliver messages of inspiration and guidance.

The conference meetings are as follows:

Saturday, September 30, 2023

• Saturday Morning Session (10:00 a.m.) for everyone
• Saturday Afternoon Session (2:00 p.m.) for everyone
• Saturday Evening Session (6:00 p.m.) for everyone

Sunday, October 1, 2023

• Sunday Morning Session (10:00 a.m.) for everyone
• Sunday Afternoon Session (2:00 p.m.) for everyone

In-person attendance at the general conference sessions will be limited due to the extensive construction taking place on and around Temple Square. Decisions about gathering to watch general conference in meetinghouses will be left to the discretion of local leaders.

All sessions will be streamed live on the home page of ChurchofJesusChrist.org. They are also available via the Church satellite system, Latter-day Saints Channel, radio, television, satellite, and other digital channels. See Viewing Times and Options for more details. For specific times, languages, and rebroadcast information, refer to the Church broadcast schedule.

Here are 8 ways that you can participate in general conference:

#1: Watch Digitally

• ChurchofJesusChrist.org. Live video in more than 70 languages. Some languages will appear on the home page of ChurchofJesusChrist.org and others will appear on the language pages.
• General Conference YouTube live video in 11 languages and the YouTube app for connected TV devices and smart TVs (Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, game consoles and smart DVD players) in English. The web address for American Sign Language (ASL) is ASL.ChurchofJesusChrist.org or ASL YouTube Channel.
• Gospel Library mobile app. Just click the general conference banner to be connected to live video in more than 30 languages.
• Latter-day Saints Channel Mobile App. Live video in more than 10 languages.
• Latter-day Saints Channel OTT connected Smart TV on Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, Android TV. Live video in the same 12 languages as above.
• BYUtv, BYUtv International, and BYUtv apps (Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, and Windows Mobile). Live video in English.
• KSL TV mobile app in English

Closed captions are available at ChurchofJesusChrist.org in English, Spanish, and Portuguese by choosing the CC button on the Media Player (Flash). Also available in English on Apple iOS devices by going to the video settings on the device and turning on closed captions.

You can also take personal notes during the live broadcast in the Gospel Library app and online using the Notes feature. These notes will be saved in the conference full session files so you can search them and access them later.

#2. Listen Digitally

• Gospel Voice for smart speakers. Live audio will be streamed in English and Spanish for Amazon Alexa devices (such as Echo, Echo Dot, and Amazon Fire TV Cube) and Google Assistant Devices (such as Home, Mini, and Auto). Read instructions. Learn more in the Gospel Voice Quick-Start Guide.
• Latter-day Saints Channel Mobile App. Live video in the following 12 languages: American Sign Language, Cantonese, English (including closed captioned), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Portuguese (including closed captioned), Russian, and Spanish (including closed captioned).
• Latter-day Saints Channel on Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, Android TV. Live video in the same languages as above.
• Inspiration page on ChurchofJesusChrist.org
• Latter-day Saints Channel Radio on Saints Channel Talk (English) and Canal Mormón (Spanish).
• TuneIn Search for “Saints Channel Talk” or “Canal Mormon.” All sessions streamed live in English and Spanish.
• BYU Radio online and SiriusXM in English.
• KSL News Radio mobile app in English.
• Many local radio and cable stations throughout the world broadcast conference live. See a complete listing of stations by country or visit www.bonneville.info for details, including a live listening stream in various countries.
• Low-bandwidth live audio streams. All sessions will be available in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Malagasy and Swahili. You can also search for local broadcasts in your area.
  

  #3: Watch on Television

  • BYU-tv. Video and audio in English on 154 cable TV providers. Check your local listings or call 866-662-9888 for a provider in your area.
  • BYU-tv International. Video and audio in English, Spanish, and Portuguese
  • Latter-day Saints Channel on Roku. Video in the following 12 languages: American Sign Language, Cantonese, English (including closed captioned), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Portuguese (including closed captioned), Russian, and Spanish (including closed captioned). Search for general conference under the “Spiritual” category. Available in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Canada.
  • Television, cable TV and satellite TV. See a complete listing of stations by country. Also see bonneville.info and KSL.com.

  #4: Attend in Person at Meetinghouses

  With the ongoing pandemic, decisions about gathering to watch general conference in meetinghouses will be left to local leaders.

   

   

  #5: Attend in Person at the Conference Center

  For this conference, because of the COVID-19 virus, members are not invited to attend at the conference center. Everyone is invited to watch through technology. See options above.

   

  #6: Participate on Social Media

  • Follow the members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on Facebook and Twitter for more inspiration during general conference weekend and throughout the rest of the year.
  • Follow the Church’s Facebook and Twitter, and Instagram accounts.
  • To participate in conversations on social media, use the hashtag #GeneralConference or simply retweet quotes, videos, and images posted on the Church accounts.

  #7: Access the Archives

  • General conference talks in text, audio, and video formats are provided in multiple channels for studying after conference, including the Gospel Library app, YouTube, the general conference section of ChurchofJesusChrist.org, and Church magazines.
  • On most of these channels, videos of the full sessions will be available right after each session ends. Division into individual talks and music segments in many languages will begin appearing after 8 hours and will be completed within 24 hrs of the broadcast.
  • Within 8 hrs of the broadcast, video and audio will be available in over 80 languages at ChurchofJesusChrist.org and in the Gospel Library app  and in many languages on the Latter-day Saints Channel in iTunes.
  • Audio recordings of talks and music will appear in English in the Gospel Living mobile app. Available for Android and Apple iOS.
  • English text will be available at conference.ChurchofJesusChrist.org and in the Gospel Library app a few days after conference. Text in other languages will be posted in the following weeks.
  • Read more detailed information about when general conference addresses will be available in video, audio, and text formats.

  #8: Read in the Magazines

  • All conference talks are printed in the May issue of the Liahona magazine. The November issue of the For the Strength of Youth and the Friend also contain conference messages and features. You can subscribe to automatically get an extra conference issue of the Liahona.

  Related articles:

  • How to Prepare for General Conference
  • Invite Your Friends to Watch General Conference
  • 8 Ways to Access General Conference
  • Short URLs to Access General Conference

  Which of these ways will you use to watch conference? Take the poll below.

  Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

The post 8 Ways to Watch General Conference: Sep 30-Oct 1, 2023 first appeared on LDS365: Resources from the Church & Latter-day Saints worldwide.

Every April and October, we have the privilege of hearing messages of inspiration and guidance at general conference. It is intended to be a revelatory experience as we learn from living prophets and apostles through the influence of the Holy Ghost. If you prepare, you will get more out of your conference experience.

As you prepare for general conference, I invite you to ponder questions you need to have answered. … There are messages in each general conference given as a gift and a blessing from heaven specifically for our personal life situations. — Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Ask Questions

Think about questions that are weighing on your mind. Ask questions through prayer and reflect on them while you listen to general conference.

Tip: The Gospel Library has a placeholder for the upcoming general conference. Pick a session and record any questions you have prior to the session. Then during conference, you can digitally record and save the answers you receive as you follow along throughout the meetings.

Listen to the Spirit

Prepare your heart and mind to be open to personal revelation from the Spirit to seek what God wants you to know, feel, and understand.

Record Your Feelings

Write your thoughts and feelings in a journal, and add to them as you listen to general conference. If you feel comfortable, share insights with your friends or family.

The page Ideas to Prepare for General Conference at ChurchofJesusChrist.org provides more suggestions.

Watch the video Learning from General Conference:

Watch the video Find Answers to Your Questions:

Here are four preparation ideas:

• Get ready the day before. Pray to have an open heart and to receive answers to questions you have. Figure out how you will watch or listen to conference so you don’t have to scramble the next day. Doing a few simple things like this will help you be in the right frame of mind for inspiration to flow.
• Explore new ways of taking notes. Some people write down quotes and phrases, while others draw pictures based on what inspires them. Whatever you do, make sure to record what the Spirit tells your heart and mind—not just what the speakers say.
• Share thoughts with others. Talking and teaching about what you learn is one of the best ways to make it stick. Plus, it might be just what someone else needs to hear!
• Read or listen to the talks again. Think of the conference messages as a guide for the next six months of life. You can rewatch talks online or read them in the November Church magazines. And don’t be afraid to mark them up—some people underline different topics in different colors to help them notice patterns, and some like to write thoughts and ideas in the margins.

Additional ideas to prepare for general conference:

• Read “Why Do We Need Prophets?“
• Read Elder Uchtdorf’s three basic steps of preparation.
• Read “Find your answers at general conference.“
• Read how to prepare your children.
• Review the blessings of general conference.
• Learn how general conference addresses individual circumstances.
• Learn more about each member of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. These may be helpful for children and youth to become more familiar with these great leaders of the Church.

Related articles:

• Invite Your Friends to Watch General Conference
• 8 Ways to Access General Conference
• Direct URLs to Access General Conference

The post How to Prepare for General Conference Coming Next Weekend first appeared on LDS365: Resources from the Church & Latter-day Saints worldwide.

LDS Living has published a video of Sheri Dew testifying that prophets provide us with direction and truth in a media-saturated world. Sister Dew also shares an inspiring story of how a decision from prophetic leadership led to significant successes in missionary work.

Watch the video below “Prophets See Around Corners.”

The post Video: “Prophets See Around Corners” How Prophetic Inspiration Prepares Us For Whatever the Future Holds first appeared on LDS365: Resources from the Church & Latter-day Saints worldwide.

The First Presidency of the Church has commissioned former Assistant Church Historian and Recorder Richard E. Turley Jr. to write a new biography of the Prophet Joseph Smith. The book will be called Joseph the Prophet.

This announcement was made by President Dallin H. Oaks at the Joseph Smith Papers conference on Friday, September 15, 2023.

“With the completion of the Joseph Smith Papers [in June 2023], a firm foundation has been laid on which additional works can be solidly built,” President Oaks said.

The new biography will take years to complete. Teams aiding on the project include Church History Department scholars, including many who worked on the Joseph Smith Papers volumes and who collectively have already devoted decades of study to the Prophet. Staff and volunteers of the Family History Department are also contributing their skills in local research and building databases to help answer important questions. Professors from BYU have joined seasoned legal scholars and interns from the J. Reuben Clark Law School to study the legal papers of Joseph Smith and his family.

The biography will rely on the research of these and other scholars, who are expected to generate a number of publications with detailed findings on which the biography can then rely. The biography itself will be written as a narrative for a general audience and is expected to garner a wide readership.

Learn more in the article “First Presidency Commissions New Biography of the Prophet Joseph Smith.”

The post First Presidency Commissions New Biography “Joseph the Prophet” first appeared on LDS365: Resources from the Church & Latter-day Saints worldwide.

The Church’s new Gospel Stream mobile and TV streaming (OTT) app makes it simpler and safer to view videos and broadcasts. This ad-free, safe environment will make it easier to access resources to teach the gospel at home, in Sunday meetings, and in seminary or other non-Sunday activities.

Gospel Stream is now available for download for Apple Mobile, Apple TV, Google Play, Google TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire Devices (Tablets and TVs). The October general conference will be the first global broadcast streamed on the app.

This new app consolidates Church video content from the previous Latter-day Saints Channel and Gospel Media apps, which are no longer available for download and won’t be supported on devices where they have been downloaded previously. Most content will be available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French.

Learn more in the video below and in the article “Gospel Stream Mobile and OTT App.”

The post Gospel Stream: The Church’s New TV & Mobile Streaming App Allows Safe Viewing of Church Videos & Broadcasts first appeared on LDS365: Resources from the Church & Latter-day Saints worldwide.

The Church has released the key dates and information on how to register for FSY 2024 in the United States and Canada.

For the Strength of Youth (FSY) conferences will again be held in the United States and Canada during 2024 for stakes that are assigned to attend during even years. Click here to see if your stake will have an FSY conference in 2024.)

These five-day events, generally held at college campuses, are led by young single adults and session directors and include activities, devotionals, and classes designed to strengthen youth and increase their faith in Jesus Christ. (See a week at a glance here.)

Participating in FSY conferences should be a priority for youth and parents. This experience has the potential to bless the youth, their families, and their classes and quorums.

Read information about stake assignments, registration, frequently asked questions, and instructions on how leaders will identify the youth who are eligible to attend FSY. Some processes have changed from previous years.

The post Schedule and Information About FSY Conferences in 2024 in US & Canada first appeared on LDS365: Resources from the Church & Latter-day Saints worldwide.

September is suicide awareness month. This video below shares some ideas of what you can do or say to support someone facing mental health challenges or thoughts of suicide and help them feel God’s love.

Always take seriously the warning signs of suicide and any threats to attempt suicide, even if you think the individual is not seriously thinking about suicide or is just seeking attention. Follow these three steps to offer support—Ask, Care, Tell.

Step 1: Ask. Ask the person directly if they are thinking about suicide. You might ask, “Are you thinking about ending your life?” If they say that they are thinking about suicide, ask them if they have a plan. You might ask, “Do you have a plan to hurt yourself?” If they have a plan, immediately help them get to a hospital or healthcare clinic, or call an emergency service provider or crisis help line in your area. (See “Crisis Help Lines” for links to help lines around the world.) If they do not have a plan, move to step 2.

Step 2: Care. Show that you care by listening to what they say. Give them time to explain how they are feeling. Respect their feelings by saying something such as, “I’m sorry you are in so much pain” or “I didn’t realize how hard things were for you.” You might offer to help them create a suicide-prevention safety plan (see “How to Create a Suicide-Prevention Safety Plan,” Doug Thomas, Ensign, Sept. 2016, 63). A safety plan can help people identify their personal strengths, positive relationships, and healthy coping skills. It can also reduce their access to means of self-harm, such as weapons or pills. If they ask you not to tell anyone about their feelings, explain that you will respect their privacy as much as possible but they need more help than you can give. Never promise to keep their thoughts of suicide secret.

Step 3: Tell. Encourage the person to tell someone who can offer more support. Share contact information for helpful resources in your area. Resources may include community hospitals, urgent care clinics, or free crisis helplines. If they will not seek help, you need to tell someone for them. You may want to say something such as, “I care about you and want you to be safe. I am going to tell someone who can offer you the help you need.” Respect their privacy by telling only someone you think can help, such as a close family member, the person’s bishop, a school counselor, a doctor, or another health care professional. If you are not sure who to tell, talk to your bishop or call a free crisis help line in your area. Remember, you are not expected to support the person on your own.

Learn more on the page “How to Help Someone in Crisis” in the Church’s Life Help section.

The post How to Help Someone in Crisis: Ask, Care, Tell first appeared on LDS365: Resources from the Church & Latter-day Saints worldwide.

Members may now schedule group appointments for proxy sealings, endowments, and initiatory ordinances using the online system for temple appointments. The system previously only allowed group appointments for proxy baptism and sealing ordinances.

This feature is especially helpful for family and friends wanting to attend the temple together. Larger groups such as wards and stakes are asked to continue reservations by email or phone.

What Is the Group Scheduling Process?

1. When you schedule an appointment, check the box labeled Additional People and enter the number of male and female members you wish to invite.
2. After you finalize the appointment, your appointment is confirmed for all seats.
3. Instructions will be provided on how to invite other group members to confirm their seat. This step is not required.

If guests choose to confirm their seats, the appointment will appear on their My Temple Appointments page and at the temple recommend desk allowing temple workers to better direct guests when they arrive.

Please note that the online appointment system already allows members to schedule groups for proxy baptisms. Maximum group sizes vary by temple based on capacity.

Group appointments will continue to be available by emailing or calling the temple.

The post Group Temple Appointments first appeared on LDS365: Resources from the Church & Latter-day Saints worldwide.

For Church recreational properties in the United States and Canada, the priority for scheduling and using the camps is being changed to give priority to larger stake groups, increase accessibility for Young Men groups, and add stake youth combined activities into the schedule. Recreation camps may also be used for youth conferences.

Camps will now be referred to as “youth camps” rather than “Young Women camps.” After youth groups have an opportunity to schedule stake and ward camps, other Church organizations may reserve them. Members will also be able to reserve the camps for family or personal use if there are remaining reservation slots available after all the needs of Church programs are met.

Units can start placing reservations on September 25, 2023, at camping.ChurchofJesusChrist.org. The new priority schedule can be found on the website.

The post Stakes May Begin Scheduling Church Youth Camps Beginning September 25, 2023 in the US & Canada first appeared on LDS365: Resources from the Church & Latter-day Saints worldwide.

Leaders, parents, and youth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can learn more about various options in the Church Educational System through two live-stream events on September12 and 13, hosted by Brigham Young University, BYU–Hawaii, BYU–Idaho, BYU–Pathway Worldwide, Ensign College, and Seminaries and Institutes.

Parent and Leader Live-Stream

The parent and leader live-stream is Tuesday, September 12, 7 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time.

• Register at byu.visitdays.io/conventions/2162

The live-stream will provide insights about the Church Educational System for parents and leaders to learn about the various options and where to find resources to help with educational opportunities.

Youth Live-Stream

The youth live-stream is Wednesday, September 13, 7 p.m. MDT.

• Register at byu.visitdays.io/conventions/2163

The live-stream will provide information and answers to youth about the various options within the Church Educational System and includes giveaways.

The post Learn About Church Educational System Options in Live Streams September 12-13, 2023 first appeared on LDS365: Resources from the Church & Latter-day Saints worldwide.

Do you want to contribute your creative talents by participating in Church productions, events, and projects?

On the Church Casting and Music Opportunities page, you can see current casting projects, such as acting, modeling, voice-over, and music projects.

You can also create or update your talent profile to be considered for upcoming projects.

The post Church Casting and Music Opportunities first appeared on LDS365: Resources from the Church & Latter-day Saints worldwide.

The worldwide young adult devotional originally scheduled for September 10 has been moved to November 19, 2023.

Young adults ages 18-30, married or single, are invited to view the worldwide devotional with Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Sister Mary Cook. Leaders and young adults are encouraged to invite and gather together in local events to hear inspired messages from one of the Lord’s living Apostles and his wife.

You can also watch the broadcast on the Church satellite system, at broadcasts.ChurchofJesusChrist.org (available for two weeks) or on YouTube (via live and on-demand streaming).

Beginning two weeks after the broadcast, the video, text and audio-only files of the devotional will be available in 41 languages in the Gospel Library under “Adults/Young Adults.”

The post September Worldwide Young Adult Devotional Rescheduled For November 19 first appeared on LDS365: Resources from the Church & Latter-day Saints worldwide.