During the week of Aug. 27-Sept. 2, Church President Russell M. Nelson donated his medical journals to the University of Utah. The First Presidency has invited all to the five general session of the October 2023 general conference.

Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles participated in two devotionals while in Kirtland, Ohio, to dedicate the newly restored Joseph and Emma Smith Home. Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke during Brigham Young University’s annual University Conference on the purpose of the institution.

Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles led media day tours of the Bangkok Thailand Temple. The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced plans to renovate the Manhattan New York Temple and and the site locations for four new temples.

The latest Friend to Friend broadcast with the Primary general presidency titled “Covenants and Blessings” taught about making covenants and blessings from those covenants. Coach Bronco Mendenhall spoke about family, faith and football on the latest episode of the Church News podcast and the latest Church News video.

The latest adjustments to “General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints” were released. Also, Church education leaders announced that three-year degrees will be available to BYU–Idaho and Ensign College online students through BYU–Pathway.

Read summaries and find links to these 10 articles below.

1. President Nelson donates his medical journals to the University of Utah

President Russell M. Nelson, center, with his wife, Sister Wendy W. Nelson, and Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles participate in meeting marking the donation of President Nelson’s patient operative records to the University of Utah on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023, in the Church Administration Building.

Cody Bell, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

President Nelson, a pioneering heart surgeon, donated his medical journals — what he called the “tangible tracks” of his surgical career — to the University of Utah on Wednesday, Aug. 30.

During a special meeting in the Church Administration Building, President Nelson and his wife, Sister Wendy Nelson, met with doctors and administrators from the University of Utah — where he graduated from medical school in August of 1947 at 22 years old.

“I am deeply grateful for the important role the University of Utah played in my education and surgical career,” he said. “Wendy and I are very pleased to donate these valuable records to the University of Utah.”

2. First Presidency announces Sept. 30, Oct. 1 dates for October 2023 general conference, with all invited to the 5 general sessions

The First Presidency — from left, President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor, President Russell M. Nelson, and President Henry B. Eyring, second counselor — greet the congregation during the Saturday evening session of the 193rd Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on April 1, 2023.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has set the dates of Saturday, Sept. 30, and Sunday, Oct. 1, for the upcoming 193rd Semiannual General Conference, with all individuals, families and friends invited to attend the general sessions held over the two days. In a letter dated Thursday, Aug. 31, the First Presidency noted that the five general sessions — Saturday morning, afternoon and evening on Sept. 30 and Sunday morning and afternoon on Oct. 1 — would be for all members and friends.

3. Members and missionaries describe lessons learned from Elder Bednar in Kirtland, Ohio

Elder David A. Bednar of Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gestures to attendees after a devotional for stake members in Kirtland, Ohio, on Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023.

Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

Elder Bednar participated in two devotionals while in Kirtland to dedicate the newly restored Joseph and Emma Smith Home — a devotional with historic sites missionaries on Friday, Aug. 25, and a devotional with the Kirtland Ohio Stake on Saturday, Aug. 26.

Following each devotional, missionaries and members shared what the Spirit taught them while listening to Elder Bednar’s teachings.

4. What the Church’s doctrinal purposes have to do with education and eternal life, Elder Cook tells BYU faculty and staff

Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles speaks during the annual University Conference at Brigham Young University on Monday, Aug. 28, 2023.

Brigham Young University

The purpose of Brigham Young University — in addition to knowledge and education — “is preparing students for eternity,” said Elder Cook during BYU’s annual University Conference on Monday, Aug. 28.

In 1967, then-Elder Spencer W. Kimball of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles challenged BYU and its faculty and staff to aspire to a prophecy of the late Church President John Taylor: “You will see the day that Zion will be far ahead of the outside world in everything pertaining to learning of every kind as we are today in regard to religious matters.”

Elder Cook commended BYU faculty and staff for their efforts. “I am exceedingly pleased with what I see transpiring at this great university. I see continuous and significant righteous achievement,” he said.

5. Elder Gong conducts media-day tours of Bangkok Thailand Temple

The Bangkok Thailand Temple at night, photographed in the summer of 2023 in Bangkok, Thailand.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Even before the Bangkok Thailand Temple was opened to the first official tours for media and special guests, more than 375 Thai young single adults got an early walk-through of the newest house of the Lord, courtesy of Elder Gong.

Joined by other Church leaders and past and current Bangkok civic leaders, Elder Gong also greeted attendees at the temple’s Monday, Aug. 28, media day events, which began with a news conference and was followed by a tour of the temple and media interviews.

6. Site locations released for 4 new temples in California, Brazil, and Bolivia, and New York temple renovations announced

Locator maps for the sites of four new temples announced by the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Monday, Aug. 28, 2023.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The First Presidency announced plans to renovate the Manhattan New York Temple and released a rendering of the updated house of the Lord.

The temple will close in 2024, with renovations projected to take approximately three years.

The First Presidency also announced the site locations for four new temples — the San Jose California Temple, the La Paz Bolivia Temple, the Natal Brazil Temple and the Teresina Brazil Temple.

7. Friend to Friend teaches about the blessings that come from making and keeping covenants

Primary General President Susan H. Porter, center, and her counselors, Sister Amy A. Wright, left, and Sister Tracy Y. Browning, right, welcome children to a Friend to Friend broadcast called “Covenants and Blessings” made available Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023.

Screenshot from YouTube

Using puppets, songs, crafts, stories and object lessons, the September Friend to Friend broadcast called “Covenants and Blessings” taught children in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints about making and keeping covenants with Heavenly Father, the blessings received from those covenants and what it means to be a child of the covenant.

Primary General President Susan H. Porter and her counselors, Sister Amy A. Wright and Sister Tracy Y. Browning, gave an introduction to the episode, inviting children to look for different ways keeping covenants would help them become more like Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

8. Coach Bronco Mendenhall and his wife, Holly Mendenhall, talk about family, faith and football with guest host Sheri Dew

Bronco Mendenhall, former Virginia head football coach, joins the Church News podcast to talk about faith, family and football in August 2023.

Screenshot from YouTube

After six years as head football coach of University of Virginia, Coach Bronco Mendenhall resigned his post at the end of the 2021 season.

Mendenhall — who also spent 11 years as head football coach at Brigham Young University — and his wife, Holly Mendenhall, speak about family, faith and football on the latest episode of the Church News podcast.

The Mendenhalls also bore their testimonies of how their beliefs defined their decisions in the latest Church News video.

8. BYU–Idaho and Ensign College announce new 3-year degrees available to online students through BYU–Pathway

Ensign College graduates line up for processional during commencement exercises held in the Assembly Hall on Temple Square on April 7, 2023.

Laryssa Gasparini, Ensign College

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced a new innovation soon to be available through BYU–Idaho and Ensign College — online bachelor’s degrees that can be completed in just three years. Beginning in April 2024, students of BYU-Idaho and Ensign College — facilitated through BYU–Pathway Worldwide — may take advantage of a 90- to 96-credit degree. A typical bachelor’s degree requires around 120 credit hours of coursework. 

10. ‘General Handbook’ gets updates, condensed ‘Selections’ available in some languages

“General Handbook” for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The latest adjustments to “General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints” were released Thursday, Aug. 31, updating the Church’s guidebook on information and topics such as callings, meetings and temple ordinances.

Also released at the same time was a new publication titled “Selections from the General Handbook,” which is a condensed version of the handbook available in multiple languages in which the full “General Handbook” has yet to be published. The “Selections” publication compiles handbook instructions that are needed most often.

The handbook updates and “Selections” release were first published Thursday on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.