Learn more about the Church’s 3 new global magazines starting in 2021
A mother and her daughter read an article in the Friend together at home. The Friend is going global and now children around the world will be able to read messages specifically meant for them.
|Credit: Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
Learn more about the Church’s 3 new global magazines starting in 2021
A mother and her daughter read an article in the Friend together at home. The Friend is going global and now children around the world will be able to read messages specifically meant for them.
|Credit: Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
Starting in January 2021, the Ensign will be retired and the Liahona will become the Church’s magazine for all adult members around the world.
Currently, the Liahona includes material for children and youth, as well as for adult members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The magazine was created to serve members of all ages in 48 languages, including in English for members who don’t receive the Ensign, New Era or Friend.
Now, with the introduction of three global magazines, adults, youth and children all over the world can receive their own magazines every month or every other month.
Learn more about the new Liahona, For the Strength of Youth and Friend magazines below.
Liahona
Readers of the new Liahona magazine can expect teachings from Church leaders, inspiring stories that demonstrate how to apply gospel principles and articles that complement the Church-supported, home-centered lessons in “Come, Follow Me.”
A mother and her son in Ghana read the Liahona. Starting in January 2021 there will be three global magazines: the Liahona for adults, For the Strength of Youth for teenagers and the Friend for children.
Credit: Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
Although the new Liahona will be slightly reduced than what current readers are used to, the fewer pages will enable the magazine to be distributed in several languages more frequently. Many members of the Church will receive monthly issues that include 48 pages of inspiring material. Other members, who currently received one to four issues per year, will now receive a 32-page issue every other month.
Members in about 150 different countries will be united around gospel messages that correlate with the Liahona’s tagline: “Pointing us all to Jesus Christ.” The articles will appeal to adult members of different ages and life situations yet provide universal truths that will offer additional insight on how to navigate turbulent times.
The cover of the January 2021 Liahona magazine.
Credit: Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
“While each of us faces unique circumstances and challenges, we all have the goal to be happy and to find peace,” said Sister Reyna I. Aburto, second counselor in the Relief Society general presidency. “I believe the messages included every month in the Liahona are one of the surest ways to attain the peace and happiness that come through following God’s plan for us.”
New features in the “Liahona” this coming year will focus on aging faithfully, explaining gospel basics to new members and helping all members feel a sense of belonging. Readers can also expect more parenting tips and articles on the roles of women in the restored Church. Each issue will also include articles on a specific topic that is similarly covered in both the Friend and For the Strength of Youth magazines to aid family discussions. For example, in upcoming issues of all three magazines there will be age-appropriate articles on topics such as incarceration, disabilities and mental health.
Read more about how the Liahona will provide universal messages for a global Church
For the Strength of Youth
The youth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will receive a new youth-based magazine that will be translated and sent to about 150 countries on a more frequent basis.
Two young women read in the New Era, a magazine that will be replaced by a global young adult magazine, For the Strength of Youth starting in January 2021. (Note: This picture was taken before social distancing measures had been established.)
Credit: Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
This will be the first time that many youth (ages 11–18) outside of English-speaking countries will be able to subscribe to a magazine with messages specifically directed to them. Content will include messages written by prophets, apostles and other Church leaders, as well as testimonies and experiences from youth members around the world.
Although For the Strength of Youth will be slightly shorter than its English-only predecessor, the New Era, the decreased page count will allow the magazine to be printed in 48 languages. There will also be additional digital content through the Gospel Library and Gospel Living apps, on social media and on the magazine website.
The cover of the January 2021 issue for the new youth magazine, For the Strength of Youth.
Credit: Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
For the Strength of Youth will seek to edify young people while embodying its tagline: “Finding joy in Christ” through its 32 colorful pages.
“The Spirit is so accessible in this youth magazine. I’m excited that it will place within the minds of our young people the eternal doctrines that bring us joy,” said Young Men General President Steven J. Lund.
“The For the Strength of Youth magazine is going deliver the uplift we have seen in earlier publications, but more and better. It will be more accessible to more youth in more places, and better directed and better focused on showing connections between gospel living and happiness.”
Read more about For the Strength of Youth and its uniform messaging to all youth of the Church
Friend
The Friend is celebrating its 50th anniversary in the upcoming year. And with it, the magazine is going global.
Since the Friend began publication in 1971, it has been primarily directed to an English-speaking audience. But starting in January of 2021, the Friend will be translated into 48 different languages and sent to about 150 countries. This change will ensure that children across the globe can benefit from the Church’s children’s magazine, which is meant for children ages 3 to 11 and their families.
A young girl reads the Friend with her parents.
Credit: Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
While many of the beloved aspects of the Friend will remain the same, the magazine will enhance its reach by including even more real stories from children in each part of the world.
Primary General President Joy D. Jones said this global focus will ensure that children everywhere will feel like they can relate to someone in the magazine, no matter where they are from.
The cover for the 2021 February Friend magazine.
Credit: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
“We are a global Church, but we each have different backgrounds and experiences,” she said. “It is essential for children to feel like they belong and are needed in this glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. Each child needs to know they are remembered, valued and appreciated in their uniqueness. And it’s important that each be blessed with the same ‘faith-sustaining influence’ in their hearts and homes.”
Before this change, children outside of the United States received a 24-page section that was included with their parents’ copy of the Liahona, the Church’s international magazine. Now, children in countries around the world can look forward to receiving a full-length magazine filled with stories, coloring pages and activities to help them learn the gospel at home.
