October 2019 General Conference News and Announcements
Contributed By Church News staff
President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and his counselors, President Dallin H. Oaks, First Counselor, and President Henry B. Eyring, Second Counselor, at the Saturday morning session of general conference, October 5, 2019.
Updated Temple Recommend Questions
- Do you have faith in and a testimony of God, the Eternal Father; His Son, Jesus Christ; and the Holy Ghost?
- Do you have a testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and of His role as your Savior and Redeemer?
- Do you have a testimony of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ?
- Do you sustain the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as the prophet, seer, and revelator and as the only person on the earth authorized to exercise all priesthood keys?
Do you sustain the members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as prophets, seers, and revelators?
Do you sustain the other General Authorities and local leaders of the Church? - The Lord has said that all things are to be “done in cleanliness” before Him (Doctrine and Covenants 42:41).
Do you strive for moral cleanliness in your thoughts and behavior?
Do you obey the law of chastity? - Do you follow the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ in your private and public behavior with members of your family and others?
- Do you support or promote any teachings, practices, or doctrine contrary to those of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?
- Do you strive to keep the Sabbath day holy, both at home and at church; attend your meetings; prepare for and worthily partake of the sacrament; and live your life in harmony with the laws and commandments of the gospel?
- Do you strive to be honest in all that you do?
- Are you a full-tithe payer?
- Do you understand and obey the Word of Wisdom?
- Do you have any financial or other obligations to a former spouse or to children?
If yes, are you current in meeting those obligations? - Do you keep the covenants that you made in the temple, including wearing the temple garment as instructed in the endowment?
- Are there serious sins in your life that need to be resolved with priesthood authorities as part of your repentance?
- Do you consider yourself worthy to enter the Lord’s house and participate in temple ordinances?
New Temples
- Freetown, Sierra Leone
- Orem, Utah
- Bentonville, Arkansas
- Bacolod, Philippines
- Taylorsville, Utah
- Coban, Guatemala
- McAllen, Texas
- Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
Stake Sunday School Presidency
A member of the high council will now serve as the stake Sunday School president and may serve with or without counselors and a secretary. He may serve on the stake Aaronic Priesthood–Young Women committee.
Change of “Auxiliary” to “Organization”
At the general, stake, and ward levels, Relief Society, Young Women, Young Men, Primary, and Sunday School will be referred to as “organizations” rather than “auxiliaries.” Leaders will be referred to as “General Officers,” “stake officers,” and “ward officers.”
Organizational Changes for Youth
- Young women have a new theme.
- The number of Young Women classes in a ward can vary based on local needs.
- Young Women classes are now called “Young Women.” Old class names (Beehive, Mia Maid, and Laurel) will no longer be used. (See related story.)
- The primary role of bishops is to care for young men and young women.
- Bishoprics will preside over the Aaronic Priesthood and ward Young Men presidencies will be discontinued.
- Ward Young Women presidents will report directly to the bishop. (See related story.)
Leadership Changes
General Authority Seventies
The following General Authority Seventies were released and given emeritus status:
- Wilford W. Andersen
- Kim B. Clark
- Lawrence E. Corbridge
- Claudio R. M. Costa
- Bradley D. Foster
- O. Vincent Haleck
- Donald L. Hallstrom
- Steven E. Snow
- Larry Y. Wilson
The following Area Seventies were released:
- Julio C. Acosta
- Blake R. Alder
- Alain L. Allard
- Omar A. Alvarez
- Taiichi Aoba
- Carlos F. Arredondo
- Aley K. Auna Jr.
- Grant C. Bennett
- Michael H. Bourne
- Rómulo V. Cabrera
- Wilson B. Calderón
- Hernando Camargo
- José C. F. Campos
- Nicolás Castañeda
- Walter Chatora
- Zeno Chow
- Robert J. Dudfield
- J. Kevin Ence
- Meliula M. Fata
- K. Mark Frost
- Claude R. Gamiette
- Maurício G. Gonzaga
- Leonard D. Greer
- Jose L. Isaguirre
- Tae Gul Jung
- Sergio L. Krasnoselsky
- Milan F. Kunz
- Bryan R. Larsen
- G. Kenneth Lee
- Geraldo Lima
- W. Jean-Pierre Lono
- Khumbulani Mdletshe
- Dale H. Munk
- Norman R. Nemrow
- Yutaka Onda
- Wolfgang Pilz
- Raimundo Pacheco De Pinho
- Gennady N. Podvodov
- Abraham E. Quero
- Marco A. Rais
- Steven K. Randall
- Francisco J. Ruiz de Mendoza
- Edwin A. Sexton
- Raúl H. Spitale
- C. Walter Treviño
- 'Aisake K. Tukuafu
- Juan A. Urra
- Raul S. Villanueva
- Leonard Woo
Area Seventies
And the following men were called as Area Seventies:
Michel J. Carter, 65, Lac-Brome, Canada; retired; Montreal Quebec Temple president; former bishop, counselor in a bishopric, branch president, high councilor, counselor in a mission presidency, mission president and stake president. Wife, Danielle D.; five children.
Alfred Kyungu, 52, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo; Church Family History Manager; recently released as president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Mbuji-Mayi Mission; former counselor in a bishopric, high councilor and counselor in a stake presidency. Wife, Lucie; three children.
R. Pepper Murray, 60, Bountiful, Utah; Orthopedic Surgeon, self-employed; Salt Lake Married Student 2nd Stake president; former bishop, high councilor and counselor in a stake presidency. Wife, Rachelle; three children.
Ryan K. Olsen, 44, Salt Lake City, Utah; Senior Vice President/Chief Operating Officer, Moreton & Company; recently released as president of the Uruguay Montevideo West Mission; former bishop, counselor in a bishopric, high councilor, stake mission president and stake president. Wife, Julie; four children.
Iotua Tune, 60, Taborio, Kiribati; MLS Coordinator, Presiding Bishopric Office, Temporal Affairs; first counselor of the Marshall Islands/Kiribati Mission presidency; former bishop, branch president, district president and stake president. Wife, Maii Toanimatang; seven children.
Leadership Meeting
Policy about Witnesses to Ordinances
- Any baptized member of the Church may serve as a witness of the baptism of a living person. This change pertains to all baptisms outside the temple.
- A proxy baptism for a deceased person may be witnessed by anyone holding a current temple recommend, including a limited-use temple recommend.
- Any endowed member with a current temple recommend may serve as a witness to sealing ordinances, living and proxy.
(Russell M. Nelson, Oct. 2, General Conference Leadership Meeting, also see First Presidency letter
“Gender” Clarification
“Gender” in The Family: A Proclamation to the World refers to “biological sex at birth” (Dallin H. Oaks, Oct. 2, General Conference Leadership Meeting).
