The October 2026 general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — the Church’s 196th Semiannual General Conference — featured messages from the First Presidency, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and other Church leaders. Four general sessions were held on October 3–4 for all individuals, families and friends. Two-hour sessions were held on both days, 10 a.m. MDT and 2 p.m. MDT.
The October 2026 general conference was broadcast live worldwide from the Conference Center in Salt Lake City in more than 70 languages on ChurchofJesusChrist.org/broadcasts and the Gospel Library app, in 12 languages on the General Conference YouTube channel, and in four languages on Gospel Stream. The sessions and talks are available on the Church's website and in the Liahona magazine.
General conference is available through the Gospel Voice skill on Amazon Alexa devices and through TuneIn by searching for “Saints Channel Talk” or “Canal de los Santos” (for live Spanish interpretation).
On-demand viewing of the messages were also available following the broadcast, on multiple channels in more than 90 languages.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will donate $3 million to the construction of National Juneteenth Museum in Fort Worth, Texas.
The donation was announced at a gathering of community leaders and supporters in Fort Worth on Wednesday, October 7, 2026 — which coincided with the 100th birthday of Dr. Opal Lee, the civil rights activist known as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth.”
For years, Lee campaigned for a national Juneteenth holiday to commemorate the day when news of emancipation reached enslaved Black Americans in Texas on June 19, 1865, more than two years after Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.
“We celebrate all as brothers and sisters, sons and daughters of the living God,” said Elder Michael A. Dunn, General Authority Seventy and president of the Church’s United States Southwest Area.
The genealogy center will place particular emphasis on helping preserve records and stories that have historically been difficult for many African American families to trace and document.
“For generations, slavery hid the names and stories of millions of African American ancestors,” Elder Dunn said, as reported by FortWorthReport.org. “Many organizations, including The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, are now recovering and recording these histories as an act of honor and healing.”[1]
Following seven decades as a student of the U.S. Constitution, President Dallin H. Oaks stood in the Washington National Cathedral on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, and declared the need for common ground in preserving religious freedom. “I have always regarded the United States Constitution as a model for a diverse people to achieve self-government,” President Oaks said on the eve of Constitution Day in the United States.
President Oaks specifically mentioned five inspired principles: The source of government power is the citizens. This is often referred to as popular sovereignty; The division of delegated power between the nation and its states; The separation of powers among the executive, legislative and judicial branches; The “cluster of vital guarantees” of individuals’ rights and specific limits on government authority, such as in the Bill of Rights; The “vital purpose of the entire Constitution” that citizens are to be governed by law and not by individuals.
He added at the end of that list his hope that individuals would be loyal to the aspirations and the system of government over loyalty to individuals who are elected. “Our loyalty is based on the Constitution and its principles and processes, not to particular officeholders,” he said. (Read more of his address here.)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released a video on Sunday, June 7, 2026, about AI. In the video, Elder Gong teaches about best practices for maintaining sensitivity to hear the Holy Ghost while AI use increases. The video, titled “Faith, Dignity, and Human Flourishing: Hearing God’s Voice in an Age of Artificial Intelligence,” is available on the Church’s YouTube channel, with individual episodes or clips also published on Elder Gong’s YouTube channel.
Over the past decade, the abilities of and access to artificial intelligence have increased rapidly. Two years ago, Elder Gerrit W. Gong said, Church leaders were already regularly evaluating how to best use AI as a tool in support of the ongoing Restoration. On March 13, 2024, Elder Gong introduced to Church members some guiding principles for their use of AI.[2]
“Throughout the ongoing Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ, emergent technologies — including in construction, communication and transportation — have allowed this great work to reach out and touch every nation, kindred, tongue and people,” Elder Gong said in that presentation.
Elder Gong also said wisdom helps individuals to use a combination of knowledge, experience and judgment in making decisions. He quoted from 2 Nephi 28:30, where the Lord says through Nephi, “Blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom.”
When he spoke about AI a year later at BYU Education Week, Elder Gong said, “Our most important personal wisdom and understanding is to know the blessings and Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ are meant for each of us.”
He told listeners in his keynote address that the power of technology like AI raises concerns for multiple reasons. Some individuals may succumb to the temptation to allow AI to create talks or lessons in place of doing their own work to fulfill the same needs. “As Church members, we will not grow spiritually if we let AI write our sacrament meeting talks or do our seminary homework,” Elder Gong said.
Outside of supplanting personal effort, Elder Gong said Church leaders are also concerned about the potential use of AI to teach incorrect doctrine or misrepresent their teachings.
“We are establishing protocols to guard against deepfakes, call out intentional misuse of AI and mitigate the tendency for people to disbelieve everything when they can’t trust some things,” Elder Gong said.
Research released in May 2026 by a team that included individuals from Brigham Young University, the University of Notre Dame, Baylor University and Yeshiva University suggests that current AI models have gaps when it comes to understanding religions and faith. The same report suggests AI models also have biases about religion.[3][4]
Currently, 227 of its beautiful temples adorn sites in North, South, and Central America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and numerous islands of the sea. A temple is literally a house of the Lord—a holy place set apart from the rest of the world. Everything in the temple testifies that God is our Father and that Jesus Christ is His Son and the Savior of the world.
“Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths” (Isaiah 2:3)
Throughout the world, a total of 385 temples are operating, under construction or renovation, or announced. On December 29, 2019, the Salt Lake Temple closed for a long-term "comprehensive renovation to strengthen this sacred house of the Lord for future generations." President Russell M. Nelson announced the open house celebration for the Salt Lake Temple, slated for 6 months from April to October 2027.
After the announcement of the “Rejoice in Christ” theme and once reservations became available online, the first wave of free reservations for the Salt Lake Temple open house tour was claimed in less than 24 hours by people around the world. One million spaces were reserved.
Given the anticipated worldwide demand for this once-in-a-lifetime experience, tickets were scheduled to be released in batches in the lead-up to 2027. Tickets can be reserved through TempleSquare.org, the Temple Square app (available for Apple and Android users), the Temple Square email list, and official social media channels.[7]
This significant six-month event welcomes everyone, whether they participate in person on Temple Square or from elsewhere in the world through virtual experiences. The celebration runs from April 5 through October 1, 2027, and will include the open house tour, exhibits, performances, films, service opportunities and other experiences centered on the Savior of the world.[8]
For those who cannot make it to Salt Lake City, the celebration will offer opportunities to participate virtually, including digital resources and a virtual tour of the temple, allowing people around the world to join the celebration from home.
Latter-day Saints Unselfishly Help Their Brothers and Sisters in Need
"Caring for those in need is both a duty and a joyful privilege for followers of Jesus Christ. As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we commit to living the two great commandments: to love God and to love our neighbor (see Matthew 22:37–39). As a Church, we are blessed to have the ability, global connections, and resources to follow His admonition. . . . We invite all to join in being 'anxiously engaged in a good cause' as we continue to strengthen one another through service (Doctrine and Covenants 58:27).
After two deadly earthquakes devastated several parts of Venezuela in June 2026, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints turned to their faith in Jesus Christ to serve neighbors and friends in need.
“One of the most powerful ways we have felt the Lord has been by serving one another,” said Caracas Venezuela Stake President Fidel Alberto Castillo Gomez. “During these days, we have remembered that relying on the Lord does not mean we will not have trials, it means we are not alone in them.”
Even while dealing with the results of natural disasters themselves, members of the Church around the world have responded in recent months with service to help others. This has included — but is not limited to — comforting neighbors in Venezuela, organizing the delivery of food kits to remote islands in the Philippines, providing a safe place to sleep for wildfire evacuees in Spain, gathering hygiene supplies for families in Colombia and cleaning up after a destructive tornado in Wisconsin.
The Church provides emergency help to people everywhere regardless of their political, cultural, or religious background. As disciples of Jesus Christ, Latter-day Saints follow His teachings to “love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind . . . [and] love thy neighbour as thyself” (Matthew 22:37–39).[9]
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, working with the National Muslim Leaders Forum, provided emergency relief to thousands of vulnerable families in a drought-stricken area of Kenya. Church representatives and teams from NAMLEF brought food and water to nomadic pastoralist communities in isolated sub-locations of Northeast Kenya at the end of May — distributing 250 tons of food rations to 3,011 households spread across 24 villages as well as providing clean water to 16 locations, directly serving 2,142 households.[10]
We Love God and We Love Our Neighbors
Caring for those in need has been the core mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from the beginning. In 1842, the Relief Society was organized with a charge to care for the poor and minister to their needs. In 1936, the Church created the welfare program to help care for members in need and strengthen their ability to become self-reliant. And in 1985, the Church’s global humanitarian outreach was formally initiated.
President Russell M. Nelson has taught us that "they who are willing to be called the Lord's people are willing to bear one another’s burdens, . . . to mourn with those that mourn; . . . and [to] comfort those that stand in need of comfort."[11]
Members of the Church have a covenant commitment to live the two great commandments: to love God and to love our neighbor. The Lord has commanded us to "succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees" (Doctrine & Covenants 81:5). As followers of Jesus Christ, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints heed the Savior's call to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, take in the stranger, clothe the naked, and visit the sick and afflicted.
“As His followers, we seek to love God and our neighbors throughout the world,” the First Presidency said. “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is eager to bless others and to help those in need. We are blessed to have the ability, resources, and trusted global connections to carry out this sacred responsibility, which we consider a joyful privilege.”[12]
"And now, if God, who has created you, on whom you are dependent for your lives and for all that ye have and are, doth grant unto you whatsoever ye ask that is right, in faith, believing that ye shall receive, O then, how ye ought to impart of the substance that ye have one to another" (Mosiah 4:21). King Benjamin in his timely treatise as recorded in the The Book of Mormon also reminds us, "When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God" (Mosiah 2:17).
Church members seek out those in need and render aid to all of God’s children without regard to religious affiliation, race, or nationality. As they do so, they are reminded of the Lord's admonition when he taught, "Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me" (Matthew 25:45; see v. 40).
To help as many people as possible, the Church has established various humanitarian projects which operate throughout the world. These programs include Latter-day Saint Charities, Helping Hands, and Philanthropies. The Church also maintains the Latter-day Saint Humanitarian Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, which was established in 1991 to "prepare humanitarian supplies for use worldwide and train those desiring to develop employable skills to become self-reliant."
As detailed in the 2025 Caring for Those in Need report, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints spent 1.58 billion US$ in 196 countries and territories. In 2025, the Church of Jesus Christ facilitated 3,514 humanitarian projects across the globe to meet urgent needs and build lasting hope. The Church recorded 7.4 million volunteer hours in 2025—an average of about 20,000 hours of service per day.[13]
Women & Children Initiative
Leaders from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and seven humanitarian organizations gathered at Church headquarters on August 6 and 7, 2026, to review the first three years of a global initiative that has improved the well-being of 52 million women and children in communities across Africa and Asia.
During the event, Church leaders announced a funding commitment of more than US$65 million, bringing the faith’s total investment in the initiative to more than $184 million over its first three years. Participants also reviewed results from projects in 12 countries (Bangladesh, Cambodia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Nepal, Nigeria, Philippines, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Zambia).
The initiative brings together seven humanitarian organizations (CARE, Catholic Relief Services, Helen Keller Intl, The Hunger Project, iDE, Save the Children and Vitamin Angels) organized into four collaborative groups. They combine their expertise in maternal and child health, nutrition, agriculture, clean water and sanitation to strengthen communities worldwide.[14]
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is providing more than US$7 million to support American Red Cross blood collection and disaster response efforts in the United States, along with an additional $850,000 to assist relief efforts following Super Typhoon Sinlaku.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to strengthen the American Red Cross’s ability to care for people facing serious illness and communities recovering from disasters,” said Bishop W. Christopher Waddell, Presiding Bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “As followers of Jesus Christ, we seek to care for our neighbors, lift burdens and bring hope to individuals and families in times of need.”
The donation includes:
$2.937 million for blood services medical equipment
$2 million for the Red Cross Sickle Cell Initiative
$800,000 for 50 additional Power Red collection machines
$710,000 for improvements and expansion of the Red Cross blood laboratory in Murray, Utah
$600,000 for four emergency response vehicles
Church Welfare and Self-Reliance Managing Director Blaine Maxfield said this donation is an investment that strengthens both the American Red Cross and those who rely on its services.
“Working with the American Red Cross, we can help expand access to essential services and support individuals, families and communities as they build greater stability and resilience,” Maxfield said.
The Church’s relationship with the American Red Cross dates back more than a century.[15]
The Church’s Self-Reliance and Humanitarian Initiatives
The Church also facilitates self-reliance programs and resources to help individuals find employment, become financially secure, gain educational opportunities, and build emotional strength. These efforts are aided by missionaries and other volunteers, who facilitate self-reliance groups and employment coaching in 144 countries worldwide.
For those who struggle with barriers to employment, development counseling is available through Deseret Industries. This program helps individuals to make goals and to determine a plan to get the education and experience necessary to achieve those goals. As part of the program, participants receive training and real-life work experience in Church-owned thrift stores.
The Church's Family Services organization helps leaders care for individuals with social and emotional challenges by providing resources and consultation. One important focus for Family Services is the Church’s Addiction Recovery Program (ARP), which provides support and a safe place for anyone working to overcome compulsive behavior. The free program is made up of support groups that follow a 12-step approach. The program is built within a gospel-centered framework that connects with the Savior Jesus Christ and recognizes Him as the source of healing. The Addiction Recovery Program is facilitated by ARP volunteers around the world, and anyone—regardless of their religious belief—is welcome to participate. In addition to ARP services, Family Services offers counseling to people in a variety of circumstances. They also conduct family, group, and marriage counseling sessions.
Through BYU-Idaho, the Church's Pathway Worldwide program offers higher education to people all over the world. The unique structure of this program not only holds costs way down, but it also offers certificates on the way so that the earning power of the students increases as courses are completed.
Beginning in April 2024, BYU–Idaho and Ensign College, with the support of BYU–Pathway Worldwide, began offering 90–96 credit degrees that will allow students to complete an online bachelor’s degree in three years.
Senior missionary opportunities in the Church include mentoring students all over the world, thus holding educational costs down.
There are approximately 1 million students in the Church Educational System (CES).[16] That includes BYU–Pathway Worldwide’s 70,000 students in over 180 countries. At BYU–Idaho, enrollment has more than tripled since 2000. And enrollment in Seminaries and Institutes is higher than demographic growth.
“No matter where you are in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” Elder Clark G. Gilbert said, “you now have access to an affordable, high-quality, spiritually based education.”
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints offers education loans through the Perpetual Education Fund (PEF). Originally established by Church President Gordon B. Hinckley in 2001, the Perpetual Education Fund has offered financial support to members of the Church of Jesus Christ seeking to increase their opportunities for employment through education.
To help even more members, additional enhancements to the PEF program have been approved, effective November 7, 2024. These include more options for reducing loan balances and support for education-related expenses. The enhancements also include a broader choice of schools and programs, as well as financial options to make loans more affordable.
Since it was announced, the Perpetual Education Fund has helped some 113,000 members in more than 80 countries. The Perpetual Education Fund is available to Church members ages 18 and older in approved countries. Prospective recipients can learn more about the Perpetual Education Fund at PEF.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
The aim of all gospel learning and teaching is to deepen our conversion and help us become more like Jesus Christ. Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church is for anyone who wants to learn from the scriptures—individually, as a family, and in Church classes. Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church is the curriculum for Sunday classes in Primary, youth and adult Sunday School, Young Women classes, and Aaronic Priesthood quorum meetings.
Seminaries and Institutes of Religion teacher Aaron Coombs said that focusing on gospel principles like covenants and the Atonement of Jesus Christ can help people understand thousands of years of history and cultural context found in the Old Testament’s sacred texts. Studying the Old Testament while focusing on spiritual, historical, and cultural levels helps readers understand that eternal truths are the same across cultures and time periods. The stories in the Old Testament have a powerful purpose to them. They’re the things that we tend to really understand. (See "An Institute Instructor’s Advice for Studying the Old Testament in 2026")
The Old Testament is a part of the Holy Bible and comprises the first half of that volume. The books of the Old Testament are drawn from a national literature and were written almost entirely in Hebrew; a few writings contain Aramaic, a related language. It contains writings of ancient prophets who acted under the influence of the Holy Spirit and who over many centuries testified of Christ and His future ministry. It also contains a record of the history of Abraham and his descendants, beginning with Abraham, and the covenant, or testament, the Lord made with Abraham and his posterity.
The following articles discuss the issue of Same-Sex Attraction and Same-Sex Marriage:
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints distinguishes between same-sex attraction and homosexual behavior. The Church acknowledges that same-sex attraction is a sensitive issue that requires kindness, compassion and understanding.
North Star - A place of community for Latter-day Saints dealing with issues surrounding homosexual attraction who desire to live in harmony with the teachings of Jesus Christ and the values and doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
