Joplin Missouri Latter-day Saints

06/10/2026

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗠𝗰𝗖𝘂𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗞𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗮𝘀 𝗪𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗮 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻.

𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲: “But then the following week, he called me again and said:

“President, I’m following up on my meeting with President Nelson. He was thrilled to learn about the need for a temple in Kansas and excited by everything you shared. Because of that, a temple in Kansas has now moved to the top of our priority list. You can tell the members that Kansas will have a temple. I don’t know if it will be in a year or in ten years, but it will happen soon. Tell the members and the missionaries to prepare now and to pray to have a temple in Kansas. And tell your missionaries to continue to establish the Church, to find those who need the blessings of the temple and prepare them to enter the House of the Lord.”

So from that moment in May of 2018 to November 1, 2026—in just eight short years—the faith of the Saints in Kansas carried the work forward and brought about a temple. From that phone call to the announcement, to the groundbreaking, to completion, to the open house, and now to the dedication.

It is nothing short of a testament to the faith of the people of Kansas and the Lord’s perfect timing. God bless the people of Kansas and the missionaries that serve there.”

𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗰𝗖𝘂𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘂𝘀!

06/09/2026

06/09/2026

It gets easier and easier!

The Church makes all sorts of resources available for those interested in "digging deeper." Often help is just a click away.

For instance, have you heard of the "Gospel Library"? If "No", you might want to take a look. If "Yes", but you have never really investigated what is there, then you might want to take a look.

"Gospel Library" might make you think "scriptures". Yes, they are there, but there is also much, much more. Use the accompanying link to do some of that "digging deeper".

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study?lang=eng&platform=web

A couple of examples:

Caring for Those in Need - Resources

Discover a collection of resources designed to help those in need and how you can participate. Explore guides on becoming more self-reliant, preparing for temporal needs, and accessing various programs and services. Learn how the Church supports individuals and families through compassionate service and practical assistance.

Or how about...

Church History – Resources

Explore the amazing history of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the establishment of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Read through or listen to the accounts of those who sacrificed so much for this marvelous work.

Of course, there is more, and you can certainly and easily see for yourself.

06/09/2026

In the middle of an ordinary Tuesday, something sacred happened. I sat in a room as President Dallin H. Oaks bore testimony of Jesus Christ. In that moment, the Spirit whispered to my heart: He is the Lord’s prophet💕

Later that night, I stood before a room full of missionaries at the Provo MTC and testified of that truth.

We talked about the importance of hearing and recognizing the voice of the Lord through His chosen servant.

We are living in a time when the voice of a prophet matters more than ever.

His invitations are filled with power, protection, and promise.

I’ve accepted those invitations. I’ve seen the blessings. I know the safety that comes from following a prophet.

I invite you to pray for your own witness. Find a quiet place and ask the Lord if President Dallin H. Oaks is His prophet on earth today.

The answer will come.✨🌸

📌Emily Belle Freeman
Young Women General President

06/09/2026

06/09/2026

What you add to FamilySearch matters, so finding an unexpected change to an ancestor's record can be unsettling. That's why we built the Improved Person Change Log, now available in FamilySearch Labs, where your feedback helps shape the future of FamilySearch. It shows you exactly what changed in the record, and what it looked like before, especially when reviewing a previous merge.

Try it out and share your feedback: https://www.familysearch.org/en/labs/on/D77H37SZZCSSNDHF3QZGT?redirectUrl=%2Ftree%2Fperson%2Fchangelog%2FLZ2Q-W96&cid=SO-00060787

06/08/2026

So excited to announce that the Wichita Kansas Temple Open House and Dedication dates have been announced by the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

A media day for the Wichita Kansas Temple will be held on Monday, September 21, 2026. Invited guests will tour the temple on September 22 and 23. Doors will open to the public from Thursday, September 24, through Saturday, October 10 (excluding Sundays and Saturday, October 3).

Elder Patrick Kearon of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will preside at the dedication on Sunday, November 1, at 10 a.m. (rebroadcast at 2 p.m.). The dedicatory session will be broadcast to congregations in the Wichita Kansas Temple district.

Here is the link to read more at Church Newsroom: https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/news-for-temples-in-kansas--wyoming--argentina-and-idaho

06/08/2026

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗠𝗰𝗖𝘂𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗞𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗮𝘀 𝗪𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗮 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻.

𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗧𝘄𝗼: “A few months later, on May 15, 2018, Pam and I were at the Wichita Airport welcoming new missionaries. Just as they were coming through the secured area, my phone rang. I recognized the Church number immediately and knew it was important. I stepped aside and answered.

A voice on the other end said, “President Maculsten… maquistin… maccuston—” I gently corrected him: “McCuistion.” He continued, “This is Elder Wilson, chairman of the Temple Department. I’m calling about your email to the First Presidency regarding a temple in Kansas.”

My heart sank. I thought, 𝘞𝘦𝘭𝘭, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘪𝘵. 𝘐’𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘥. 𝘗𝘢𝘮 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦.

But then he said something I’ll never forget: “President, your letter came with great power! It impressed upon us that we need to review having a temple in Kansas. We did not realize how much a temple is needed.” So then he asked me a few questions and then he said this: “President, I can assure you that having a temple in Kansas is exactly what President Nelson would want. That it not only meets the criteria but also the intent to build temples in closer proximity to the members. And in being able to make the temple available to them, Kansas is a perfect location for a temple. I promise you that a temple in Kansas will be on our priority list and that it will move to the top of that list! This Thursday, I’ll be meeting with President Nelson, and I’m going to put this in front of him. I’ll report back.”

I assumed he was simply being courteous and that I’d never hear another word.”

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗼𝗼𝗻!

06/08/2026

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗠𝗰𝗖𝘂𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗞𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗮𝘀 𝗪𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗮 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻.

𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗢𝗻𝗲: “When I arrived in the Kansas Wichita Mission, I quickly learned how deeply the Saints longed for a temple. For a year and a half, I heard members talk about it—hopes, dreams, possible plots of land—but nothing ever seemed to move forward. Still, I couldn’t shake the impression that I needed to pursue this. It felt persistent, almost urgent.

One day, while Pam and I were driving across the mission—I think somewhere between Scott City and Junction City—we began talking about what a temple would mean for the people of Kansas. In that moment, the feeling crystallized: the Saints here wanted a temple, they needed a temple, and their faith was strong enough. And I knew I was supposed to do something about it.

Right there in the car, I reached out to the Presiding Bishopric. Bishop Dean Davies answered. I shared with him that I wanted to understand what needed to happen to process a request for a temple in Kansas—that the people were ready, that their faith warranted it. He listened kindly and then said, “President, we don’t do anything until President Nelson tells us to!”

Well, at least I knew who I needed to contact!

When we returned to Wichita, I contacted Brother Brooke Hales, secretary to the First Presidency. We spoke often about missionary matters, so reaching out wasn’t unusual. I shared my conversation with Bishop Davies and the strong impressions I’d been feeling. Brother Hales invited me to write an email letter to the First Presidency and present the case directly.

So, after prayerful consideration, I did. I wrote the email letter and sent it.”

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗧𝘄𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗼𝗼𝗻!