Church’s International Magazines Change Format, Printing Schedule

The Church’s eighteen different-language magazines—known as a unit as the International Magazines—have changed from twelve issues yearly to eight issues yearly, but have increased in size.

The changes are to provide a “more serviceable publication for the 120,000 Latter-day Saint subscribers who receive the magazines in countries throughout the world,” says Larry Hiller, managing editor of the magazines.

The International Magazines will now print six regular issues and two general conference issues.

They are a widely used resource for Latter-day Saints in areas where there is not as much printed Church material available as in English-speaking countries. For members in some language areas, the magazines are their only communication from Church headquarters in Salt Lake City, aside from bulletins and correspondence that go to priesthood leaders only.

The magazines are printed in Chinese, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, English (in the Philippines, where so many different languages are spoken locally), Portuguese, Samoan, Spanish, Swedish, Tahitian, Thai, and Tongan.

The Thai and Tongan magazines, just recently authorized, are classified as “beginning” editions. They provide First Presidency messages and a few other appropriate articles, Brother Hiller said.

Most of the content for the International Magazines is translated from the Ensign, New Era, or Friend. But editions in the various languages may contain up to sixteen pages of regional and local news.

For the most part, translation is done in the language areas, with design suggestions and materials for illustrations provided from Salt Lake City. To meet specific needs of the countries involved, however, Samoan, Tongan, and Spanish translation are handled in Salt Lake City. In the case of Spain and the various Latin American countries, this arrangement provides an “international Spanish.”

From Salt Lake City, materials for the magazines go to eight international printing centers: Sao Paulo, Brazil; Auckland, New Zealand; Hong Kong; Seoul, Korea; Tokyo, Japan; Bangkok, Thailand; Papeete, Tahiti; Mexico City, Mexico; San José, Costa Rica; Lima, Perú; Santiago, Chile; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Bogotá, Colombia; Madrid, Spain; and Frankfurt, West Germany. In Frankfurt, the magazine is printed in eight European languages.

The magazines are printed in numerous Latin American countries to reduce shipping and customs problems.

Members in English-speaking areas of the Church may subscribe to the International Magazines or send gift subscriptions for any of the magazines’ eighteen languages. From English-language areas of the Church, subscriptions are best handled by the Church Magazines subscription office at 50 East North Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84150, U.S.A. That office can also provide information on subscription costs in various areas.

Two of the Church’s international magazines—one in Japanese, left and center, and another in Korean, right—in their new format. (Photography by Michael M. McConkie.)