Images of an Era:

Becoming a Worldwide Family

12 Mar. 1995: Gordon B. Hinckley became 15th President of the Church.

April 1995: The number of language editions of the Church’s International Magazine reaches 23. Some language editions date as far back as 1851.

1 Apr. 1995: The office of regional representative was discontinued. Position of Area Authority announced.

23 Sept. 1995: “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” was read by President Gordon B. Hinckley at general Relief Society meeting.

23 Dec. 1995: The Church released a new logo featuring the name of Jesus Christ more prominently.

1996: Number of missionaries serving reached 50,000.

Feb. 1996: Members outside USA outnumbered those within.

7 Apr. 1996: Interview with President Hinckley aired on 60 Minutes.

5 Apr. 1997: Area Authority Seventies called. Third, Fourth, and Fifth Quorums of Seventy added.

21 Apr. 1997: Mormon Pioneer Trek reenactment began near Winter Quarters, attracting worldwide media attention for three months.

1 June 1997: St. Louis Missouri Temple dedicated.

22–24 July 1997: Church celebrated sesquicentennial of Saints’ arrival in the Salt Lake Valley.

24 July 1997: Ground broken for Conference Center in Salt Lake City.

4 Oct. 1997: Announcement of smaller temples by President Hinckley.

Nov. 1997: Church membership reached 10 million.

2 Nov. 1997: Vernal Utah Temple dedicated.

1 Jan. 1998: Adult members began study of new curriculum materials: Teachings of Presidents of the Church and Teachings for Our Time.

7 June 1998: Preston England Temple dedicated.

26 July 1998: Monticello Utah Temple dedicated; first of the smaller temples.

19–21 Nov. 1998: President Hinckley visited Hurricane Mitch victims in Central America, many of whom were Church members.

9 Jan. 1999: Anchorage Alaska Temple dedicated.

6 Mar. 1999: Colonia Juárez Chihuahua Temple dedicated.

4 Apr. 1999: Announcement of the rebuilding of the Nauvoo Temple.

26 Apr. 1999: In Chile, President Hinckley addressed largest-ever international gathering, 57,500 members.

19 May 1999: Spain’s first temple dedicated in Madrid.

24 May 1999: The Church’s family history Web site launched at www.familysearch.org.

31 Dec. 1999: The number of language editions of the International Magazine reaches 42. All are titled Liahona.

Above: President Gordon B. Hinckley (center), President Thomas S. Monson (left), and President James E. Faust (right) were announced as the new First Presidency in 1995 at a media conference in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. (Photo courtesy of Church News.) Right: The Bogotá Colombia Temple was dedicated on 24 April 1999. (Photo courtesy of Church Public Affairs Department.)

Above: Missionaries preparing for service worldwide sing during a Provo Missionary Training Center Program. Right: The Missionary Training Center in Lima, Peru, is typical of an increasing number of training centers in other countries. (Photos courtesy of Church News.)

Amid the 1997 worldwide coverage of the reenactment of the 1847 pioneer journey, these British members pulled handcarts over Rocky Ridge, a difficult portion of the old Mormon Trail. (Photo by Welden C. Andersen.)

Above: President Gordon B. Hinckley guides Mike Wallace of TV’s 60 Minutes on a tour of Temple Square during filming for an interview later aired internationally. (Photo © Don Grayston/Deseret News, courtesy of LDS Church Public Affairs Department.) Left: Filipino missionaries serving in their own country. (Photo by Marvin K. Gardner.) Below: The Hong Kong Temple. (Photo by Craig Dimond.)

The Conference Center in Salt Lake City, now nearing completion north of Temple Square, will seat about 21,000 people for general conference and other events. (Photo by Matt Reier.)

Above: Dedicated in March 1999, the larger-sized Madrid Spain Temple is the centerpiece of a complex of Church buildings. (Photo by Margarita Díaz.) Left: In January 1998 the Church began studying the teachings of modern-day prophets in priesthood and Relief Society classes.

Above: The Church’s first meetinghouse in Ukraine was dedicated on 28 June 1998 in the city of Donetsk. (Photo courtesy of Church News.)Right: The Liahona, the Church’s International Magazine, is published in 42 languages. (Photos by Steve Bunderson and John Luke.)

Top: Launched on the Internet in December 1996, the Church’s official Web site is located at www.lds.org. Above: On 24 May 1999 President Gordon B. Hinckley announced the Church’s family history Web site, located at www.familysearch.org. (Photo courtesy of Church News.)