World Briefs

Members Celebrate 50 Years of Church in the Philippines

To commemorate the 50th year of the rededication of the Philippines for the preaching of the gospel, thousands of Saints gathered in Quezon City to participate in a Jubilee cultural show on April 30 and an area conference on May 1.

Nineteen stakes came together on Saturday to celebrate the rich cultural heritage and the growth of the Church in the Philippines through song and dance. On Sunday, May 8, members gathered for a nationwide conference with local leaders and with General Authorities via satellite.

USNS Comfort Offers Aid at 12 Locations

In April, the USNS Comfort, a full-service medical ship, set sail for 12 locations in the Caribbean, Central America, and South America to provide medical care and to train medical professionals.

Volunteers from the Church, the United States Navy, and other relief organizations will provide humanitarian services and teach skills that will help people help themselves after the ship has left.

Atlanta Temple Opens Doors after Celebration, Rededication

Following a weekend of cultural celebration and two Sunday sessions of rededication by President Thomas S. Monson, the Atlanta Georgia Temple opened its doors on May 3, 2011, for formal temple work to resume. In addition to President Monson, Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Elders Walter F. González and William R. Walker, both of the Seventy, attended the rededication.

The temple, originally dedicated in 1983, closed on June 1, 2009, for extensive renovations.

The Atlanta Georgia Temple