The Mormon Land newsletter is The Salt Lake Tribune’s weekly highlight reel of news in and about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Join us on Patreon to receive ad-free podcast episodes, the full newsletter and access to all of our religion content.
Prison ordered in missionary’s death
The driver in a hit-and-run crash that killed a Latter-day Saint missionary in North Carolina has been sentenced on multiple felony counts to up to 47 months in prison, according to Charlotte-based Queen City News.
The May 2025 crash claimed the life of 18-year-old Utahn Aleki Langi, who had been riding his bike on the sidewalk when a vehicle jumped the curb and fatally struck him.
Langi, from Magna, had been on his mission for a couple of months and was awaiting a visa so he could serve in Kingston, Jamaica.
A fellow missionary was injured in the crash.
Latest ‘Mormon Land’ podcast: Confronting racism
(Ronell Hugh) Genesis Group President Ronell Hugh says he encountered a racist threat while hiking this trail in Utah County.
The president of the Genesis Group, a support congregation for Black Latter-day Saints, urges members to call out racism whenever and wherever they see it — whether at church or in their community.
Listen to the podcast.
Inside the MTC
(The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) Missionaries point to their assigned missions on a map at the Missionary Training Center in Provo during the filming of the video “What It’s Like Inside the Missionary Training Center.â€
A new 20-minute YouTube video takes viewers inside the church’s flagship Missionary Training Center in Provo.
Every year, some 40,000 young women and men funnel through the campus — a boot camp of sorts for new proselytizers — where more than 50 languages are taught.
Hello, again
It looks like Elders Price and Cunningham will be back spreading the word on the Broadway stage next week.
After a May 4 electrical fire, “The Book of Mormon†musical is set to reopen Wednesday, May 27, at New York’s Eugene O’Neill Theater, according to the show’s website.
So the June 9-14 “Magical Mormon Mystery Week†— celebrating the Tony-winning show’s 15th anniversary and featuring appearances by Andrew Rannells, Josh Gad and other original cast members — will go on as scheduled.
Helping migrants
(The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) Edward Dube, left, of the Presidency of the Seventy speaks with International Organization for Migration Director General Amy Pope in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building on Tuesday, May 12, 2026.
Leaders of the International Organization for Migration thanked the church for its efforts to help migrants find jobs and build small businesses during a visit to Salt Lake City.
“Thanks to our collaboration with the church, we will not only meet urgent needs but also help people rebuild their lives with real opportunities — jobs, businesses and stability,†the group’s director general, Amy Pope, said in a news release. “This shows what strong collaborations grounded in shared values and a common vision can achieve.â€
Pope toured the church’s Humanitarian Center and Bishops’ Central Storehouse, and met with Edward Dube of the Presidency of the Seventy and J. Anette Dennis of the Relief Society General Presidency.
The church has contributed $1.75 million to prop up programs from the International Organization for Migration in Latin America.
Insurance fight
The church wants its insurers to cover the settlement it reached in a lawsuit brought by multiple sexual abuse victims, Courthouse News Service reports.
The National Union Fire Insurance Co. and ACE Property & Casualty Co. refused to pay, citing in part that the church was aware of the abuses and repeatedly failed to act.
A federal judge in Utah sided with the insurers.
The church is asking the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse that ruling, the news outlet explains, accusing its insurers of “picking and choosing when they must pay claims in a ‘heads-I-win-tails-you-lose’ situation.â€
Keep on truckin’
(The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) The 100th truckload of food donations from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to 250 food banks across all 50 United States makes its way to Joe’s Pantry (Catholic Charities) in Dallas on Thursday, May 14, 2026.
The church’s ambitious goal of sending 250 semitrucks full of food to 250 food banks across all 50 states — in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence — has reached a significant milestone.
The 100th load reached Joe’s Pantry, operated by Catholic Charities, in Dallas last week.
“Joe’s Pantry is a place where the rubber meets the road,†David Woodyard, president and CEO of Catholic Charities Dallas, said in a news release. “Food is universal and can help anybody. We’re so blessed to be able to have the opportunity to serve those in need.â€
Visitors’ center opens
(The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) A full-scale replica of a Celestial Room in the Temple Square Visitors’ Center.
The new Temple Square Visitors’ Center is now open in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City.
No reservation is required, save for the “Inside a Temple†tour, a guided 30-minute experience on the lower level that includes full-scale replicas of rooms inside the faith’s temples.
More photos also have been released of the renovations underway inside the iconic six-spired Salt Lake Temple, which will open to public tours next year.
(The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) Chandeliers are being installed in the Celestial Room of the Salt Lake Temple.
• Apostle David Bednar met this week with Chilean President José Antonio Kast in the presidential palace in Santiago.
According to a news release, the two discussed strengthening families, supporting young people, promoting religious freedom and serving communities.
“We sought to identify needs in Chile where we, as a church, may be able to assist the Chilean government,†Bednar said. “…Our desire is always to serve, and, if we can lift the hands of those who hang down and bless the lives of people through the resources of the church, we want to be able to do that in appropriate ways.â€
From The Tribune
Politically liberal members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: Eric Biggart, left; Riley Cooper, middle top; Laine McPherson, middle bottom; Jayden Weekes, right.
• Four young Latter-day Saint Democrats answer the question: Why are you a liberal?
• The president of the Genesis Group, a support congregation for Black Latter-day Saints, says he was the target of a racist threat while hiking in Utah.
• A former apostle, seeing a rising gerontocracy in the faith’s leadership, wanted to change how church presidents are picked. Listen to the “Mormon Land†podcast. Read the excerpts.
• The church announced a temple will be built in Otavalo, Ecuador, the faith’s third in the South American nation and the third to be named during Dallin Oaks’ presidency.
(The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) Latter-day Saints in Otavalo, Ecuador, react to the news Thursday, May 14, 2026, that a new temple will be built in their city.
• In Wyoming, the Cody Temple, which became the subject of some community controversy, will open to the public Aug. 27-Sept. 12 before an Oct. 25 dedication.
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