LDS members to see new look, focus in church magazines beginning in January
A mother and son read from the Liahona magazine that before had articles for all ages. Beginning in January, there will be three magazines for adults, youth and children spanning 150 countries and 48 language.
Front cover of the January 2021 Liahona magazine that replaces the Ensign magazine geared for adults. The Liahona will be the global publications for 150 countries, in 48 languages.
A mother and daughter take time to read the Friend magazine. It will celebrate 50 years in publication with a new update and global readership in 2021.
The fronts covers of the January 2021 update LDS Church magazines the Liahona, For the Strength of Youth and Friend.
January 2021 cover of the new For Strength of Youth magazine that replace the Era. The magazine is written for youth ages 12-18.
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will see a new look and focus as the three major church magazines for adults, youth and children get a redo in 2021.
Liahona
Starting in January, the adult magazine Ensign will be retired, and the Liahona will become the church’s magazine for all adult members around the world, according to a Friday press release from the church.
Currently, the Liahona includes material for children and youth as well as adult members in areas outside of the U.S. The magazine was created to serve members of all ages in 48 languages, including in English for members who don’t receive the Ensign, New Era or Friend.
Now, with the introduction of the global magazines, adults, youth and children all over the world can receive their own magazines every month or every other month.
“The guidance from our prophets and leaders is so critical in these challenging times,” said Sister Sharon Eubank, first counselor in the Relief Society general presidency and an adviser to the “Liahona.”
Readers of the new Liahona magazine can expect teachings from church leaders, inspiring stories that demonstrate how to apply gospel principles and articles that complement the church-supported, home-centered lessons in “Come, Follow Me.”
Many members of the church will receive monthly issues that include 48 pages of inspiring material. Other members, who currently received one to four issues per year, will now receive a 32-page issue every other month, according to the press release.
New features in the Liahona will focus on aging faithfully, explaining gospel basics to new members and helping all members feel a sense of belonging. Readers can also expect more parenting tips and articles on the roles of women in the restored church.
Each issue will also include articles on a specific topic that is similarly covered in both the Friend and For the Strength of Youth magazines to aid family discussions. For example, in upcoming issues of all three magazines there will be age-appropriate articles on topics such as incarceration, disabilities and mental health.
“Location-specific materials in the magazines will help members deal with their particular environment because not everyone’s is the same,” Relief Society General President Jean B. Bingham said.
In addition to changes with the printed magazine, the church magazines are developing more digital content to reach members of the church across the world, the press release read.
Each month, exclusive digital Liahona content will be published online at Liahona.ChurchofJesusChrist.org and in the Gospel Library app. These additions will support that month’s topics as well as provide insights on other topics.
Associated with the online Liahona content will be a greater emphasis on the Young Adult Weekly section, created in 2018.
For Strength of Youth
The new youth-based magazine, For the Strength of Youth, will be translated and sent to about 150 countries on a more frequent basis, according to church officials.
This will be the first time that many youth members outside of English-speaking countries will be able to subscribe to a magazine with messages specifically directed to them.
President Steven J. Lund, of the Young Men General Presidency, said it’s more essential now than ever before to provide uplifting content on a global scale.
“We really need to place virtuous things front and center in our lives — things that will remind us of who we are, and of what our promises are,” Lund said. “I hope that every day, every youth in the church will find something like the For the Strength of Youth magazine in open view in their homes and be inspired by it to fight the good fight.”
Youth members will be heavily involved in creating the content they see in the For the Strength of Youth magazine. Readers can expect personal experiences from youth who live all around the world reacting to modern-day problems, questions and spiritual turbulence.
In addition, youth content can be found on the Church’s youth Instagram channel, @StriveToBe, and the Gospel Living App.
Friend
Since the Friend magazine began publication in 1971, it has been primarily directed to an English-speaking audience. Starting in January, it will also be translated into 48 different languages and sent to about 150 countries.
This change will ensure that children across the globe can benefit from the Church’s children’s magazine, which is meant for children ages 3 to 11 and their families, according to the church.
Primary General President Joy D. Jones said this global focus will ensure that children everywhere will feel like they can relate to someone in the magazine, no matter where they are from.
“We are a global church, but we each have different backgrounds and experiences,” she said. “It is essential for children to feel like they belong and are needed in this glorious gospel of Jesus Christ.”
In the past, children who speak certain languages received church magazines only once or twice a year. Now, most children throughout the world can receive the Friend every month, with a small number of readers receiving it every other month.
A new “Helping Hands around the World” story will demonstrate the potential children have to change the world. Each story will feature real-life stories of children who are positively changing the world through their Christlike actions.
Each issue of the magazine will include two church history cards that children can cut out and fold. When finished, one side will have the name and picture of the historical figure, while the other side will have quick facts and quotes.
The tween section of the magazine will include stories about individuals who helped spread the gospel and strengthen the church in their countries.