2024 STAKE VISION

At the start of this new year, we’re excited to share the 2024 stake vision. This vision is the result of much prayer and inspiration from our stake leaders. We’re hopeful that focusing on these stake initiatives will bless our stake members with purpose, unity, and many meaningful opportunities to more fully engage in the work of the Lord.

2024 LAGUNA NIGUEL STAKE VISION

Gathered More Closely to the Savior

“Anytime you do anything that helps anyone - on either side of the veil - take a step toward making covenants with God and receiving their essential baptismal and temple ordinances, you are helping to gather Israel. It is as simple as that.” - President Russell M. Nelson

STAKE STRATEGY

“Name | Next Ordinance”

“What is the next ordinance that is needed in the life of this individual or this family and in what ways can we assist the preparation?” - Elder David A. Bednar

STAKE PRIORITIES

  1. Receive, Live, and Love our Covenants

  2. Gather Israel

  3. Strengthen the Rising Generation

1. Receive, Live, and Love Our Covenants

To teach, minister, and serve our families, wards, and communities in a way that lovingly encourages sustained, paced progress in binding ourselves more closely to the Savior through receiving priesthood ordinances and living and loving our covenants.

2. Gather Israel

To express love to our friends and neighbors, find opportunities to share gospel content and messages, and invite friends and neighbors to ward and stake activities and gatherings and to progress on the covenant path.

3. Strengthen the Rising Generation

To strengthen the faith of children, youth, and young single adults in Jesus Christ, and help them desire and obtain the blessings of the ordinances and covenants of the Gospel.

Love. Share. Invite.

Our prophet and apostles have asked us to help gather Israel by showing our love to friends and neighbors, sharing gospel content and messages, and inviting friends and neighbors to ward and stake gatherings and to progress on the covenant path.  All in normal and natural ways.

Love. Share. Invite.

We invite you to use the suggestions below to help gather Israel by loving always, sharing weekly, and inviting monthly. We promise the Lord will magnify your efforts and that your participation in the Gathering of Israel will bless you and those you love.

For cards in Spanish, please see below.

Christmas Chalk Walk - 2022

The 9th annual Christmas Chalk Walk took place December 9-11th. Thank you to everyone who came out! The Chalk Walk was a mix of in-person and drive-thru formats this year, with chalk art up on easels for easy viewing. Volunteer artists worked at home and at the event creating masterpieces for this event.

IN-PERSON FRIDAY NIGHT

Friday evening was an in-person event, where visitors walked around and enjoyed the art. Delicious cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate were served while guests visited and enjoyed the beautiful live nativity with animals, including a camel! A snow machine delighted the children throughout the night along with a scavenger hunt where they looked for items hidden in the chalk art. Live music was provided by talented singers and pianists throughout the night including Jenell Wilson, Emily Eusebi, Lydia Kimball, Kristen Hellewell, Krystal and Russell Holmes, Lily Gabora, Brooke Lattin, Kameryn Burch, and featuring a set from the band Olsen, Nokes, and Pond.

Local civic leaders also attended, including Richard Hurt and Ross Chun from Aliso Viejo, Don Sedgwick from Laguna Hills, Noel Hatch and Carol Moore from Laguna Woods, and Stephanie Oddo from Laguna Niguel.

DRIVE-THRU SATURDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHTS

Saturday and Sunday were drive-thru nights, with cars starting to line up along Aliso Creek at 5pm. QR codes were handed to each car so they could watch videos while they waited showcasing a few of this year's artists and asking people to vote for their favorite pieces of art for the first ever People’s Choice Awards.

LIGHT THE WORLD

The cars moved quickly along, enjoying the festive lights and the music provided by our Chalk Walk DJ Bruce Chang. An FM radio station broadcast the music, along with messages from local interfaith leaders and youth about how to “Light the World”. Our Light the World Christmas Tree was filled with paper stars each night, sharing one way visitors would Light the World this year.

DONATIONS FOR THE LAGUNA FOOD PANTRY

Donations of non-perishable food were collected from cars at the end of the drive-thru. Laguna Food Pantry, located in Laguna Canyon, serves patrons in our community each morning from 8-10:30am. The pantry was thrilled to receive two full carloads of food and almost $1000 in cash which will be put to use quickly throughout this busy Christmas season.

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD WINNERS

Votes for our first ever People’s Choice Awards were collected through a QR code each night of Chalk Walk. The top three winners were: Heather Mettra, Lysa Ashley, and Cinnamon Ojeda (see their amazing works of art below).

Artist: Lysa Ashley

Artist: Cinnamon Ojeda

THANK YOU TO OUR VOLUNTEER TEAM

We would like to thank the Chalk Walk team who work tirelessly to organize and execute this event each year. Special thanks to Walt Hick, Leo del Rosario, Juliett Chesley, President Miller, Jason Fletcher, Shelby Lattin, Helle von Schlegell, Brooke Reynolds, and Kourtney Harrison for their countless hours of hard work; and to all our volunteers who helped paint and put together easels, hang lights, direct traffic, and gather donations. And last but not least, thank you to our artists, who make this inspiring event possible! Each year we look forward to seeing what you create, and you never disappoint!

Live Scan required for Youth Leaders

California recently enacted a law requiring church members who work with minors to undergo a criminal background check. Protecting our children and youth is our highest priority and greatest responsibility, and we need everyone with a calling involving kids and teenagers to get a Live Scan check.

This includes:

• bishoprics

• stake and ward  primary workers

• stake and ward youth leaders

• seminary teachers and substitutes

• anyone who works with the youth or may in the future

Even if you currently do not have one of these callings, we still encourage you to get a Live Scan complete since you will need one in the future if you get a calling with minors.

Note: LiveScans completed for other organizations are not shared, so a new one is required for the Church.

Here are sign up sheets for the coming weeks. The slots are set at 3 minutes apart so we will be running a tight schedule. PLEASE BE ON TIME.

The process is simple.
- fill out the form below
- bring your driver’s license
- when you come, we will take your application, check your ID, and take fingerprints
The whole process should take just 2-3 minutes.

Summer Service Bingo

Looking for ways to serve this summer? Our Summer Service Bingo includes prompts to help you fill your summer with simple ways to serve others. We’ve also included much needed ways to help our local charities, fun ideas to serve your families and neighbors, and unique ways for kids to serve.

Spend a few minutes with your family looking over the calendar and picking a few things you can do this month. The teal calendar is for the whole family, and the light blue side is geared specifically for kids and teens. Printed calendars are available at all three church buildings. Feel free to grab extras and share with friends and neighbors.

When you get a “BINGO”, think of a creative way to celebrate as a family: going out for ice cream, or having a special movie night. Then post your experiences on social media, and tag us @churchofjesuschristlaguna.

For downloadable copies, click here:
Summer Service Bingo (FAMILY)
Summer Service Bingo (KIDS/TEENS)

For more ideas of ways to serve locally, visit justserve.org and enter your zip code.

Contact information for local charities:

Laguna Friendship Shelter, 949-494-6928 (20652 Laguna Canyon Road. M-F, 11:30-3:00)

Mercy Warehouse, 949-910-0024 (27632 El Lazo, Laguna Niguel. Sign waiver form at mercywarehouse.com)

FAM Ministries Retail Store, 949-276-2788 (30232 Crown Valley Pkwy, Laguna Niguel)

Touch of Love, helping homelessness in OC (atouchofloveworks.org)

Laguna Food Pantry, (949) 497-7121 (20652 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, lagunafoodpantry.org/)

Be One: Early Black Saints and Their Legacy of Faith

“Only the comprehension of the true fatherhood of God can bring full appreciation of the true brotherhood of men and the true sisterhood of women,” President Nelson said during “Be One”, a 2018 broadcast celebrating diversity and oneness in the Church. “That understanding inspires us with passionate desire to build bridges of cooperation instead of walls of segregation.”

We remember the early black Latter-day Saints who remained steadfast, despite hardships and racial divisiveness, and learn from them that we can also remain faithful, even in difficult circumstances.

Elijah Able

An early African-American member of the church and one of the few black men ordained to the priesthood during Joseph Smith’s lifetime. He was ordained an elder and, later on, a Seventy. Converted to the Gospel in 1832, he moved to Kirtland, served a mission in NY and Canada, then joined the Saints in Nauvoo. After his mission he moved his family west where he helped build the Salt Lake Temple. 

In 1852, a year before Elijah moved to Utah with his family, Brigham Young publicly announced the policy of withholding the priesthood from black males. Elijah desired to receive temple ordinances and be sealed to his family. (Elijah petitioned twice for permission to be sealed to his wife and was denied.) Though his desires weren’t granted during his lifetime, he remained faithful and undaunted in serving the Lord until his passing on December 25, 1884.

Read more about Elijah here.

Jane Manning James

Jane and many of her family members were baptized during the winter of 1842-1843. They wanted to join the Saints in Nauvoo, so they traveled from Connecticut to New York, from where they were planning to continue on by steamboats and canal boats to reach their destination. Because of their race, they were denied boat passage and had to walk the remaining 800 miles. Jane married Isaac James and they, along with Jane’s son, decided to head west in 1846. Jane experienced many hardships during her life but remained a committed and faithful member of the church.

From her autobiographical life sketch, recorded in 1893, “And I want to say right here that my faith in the Gospel… is as strong today, nay, if it is possible, stronger than the day I was first baptized…”

Learn more about Jane here.

Anthony Obinna

Anthony and Fidelia Obinna (center) with members of the unofficial Latter-day Saint congregation in Owerri, circa 1974

One of the first black members in West Africa. In 1965, he had a dream in which a person showed him a beautiful building. Later on, he picked up an old magazine and saw the building from his dream which turned out to be the Salt Lake temple. He wrote a letter to the Church asking for instructions and received pamphlets and the Book of Mormon. Despite persecution, he gathered unofficially with others and “continued asking God to open the door for [them]” until November 21st, 1978 when the Church was officially opened for the black race in Africa. 

A response written in 1976 to a letter from Elder W. Grant Bangerter indicating that the church could not yet be organized in Nigeria: “We are not discouraged anyhow but shall continue to pursue the practice of our faith which we have found to be true…

We are very optimistic that Our Lord Jesus Christ will make it possible in the future for the Church to take more direct action. We are well aware that our faith is being tried. We are doing everything we can to establish the truth among so many of Our Heavenly Father’s children in this part of the world.”

Learn more about Anthony here.

Joseph William “Billy” Johnson

Billy was one of the first converts in Ghana. In 1964, he received a copy of the Book of Mormon and knew it was true. He felt a call to help others prepare for the restored gospel. He boldly went house to house sharing teachings of the Book of Mormon. Even though he wasn’t baptized until 1978, congregations of believers grew under his leadership. After his baptism, he became the first branch president in Ghana. In 1991, he became the first patriarch in Ghana. 

On his feelings about the Book of Mormon: “As I read the Book of Mormon I became convinced that it was really the word of God, and sometimes while reading I would burst into tears. I felt the Spirit as I read. I have a strong testimony [of] the Book of Mormon. It is a very powerful book!”

Regarding the June 1978 declaration:  “I heard the message of President Spencer W. Kimball that all worthy males in all the world could receive the priesthood. I burst into tears of joy because I knew the priesthood would come to Africa, and if we did the right things, we would all receive the priesthood.”

Learn more about Billy here.

Victor and Verna Nugent

An American co-worker introduced him to the church. Despite feeling initially troubled about the priesthood restriction, Victor gained a strong testimony. Victor, his wife Verna and his older son Peter became the first members in Jamaica on January 20th, 1974. A few year later, all non-Jamaican workers were ordered to leave the country. The Nugent family and 2 other members chose to continue meeting to read scriptures and worship as best they could without the priesthood. They continued to share the gospel with others and eventually another family joined them. In September of 1978, the Nugent family was sealed in the Salt Lake Temple. The Nugent family was key in establishing the church in Jamaica. 

Regarding his feelings about the priesthood restriction: “My ego was hurt but I had a strong feeling that the message was the truth, and more was involved than pride and vanity. I sought the Lord in prayer and the answer came back loud and clear. It was the truth! I had received a testimony of the truth through the Spirit.”

Regarding his conversion and growing faith: “The more I heard, the more my joy increased that I had at last found what I was seeking,” Nugent remembered. “We were convinced of its truthfulness, and our convictions grew stronger.”

Upon hearing the news that all worthy male members would be able to receive the priesthood: “I was at my office at Alpart. It was two o’clock in the afternoon, six minutes past two in my records that I got [a message from Richard Millett] on the phone and I called back. He said, ‘Brother Nugent, are you sitting?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ He told me, and I just couldn’t believe. If it wasn’t coming directly from the mission president, I probably would not have believed. I was just in shock, because it was the last thing I expected to hear. … I mean for quite awhile I couldn’t say anything. I was just stunned. It was the last thing I ever expected. I just said, ‘What is this?’ Of course, I knew exactly what it meant, and I just started to tremble. The tears came to my eyes.”

A quote from Richard Millet: “Wherever the Nugent family has lived, the Gospel has flourished and the membership of the unit of the Church has grown. Their example and commitment to the Lord are rarely found anywhere.”

Learn more about the Nugent family here.

Helvécio Martins 

Helvécio felt a spiritual void in his life that led him to seek God. Missionaries came to teach him and his family in 1972. They were subsequently baptized and later on received patriarchal blessings that spoke of eternal covenants and preaching the Gospel. They wondered what those blessings meant and how they’d be fulfilled. The Martins family sacrificed to build the São Paulo Brazil temple even though they knew they wouldn’t be able to go in after the dedication.  After the 1978 revelation, the  Martins’ were sealed as a family when the São Paulo temple opened, and their son Marcus served a mission. Helvécio was the first General Authority of African descent. He said, “We had found the truth, and nothing would stop us from living it… when the Spirit tells you the gospel is true, how can you deny it?”

On his being the first black General Authority, he says, “Rudá and I are somewhat embarrassed [by all the publicity]. But if my calling encourages others and furthers the work, then the publicity is okay. It’s an enormous responsibility, but God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, and I confide in him.”

Learn more about Helvécio here.

You can learn more about the history of race and the priesthood here.

70th Anniversary for Neil and Norma Benner

Neil Benner and Norma McLaws met in the North Hollywood Ward at the end of World War II after Neil was discharged from the Navy and before serving his mission in Belgium. Norma was not yet 16, but tagged along with her brothers to activities. Neil and Norma became friends who both liked to sing, dance, bicycle, swim, and play tennis.

When Neil returned home from his mission, he married Norma in the Hawaiian temple. Norma supported Neil’s quest to get his Master’s degree and teaching credential. In turn, Neil went along with her crazy ideas such as hitch-hiking from Paris to the south of France in 1953. In 1969 they took five children to France for a year and traveled around Europe in the VW bus they bought in Germany.

They never had enough money on Neil’s teacher’s salary; Christmases were especially hard, but each of their six children received at least two gifts (some second hand). They had musical instruments and lessons; each had a bicycle. The family went to museums and plays, to parks and the beach in their RV. Neil sang and played his ukulele while Norma danced the hula nearly everywhere they went. Tennis was their game of choice, but Norma chose NOT be Neil’s doubles partner because he (the better player) couldn’t refrain from poaching!

Each week the aroma of home-made, freshly-ground, whole-wheat bread filled their home. Meals were made from scratch, using fresh vegetables and fruit from their garden. Norma avoided sugar and processed food, so Neil and the children made their goody runs in secret.

Along the way they served in various church callings. Norma became fluent in French while living in France and on missions to the French-speaking islands in the Indian Ocean. For 14 years they planned activities for the Seniors in the Laguna Hills 2nd ward after they moved into Leisure World in 2003. Now Neil sweeps neighbors’ yards and patios, while Norma weeds.

Neil and Norma recently celebrated their 70th anniversary and feel loved, appreciated and very blessed to have each other, the gospel, good friends and neighbors, AND all six of their children live close enough to visit!

Kerry Muhlestein on the Abrahamic Covenant

Our Living Faith Discussions in 2022 will cover the powerful themes of the Old Testament as we learn more about the covenants we make and keep, the history of temples, and the House of Israel. BYU Professor Kerry Muhlestein taught our first Living Faith Discussion for 2022, teaching us about the Book of Abraham and the Abrahamic Covenant.

Dr. Muhlestein is an expert in Egyptology and professor at the Department of Ancient Scripture at BYU, as well as the director of the BYU Egypt Excavation Project. He and his wife, Julianne, are the parents of six children, and they have lived in Jerusalem on multiple occasions with Kerry taught there.

He started his discussion with a reminder about studying with both your mind and your heart and went on to explain the blessings and obligations of the Abrahamic covenant and our part in it.

This reminder is especially needed as we study the Book of Abraham and the Old Testament: “You need to be able to pursue things with both your mind and with your heart. … What I find happens too often, both with people who have questions … or may be having some faith struggles, or even with people who aren't having faith struggles but just get too busy, is that we start to pursue all sorts of other avenues of learning, and we forget to pursue learning from the Spirit.

Of course, the two most important elements to learning from the spirit are: 1) to continue to pray and 2) to continue to read the scriptures. I have found when I work with people who maybe have had some struggles or some challenges, is that if they will re-immerse themselves in the scriptures, if they will just start studying the text of the Book of Abraham, the Spirit ends up answering their questions.

It's only when they're pursuing all sorts of other ways of learning, and ignoring the scriptural text, or neglecting it, or forgetting it, that they start to struggle. So I would plead with you and I would ask you to plead with your youth … to increase their Book of Mormon study when they find that things are difficult. Because I believe that we'll find our answers when we are immersed in the scriptures and that the Lord will help us.” -Kerry Muhlestein

We are grateful to have had the chance to learn from Dr. Muhlestein and greatly appreciate the time he spent with us.

Resources to study:

Website: bookofabraham.org

Website: pearlofgreatpricecentral.org

Website: outofthedust.org

Podcast: The Scriptures are Real

Talk: “Covenants” by Russell M. Nelson, Oct 2011 General Conference