Church of Jesus Christ Laguna

An excerpt from the General Session of our most recent Stake Conference, held on January 14th, 2024. President Evanson warns against being lukewarm in our discipleship. He encourages us to deepen our discipleship by committing to a more consistent and serious study of the Book of Mormon.

An excerpt from the Adult Session of our most recent Stake Conference, held on January 13th, 2024. President Evanson gives a beautiful sermon about discipleship and consecration. He shares words from modern day prophets and examples from the New Testament, including the story of the rich young man. He invites us to individually consider the poignant question "What lack I yet?".

As part of our ongoing Parenting Workshop series, Bishop and Monica Sedgwick and Cathy and Marc Andraszczyk share their thoughts on preparing children and grandchildren for the temple.

Hosted by the Laguna Niguel Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

For more information and to see future topics and speakers, please visit: http://www.lnstake.org/parenting

Recorded Sunday, June 25th, 2023 in Laguna Niguel, California.

Jamie Pyatt, a licensed clinical social worker, has over twenty years experience working with those seeking relief from depression, grief, loss, or looking to improve their lives. She discusses how healing and rest can be found through turning to Christ. Laguna Niguel Stake Relief Society, March 18, 2023

President Russell M. Nelson has repeatedly and consistently taught the power and importance of families. He has emphasized that “home-centered, Church-supported integrated curriculum has the potential to unleash the power of families,” and has promised that as you “diligently work to remodel your home into a center of gospel learning, … children will be excited to learn and to live the Savior’s teachings ….” These “changes in your family will be dramatic and sustaining.”
We have felt impressed as a stake council to host a series of parenting workshops in the coming year to help support parents as they strive to follow President Nelson’s counsel. The overall goal is to fortify our families along the covenant path and each workshop will tackle a particular topic. Here is the tentative schedule and list of topics and speakers:
-January 29: Helping Children Develop Strong Mental Health and Emotional Resilience (Kristen Murray) -April 16: Helping Children with Difficult Gospel Questions (Bruce and Marie Hafen) -June 25: Preparing the Rising Generation for the Temple (Bishop and Monica Sedgwick, Marc and Cathy Andraszczyk) -September 17: Helping Children Prepare for Full-Time Missionary Service (President and Sister Davis, President and Sister Ward) -October 29: Defending Young Minds Against Pornography (Kristen Jenson) -December 3rd: How to Help Children Build Their Foundation on Christ (President and Robin Evanson)
The format will be a short presentation, followed by questions, answers, and counseling together. Bring your questions and your challenges. These workshops are not in any way mandatory, but all are invited – parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. We are confident this effort will help strengthen parents in the stake in their sacred roles as fathers and mothers.
With much love,
Laguna Niguel Stake Presidency

The Lord declared in Latter-day scripture that He suffered the United States Constitution “to be established [and] maintained for the rights and protection of all flesh, according to just and holy principles.” (D&C 101:77.)  In what ways is the Constitution inspired?  What is our duty to uphold and defend the inspired principles enshrined in that document?

Laguna Niguel Stake President Blaine Evanson shared the inspired principles embodied in the Constitution, the current threats to those principles, and our unique responsibility to uphold and defend the Constitution. 

For more information about this important subject, please visit: lnstake.org/blog/constitution

Scott Empringham joined the Church in 2020. "For me, coming to Christ was a series of taps on the shoulder: one I missed, one I ignored, and one I couldn't possibly ignore." He shared his journey at our Laguna Niguel Stake Conference on June 19th, 2022.

This is the sixth Living Faith Discussion the Laguna Niguel stake has hosted this year, connected to Church history events highlighted in Come, Follow Me. While studying the Doctrine & Covenants, we realized that over half the revelations came while in Kirtland, so we wanted to find a Kirtland expert for our next discussion. 

Karl Ricks Anderson is known by many as "Mr. Kirtland".  Originally from Utah, Brother Anderson left with a graduate degree from the University of Utah and went to work in Ohio. His LDS Church callings there include service as a stake president, regional representative, family history advisor and patriarch. His time in Ohio led him to a love of the Prophet Joseph Smith and LDS Church history there. He learned of the incalculable contribution the Ohio period made to the church’s organization, doctrine and legacy of sacrifice. He has since written two books, "The Savior in Kirtland" and "Joseph Smith's Kirtland".  

If you missed previous discussions you can find links on our website:  http://www.lnstake.org/living-faith We look forward to hearing from Richard Bushman, Andrea Radke-Moss, Kate Holbrook, and Barbara Morgan-Gardner later this year.

From the very beginning when Emma Smith said, “We are going to do something extraordinary,” Relief Society women working together have done remarkable things.  Celebrate the 179th birthday of Relief Society with beautiful music and inspiring messages from members of our stake. Speakers include Debbie Bell, Michelle Kimball, Madison Davis, Laura del Rosario, Linda Budd, Sally Hatch, and President Evanson; with musical numbers by the Lawrence family and our favorite trio (Megan Peo, Angel Westover, and Laura Thompson).

A series of discussions on Church history to help us better understand the Restoration and Doctrine & Covenants, taught by leading experts. Hosted by the Laguna Niguel Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Laguna Niguel, California.  

Professor Dirkmaat is an associate professor of Church history and doctrine at Brigham Young University. He worked as a historian and writer for the Church History Department from 2010 to 2014 with the Joseph Smith Papers Project and continues to work as a volunteer editor. He is the coauthor, along with Michael Hubbard MacKay, of the award-winning book From Darkness unto Light: Joseph Smith’s Translation and Publication of the Book of Mormon.   

This is the second of several Living Faith Discussions the stake will host this year connected to the church history events highlighted in Come, Follow Me. For more information about this series, visit: http://www.lnstake.org/living-faith

Laguna Niguel Stake President Blaine Evanson spoke during stake conference on January 17, 2021. 

A series of discussions on Church History to help us better understand the Restoration and Doctrine & Covenants, taught by leading experts. 

Professor Harper is a professor of Church history and doctrine at Brigham Young University and the world’s foremost expert on the First Vision. He was the managing historian and general editor of "Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days" and is the author of the books "Making Sense of the Doctrine and Covenants" and "Joseph Smith’s First Vision". 

For more information about the Living Faith Discussion Series and a list of upcoming speakers, please visit: http://www.lnstake.org/living-faith

Talks and musical numbers shared during a stake broadcast on Sunday, October 18th. While not an official stake conference, the broadcast featured speakers from the stake presidency and saints throughout the stake.  Due to Covid-19 health restrictions, members of the stake were invited to view the broadcast as a family or in groups from home via our Stake YouTube channel.  

Speakers included Stake Relief Society President Beth Garlock,and the three members of our stake presidency: President Blaine Evanson, President Matthew Miller, and President Brian Neff. Pre-recorded video messages were also shared from Elder Dylan Giolas (Hawaii, Honolulu Mission), Melissa Briggs, Tom Randall, Kristen Hellewell, and Bishop Steve Austin; with musical numbers from a stake virtual choir, Hanna Eyre, and Graham MacRobie. 

Laguna Niguel Stake President Blaine Evanson spoke during a stake broadcast on Sunday, October 18th, 2020. 

Members of the Laguna Niguel stake ward councils and stake council were invited to attend a Stake Leadership Training at the Stake Center.  All health and safety requirements from the state and the church were observed, including wearing facemasks and sitting six feet apart from others.

Those in attendance also were asked to prepare spiritually.  President Russell M. Nelson opened General Conference last weekend with this inspired statement:  “Amid social distancing, face masks, and Zoom meetings, we have learned to do some things differently and some even more effectively.  Unusual times can bring unusual rewards.”  Attendees were asked to record their impressions before, during, and after the meeting; and to take those impressions back to ward councils and presidency or bishopric meetings, and to counsel together on how to implement what the Spirit taught them.

Speakers included President Matthew Miller, Courtney Cope, Bryan Thacker, Scott Tanner, President Brian Neff, Emily Boyer, and Stake President Blaine Evanson.