Stories Written:
Social Media Manager, Meridian Magazine
During his ministry, Jesus Christ fed 5,000 people with five loaves and two fishes. The food He provided filled them physically, shortly after He had filled them spiritually. On July 13, 2025, another group gathered together to experience a spiritual feast, one 5,000 performances in the making.
The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square performed their 5,000th uninterrupted broadcast yesterday on July 13, 2025, almost 96 years to the day from their first ever broadcast on July 15, 1929. The first broadcast required a young announcer, Ted Kimball, to climb to the top of a ladder with a microphone, allowing the audio broadcast to be heard across the airwaves of the state. Since then, technology has improved exponentially, allowing more than 6 million viewers the opportunity to watch the broadcast live through television and online streaming.
On July 13, 2025, the 5,000th broadcast of Music and the Spoken Word was broadcast to a global audience. The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square follows a spiritual formula, bringing thoughtful words and holy music into a single program, giving voice to peace, hope, inspiration, and the goodness of God.
Watch this video to learn more about this historic event regarding a musical program nearly 96 years running.
Ah, air travel. The joys of waking up at the crack of dawn, fighting through airport traffic, managing the luggage as people jostle around you, the long invasive lines at the security checkpoint, the $20 cold sandwiches, and finally, the tiny seats that contain you for the next two – four hours. What was once a luxury experience has now become a tedious, occasionally painful experience that many people seek to end as quickly as possible.
One modicum of comfort comes from the flight attendants, the individuals tasked with keeping customers needs fulfilled while on these long flights. While some people may see these attendants as nothing more than customer service representatives, they do much more than tend to customer needs.
Genetic genealogist Debbie Weaver sat at a computer in her local family history center in late December 2019, working on her latest project. She had been integrating DNA techniques into her genealogy for several years, and the new technique was providing surprising avenues for research. She was so engrossed with her work that she continued past closing time. When the phone next to her buzzed hours later, she almost ignored it. However, something within her nudged her to pick up the phone.
Theodore (Ted) Parsons III was preparing for Sunday services when the sirens went off. It was late 2006 at the Balad Air Base in Iraq, and another round of rocket and mortar attacks from Iraqi insurgents had begun on the base. Instinctively, Parsons secured his medical gear and hunkered down inside the air base’s secure bunker. This attack, one of more than 200 that Parsons endured during his time in the field, had hit just before their designated worship hour, forcing them to take cover rather than gather together to worship the Savior.
Parsons had been stationed at the Balad Air Base since August of 2006, and during his time there had worked hard to ensure that the troops he and his team cared for would recover from their injuries. Despite Parsons’ anxiety at the nearby explosions, Parsons was never in fear for his life. “My time in Iraq in the combat hospital was made palatable and manageable because of my faith in Jesus Christ.”
