The New Era was an official magazine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1971 to 2020. First published in January 1971 along with the Ensign and the Friend, the New Era's intended audience was the church's youth.[1][2] The magazine replaced the similarly themed The Improvement Era, a periodical published from 1897 to 1970.[3]
 | |
| Frequency | Monthly |
|---|---|
| Publisher | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints |
| First issue | January 1971 |
| Final issue | December 2020 |
| Country | USA |
| Based in | Salt Lake City, Utah |
| Language | English |
In its first issue, the editor of the New Era explained the rationale for its creation, stating:
- By direction of the First Presidency, the New Era is the publication arm of the Church to the unmarried persons of the kingdom—those from twelve up to marriage. It will reflect those qualities that have given rise to the Lord's confidence in youth: sincerity, authenticity, intellectual stimulation, and inspiration.[4]
Regular features
editThe New Era regularly included articles written by general authorities of the LDS Church on gospel topics, as well as articles contributed by other church members on topics such as preparing for marriage, media and entertainment, and the family. Poems, artwork, tips for coping with life's challenges, and true stories of inspiration, are also commonplace. Other regular features included questions and answers (a question for the youth (e.g., "How can I know I've truly been forgiven after I've repented?") and readers' responses), and the New Era poster (or MormonAd).
Replacement
editIn August 2020, the LDS Church announced that the New Era would cease publication in at the end of 2020 and would be replaced by a new magazine named For the Strength of Youth.[5] The final issue was dated December 2020.
Editors
edit- Doyle L. Green (1971–75)
- Dean L. Larsen (1977–78)
- James E. Faust (1979)
- M. Russell Ballard (1980–84)
- Carlos E. Asay (1985–86)
- Hugh W. Pinnock (1987–89)
- Rex D. Pinegar (1990–94)[6]
- Joe J. Christensen (1994–95)[6]
- Jack H. Goaslind (1996–98)
- Marlin K. Jensen (1999–2000)
- Dennis B. Neuenschwander (2001–04)
- Jay E. Jensen (2005–08)
- Spencer J. Condie (2008–10)
- Paul B. Pieper (2010–12)
- Craig A. Cardon (2012–15)
- Joseph W. Sitati (2015–17)
- Hugo E. Martinez (2017–18)
- Randy D. Funk (2018–22)
- Randall K. Bennett (2022-present)[7][8][9]
See also
edit
Notes
edit- ^ Taylor, Scott. "LDS magazine Ensign to discontinue monthly 'First Presidency Message'", Deseret News, 19 March 2018. Retrieved on 24 March 2020.
- ^ Noyce, David. "Your quick A-to-Z guide to Mormonism — Part II", The Salt Lake Tribune, 11 April 2016. Retrieved on 24 March 2020.
- ^ The Improvement Era entry in BYU's "Mormon Literature Database"
- ^ Todd, Jay M. (January 1971). "The New Era". p. 3.
- ^ McKenzie Stauffer, "LDS Church to replace 'Ensign,' 'New Era' with global magazines", kutv.com, August 15, 2020.
- ^ a b Rex D. Pinegar and Joe J. Christensen were co-editors in 1994.
- ^ For the Strength of Youth, November 2022, p. 3
- ^ For a few months in 2022 and 2023, Anthony D. Perkins was listed as the editor of this magazine. But since that assignment only lasted a few months, Bennett is listed as the editor for the entire time indicated here.
- ^ During Bennett's tenure as editor, Ricardo P. Gimenez served as assistant editor from 2022-2023. In March 2023, Giminez was replaced in that assignment by Valeri V. Cordon.
External links
edit- New Era Official site
- New Era Online archive
- PDF archives of New Era (2001–present)