Before Christmas, I just wanted to focus on some recent posts and resulting comments on Matthew Martinich's amazing LDS Church Growth Blog. The discussions have been most inspiring to follow. The first post of which I wanted to make mention is about the Church taking root in Kurdistan, Iraq. The milestone nature of this growth is such that the Church has been able to further establish deeper roots in its Middle East/Africa North Area. Click here to read that amazing post.
In the meantime, Matt did another recent post to report on the growth of the Church in Nigeria. This year, that African nation has marked the milestone of having 500 Church units. Matt indicated in the comment thread of that post that, in his analysis of the unit growth there, he is reasonably certain that the number of Nigerian Church units will double within the next 9 years. That Church growth is most significant to think about.
And, as I observed in one comment I made in response to that post, this reported development only serves to strengthen my belief that a second Nigerian temple is imminent for announcement soon. There was a very good discussion on that thread on a variety of Church related topics, even sporadic reaction and response to President-elect Trump's invitation for the Tabernacle Choir to perform at his inauguration.
But another crucial topic was the history of Elder Joaquin E. Costa, who was sustained in April of this year as a General Authority Seventy. I had a curiosity question: Are the two Costa GA Seventies (Joaquin E. and Claudio R. M.) in any way related? I have found that most people from South American countries with identical last names are often related somehow, however distantly that may be. I will keep you posted on that. Click here for that post. Yet another interesting part of the comment Matt made on that thread was that he had heard from a newly-called mission president that any new Church missions that will be formed in 2017 will be announced in early January. I will keep my eyes and ears open for when that happens, and you can be sure I will focus on those new missions in a new blog post as soon as I know anything. That was another great post.
In another recent significant Church growth blog post, Matt mentioned that new stakes had been created in Arizona and India, which will be the last stakes created in 2016. Additionally, the nation of Cameroon has had a second district created recently. Read more here. There was mention made of a possible future temple in India, but Matt did venture his opinion (which I share) that any temple in India is not likely to happen within the next 15-20 years at least, assuming it happens within my lifetime at all. I commented on the fact that a temple in India wouldn't surprise me at all, especially if it unexpectedly happens within the next few years. The surprise nature associated with some of the temples that have recently been announced makes it almost impossible to rule out any future temple site as a possibility. Obviously, as I have stated on numerous occasions, there are the most imminent possibilities every time, but, more frequently than not, the Lord surprises us with an unexpected temple site announcement that could never have been anticipated. If there's one thing I've learned in following temple developments, it's that miracles happen, and that the Lord's ways and timing are so vastly different from ours.
The day before my birthday, Matt blogged about his November 2016 newsletter for his Church growth site cumorah.com was now available.
Among the topics discussed in the comments thread for that post have been the temple being built in Manitoba. the creation of the Utah Salt Lake City Headquarters Mission next year (the first official mission creation announced for 2017), unit creations recently announced, and an additional discussion regarding the idea of a temple for either India or Pakistan. likely future temple possibilities (including a rigorous discussion of the list I have posted here), the continued growth milestones of the Church in Honduras and Nicaragua. and a most informative discussion on the distance between temples in the United States (which proves that while getting a temple within a 200 mile radius someday for all Saints is a determining factor, but probably not the most deciding one). Click here for more on that post.
That wraps up this Christmas Eve post on the subject of Matt's recent posts. I may be doing another sometime within the next 24 hours covering the apostolic age averages as of tomorrow. If I don't get to it then, I will try to do so around the times when I will be working this week. Thanks, as always, for the interest, feedback, and support. Merry Christmas!
Saturday, December 24, 2016
Interesting Posts by Matthew Martinich and the ensuing discussions
I have had a lifelong love for Church history, which has extended to ongoing reports of the ministry of our apostles and prophets, General Conference, and all temple developments. This blog enables me to share that love with all who read my thoughts on these developments, which are sometimes reported multiple times per day as needed.
3 comments:
In addition to my life-long love for the subjects which I cover in the posts of this blog, I have long held the belief that we can disagree without becoming disagreeable. Differences of opinion are natural, while being disagreeable in expressing those differences is not. And in that sense, I have no desire to close the door on anyone who earnestly desires to contribute to the ongoing dialogue on subjects covered in the posts on this blog.
At the same time, however, I recognize that we live in a time when incivility, discourtesy, unkindness, and even cyber-bullying has regrettably become part of online interactions. With that in mind, while anyone who wishes can comment on anything if they choose to do so, I hereby reserve the right to immediately delete any comments which are critical, unkind, lack civility, or promote prodcuts, services, and values contrary to either the Church, or to the rules of online etiquette.
I'd also like to remind all who comment here that I try to respond personally to each individual comment as I feel is appropriate. Such replies are not meant to end the conversation, but to acknowledge earnest feedback as it is submitted.
And in order to better preserve the spirit and pure intentions for which this blog was established, I also hereby request that anyone not commenting with a regular user name (particularly those whose comments appear under the "Unknown" or "Anonymous" monikers, give the rest of us a name to work with in addressing any replies. If such individuals do not wish to disclose their actual given names, a pseudonym or nickname would suffice.
Any comments made by individuals who opt to not give a name by which they can ber identified may, depending on the substance and tone of such comments, be subject to deletion as well. I would respectfully ask that all of us do all we can to keep the dialogue positive, polite, and without malice or ill-will. May the Lord bless us all in our discussion of these important matters.
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You have great posts and updates. Also I am excited for you wonder Christmas present miracle with the new job. Good luck with it. Can you pray I get more hours at work as well, please?
ReplyDeleteI have been keeping many friends in my prayers, and would be happy to include you as well. Thanks for asking. However, I should let you know that, because my situation has been so unpredictable lately (particularly with my troubles getting to sleep and waking up and getting going every day), I have let some things, like regular twice daily prayer, slide. However, as I noted, my recent conversation with my home teachers has given me the desire to make things work the way they need to, which has led in part to this job opportunity. I am hoping that my physical symptoms will calm sufficiently enough to allow me the time I have not been able to take lately for praying, and I would be pleased to pray for you on those occasions when I am able to. I would ask you in return to continue to pray for me and for my wife. I am having doubts about my ability to be as effective as I need to, and am still not feeling very well. To top things off, the anniversary gift I ordered for my wife was delivered today, and what was in the envelope was not what I ordered. It was supposed to have been a jewelry gift set with an opal setting. (The opal is her mother's birthstone, she lost her mother to complications of MS about six months before we started dating, and she said she prefers opal to her own birthstone.) But that's not what was delivered to me. I am beyond frustrated about this. Here I was trying to buy my wife a thoughtful gift that had special meaning to her, and the stupid company I ordered from messed up and sent us the wrong item. With the Christmas season aftermath, I'm not sure how or when I might be able to get this problem fixed. I was told by an automated system when I called the shipper today that any order problems would have to be resolved by an actual person, and it appears to be company policy that any returns have to be paid for by the person sending it back. Until I get regular checks from my job, I can't afford that. And since it was a mistake on the part of the shipper, I feel I shouldn't have to pay to make it right or get the wrong item returned. I am hoping they will work with me. But I have read their policies, and there seems to be no allowance for any loopholes or exceptions. I have been bitterly disappointed. So continued prayers in our behalf would be appreciated. And I will be happy to pray for you as I can, especially since you have been so kind to wish me well and to always give such great feedback to my posts. Thanks, as always, Chris!
ReplyDeleteChris, FWIW, I have now added a blog post regarding my apprehension about starting the job on Monday and the situation with Amy's anniversary present from me. I have included in that post a request for prayers not only in behalf of Amy and myself, but also for you in your situation. I hope that will be the help you need until I personally am able to regularly include your situation in my personal prayers. Thanks for being such an attentive reader, Chris!
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