Stokes Sounds Off: April 2017 General Conference Predictions

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Tuesday, February 28, 2017

April 2017 General Conference Predictions

Since the next general conference is less than a month away, it is once again time for me to post my predictions for what will happen during the 187th Annual General Conference. As I have before noted, these are not just random, off-the-cuff, uneducated guesses, but have been put together after extensive research and observation. Let me know your thoughts.

April 2017 General Conference Predictions
Speaking Order (Text in brackets indicated what actually happened.)
Session
Conducting
Speaker
General Women’s
Linda K. Burton
Bonnie H. Cordon


Linda S. Reeves


Carol F. McConkie


President Henry B. Eyring
Saturday Morning
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
President Henry B. Eyring


Ulisses Soares


Linda K. Burton


President Russell M. Nelson


Elder O. Vincent Haleck


Elder Weatherford T. Clayton


Elder David A. Bednar
Saturday Afternoon
President Henry B. Eyring
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf (Sustaining of Church Officers)

Church Auditing Department Report, 2016
Kevin R. Jergensen

Statistical Report, 2016
Brook P. Hales


Elder Robert D. Hales


Elder M. Russell Ballard


Elder Larry Y. Wilson


Elder Ian S. Ardern


Elder Ronald A. Rasband


Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
Saturday Priesthood
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Elder Dale G. Renlund


Douglas D. Holmes


President Dieter F. Uchtdorf


President Henry B. Eyring


President Thomas S. Monson
Sunday Morning
President Henry B. Eyring
President Thomas S. Monson


Elder L. Whitney Clayton


Joy D. Jones


Elder Neil L. Andersen


Bishop Gerald Causse


Elder Dallin H. Oaks


President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Sunday Afternoon
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Elder Gary E. Stevenson


Elder Gary B. Sabin


Elder Yoon Hwan Choi


Elder Quentin L. Cook


Elder Jose A. Alonso


Elder S. Mark Palmer


Elder D. Todd Christofferson


Changes in General Church Leadership
General Authority Seventies: New General Authorities sustained from Area Seventies or Church at large.
NOTE: Since the Church has stopped differentiating between those of the First and Second Quorums of the Seventy, any new General Authorities will simply be sustained under the general title of General Authority Seventies.
RESULT:
Relief Society General Presidency: Linda K. Burton, Carole M. Stephens, and Linda S. Reeves released as Relief Society General Presidency, new Relief Society General Presidency sustained.
NOTE: It has been customary of late for general presidencies to be changed every 5 years. Since the above-named individuals have served since 2012, it would make sense if they were released and a new presidency called. It is anyone’s guess, however, as to if any of the current presidency will be retained in a new presidency.
RESULT:
Area Seventies: Releases and sustainings.
NOTE: It has been customary for most changes in area seventies to take place in April, when President Uchtdorf leads out in the sustaining vote, and for only a few to take place in October, when President Eyring leads out in the sustaining. Since we are talking about an April General Conference, it would make sense if a lot of changes happened this go-round.
ADDITIONAL NOTE: The following Area Seventies have been called to serve as mission presidents and will be among the many releases: Pedro U. Adduru, Angel H. Alarcon, Winsor Balderrama (Sejas) and Abenir V. Pajaro.
RESULT:

2016 Statistical Report
Stakes
3,266
Missions
421
Districts
545
Wards and Branches
30,207
Total Church Membership
15,932,508
Increase in Children of Record
114,655
Converts Baptized
310,646
Full-Time Missionaries
90,517
Church Service Missionaries
33,410
Temples Dedicated during 2016 (Provo City Center, Sapporo Japan, Philadelphia Pennsylvania, Fort Collins Colorado, Star Valley Wyoming, Hartford Connecticut)
6
Temples Rededicated during 2016 (Suva Fiji, Freiberg Germany)
2
Temples in Operation by the end of 2016
155

Temple Predictions:
3+ temples announced in any of the following cities and states:

Managua Nicaragua (publicly proposed by Elder Russell M. Nelson in 2012; land has been purchased for such a temple there when Church membership and activity warrants it; it is the #1 country with the most LDS members without a temple)

Port Moresby Papua New Guinea (again, such a site has already been purchased and is awaiting the need for it; it is the #2 country with the most LDS members without a temple)

Bentonville Arkansas (site purchased and awaiting till Church membership and activity warrants it; appears to be the #1 contender for the next temple in the United States, outside of Utah)

Missoula Montana (according to reports, Elder Bednar publicly proposed this temple during a stake conference; while the facts and details surrounding this proposal are unverifiable at best, this appears to be a very likely city for Montana’s second temple; this argument is strengthened by the report that such a site has been purchased, and an announcement seems imminent here once Church growth and activity warrants it)

Freetown Sierra Leone (the #6 country with the most LDS members without a temple; may be needed due to extensive Church growth)

Kampala Uganda (the #8 country with the most LDS members without a temple; may be needed due to extensive Church growth)

Nairobi Kenya (the #10 country with the most LDS members without a temple; may be needed due to extensive Church growth; such a temple was proposed in February 1998 by President Gordon B. Hinckley)

NOTE: The three above are very likely, given Church growth that has recently been reported in Africa. What is not as clear is how soon such announcements might happen or how imminent any of them might be above the other two.

Lehi/Layton Utah (we have not had a new temple announced in Utah since 2015; among the many possibilities, Lehi and Layton seem to be the most imminent)

Budapest Hungary (according to a comment on my blog, this will be the next temple announced in Europe; seems to be the most imminent possibility)

Pocatello Idaho (this is the largest Idaho city without a temple and therefore makes the most sense as the home for the next temple in that state.)

La Paz Bolivia (I favor this location because my former bishop and good friend served his mission there)

Fort Worth Texas (this is the city in Texas with the largest LDS presence without a temple)

Puebla Mexico (according to a comment on my blog, this is the most likely city for the next temple in Mexico)

Brasilia/Belo Horizonte/Salvador Brazil (in the order listed, they are the top three Brazilian cities with the strongest Church presence without a temple)

Jacksonville Florida (this is, according to reports I have received, the most likely location for Florida’s third temple)

Benin City/Lagos/Port Harcourt Nigeria (in no particular order, they are the top three Nigerian cities that may be considered good candidates for temples)

Richmond Virginia (on my blog, three cities in Virginia were mentioned as possibilities to host a temple, and of the three, Richmond appears to be the best option, in addition to being the capital city)

Chile (Antofagasta/Valparaiso/Santiago (2nd temple), any of which may be excellent candidates for the next Chilean temple)

Kumasi Ghana (#1 Ghana city with the strongest LDS presence without a temple)

Neuquen Argentina (mentioned as a possibility on my blog)

Edinburgh Scotland (someone mentioned on my blog that a temple was likely in the near future for either Scotland or Ireland; of the two, Scotland seems more likely)

Rapid City South Dakota (while a possible temple might serve only one or two stakes at best, the temple in Winnipeg makes this a very likely possibility; I personally favor this city for a temple because my dad served his mission there)

Salem Oregon (mentioned as a near-future possibility through a comment on my blog; also is the capital city, which makes a great center for a future temple)

Tacoma Washington (the same comment that mentioned the previous city mentioned this one as well, which appears to be as good as any other possibility)

Montpelier Vermont (as the capital city, seems to be the best place for Vermont’s first temple)


RESULT: The following (# of temples goes here) were announced, much to my great delight:


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