Stokes Sounds Off: Travels of the Apostles

Search This Blog

Leaderboard

Saturday, June 3, 2017

Travels of the Apostles

Hello, all! Here I am again with the next post I promised regarding the latest report of the travels and ministries of the apostles around the world. Enjoy!

Elder Dallin H. Oaks made a visit to Japan and Korea to conduct the annual review of the Asia North area from May 19-28, accompanied by his wife Kristin, Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Presidency of the Seventy and his wife Susan, and the Asia North Area Presidency members and their wives: Scott D. and Jeri Whiting, Kazuhiko and Tazuko Yamashita, and Yoon Hwan and Bon Kyung Choi. For more on that visit, click here.

During this same time (May 19-28), Elder Quentin L. Cook visited the Asia Area to conduct its annual review, accompanied by his wife Mary, Elder Ulisses Soares of the Presidency of the Seventy and his wife Rosana, and Bishop W. Christopher Waddell and his wife Carol. The members of the Asia Area Presidency and their wives were also in attendance (Randy D. and Andrea Funk, Chi Hong (Sam) and Carol Wong, and David F. and Mary Evans). As Elder Wong and his wife were getting ready to return to the United States, where they have been asked to preside over the Canada Vancouver Mission, Elder Peter F. Meurs and his wife are joining that area presidency and were in attendance for this area review, signalling the transition was nearly complete. Click here to learn more about what that visit entailed.

Elder Ronald A. Rasband toured the Africa Southeast Area between May 18-29 to conduct an area review, accompanied by the members of the area presidency: Kevin S. Hamilton, Stanley G. Ellis and and S. Mark Palmer. While it is not explicitly stated in the article,  I imagine that the wives of these brethren (Melanie Rasband, Claudia Hamilton, Kathryn Ellis, and Jacqueline Palmer). For more details on that visit, click here.

Aside from traveling, there has been other apostolic news. Elder Oaks, Elder M. Russell Ballard, and Elder Cook, in company with Presiding Bishop Gerald Causse, were present when Utah's senior senator and Church member Orrin Hatch was named BYU Management Society's 2017 Distinguished Utahn award, for his efforts to represent the state and get things done without compromising his morality or beliefs. Senator Hatch has served for a number of years, and is right now third in the line of succession to the Presidency of the United States. Tributes were offered by Elder Ballard and Scott Anderson, president and CEO of Zion's Bank. The event also featured musical tributes by Kurt Bestor and Paul Cardall. To read the full report of the event, click here.

In additional apostolic news, Elder Neil L. Andersen joined other religious and civic leaders in a panel discussion attended by 400 leaders from 70 countries. The purpose of the panel was to discuss how societies can develop togetherness, faith and trust to combat spiritual, economic, and political problems. You can read more about this panel discussion here and here.

As is not a surprise at all, the apostles have been kept busy of late, and with President Monson stepping back from active participation in discussions and decisions, the other 14 apostles will be much busier as they continue to make an effort to get in touch with the needs of the Church as a whole, as well as regional, local, familial, and personal needs.

That does it for this update. Comments are always welcome and appreciated. Thanks for your readership, interest, and support.

No comments:

Post a Comment

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.