UPDATED: Current Apostolic Data

Hello again, everyone! It has been a tradition on this blog for me to provide updates on apostolic data roughly every 7 weeks. Having last done so on Sunday, june 7, it is time to publish the newest such data. As with every two-part update, the first part contains updated data about the age and tenure length records for all 18 Church Presidents (including our current prophet, President Dallin H. Oaks), in addition to updated information on the tenure lengths for each of the 30 Presidents of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (including current Quorum President, Henry B. Eyring). 

The first document likewise notes information on the tenure length rankings for three sets of apostolic groups: the longest-serving First Presidencies (with the current First Presidency not even making that list for the next 6 years), the longest-serving groups of members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and groups of all ordained apostles (the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles). The tenure clock on the current groups (the Quorum of the Twelve and the 15 apostles overall) reset when Elder Gilbert was ordained.

Meanwhile, the second part of today's update shows the long-form and decimal ages for the members of the current First Presidency, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and the same data for the combined First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, in addition to the average ages of each group, plus apostolic nonagenarians (with 2 of the current 15 apostles being on that list), and a final table showing the remaining time between today and when each of the other 13 apostles will become nonagenarians and join that list.

With these updates being published every 7 weeks, the next one will be provided here on Sunday, September 13. Hopefully, this post is of interest to you all. Again, I offer an open invitation to anyone who has any questions about those documents to ask them here. Stay tuned here for my coverage of the latest updates from the Church News, Newsroom, and Church of Jesus Christ Temples sites. I’ll be sure to pass word of those along to you all as soon as I learn about them. 

In the meantime, that does it for now. All comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated on any post at any time, as long as all such feedback is made per the established guidelines. I hope any of you who would like to share anything will take your opportunity to “sound off” in the comments below. If you liked what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly added posts and comments, please subscribe to receive the applicable updates.

Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do. 

BREAKING NEWS: 10 Additional New Hymns Released

 Hello again, everyone! Today, I am pleased to share that 10 additional new hymns have been released. These newest hymns focus on"simple, Christ-centered truths". The ten have been released in English, Spanish, Portuguese and French, and will be available in the Gospel Library app later today. These 10 hymns are:

“Peace, Peace, Be Still”

“Great Is Thy Faithfulness”

“Isaiah Said”

“Fight the Good Fight”

“It’s Joyful to Live the Gospel”

“To God Be the Glory”

“Speak to Us, Lord”

“The Miracle”

“What God Calls Us To”

“When I Survey the Wondrous Cross”

Of these 10 newest selections, I have familiarity with "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" & "To God Be the Glory" (courtesy of the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Sqaure) & "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" (courtesy of the ward choir in my parents' ward a decade or two ago). These 10 additions bring the total number of released hymns to 82. 

The Newsroom release also noted that "Additional hymns are being released in other languages, including 22 in Armenian and Malagasy, nine in Cebuano, Indonesian, Italian, Samoan, and Tongan, and 12 in German, Korean, and Tagalog."

We may be just about a year ahead of when the new hymnbooks are available for release, so I project that we may have about 3-4 more batches of new hymns released before the new hymnbook is widely available in our congregations. And while we don't know how big the "core collection" of current hymns and children's songs will be, taking a look at some of the current hymns that have been sung in the most recent General Conferences may give us clues.

I am grateful for these newest releases, and for the chance to pass this analysis on to you all. I invite you all to stay tuned here for my coverage of the latest updates from the Church News, Newsroom, and Church of Jesus Christ Temples sites. I’ll be sure to pass word of those along to you all as soon as I learn about them. In the meantime, that does it for now.

 All comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated on any post at any time, as long as all such feedback is made per the established guidelines. I hope any of you who would like to share anything will take your opportunity to “sound off” in the comments below. If you liked what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly added posts and comments, please subscribe to receive the applicable updates.

Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Groundbreaking Announced for the Maceio Brazil Temple

Hello again, everyone! Today, the First Presidency set groundbreaking arrangements for the Maceió Brazil Temple. Let's break down those details: the groundbreaking for this temple is set to take place on Saturday, October 10 (just one week after the October 2026 General Conference). Elder B. Corey Cuvelier of the Brazil Area Presidency will preside over that ceremony. This announcement follows that temple's announcement in April 2022, the site location confirmation in March 2023, and the release of its exterior rendering in May 2024.

Given the timing of this temple's groundbreaking, I'm sure other temple groundbreakings could be set to occur before it. But currently, this announcement marks the fourteenth in 2026. 2026 is currently 48 days behind 2025. But, as noted, I do anticipate other groundbreakings perhaps being set to occur before this one does. Time will tell how correct that notion is. This will mark the sixth Brazilian temple to join the current construction queue.

I had been hoping we might see other temple dedications announced, or additional information released about other temples, but I'm glad we at least got this announcement today. I invite you all to stay tuned here for my coverage of the latest updates from the Church News, Newsroom, and Church of Jesus Christ Temples sites. I’ll be sure to pass word of those along to you all as soon as I learn about them. 

In the meantime, that does it for now. All comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated on any post at any time, as long as all such feedback is made per the established guidelines. I hope any of you who would like to share anything will take your opportunity to “sound off” in the comments below. If you liked what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly added posts and comments, please subscribe to receive the applicable updates. 

Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.