UPDATED: 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, January 11, 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 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 clock on the current group reset when Elder Gilbert was ordained last week.

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 and 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, April 19.. 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: 12 Additional New Hymns Released

Hello again, everyone! Breaking news from the Church was reported a short time ago: the release of 12 new hymns that will be included in Hymns—For Home and Church. The selections are as follows: 

“Joyfully Bound” 

“My Covenants”

“When I Am Baptized” (current children's song with updated lyrics

“The Power of the Holy Ghost”

“Elijah and the Still, Small Voice”

“Jesus Is My Shepherd”

“My Song in the Night”

“This Is My Father’s World”

“Build an Ark”

“Love Will Bless Our Home”

“Lord, Accept Our Humble Fast”

“Long Ago, Within a Garden”

The new releases in Hymns—For Home and Church now total 72 in English, French, Spanish, and  Portuguese, with some of those hymns already being released in other languages. Aside from "When I Am Baptized", I am only familiar with "My Song in the Night" and "This Is My Father's World", courtesy of the many times those songs have been performed by the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square during "Music & the Spoken Word". But I look forward to learning these newest selections.

And speaking thereof, since many of the new selections are based on Old Testament stories, the new release of hymns includes comments from Sunday School General President Paul V. Johnson, in addition to comments from Primary General President Susan H. Porter. President Johnson offered the folllowing suggestions for implementing these newhymns in our daily lives:

Memorize the lyrics.

Listen to the prerecorded songs throughout the day.

Teach from and sing together as a family.

Sing enthusiastically at home and church.

Invite someone to play or sing as part of a lesson at church.

Aside from these notes, I will let the new releases speak for themselves otherwise. 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: First Presidency Announces Major Updates on Six Temples

Hello again, everyone! On this Monday afternoon, the First Presidency has announced updates for 6 temples. There's a lot to cover, so let's get started: We begin with the Teresina Brazil Temple, for which a groundbreaking has been officially set. Elder Ciro Schmeil, First Counselor in the Brazil Area Presidency, will preside at the temple's groundbreaking on Saturday, April 18, 2026. 

This announcement follows that temple's April 2023 announcement by President Nelson, the confirmation of its' location in August 2023, and the release of its exterior rendering in February 2024. As things currently stand, the Teresina Brazil Temple will be the fifth temple to have a groundbreaking this year. The fifth temple groundbreaking laast year occurred on April 26, so that puts us 8 days ahead this year vs. last year. And there will likely be more groundbreakings coming down the pike.

We now move on to the 3 temples in the Philippines for which we received news today: Naga, Santiago, and Iloilo. That news included site confirmations and exterior renderings. We start with Naga. A single-story edifice of approximately 18,850 square feet, with an adjacent chapel and ancillary building, will rise on a 9.11-acre site on Lot 1045-A-1-A Barangay Concepcion Grande, Naga, Bicol, Philippines. Today's double announcement follows the October 2022 announcement of that temple.

The Santiago Philippines Temple, also announced in October 2022, will be a single-story edifice of 18,850 square feet and will rise on a 14.47-acre site east of Camella Isabella Main Road in Barangay Malvar, Santiago City, Province of Isabela, Philippines. The temple project will also include a meetinghouse, patron housing, and a distribution center. 

Meanwhile, the Iloilo Philippines Temple, announced in April 2023, will rise on a 7.7-acre site at Circumferential Road 1, Green Meadows, in Barangay Tacas, Jaro District, Province of Iloilo, Philippines, That temple will be the same size as the Santiago Temple, and the project will also include all 3 things mentioned in relation to the Santiago Temple, in addition to an arrival facility.

We now move on to the official details for the Rapid City South Dakota Temple. Announced in April 2025, the 11,800 square foot edifice will rise on a 4.86-acre site at the northeast corner of Mount Rushmore Road and Moon Meadows Drive in Rapid City, South Dakota. NO exterior rendering or gorundbreaking information has been released at this time. Thesquare footage is slightly larger than the standard for modular temples, but I'm hoping it will be modular. My dad served in the South Dakota Rpaid City Mission, so I'm particularly grateful for this announcement today.

And finally, the Houston Texas South Temple has been renamed the Fort Bend Texas Temple. The temple's location and rendering were released in October of last year.  I am grateful for the announcements about these six temples. In view of the release of the official details for the 3 Philippines temples and the first temple in South Dakota, the number oft temples without any official information now sits at 50. I am grateful for today's announcements and for the chance Ihad to share this analysis here.

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.