BREAKING NEWS: Refinements Coming to Children and Youth Program

Hello again, everyone! As my at-home recovery continues, I just wanted to note briefly here that this afternoon, the Church announced refinements to its Children & Youth program. In consideration of my personal situation, I will let those refinements speak for themselves. My thanks once again to you all.

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, September 13, 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 4 years or so), 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,December 20. 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. 

BREAKNIG NEWS: Next Batch of Hymns Released; Cover of New Hymnbook Unveiled

Hello again, everyone! The next batch of hymns has been officially released. With 8 in this newest batch, the number of released new hymns stands at 90. The newest additions are available in English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese. The hymnbook will be published in those four languages in late 2027.  The latest batch includes the following 8 hymns:

“Be Thou My Vision”

“Our Savior Brings Us Joy”

“Jesus Is the Strength of Youth”

“How I Love the House of God”"

“God’s Armor”

“Seek Peace”

“O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”

“A Quiet Night”

The cover design of the new hymnbook has also been released, as has the exact number of hymns in the new hymnbook: 394, with additional hymns and songs available online and in the Gospel Library app. In the news release, Elder Dale G. Renlund was quoted as saying: "Each hymn has been approved by the First Presidency and the Twelve, and these approvals have not been taken lightly."

Further, Elder Mark D. Eddy, a GA Seventy assigned to the hymnbook project, noted the following: "As we worship together by joyfully singing these hymns, we trust you will feel what we have felt in the preparation of this new Hymnbook. We have found increased faith in the eternal truths taught in its lyrics, and courage and peace in the beautiful sound and structure of its music. May we receive what the Lord has prepared for each of us in these sacred songs of the heart."

The painstaking process of selecting these 394 hymns was outlined as follows: "After determining that a hymn sufficiently met the goals of the hymnbook, research was done to determine whether the Church could obtain the needed publishing licenses. In some cases, when a license agreement couldn’t be made, the hymn was no longer considered for inclusion.

"Ultimately, with so many hymns under consideration, there was more music that qualified for inclusion than there was available space in a single hymnbook. Difficult decisions had to be made about which hymns would best contribute to a balanced collection of both hymns and children’s songs, new and familiar music, and stylistic representation—and which would provide enough coverage for essential doctrinal topics of the restored gospel."

While this post was being prepared for publishing, the Church News also reported this latest news. I am excited about this newest release, and look forward to next year's release of the hymnbook. 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.