Elder Clark G. Gilbert Celebrates His First Apostolic Birthday Today

Hello again, everyone! Today is Elder Clark G. Gilbert's 56th birthday, which is also his first birthday since being ordained an apostle on February 12 (as we know, he was called to the apostleship by President Oaks the day before). Let's get into his biography:

Clark Gordon Gilbert was born on this day in 1970, in Oakland California, to Paul Ensign Gilbert and Susan Carlson Gilbert while his father was attending law school. Once his dad graduated, the family relocated to Scottsdale, Arizona, at which time Scottsdale had a largely non-Latter-day Saint populace. When young Clark was 10 years old, in response to an assignment to write about a great America, he chose to base his report on the Prophet Joseph Smith. Years later, in a high school assembly, he chose not to be offended when his religious views were criticized and mocked. When he was asked what his favorite song was, he said "I Am a Child of God" and sang it for his class.

Despite being mocked in that assembly, among his close friends and families of other faiths, his views generated respect, with some of those families saying that when their children hung out with Clark, they never had to worry about them getting into trouble. The summer before his senior year, he and his younger sister attended an Especially for Youth (EFY) event at BYU, after which he wrote his sister a letter expressing a desire to be a better brother.

Following his high school graduation, Clark enrolled at BYU. Following his freshman year, he deferred his education to serve a full-time mission in the Japan Kobe Mission. His struggles to learn Japanese brought him to seek heavenly help. He developed a great love for the Japanese people. His mission allowed him to draw closer to his mission leaders, from whom he learned valuable lessons that would mold his future life.

After resuming his studies at BYU, he was introduced to Christine Calder, who had roomed with his younger sister in a BYU study abroad program in London. Impressed with her, she suggested his brother meet her.  Clark was immediately drawn to Christine, and Christine was similarly drawn to Clark. But Christine had a deep desire to serve a mission. As the couple's relationship became more serious, Christine decided to forgo missionary service in favor of marrying Clark. The two were sealed in early February 1994, just before Clark's sister began her missionary service.

Following their marriage, Clark and Christine completed their education at BYU. They then relocated to California, where Clark earned a Master's degree in Asian Studies. Clark then pursued doctoral studies at Harvard (in business administration).  When he struggled with the rigors of the program, Christine reminded him they had prayed for this opportunity. He prayed for and received the help he needed.  He completed his doctorate in 2001, after which he joined the faculty at Harvard. Christine taught early-morning seminary, while Clark served on the stake young men's presidency. The couple also mentored inner-city young men.

In 2005, Clark was recognized at Harvard for his strong research and teaching abilities and was being considered for tenure. But the Lord had another path in mind: Kim Clark, the President of BYU-Odaho, asked Clark to join him at BYU-Idaho for the purpose of expanding Church education on a more global scale. After praying about it and feeling it was the right thing to do, Clark and Christine relocated to Idaho, where Clark served as associate academic vice president of BYU-Idaho, where Clark helped to establish a scholarship program and provided leadership for online programs. 

Those efforts culminated in the eventual creation of BYU-Pathway Worldwide. Clark went on to become the CEO of the Deseret News. In 2015, he was called to serve as the president of BYU-Idaho. Just two years later, he was named the inaugural president of BYU-PW.  With the help of many others, he built up and helped expand BYU-PW further. Then, in April 2021, he was called to serve as a General Authority Seventy. In August of that year, he began serving as the Commissioner of Church Education.

As we now know, on Tuesday, February 10 of this year, he accompanied President Oaks to BYU, where the prophet gave his first public remarks. Clark could tell President Oaks had something on his mind, but the prophet didn't say anything to Clark until the next day. After a meeting of the Church Bord of Education, President Oaks pulled Elder Gilbert aside and asked to speak to him. Clark assumed it was a routine matter relating to Church education, and was shocked when he was instead called to fill the vacancy in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Clark and Christine stayed up late that night, talking about what they admired about each of Elder Gilbert's apostolic colleagues. The other 14 apostles ordained Clark to the apostleship the very next day.

A short time ago, Elder Gilbert confirmed via social media that he is now assigned to the Missionary Exectuvie Council, where he is working with Elder Ronald A. Rasband. As we also now know, an introductory article about Elder Gilbert is featured in the May 2026 Liahona, written by Elder David A. Bednar, who appears to be Elder Clark's apostolic mentor. The April 2026 General Conference marked the first time that Elder Gilbert spoke as an apostle. He has only given one other talk in General Conference since being called as a General Authority.

Given that Elder Gilbert filled the vacancy in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles that arose from the death of President jeffrey R. Holland, who, like Elder Gilbert, was a university president who later served as the Commissioner of Church Education and was subsequently called to the apostleship, I am not altogether surprised that Elder Gilbert was the Lord's choice tofill that apostolic vacancy. There are no coincidences in the Lord's Church.

As soon as I read about Elder Gilbert's apostolic call, I immediately felt the Lord confirming to me that he was the Lord's choice for this vacancy. So I can readily testify that Elder Gilbert has been called of God and was foreordained to be an apostle of the Lord. He is the youngest apostle to be called since the 2024 call of Elder Bednar at the age of 52. And he is the first apostle to be born in the 1970s. Given his age, I would not be shocked if he serves as Church President at some point, but that is, of course, up to the Lord.

In the interim, I am grateful to have been able to put together this tribute to Elder Gilbert. I know we will not be led astray if we listen to tne cousnel of those we ssustain as prophets, seers, and revelators, including Elder Gilbert. 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: Opening Arrangements Announced for the Modesto California Temple; Renovation Scheduled for the Apia Samoa Temple; Initial Details Released for the Hamburg Germany Temple

Hello again, everyone! Given the coverage of the open houses for the San Diego California and Cleveland Ohio Temples, I wasn't sure anything else would be announced today. But it was. The First Presidency has officially confirmed opening arrangements for the Modesto California Temple, a scheduled renovation for the Apia Samoa Temple, and confirmed official details for the Hamburg Germany Temple. There's a lot to get into, so let's jump right in!

We start with the Modesto California Temple, which will have a media day on Tuesday, October 13, followed by VIP tours the following two days. The public open house will run from Friday, October 16 through Saturday, October 31, excluding the Sundays of October 18 and 25. The temple's dedication will follow on Sunday, November 22, 2026, under the presiding direction of Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The time of the dedicatory session has not been identified as of yet, but I imagine a 10:00 AM session with a 2:00 PM rebroadcast is the likely scenario. I have added this information to my document showing apostolic temple dedications during President Oaks' prophetic administration.

Given that there is a two-Sunday gap where no temple dedications have been set (yet), I am reasonably certain we will see at least one dedication apiece of other temples on November 8 and November 15. I could be wrong on that, but I don't believe that I am. I am keeping my eyes out for information on the temples in Pago Pago American Samoa, Torreon Mexico, and Smithfield Utah, any of which could have dedications scheduled on either of those Sundays. The Modesto temple was behind those three in the queue, insofar as I have been able to ascertain. I am also keeping my eyes open for news of the opening arrangements for the Fort Worth Texas, Neiafu Tonga, and Port Moresby Papua New Guinea Temples.

And, having referred to the Pago Pago American Samoa Temple, that leads me into the details of the renovation for the Apia Samoa Temple. That temple will close for extensive renovations on December 23, 2026. Other details remain unknown at this time, but the timing of the closure will probably mean that the Pago Pago American Samoa Temple will be operational by (if not before) the closure of the Apia Samoa Temple.

The news release notes: "During the closure, members from the temple district are encouraged to attend other temples as their circumstances permit. Those desiring to receive their own ordinances should contact a temple in the surrounding area to make the necessary arrangements." I wouldn't be surprised if the plan is to enlarge the temple and bring electrical and mechanical equipment up to date, and/or remodel the existing floor plan. But until such details are known, that is merely my own opinion.

We now turn to the Hamburg Germany Temple. The announcement states: "The Hamburg Germany Temple will be built on a 1.4-acre site located at Wartenau 20, Hamburg, Germany." Other details, including the temple's size and an exterior rendering, will apparently be released at a later time. The confirmation of the temple's size an an exterior rendering will be released at a later date. This is the last temple originally announced in April 2023 to have any official details confirmed. I have accordingly updated my document showing announced temples for which no official information has been confirmed yet.

I am grateful for this announcement and the opportunity to share these thoughts with you 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.

In Honor of Elder David A. Bednar's 74th Birthday

Hello again, everyone! Given that today is June 15, I wanted to take an opportunity to pay tribute to Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who is marking his 74th birthday today. Let's get into some details about Elder Bednar's life thus far:

David Allan Bednar was born in Oakland California on this day in 1952 to Anthony George and Lavina Whitney Bednar. His mother came from a long line of Latter-day Saint ancestors, but his father was not a member of the Church. 

Despite not having a formal Church membership, Anthony Bednar fully supported the rest of his family in their Church membership, and he would often step in and participate in meetings and Church activities, including various service projects, whereby he was in essence functioning in the same supportive way as other Church members did, but as one who was not a Church member. Young David would often ask Anthony when he would be baptized, to which his father replied that he would do so when he felt it was right.

Elder Bednar served a mission in southern Germany, during which time, then-Elder Boyd K. Packer visited his mission, and was advised that to get through the necessary border security, he would need money. The future President Packer would later recount in General Conference that a young missionary provided him with the money he needed, and later revealed that Elder Bednar had been that missionary. 

Elder Bednar attended BYU-Provo, where he earned a bachelor's degree in communication and a master's in organizational communication. He went on to earn a doctoral degree in organizational behavior from the prestigious Purdue University. He met Susan Kae Robinson at an activity for young adults. He recounts that they were playing flag football and that he threw a pass, which she caught. Susan would later note that, incidentally, that was the only time she could remember catching a pass. That experience left a positive impression on both of them, and the two started dating not long afterward. 

They were married in the Salt Lake Temple on March 20, 1975, and would go on to raise 3 sons together. One major highlight of Elder Bednar's life came long after his marriage. Anthony called his son one day and asked, "Would you be free on (and he named a near-future date)? I would like you to come and baptize me." He was able to baptize and confirm his father, and also ordained him to the priesthood.

He spent his vocational career as an educator at several secondary schools. For four years (1980-1984), he was an assistant professor of management at what was then the College of Business Administration at the University of Arkansas. He spent the next two years as an assistant professor at Texas Tech University, after which he returned to Arkansas, where he served first as the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies, then as the Director of the Management Decision-Making Lab. 

During this time, he was recognized as being an outstanding educator through the receipt of many prestigious awards and honors. He also had a few ecclesiastical responsibilities within the Church at around the same time. He spent several months as a bishop, then went on to serve first as the president of what was then the Fort Smith, Arkansas Stake, then as the first president of the newly established Rogers Arkansas Stake. During the final months of his service as a stake president, he was called to serve as a regional representative. In 1997, he was among the first men called to serve in the new position of area seventy. 

That same year, he was also called by the Church Board of Education to serve as president of Ricks College. His tenure there spanned from 1997-2004, during which time he led the transition of that college to BYU-Idaho. In October 2004, as a result of the apostolic vacancies due to the July deaths of Elders Neal A. Maxwell and David B. Haight (which occurred 10 days apart), Church President Gordon B. Hinckley announced that the vacancies would be filled by Elders Dieter F. Uchtdorf and David A. Bednar.

At the time of his call to the apostleship, Elder Bednar, who was 52 at that time, was the youngest apostle to have been called since then-Elder Dallin H. Oaks (who had been called to the apostleship in 1984 at the age of 51). Although he immediately commenced his service in the apostleship, he also continued to serve as president of BYU-Idaho for several weeks before the appointment of an interim president. Elder Bednar's tenure as an educator has molded how he speaks and ministers as an apostle. 

One of his common traditions, as he speaks at General Conference, is to invite the Holy Ghost to bless him and the rest of us as we listen to his remarks. Since his October 2004 call to the apostleship, he has given 44 addresses in General Conference, which are always well crafted and insightful, and are well worthy of review by all of us. He is currently the second-most senior member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (which, including the current members of the First Presidency, makes him the fourth in overall apostolic seniority), and the fifth oldest among the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the eighth oldest among all 15 ordained apostles. 

While I have never had the honor of personally meeting him, from the moment his apostolic call was first announced and onward since then, I have had a testimony that his apostolic call has been inspired and directed by the Lord, which I reiterate to you all today. Given his relatively younger age in comparison to both the five apostles senior to him, and four of the eight apostles who are junior to him, I fully believe that Elder Bednar may serve as Church President or at least in the First Presidency at some point. That, of course, will be up to the Lord’s will and the health and longevity of Presidents Oaks, Eyring, and Uchtdorf. And I want to make it very clear that such a prospect is merely my personal opinion and not anything I can attribute to anyone else. 

I am grateful to have been able to provide this tribute to Elder Bednar as he marks his 74th birthday today. 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 section 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.