How temple, mission, and area presidency assignments usually take place each year

I am back again, as promised, with my thoughts and observations about how temple, mission, and area assignment transitions usually take effect. I have had years of study about this process, and have first-hand knowledge of how that works. So here goes. Hope this information is helpful and interesting to you.

As noted in the previous blog post, Elder Duncan, who was set to be released from his assignment as Central America Area President on August 1, participated in the Sunrise Service for Pioneer Day. As that service was held in Salt Lake City eight days prior to August 1, the transitions made in that presidency must have taken place earlier this month. That is not at all unusual. From what I have read and observed, the dates of such changes (July 1 for mission presidents, August 1 for area leadership, and November 1 for temple presidents) are general rather than specific. Often, it is much more practical to effect those transitions when it would not otherwise interfere with the day-to-day operations of the mission, area, or temple.

I have a couple of examples of such transition periods having been more flexible, which I have personally observed. First, during my six year service as a temple worker (from 2006-2012), I observed three different transitions of the temple presidency. I can't say with certainty that it works this way in all operating temples, but at least for those six years, the outgoing presidency of the Mount Timpanogos Temple would serve during the week when October became November, and once that week ended and the first full week of November began, the new presidency would assume responsibility.

Other transition periods  which I have also observed is at times when new apostles are called or at the death of a Church president. Shortly before the death of Joseph Smith the Prophet, he made the statement that "where I [meaning the president of the Church] is not, there is no First Presidency over the Twelve." And, as we know, when the first three Church presidents passed away, there were periods of a few years before a new Church president was sustained. As Wilford Woodruff neared the final days of his life, he spoke privately with Lorenzo Snow, who as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, would succeed him. During that conversation, he urged President Snow not to wait to reorganize the First Presidency, but to do so immediately. That advice and counsel, which was confirmed to President Snow by the Savior, who appeared to him in the Salt Lake Temple after President Woodruff's passing, was timely, because if it were not for that, President Snow, who served for only 3 years as Church President before he himself passed away, might not have even become Church President.

As a result of that counsel regarding prophetic succession, given by one prophet to his successor, now new Church presidents are set apart and ordained not long after the funeral proceedings are held to honor the previous Church president. There have been 12 such transitions. Of those 12, the longest time between the death of one president and the setting apart of his successor has been 11 days, with 4 days being the shortest such period. The average time span is somewhere between 6 and 7 days, and it appears that 5 days has been the most common time span, having happened 6 of those 12 times. One article on such transitions that I read at one point noted that, in most of those cases (10 to be exact), those transitions took a week or less. So there is flexibility in that, as there is with any other transition.

But getting back to temples, missions, and areas, transitions for all such assignments are very much flexible in order to allow as seamless a transition as can be done so that the work of each might continue as seamlessly as possible. So such transitions can be made earlier or later.

I apologize for going off on so many tangents. I have been muddling through some health issues that may be having a minor affect on my ability to keep to the point and focus properly on what I am trying to post. Nothing to worry about. Just wanted to note that. I will try to do better to stay on topic.

In the meantime, thank you for the privilege of your time. I appreciate your readership and insightful comments. I hope you all are doing well. I may or may not be doing another post before the end of the day today, but if not today, I will continue to keep an eye out for Church and temple news and will provide updates as I become aware of them. Thanks again.