Hello, everyone! Even though the PDF version of the November 2017 Ensign is not yet available, the text of it is, and it appears that there are a couple of surprises in store for this issue. First, as observed previously, the latest editions of the Conference Ensigns have featured 144 pages (for the May edition and 128 for the November edition. However, given the new curriculum, the Church noted in the instructions for curriculum for next year that the conference Ensign (both the November and May editions) would contain the instructions for the next six month's curriculum on pp. 137-144. So it appears that every Conference Ensign for as long as this new curriculum is used will contain 144 pages. That is something we have not previously seen before.
Additionally, while the PDF version has yet to be made available, I also learned that the General Authorities Chart will be a four-page spread from pages 71-75. Additionally, there will be something very unique about this Ensign that we have not seen for a while. In view of the death of Elder Robert D. Hales, and because the resulting vacancy in the apostleship has not yet been filled, there will obviously only be 11 apostles pictured on the General Authorities chart. If the Church keeps to its tradition of previous times when this has happened, the six senior apostles (from Nelson to Cook) will be pictured on the top row, and the remaining 5 (from Christofferson to Renlund; which also comprise the apostolic picks of President Monson's presidency, on the bottom row).
As I always do, I want to put this development into its proper historical context. The last time we saw 11 members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on a General Authorities chart was in the May 1986 Ensign. President Kimball had died about a month after the previous General Conference, and the First Presidency had been reorganized 5 days following that death, on November 10, 1985 (with Presidents Benson, Hinckley, and Monson). Whatever the reason, the resulting vacancy in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles was not filled until the following General Conference, in that May 1986 Ensign, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles only contained 11 members.
As previously noted, we live in an interesting time. President Monson is the only current apostle remaining who was called during President McKay's presidency. All others senior to him, and the eight junior to him, who were called by other prophets, have passed away. President Nelson and Elders Oaks and Ballard were called during President Kimball's administration (with Elder Ballard's apostolic appointment coming 1 short month before President Kimball passed away). The three apostles appointed during President Benson's presidency have all passed away as well.
Elder Holland was the only apostle appointed during President Hunter's brief administration. Presidents Eyring and Uchtdorf, and Elders Bednar and Cook received their calls to the apostleship during President Hinckley's presidency. And with the death of Elder Hales, whomever is called to fill the current vacancy will be President Monson's sixth apostolic appointment, which is significant when we consider that President Monson will have filled six such vacancies in the same amount of time that President Hinckley filled four.
I will, in the coming days, as more details become available, provide the results of how my projected table of contents for the November 2017 Ensign compares to what it actually looks like. In the meantime, any comments are welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each of you all the best.
Sunday, October 15, 2017
Interesting Tidbits from the November 2017 Ensign (PDF version not yet available, though text is)
I have had a lifelong love for Church history, which has extended to ongoing reports of the ministry of our apostles and prophets, General Conference, and all temple developments. This blog enables me to share that love with all who read my thoughts on these developments, which are sometimes reported multiple times per day as needed.
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James, I appreciate the information about the new Ensign being available online, and also your analysis. Unfortunately, the lds.org page is not working very well for me right now. Perhaps everyone else is trying to look at it too!
ReplyDeleteI wanted to look and see if the page for the May 1986 Ensign showed a General Authority chart, but I kept getting a timeout. So then I tried to get into May 1983 (both conferences that year should show a vacancy not yet filled after Legrand Richards' death) and managed to get to the contents page. When I tried to get into articles, the page timed out again. Going back to the contents page, a General Authority chart was not listed. Oh well, I guess I can try again later.
I want to make one observation on your analysis above: I only count seven apostles called after Pres. Monson and before Pres. Nelson- Elders Packer, Ashton, McConkie, Perry, Haight, Faust and Maxwell.
Okay, thanks again!
Hello. Thanks for this comment. Sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you. My wife and I had a number of personal things to take care of this weekend with our health. You are correct. There are seven between Presidents Monson and Nelson. My confusion was in forgetting to subtract one from that number, as neither of them have passed away. So President Nelson is the eight apostle junior to President Monson, and there are just the seven between them. Thanks.
DeleteOh, I managed to get into November 1983. Not only is there no General Authority chart, I got to the sustainings- only the changes were sustained, and Pres. Hinckley did not read the names of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve. I wonder how often that happened?
ReplyDeleteGreat question. That happened only a few times. The reason for doing so was that it was thought with no significant changes to announce, and to allow all other speakers in the session to have a bit more time, the sustaining would be a simply one paragraph to note the relevant details. This was the exception, rather than the rule, as it was typically the case for President HInckley to do the Sustaining of Church Officers combined with a talk that opened the conference and announced changes in Church policy, leadership, and any new temples. So the one-paragraph thing was infrequent, but it did exist. Thanks for this comment as well.
DeleteLds.org is working fine now but it appears they are not including General Authority charts prior to November 2010. (I didn't look at every conference issue but I couldn't find one before then.) I remember seeing the charts in the print edition, it's been a long time since I saved them though.
ReplyDeleteThe Church may have elected not to include any charts beyond 2010, but last time I checked, there were such charts available in the issues from 2000 to now. If they have changed that, that's news to me. Thanks.
DeleteActually, I did forget Alvin R. Dyer, who was ordained an apostle in 1967, but he was never a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, so I usually don't count him.
ReplyDeleteAs noted above, I was referring to all ordained members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. And the sixth included President Nelson. So there were just the six. Thanks.
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