Hello again, everyone! Now that the Saturday Morning Session has concluded, I wanted to provide some additional thoughts regarding the newest apostles. First, both picks should appeal to those that complain about the face of Church leadership not representing the diversity of the Church. Elder Gong, though born in the US, is of Asian descent, and Elder Soares becomes the first apostle called from South America, having been born and raised in Brazil.
And it is wonderful to think how prophetic President Nelson's statement made during the January 16 press conference in which he and his counselors took media questions. He indicated that the Church would see a day when there are more flavors in the mix, and the men he was inspired to call certainly reflect how prophetic that statement really was.
Next, since this is my specialty, I wanted to note that, with Elder Gong being 64 years old, and with Elder Soares being 58, they become the 10th and 12th in order of age among the other members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and they are also the 13th and 15th oldest among all of the apostles.
Elder Gong has only given 2 talks in General Conference, and Elder Soares has given 5 addresses. That makes sense because Elder Soares was called as a General Authority in April 2005, and to the Presidency of the Seventy in January 2013, while Elder Gong was called as a General Authority in April 2010 and was called to the Presidency of the Seventy in October 2015 (as a result of Elder Rasband's call to the Twelve; he formally began his service in that presidency on January 4, 2016, by which time he had concluded all his obligations as the president of the Asia Area).
Next, a general note about the apostles overall. As many of you know, I had been predicting that one of President Nelson's counselors would speak during the Saturday Morning Session. Since we heard instead from three members of the Quorum of the Twelve (rather than 2 as I had projected), it is likely that all three First Presidency members will speak tomorrow morning, along with Elders Gong and Soares.
And I also found it interesting that the Solemn Assembly from this General Conference is going to be separate and distinct from the sustaining of other Church leadership, which is set to occur at the beginning of the session this afternoon.
But getting back to the apostles, Elder Gong is the second current apostle that has a birthday in December (with his December 23 birthday coming 20 days following that of Elder Jeffrey R. Holland), and Elder Soares' birthday, which is marked on October 2, means he joins President M, Russsell Ballard, whose birthday is marked on October 8.
I would like to again share my absolute witness that these men have been called by the Lord at this time. I received instant confirmation of that as their names were announced. And for any who do not yet have such a witness, I invite you to do that which is necessary to obtain one.
That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.
Saturday, March 31, 2018
Some Thoughts on the Newest Apostles
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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In addition to my life-long love for the subjects which I cover in the posts of this blog, I have long held the belief that we can disagree without becoming disagreeable. Differences of opinion are natural, while being disagreeable in expressing those differences is not. And in that sense, I have no desire to close the door on anyone who earnestly desires to contribute to the ongoing dialogue on subjects covered in the posts on this blog.
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I'd also like to remind all who comment here that I try to respond personally to each individual comment as I feel is appropriate. Such replies are not meant to end the conversation, but to acknowledge earnest feedback as it is submitted.
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Any comments made by individuals who opt to not give a name by which they can ber identified may, depending on the substance and tone of such comments, be subject to deletion as well. I would respectfully ask that all of us do all we can to keep the dialogue positive, polite, and without malice or ill-will. May the Lord bless us all in our discussion of these important matters.
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From lds.org, found under News & Announcements: "The new Apostles will address the worldwide Church audience during the Sunday afternoon session of general conference."
ReplyDeleteThat is interesting, and is a break from tradition. The last time a new apostle spoke during a session other than Sunday Morning was when then-Elder Henry B. Eyring gave his first address as an apostle during the Saturday Afternoon Session. Every new apostle after that (Uchtdorf, Bednar, Cook, Christofferson, Rasband, Stevenson, and Renlund) first spoke in the Sunday Morning Session. But then, the appointments of Elders Gong and Soares marks the first time that an international apostle (Elder Soares) and an apostle with international ancestry (Elder Gong) were appointed at the same time. This whole conference has seen a break in many traditions. I can't wait to find out what surprises the other three sessions hold. Thanks, Sam.
ReplyDeleteJames, your last comment is either insightful (prophetic?) or an understatement!
ReplyDeleteI have no problem considering it an understatement. I cannot deny I have felt and said certain things on certain subjects that later proved accurate (such as the time when, in an effort to provide reassurance to a missionary friend in Italy alongside whom I had served in Aaronic Priesthood quorums in my parents' ward, I had promised him that he would live to see the fruits of his labor and also a temple in Italy, or, more recently, when both Elders Gong and Soares were among the long list of potential candidates for apostolic vacancies that I posted here late last year and early this year), but I would call both of those no more than a lucky shot in the dark. This has been a historic conference for a number of reasons. The one and only thing that would make it even more so is if, during his concluding remarks in a few minutes, President Nelson were to announce 1 or more new temples. If he does, that will be more news to post. Thanks, coach!
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