Stokes Sounds Off: BREAKING NEWS: Elder Soares to Preside at Fortaleza Brazil Temple Dedication; Sissel to Headline Tabernacle Choir's 2019 Pioneer Day Concert

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Thursday, May 16, 2019

BREAKING NEWS: Elder Soares to Preside at Fortaleza Brazil Temple Dedication; Sissel to Headline Tabernacle Choir's 2019 Pioneer Day Concert

Hello again, everyone! As mentioned in a recent comment here, and shared by the Church of Jesus Christ Temples website, a Brazilian newspaper has featured an article noting that our native Brazilian apostle, Elder Ulisses Soares, will be presiding over the dedication of the Fortaleza Brazil Temple on June 2. This marks the second time in a row that a new temple was dedicated by a more junior apostle than the one who conducted a groundbreaking. Elder David A. Bednar broke ground for that temple.

The other recent time this occurred was in April, when Elder Dale G. Renlund dedicated the Kinshasa DR Congo Temple, for which the groundbreaking had been presided over by Elder Neil L. Andersen. That Elder Soares has been given this opportunity is not at all surprising, given that he has numerous connections to various Brazilian cities. Apostles dedicating a temple in an area to which they have a strong connection seems to be becoming the new normal.

In light of this information, I am more convinced than ever that Elder David A. Bednar, who was born in Oakland California, will preside over the rededication of that temple. I know that since Elder Quentin L. Cook has connections to the Bay Area of California, there is a chance he'd be called on to do it, but he has been asked to presiding over the November private rededication for the Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple.

It is also worth noting that I believe that, while any current apostles could preside over temple dedications in areas to which they have a personal connection, for the time being, I believe that the least-junior apostle who may be asked to preside at a temple rededication will be Elder Christofferson. Time will tell how correct that might turn out to be, but that is my theory.

Turning now to another late-breaking news development, the Tabernacle Choir has announced that world-renowned vocalist Sissel, who originally performed with the Tabernacle Choir in the 2006 Christmas Concert, will be the special guest artist for the 2019 Pioneer Day Concert in July. I was anticipating that the special guest would be announced soon, and it is nice to have that confirmed.

That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made in accordance with the established guidelines. Thank you for the privilege of your time. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly-added content, please feel free to subscribe. 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.

7 comments:

  1. Hello again, everyone! The Church News just barely published an article as a lead-in to the coverage they will subsequently provide on the Pacific Ministry Tour of the Nelsons and Gongs. Interestingly enough, the article includes a map on which is a list of stops that will occur, with the dates involved. Something not noted on the original itinerary that was noted on the map is the stop in Welllington New Zealand on May 20. Since the other stops are in cities where a temple either currently operates, or where one has been announced, I am wondering if a layover stop may be used there in perhaps scouting out in advance a site for another New Zealand Temple. I know that some people (myself included) have shared their opinions that, if and when the next temple is announced in New Zealand, it is more likely to be in Christchurch, but the previously-unannounced stop in Wellington is something to think about at least. My thanks once again to you all.

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    1. I saw a report last night that President Nelson will be meeting with government officials, including the Prime Minister of New Zealand, during his stop in the country. So the stop in Wellington makes sense as it is the capital of the country. Perhaps that meeting wasn't set up yet when the initial announcement of President Nelson's plans were released.

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    2. I also wonder if it is possible that President Nelson may release a rendering of the Auckland Temple during his devotional with members there. Or at least confirm the site for the temple.

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    3. Hello, Eric, and thank you for stopping by to comment. I had forgotten that Wellington was the capital city of New Zealand, primarily because the Pacifc Area headquarters are based out of Auckland, and neither of the two temples which have served or will yet be serving the New Zealand Saints are located in Wellington. It makes sense that President Nelson would want to make a courtesy stop along the way to meet with government leaders, particularly if the substance of that meeting involved coordinating a more rapid start to the commencement of construction for the Auckland Temple. Thanks again for pointing that out, and for taking time to comment, Eric. I always appreciate hearing from you.

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    4. As for the rendering for the Auckland temple, i suppose it could possibly be released, or the site could be confirmed. One of the other individuals who comments regularly here lives in New Zealand and has kept me informed on matters relating to the Auckland temple. Unless I am mistaken, it seems more likely that President Nelson will use this tour for temple site scouting, rather than the introudction of renderings or making a groundbreaking announcement. Either way, I'd expect something to be reported about new temples in the Pacific during this tour. Thanks again, Eric.

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  2. Has the Junior apostle ever presided at a temple dedication before? This seems momumental!

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  3. Hey, Michael! To my knowledge, this is a first. But it should not be surprising. All of the apostles jointly hold the keys of the kingdom. The difference is that the senior apostle is the only one authorized to use all of them, but he can delegate any portion of those keys to the other apostles at his discretion under the inspiration of the Lord. And with Elder Soares' deep connections to Brazil, it should not be totally surprising that he would be sent to dedicate this temple in his homeland. Some Church presidents have done better than others about delegating such tasks, and it is wonderful to see that President Nelson recognizes just how personal this temple dedication and that of the Kinshasa DR Congo Temple are to Elder Soares and Elder Renlund respectively.

    I think we will see this be a new trend, which means we may be able to count on Elders Stevenson and Gong having some role in the dedications or rededications of temples which are undergoing renovation or announced in Asia. The prospects of what could happen may very well be limitless. Thank you, Michael, for taking time to comment.

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