Hello again, everyone! As some of you may be aware, since the Church changed the layout of the First Presidency's Christmas Devotional, I have kept track of who has spoken therein every six months. Based on my research and analysis, I am predicting that, at this year's devotional (which will be held this Sunday), President Henry B. Eyring, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, will be conducting it. I am also predicting that the speakers will be the following general Church leaders: Brother Milton Camargo, First Counselor in the Sunday School General Presidency, Elder Carl B. Cook of the Presidency of the Seventy, Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and President Dallin H. Oaks, First Counselor in the First Presidency.
This is the first time I have ever attempted to publicly predict the speaking lineup for this devotional. As always, I will be just as pleased if any or all of these predictions prove incorrect as I will if any or all of them are verified as correct. The important thing will be what is said therein, not whomever might speak during it. And I look forward to the Christmas messages that will be given through song, prayer, spoken word, and the Spirit. In advance of that devotional, I offer my personal witness that the devotional has been planned in every detail in accordance with the Lord's will and under the direction of the Spirit, and that we will be blessed as we hear and act on the messages we will receive thereat.
That does it for now. 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.
Tuesday, December 3, 2019
Some Thoughts About the First Presidency's 2019 Christmas Devotional
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.
At the same time, however, I recognize that we live in a time when incivility, discourtesy, unkindness, and even cyber-bullying has regrettably become part of online interactions. With that in mind, while anyone who wishes can comment on anything if they choose to do so, I hereby reserve the right to immediately delete any comments which are critical, unkind, lack civility, or promote prodcuts, services, and values contrary to either the Church, or to the rules of online etiquette.
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.
And in order to better preserve the spirit and pure intentions for which this blog was established, I also hereby request that anyone not commenting with a regular user name (particularly those whose comments appear under the "Unknown" or "Anonymous" monikers, give the rest of us a name to work with in addressing any replies. If such individuals do not wish to disclose their actual given names, a pseudonym or nickname would suffice.
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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Hello again, everyone! Earlier today, the Church released additional interior renderings in connection with the renovation of the Salt Lake Temple. That temple is set to close on December 19. You can read what the Church has shared in that respect in the following articles:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/temples/2019-12-04/see-the-new-interior-renderings-for-the-salt-lake-temple-168950
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/new-renderings-released-salt-lake-temple-renovation
In addition to those updates, I also have a few more to report on other temples under construction or undergoing renovation. We start with the Abidjan Côte d'Ivoire Temple, where the tower walls are now being poured. Moving over to Belem Brazil, for the temple in that city, the foundation has been poured and a dome structure has been erected to protect the concrete from the rain.
In relation to temples undergoing renovation, at the Washington D.C. Temple, while interior renovations continue, landscaping is progressing. And, as previously noted, during his recent trip to the Pacific, Elder Rasband visited the Hamilton New Zealand Temple.
I continue to monitor all such develpments and any Church news and will pass word of those along to you all as I receive it. Thanks again, everyone!
KSL just posted this major article, may even have been crossposted from the Deseret News, about the Salt Lake Temple renovation, it is going to be an epic project involving thousands of workers over the four ears, and they feel the open house will be unline any ever before seen, so I think the Washington DC Temple open house, if what I heard was predicted ends up being right, could well be a dry run for Salt Lake.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.ksl.com/article/46685668/heres-what-will-happen-during-the-4-year-closure-of-the-salt-lake-temple
Also, Rick's temples site says that dome over the bBelem temple site has been nicknamed 'The Dinosaur Egg' by locals. Saw another picture that shows how it is highly noticable, there is a highway interchange just before it where if you take the flyover going towards it, you will see this head-on, and after the temple is finished will have that so this location will become a prominent landmark generally.
James Anderson, thank you for sharing these thoughts here. I believe that KSL's article may have drawn their information from the news release/article I cited above your comment, but it is good to hear their take on it, which has been a part of every newscast today. Thanks again for stopping by to share that information.
ReplyDeleteI have some additional Church news and temple updates. First, the Church News has provided additional coverage and context into the information mentioned previously in this thread by myself and James Anderson on the forthcoming Salt Lake Temple renovations:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/temples/2019-12-04/salt-lake-temple-renovation-construction-renderings-168998
In the meantime, Primary General President Joy D. Jones is currently in Geneva Switzerland, where she is preparing to speak at a UNICEF-sponsored event for the United Nations. That address will begin tomorrow at 8:45 MST, which is 4:45 CET (Central European Standard Time). The Newsroom will be carrying a live stream of her remarks, for any of you who may be interested in viewing them at that time:
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/primary-general-president-speaks-un-geneva
And that brings me around to the temple updates. Yet another update has been reported on the Pocatello Idaho Temple, where crews are setting the steel framework for its' spire, while the work of framing and sheathing the exterior walls continues; and crews are also installing temporary glass for the windows and decorative panels.
In my first comment on this thread, I provided an update on the Belem Brazil Temple, for which James Anderson in his comment provided additional context, so my thanks to him for that as well. Meanwhile, ath the Washington DC Temple, interior renovations continue, and landscaping efforts are progressing. As James Anderson and I have both mentioned previously, that temple's rededication is anticipated to be held before the end of next year, in order to not interfere with the January 20, 2021 inauguration of whomever is elected to the US presidency in November and December of 2020.
I continue to monitor all Church news and temple developments and will do my level best to pass word of those along to you all. in the meantime, thanks again, everyone!
Hello again, everyone! I have some additional Church news stories and temple developments to pass along to you all now. First, in advance of the annual First Presidency's Christmas Devotional (which, for 2019, will be held this upcoming Sunday), the Three Presiding High Priests of the Church have released their annual Christmas message, as reported by both the Church News and the Newsroom:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2019-12-05/first-presidency-2019-christmas-message-169070
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/first-presidency-christmas-message-2019
In the meantime, the Newsroom also reported on Sister Joy D. Jones' address to the United Nations (to which I alluded earlier in this thread):
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/primary-general-president-speaks-un-geneva
At the bottom of that article is text that indicates that the original article was updated with this information today (December 5). On Tuesday December 3, Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles was in Kensington, Maryland, where he, joined by the Oman ambassador, flipped the switch to turn on the Christmas lights at the Washington D.C. Temple grounds:
https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2019-12-05/christmas-lights-rasband-washington-dc-temple-oman-ambassador-169043
The Church News also reported that, on Sunday November 23, President Dallin H. Oaks, First Counselor in the First Presidency of the Church, spoke to Church members from 8 Spanish-speaking stakes in Chicago, during which time he gave part of his remarks in their native language. His remarks covered issues relating to immigration, since some immigrants were in attendance at the devotional:
https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2019-12-05/president-oaks-addresses-immigrants-spanish-language-chicago-168764
I will share the temple updates I mentioned in another comment in just a few minutes. For now, my thanks once again to you all.
I am back to share a temple update. I had thought there was more than one to pass along for today, but apparently, I was mistaken. The update relates to the Quito Ecuador Temple. At that temple site, the exterior walls thereof are rising. I continue to monitor all such developments, in addition to all Church news updates, and will do my level best to keep passing word of all such information along to you as I become aware of it. In the meantime, my thanks once again to you all for your continued interest and ongoing support.
ReplyDeleteHello again, everyone! More Church news has been reported, along with a couple of temple updates. So let's get right into all of that. Firstly, the Church has issued an official statement in support of the drafted "Fairness for All Act" which, in coming weeks, will be considered by the United States legislative branch:
ReplyDeletehttps://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/federal-fairness-for-all-support-december-2019
In other Church news, Sheri L. Dew, who served as Second Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency from April 1997-April 2002, penned an article for the Church News comparing and contrasting her first visit to Cambodia 20 years ago with her experience visiting again as part of the media team covering President Nelson's November visit to Cambodia, during which time, he announced the location of and released the exterior rendering for the Phnom Pehn Cambodia Temple:
https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2019-12-06/sheri-dew-cambodia-promise-temple-168771
That brings me around to the temple updates I mentioned. First is an update on the Abidjan Côte d'Ivoire Temple, where the foundation is being backfilled and the temple's interior structural support is rising. In the meantime, new information on the Layton Utah Temple indicates that the Church has submitted applications for a preliminary subdivision and conditional use of the temple site. Hopefully those plans will be approved fairly quickly.
I continue to monitor all Church news and temple updates and will do my level best to pass word of those along to you all here as I become aware of them. For now, thanks again, everyone!
Hello again, everyone! The latest edition of “This Week on Social” has been published. It is a super-sized edition featuring videos and posts about the ongoing holiday season. You can review any of those posts at the following web address:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2019-12-06/this-week-on-social-watch-and-read-these-holiday-messages-from-church-leaders-169150
This week’s edition features posts centered on Christmas from the following leaders: Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; General Relief Society President Sister Jean B. Bingham, Young Women General President Sister Bonnie H. Cordon, and her First Counselor, Michelle D. Craig (those 3 sisters shared the same video); and Sister Becky Craven, Second Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency.
Also featured in this week’s edition, but focusing on a Thanksgiving theme, were the following additional leaders: the entire First Presidency (Church President Russell M. Nelson and his First and Second Counselors, Presidents Dallin H. Oaks and Henry B. Eyring, respectively); Elders Dieter F. Uchtdorf, D. Todd Christofferson and Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; and Sister Sharon Eubank, First Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency.
Hello again, everyone! One additional Church news article has been published which may be of interest to many of you:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2019-12-07/medical-missionaries-senior-couples-service-168982
My thanks once again to you all,
Hello again, everyone! One more Church News article has been published, in which retired Church News editor Gerry Avant took a look back at the service and legacy of D. Arthur Haycock, who served as a personal secretary to 5 Church Presidents, and was closely associated with 2 others, and also worked with 4 other apostles who would go on to serve as Church Presidents, meaning that he had connections, whether direct or indirect, to 11 of the 17 prophets of the Church. You can read Sister Avant's tribute to Brother Haycock at the following web address:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/history-revisited/2019-12-08/arthur-haycock-secretary-prophets-apostles-168927
Also, with the First Presidency's Christmas Devotional set to get underway in less than half an hour, I will have a full report on that (whether as a new blog post or an additional comment on this one) later on this evening. In the meantime, my thanks once again to you all.
Hello again, everyone! The First Presidency's Christmas Devotional turned out differently from what I had projected. About the only things I correctly predicted were that President Eyring would conduct, that President Oaks would speak, and that Brother Milton Camrago would participate in the devotional (but he offered the invocation rather than speaking). It was a pleasure to hear from Primary General President Sister Joy D. jones, Elder Patrick Kearon of the Presidency of the Seventy (who, barring anything unexpected, will likely become the Senior President of the Seventy in August 2020), Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and President Oaks. You can find the Church News section covering the devotional at the following web address:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/category/christmas-devotional
And the Newsroom report on that devotional can be found here:
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/first-presidency-christmas-devotional-2019
My thanks once again to you all for your continued interest and ongoing support.
Hello again, everyone! I have one additional Church News story and a temple update to pass along. Here is the Church News article:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2019-12-09/church-donation-houston-food-bank-169100
And the update i have is for the Winnipeg Manitoba Temple, where exterior brick is being laid for the temple, the temple's spire is being painted gold in a staging area, and the meetinghouse exterior is nearing completion. I continue to monitor all such developments and will do my level best to bring word of those to you all here as I become aware of them. In the meantime, my thanks once again to you all.
Hello again, everyone! In just 36 days, President Nelson will have reached the milestone of his second year as prophet. So far, throughout his prophetic administration, he has visited several major world areas, to be with and strengthen the Saints. With that upcoming milestone in mind, a newly-released Church News video has detailed some thoughts from his fellow apostles who have observed his efforts in that ministry:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2019-12-09/video-president-nelson-building-bridges-world-leaders-169405
As always, my continued and ongoing thanks to you all for your interest and support.
Hello again, everyone! I have some additional Church news and a major temple development (which is not necessarily breaking news) to pass along. Let's dive right into all of that. First of all, both the Church's official Newsroom and the Church News have reported that FamilySearch has now enabled documentation of same-sex marriages in familial lines. The articles did, of course, note that the Church's doctrines relating to same-sex marriage remains unchanged:
ReplyDeletehttps://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/familysearch-document-same-sex-family-relationships
https://www.thechurchnews.com/history-revisited/2019-12-10/familysearch-family-history-relationships-document-169504
https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2019-12-10/5-keys-happy-eternal-perspective-byu-devotional-169489
And now, the temple update. A short while ago, I became aware of a report that indicated that full-scale construction efforts have finally been able to begin for the Saratoga Springs Utah Temple. Around that temple site, the streets have been paved, and construction crews are clearing and grading the temple site. Depending on how long that process takes, it will be interesting to see how soon construction can get underway on the temple proper.
I continue to monitor all such developments and will do my level best to pass word of those along to you all as I receive word of them. In the meantime, thanks again, everyone!
Speaking of temples, the church has just announced the locations for the Orem, Taylorville, and McAllen temples, all three of which were just announced this past conference, of course. https://www.thechurchnews.com/temples/2019-12-11/orem-taylorsville-mcallen-temples-locations-sites-169590
ReplyDeleteDaniel, thanks for stopping by to share this news. I generally check the Church websites every day before first accessing my blog, so I read about the news around half an hour ago. For those interested in my analysis on it, they can find it (along with a link to the official Newsroom release) by clicking the "Newer Post" link below this one, or by accessing the home page on my blog. In the meantime, Daniel, thanks for taking time to share that here. I am glad to see that the First Presidency is taking initiative on the US temple locations. And if anyone had told me when these 3 temples were announced that they would have a site confirmed and preliminary details released just over two months later, I would have dismissed that as impossible. But I am glad for it. Incidentally, as a general note to all of you, this brings the number of temples for which a groundbreaking could be held within the next 12-18 months to a whopping 19, so 2020 will be another busy year for temple construction. My thanks again to you, Daniel, and to all the rest of you, for your continued interest and ongoing support.
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