Stokes Sounds Off: 01/01/19

Search This Blog

Leaderboard

Tuesday, January 1, 2019

Happy New Year 2019!

Hello again, everyone, and Happy New Year 2019! I wanted to post right now to provide an overview of known projects which will be published on this blog throughout this year. In addition to ongoing updates on the ministry of our apostles, major Church news and temple developments, General Conference, scheduled Church events (including temple dedications, rededications or groundbreakings), and any other breaking news, I intend to do specific posts on or around the following days for the following reasons:

First half of 2018:
January 14: One-year anniversary of President Nelson's prophetic administration.
January 24: Elder Christofferson's 74th birthday.
January 27: First 2019 apostolic milestone update.
February 6: Elder Rasband's 68th birthday.
February 20: President Ballard's first 2019 nonagenarian milestone.
March 10: Second 2019 apostolic milestone update.
April 9: President Oaks' first 2019 Quorum President milestone.
April 21: Third apostolic milestone update.
May 15: President Ballard's second 2019 nonagenarian milestone.
May 31: President Eyring's 86th birthday.
June 2: Third 2019 apostolic milestone update.
June 15: Elder Bednar's 67th birthday.

Second half of 2019:
Preliminary note: Since the July milestones will, as detailed below, are so close together, I may do a single post marking all of them after they pass rather than on the day each is observed.
July 3: President Nelson's first (and only) 2019 Church President tenure milestone.
July 5: President Nelson's first ever (and only) Church President age milestone/first (and only) 2019 nonagenarian milestone.
July 7: President Oaks' second 2019 Quorum President milestone.
July 9: President Oaks' third 2019 Quorum President milestone.
July 14: Fourth 2019 apostolic milestone update.
July 31: President Ballard's fourth (and final) 2019 nonagenarian milestone.
August 6: Elder Stevenson's 64th birthday.
August 9: Elder Andersen's 68th birthday.
August 12: President Oaks' 87th birthday.
August 25: Fifth 2019 apostolic milestone update.
September 8: Elder Cook's 79th birthday.
September 9: President Nelson's 95th birthday. (Since this is a milestone birthday, there may be an official Church event in honor of this milestone).
October 2: Elder Soares' 61st birthday.
October 6: Sixth 2019 apostolic milestone update.
October 8: President Ballard's 91st birthday.
November 6: Elder Uchtdorf's 79th birthday.
November 13: Elder Renlund's 67th birthday.
November 15: President Oaks' fourth 2019 Quorum President milestone.
November 17: Seventh 2019 apostolic milestone update.
December 3: Elder Holland's 79th birthday.
December 14: President Oaks' fifth (and final) 2019 Quorum President milestone.
December 23: Elder Gong's 66th birthday.
December 29: Eighth (and final) 2019 apostolic milestone update.

As you can see, 2019 will be jam-packed just with these posts. If scheduled Church events (including temple groundbreakings, dedications and rededications) are taken into account, and we also add in General Conference coverage, breaking news, and any major Church news or temple developments, then 2019 will be quite a year for this blog and for me personally.

At the outset, if you will allow me to do so, I want to interject a personal note here. I could not provide ongoing coverage of everything I post about on this blog if it were not for my knowledge that such posts will be read and commented on in the way they have up to this point. In point of fact, without each of you, my readers, I would be doing nothing more than posting for my own benefit. Because I know there are readers who have come to trust my reports of such developments as they occur, I am continually motivated to do so. Thank you all for that.

I appreciate that the audience which this blog reaches is expanding. Within the last 24 hours, I have had readers from the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, Germany, an unknown region, Venezuela, Guatemala, Sierra Leone, and Turkmenistan. When my all-time views are considered, my audience also includes readers from Canada, Portugal, the Ukraine, and Spain. I know also that a number of those who read my blog come from Mexico and other countries in South America, Europe, and Africa, among other continents, which is very humbling to me. I hope the message of the content on this blog, though written in English, serves as an inspiration to all who read what I "sound off" about.

Likewise, thanks to all who contribute thoughtful feedback relating to the comments posted on this blog. I made a decision as the number of comments picked up here that I would do my best to provide a personal response to thank each individual for commenting, and to provide any additional insight or clarification as needed. By way of reminder to my newer readers, any comment I add is generally not meant to end the discussion. If I see any discussion headed in a direction with which I am not comfortable, I will mention that and steer it either back on track or to a good conclusion, but other than that, ongoing comments are always welcome and appreciated.

With renewed commitment to cover whatever lies ahead for the Church, and a promise that I will continue to do my best to bring word of those developments to you all as they occur, that does it for this post. Any and all comments continue to be, 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 for a happy, safe, healthy, and prosperous 2019, and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.