Those updates follow below. So as to not disturb the flow of that information, I will end here and now as I always do: 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.
Predictions for Changes in Church Leadership
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Presidency of the
Seventy: Any changes effective August 1 sustained in advance.[i]
Result:
|
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General Authority
Seventies: New General Authorities sustained from among the Area Seventies or
the Church at large (including any current mission or temple president)[ii];
Elder Steven E. Snow released as Church Historian and Recorder, with a new
Church Historian and Recorder called from among the current or newly-called
General Authority Seventies[iii].
Result:
|
|
Area Seventies:
Some area seventies released, others called[iv].
The following area
seventies may be released for the following reasons:
Called as mission presidents: Aley K. Auna, Walter Chatora, J. Kevin Ence, Jose L.
Isaguierre, Bryan R. Larsen, W.
Jean-Pierre Lono, Khumbulani Mdletshe, Hoi Seng Leonard Woo
Longest-tenured: Kevin
J Worthen (sustained in April 2010; is serving as BYU-Provo President; if he
is released, he may be sustained as General Authority Seventy)
Result:
|
|
Sunday School General
Presidency: Tad R. Callister, Devin G. Durrant, and Brian K. Ashton released,
new Sunday School General Presidency called[v].
Result:
|
|
Additional note: Reid L.
Neilson, who has been serving as Church historian and recorder and is not a
General Authority, will likely be released from that assignment, since he has
been called as a mission president as well. As far as I know, he was never
sustained in that position, so his release may or may not be presented.
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|
Stakes
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3,383
|
|
Missions
|
407
|
|
Districts
|
550
|
|
Wards &
Branches
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30,710
|
|
Total Church
Membership
|
16,385,309
|
|
Increase in
Children of Record
|
104,150
|
|
Converts Baptized
|
228,987
|
|
Full-Time
Missionaries
|
64,543
|
|
Church Service
Missionaries
|
30,339
|
|
Temples Dedicated
during 2018 (Concepcion Chile, Barranquilla Colombia)
|
2
|
|
Temples Rededicated
during 2018 (Houston Texas, Jordan River Utah)
|
2
|
|
Temples in
Operation by the end of 2018
|
161
|
[i]Last April, two immediate
changes (as a result of two members of the Presidency of the Seventy having
been called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles) were presented for sustaining
vote, along with an advanced sustaining of 3 other changes that would go into
effect on August 1 of last year. If any changes are planned for August 1 of
this year, those will be sustained in advance as well. While such changes might
be hard to anticipate, the only one for which I see a need in the near future
is the release of Elder L. Whitney Clayton, who currently serves as Senior
President of the Seventy, and he may retain that assignment until August of
next year, since he is likely to be granted emeritus status in October 2020, by
which time he will be 70.
[ii]It is traditional for new
General Authority Seventies to be sustained each April, so I would anticipate
that occurring for this General Conference.
[iii]Elder Steven E. Snow, who
has served as Church Historian and Recorder since 2012, will be 70 in November
2019, so the Church will likely sustain a current or new General Authority in
that assignment to succeed him.
[iv] Although there have been
exceptions in recent years, April General Conference has generally seen a large
number of area seventies called, and a few released, especially if any of the
new General Authorities are currently serving as area seventies. I am
anticipating the same will be true for this General Conference.
[v]Brothers Callister and
Durrant have served together in the Sunday School General Presidency since
April 2014, and Brother Ashton joined this presidency in June 2015. For the
most part within the last couple of decades, the Church has generally released
each general auxiliary presidency 5 years after they were sustained, I would
anticipate that a new presidency will be called, which may be comprised of
either or both of the current counselors, members of the current Sunday School
General Board, members of the current Young Men General Presidency or General Board,
area seventies, or the Church at large.
[vi]As per the tradition
established in the April 2018 General Conference, the Statistical Report will
not be read out loud during the Saturday Afternoon Session, but will instead be
published on the Church website directly after that session.
