Thursday, April 16, 2020
BREAKING NEWS: First Presidency Announces 2020 Area Leadership Assignments
Hello again, everyone! A short while ago, I was notified of a breaking news update through the Church News app. This afternoon/evening, the First Presidency announced the changes in area leadership that will go into effect on August 1. For the first time, the leadership assignments included some demographic data and notes about unique elements related to these changes. Although a more complete analysis will be added to this post later on tonight as I have a chance to complete that, I wanted to note the news for now. And I also wanted to note that, as expected, Elder L. Whitney Clayton is being released as Senior President of the Seventy and will almost certainly be released from active service and desiganted an emeritus General Authority in October. That results in Elder Patrick Kearon officially becoming the first intternationally-born Senior President of the Seventy. But the big surprise came with the announcement of the new member of that Presidency who will begin serving on August 1. The First Presidency announced that Elder Brent H. Nielson, who was called as a GA Seventy in April 2009, and currently serves as the Executive Director of the Church Missionary Department, will be the new member of that Presidency. So it appears there will be a reshuffling in the leadership of the Missionary Department. More information on that, and my more in-depth and specific analysis on this will be added to this post later today. For now, my thanks to you all.
(Added at 8:57 PM) I have been able to complete my analysis of changes in area leadership. I have set up a new shareable document detailing those changes. There was a lot to unpack, above and beyond what the Church News reported on these changes. I also wanted to present again the document showing the most likely changes I had anticipated being announced. I have not had a chance to run any analysis on the accuracy of the changes I had predicted vs. those that wound up actually being announced, but it appears I did have quite a few of those predictions correct. I continue to monitor all Church news and temple updates and will be sure to bring word of all such developments to you here as I become aware of them. 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.
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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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Hello again, everyone! In continued response to the changing conditions due to the COVID-19 crisis, the First Presidency has provided the following additional resources and guidelines:
ReplyDeletehttps://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/guidance-administer-the-church-in-challenging-times
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/first-presidency-letter-administrative-principles-in-challenging-times
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/administrative-principles-in-challenging-times
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/essential-ordinances-blessings-other-church-functions
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/responding-to-covid-19-answers-to-questions
My thanks once again to you all.
The following additional Church news stories have been shared as well:
ReplyDeletehttps://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/president-nelson-shares-his-gratitude-for-global-fast-participants
https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2020-04-17/worldwide-fast-covid-19-president-nelson-gratitude-181541
https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2020-04-17/coronavirus-covid-19-first-presidency-letter-administering-church-challenging-times-181552
https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2020-04-17/coronavirus-covid-19-face-masks-service-project-utah-181587
My thanks once again to you all.
The Church News has shared the following additional inspiring report:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2020-04-17/sister-missionary-volleyball-coach-alabama-camden-181482
Thanks again, everyone!
Hello again, everyone! The latest edition of “This Week on Social” was published yesterday evening:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2020-04-17/social-media-easter-distancing-conference-game-181642
Featured in that latest edition were the following Church leaders: Elders Dieter F. Uchtdorf (from whom 2 posts were shared), David A. Bednar, Neil L. Andersen, and Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; and Sister Michelle D. Craig, First Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency.
The Church News also shared the inspiring story of an octogenarian who, working through BYU-Pathway Connect, earned a bachelor’s degree from BYU-Idaho:
https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2020-04-18/pathwayconnect-graduate-registered-nurse-earns-bachelors-degree-byu-idaho-age-82-181496
My thanks once again to you all.
A new article hsa been written by Church NNews editor Sister Sarah Jane Weaver:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2020-04-18/coronavirus-missionaries-mission-calls-honduras-brazil-181657
My thanks once again to you all.
Hello again, everyone! The Church News has shared the biographies of 8 new mission presidents:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/callings/2020-04-19/read-about-these-8-new-mission-presidents-and-companions-here-181094
Among those whose biographies have been shared, I would like to note the following: 2 are mission presidency counselors; 1 is currently a counselor in a stake presidency; 2 previously served as counselors in stake presidencies; 1 currently serves on the stake high council; and 1 is a temple ordinance worker who previously served as a stake president.
I do continue to monitor all Church news and temple developments and will be sure to pass word of those along to you all here as I receive it. In the meantime, I am anticipating that within the next week or so, the PDF version of the May 2020 Ensign will be made available, so I will keep my eyes open on that as well. I am also working as I can on the preliminary version of my October 2020 General Conference predictions, and on updates to my more specific estimates for known temple events in the future, which will also be posted here ASAP. In the meantime, my thanks once again to you all.
Earlier this evening, the Church News and Newsroom noted that a senior missionary of the Church had passed away due to complications from COVID-19:
ReplyDeletehttps://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/senior-missionary-passes-away
https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2020-04-19/coronavirus-covid-19-senior-missionary-dies-michigan-utah-181680
Thanks again, everyone!
Hello again, everyone! The Church News and the official Newsroom have published the following additional articles:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2020-04-20/coronavirus-covid-19-church-welfare-farms-ranches-harvest-181695
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/church-leaders-encourage-participation-2020-government-censuses
My thanks once again to you all.
Hello again, everyone! The Church News had a video-conference call with Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who, as previously mentioned, chairs the Temple and Family History Executive Council of the Church. In the interview, Elder Bednar focused on how Latter-day Saints can still enjoy the blessings of the temple and keep their minds on temple worship even while all the temples worldwide continue to be temporarily closed due to COVID-19. The insights he provided during that interview are well worthy of review:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2020-04-20/covid-19-elder-bednar-temples-kingdom-god-move-forward-181733
My thanks cone again to you all.
And the Newsroom has provided a look at how a choir formed in the England Manchester Mission is reaching a worldwide audience in the miedst of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic:
ReplyDeletehttps://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/england-manchester-mission-choir-reaches-a-global-audience
My thanks once again to you all.
Hello again, everyone! The Church News and the Newsroom have provided additional coverage on several developmnts:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2020-04-21/2020-census-united-states-mexico-first-presidency-statement-181781
https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2020-04-21/elder-bednar-hear-him-initiative-church-video-181784
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/elder-bednar-shares-how-he-hears-christ-in-hearhim-video-series
My thanks once again to you all.
The Church News also reported on the death of Sister Nair Belmira da Rocha Camargo, wife of emeritus General Authority Seventy Elder Helio da Rocha Camargo, and mother of Brother Milton Camargo, who currently serves as First Counselor in the Sunday School General Presidency. Apparently, a private funeral was held for her prior to her death being reported in the Church News, which, given the ongoing COVID-19 situation, is not surprising:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2020-04-21/sister-nair-belmira-de-rocha-camargo-dies-93-181802
My thnaks once again to you all.
Additionally, at the LDS Business College Devotional this morning, which was done remotely, college president Bruce C. Kusch and his wife spoke on the importance of looking outward, inward, and upward:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2020-04-21/ldsbc-kusch-devotional-broadcast-covid-pandemic-181827
Thanks again, everyone!
The Church News is requesting feedback from missionaries around the world whose service has been interrupted by COVID-19:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2020-04-21/send-church-news-covid-19-missionary-experiences-181880
My thanks once again to you all.