Hello again, everyone! As many of you will no doubt recall, the Church had originally planned to hold the groundbreaking for the Salta Argentina Temple on Saturday August 15, subsequently moving that back to Friday October 9.
Fast forward again to today. As confirmed by both the Church News and the Newsroom, COVID-19 conditions in Argentina have necessitated that the groundbreaking arrangements for that temple be pushed back once again
That event will now take place on an unspecified date in November, whenever local conditions allow that and the appropriate arrangements can be made. The Newsroom will provide an acknowledgement and coverage of that once it has occurred.
This brings the total number of temple groundbreakings set to occur in November to a grand total of 4. It will be interesting to see what happens in that respect. I am grateful to have learned about this so I could pass it along to you all here.
I continue to monitor all Church news updates and temple developments, and will be sure to bring word on those to you all as I become aware of any such reports
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.
Hello again, everyone! The Church News and Newsroom have shared the following additional reports:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2020-09-17/hurricane-sally-missionaries-members-ivan-gulf-coast-192979
https://www.thechurchnews.com/history-revisited/2020-09-17/new-zealand-church-history-center-lds-rangi-parker-history-matthew-cowley-192651
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/why-general-conference
My thanks once again to you all.
And the Church News has provided its' own coverage on the upcoming October 2020 General Conference:
Deletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2020-09-17/october-2020-general-conference-watch-listen-191868
Also, additional status updates have been provided for the Yigo Guam,Abidjan Côte d'Ivoire, Saratoga Springs Utah, and Feather River California Temples:
https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/yigo-guam-temple/
https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/abidjan-cote-d'ivoire-temple/
https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/saratoga-springs-utah-temple/
https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/feather-river-california-temple/
I'd just add here that I will again be reevaluating the general and more specific completion order and time-frames for all known temple events as part of my updates to all my temple files, so stay tuned for those as I am able to pass them along. My thanks once again to you all.
Hello again, everyone! I have a few updates to provide this afternoon, the latter of which involves things I have previously mentioned in other posts or comment threads here. So let's get right into all of that.
ReplyDeleteFirstly, earlier today, the Church announced that Newsroom content in Spanish from 19 previously-separate nation-by-nation websites will now be consolidated into a single Spanish-language Newsroom. The impacted national Newsrooms that will be thus consolidated are scattered through Latin America, which, by definition covers Mexico, Central America, Brazil, and all other South American nations. The current individual pages will be redirected to that universal Spanish page. Those who helped spearhead this consolidation noted that for Spanish-speaking members of the Church, wherever they reside, the Church will utilize technology that enables the Spanish-language content to sort content specific to the user.
For individuals visiting that new universal page, location technology being used will give a uniqupe experience to each user. Content from Mexico will be featured for those visiting the page from Mexico, while Guatemalans or Brasilians visiting the page will see corresponding content relevant to them and their area.
The article also quotes Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who chairs the Church Communication Committee. Not sure whether that's different from the Church Public Affairs Committee, which, as of early 2018, had been chaired by Elder D. Todd Christofferson. Anyways, here is the article about the consolidated Spanish-language Newsroom pages into a new universal website:
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/spanish-language-global-newsroom
Will be back with the other updates I mentioned shortly here. For now, my thanks once again to you all.
I am back with the other updates to which I referred in my comment above. As some of you might recall, I had previously ruminated on the fact that the Church's August 2020 area leadership assignments had noted that Elder Mark A.Bragg would serve as First Counselor in the Utah Area Presidency and that Elder Evan A. Schmutz would be assigned to serve as the Second Counselor in the North America Southwest Area Pr/esidency:
Deletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/callings/2020-04-16/new-2020-area-leadership-assignments-worldwide-181174
Subsequently, on Saturday September 5, when the Orem Utah Temple groundbreaking was held, the coverage on it noted that Elder Evan A. Schmutz was serving as First Counselor in the Utah Area Presidency. As a result, I wasn't sure what had changed and why.
Courtesy of one of my many sources for information about the Church, I was able to ascertain the following differences between what had been announced and what was actually effective as pertaining to the area presidencies here in North America. Below, I will list the information announced for the area assignments of the affected presidencies, followed by the changes that were subsequently made after those assignments were first announced:
North America Southwest:
Officially Announced: Paul B. Pieper, Kyle S. McKay, Evan A. Schmutz
Subsequently Changed: Paul B. Pieper, Kyle S. McKay, Ruben V. Alliaud
North America West:
Officially Announced: Kevin W. Pearson, Scott D. Whiting, Ruben V. Alliaud
Subsequently Changed: Kevin W. Pearson, Scott D. Whiting, Mark A. Bragg
Utah:
Officially Announced: Craig C. Christensen, Mark A. Bragg, Walter F. Gonzalez
Subsequently Changed: Craig C. Christensen, Evan A. Schmutz, Walter F. Gonzalez
When the Church makes such changes between when they are officially announced and when they become effective, there can be many reasons for such changes. For instance, the Church's plans to break ground for the Orem Utah Temple earlier this month could have factored into the decision to have an Orem native (Elder Schmutzz) in the Utah Area Presidency. Meanwhile, Elder Bragg was born and raised in California, so having him serve in an area presidency that covers that state also makes sense. With those two reassignments having personal reasons, by process of elimination, Elder Alliaud's designated assignment was shifted to the North America Southwest Area Presidency. There could be other reasons at play here that have not been disclosed. But I am grateful to have been able to get clarification on that and pass it along to you all here.
Another update will follow. For now, my thanks once again to you all.
I am back with the other update to which I have referred in my previous two comments above. As some of you may recall, for the last several years, I have tracked and reported on changes in magazine editors and advisers. Generally, within 1-2 months of August (by September or October), any such changes are reflected in the list of editors and advisers.
DeleteFurther, I had previously speculated/predicted that Elder Randy D. Funk, who has served as the editor of the Church magazines for the last couple of years, might be released from that assignment, as the editorship of the Church magazines has been regularly rotated every 2-3 years.
But when the Church announced the changes to Church magazines late last month, the article about the change quoted Elder Funk as the editor of the Church magazines, and that assignment has not changed with others that had been shifted on August 1.
But I had further theorized that, regardless of what might happen in the editorship of the magazines, that Elder Larry S. Kacher would be released as an adviser to the magazines, since he'd been called to serve outside the United States as First Counselor in the Africa West Area.
Fast forward to this week. In checking our mail, my wife and I received our copy of the October 2020 Ensign. Elder Funk remains listed as the editor thereof, and Elder Kacher has been released as an adviser, as I had conjectured would be the case. Additionally, however, and much to my surprise, while Elder Michael T. Ringwood continues to serve as the Executive Director of the Priesthood and Family Department, a member of the Priesthood and Family Executive Council, and on the Church Board of Education, he has been released as an adviser to the Church magazines.
Additionally, Elder Vern P. Stanfill has also been released as an adviser to the Church magazines, although he continues to serve as First Counselor in the North America Southeast Area Presidency and in a number of other committee assignments at Church headquarters.
Meanwhile, Elder Marcos A. Aidukaitis has been called to serve as a new adviser to the Church magazines, though aside from that and his assignment in the North America Southeast Area Presidency, not much is known about his other assignments at Church headquarters.
And with Becky Craven, Second Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency, continuing the serve as an adviser to the Church magazines, the October 2020 Ensign notes that Michelle D. Craig, the First Counselor in that same presidency, will also serve as an adviser to the Church magazines, marking the first time of which I'm aware two members of the same General Presidency have both been advisers to the Church magazines. Additionally, Elder Jeremy R. Jaggi, just sustained as a new GA Seventy during the April 2020 General Conference, will also serve as an adiser to the Church magazines, as will Brother Bradley R. Wilcox, who was also sustained during the last General Conference, but is serving as Second Counselor in the Young Men General Presidency.
So it appears that, in consideration of the Church's plans to transition to 3 global magazines next year, the decision has been made to increase the number of advisers to the magazines, which makes sense. If any of you want to review the changes to the advisers to the Church magazines throughout this year, you can do so in the following document:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1arrmis5EJpGbr0lJ0aP0HMOgNQFWyU0lIOfa0taRZ9k/edit?usp=sharing
My thanks once again to you all.
Here are a couple more Church news updates:
Deletehttps://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/latter-day-saints-around-the-world-latin-america-edition-september-18-2020
https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2020-09-18/president-jones-cornerstones-ukraine-temple-mission-president-monson-193037
My thanks once again to you all.
The latest edition of "This Week on Social" has been published:
Deletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2020-09-18/elder-holland-hope-soares-pieta-missionaries-social-media-193056
Featured in this most recent installment are posts from the following general leaders: Church President Russell M. Nelson; Elders Jeffrey R. Holland, Dieter F. Uchtdorf, David A. Bednar, Quentin L. Cook, Ronald A. Rasband, and Uploaded Soares, all of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; and Sisters Michelle D. Craig, First Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency (from whom 2 posts were shared); and Cristina B. Franco, Second Counselor in the Primary General Presidency.
My thanks once again to you all.
James, you've been a wonderful example throughout the years of training extremely faithful and diligent despite medical obstacles. I respect your opinion. Therefore, I was wondering what your opinion on this church policy is: https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2020-09-15/service-animals-policy-church-meetinghouses-temples-192744
ReplyDeleteI mean, seriously, imagine if the article said this instead: “Bishops and stake presidents may determine whether to allow individuals with disabilities to use [wheelchairs, hearing aids, oxygen tanks, etc] in meetinghouses"? Like it just seems blatantly wrong and very discriminatory -- proper service animals are like medical equipment -- why is an untrained layman get to decide if you have access to your medical equipment? I don't understand why this policy is in place? Since I tend to hope that most leaders are compassionate/understanding - is it because people are abusing the system? (But even if people were bringing emotional support animals -- not proper service animals -- does it really happen that much that warrants this discriminatory policy)? It just seems to be denying access and accommodation and independence to people who need it... what say ye on these matters? (Don't worry, this policy doesn't shake my faith -- so I don't need a lecture -- I'm just curious what your perspective is)?
DeletePills & Pillows: thanks for stopping by to ask me to weigh in specifically on this. I know that from your standpoint, as a medical professional, these policies may not make much sense. But just as there is currently a former heart surgeon as President of the Church, there is one more in the Quorum of the Twelve and several former practicing physicians or healthcare professionals from various walks of experience. And if these kinds of decisions were solely up to a single individual, or a single group of individuals, or even just one Church department, with the approval and endorsement from the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve, they would be harder to understand.
DeleteThat being said, President Nelson has made it clear that he values the input of many others, and that the Church does not move ahead with any measure until there is full and complete unanimity on the part of every individual at every level who is part of that decision process when it comes to judgement calls like this.
That unanimity is scripturally-mandated and doctrinally based. Earlier today, after being unable to do so on Sunday, I began watching the latest Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults. Among the pertinent issues addressed in that devotional were some insights from Elder Rasband on how any decision in the Church is reached, with specific focus on how those decisions are crafted. Elder Rasband cited the recent example of changes announced by the Church in the April 2020 General Conference, and the process he described as specific to the drafting of the Proclamation and the process whereby unanimity was formed on the other adjustments announced also apply to every decision that has been or will be announced thus far under President Nelson's dynamic leadership.
I have had a firm testimony of that process since I was old enough to seek for it. And because of that, I have been able to feel confirmation of the rightness of every decision and the timing thereof as made public by the Church for the majority of the almost 3.5 decades I have been alive.
Therefore, when I read about the adjusted policies relative to service animals at Church and in the temple, I had no doubt that the process used to arrive at those decisions meant the decisions themselves were in harmony with the Lord's will.
Above and beyond that, however, I have some first-hand experience with some of the specific examples you mentioned. As a physically disabled individual who rendered Church and temple service in the same manner as any able-bodied individual, I have had first-hand experience in both observing how Church leaders adapted to my needs, and how they also adapted to the needs of others.
When it comes to service animals in Church buildings, if the local leaders approve that, then I don't see it as problematic. But I also understand that, in the event of a medical emergency, or any circumstances where something would happen to Church property due to something done by or around the service animals, the Church would largely be responsible for the costs of repairing such damage. So where there is a question of liability on the part of the Church, it makes sense that they'd want to avoid it.
I have also seen cases recently where perfectly capable individuals seem to ask for or expect unreasonable accommodations or exceptions, and that's especially true when it comes to these COVID-19 times. So in that sense, I understand why the Church has to take a harder line for the time being in some aspects relative to that.
DeleteBut I have also been pleased on my end to have witnessed in six years as a temple worker the diligence of several disabled individuals. It's easy for the Church to accommodate walkers, wheelchiars, interpreters, sound systems, etc. And I have seen cases where individuals who need assistance at Church or in the temple bring someone along, not just to worship with them, but also to assist them as needed. There was many a time when I was a patron at a temple session and I was having trouble with getting the clothing properly in place and secure, and there was always someone on hand, whether someone I brought with me or a kind individual nearby, worker or fellow patron, who assisted me in my time of need.
And I think that the Church is aware that Sunday worship or worship in the temple brings out the best in many individuals, who can lend a hand, which could be the reason why the Church takes a harder line on this for now.
But the wording of the released information makes it clear that, when otherwise approved by local leaders, those who need assistance will be able to bring a service animal in certain cases.
DeleteAnd this could be another case like what we saw in 2015, when the Church initially took a more hardline stance on an issue initially so that policies and approved practices could be in place for reference when needed, only for the Church to continue to consider the issues at hand and correct, alter, or discontinue policies that may, on reflection, have taken too much of a hardline stance given the capacity of the individuals it would impact.
COVID-19 changes those considerations as well. So based on my personal experiences, the fewest of which I have shared here, I feel it wiser for the time being to accept what has been announced as the word of the Lord for the time being. If there is any part of the policy that I don't understand or that needs to be adjusted, I'll trust the Lord and His Servants to bring those changes or clarifications or adjustments about when the time is right.
What any question like this comes down to for me is two other questions: Do I sustain the leaders who have or may have had a hand in such determinations as authorized to appropriately ascertain the word of the Lord on this matter at this time? That question is answered with a personal resounding "yes". But there's a second question: Aside from trusting the individuals involved in these determinations, do I trust the process whereby those determinations were made? That question also gets a resounding "yes" from me.
For each person, in their individual circumstances, the process at arriving at those answers, in addition to the answers themselves, may be different. But as someone who at times has had a fair degree of "special needs" that required accommodations, where my local leaders were able to work out the necessary adjustments relative to my particular case, I grew to trust that process as well.
Will additional adjustments to this policy be made in the future? Perhaps, but also, perhaps not. Perhaps this will be the standing policy for the time being and the long-term. But also, perhaps it doesn't matter either way. If I trust the people involved in the process, and the process itself, and if that trust is such that the minute I read about such a development, I can feel that it is right, that those who were inspired to make it were right, and that the process whereby the decision in question was made is right, then that's more than enough for me.
That being said, I can only describe my take on this based on my own experiences or those of others I have observed. Whether or not others will see this the same way I do, and whether or not they are influenced in any way by what I've described herein, will largely be up to their own experiences, observations, the way they answer the questions that I have herein posed for themselves, and whatever their perceptions about me and thus about the opinions I offer might be.
The best I can do is offer my take on things, which others can take or leave as they choose. Maybe not everyone will see this the same way I do, and maybe they may not be moved in their opinion by what I say in such settings. But for me, maybe all of that is okay.
That being said, take whatever you will from my take on this. My perspective, such as it is, may be just as imperfect (if not moreso) as I myself happen to be. But if my take on such questions can be helpful to you or others who may read it, then my efforts will surely not have been in vain. There it is, such as it is. Please let me know if I can clarify anything I have laid out here. And in the meantime, thanks for asking about my take on this, Pills & Pillows. Always a pleasure to hear from you. Hope you and yours are continuing to stay safe amidst the ongoing craziness that 2020 has brought with it.
One other thought I remembered that I wanted to share above but didn't. On numerous occasions, in describing the process whereby revelation comes from the Lord to President Nelson, Sister Nelson has noted that her prophet-husband is driven by two key questions: What is absolutely needful relative to this issue? and also, Is this what the Lord desires for His Church at this time? Those questions have been a key metric at the core of all decisions from the Lord as given through President Nelson. Based on the many times those questions have been a consideration in every issue he's weighed, I have no doubt that he and everyone else at every level who was consulted about the potential decision were guided thereby relative to this issue as well. I have overwhelming reason to believe that was absolutely the case here, which similarly reinforces my belief that this decision is the right one at this time for the people it will impact. It is entirely possible that I may be in the minority on that opinion, but since I have received that witness relative to this specifically, that fact outweighs any concern I have about this issue. Thank you again, Pills and Pillows. Hope this additional information provides further context on my offered opinion.
DeleteJames, that was a very thoughtful response and I appreciate your thoroughness and your opinion on the matter. You are very well balanced and I'm grateful you can share your thoughts with us.
ReplyDeleteThanks for allowing me to address that here more fully. I'm grateful to have been given that opportunity. I've had difficulty lately gauging how much of a difference my latest coverage is making for my readers, since a fair majority of the latest comments here have been left by me in the form of covering other Church news and temple updates. So I appreciate this opportunity to address a question from you more specifically. One thing's certain: there have definitely been a wide range of Church news and temple updates to cover here of late, and from what I can tell, that will continue to be the case in the remaining weeks and months fo this year. That being said, thanks again, Pills & Pillows, for allowing me to weigh in on this. I always appreciate hearing from you.
DeleteHello again, everyone! After taking the last 24 hours to deal with some minor personal illness (with fires from the western United States bringing bad air quality, it's done a real number on my asthma and allergies, with the air quality and the barometric pressure wreaking havoc in terms of daily headaches), I'm back to share two Church news reports, and two new temple updates.
DeleteOn the former, I'm pleased to note that Lloyd Newell, who does the weekly spoken word, is recording new messages to accompany previous musical recordings. Here are those reports:
https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2020-09-19/covid-19-weariness-mindful-prophets-apostles-boyd-matheson-192933
https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2020-09-19/music-and-the-spoken-word-trials-covid-19-lessons-192743
In preface to the temple updates, I'd like to note that full-scale construction has begun this week on the Orem Utah Temple. Here are those updates:
https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/quito-ecuador-temple/
https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/orem-utah-temple/
I'm continuing to work on updating my temple files and readjusting some things with my General Conference predictions, so stay tuned for those in the coming days.
My thanks once to you all.
Hello again, everyone! The Church News and the Newsroom have shared the following additional reports:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/callings/2020-09-20/new-stake-presidents-england-utah-spain-brazil-washington-korea-georgia-mexico-192632
https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2020-09-20/covid-19-president-ballard-church-leaders-zoom-videoconferences-192835
https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2020-09-20/october-2020-general-conference-president-nelson-social-media-invitation-covid-19-193101
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/president-nelson-invites-all-to-%E2%80%98feel-the-depth-of-the-lord-s-love-at-october-general-conference
I'd just add here that, with two temple groundbreakings having taken place thus far in Septemeber, and with the upcoming groundbreaking for the Brasilia Brazil Temple, which is set to take place this Saturday, I am hoping that those efforts to clear the queue before General Conference (regardless of whether or not any other temples have a groundbreaking before that weekend), that one or two other temples could have a groundbreaking announced before General Conference weekend.
Parenthetically, I should also note that I will have the third-quarter review of temple progress published here sometime between the late hours of September 30, or the early hours of October 1. I will be scheduling that to pubiish.
But in the interim, I discovered some issues with my October General Conference predictions, so hopefully I will have those resolved and posted between now and whenever I am able to post the temple construction report for the third quarter of this year.
I will also have posts for the October 2 birthday of Elder Soares and the October 8 birthday of President Ballard posted on those respective days as well, likely around my coverage of whatever trasnpires during General Conference weekend. For now, my thanks once again to you all.