Some Additional Thoughts and Observations About Apostolic Area Assignments

Hello again, everyone! The Church News has reported on how, in a single day (Sunday November 1), 6 members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, accompanied by their respective wives, gave counsel to young adults living in each of the Church’s 6 North American areas. For reasons I will be detailing in this post, the nature of the respective reports has led me to some additional thoughts and observations about specific apostolic assignments (particularly in relation to the Church here in North America).

In detailing how those devotionals broke down, I will list each apostle and his wife one at a time, providing the geographical area to which each couple addressed their remarks in parenthesis: Elder Dieter F. and Sister Harriet R. Uchtdorf (North America Northeast); Elder David A. and Sister Susan K. Bednar (North America Southeast); Elder Quentin L. and Sister Mary G. Cook (North America West); Elder Gary E. and Sister Lisa J. Stevenson (Utah); Elder Dale G. and Sister Ruth L. Renlund (North America Central); and Elder Gerrit W. and Sister Susan L. Gong (North America Southwest).

As I have noted a few times previously, the Quorum of the Twelve is assisted by the Presidency of the Seventy in the global administration of the Church’s now-22 areas. For a while now, it’s been difficult to determine at times which members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles were assigned oversight for each area, except in cases where that has been specified. So let’s take a look at some of the assignments listed to see if we can draw any conclusions.  The first natural conclusion to draw is that each apostle who spoke to young single adults in each area is assigned oversight for each of those respective areas.

And on the surface, that conclusion may be mostly sound and perfectly justifiable. The biography of Elder Brent H. Nielson shows him assigned to assist Elder Quentin L. Cook in the administration of the North America West Area. That’s explicitly stated, so it’s verified. But let’s now look at the biographies for Elders Carlos A. Godoy and Patrick Kearon. Although Elder Godoy’s biography notes only that he has responsibility for the Utah Area, Elder Kearon’s biography notes that Elder Ronald A. Rasband oversees the Utah Area. The note about Elder Rasband overseeing the Utah Area may be based on outdated information in an August 2018 video in which Elder Rasband introduced the new Utah Area Presidency.

I am suggesting that the information may be outdated based on another theory: When the video to which I I shared the link above was released, Elder Rasband did indeed have oversight for that area. But seven months earlier, in January, when the First Presidency reorganization was introduced, Elder D. Todd Christofferson had oversight of the Church Public Affairs Committee, and conducted the January 16, 2018 press conference as a result. At some point following the apostolic calls of Elders Gerrit W. Gong and Ulisses Soares, there was a reshuffling of responsibilities and assignments at Church headquarters, and it appears that Elder Rasband at some point took over Elder Christofferson's role in chairing the Church Public Affairs Committee.

Depending on the other assignments that each member of the  Quorum of the Twelve Apostles have, it could be that the Brethren shifted oversight responsibility for the Utah Area from Elder Rasband to Elder Stevenson.With the information from the Church News articles being more current than the information in the broadcast may have been, and with a reshuffling of assignments possibly at play here, it seems  more correct to surmise that each apostle who spoke did so in the North American Area for which they have respective oversight. 

Let me add just a few more thoughts here: For the remaining four members of the Presidency of the Seventy, no area assignments are listed for either Elder Carl B. Cook or Elder Jose A. Teixeira. But specific area assignments are noted for both Elder Robert C. Gay (including the North America Northeast) and Elder Terence M. Vinson (North America Southeast). The specific apostles the two are assisting with those areas were not detailed. But if we assume that the information in the Church News articles is correct, we have correctly been able to identify which members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles have oversight for each of the six North American areas of the Church. 

Although I wish the Church was more transparent about the specific assignments each apostle is filling in terms of areas and responsibilities at headquarters, the two articles seem to provide more official information than what we previously had to work with in that respect.  I will, of course, while tracking all other Church news developments and temple updates, continue as I can to keep my eyes open for any other insights I can glean on the specific assignments which are being filled by each of our current apostles, and will be sure to pass word of those updates along to you all as I am able to verify 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.