Hello again, everyone! Breaking news has been reported by both the Newsroom and the Church News within the last few minutes. The First Presidency has announced this morning that, as COVID-19 conditons continue to have a worldwide impact, the April 2021 General Conference will again be virtual only, with the music being prerecorded, the sessions being broadcast from a small auditorium on Temple Square, and only the First Presidency (and possibly the entire Quorum of the Twelve Apostles) will attend all sessions.
There is one slight difference between the April 2021 General Conference and the two held last year. While session attendance had been restricted last year to top leadership and those speaking at or praying during each session, today's announcement indicates that the spouses of each person speaking or praying during a session will be able to attend thereat.
Aside from that change, the conference will follow the same procedures as the two from last year. While not explictly stated, it appears that means that all general leaders serving outhiside the United States will again be excused from attending the April 2021 General Conference, and that all pre-conference leadership sessions will again be deferred.
With vaccines being gradually rolled out for COVID-19, perhaps by October things will return to normal as far as General Conference is concerned. Aside from that, it is also worth noting that, after the Saturday Evening General Session for all members was held in place of the Priesthood Session last April, this April General Conference will see the return of the Priesthood Session as usual on Saturday evening.
Although I'm sure all of us are looking forward to the day when COVID-19 conditions will not impact normal Church functions anymore, I am grateful for the Brethren's once again well-measured approach to ensure the health and safety of all Church members and leaders. Given the special spirit that attended the last two General Conferences, I have no doubt that the April 2021 General Conference will similarly be absolutely wonderful, even though it is the "new normal" for the Church while COVID-19 lasts.
Parenthetically, it may also be worth noting that, if the Church is continuing to defer or alter large gatherings, including today's changes to the April 2021 General Conference and the changes announced earlier this week by President Ballard on FSY conferences being postponed, it's my theory that it could be mid-2021 before the Church is able to resume temnple open houses and dedications or rededications. But I do not believe that any temple groundbreakings for this year would be delayed or deferred, unless COVID-19 conditions specifically necessitate that. I am working as quickly as I can on putting together my predictions for the April General Conference, and hope to have those posted before the end of this month. In the meantime, I continue to monitor all major Church news updates and reported temple developments and will be sure to bring word of those to you all as I become aware of those developments.
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 has shared information about a new virtual art exhibit showcasing important foundational events of the restoration of th gospel:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/history-revisited/2021-01-21/new-paintings-sacred-grove-welcome-center-joseph-smith-farm-virtual-tour-202070
And, so much sooner than I expected, the First Presidency has begun calling new temple leadership that will begin serving later this year. The first two presidents who have been announced will begin their service in August:
https://www.thechurchnews.com/callings/2021-01-21/temple-presidents-matrons-2-colombia-tahiti-202082
One of the new presidents is an area executive secretary for Central America, and the other is a mission support specialist. They and their wives have rendered decades of Church service, individually and as couples.
I am posting the link to the list I put together of temples for which a new president might be called this year, which will be updated as other new temple leadership is announced throughhout this year:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MpJO3ESKh0h0fvU93GcYOn1M6dIFmY7QnJ67sIeij_A/edit?usp=sharing
My thanks once again to you all.
The Newsroom and the Church News have both reported on translation progress for the Churchwide Handbook of Instructions into many more languages:
Deletehttps://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/general-handbook-language-update-january-2021
https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2021-01-21/revised-general-handbook-chapters-languages-202413
Thanks again, everyone!
Additionally, a new update has been reported on the Bangkok Thailand Temple:
Deletehttps://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/bangkok-thailand-temple/
My thanks once again to you all.
On this Friday, a couple new Church News updates have been provided. It has been announced that Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who, among other assignments, serves as the third of four members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on the Church Board of Education, and also as the junior apostle on the Executive Committee of the Boards, will be the featured speaker at the first official graduation exercises for Ensign College since it was renamed as such:
Deletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2021-01-22/elder-cook-ensign-college-graduation-april-202475
Incidentally, for any who may be interested in the information, I wanted to also share here the web address where the complete list of general Church leaders and Church employees who fill a role in the Church Educational System from Church headquarters:
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-education/about/ces-administration?lang=eng
Not sure exactly when the Church specifically started and stopped doing so, but I wanted to note that, at least during the prophetic administration of President Spencer W. Kimball, it was somewhat standard protocol for all serving in any capacity at Church headquarters in a general assignment to be sustained by name in those positions every six months, irrespective of whether or not anything had changed in those assignments. Among those always listed by name were those General Authorities and General Officers serving on the Church Board of Education. The specifics relating to the membership of that board have changed over time.
With sll of that said, the other Church News article covers 11 Church history sites,10 in the United States and 1 more in England, of which several Church members may not be aware:
https://www.thechurchnews.com/history-revisited/2021-01-22/10-notable-church-history-sites-indiana-wisconsin-maine-england-201611
My thanks once again to you all.
Hello again, everyone! Yesterday evening, the Church News shared the latest edition of "This Week on Social":
Deletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2021-01-22/social-uchtdorf-skiing-mountains-youth-music-covid-19-vaccine-words-jesus-christ-bednar-byu-miracles-202544
Featured this week were social media posts from the following general Church leaders: Our beloved prophet, President Russell M. Nelson; Elders Dieter F. Uchtdorf, David A. Bednar, Ronald A. Rasband, Dale G. Renlund (from the latter of whom 2 posts were shared), and Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; the entire Young Women General Presidency: Sister Bonnie H. Cordon and her respective First and Second Counselors, Sisters Michelle D. Craig and Becky Craven, (to the latter of whom the article refers as Sister Rebecca L. Craven, one of a few isolated times when official Church resources have done so).
The Church News also shared an article by emeritus General Authorithy Seventy and former Sunday School General President Elder Tad R. Callister:
https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2021-01-23/tad-r-callister-how-can-we-teach-our-children-to-recognize-the-spirit-201457
And retired Church Newd editor Sister Gerry Avant continued to look back on her decades-long career of Church News coverage. Her latest article about that covered her thoughts and observations about Sister Joanne B. Doxey, a former General Officer of the Church who recently passed away:
https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2021-01-23/gerry-avant-sister-joanne-doxey-202279
The Church News also highlighted the biographical sketches of 16 additional couples who have been called to serve as new mission leaders around the world:
https://www.thechurchnews.com/callings/2021-01-23/mission-presidents-companions-leadership-16-nigeria-california-washington-mexico-boston-202085
Included in that report are 1 current area seventy; 1 current counselor in a mission presidency; 1 current MTC branch president; 1 former counselor in a mission presidency; 3 current stake presidents; 1 current counselor in a stake presidency (that individual, President Brough, is also the son of Elder Monte J. Brough, an emeritus GA Seventy, making him also the brother of M. Joseph Brough, who was released in April of last year as the Second Counselor in the Young Men General Presidency); 2 former stake president; 1 current ward clerk (who was formerly a stake president); 1 current ward mission leader (who formerly served as a counselor in a stake presidency); 2 stake missionary preparation instructors; 1 current counselor in a bishopric; and 1 current counselor in an Elders' Quorum presidency. But each couple called has served both separately and together in a wide variety of callings, so all are well qualified.
My thanks once again to you all.