Note: This post was initially published on April 21, 2021 at 9:47 AM, with subsequent updates added thereunto at roughly 2:15 PM.
Hello again, everyone! As reported by both the Church News and the Newsroom, the First Presidency has announced the changes in area leadership that will become effective on August 1. Although it escaped my notice at the time I originally posted content about those changes this morning, it appears that the Church News report was actually shared today, and that the Newsroom report may hve been retroactively dated two days ago (April 19).
As announced during the Saturday Afternoon Session of General Conference, Elders Robert C. Gay and Terence M. Vinson will be released from the Presidency of the Seventy, with Elders Paul V. Johnson and S. Mark Palmer filling the resulting vacancies. That, in turn, may necessitate a change in the Commissioner of Church Education (unless the Church asks Elder Johnson to continue to serve in that capacity while serving in the Presidency of the Seventy), and it also obviously necessitated a change in the Africa South Area Presidency.
I have taken time to analyze the changes in two different ways. And I am pleased at this time to present those two forms of analysis. The first shows an alphabetical list of all the general authority seventies (along with the two area seventies) who are mentioned by name in this year's area assignments. And the scond document shows the changes to each area presidency, with those areas listed in alphabetical order.
Aside from that information, the documents (and the applicable changes) largely speak for themselves. If any of you have any questions on those documents, feel free to ask about that here. In the meantime, I continue to monitor all Church news updates and reported temple developments, and remain committed to bringing word of those to you all here as I become aware thereof.
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.
The Church News and the Newsroom have each shared one new update apiece that is unique to each website:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2021-04-21/graduating-during-the-pandemic-honor-graduates-byu-idaho-hawaii-ensign-210851
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/donation-assist-exploited-children-hawaii
My thanks once again to you all.
The Church News shared one additional report:
Deletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2021-04-21/ensign-college-president-kusch-character-reputation-flood-211039
My thanks once again to you all.
The Church News also provided one additional report:
Deletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2021-04-21/president-russell-ballard-missionary-diligent-youth-210890
My thanks once again to you all.
A report says the Official Blueprints for The Syracuse Utah Temple show two baptistries.
ReplyDeleteChris, thanks for bringing that up here. For the interest of any who may want more information on that report, you can find that on the Church Growth Blog at the web address below:
Deletehttp://ldschurchgrowth.blogspot.com/2021/04/two-baptistries-in-new-syracuse-utah.html
Thanks for ensuring everyone who reads the threads here knows about this development, which is intriguing. I always appreciate hearing from you, Chris.
Hello again, everyone! The following additional reports were published by the Church News and the Newsroom:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/history-revisited/2021-04-22/22-church-history-sites-reopening-may-211064
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/church-historic-sites-begin-reopening
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/embracing-unique-needs-gifts-single-adults
My thanks once again to you all.
The Church News has provided additional updates:
Deletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2021-04-22/elder-gong-byu-commencement-6-congratulations-firm-foundation-211061
https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2021-04-22/byui-president-eyring-change-flying-power-curve-211110
And a new update on the Coban Guatemala Temple indicates that construction is now underway there:
https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/coban-guatemala-temple/
That temple is in the construction queue after the Davao Philippines and Mendoza Argentina Temples, and, as with those other two, a general completion estimate of late 2023 has been provided, though that is subject to change.
With the update on the Coban temple reported today, that leaves only two temples which had a groundbreaking last year (Antofagasta Chile in late November and Harare Zimbabwe in mid-December) which have not yet had full-scale construction begin. Hopefully both will see that process begin before too much longer.
I also look forward to seeing what other major temple announcements (mpre offficial information, groundbreaking arrangements or opening dates) might be confirmed by the Church in the next few months. My thanks once again to you all.
This evening, updates were noted on the Pocatello Idaho and Layton Utah Temples:
Deletehttps://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/pocatello-idaho-temple/
https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/layton-utah-temple/
My thanks once again to you all.
Hello again, everyone! This morning, the Newsroom and the Church News both reported that missionaries worldwide are encouraged to get the COVID-19 vaccine when they are in the appropriate eligibility demographic throughout the world. In keeping with President Nelson's desire to avoid imperatives (such as saying that missionaries must be vaccinated against COVID-19), missionaries taking the vaccination is only a recommendation. But for any missionaries around the world that decide not to get the vaccine, they will be reassigned to labor in their home nations to ensure their saftey and the safety of those they are contacting:
ReplyDeletehttps://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/missionaries-covid-19-vaccine
https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2021-04-23/missionaries-to-be-vaccinated-serve-home-countries-covid-19-211105
Next, as a result of continuing COVID-19 conditions, the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square has cancelled plans for this year's Pioneer Day Conccert. That announcement comes following the recent postponement of their Herittage Tour to Nordic countries in Europe until 2022. Choir leaders have, however, noted that auditions for the Choir will occur this year, in order to prepare indviduals to join the Choir once usual rehearsals and performances can resume:
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/the-tabernacle-choir-cancels-pioneer-day-concert
https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2021-04-23/tabernacle-choir-pioneer-day-concert-cancel-pandemic-auditions-continue-211170
Additionally, the Newsroom has today provided further details on the Face-to-Face event for Single Audult members of the Church aged 31 and older. That broadcast will take place on Sunday June 13 and will feature Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Relief Society President Sister Jean B. Bingham, and her First Counselor, Sister Sharon Eubank, who is herself one of the many single adult members of the Church:
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/single-adult-face-to-face-with-elder-andersen-sister-bingham-and-sister-eubank
And today, not long after a report noted that the Young Men General Presidency members had started operating official Church accounts for their callings on Facebook and Instagram, the Sunday School General Presidency members have now done so as well:
https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2021-04-23/sunday-school-general-presidency-instagram-facebook-accounts-211194
With the Young Men and Sunday School General Presidencies on Facebook and Instagram with official Church accounts, it is anticipated that the weekly edition of "This Week on Social" will, going forward, feature the male General Officers of the Church, in addition to the female General Officers, who have been featured weekly in that series for a while. This week's installment of that ongoing series may be published later this afternoon, this evening, or sometime tomorrow. I will pass that along once it is published. I will also have temple updates (if any) posted later today as I am able to make that happen. For now, my thanks once again to you all.
I have one temple construction update to provide. More information has been provided on the Layton Utah Temple:
Deletehttps://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/layton-utah-temple/
Additionally, although the status of a few other temples has not changed, their position in the construction queue has been adjusted. The Moses Lake Washington Temple has been moved ahead of the McAllen Texas Temple, and the Salta Argentina Temple has moved ahead of the Puebla Mexico Temple.
With these adjustments, the queue of temples anticipated to be completed in 2023 and 2024 now stands as follows in terms of their comppletion order and general time-frames:
Early 2023: Auckland New Zealand, Moses Lake Wahington, McAllen Texas, and Okinawa Japan
Mid-2023: Salta Argentina, Puebla Mexico, and Taylorsville Utah
Mid-to-late 2023: Alabang Philippines and Red Cliffs Utah
Late 2023: Davao Philippines, Mendoza Argentina, and Coban Guatemala
Late 2023-early 2024: San Pedro Sula Honduras and Bengaluru India
I'd just add here that, hopefully at some point in the near future, full-scale efforts could begin on the Antofagasta Chile and Harare Zimbabwe Temples. Current evidence suggests that, if that happens within the next month or so, depending on the subsequent rate of progress, the completion of one or both temples could occur in mid-to-late 2023, late 2023, or late 2023-early 2024.
It's also worth noting that the groundbreaking for the Deseret Peak Utah Temple is anticipated to occur within the next month (hopefully sooner rather than later). If the Church sticks to its' original plan of building it on an accelerated schedule, that temple could be completed in mid-2023 or so.
And with the groundbreakings for the Syracuse Utah and Tallahassee Florida Temples anticipated to occur sometime in June, both temples could also be completed either sometime in 2023 or early in 2024. The interesting thing with the Syracuse Utah Temple will be seeing how the construction of two baptistries changes the anticipated construction period.
And I for one am of the opinion that other temple groundbreakings could be announced in the relatively near term, and that those could be set to occur in June, July, or August. Any future groundbreakings would also impact the ordering of the queue and timing of the completion for temples in it. I will monitor all such updates and general Church news and will be sure to pass word of those along to you all as I become aware of such things. In the meantime, my thanks once again to you all.
I mentioned in my first comment for today (at the beginning of this subthread) the Newsroom's released information about the Face-to-Face for Single Adults planned for mid-June, which would feature Elder Andersen, and Sisters Bingham and Eubank. The Church News has just provided coverage on that development as well:
Deletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2021-04-23/elder-andersen-president-bingham-sister-eubank-face-to-face-event-single-adults-june-211209
My thanks once again to you all.
When I posted my first comment here for today, I referenced the new Facebook and Instagram accounts which have gone live for the Sunday School General Presidency of the Church. I also mentioned in that comment that I anticipated that the latest edition of "This Week on Social" would be published later today or sometime tomorrow. It appears that this week's edition was published in the last half hour or so:
Deletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2021-04-23/social-media-balance-life-apostles-missionary-work-211151
The latest installment of that ongoing series included posts from the following members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles: Elders Jeffrey R. Holland, Dieter F. Uchtdorf, David A. Bednar (Elder Bednar had two posts featured, one of which was exclusively in Spanish) and Gary E. Stevenson; and the following General Officers of the Church: Relief Society General President Sister Jean B. Bingham; Sister Michelle D. Craig, First Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency; and Brad R. Wilcox, Second Counselor in the Young Men General Presidency.
It is also worth noting that the entire Relief Society General Presidency (Sister Jean B. Bingham and her respective First and Second Counselors, Sisters Sharon Eubank and Reyna I. Aburto) and Young Women General Presidency (Sister Bonnie H. Cordon and her respective First and Second Counselors, Michelle D. Craig and Becky Craven), all shared the same invitation for women (and also men, if inspired to do so) to participate in the BYU Women's Conference coming up at the end of this month.
My thanks once again to you all.
And a new Church infographic has been provided to assist local Church leaders in their efforts to support and utilize talents of the single adult members of the Church:
Deletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2021-04-23/church-produces-infographic-support-single-latter-day-saints-211233
My thanks once again to you all.
Hello again, everyone! I mentiond recently that I was hoping and anticipating that the Church Nws would begin sharing articles about the new General Authority Seventies and Primary General Presidency members who were sustained in General Conference 3 weeks ago today.
ReplyDeleteThat process started today, with Church News editor Sister Sarah Jane Weaver penning the first such article, which introduced Elder Sean Douglas, and provided some insight into how his life experiences in several nations outside the United States and several states within this nation provided key lesssons that have prepared him for the calling in which he has now been asked to serve:
https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2021-04-23/elder-sean-douglas-new-general-authority-seventy-faith-trust-210998
It will be interesting to me to see what happens with the new assignments that are given to those called as General Authority Seventies this time around. For the first time in recent memory, none of the leaders called in the April General Conference have been assigned to any area presidencies either at headquarters or around the world.
That being said, it wouldn't shock me if, given his recent experiences living in Texas, Elder Douglas was called as an area assistant for the North America Southwest Area. We've already seen him fill his first official assignment as a General Authority Seventy, when he represented the Church in dedicating the new Deseret Industries facility in Houston.
Pardon that side-track on my part. I do have a few thoughts about assignments that the newest General Authority Seventies could fill, but I'll wait just a bit longer before detailing those to ensure I've got sound reasoning on that.
For what it's worth, I also need to mention that I anticipate an announcement about a new Commissioner of Church Education to be made soon. Two years ago this very month, Elder Paul V. Johnson was called to serve in that assignment for the second time as a General Authority Seventy. He continues in that assignment for now, but since he has been called as one of the two new members of the Presidency of the Seventy who will begin serving as such on August 1, I'm reasonably certain the Church will call a new Commissioner of Church Education to begin serving on that date, which would leave Elder Johnson free for his new assignments in the Presidency of the Seventy. Since the Church has had one member of the Presidency of the Seventy on the Church Board of Education, it's possible that Elder Johnson might succeed Elder Robert C. Gay in that assignment, but I have nothing more than my own feelings to back that up.
Again, sorry about that sidetrack on my part. There was one other Church news update I wanted to mention here: lFor the last couple of years, Elder Tad R. Callister, an emeritus General Authority Seventy who served as Sunday School General President from 2014-2019 has periodically authored articles about doctrinal subjects that have been featured in both the Church News and the Ensign/Liahnoa. Earlier today, another article by Elder Callister was featured in the Church News:
https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2021-04-24/callister-heroes-moroni-olympics-lincoln-book-of-mormon-helaman-210787
My thanks once again to you all.
And the Church News also covered a development that has previously been covered by a recent Newsroom article:
Deletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/global/2021-04-24/church-donation-hawaii-exploited-children-211251
My thanks once again to you all.
Hello again, everyone! On this Sabbath morning, the Church News has shared its' weekly edition of "In Case You Missed It", which provides a look back at the top 9 developments covered every week:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2021-04-25/week-in-review-area-leadership-assignments-missionaries-vaccinated-elder-uchtdorf-elder-gong-byu-211279
I'd be interested to know what criteria determines the top 9 developments higlighted. I find it interesting that the announcement of new area leadership assignments was the first developmwnr mwnrioned, but that the release of the site location and rendering for the Helena Montana Temple was not featured.
If any additional Church news or temple developments are reported, I will be sure to pass those along later today as I learn about them. For now, my thanks once again to you all.
The Church News has shared two more reports, providing details on how stake conferences have been able to occur, even on more remote areas. The Church News particularly noted a stake president who had served for almost a decade told area and general leaders he and his counselors were willing to continue to serve another year or so in view of the pandemic conditions delaying a reorganization. Also, when general authorities or area seventies assigned to reorganize stake presidencies are unable to be present in person to set the new stake presidency members apart, authorization has been granted by the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles for a current or outgoing stake leader (the patriarch or stake president being released) to represent the general leaders in setting apart the new stake presidency members. Here are those articles:
Deletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2021-04-25/covid-19-pandemic-period-stake-conferences-stake-presidency-reorganizations-worldwide-210834
https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2021-04-25/technology-limitations-remote-socioeconomic-challenges-210921
My thanks once again to you all.
Yet another update was provided today for the Layton Utah Temple:
Deletehttps://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/layton-utah-temple/
And although the status of the Salta Argentina Temple has not changed, the completion estimate for it has been shifted up from mid-2023 to early-to-mid 2023:
https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/salta-argentina-temple/
My thanks once again to you all.
The Church News and the Newsroom have each provided one additional unique report apiece:
Deletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2021-04-26/sheri-dew-byu-womens-conference-promises-loneliness-211377
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/covid-19-vaccines-administered-belize
My thanks once again to you all.