Stokes Sounds Off: BREAKING NEWS: First Presidency Issues Statement on Armed Conflict

Search This Blog

Friday, February 25, 2022

BREAKING NEWS: First Presidency Issues Statement on Armed Conflict

Hello again, everyone! On the heels of my report last night about the Kyiv Ukraine Temple, the First Presidency has issued an official statement on the armed conflict currently underway by the government of Russia targeting Ukraine. The Church News app alerted me to this development. While the First Presidency was not under any obligation to weigh in on the matter, I am grateful for and comforted by their calming words at this time.

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. I hope any of you who would like to share anything will take your opportunity to “sound off” in the comments below. 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.

7 comments:

  1. The Church News has shared two additional reports:

    https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2022-02-25/church-employment-services-helps-unemployed-people-find-jobs-self-reliance-connection-to-savior-243810

    And here are the next 16 biographies for mission leaders:

    https://www.thechurchnews.com/callings/2022-02-25/new-mission-leaders-called-st-george-utah-uganda-brazil-missouri-arizona-idaho-243877

    My thanks once again to you all.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And here is one more update from the Newsroom:

      https://news-middleeast.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/how-bees-and-goats-are-changing-lives-in-jordan

      My thanks once again to you all.

      Delete
    2. Here are a couple more Church News reports that speak for themselves:

      https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2022-02-25/tongan-missionaries-save-lives-after-volcanic-eruption-and-tsunami-244189

      https://www.thechurchnews.com/global/2022-02-25/status-of-lds-church-missionaries-in-ukraine-volunteers-in-russia-244215

      https://www.thechurchnews.com/global/2022-02-25/status-of-lds-church-missionaries-in-ukraine-volunteers-in-russia-244215

      And the latest edition of "This Week on Social" was also published:

      https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2022-02-25/social-media-president-ballard-elder-holland-elder-ballard-education-forgiveness-primary-244237

      In addition to President Henry B. Eyring, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, the following members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles were featured: Acting President M. Russell Ballard (from whom 2 posts were featured) and Elders Jeffrey R. Holland, David A. Bednar, D. Todd Christofferson, and Neil L. Andersen. Additionally, the following General Officers of the Church were also featured: Sister Michelle D. Craig, First Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency; Primary General President Sister Camille N. Johnson and her Second Counselor, Sister Amy A. Wright; and Brother Jan E. Newman, Second Counselor in the Sunday School General Presidency.

      My thanks once again to you all.

      Delete
  2. The statement was to the point and very much needed not only for UA and RU but the whole world.

    Sadly I have seen many DTGs (mostly from the western US) that were lambasting the statement because they wanted the FP to call out RU by name. I told them that they would be putting targets on the back of thousands of members and that would automatically shutter the prospects of getting a temple there. But many of them would rather drag the Church through the mud in those nations to score nationalistic talking points.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree fully with everything you said, Bryan! The Church struck the perfect balance between addressing the situation, speaking in general rather than specific terms, and ensuring the statement in question would not cause a backlash that could negatively impact members and leaders in both Russia and Ukraine. Thanks for sharing your thoughts here. Always a pleasure to hear from you.

      Delete
  3. On this Saturday, there is one new Church News report:

    https://www.thechurchnews.com/global/2022-02-26/brazil-ecuador-flooding-helping-hands-disaster-relief-244169

    Additionally, the Newsroom has reported that Elder Christofferson has formally dedicated the Gambia for the preaching of the Gospel:

    https://news-africa.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/elder-christofferson-dedicates-country-of-the-gambia

    While I was writing about the first two reports, the Church News also covered this historic event:

    https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2022-02-26/elder-christofferson-dedicates-gambia-for-the-preaching-of-the-gospel-244279

    And a new article from Church News staff writer Scott Taylor was also published:

    https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2022-02-26/revelation-god-speaks-to-us-in-many-ways-including-sacrament-meeting-messages-243573

    My thanks once again to you all.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Here is the "Spoken Word" message that will be given as part of tomorrow's hybrid broadcast of "Music and the Spoken Word":

      https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2022-02-26/music-and-the-spoken-word-in-the-direction-of-hope-circumstances-244140

      And here is one more report:

      https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2022-02-26/women-in-england-santuary-refugees-service-those-on-the-margins-of-society-243502

      My thanks once again to you all.

      Delete

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.

At the same time, however, I recognize that we live in a time when incivility, discourtesy, unkindness, and even cyber-bullying has regrettably become part of online interactions. With that in mind, while anyone who wishes can comment on anything if they choose to do so, I hereby reserve the right to immediately delete any comments which are critical, unkind, lack civility, or promote prodcuts, services, and values contrary to either the Church, or to the rules of online etiquette.

I'd also like to remind all who comment here that I try to respond personally to each individual comment as I feel is appropriate. Such replies are not meant to end the conversation, but to acknowledge earnest feedback as it is submitted.

And in order to better preserve the spirit and pure intentions for which this blog was established, I also hereby request that anyone not commenting with a regular user name (particularly those whose comments appear under the "Unknown" or "Anonymous" monikers, give the rest of us a name to work with in addressing any replies. If such individuals do not wish to disclose their actual given names, a pseudonym or nickname would suffice.

Any comments made by individuals who opt to not give a name by which they can ber identified may, depending on the substance and tone of such comments, be subject to deletion as well. I would respectfully ask that all of us do all we can to keep the dialogue positive, polite, and without malice or ill-will. May the Lord bless us all in our discussion of these important matters.