Hello again, everyone! I am posting a personal update today to explain some changes made to my blogging efforts here. A recent comment in the threads of an earlier post on this blog advised me that the individual posting a comment wanted to subscribe, but was not able to do so. After researching the matter, I have now created a specific subscriber button that can be found in the log's right-side column, directly under the list of log post labels and the list of links to sites from which I pull most of the information I report, there is a checkbox. Clicking on that should allow any of you to subscribe to notifications for future content and comments/
Additionally, at the bottom of each comment thread on this blog, between the line where you have the option to publish a new comment and and the comment form (at the bottom of each blog post), you have the option to check a box that will notify you of either all new comments on that post or all comments replying to the one for which you've checked the box. So those of you who are interested now have the opportunity to check that box and subscribe. I believe the only requirement to be a subscriber is to check that box when you're signed in to your official blogger account.
I am excited to finally have this issue resolved. I look forward to having any or all of you, my readers, as official subscribers. If any of you have any concerns about the subscription system, please let me know through the comments here on my blog, or through email on my Blogger profile page. As my longtime readers know, I have displayed ads here for years trying to make my blog profitable. I find I'm still putting more into it (in terms of content creation) than I am getting out of it (in terms of financial yield). So I am working through a few strategies to try and improve those returns on that investment.
Time will tell how well that goes. In the interim, please let me know if any of you have concerns, questions, or issues to report regarding the content, placement, or volume of those ads. There have been a few times in the past where inappropriate ads have appeared, so if anything like that shows up again, let me know that as well. For my part, I continue to monitor all reports from the Church News, the Newsroom, and the Church Temples site, and will be sure to pass along any updates ASAP after I learn about them.
In the meantime, that does it for now. All comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated on any post at any time, as long as the offered feedback is made per 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. Please subscribe if you liked what you read here and would like to be informed of newly-added posts and comments. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.
Hello again, everyone! According to a new report from the Church News, open house reservations are now available for the St. George Utah Temple. Also, my cell phone's Chrome browser homepage shows lists of articles that might be of interest to me. I was intrigued to see a link to a Newsroom release indicating that the Church is looking for singers for the new hymnbook. When I tried to access that link, nothing happened. But in searching for the headline, the results showed that such a release will be published at some point tomorrow. This is an encouraging update. If they are close enough to recruiting singers to record the hymns, I'm even more convinced than I was before that the new hymnbooks may be available at some point in 2025, which marks the 40th anniversary year from when the last hymnbook was made available. Stay tuned for the link to that release tomorrow when it is made available.
ReplyDeleteIn the meantime, three new reports have been shared by by the Newsroom within the last three days.
The latest article in the "Pioneers in Our Families" series has been published; the Church has supplied sustainable water sources to Bolivia as part of the ongoing efforts of the Church to be good global stewards; the newly-confirmed justice of the South Korean Supreme Court is not only a Latter-day Saint, but he currently also serves as an area seventy; and Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles was the featured speaker at this week's Provo MTC devotional. Any further updates from the Church News, Newsroom, or Church Temples site will be shared here later today as time and circumstances allow. My thanks once again to you all.
I personally have not heard on the new hymnbook, as I submitted to both that and the new songbook, no one I know of who also submitted has heard either.
ReplyDeleteThere was an annuncement and call for musicians generally around two months back that did mention the new hymnbook recordings, that may be related to what you sw, have seen nothing yet as of this posting.
Hello, Jim Anderson! Always a pleasure to hear from you. You may be right that the Church is not yet done shuffling through and considering submissions. But if, for example, they have gotten far enough into that process to have determined which hymns/children's songs are going to constitute the core collection, the Church might be ready to do recordings of those just as a starting point. This article is the one to which I referred. But I did notice something I'd not noticed before: The release in question indicates that "the scope of the entire project will span multiple years." So that suggests that the new collections won't be made available starting next year. I could see the new music being made available by 2030 (to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the Church's restoration), or by 2035 (marking the 50th anniversary of the release of the last major revision of the hymnbook. Hope these additional insights are helpful to you. Thanks, as always, for taking time to comment.
DeleteThe recordings for the current hymnbook were not released until 1988 *intrumental only) and 1992 (with vocals). But given they are doing things differently more than likely they may already be starting the process for those things that might already be known will be kept from the current hymnbook.
DeleteThe multiyeuth Music area, one 12-14 trck ar factor can be evidenced by the fact that it takes some time to record each track and single in the Youth Music area. One 12-14 track album and many singles but not more than the album number. About 400 hymns give or take will take some time.
Sounds fair to me. Thanks, Jim Anderson, for taking time to comment.
DeleteHello again, everyone! As I observed in a comment to Jim Anderson above, the newest update on the new music has been provided, and singers are being sought for the new music. But the project will, as the release states, still span several years. So I have revised my estimate for the release of the new music to either 2030 (to coincide with the bicentennial of the Church's restoration) or 2035 (marking the 50th anniversary since the last hymnbook revision was published). Stay tuned for more on that as I find out any additional updates.
ReplyDeleteThe Newsroom has also reported on how a partnership between the Church and UNICEF will help to keep mothers and children safe. On the Church's end, they have contributed $10 million towards those efforts, which is signficant. The aid will be utilized in Haiti, Mali, Mozambique, and the Central African Republic.
The Newsroom also shares how the Church recently participated in Catholic World Youth Days with Pope Francis, among other religious and community leaders. And because Elder Bednar is often asked what an apostle does, the Newsroom has featured an article and accompanying video entitled "A Day in the Life of An Apostle of Jesus Christ".
Additionally, the Church News shared what a Latter-day Saint steeplechaser (Kenneth Rooks) learned while becoming a world champion in that event. The Church News also covered the aforementioned UNICEF donation. The Young Men General Presidency has shared 3 questions every Latter-day Saint missionary should hear and ponder. And a report on the Church's ongoing efforts to be good neighbors and wise stewards of the Earth, My thanks once again to you all.
The Church News published its' own coverage on the "A Day in the Life of An Apostle of Jesus Christ". My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteAnd status updates have been noted on the construction of the Tallahassee Florida, Lindon Utah, and Cody Wyoming Temples. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteOn this Friday, the Newsroom has provided an update on the Sacred Music App. Additionally, the Church News has reported on food donations to 6 nations; a BYU-Idaho organist performed at a recent tabernacle choir virtuoso concert; and the Commissioner of Church Education, Elder Clark G. Gilbert, along with BYU President C. Shane Reese and BYU-Idaho President Elder Alvin F. “Trip” Meredith III, spoke at a recent Las Vegas devotional where they highlighted the importance of Church education..
DeleteAnd finallly, the latest edition of "This Week on Social" has also been published. Featured in this week’s installment are the following general leaders: Elders David A. Bednar, Ronald A Rasband, and Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson and her Second Counselor, Sister Kristin M. Yee; Sister Andrea M. Spannaus, Second Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency; Sisters Amy A. Wright and Tracy Y. Browning, the respective First and Second Counselors in the Primary General Presidency; Young Men General President Steven J. Lund and his Second Counselor, Michael T. Nelson (the latter two published a joint post), and Brother Bradley R. (Brad) Wilcox, First Counselor in that presidency, who provided a separate post from the aforementioned one. My thanks once again to you all.
Found the announcement regarding singers for the new hymnbook, apparently they may also be recording languages, which is why it may ake so long.
Deletehttps://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/singers-needed-for-new-church-hymnbook?fbclid=IwAR25kCsebgiA-7xdvFdSPJdKv8qm_5SGKbHs-GKitS3pFfrsMnR-gqyrX7I#:~:text=hymn%2Dsingers&text=Latter%2Dday%20Saint%20singers%20of,are%20due%20September%2017%2C%202023
Hey, Jim Anderson! I thought I had shared a link to the update on the new music in my above comment dated and timestamped August 17, 2023 at 5:04 PM, but I might be mistaken on that. Thanks for making sure everyone knew where to find this information. The release also indicated that the recording process was anticipated to take several years. Not surprising, given that several different groups of general leaders have been assigned to the project since it began. As I believe I indicated in that earlier comment, it could be that the Church has finalized selections of hymns that will be part of the "core collection", and that the recordings would start with those. I am going to be interested to see how the hymns will have the same number in every language. If the process is going to take several years still, then I'm revising my estimate for its' publication to either 2030 (the 200th anniversary of the Church's restoration) or 2035 (the 50th anniversary of the release of the last hymnbook). Thanks again, Jim Anderson.
DeleteOn this Saturday, the Newsroom has shared a report in honor of the 100th anniversary of the creation of the first Spanish congregation in the Salt Lake Valley. The Church News shared a similar report. The Church News also shared an update on the aftermath of the Hawaiian fires in Lahaina. Young adults recently performed at World Youth Day in Lisbon Portugal, where Pope Francis met with Interfaith representative and former area seventy Joaquim Moreira. And the message that will be given during tomorrow's English and Spanish editions of "Music & the Spoken Word" has also been published. My thanks once again to you all.
ReplyDeleteAnd a status update has been noted on the Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Temple. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteRelief Society General President Camille N. Johnson spoke at the Gather Together Conference for Young Single Adults that was held at the Salt Palace Convention Center today. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteHello again, everyone! On this Sunday, it remains to be seen if we will get a new major temple construction announcement on Monday or Tuesday. If and when such an announcement is made, you can count on my covering it here. We also received a rather devastating diagnosis for one of our 3 cats, and my wife and I have made the difficult choice to just keep her happy, comfortable, and safe here at home for whatever time she has left. While I certainly hope that personal situation won't impact my ability to pass along updates here, if there are any major delays or the absence of such updates, I wanted to give you all a heads-up on the reason for that. I appreciate your continued interest and ongoing support. The newest Church News updates will follow this comment shortly. For now, my thanks once again to you all.
ReplyDeleteOn this Sabbath Day, the Church News has shared several new reports. 21 new stake presidencies have recently been sustained; Church leaders and others taught important lessons at the "Christ Daily" Conference recently held for young single adults; the top 9 developments reported within the last week were highlighted in the latest edition of "In Case You Missed It: Week in Review"; and quotations and teachings of Church leaders and religious scholars were shared in the latest Come, Follow Me support article.
DeleteTwo other reports provided additional coverage on the YSA conference held in the Utah Area; while the Church will also release daily videos from members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and/or of the Missionary Executive Council will emphasize changes to the latest edition of "Preach My Gospel". Those videos will also underscore how Church members who are not actively serving as full-time missionaries can be engaged in missionary work as well. Yet another article about the recent YSA Conference in the Utah Area highlights remarks by mental health professionals; the Latter-day Saint who competes in steeplechase events has advanced to the world championship finals, which will be held in Budapest Hungary. And a final report from, you guessed it, the YSA conference in the Utah Area underscores how YSAs can be "Together in Christ" through uniting towards common goals. My thanks once again to you all.
On this Monday, VIP/Media tours are underway for the McAllen Texas Temple before the open house gets underway later this week. On hand to assist in leading tour groups were Elders Jose L. Alonso and Michael A. Dunn, who respectively serve as the First and Second Counselors in the North America Southwest Area Presidency, and Elder Adeyinka A. Ojediran, who was there in his capacity as an Assistant Executive Director of the Temple Department (although he also serves as Second Counselor in the North America West Area presidency).
ReplyDeleteI have just about given up trying to figure out whether a new major temple construction announcement will be made on this Monday. The last such announcement not related to a temple open house was made on July 25. And I understand why the Church would not want to detract from the coverage of new temples beginning their open houses. I keep hoping that more temple opening arrangements will be announced, or that groundbreakings, exterior renderings, and/or site locations coud be released for other temples. It looks like VIP/Media tours for the Bangkok Thailand Temple will begin one week from today, so if nothing else is released today or next week, perhaps we will see a major announcement unrelated to temple open houses the week after next week, if not before.
Aside from the coverage on the McAllen Texas Temple opening, the Newsroom has also highlighted updates to the Missionary Handbook.which was also covered by the Church News. Additionally, Two other reports were also published about the recent Utah Area YSA conference.
In the event (unlikely though it seems) that the Church does make another major temple announcement today, I will be sure to pass on my analysis thereof to you all here once I learn about that update. For now, my thanks once again to you all.
A new report today indicates that major construction has been completed for the Puebla Mexico Temple, making it the third temple completed and awaiting the announcement of its' opening arrangements. As I may or may not have mentioned, an announcement about the opening of the Red Cliffs Utah Temple may not be made until Elder Holland's health improves. And new information from my member contact in Mexico appears to indicate that the temple could potentially be dedicated before both Layton and Red Cliffs.
DeleteConstruction status updates have also been noted on the Deseret Peak Utah, Alabang Philippines and Syracuse Utah Temples. My thanks once again to you all.
The Church News provided an update on the Maui fires; the Church was represented at the recent 2023 2023 Parliament of the World's Religions, which was recently held in Chicago. And the Church News continues to highlight daily videos focused on the recent changes to "Preach My Gospel". I apparently may have shared the links to the same reports a couple of times above. I apologize for any unintentional duplication. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteOn this Tuesday, once again, there were no major temple updates. The VIP/Media tours for the Bangkok Thailand Temple will start on Monday, August 28, prior to public tours beginning on Friday September 1. So I think the only temple update next week will be covering those VIP/Media tours. The week after that, the Church may resume announcing major temple construction updates once or twice a week. In the interim, the Church has joined the fight against breast cancer in Mexico; Elder D. Todd Christofferson addressed Utah YSAs at the conclusion of the recent Utah Area Conference; Elder Dale G. Renlund offered remarks during the BYU-Provo Education Week devotional; Church members were represented at the recent Family History Exhibit that was part of the American Heritage Festival in Virginia; the Church News shared what to expect from the BYU Campus Education Week; and the latest daily videos highlighting teachings from general Church leaders about the new edition of "Preach My Gospel were also released.
ReplyDeleteIf there are any other Church News, Newsroom, or temple construction updates, I will be sure to pass those along to you all as time and circumstances allow this evening. For now, my thanks once again to you all.
Status updates have been noted on the Salvador Brazil, Deseret Peak Utah and Harare Zimbabwe Temples. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteI failed to mention the latest edition of the Church News podcast. I apologize for that oversight. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteOn this Wednesday, the Church News has shared 4 new reports on the ongoing BYU-Provo Campus Education Week. If there are any other Church News, Newsroom, or temple construction updates, I will be sure to pass them along as time and cirucmstances allow. For now, my thanks once again to you all.
ReplyDeleteYet another update has been provided on the Latter-day Saint steeplechase competitor who participated in a recent World Championship. And more video highlights of changes to Preach My Gospel, as outlined by apostles and the members of the Missionary Executive Council during the July Seminar for New Mission Leadership. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteOn this Thursday, I failed to mention one other update published by the Newsroom yesterday. I apologize for the oversight. Today, the Newsroom reported on the All-Africa Service Project, in addition to an update on service rendered recently by Latter-day Saints worldwide. And this afternooon, the Newsroom and the Church News provided coverage of updates to recent changes to CES standards.
ReplyDeleteIn the meantime, other updates were exclusively reported in the Church News. They include the upcoming dedication of the home in which Joseph and Emma Smith lived in Kirtland Ohio; insights from the family of the late Larry Miller and his wife, Gail Miller, into why they chose to give significant financial support to the Church for the recently-completed Joseph Smith Papers Project; Campus Education Week continued at BYU-Provo; the first Tongan branch was recently created in Missouri; 5 members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (Elders Jeffrey R. Holand, David A. Bednar, Neil L. Andersen, Gary E. Stevenson, and Dale G. Renlund) shared how their missionary service influenced their lives; members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and of the Missionary Executive Council shared additional insights into recent changes to "Preach My Gospel"; and another report from BYU Education Week explores whether ChatGPT can or should be used to teach a Sunday School lesson.
My thanks once again to you all.
Updates have been noted on the construction status of the Layton Utah and Taylorsville Utah Temples. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteOn this Friday, the Newsroom has provided information about the October 2023 General Conference. The release references a letter that will be available in early September, and notes that General Conference weekend, set to be held on Saturday September 30 and Sunday October 1, will consist of five unique two-hour sessions, with the Saturday evening session again being for all members and friends of the Church. Since all previous Saturday Evening Sessions held recently have only been 1-1.5 hours, I anticipate it will be 1.5 rather than 2 hours, and consist of 4 GA Seventies (or 3 GA Seventies and 1 General Officer) and a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
DeleteWhen the letter is officially available, I will share that information here, along with anything else from it that may impact my General Conference predictions. With no other updates from the Newsroom, 3 new updates have been provided about the ongoing BYU-Provo Campus Education Week. My thanks once again to you all.
That was fast. One additional report has been provided on BYU Education Week. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteOne more report has been shared regarding BYU Education Week. And the Church has released another daily batch of videos filmed during the mission leadership seminar that highlight changes made to "Preach My Gospel". My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteThe latest edition of "This week on Social" has been published. In the latest installment from that ongoing series, the following general leaders were featured: Acting President M. Russell Ballard and Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson and her respective First and Second Counselors, Sisters J. Anette Dennis and Kristin M. Yee; Young Women General President Emily Belle Freeman; and Sisters Amy A. Wright and Tracy Y. Browning, the respective First and Second Counselors in the Primary General Presidency, My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteOn this Saturday, the Kirtland home of Joseph and Emma Smith was dedicated by Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Another Church News article penned by Sister Sheri L. Dew was also published. Two updates have been provided on the BYU-Provo Education Week.
ReplyDeleteThe Church News is asking people to send in accounts of how following President Nelson's request for peacemakers has blessed their lives. The text of the message for this week's broadcast of Music & the Spoken Word. And the next daily videos recapping teachings from the Seminar for New Mission Leadership have been released.
If there are any additional Newsroom or Church News updates or temple construction status changes, I will pass those along to you all here throughout this evening. For now, my thanks once again to you all.
One additional report was shared by the Church News. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteOn this Sabbath Day, the Church News shares a breakdown of stakes in Brazil, including how many are in each Brazilian state. The first in a three-part series of articles about forgiveness was published. Several general Church leaders and scholars have provided context on the Come Follow Me study for this week. And the latest edition of "In Case You Missed It: Week in Review recapped the top 9 developments that were covered this week by the Church News. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteAnd construction status updates have been published for the Lindon Utah and Montpelier Idaho Temples. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteAs anticipated, the open house for the Bangkok Thailand Temple. Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles was on hand to help lead the initial VIP/media tours. Accompanying him were Elders Kevin R. Duncan, Temple Department Executive Director; James R. Rasband, formerly a counselor in the Asia Area presidency and there by special assignment from the Temple Department; Benjamin M. Z. Tai, Asia Area President, and his First Counselor, Kelly R. Johnson.
ReplyDeleteWhile I don't know whether any other major temple construction announcements are coming today, I will be sure to share analysis of anything if there is an announcement. In the interim, there are additional Church News updates, including: the latest round of videos about the new Preach My Gospel; members and missionaries shared what they learned from Elder Bednar during his recent ministry trip to Kirtland Ohio; and the Church News shared a plan whereby Church members can review all addresses from the April 2023 General Conference prior to the October 2023 General Conference. My thanks once again to you all.
I anticipate the day the Community of Christ may sell the Kirkland Temple. But I wonder if the hypothetical sell will have restrictions. Many people who sell land can place restrictions on how a property will be used after a sell. The sellers could possibly require us to keep it's historical use as a tourist site and allow them to use it occasionally for meetings. Or keep the historical meetinghouse use for the main floors and convert a small temple space in the attic and basement spaces as a multi-use temple building like the Manhattan New York Temple or Like The Hong Kong Temple was. Any thoughts?
DeleteHey, Chris! I don't know whether the Community of Christ will ever choose to sell the Kirtland Temple Iunless I am mistaken, Kirkland is the Costco brand, not the Ohio city). But I do know that several members of our Quorum of the Twelve Apostles have a good working relationship with Elder Lachlan MacKay, the Community of Christ apostle currently assigned oversight of the Kirtland historical sites. And the Community of Christ only uses it for meetings or tours. While I would certainly hope that, under the right conditions, the Kirtland Temple does wind up back in the Church's hands, I have no idea how soon that might happen. But I wouldn't be shocked if the relationship between several of our current apostles with Elder MacKay were to perhaps result in a more equitable sharing of the temple between the Church and the Community of Christ. I'm glad working out those details is something others can worry about. If anything happens on that front, I will be sure to pass it along here. Thanks, Chris, as always, for taking time to comment.
Delete