Stokes Sounds Off: BREAKING NEWS: First Presidency Provides Directive for Christmas Eve; Next Leg of Multiyear Global Tour Announced for Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square

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Friday, October 13, 2023

BREAKING NEWS: First Presidency Provides Directive for Christmas Eve; Next Leg of Multiyear Global Tour Announced for Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square

Hello again, everyone! With Christmas Eve falling on a Sunday this year, the First Presidency has issued a directive for that Sunday. In a letter released on Monday, the First Presidency has indicated that all meetings except for Sacrament Meeting are canceled for Christmas Eve. In consultation with bishops and branch presidents, stake and district presidents have the option to adjust meeting times to best meet the needs of the members over whom they have stewardship.

I am grateful for the First Presidency's directive on this matter. I look forward to the Christmas season and all that it will bring with it. If that were the only breaking news, it would be reason enough for this new post. But while I was preparing this post to be published, the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square announced the next leg of its' multiyear global ministry tour, which will take the Choir to the Philippines for the first time in its' 95-year history.

That tour will span from February 20-29, 2024. Local Filipino artists will join the Choir in the 9-day tour, which may include multiple venues. The Choir's concerts, which will also incorporate local music, will be available to livestream online. The Choir will continue to go to one location per year every year for at least the next 4, and venue information about the Choir's performances will be released later.

So there you have it: two major developments in one post. I continue to monitor all Church News, Newsroom, and temple construction updates and will bring word of those to you all here as I become aware thereof. 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.

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4 comments:

  1. James G. StokesOctober 13, 2023 at 8:20 PM

    The Church News also covered the update about the Choir's next tour leg. My thanks once again to you all.

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    Replies
    1. James G. StokesOctober 14, 2023 at 2:30 PM

      On this Saturday, the Church News has shared a few new updates. FamilySearch has helped to provide emotional relief in the aftermath of the Maui fires. Trent Toone explores how California's newest temple was built on the faith and service of the members in its' district. And the text of the message that will be offered in English and Spanish during tomorrow's broadcast of "Music & the Spoken Word".
      And finally, a special Saturday edition of "This Week on Social" has been published.

      Featured in the latest installment in that ongoing series are posts from the following general Church leaders: Elders Jeffrey R. Holland, Dieter F. Uchtdorf, D. Todd Christofferson, Neil L. Andersen, 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; Young Women General President Emily Belle Freeman (the latter of whom collaborated with Sister Emily Darger Deans of the Young Women General Advisory Council on her post); Sister Amy A. Wright, First Counselor in the Primary General Presidency; Brothers Milton Camargo and Jan E. Newman, the respective First and Second Counselors in the Sunday School General Presidency; and Brother Bradley R. (Brad) Wilcox, First Counselor in the Young Men General Presidency. My thanks once again to you all.

      Delete
    2. James G. StokesOctober 14, 2023 at 2:32 PM

      And celebrations are underway to mark the 60th annivesary of the Polynesian Cultural Center. My thanks once again to you all.

      Delete
    3. James G. StokesOctober 15, 2023 at 12:15 AM

      Construction status updates have been noted on the Grand Junction Colorado, Pago Pago American Samoa, Yorba Linda California, and Montpelier Idaho Temples. Additionally, although the statuses for the Miraflores Guatemala City Guatemala and Freetown Sierra Leone Temples remain unchanged, the former has moved ahead of the latter in the construction queue, though both temples retain a general completion estimate of early-to-mid 2026. My thanks once again to you all.

      Delete

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