Hello again, everyone! I had shared my opinion that President Nelson wouldn't wait to fill the vacancy in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and I was right. This morning, the Church announced that Elder Patrick Kearon, who had been serving as the Senior President of the Seventy, was ordained an apostle yesterday and set apart as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. At 62 years old, he takes his place as the currently youngest apostle in the Church.
Born on July 18, 1961 in the United Kingdom, he was raised there and in the Middle East. He has lived and worked in the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, and the United States. He is an adult convert to the Church. He has served as a General Authority Seventy since April 2010 (called in the same General Conference as his now apostolic colleague Elder Gerrit W. Gong). He has served in the Presidency of the Seventy since August 2017, and as Senior President since August 2020. He married Jennifer Carole Hulme on January 12, 1991, in the Oakland California Temple. They are the parents of four children, one of whom is deceased.
I am very pleased by this news. Elder Kearon hopped on a plane today and flew to Hawaii, where he will give his first public address as an apostle during the BYU-Hawaii commencement. At some point in the next month or two, I anticipate he will meet with the press. And of course, he will speak to us during the April 2024 General Conference. This leaves a vacancy in the Presidency of the Seventy, and Elder Carl B. Cook now becomes the de facto Senior President of the Seventy. I expect that the vacancy will be filled before General Conference as well.
I continue to monitor any and all Church News, Newsroom, and Church of Jesus Christ Temples updates and will be sure to pass word of those along to you all as they cross my radar. 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.
https://www.deseret.com/2023/12/8/23993667/new-apostle-called-elder-patrick-kearon-joins-quorum-of-the-twelve-apostles
ReplyDeleteAnother article: https://www.eastidahonews.com/2023/12/church-of-jesus-christ-announces-new-member-of-the-quorum-of-the-twelve/
DeleteChris, thanks for sharing that additional resource. I appreciate you!
DeleteAs mentioned in my post above, Elder Kearon received the assignment to speak at BYU-Hawaii's graduation today long before he became an apostle. But the Lord inspired those remarks because He knew Elder Kearon would be giving them as the Church's newest apostle. The Church News also reported on Christmas light displays at the Mesa Arizona, Oakland California, Washington D.C., and Hamilton New Zealand Temples. My thanks once again to you all.
ReplyDeleteThere have been some additional changes in terms of the queue of temples anticipated to be completed between mid-to-late 2024 and early-to-mid 2025. That queue previously looked like this:
DeleteMid-to-late 2024: Alabang Philippines; Farmington New Mexico
Late 2024: Syracuse Utah
Late 2024-early 2025: Auckland New Zealand; Burley Idaho; Harare Zimbabwe; Elko Nevada
Early 2025: Grand Junction Colorado
Early-to-mid 2025: Nairobi Kenya
This is how the queue for that same period looks now:
Mid-to-late 2024: Alabang Philippines
Late 2024: Farmington New Mexico; Grand Junction Colorado; Syracuse Utah; Auckland New Zealand
Late 2024-early 2025: Burley Idaho; Harare Zimbabwe; Elko Nevada
Early-to-mid 2025: Nairobi Kenya
My thanks once again to you all.
Along with the changes in the estimates I noted above, a status update has been reported on the Grand Junction Colorado Temple. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteThe latest edition of "This Week on Social" was published this evening. Following Elder Kearon's ordination, official social media channels were established for him on Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly known as Twitter). Hopefully many of you will follow those channels, as I do.
DeleteAdditional content was featured from the following leaders: Church President Russell M. Nelson; Acting President Jeffrey R. Holland and Elders Quentin L. Cook, D. Todd Christofferson, and Dale G. Renlund, all of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; Sister Tracy Y. Browning, Second Counselor in the Primary General Presidency (from whom two posts were shared, the second of which was done jointly with Amy A. Wright, the First Counselor in the Primary General Presidency) and Young Men General President Steven J. Lund. My thanks once again to you all.
On this Saturday, the Church News has shared a few new reports. A BYU study shows how repentance strengthens families. A Latter-day Saint cowboy is stepping away from professional bullriding to serve a mission. The text of the message that will be given during tomorrow's English and Spanish "Music and the Spoken Word" broadcast has been provided, as has some counsel about preparing for Temple and Priesthood prepartion. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteAlthough there are no temple construction status changes to report, there has been another change in the queue order of temples anticipated to be completed in 2024. The Mendoza Argentina Temple has been anticipated to be the first new temple completed in 2024 for the last little while. Given the recent progress on the San Pedro Sula Honduras Temple, the latter has moved ahead of the former. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteOn this Sabbath Day, there are a few new reports from the Church News. Today, as we know, is the rededication of the St. George Utah Temple, over which Acting President Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is presiding. Given the fact that he, his wife, and his children have so many ties to the St. George area, in a new Church News video, he acknowledged that being in St. George for this event represented a beautiful moment for him in the Plan of Salvation. New leaders have been called for 20 stakes, 1 new one, and 19 that have been reorganized. The latest edition of "In Case You Missed It: Week in Review" highlighted the top 10 developments covered by the Church News this week, with the Christmas message delivered last week by President Nelson and the apostolic call of Elder Patrick Kearon taking the top two spots this week. And surprising news came from Lloyd Newell, the announcer of Music & the Spoken Word: he and his wife have been called to serve as mission leaders, effective July 1. He will continue to serve as the Choir's announcer and deliver the "Spoken Word" message until his replacement is named. More changes may be coming to the Choir organization at some point in the near term, as both principal organist Richard Elliott and director Mack Wilberg are both nearing 70 years old. My thanks once again to you all.
ReplyDeleteThis week's "Come Follow Me" curriculum comes from Revelation 6-14. The Church News has shared what has been said by Church leaders and scholars have said about those passages. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteAnd the Newsroom also shared the announcement about Lloyd Newell. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteA new update indicates that full-scale construction is now underway on the Fort Worth Texas Temple. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteThe Newsroom and the The Church News have covered today's rededication of the St. George Utah Temple. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteOn this Monday, with the next major temple announcement anticipated in around half an hour from now, the Church News has reported a cooperative effort between the Church and Save the Children. And a new Church News video shares key highlights from Elder Patrick Kearon's public addresses given prior to (and shortly after) his apostolic call. My thanks once again to you all.
Delete