Hello again, everyone! It has been a tradition on this blog for me to provide updates on apostolic data every 7 weeks. Having last done so on Sunday, August 17, it is time to publish the newest such data on this General Conference Sunday. As with every two-part update, the first part contains updated data about the age and tenure length records for all 17 Church Presidents, in addition to updated information on the tenure lengths for each of the 28 Presidents of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.The first document likewise notes information on the tenure length rankings for three sets of apostolic groups: the longest-serving First Presidencies (with the current First Presidency now moving up on that list), the longest-serving groups of members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and groups of all ordained apostles (the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles). and an overview of when each of those current groups will move up on the list. As previously noted, the current Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and apostolic group will not join that list until late next year, assuming no other apostles pass away between now and then.
Meanwhile, the second part of today's update shows the long-form and decimal ages for the members of the current First Presidency, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and the same data for the combined First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, in addition to the average ages of each group and apostolic nonagenarians (with 3 of the current 15 apostles being on that list), and a final table showing the remaining time between today and when each of the other 12 apostles will become nonagenarians and join that list.
With these apostolic data updates coming every 7 weeks, the next update will be posted here on the morning of Sunday, November 23 (which will be the last such update for this year)..
Hopefully, this post is of interest to you all. Again, I offer an open invitation to ask anyone who has any questions about those documents to ask them here.
Stay tuned here for my coverage of the latest updates from the Church News, Newsroom, and Church of Jesus Christ Temples sites. I’ll be sure to pass word of those along to you all as soon as 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 all such 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. If you liked what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly added posts and comments, please subscribe to receive the applicable updates.
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.
This comment is just to note that I will have to catch up on Church News updates later today (Monday). It took me longer than I thought to do a video for my YouTube channel tonight, so stay tuned for my thoughts on the latest Church News updates in about 10 hours or so. My thanks once again to you all.
ReplyDeleteHello again, everyone! I am back on this Monday to share the other updates from the Church News that I referenced yesterday. Before doing so, I would like to note that President Nelson's viewing is ongoing until 8:00 PM MDT tonight, and the funeral proper will follow at noon MDT tomorrow. Additionally, Jenny Oaks Baker was on KSL's new "Noon Show", where she was asked about her dad, and she said that every time he gets together with any of his family, he always talks about Jesus Christ. Since that is (or should be) a major focus of the ministry of any prophet, I feel to testify that the Church is in good hands with President Oaks leading it.
DeleteThat being said, he paid tribute to President Nelson on Saturday Morning. The Church News also provided the background of the new hymn "Bread of Life, Living Water". During the Saturday sessions of General Conference, speakers focused heavily on messages of belonging.
The Church News also shared the history of temples in Mexico, and the text of the message given by Brother Derrick Porter on Sunday morning's broadcast of "Muisc & the Spoken Word". The latest edition of "In Case You Missed It: Week in Review" covered the top nine developments from the last week.Another major focus of the conference was ministering.Yet another focus was repentance & healing.President Oaks' closing remarks focused heavily on the valuable place of families in society.
With the "Come, Follow Me"curriculum this week focused on D&C sections 111-114, see what Church leaders have said about those sections. 12 gloabal participants sang with the choir during the 3 sessions in which they were featured. Where to find peace175 years of usAnd age. And one Church member family has deep connections to the Hill Cumorah.
So that brings my Church News coverage up to date. Any new Newsroom reports , temple updates, or aadditional Church News stories will be shared here later today. Hopefully those updates will probve interesting. My thanks once again to you all.
Literally thousands have flocked to Salt Lake City for the viewing of President Russell M. Nelson. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteThe Church Temples site reports that, a week and a half or so after its' September 25 groundbreaking, the Lone Mountain Nevada Temple is in the earliest phases of full-scale construction. It has been assigned a late 2028 completion window. There are now only 8 temples with full-scale construction pending. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteThe Church News has shared < PDF summaries of the 34 talks given during the April 2025 General Conference. Additionally, a special edition of "This Week on Social" entitled This Conference on Social", has been published, featuring social media content from the following general Church leaders:
DeletePresident Dallin H. Oaks, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles,, and the following members of that Quorum: Elders Jeffrey R. Holland, Henry B. Eyring, Dieter F. Uchtdorf, David A. Bednar, Quentin L. Cook, D. Todd Christofferson, Neil L. Andersen, Ronald A. Rasband, Gary E. Stevenson, Dale G. Renlund, Gerrit W. Gong, Ulisses Soares,. And while the previous editions of :This Conference on Social" have included general officers' posts as well, this time around, it did not. I am working on my "General Conference postmorten", as it were, so I hope to have something more to share in new comments and posts in the near term. My thanks once again to you all.
I had a thought. The recent norm when a prophet dies has been funeral on Saturday, and in Sunday the 14 apostles meet in the temple in a spirit of fasting. Itbis during this meeting that the new prophet, counselors, President and (if necessary) Acting President of the Twelve are sustained and set apart. The next day (Monday) they hold the press conference to announce the results of the meeting. With the funeral on a Tuesday, the meeting could theoretically be Wednesday, with part of the meeting dedicated to selecting the next apostle who could then be called and set apart on Thursday, with a Friday press conference.
ReplyDeleteMy other thought, President Oaks could be the first prophet since President Woodruff to be set apart in a building other than the Salt Lake temple. Where do you think they will meet? My wife joked that there are plenty of other temples in Utah to choose from.
Hey, Scott S.! Great to hear from you. My personal opinion is that President Oaks and the other apostles may need a slight break between the funeral and reorganization discussion occurs. My personal thought is that the meeting may happen on Thursday, which has been the day for major Church announcements except for temple construction announcements. Elder Kearon was ordained on a Thursday, and the ordination was reported on Friday. So I think the reorganization meeting will happen this Thursday, though I could see it being deferred to Friday.
DeleteWhat I will be interested to see is if President Oaks opts to talk to Church members before a press conference announcing his ordination. His predecessor did so, but I don't know if he will. About where the meeting will take place, the Church Temples site has noted that the apostles have dedicated a temporary meeting space in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building while the Salt Lake Temple renovation is ongoing. Does that answer your inquiry?
On the question of the resulting apostolic vacancy, President Ballard died in November, and the resulting vacancy was not filled until early December 2023. With that in mind, on the one hand, I don't think there's as much of a rush to fill the apostolic vacancy after the new First Presidency is in place. On the other hand, even though Elder Kearon was not ordanied until a month after President Ballard's passing, Elder Holland was ordained just over two weeks after the Hunter presidency was in place. The one thing we can be almost certain of is that there will be separate press conferences for the new First Presidency and the new apostle, whenever the latter is called. Elders Gong and Soares only met with the press three weeks after their ordinations, and Elder Kearon had his meeting with the press the month after he was ordained.
I would anticipate an announcement of whatever's going to happen with the First Presidency to be made on Wednesday, but the meeting of the apostles and the ordination and setting apart for President Oaks and his ccunselors to occur the day before the press conference. But in so many ways, this apostolic interregnum has been atypical, so it's difficult to say for sure what will happen. So I would just say, stay tuned, and we'll find out soon enough. Hope these thoughts, such as they are, are helpful. Thanks, Scott.
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DeleteI heard or read somewhere that when the Salt Lake Temple was closed for its renovation that the first presidency dedicated a room or rooms in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building as temporary temple space for the first presidency and apostles to meet. There may be other additional ordinances that they perform there but I don't know all the details.
DeleteThe Wikipedia article for the Joseph Smith Memorial building mentions that the 8th floor was dedicated as kind of a mini temple for the first presidency and apostles to meet in. It shares are reference link to the Salt Lake Tribune so take it for what it's worth. "The church's top leadership, known as general authorities, hold a weekly meeting in the nearby Salt Lake Temple. During the 2020s, when the temple was closed due to a large-scale renovation project, the eighth floor of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building underwent an estimated $2,000,000 remodel, after which it was dedicated as a sacred meeting space for leadership while the temple remained under renovation.[10". https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2021/01/14/joseph-smith-memorial/
Deletehttps://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Smith_Memorial_Building
DeleteHey, Chris! Insofar as I am aware, that dedicated place in the JSMB is solely for the purpose of holding their weekly Thursday meetings, which do not include any ordinances of which I am aware. My understanding is that part of that Thursday meeting includes an apostolic prayer circle, but that's not necessarily an ordinance. That's why I suggest that the First Presidency may be reconstituted on Thursday. I don't know if the Church will publicly announce that it happened. We may just hear about it whenever a press conference introduces the new leaders, although I am cautiously optimistic that President Oaks may follow the trend of President Nelson and speak to the Church membership before a press conference is held. I'm cautiously optimistic there will be an announcement about this after President Nelson is laid to rest. Either way, I look forward to seeing what happens this week
DeleteOn this Tuesday, we are a couple of hours away from President Nelson's funeral. The Newsroom reported yesterday that thousands attended his viewing at the Conference Center. I will have full coverage of the funeral once that becomes available. In the meantime, the Church News shared this inspiring report this morning. My thanks once again to you all.
ReplyDeleteThe Church News has published this update, which will track the proceedings of the prophet's funeral. My thanks once again to you all.
DeletePresident Nelson's funeral service (and KSL's coverage thereof) just wrapped up a short time ago. It was a fitting service to a remarkable man. The Newsroom has shared this report on the funeral, while the Church News has shared a total of four new reports. Temple updates will come your way later today as I can make those happen. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteThe Church News has shared one additional update covering the funeral services for President Nelson.
DeleteOn a separate note, we may hear at some point tomorrow that the new First Presidency will be introduced on Thursday or Friday. Stay tuned for my report that reorganization whenever it happens. My thanks once again to you all.
And just like that, it's time! The General Conference talk transcripts are now available. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteUpdates have been reported on the Fort Worth Texas, Modesto California, Cali Colombia and Teton River Idaho Temples. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteThe Church News has shared photos from the funeral today. Just to reiterate, it has not been officially announced when or how soon the First Presidency may be reconstituted, but I suspect it may be later this week. Thursday seems to be the most likely day on which to do that. It will give the apostles a day or so to a chance to regroup after the funeral. But until that is confirmed one way or another, it may be open to interpretation. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteLate yesterday, the Church News shared this report on the proceedings of General Conference being made available. Then this morning, another update centered on yet another key focus of General Conference weekend.
DeleteParenthetically, I will just note here that there has been no official word from the Church of any upcoming press conferences, so I don't know how soon we can expect the First Presidency to be reconstituted. I'm hoping it won't be too much longer now, but that's hard to say. Once there is any official word indicating that a reorganization may have taken place, I will be sure to pass that along here. In the meantime, I'm glad that the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is in place as the current presiding authority of the Church, and that they have sufficient authority to oversee the Church until that reorganization does take place. My thanks once again to you all.
The Church News has shared one other report that speaks for itself. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteAnd a construction status update has been reported for the Modesto California Temple. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteAnd here is one more General Conference report from the Church News. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteThe latest edition of the Church News podcast features snippets from each address given at the October 2025 General Conference. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteAnd today is the birthday of Sister Tracy Y. Browning, Second Counselor in the Primary General Presidency. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteToday also marks the 150th anniversary of the formal dedication of the Salt Lake Tabernacle (now known as the Tabernacle on Temple Square). My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteThe Church News has shared three new reports, which speak for themselves. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteBYU-Idaho is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its' transition from Ricks College to BYU-Idaho. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteThe Church News has shared one other report that I forgot to pass along when it was reported. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteIt looks like we have the longest Apostolic Interregnum since Wilford Woodruff.
ReplyDeleteI've seen some sources claim that, but they may be incorrect. The length of time between the January 2, 2018 death of President Monson and the January 14, 2018 ordination and setting apart of President Nelson was 12 days, the longest such period since Wilford Woodruff's passing. Technically, today is day 12 since President Nelson passed, so that record may not be officially broken until tomorrow. That's per this online calculator of the length of time between September 27 and today. Unless that calculation is off, it won't be until tomorrow that we reach day 13 of the current apostolic interregnum.
DeleteI've been curious about when the current interregnum might end. The time for the upcoming single-session dedication of the Elko Nevada Temple this Sunday has not been specified, so it's possible a morning reorganization of the First Presidency could still allow Elder Stevenson to make it to his assignment to dedicate the Elko Nevada Temple, if that temple dedication is held in the evening. But there's also no hard and fast rule of which I'm aware that the reorganization has to occur on a Sunday. Some sources I've read have suggested that President Oaks could possibly be more deliberate in the process of choosing his counselors, so if he's taking time to meet with the apostles individually as President Nelson did, doing that before they actually go into the reorganization process might make more sense.
The fact that we haven't had a Church announcement one way or the other at this point is somewhat telling. So by the time such an announcement is made, if that doesn't come tomorrow, we'll have a new record at that point, unless my calculations with that online tool are in error. Please let me know if that is the case. Thanks, Scott, for taking time to share your thoughts here. I always appreciate hearing from you.
The dedication is at 10am, so a plane flight or driver could allow for an afternoon meeting to reorganize the First Presidency.
DeleteI'm unaware of any other apostles on assignment this weekend.
Where did you get the info on the dedication time? Insofar as I am aware, only a date for the dedication was released Thanks, Michael Worley, for taking time to comment. I always appreciate hearing from you.
DeleteIt's here: https://www.facebook.com/elkonevadaeaststake/posts/pfbid0hxCcKm3Q9DAtLwZH43b7vU7joPUxS76sXz2p4gX18d35ZZpY4HnDHrtji7XwPAqQl
DeleteNote Nevada is on Pacific time, so it is 11am Utah time. A plane flight seems the easiest.
Good to know. It occurred to me to wonder whether the reason we haven't yet had an announcement of anything upcoming is that President Oaks may now be meeting individually with each apostle before moving to reorganize the First Presidency rather than waiting to do that until after his ordination. But I believe evening reorganizations have occurred with other prophets. I'm sure Elder Stevenson is either already in or en route to Elko now. Thanks, Michael Worley.
DeleteOn this Friday, the Newsroom has shared this new report, while the Deseret News has noted the recent passing of emeritus GA Seventy & former Sunday School General President Elder Tad R. Callister. My thanks once again to you all.
ReplyDeleteThe Church News has also paid tribute to Elder Callister, in addition to providing another report on recent earthquakes in the Philippines and Church relief efforts on that island nation. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteThe Church News has shared how the Tabernacle Choir is fulfilling a mission around the world. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteBased off a story on the newsroom site we have a clue as to the reason for the delay in the reorganization of the First Presidency. Elder Cook was in New York yesterday. Depending when he flew out there, it's possible that there hasn't been time for them to meet without being rushed. They likely also won't hold the announcement until all 14 are in town. We may not hear anything until Monday or Tuesday. It is also possible (though not likely) that they could feel inspired to not reorganize the First Presidency at this time.
ReplyDeleteHey, Scott! I appreciate hearing from you again. There is a great deal of excitement surrounding the prospect of a new First Presidency and new member of the Qourum of the Twelve in the near term.The fact that we don't have an announcement at this point on a Friday evening of either a message from President Oaks or a press conference to announce the new leaders, so it may only happen sometime next week. President Oaks, as a former lawyer and judge, may take a more deliberate and studious approach to reorganizing the First Presidency than we've seen with his recent predecesors. That's not to say that previous First Presidencies were not formed studiously, just that President Oaks may be more thorough. If he is getting recommendations from various leaders and not just the Quorum of the Twelve, this process may take longer. This is now officially the longest interregnum since Wilford Woodruff's passing. I hope it will end soon. But I'm also glad the Lord governs the process. It's inspiring (even when taking longer than usual) to watch it unfold. I will look forward to any word of the new First Presidency whenever it comes. The apostolic vacancy may take longer to fill, or it could follow the call pattern of Elders Holland and Kearon, being outside the normal window. I look forward to seeing the process continues to unfold. Thanks, Scott!
DeleteHello again, everyone! As referenced by Scott above, this report indicates that Elder Cook was in New York City at least as of yesterday. He could be home right now or headed home before Sunday. There's been no official word on when or how soon the First Presidency might be reorganized and meet the press, so stay tuned for my analysis on that whenever it happens.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, I last referenced the Tabernacle Choir's global ministry report in the Church News, and there have been a few other reports since then. We start with the latest edition of "This Week on Social" which featured posts from the following general Church leaders:
President Dallin H. Oaks and Elders David A. Bednar, Quentin L. Cook, Neil L. Andersen, Ronald A. Rasband, Dale G. Renlund, Gerrit W. Gong, and Ulisses Soares, each of whom is a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson and her First Counselor, Sister J. Anette Dennis.
The Church News additionally shares an inspiring full-circle missionary story, and that the King's Singers will again perform with the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square. My thanks once again to you all.
I just now realized I didn't include the link to the update about the King's Singers. I apologize for that oversight. Meanwhile, on this Saturday, the Church News has shared two updates, which speak for themselves. And with no official updates from the Newsroom, the earliest we may hear about a reorganization of the First Presidency is probably Tuesday of next week at this point. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteAnd the Church News has shared another update that speaks for itself. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteAnd I was just reminded that this upcoming Monday is Columbus Day, which is a federal holiday in the US and several regions of Latin America. With that in mind, the announcement of the new First Presidency will indeed be Tuesday at earliest, but probably later in the week, since we haven't heard anything official as of yet. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteThe Church News has also shared the text of the message that will be given by Brother Derrick Porter during tomorrow's broadcast of "Music & the Spoken Word". My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteAnd a construction status update has been provided for the Lethbridge Alberta Temple. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteThe Church News shared this update on the evening before the dedication of the Elko Nevada Temple. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteOn this Sabbath Day, I have a few things to share with you all. First, in the Deseret News' "ChurchBeat" article this week, Tad Walch offers an inside look at the meeting of the members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles following the funeral of the previous prophet. The fact that this article was published today gives me some degree of hope that the First Presidency will indeed be reconstituted soon, so I would say stay tuned this week for news of that whenever it happens.
ReplyDeleteAnd again, since we haven't heard of any arrangements being made for a message from President Oaks and/or a press conference, we don't know for sure how soon that meeting to sustain, ordain, and set apart President Oaks will be held. If I had to guess, I would again reiterate my theory that Elders Cook and Stevenson are probably en route home or there already, so it could be held this evening or possibly tomorrow or Tuesday.
In any case, as the ChurchBeat article confirms, the current apostolic interregnum is now the longest such a period since Wilford Woodruff died, as it has now been 15 days since the passing of President Nelson. So hopefully that meeting happens soon. Stay tuned here for more information on that as that information crosses my radar. My thanks once again to you all.
Aside from the ChurchBeat article to which I linked above, today, the Church News posted the following updates: some calendar data on temple dedications; the healing power of service in a Church member's life; "In Case You Missed It: Week in Review shared the top 9 developments reported within the last week; and with the "Come, Follow Me" study focused on D&C 115-120, see what Church leaders have said about those passages. My thanks once again to you all.
ReplyDeleteThe Newsroom and the Church News have shared reports on the dedication of the Elko Nevada Temple, which now becomes the 209th operating temple. And with the recent temple construction updates that have been reported, I am now no longer sure that we will be able to get to 300 dedicated temples before the 200th anniversary of the Church's reestablishment. Here's where things stand in that regard: Given the timing of the most recent temple dedications, and given the fact that there is no First Presidency to announce subsequent dedications, at the current rate, some of the temples now in their earliest phases of construction might not be dedicated until 2029. I hope I'm wrong on that, and that my estimates are too far askew, which could be a fair assessment, since I'm not allowing for temples to be dedicated in close proximity to those ahead of or behind them in the queue. But at the current rate, the Church would have to dedicate a minimum of 20-21 temples per year between now and Saturday, April 6, 2030, and we've only seen about 12-17 per year most recently, if that.
DeleteIf temple construction picks up once the new First Presidency is in place, that could change. But I don't feel as confident as I did even a few weeks ago that we'll get to a minimum of 300 by Saturday April 6, 2030. Hopefully the Lord proves me wrong on that. My thanks once again to you all.
The Church News also shared one other report, which speaks for itself. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteOn this Monday, the Church News has shared the text of the prayer offered by Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles yesterday at the dedication of the Elko Nevada Temple. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteI should also probably add that, since there is no currently-organized First Presidency to make the decisions about temple updates, until the First Presidency is reconstituted, there will likely not be the traditional Monday 2:00 PM temple announcement. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteFrom the Argentina Newsroom page comes a report on the media day for the open house of the Bahia Blanca Argentina Temple. The media day is being conducted today for some reason, rather than taking place tomorrow in conjunction with VIP tours tomorrow, as was originally announced in April of this year.
DeleteOn hand to lead the tours were three general Church leaders: Elder Mathias Held, Assistant Executive Director of the Temple Department; Elder Joaquin E. Costa, President of the Church's South America South Area; and Sister Andrea Munoz Spannaus, Second Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency; the latter two of whom are natives of Argentina. My thanks once again to you all.
The Church News has also covered the open house beginning for the Bahia Blanca Argentina Temple, in addition to providing one other report that speaks for itself. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteAnd at some point since I first mentioned it originally, the main Newsroom has also covered the Bahia Blanca Argeninta Temple's media day. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteA couple of temple construction status updates have been shared today: for the Ephraim Utah & Heber Valley Utah Temples. And more specifically for the Heber Valley Utah Temple, the Church has appealed to the Utah Supreme Court to nullify the stay issued by the district court and to allow construction activity to continue until such time as the Supreme Court issues a ruling on the legality of the approval process for the Heber Valley Utah Temple. I will be watching the outcome of both the appeal of the Church to allow construction to proceed pending the high court's decision in addition to whatever is decided about the legality of the approval process for that temple. Stay tuned here for updates on that. In the meantime, my thanks once again to you all.
DeleteL. Chris Jones: The Chruch announced that the new First Presidency will be announced at 1:pm Mountain Daylight Time on the church sites. https://www.deseret.com/faith/2025/10/14/church-of-jesus-christ-reorganized-first-presidency/
ReplyDelete