Stokes Sounds Off: Apostolic Ministry & Travels

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Showing posts with label Apostolic Ministry & Travels. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Apostolic Ministry & Travels. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 26, 2026

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Opening Arrangements Set for the San Luis Potosi Mexico Temple; Groundbreaking Set for the Santos Brazil Temple; Preliminary Details Released for the Caldwell Idaho and Greenville South Carolina Temples

Hello again, everyone! In view of Memorial Day being observed yesterday, I had theorized that the next new major temple developments would be announced today. That theory proved to be correct, with the First Presidency announcing updates for 4 temples in the Americas: opening arrangements for the San Luis Potosi Mexico Temple;  a groundbreaking for the Santos Brazil Temple, and the preliminary details for the Caldwell Idaho and Greenville South Carolina Temples. There's a lot to get into, so let's jump right in:

We start with the San Luis Potosi Mexico Temple. A media day will be held on Wednesday, September 21, with tours for invited guests over the next two days. The public is invited to tour the temple between Thursday, September 24, and Saturday, October 10, 2026, except for Sunday, September 27 and the weekend of the October 2026 General Conference (Saturday and Sunday, October 3 and 4). The dedication will take place on Sunday, November 1, 2026, with Elder Dale G, Renlund presiding thereat. 

At first, the timing of that dedication baffled me a little. In Latin American nations, the Day of the Dead is celebrated on November 1 and 2. But then it occurred to me that there is no better way to honor one's kindred dead than to dedicate a space wherein those dead have the opportunity to be redeemed, if they choose to accept it. I am glad we got that dedication announcement, although I was hoping for one or two others as well.

Let's move on to the Santos Brazil Temple's groundbreaking. It will take place on Saturday, August 1, under the direction of Elder Ronald M. Barcellos of the Brazil Area Presidency. This follows the temple's announcement in April 2022, (the San Luis Potosi Mexico Temple was announced during that same General Conference). The site confirmation occurred the following November. No exterior rendering has been released for that temple yet, but hopefully that's coming down the pike soon.

The timing for the groundbreaking also surprised me (I had thought it was a little too far out), but then I realized August 1 is just two months away. I had just recently adjusted my groundbreaking estimate for this temple to early 2028, but clearly, I was off on that. And Elder Barcellos is conducting this groundbreaking on the same day his assignment as a member of the Brazil Area Presidency formally begins (though I suspect all GA Seventies serving abroad in area presidencies will be in place a day or two before those assignments become effective.

That said, let's move on to the site location confirmations and preliminary details for the newest Idaho and South Carolina Temples.  A 19.2-acre site located at the southwest corner of W Orchard Ave. and S. Florida Ave., Canyon County, Idaho, will be home to the Caldwell Idaho Temple. That sacred edifice will be rooghly 82,000 square feet, quite a bit larger than I thought it would be. An adjacent meetinghouse and ancillary buidling will also be included in the project.

As for the Greenville, South Carolina, Temple, the 18,850-square-foot, single-story temple will rise on an 8.8-acre site at the south intersection of Independence Boulevard/Ponders Road and Roper Mountain Road, Greenville, South Carolina. No other facilities appear to be included for this temple, but I will note that both of these temples were announced by President Nelson in Aprill 2025. I will also have files wiith further analysis psoted in the comments below.

I invite you all to 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.

Saturday, May 23, 2026

April 2026 General Conference Predictions Results

Hello again, everyone! Several weeks later than I'd planned, I am pleased to now share the results of my April 2026 General Conference predictions. So here are my updated speaker lineup (with what actually happened noted in brackets of the appropriate fields); my updated predictions for Church leadership changes (and the statistical report figures), and my masterlist of the most likely candidate cities to get a temple.

I am pleased to also present at this time a scorecard for those predictions, based on the 3-point scoring system I mentioned for each element. If any of you have any questions on the scoring listed therein, please let me know, and I would behappy to address those. I would like tonote that I am including in that scring a score for the new locatioins that had temples announced between President Oaks' October 14 ordination as the Church President and the weekend of the April 2026 General Conference. Therefore, with only two temples announced, the maximum possible score there is 6.

My analysis of the results led me to score the accuracy of these predictions at 56.5%, slightly lower than my average accuracy rate of 60-80%. So that's it for the results of the preditctions. But I also wanted to share how my mock-up of potential table of contents for the May 2026 Liahona compared with the actual thing, in addition to my document showing the lengths of apostolic addresses, each of which was at least a few minutes shorter than they usually have run, and my updated document showing the total number of General Conference talks given by apostles. 

Each apostle spoke at least once, with both Presidents Oaks and Christofferson giving 3 addresses apiece. For President Oaks, that includes his opening and closing remarks and his Sunday Morning Session address. For President Christofferson, that includes his Sunday Afternoon Session address and his two opprotuniteies to conduct Church business. Some sources count those, while others don't. But I am choosing to do so for my purpsoes. 

Well, that's a wrap on my General Conference postmortem. I invite you all to 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.

Wednesday, May 20, 2026

Elder Gérald Caussé Observes His First Apostolic Birthday Today

Hello again, everyone! With today being May 20, Elder Gérald Caussé is observing his first apostolic birthday since his November 6, 2025, call and ordination to the apostleship. So it is time to share a birthday tribute to him, as he is observing his 63rd birthday today. Let's dive right into his extensive and impressive biography: Gérald Jéan Caussé was born on May 20, 1963, in Bordeaux, France, to Jean and Marie-Blanche Caussé. The missionaries found his parents a short time after Gérald was born.

His penchant for quick learning and voracious curiosity led to many early opportunities for young Gérald. At age 12, he was the pianist in Primary. Two years later, he became both the branch pianist and a counselor in the ward Sunday School organization. He also made ministering visits with his father to various people in their time of need, and he joined the missionaries often to teach people about the Gospel.

Gérald also found success in his educational endeavors. Following his graduation from high school, he rigorously prepared for entrance into any of the top universities in France, being determined to prioritize his faith and Church membership and activity. During his oral exams, which included an interview with panels of various universities, he was asked questions that directly led to him sharing more about his faith, and about what he believed, why he believed it, and how his beliefs had shaped his life.

After one such interview, one of the interviewers told him he had a friend who was a member of the Church, so he wanted to give Gérald a chance to answer questions about his faith and his commitment thereunto. He entered his university studies with honors. During the same period of time, Gérald renewed his acquaintance with Valérie Babin, a childhood friend. One day, during a choir practice, she was singing, and he was accompanying, and their eyes met in what they called "a second for all eternity". They were married in the Bern Switzerland Temple in 1986.

Upon his graduation from college, Gérald began a 7-year career in management consulting, successfully aiding many companies to avoid bankruptcy. He served as a counselor in a stake presidency during that time. When the time approached for the release of the stake presidency, both Gérald and Valérie discerned that he would be the new stake president, and Gérald sought (and obtained) a less demanding job that would free up his schedule for his new calling. He landed a new position with a family-friendly company just two days before he was sustained as the new stake president.

President Caussé served as stake president during a period of time when the Church was looking to procure a temple site in Paris. He chauffeured President Hinckley to several candidate sites over several trips to the region until they found and procured the site on which the Paris France Temple operates. In 2008, new Church President Thomas S. Monson called him to serve as a GA Seventy. Beginning the following August, he served in the Europe Area Presidency in Germany, first as a counselor, then as the area president. His two counselors, Elders Jose A. Teiexera and Erich W. Kopischke, spoke highly of him.

In 2012, with the release of the Presiding Bishopric planned, a new Presiding Bishopric was needed. Elder Caussé was called to serve alongside Presiding Bishop Gary E. Stevenson and Bishop Dean M. Davies. They served together for only 3.5 years, when Presiding Bishop Stevenson was called to the Quorum of the Twelve. Bishop Caussé succeeded him as the Presiding Bishop, serving as such for just over a decade. He was closely involved with the construction approvals for the Rome Italy and Paris France Temples.

And, as we know, on November 6, 2025, he was called to the apostleship. He is the first apostle born in France. Elder Caussé has spoken 9 times in General Conference: once as a GA Seventy, twice as First Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, 5 times as Presiding Bishop, and, of course, once since his apostolic call. I know this overview has been quite extensive, but I hope it serves as a fitting tribute to the man who makes history as the first French apostle and brings a significant background in business and Church service to his role.

He, as all the other apostles do, has voluntarily pledged to serve the Lord to the best of his ability until his dying breath. And his life demonstrates that the Lord has well prepared him for this exact opportunity he now has. Given that I have always loved the French language, Elder Causse, as the first General Authority and now the first apostle born in France, has long been one of my favorite people in the top leadership tiers of the Church.

I gratefully testify that the Lord has called him, and that I fully sustain him in his new assignment and look forward to seeing what the Lord will do through him. I am grateful I could pay tribute to him here. I invite you all to 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.

Monday, May 18, 2026

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Opening Arrangements Announced for the Cody Wyoming and Wichita Kansas Temples; Preliminary Details Released for the Rosario Argentina Temple; and Preliminary Site Work Underway for the Couer d'Alene Idaho Temple

Hello again, everyone! The First Presidency has released the opening arrangements for the Wichita Kansas Temple and the Cody Wyoming Temple and the preliminary details for the Rosario Argentina Temple, in addition to acknowledging that  preliminary site work is underway for the Couer d'Alene Idaho Temple. There's a lot to get to, so let's get going!

A media day for the Wichita Kansas Temple will take place on Monday, September 21, with tours for ivited gues the next couple of days. The public open house will run from Thursday, September 24, through Saturday, October 10 (excluding Sunday, September 27 and General Conference weekend, Saturday and Sunday, October 3 and 4). The dedication of that temple will follow on Sunday, November 1, 2026 at 10:00 AM (with a rebroadcast at 2:00 PM), under the direction of Elder Patrick Kearon of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Meanwhile, for the Cody Wyoming Temple, a media day is set for Monday, August 24, with tours for invited guests the next two days. The public open house will run from Thursday, August 27, through Saturday, September 12 (excluding the Sundays of August 31 and September 7). The temple dedication will follow on Sunday, October 25, 2026, at 10:00 AM (with a rebroadcast at 2:00 PM). The presiding official for the Cody Wyoming Temple dedication will be announced closer to the time, so it could be a member of the First Presidency.

As for the Rosario Argentina Temple, the edifice will rise on a 1.59-acre (6400 m2) site bordered by Santiago bis, Alvear and Güemes streets in Rosario City, Santa Fe, Argentina. The size and site parameters will be announced at a later time. As for the Couer d'Alene Idaho Temple, the Newsroom notes the following information:

"Preliminary utility and infrastructure work to support the future Coeur d'Alene Idaho Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is now underway following approvals from the City of Coeur d'Alene.

"City approvals allow the Church to begin initial site preparation work, including grading and the installation of underground utility infrastructure such as water, sewer, and electrical service connections to the city’s existing systems. Design work on the temple continues, and a date for an official groundbreaking ceremony has not yet been announced."

So, there you have it. The latest temple news, delivered a little later than usual, but the Newsroom is back up, and that's the important thing. I invite you all to 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.



Thursday, May 14, 2026

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: New Temple Announced in Otavalo Ecuador

Good evening, everyone! I am pleased to share that Ecuador's third temple has been announced in Otavalo. The announcement came courtesy of South America Northwest Area President Elder Juan Pablo Villar. The announcement was made this evening in a devotional with Latter-day Saints in that city. The First Presidency announcement of that temple, read by Elder Villar, is as follows:

"We are pleased to announce the construction of a temple in Otavalo, Ecuador. The specific location and timing of the construction will be announced later. This is a reason for all of us to rejoice and express gratitude for such a significant blessing — one that will allow more frequent access to the ordinances, covenants and power that can only be found in the house of the Lord.”

Although Elder Villar read the announcement, the devotional in question was presided over by Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who may have apostolic oversight of the South America Northwest Area. Elder Renlund was joined at the devotional by his wife, along with Elder S. Mark Palmer of the Presidency of the Seventy and his wife. This may have been one of Elder Palmer's final assignments before he is granted emeritus status on August 1.

I am overjoyed at this announcement. A temple for Otavalo was on my list of near-term prospects, so I am grateful that it was announced. The total number of temples now rises to 385, and this is the third temple announced under the new method instutited by Church President Dallin H. Oaks. I had thought and said when the last temple was announced last month that we might not get another announcement until August or so, and I am elated that I was wrong in that assertion.

These updates will be reflected in relevant documents, to which I will link in the comments section below. I invite you all to 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.

Monday, May 11, 2026

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Rendering Provided for the Rapid City South Dakota Temple

Hello again, everyone! The First Presidency has released the rendering for the Rapid City South Dakota Temple today. The release of the rendering follows the site announcement in late February of this year and the temple's original announcement by President Russell M. Nelson in the April 2025 General Conference. The rendering speaks for itself. I am grateful for this update on a personal level, as my dad served in the South Dakota Rapid City Mission.

Since that is the only temple update today, I will let the rendering speak for itself. If any of you have anything to share about it, feel free to do so in the comments section below. I invite you all to 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.


Monday, May 4, 2026

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Opening Arrangements Announced For the Montpelier Idaho Temple

Hello again, everyone! As anticipated, the First Presidency announced another temple dedication today. This pertains to the Montpelier Idaho Temple. Let's get right into the relevant details:

A media day will take place on Tuesday, September 8, followed by VIP/private tours the next day. The public will be invited to tour the temple between Thursday, September 10, and Saturday, September 26 (excluding the Sundays of September 13 and 20).  The temple dedication has been set to occur on Sunday, October 18, 2026, at 10:00 AM, with a rebroadcast at 2:00 PM, with both the dedication and its rebroadcast being made available to all units in the temple district. 

As has been the trend for several other temples, the presiding apostle has not been identified. That is usually indicative that a member of the First Presidency will fill that assignment. When that has been the case, it has usually been either President Oaks or President Eyring. With those apostles being in their 90s, their health situations are less predictable, which is why the assignment has likely been made, but the confirmation of who will preside will only be confirmed closer to the time.

This is the second dedication set to occur on October 18, the other being the previously announced dedication of the Managua Nicaragua Temple. With daylight saving time in effect during the dedication windows for these two temples, they will be simultaneously dedicated, marking only the second time this has happened under the prophetic administration of President Oaks (the first time will occur on the first Sunday in June with the dedications of the Yorba Linda California and Willamette Valley Oregon Temples occuring simultaneously).

Given that this is the second dedication set for October 18, most sources to which I have access list the Managua Nicaragua Temple before the Montpelier Idaho Temple in the queue. So we now have another dedication on the books. I did want to mention that I find it somewhat odd that the dedication of the Montpelier Idaho Temple was set before we got operning arrangements for the considerably smaller temples in San Luis Potosi Mexico, Pago Pago American Samoa, Torreon Mexico, and Port Moresby Papua New Guinea Temples.  

But it may be that temples in the United States are easier to furnish and finish than temples outside the United States. With that in mind, we might even see the Smithfield Utah Temple dedication announced before any of those 4 smaller temples. And whenever arrangements are announced for those 4 smaller temples, the opening arrangements will likely be shorter public open houses and dedications sandwiched between those already scheduled. It will be interesting to see it all unfold.

I am grateful to see all these temple dedications announced and scheduled. Hopefully, we see more dedications scheduled over the coming weeks. I invite you all to 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.

Monday, April 20, 2026

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Opening Arrangements Set for the Ephraim Utah Temple & Groundbreaking Announced for the Springfield Missouri Temple

Hello again, everyone! The First Presidency has set opening arrangements for the Ephraim Utah Temple and a groundbreaking ceremony for the Springfield Missouri Temple. Let's get righton into the details: The media day for the Ephraim Utah Temple will be held on Monday, August 31, 2026, with invited guests touring the temple on Tuesday, September 1. The public open house will follow between Wednesday, September 2 and Saturday, September 19, excluding the Sundays of September 6 and 13. 

The temple dedication will follow on Sunday, October 11, 2026, at 10:00 AM local time (with a reboradcast at 2:00 PM). Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will preside thereover. Elder Rasband brought the announcement of the Ephraim Utah Temple to the Saints in that district, so it is fitting that, in the absence of President Nelson, Elder Rasband will dedicate this temple. Interestingly enough, Elder Rasband will dedicate this temple one week before he presides over the previously announced dedication of the Managua Nicaragua Temple.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the Springfield Missouri Temple wll take place on Saturday, June 6, 2026. Elder Aroldo V. Cavalcante of the United States Southeast Area Presidency will preside at the temple groundbreaking. I had theorized that Springfield Missouri might be one of the next temples to have groundbreakings, so I'm grateful I was proven to be correct in that theory.

As a result of today's announcement, I have updated my documents showing current apostles' temple dedications during President Oaks' prophetic administration and my side-by-side comparison of temple groundbreakings in 2025 vs. 2026. As another interesting fact, the groundbreaking for the Springfield Missouri Temple will take place before the groundbreaking for the Missoula Montana Temple, although both will occur on the same day. And the side-by-side comparison of temple groundbreakings shows we are not currently keeping pace with last year, though I suspect strongly that that will change in the near term.

The Church News has also covered the Ephraim dedication and the Springfield groundbreaking. I am pleased to have been able to provide this analysis for you all. I invite you all to 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.

Sunday, April 19, 2026

UPDATED: Current Apostolic Data

Hello again, everyone! It has been a tradition on this blog for me to provide updates on apostolic data roughly every 7 weeks. Having last done so on Sunday, March 1, it is time to publish the newest such data. As with every two-part update, the first part contains updated data about the age and tenure length records for all 18 Church Presidents (including our current prophet, President Dallin H. Oaks), in addition to updated information on the tenure lengths for each of the 30 Presidents of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (including current Quorum President, Henry B. Eyring). 

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 not even making that list for the next 6 years), 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). The clock on the current group reset when Elder Gilbert was ordained last week.

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, plus apostolic nonagenarians (with 2 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 13 apostles will become nonagenarians and join that list.

With these updates being published every 7 weeks, the next one will be provided here on Sunday, June 7. Hopefully, this post is of interest to you all. Again, I offer an open invitation to 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. 

Monday, April 13, 2026

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: First Presidency Announces Next Major Temple Construction Update

Hello again, everyone! Today, in a stunning announcement, dedications have been announced for the Belo Hiroizonte Brazil, Miraforeks Guatemala City Guatemala, and Managua Nicargua Temples, with groundbreaking announcements set for the Missoula Montana Temple. There is a lot to get into, so let's dive right in!

We start with the Belo Hironte Brazil Temple. A media day will take place on Wednesday, July 10, followed by two days of tours for invited guests. The public open house will follow between Saturday, June 13-Saturday, June 27, excluding the Sundays of June 14 and 21.  The dedication will follow on Sunday, August 16, with the presiding apostle to be named later. The dedicatory session will take place at 10:00 AM, with a rebroadcast at 2:00 Belo rizonte time (7:00 AM and 11:00 AM Utah time) and will be broadcast to all units in the temple district.

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The media day for the Miraflores Guatemala City Guatemala Temple will take plce on Monday, August 24, with VIp tours taking place over the next two days. The public open house will follow between Thursday, August 27, and Saturday September 12, excluding the Sundays of August 30 and September 6. Elder Gerrit W. Gong will preside at the temple's dedication on Sunday, October 11, 2026. at 10:00 AM *with a rebroadcast at 2:00 PM, both Central Standard time, as Gauwmala doesn't observe Daylight Saving time)

And the media day for the Maugua Nicaragua Temple will be held on Monday, September 7, with emdia days following on the next two days. The public open house will take place between Thursday, September 10, and Saturday, September 26 (excluding the Sundays,of September 13 and 20). The temple dedication will follow on October 18, 2026 at 10:00 AM, under the presiding direction of Elder Ronald A. Rasband. Managua time is equivalent to utah time, at least currently.

Ground will be broken for the Missoula, Montana Temple on Saturday, June 6, 2026. United States Central Area President Jose A. Teixdira will preside thereover. Annolunced by President Nelson in April 2023, the groundbreaking announcement follows the Monday November 4, 2024, with the exterior rendering relenased on on Monday, December 23, 2024.

Links to my updated docuemtns will be shared ASAP later this afternoon or evening. I invite you all to 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.

Thursday, April 2, 2026

UPDATED: April 2026 General Conference Predictions (Final Edition)

Hello again, everyone! With exactly 36 hours left before the April 2026 General Conference begins, I wanted to post the final edition of my predictions for this weekend. Given the recent confirmation that the upcoming conference will include 4 daytime sessions and a Solemn Assembly to sustain President Oaks, his counselors, and the members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, as I recently stated on this very blog, I feel that the sustaining of the general Church leadership will occur in two parts over two sessions.

I am also surmising that selected members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will only conduct two sessions (with the two First Presidency counselors conducting the other two sessions). As far as how it will work with one less session, I am assuming that all speakers who are not in the First Presidency or Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will speak for slightly reduced amounts of time. It is possible that theapostles may also have been asked to reduce the length of their respective talks, but that seems unlikely.

With that said, we begin with my projected speaker lineup. I believe that the October 2025 General Conference is a good model to base that lineup on. The only difference is that I am only projecting 13 speakers who are not apostles, as opposed to the 19 we saw in October.  I'm hoping I low-balled that, but we'll have to see. Next up are my predictions for changes in general Church leadership, some of which may or may not actually be acknowledged. 

That second document also has my projected figures for the statistical report, and the figures in question are either based on factual information I was able to ascertain or else estimates reached using a complex algorithm that is hard to explain. Unless I am mistaken, the actual data on the report will be released on the Newsroom at some point during the Saturday Morning Session.

Next, I wanted to note that in view of what President Oaks said in an interview on the day before he dedicated the Burley Idaho Temple, it seems probable that temples will no longer be announced in General Conference. But that being siad, I'm sure there may be an occasional exception to that, which is why I am also including my masterlist of what I have projected to be the most likely locations for a new temple.

No matter if my predictions are right or wrong, I am definitely looking forward to this General Conference weekend. I invite you all to 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.

Tuesday, March 31, 2026

First Quarter 2025 Temple Construction Progress Review

Hello again, everyone! As the first quarter of 2025 draws to a close, I am pleased to provide a look back at temple construction progress during this quarter. This report shows where things stood at the beginning of the year, and this report shows where the temple construction progress stands at the end of this quarter. There have been several pretty significant updates during this quarter. And looking ahead to the second quarter of 2025, there is a lot to which we can look forward.

I am assuming that will continue to include Monday orTuesday announcements most weeks. So to the best of my ability, I will try to continue to share updates on that front here as soon as possible. I invite you all to 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.

Friday, March 27, 2026

UPDATED: April 2026 General Conference Adjusted Speaker Lineup Predictions

Hello again, everyone! Given the recent confirmation that the Sunday Morning Session of the April 2026 General Conference will more particularly focus on messages about the life, ministry, mission, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, I have once again revised my predictions for the speaker lineup for General Conference weekend. 

Based on the aforementioned source, I now believe the Sunday Morning Session will include talks from each member of the First Presidency, alongside a couple of members of the Quorum of the Twelve and other general Church leaders.For that reason, I now believe that 4 members of the Quorum of the Twelve will speak on Saturday Morning, 3 each on Saturday Afternoon and Sunday Afternoon, and the remaining 2 on Sunday Morning, along with the First Presidency and a couple of other general Church leaders. 

I have adjusted my predictions accordingly.  And if, as I am projecting, the entire First Presidency speaks on Sunday Morning, President Oaks will likely close out the final session with brief concluding remarks rather than a full-length address. It is also possible that President Oaks could speak briefly before or after the Solemn Assembly is held, but I am less convinced that will be the case. And if the entire First Presidency speaks during the Sunday Morning Session, neither of the current counselors in the First Presidency will need to speak in any of the other sessions.

For all of these reasons, the adjustments make sense to me. I hope the revised speaker lineup predictions prove insightful to all who view them here. And again, I have no insider knowledge regarding the speaker lineup. This is my analysis based on past patterns. The elimination of a Saturday Evening Session  is a game-changer for sure. And whether I'm right or wrong about any such projections, I will still enjoy following along with what actually happens over General Conference weekend.

You can count on my analysis of any major news that will be announced during General Conference weekend. And leading up to that, I will have the final version of all predictions relating to the conference posted here on Thursday night at 10:00 PM (36 hours before the first session begins). I invite you all to 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.

Monday, March 23, 2026

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Renderings Released for the Vienna Austria & Culiacán Mexico Temples

Hello again, everyone! As anticipated, the First Presidency made its customary Monday announcement at the top of this 2:00 PM MDT hour. Today, the renderings were released for the temples in Vienna Austria and Culiacán Mexico, and a new location was announced for the Charlotte North Carolina Temple.

We start in Vienna Austria, where the site location was announced in late October 2021 and the temple was originally announced the previous April. The release of this exterior rendering means a lot to my wife, who served in the Mission (which also covered parts of Germany).  Groundwater has been measured at that temple site, but grass has been resown over the boreholes in question. I don't know how close the Vienna Austria Temple might be to a groundbreaking, but I have promised my wife I will find a way to get her back there when the temple in question is dedicated, which may be 4-5 years out.

We now turn to the Culiacán Mexico Temple. The release of its' exterior rendering follows the site location confirmation in mid-February of last year, which in turn followed that temple's announcement in October 2021. Given the size of the edifice in question (around 10,000 square feet), it may or may not wind up being a modular temple. Given that temples in Mexico generally get approvals faster than European temples, I think the construction will only take 2-3 years once it's underway, unless this temple is modular, in which case it may only take 18-21 months to construct.

No reason was given for the altered site location of the Charlotte North Carolina Temple. The temple's original site was announced in late May 2023, following that temple's original announcement in April 2023.  The single-story edifice of approximately 30,700 square feet will now rise at 5926 Mathews-Mint Hill Road, Mint Hill, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. Unless there is a later change, it will retain the Charlotte name.

So far, for the 106 announced temples, 1 has a groundbreaking scheduled, site locations have been confirmed for 56 more (all but 16 of which have also had renderings released), and 50 other temples are awaiting confirmation of any official information. So the queue of announced temples is moving along nicely. That said, I had hoped another temple dedication or two or one or two groundbreakings would be announced.

But I am not disappointed in the news that we got pertaining to these three temples, and hopefully, with one more Monday left prior to General Conference, we will see temple dedications and/or groundbreakings announced. Whatever happens in that regard, you can count on my covering it. In the meantime, I invite you all to 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 can 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 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.

Monday, March 9, 2026

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Opening Arrangements Announced for the Cleveland Ohio Temple

Hello again, everyone! Contrary to my previous assertion that, aside from the Lindon Utah Temple media day, there would be no other major temple news, the First Presidency recently announced the opening arrangements for the Cleveland Ohio Temple

My assumption is that the main reason the Church is already announcing this update is because the Cleveland Ohio Temple is smaller and is in the United States, which makes those arrangements easier to set than the opening arrangements for their comparatively larger counterparts in both the United States and elsewhere in the world. That being said, let's get right into the relevant details:

The temple will host a media day on Monday, June 15, 2026, followed by two days of tours for invited guests, with the public open house following between Thursday, June 18, and Friday, July 3. The dedication of the temple will occur under the presiding direction of Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on Sunday, August 16, 2026, at 10:00 AM local time, with a rebroadcast at 2:00 PM. 

Both the dedication and its rebroadcast will be carried to all units in the new temple district. The dedication is occurring sooner than I expected, although I had correctly surmised that at least one other temple dedication would be set to occur before the previously announced dedication of the Phonm Penh Cambodia Temple. I still think it is likely that at least one additional temple dedication will also be set to occur before the dedication of Cambodia's first temple at the end of August. But we'll have to see what's announced next week.

I invite you all to 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.

Monday, March 2, 2026

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Opening Arrangements Announced for the San Diego California and Phnom Penh Cambodia Temples

Hello again, everyone! Today, the First Presidency announced opening arrangements for the San Diego California  and Phnom Penh Cambodia Temples. Let's get right into the details: We start with the San Diego California Temple. A media day will be held on Monday, June 15, 2026, with tours for invited guests the following two days. The open house will then occur from Thursday, June 18 through Saturday, July 11, 2026. The temple rededication will follow on Sunday, August 23, 2026, with the presiding apostle to be named at a later time. The dedicatory session will be held at 10:00 AM local time, with a rebroadcast at 2:00 PM to all units in the temple district.

Meanwhile, the media day for the Phnom Penh Cambodia Temple will be held on Wednesday, August 12, with invited guest tours the next two days. The public open house for this comparatively smaller temple will be held for a week between the Saturdays of August 15 and 22. The temple dedication will follow on Sunday, August 30, 2026, with Elder Patrick Kearon presiding thereover. The 10:00 AM dedicatory session will also be rebroadcast at 2:00 PM local time to all units in the temple district.

I am not surprised that the open house for the San Diego California Temple is almost a month long, and the temple's rededication was around the time I htought it would be. I am also not shocked that the presiding apostle was not named at this time. That means the odds are very good that it could be rededicated by a member of the First Presidency, though I don't know whether any of them have connections to San Diego. In the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, I believe that Elder Quentin L. Cook has some connection to the San Diego area, but I could be mistaken on that.

But I was surprised that the open house for the first temple in Cambodia will only last a week, and that the temple dedication in question will not take place until the end of August. Ihad projected it would occur on August 2, 9, or 16. I was only off by two weeks from the latter end of that estimate, but it still surprised me. I am cautiously optimistic that the mid- to late August windows for both of these events might mean that we could get other new temples dedicated in early to mid-August (August 2, 9, or 16). That might be a good window for the Miraflores Guatemala City Guatemala Temple. But time will tell on that.

I am glad that two more temples have had opening arrangements announced. I hope for other opening arrangements tobe announced later this month, along with perhaps some groundbreakings, exterior renderings, and/or site location confirmations later this month as well. I invite you all to 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.

Sunday, March 1, 2026

UPDATED: Apostolic Data

Hello again, everyone! It has been a tradition on this blog for me to provide updates on apostolic data roughly every 7 weeks. Having last done so on Sunday, January 11, it is time to publish the newest such data. As with every two-part update, the first part contains updated data about the age and tenure length records for all 18 Church Presidents (including our current prophet, President Dallin H. Oaks), in addition to updated information on the tenure lengths for each of the 30 Presidents of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (including Quorum President, Henry B. Eyring). 

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 not even making that list for the next 6 years), 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) The clock on the current group reset when Elder Gilbert was ordained last week.

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 2 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 13 apostles will become nonagenarians and join that list.

With these updates being published every 7 weeks, the next one will be provided here on Sunday, April 19.. Hopefully, this post is of interest to you all. Again, I offer an open invitation to 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. 

Monday, February 23, 2026

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: First Presidency Announces Major Updates on Six Temples

Hello again, everyone! On this Monday afternoon, the First Presidency has announced updates for 6 temples. There's a lot to cover, so let's get started: We begin with the Teresina Brazil Temple, for which a groundbreaking has been officially set. Elder Ciro Schmeil, First Counselor in the Brazil Area Presidency, will preside at the temple's groundbreaking on Saturday, April 18, 2026. 

This announcement follows that temple's April 2023 announcement by President Nelson, the confirmation of its' location in August 2023, and the release of its exterior rendering in February 2024. As things currently stand, the Teresina Brazil Temple will be the fifth temple to have a groundbreaking this year. The fifth temple groundbreaking laast year occurred on April 26, so that puts us 8 days ahead this year vs. last year. And there will likely be more groundbreakings coming down the pike.

We now move on to the 3 temples in the Philippines for which we received news today: Naga, Santiago, and Iloilo. That news included site confirmations and exterior renderings. We start with Naga. A single-story edifice of approximately 18,850 square feet, with an adjacent chapel and ancillary building, will rise on a 9.11-acre site on Lot 1045-A-1-A Barangay Concepcion Grande, Naga, Bicol, Philippines. Today's double announcement follows the October 2022 announcement of that temple.

The Santiago Philippines Temple, also announced in October 2022, will be a single-story edifice of 18,850 square feet and will rise on a 14.47-acre site east of Camella Isabella Main Road in Barangay Malvar, Santiago City, Province of Isabela, Philippines. The temple project will also include a meetinghouse, patron housing, and a distribution center. 

Meanwhile, the Iloilo Philippines Temple, announced in April 2023, will rise on a 7.7-acre site at Circumferential Road 1, Green Meadows, in Barangay Tacas, Jaro District, Province of Iloilo, Philippines, That temple will be the same size as the Santiago Temple, and the project will also include all 3 things mentioned in relation to the Santiago Temple, in addition to an arrival facility.

We now move on to the official details for the Rapid City South Dakota TempleAnnounced in April 2025, the 11,800 square foot edifice will rise on a 4.86-acre site at the northeast corner of Mount Rushmore Road and Moon Meadows Drive in Rapid City, South Dakota. NO exterior rendering or gorundbreaking information has been released at this time. Thesquare footage is slightly larger than the standard for modular temples, but I'm hoping it will be modular. My dad served in the South Dakota Rpaid City Mission, so I'm particularly grateful for this announcement today.

And finally, the Houston Texas South Temple has been renamed the Fort Bend Texas Temple. The temple's location and rendering were released in October of last year.  I am grateful for the announcements about these six temples. In view of the release of the official details for the 3 Philippines temples and the first temple in South Dakota, the number oft temples without any official information now sits at 50. I am grateful for today's announcements and for the chance Ihad to share this analysis here.

I invite you all to 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.

Monday, February 16, 2026

UPDATED: April 2026 General Conference Predictions

Hello again, everyone! In view of the November 17 announcement to discontinue the Saturday Evening Session of General Conference,the November 6 call of Elder Gérald Caussé, and the February 12 call of Elder Clark G. Gilbert to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, I have made major revisions to my April 2026 General Conference predictions. So I now present my revised projections for the speaker lineup, my predictions for changes in general Church leadership (which also includes my estimates for the data in the Statistical Report for 2025)  and my masterlist of potential locations in which a temple could be announced.

As previously mentioned, during an interview in conjunction with the Burley Idaho Temple dedication, President Oaks said the following about the announcement of new temples: "It has occurred to me for a long time that the best place to announce a temple is in that temple district. And the best person to announce it is the file leader in that area, which can be an Apostle on assignment to a stake conference or another meeting, or it can be the area president if there’s no Apostle in the district when a decision is made by the First Presidency to have a temple there."

He further stated: "It’s a pattern that we will follow as long as I have influence in determining those things. This does not change the pattern of decision-making or gathering facts and determining the agreeable timing and the need. And all those things will continue to be analyzed. But when it comes to making a decision from all those facts, the First Presidency will continue to make the decisions. But they’ll assign someone else to make the announcement in the place where the temple will be built."

With that in mind, I don't think there will be any new temples announced in any General Conference at all under President Oaks' prophetic administration. But Iwanted to include mymasterlist anyways, though I would be  shocked if the Easter-centric General Conference included temple announcements. We may or may not see somethingelse announced, but that is harder to project. And with just 4 sessions instead of the 5, there may be fewer speakers, or the non-apostolic speakers may have shorter allotments of time.

Whatevermight happen during General Conference weekend, I invite you all to 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.

Thursday, February 12, 2026

BREAKING APOSTOLIC NEWS: Elder Clark G. Gilbert Called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

 Hello again, everyone! As announced by the Newsroom and the Church NewsElder Clark G. Gilbert, a General Authortiy Seventy since April 2021 and the Commissioner of Church Education since August of that same year, has been called as the newest member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. According to the reports, he was called to the apostleship yesterday, and was ordained an apostle by President Oaks and the other 13 apostles earlier today.'

His call fills the vacancy created by the December 27, 2025, death of President Jeffrey R. Holland, who was serving as the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles when he passed away. Elder Gilbert, who was born in Oakland, California, on June 18, 1970, is 55 years old and brings a wide range of experience to his new calling. The reports note he made the following statement in response to his call:

"This is an amazing time to point people to the Savior Jesus Christ. When we do that, we can find joy and comfort and peace in Him. As President [Russell M.] Nelson once said, it’s much harder to find happiness where it doesn’t exist. And we’re so grateful that I have this calling now to witness that Jesus is the Christ. If people all across the world will look to Him, He will make their lives better, more meaningful, more joyful. And it happens in and through our Savior Jesus Christ.”

He grew up in a family where he was taught that there is a connection between education and Church membership. He went on to graduate from BYU in 1994 with a bachelor's degree in education. He also has a a master’s degree in East Asian studies, and a doctoral degree in business administration. He went on to teach at BYU-Idaho and later served as CEO of Deseret Digital Media, president of the Deseret News, president of BYU-Idaho, and the first president of BYU-Pathway Worldwide.

I was kind of hoping the new apostle would be announced soon, and even though I wasn't expecting Elder Gilbett would fill that vacancy, as soon as I read about his call, the Spirit confirmed to me that he has been called of God. One thing the article doesn't mention is how long he will continue as Commissioner of Church Education, there is precedent for apostles serving in that capacity. If they do replace him down the line in that capacity, there won't be as much of a domino effect as there was with the apostolic call of Elder Gérald Caussé.

I testify that Elder Gilbert has been called of God, and that we will be blessed as we follow his counsel and that of his fellow 14 apostles. I invite you all to 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.