Elder Clark G. Gilbert Celebrates His First Apostolic Birthday Today

Hello again, everyone! Today is Elder Clark G. Gilbert's 56th birthday, which is also his first birthday since being ordained an apostle on February 12 (as we know, he was called to the apostleship by President Oaks the day before). Let's get into his biography:

Clark Gordon Gilbert was born on this day in 1970, in Oakland California, to Paul Ensign Gilbert and Susan Carlson Gilbert while his father was attending law school. Once his dad graduated, the family relocated to Scottsdale, Arizona, at which time Scottsdale had a largely non-Latter-day Saint populace. When young Clark was 10 years old, in response to an assignment to write about a great America, he chose to base his report on the Prophet Joseph Smith. Years later, in a high school assembly, he chose not to be offended when his religious views were criticized and mocked. When he was asked what his favorite song was, he said "I Am a Child of God" and sang it for his class.

Despite being mocked in that assembly, among his close friends and families of other faiths, his views generated respect, with some of those families saying that when their children hung out with Clark, they never had to worry about them getting into trouble. The summer before his senior year, he and his younger sister attended an Especially for Youth (EFY) event at BYU, after which he wrote his sister a letter expressing a desire to be a better brother.

Following his high school graduation, Clark enrolled at BYU. Following his freshman year, he deferred his education to serve a full-time mission in the Japan Kobe Mission. His struggles to learn Japanese brought him to seek heavenly help. He developed a great love for the Japanese people. His mission allowed him to draw closer to his mission leaders, from whom he learned valuable lessons that would mold his future life.

After resuming his studies at BYU, he was introduced to Christine Calder, who had roomed with his younger sister in a BYU study abroad program in London. Impressed with her, she suggested his brother meet her.  Clark was immediately drawn to Christine, and Christine was similarly drawn to Clark. But Christine had a deep desire to serve a mission. As the couple's relationship became more serious, Christine decided to forgo missionary service in favor of marrying Clark. The two were sealed in early February 1994, just before Clark's sister began her missionary service.

Following their marriage, Clark and Christine completed their education at BYU. They then relocated to California, where Clark earned a Master's degree in Asian Studies. Clark then pursued doctoral studies at Harvard (in business administration).  When he struggled with the rigors of the program, Christine reminded him they had prayed for this opportunity. He prayed for and received the help he needed.  He completed his doctorate in 2001, after which he joined the faculty at Harvard. Christine taught early-morning seminary, while Clark served on the stake young men's presidency. The couple also mentored inner-city young men.

In 2005, Clark was recognized at Harvard for his strong research and teaching abilities and was being considered for tenure. But the Lord had another path in mind: Kim Clark, the President of BYU-Odaho, asked Clark to join him at BYU-Idaho for the purpose of expanding Church education on a more global scale. After praying about it and feeling it was the right thing to do, Clark and Christine relocated to Idaho, where Clark served as associate academic vice president of BYU-Idaho, where Clark helped to establish a scholarship program and provided leadership for online programs. 

Those efforts culminated in the eventual creation of BYU-Pathway Worldwide. Clark went on to become the CEO of the Deseret News. In 2015, he was called to serve as the president of BYU-Idaho. Just two years later, he was named the inaugural president of BYU-PW.  With the help of many others, he built up and helped expand BYU-PW further. Then, in April 2021, he was called to serve as a General Authority Seventy. In August of that year, he began serving as the Commissioner of Church Education.

As we now know, on Tuesday, February 10 of this year, he accompanied President Oaks to BYU, where the prophet gave his first public remarks. Clark could tell President Oaks had something on his mind, but the prophet didn't say anything to Clark until the next day. After a meeting of the Church Bord of Education, President Oaks pulled Elder Gilbert aside and asked to speak to him. Clark assumed it was a routine matter relating to Church education, and was shocked when he was instead called to fill the vacancy in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Clark and Christine stayed up late that night, talking about what they admired about each of Elder Gilbert's apostolic colleagues. The other 14 apostles ordained Clark to the apostleship the very next day.

A short time ago, Elder Gilbert confirmed via social media that he is now assigned to the Missionary Exectuvie Council, where he is working with Elder Ronald A. Rasband. As we also now know, an introductory article about Elder Gilbert is featured in the May 2026 Liahona, written by Elder David A. Bednar, who appears to be Elder Clark's apostolic mentor. The April 2026 General Conference marked the first time that Elder Gilbert spoke as an apostle. He has only given one other talk in General Conference since being called as a General Authority.

Given that Elder Gilbert filled the vacancy in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles that arose from the death of President jeffrey R. Holland, who, like Elder Gilbert, was a university president who later served as the Commissioner of Church Education and was subsequently called to the apostleship, I am not altogether surprised that Elder Gilbert was the Lord's choice tofill that apostolic vacancy. There are no coincidences in the Lord's Church.

As soon as I read about Elder Gilbert's apostolic call, I immediately felt the Lord confirming to me that he was the Lord's choice for this vacancy. So I can readily testify that Elder Gilbert has been called of God and was foreordained to be an apostle of the Lord. He is the youngest apostle to be called since the 2024 call of Elder Bednar at the age of 52. And he is the first apostle to be born in the 1970s. Given his age, I would not be shocked if he serves as Church President at some point, but that is, of course, up to the Lord.

In the interim, I am grateful to have been able to put together this tribute to Elder Gilbert. I know we will not be led astray if we listen to tne cousnel of those we ssustain as prophets, seers, and revelators, including Elder Gilbert. 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.

In Honor of Elder David A. Bednar's 74th Birthday

Hello again, everyone! Given that today is June 15, I wanted to take an opportunity to pay tribute to Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who is marking his 74th birthday today. Let's get into some details about Elder Bednar's life thus far:

David Allan Bednar was born in Oakland California on this day in 1952 to Anthony George and Lavina Whitney Bednar. His mother came from a long line of Latter-day Saint ancestors, but his father was not a member of the Church. 

Despite not having a formal Church membership, Anthony Bednar fully supported the rest of his family in their Church membership, and he would often step in and participate in meetings and Church activities, including various service projects, whereby he was in essence functioning in the same supportive way as other Church members did, but as one who was not a Church member. Young David would often ask Anthony when he would be baptized, to which his father replied that he would do so when he felt it was right.

Elder Bednar served a mission in southern Germany, during which time, then-Elder Boyd K. Packer visited his mission, and was advised that to get through the necessary border security, he would need money. The future President Packer would later recount in General Conference that a young missionary provided him with the money he needed, and later revealed that Elder Bednar had been that missionary. 

Elder Bednar attended BYU-Provo, where he earned a bachelor's degree in communication and a master's in organizational communication. He went on to earn a doctoral degree in organizational behavior from the prestigious Purdue University. He met Susan Kae Robinson at an activity for young adults. He recounts that they were playing flag football and that he threw a pass, which she caught. Susan would later note that, incidentally, that was the only time she could remember catching a pass. That experience left a positive impression on both of them, and the two started dating not long afterward. 

They were married in the Salt Lake Temple on March 20, 1975, and would go on to raise 3 sons together. One major highlight of Elder Bednar's life came long after his marriage. Anthony called his son one day and asked, "Would you be free on (and he named a near-future date)? I would like you to come and baptize me." He was able to baptize and confirm his father, and also ordained him to the priesthood.

He spent his vocational career as an educator at several secondary schools. For four years (1980-1984), he was an assistant professor of management at what was then the College of Business Administration at the University of Arkansas. He spent the next two years as an assistant professor at Texas Tech University, after which he returned to Arkansas, where he served first as the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies, then as the Director of the Management Decision-Making Lab. 

During this time, he was recognized as being an outstanding educator through the receipt of many prestigious awards and honors. He also had a few ecclesiastical responsibilities within the Church at around the same time. He spent several months as a bishop, then went on to serve first as the president of what was then the Fort Smith, Arkansas Stake, then as the first president of the newly established Rogers Arkansas Stake. During the final months of his service as a stake president, he was called to serve as a regional representative. In 1997, he was among the first men called to serve in the new position of area seventy. 

That same year, he was also called by the Church Board of Education to serve as president of Ricks College. His tenure there spanned from 1997-2004, during which time he led the transition of that college to BYU-Idaho. In October 2004, as a result of the apostolic vacancies due to the July deaths of Elders Neal A. Maxwell and David B. Haight (which occurred 10 days apart), Church President Gordon B. Hinckley announced that the vacancies would be filled by Elders Dieter F. Uchtdorf and David A. Bednar.

At the time of his call to the apostleship, Elder Bednar, who was 52 at that time, was the youngest apostle to have been called since then-Elder Dallin H. Oaks (who had been called to the apostleship in 1984 at the age of 51). Although he immediately commenced his service in the apostleship, he also continued to serve as president of BYU-Idaho for several weeks before the appointment of an interim president. Elder Bednar's tenure as an educator has molded how he speaks and ministers as an apostle. 

One of his common traditions, as he speaks at General Conference, is to invite the Holy Ghost to bless him and the rest of us as we listen to his remarks. Since his October 2004 call to the apostleship, he has given 44 addresses in General Conference, which are always well crafted and insightful, and are well worthy of review by all of us. He is currently the second-most senior member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (which, including the current members of the First Presidency, makes him the fourth in overall apostolic seniority), and the fifth oldest among the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the eighth oldest among all 15 ordained apostles. 

While I have never had the honor of personally meeting him, from the moment his apostolic call was first announced and onward since then, I have had a testimony that his apostolic call has been inspired and directed by the Lord, which I reiterate to you all today. Given his relatively younger age in comparison to both the five apostles senior to him, and four of the eight apostles who are junior to him, I fully believe that Elder Bednar may serve as Church President or at least in the First Presidency at some point. That, of course, will be up to the Lord’s will and the health and longevity of Presidents Oaks, Eyring, and Uchtdorf. And I want to make it very clear that such a prospect is merely my personal opinion and not anything I can attribute to anyone else. 

I am grateful to have been able to provide this tribute to Elder Bednar as he marks his 74th birthday today. 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 section 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.

Initial Predictions for the October 2026 General Conference

Hello again, everyone! Having previously covered the results of my April 2026 General Conference predictions, I am pleased to now present my initial predictions for the October 2026 General Conference, consisting of my projected speaker lineup, my predictions for changes in general Church leadership, and my masterlist of all prospective locations in which I believe a temple could be announced.

The projected speaker lineup could use a little more explanation. It used to be that we'd hear from members of the Presidency of the Seventy and the Presiding Bishopric during every General Conference. The last time a member of the Presiding Bishopric spoke was when then-Presiding Bishop Gérald Caussé spoke in April 2025, and that was the same conference in which we last heard from a member of the Presidency of the Seventy (Elder S. Mark Palmer, who, as we know, will be released from that Presidency and granted emeritus status on August 1 of this year). 

I've been wondering if the Church has decided to put members of the Presidency of the Seventy and the Presiding Bishopric on the same speaking rotation schedule as the other General Authority Seventies. If so, then it's almost certain we will hear from a member of the Presidency of the Seventy, based on the fact that Elder Edward Dube last spoke in April 2021, and all of the other GA Seventies who last spoke in April 2021 spoke in April of this year.

I don't know what that might indicate about the Presiding Bishopric, but I have included both Elder Edward Dube and Presiding Bishop W. Christopher Waddell in e predictions just in case. Also, ordinarily, when a smaller number of GA Seventies is sustained in April, almost all or all of them speak in October. Given that I'm including both Elder Dube and Bishop Waddell in my predictions, there wasn't room in this lineup for all 8 of the new GA Seventies named in April.

As far as the changes in general Church leadership go, barring anything unexpected, only changes in area seventies appear likely to occur this time around. And although I do not anticipate any new temples being announced in General Conference, my masterlist shows those candidates that might be announced in between now and the weekend of the October 2026 General Conference.

Other than these notes, the predictions speak for themselves. I gladly welcome any questions or comments on them. Just to reiterate, this is my initial draft of these predictions. I could see other iterations published if much clarification or correction is needed. 

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.

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.

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.

BREAKING NEWS: First Presidency Adjusts Sunday Meeting Schedules

Good evening, everyone! Tonight, the First Presidency announced a major adjustment to the Sunday meeting schedule. Effective September 6, 2026, the Church block will consist of a 1-hour Sacrament Meeting, a 5-minute transition to classes, 25 minutes of Sunday School, and 25 minuttes of Elders' Quorum/Relief Society.

Sunday School General President Paul V. Johnson noted the following: “Gathering weekly in every class helps deepen gospel learning by connecting it more closely to personal and family study. It also enhances the spiritual support that members get. Though the schedule looks different, the amount of time spent learning together remains the same.”

Sunday School classes will continue to use "Come, Follow Me". Aaronic Priesthood quorums and Young Women groups will be taught from "For the Strength of Youth." And adults will continue to learn from General Conference talks in Priesthood/Relief Society.

Of the new scheduled, Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson stated: “There is additive strength that comes when we meet each week to counsel, learn, and support one another, When we gather in His name, the Spirit is there to teach us, testimonies are strengthened, and we lift each other in discipleship. This weekly time for connection will help us draw closer to the Savior and each other. We find joy in walking the covenant path together.”

Of strenghtening worship in Sacrament Meeting, the news release states: "While the length of sacrament meeting remains unchanged, leaders are encouraged to deliberately consider ways to strengthen the quality of worship and help sacrament meeting become more central in the lives of Latter-day Saints. Members are invited to seek meaningful ways to enrich their own worship experience. Sacrament meeting is a time of joy, reverence, and welcoming fellowship centered on the Savior Jesus Christ.

"The fifth Sunday in August 2026 will be dedicated for preparation and discussion by youth, their parents, and their leaders. Additional preparation and discussion for members will take place during the second hour on September 6, 2026. Resources, training materials, and answers to common questions will be made available in the coming weeks."

I am grateful for this landmark adjustment and testify that it is inspired by the Lord. 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.

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.

BREAKING NEWS: 12 Additional New Hymns Released

Hello again, everyone! Breaking news from the Church was reported a short time ago: the release of 12 new hymns that will be included in Hymns—For Home and Church. The selections are as follows: 

“Joyfully Bound” 

“My Covenants”

“When I Am Baptized” (current children's song with updated lyrics

“The Power of the Holy Ghost”

“Elijah and the Still, Small Voice”

“Jesus Is My Shepherd”

“My Song in the Night”

“This Is My Father’s World”

“Build an Ark”

“Love Will Bless Our Home”

“Lord, Accept Our Humble Fast”

“Long Ago, Within a Garden”

The new releases in Hymns—For Home and Church now total 72 in English, French, Spanish, and  Portuguese, with some of those hymns already being released in other languages. Aside from "When I Am Baptized", I am only familiar with "My Song in the Night" and "This Is My Father's World", courtesy of the many times those songs have been performed by the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square during "Music & the Spoken Word". But I look forward to learning these newest selections.

And speaking thereof, since many of the new selections are based on Old Testament stories, the new release of hymns includes comments from Sunday School General President Paul V. Johnson, in addition to comments from Primary General President Susan H. Porter. President Johnson offered the folllowing suggestions for implementing these newhymns in our daily lives:

Memorize the lyrics.

Listen to the prerecorded songs throughout the day.

Teach from and sing together as a family.

Sing enthusiastically at home and church.

Invite someone to play or sing as part of a lesson at church.

Aside from these notes, I will let the new releases speak for themselves otherwise. 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.

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.

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 News, Elder 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.

Tribute to President D. Todd Christofferson For His 81st Birthday

Hello again, everyone! In view of his birthday today, President D. Todd Christofferson is now 81 years old. So let's get right on into a birthday tribute to him: 

David Todd Christofferson was born on this day in 1945 in American Fork, Utah (a place I proudly claim as my hometown) to Paul Vickery and Jeanne Swenson Christofferson. He spent his formative years in Pleasant Grove and Lindon, and his family subsequently relocated to Somerset, New Jersey. While there, he participated in the annual Hill Cumorah Pageant, and, having been urged by his bishop to do so, he earnestly sought a personal testimony of the gospel. 

Although he felt for a while that his prayer at that time had not been answered, the witness he was seeking came about a month later. At around this same time, his mother was diagnosed with cancer and underwent surgery for it. While his father learned later that he had gathered his brothers to pray for their mom, it would be years later that President Christofferson learned about his father's personal sacrifices to supply what his wife needed to help her with the housework.

Young Todd Christofferson also stepped in to help his mom by making homemade bread for his family, after being taught how to do so by his grandmother. After graduating from high school, he studied for a year at BYU prior to serving full-time in the Argentina North Mission, where he had two mission presidents, Ronald V. Stone, and his future colleague in the Quorum of the Twelve, Richard G. Scott. Following the conclusion of his missionary service, he returned to BYU, and there he met Kathy Jacob, whom he married in May 1968. 

He earned his bachelor's degree from BYU, and went on to get a doctor of law degree from the School of Law at Duke University. During his years as a young attorney, he clerked for Judge John J. Sirica at the time the Watergate hearings were occurring. When his clerkship ended, he took active duty with the US Army for a year, after which he served in the Army reserves for 8 years, by which time he had achieved the rank of Captain. 

His professional career took his family to Washington DC, Nashville Tennesee, and Charlotte North Carolina. During that same period of time, he would serve as a bishop, stake president, and in the now-defunct calling of regional representative to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. After being called as a general authority in April 1993 (at the same time as Elder Neil L. Andersen, alongside whom he now serves in the apostleship), he served in a variety of capacities (including as a member of area presidencies outside the US) until his call to the Presidency of the Seventy in August 1998. 

During his service in that presidency, he first served as the executive director for the Church's Family and Church History Department (which have since been split into two departments), where he worked to negotiate with Jewish religious leaders on the matter of performing temple ordinances for Holocaust victims, which in turn shaped the policy of Church members only being allowed to perform such ordinances for direct-line family members. 

In 2004, the First Presidency announced that the Presidency of the Seventy would be relieved of responsibility for the Church Departments and would instead oversee areas in the United States and Canada. Elder Christofferson was given responsibility for the North America Southeast Area of the Church from August 2004-August 2007, at which time he was reassigned to oversee the North America Northwest and North America West Areas. 

He continued that assignment for 8 months, then, as we know, he was the first apostle called by President Thomas S. Monson in April 2008. At the time of his release from the Presidency of the Seventy, which came in conjunction with his call as an apostle, he had become the second-most senior member thereof. During his first seven years as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, as noted, Elder Christofferson served alongside his former mission president, Richard G. Scott. 

Since his ordination as an apostle, Elder Christofferson has filled a wide variety of assignments, and he was serving as the senior member of the Quorum of the Twelve assigned to oversee the Church Public Affairs Committee when he was asked by President Nelson to introduce the new First Presidency in a worldwide broadcast on January 16, 2018. After President Nelson died last year, President Christofferson was called by new Church President Dallin H. Oaks to serve as his Second Counselor in the First Presidency. Given that the last two Solemn Assemblies have been led by the Second Counselor in the First Presidency, I am projecting that President Christofferson will lead the Solemn Assembly to sustain President Oaks in April. 

President Christofferson has given 42 addresses in General Conference so far, 1 of which was given in the conference following his call as a General Authority, with 5 others given during his near decade in the Presidency of the Seventy, and the remaining 36 as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Elder Christofferson currently ranks as the junior and youngest member of the current First Presidency. He is now the sixth in overall apostolic seniority and the fifth oldest among all of the apostles.

I am grateful for the life and ministry of President Christofferson. I had a couple of choice opportunities to meet him. His niece and her family lived in my parents' ward, so when their newest baby was blessed, then-Elder Christofferson presided at our Sacrament Meeting. A few years later, our paths crossed again while I was a temple worker, and he was the speaker at our yearly devotional. As one who has had the opportunity to chat informally with him on these two occasions, I testify that his call as one of the Savior's special witnesses is divinely inspired.

I greatly appreciate the chance to share these thoughts with you. 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.

BREAKING APOSTOLIC NEWS: Changes in the Leadership of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles Announced

Hello again, everyone! As a result of the December 27, 2025, death of President Jeffrey R. Holland, who had been serving as the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, President Henry B. Eyring, who is also serving as First Counselor in the First Presidency, became de de facto President of the Quorum of the TwelveApostles, with Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf assuming a role as the de facto Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. 

I had both felt and asserted that, a short time after President Holland was laid to rest, Church President Dallin H. Oaks would act quickly to make these changes official. So I am pleased to report that I was correct: those changes in question were recently confirmed. President Oaks set apart President Eyring and now-President Uchtdorf in their new responsibilities earlier today.

With the new Quorum leadership in place, I also strongly suspect that President Oaks will act to fill the resulting vacancy in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the near term. I offered my predictions for what might happen in that regard on my YouTube channel, so feel free to check out that video.And of course, whenever the new apostle is named, I will provide my own analysis on that here and on my YouTube channel.

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.

BREAKING APOSTOLIC NEWS: President Jeffrey R. Holland Passes Away at the Age of 85

 Hello again, every9one! As confirmed by both the Newsroom and the Church News, President Jeffrey R. Holland, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, has passed away. According to the reports, he died at about 3:45 AM this morning. I paid tribute to him earlier this month for his 85th birthday, and will let that tribute speak for itself. The Church News posted this video in his honor. I would just like to note in addition that, although funeral arrangements are still pending, he will likely be laid to rest within the next week.

As the result of President Holland's passing, President Eyring is now the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (the next in line of apostolic succession) and Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf is now the Acting Quorum President and will be granted again the title "President Uchtdorf". This will also be President Oaks' second apostolic vacancy to fill before his Solemn Assembly sustaining takes place in April. I expect he will act quickly to fill this vacancy as he did a month ago in appointing Elder Caussé.

As far as who might be appointed to fill the vacancy in question, my top predictions are either Eduward Dube of the Presidency of the  Seventy, or Elder Michael John U. Teh, a GA Seventy. I expect that will occur in the next month, if not sooner. But I will, of course, support and sustain whomever is called. In any case, Church leadership is going to look a lot different in April.

Aside from that, the already linked tributes, and those that will subsequently be posted in the coming days, there's not much else I can add. I now have several documents to update. Stay tuned here for my end-of-the-year temple construction update, which will be posted on New Year's Eve. I also 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.

Tribute to Elder Gerrit W. Gong, In Honor of His 72nd Birthday

Hello again, everyone! I am back two days before Christmas to post a birthday tribute to Elder Gerrit W. Gong, who is marking his 72nd birthday today. His is the last apostolic birthday to occur this year. The first apostle to observe his birthday in 2026 will be President D. Todd Christofferson, marking his 81st birthday on January 24. Let's now turn our attention to today's tribute to Elder Gong.Gerrit Walter Gong was born in Redwood City, California, on this day in 1953, to Walter and Jean Char Gong. While he was given his father's name for his middle name, his first name was given in honor of and out of respect to Gerrit de Jong, whose family hosted his mother while she studied at BYU-Provo.

After graduating from high school in Palo Alto, California, young Gerrit served as a missionary for the Church in Taiwan. He earned a bachelor's degree at BYU, then continued his education at Oxford University, where, as a Rhodes Scholar, he earned a master's degree and a doctoral degree in philosophy. 

He first met Susan Lindsay, the woman he would later marry, while giving presentations at the MTC focused on the culture of Taiwan, to groups of missionaries assigned to serve in that nation (Sister Lindsay, at that time, was preparing to serve her mission in Taiwan). At some point following her return from missionary service, while he was on summer break from Oxford, the two began dating. 

After Gerrit returned to Oxford, he and Susan (a BYU student) continued their courtship long-distance The couple was married in the Salt Lake Temple on January 2, 1980, and raised 4 sons. They spent most of their married lives in Virginia and Maryland. Brother Gong became a special assistant to the US Secretary of State in 1985. He subsequently became a professor at Johns Hopkins University and Georgetown University.

He continued his career as a special assistant in the US State Department and as a special assistant to the US embassy in China. In 1989, he served as China Chair and Asia Director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He was also invited to participate in multiple education summits, in addition to serving on the United States Department of Education's National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity. 

Toward the end of his professional career, he served as an Assistant to the President of BYU for Planning and Assessment. As impressive as his career may have been, the far more significant things he accomplished were in the course of Church service over several decades, during which he was a bishop, stake president, and area seventy. 

During his latter assignment, he accompanied the presiding authority to my parent's Stake Conference. As he spoke, I was impressed by his warmth, knowledge of the scriptures, and ability to teach from them. While I may not remember any specifics of what he said, the power of the Spirit which I felt when he was speaking was unmistakable.

After that conference, I had the opportunity to greet and chat with him informally. What I had seen at the pulpit while he spoke was even more apparent in his interactions with me and other members of my parent's stake. This is a man who feels and teaches by the Spirit. During the April 2010 General Conference, Elder Gong was among those called to serve as General Authority Seventies. 

He filled various assignments at Church headquarters for the first year or so after his call. From August 2011-August 2013, he served in the Asia Area Presidency as a counselor. In 2013, he was called as president of that same area. As a result of Elder Ronald A. Rasband's call to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles during the October 2015 General Conference, Elder Gong was called to the Presidency of the Seventy on October 6, 2015. 

He transitioned out of his role as Asia Area President and into that new assignment effective January 4, 2016. During his two years of active service in the Presidency of the Seventy, he had responsibility for overseeing the work of the Church in the North America Northeast Area. He also served on the Church Board of Education and Boards of Trustees, and as a member of the Executive Committee of the Boards. Following the October 2017 and January 2018 deaths of Elder Robert D. Hales and Church President Thomas S. Monson, new Church President Russell M. Nelson called both Elder Gong and Elder Ulisses Soares to serve as members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The two made history as the first Asian-American and Latin-American apostles of the Church. They were sustained as such on March 31, 2018, and both were ordained to the apostleship the following Thursday (April 5, 2018).

Consistent with the general practice of the Church, and for the first time since the October 2015 appointments of Elders Ronald A. Rasband, Gary E. Stevenson, and Dale G. Renlund, with the two apostles called, sustained, and ordained on the same day, Elder Gong, who is older, became the senior apostle to Elder Soares. In June 2018, Elders Gong and Soares met with media representatives for the first time as new apostles, at which time Elder Gong reported that he had been asked to chair the Scriptures Committee. 

His additional assignments included serving on the Priesthood and Family Executive Council, the Leadership and Training Committee, and the Outreach Committee. He also had apostolic oversight for the Asia and Asia North Areas. He is now serving on the Temple & Family History Executive Council.

Elder Gong has given a total of 16 addresses in General Conference thus far, which includes 1 as a General Authority Seventy, 1 other as a member of the Presidency of the Seventy, and the remaining 14 since beginning his service in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Due to his potential exposure to COVID-19 (for which he tested positive a few days later), he had pre-recorded his remarks in the days leading up to the October 2020 General Conference. 

Having successfully completed his quarantine, he was able to preside at the groundbreaking for the Taylorsville Utah Temple later that month. And after a yearlong delay, Elder Gong presided at the dedication of the Winnipeg Manitoba Temple in October 2021. As an apostle of Asia descent, he was sent in June 2022 to rededicate the Hong Kong China Temple. 

I am grateful to have been able to honor Elder Gong on this, his 69th birthday. Because of my previously-referenced personal interaction with him, I can testify that the Lord has prepared him for his present assignment, and I wholeheartedly sustain him and the other 14 apostles. I continue to monitor all Church News and temple updates and will be sure to pass word of those along to you as I become aware thereof.

I continue to monitor any and all Church News, Newsroom, and Church of Jesus Christ Temples updates and will be sure to pass word of those along to you all as they cross my radar. In the meantime, that does it for now. All comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated on any post at any time, as long as the offered feedback is made per the established guidelines. I hope any of you who would like to share anything will take your opportunity to “sound off” in the comments below. If you liked what you read here and would like to be informed of newly added posts and comments, please subscribe. If you would like to support the work done on this blog, donations in any amount are never required but are always welcome and appreciated. 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.

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: First Presidency Announces New Temple Will Be Built in Portland, Maine

Hello again, everyone! At a Christmas devotional for the Portland Maine Stake this evening, Elder Allen D. Haynie, United States Northeast Area President, read the following statement from the First Presidency: 

"We are pleased to announce the construction of a temple in Portland, Maine. The specific location and timing of the construction will be announced later. This is a reason for all of us to rejoice and thank God 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."

The First Presidency

This is the first temple to be announced under new Church President Dallin H. Oaks, and confirms what President Oaks said in his talk in October: "We will now move forward in providing the ordinances of the temple to members of the Church throughout the world, including when and where to announce the construction of new temples."

I had postulated that this would allow members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to announce new temples with the approval of the First Presidency in the course of their global ministry, so it makes sense that area presidencies would have similar authorizations to read official statements like this. The number of temples worldwide now sits at 383, with others to come in time, I'm sure.

Will any other temples be announced between now and the April 2026 General Conference? That's above my paygrade to know, but I conjecture that this could and likely will happen again. In view of this announcement, will anything else be announced tomorrow at 2:00 PM MST? I conjecture that will occur, since there is still a backlog of announced temples, and this just adds to it. But it also occurs to me to wonder how soon other updates will be announced for this first temple in Maine.

I had conjectured that, if temples were announcedoutside of General Conference, those announcements might come as temples are further along in the planning phase. So we could also potentially see a site location confirmed, rendering released, or groundbreaking set for this temple or any others in the near term. It's also worth noting that this is, to the best of my knowledge, the first temple since the Hinckley era to be announced in December.

Either way, this is wonderful news. 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.

In Tribute to President Jeffrey R. Holland, For His 85th Birthday

Hello again, everyone! With today being December 3, President Jeffrey R. Holland is observing his 85th birthday. I know that the Lord is no respector of persons, and doesn't play favorites, but on a personal level, I wanted to reiterate again that he is my favorite apostle. I have a couple of familial connections to him. My dad was born and raised in St. George, and his father (Dean Stokes), was Elder Holland's home teaching companion when "young Jeff" was an Aaronic Priesthood holder. According to my dad, his father often expressed his wonder that a boy like Elder Holland had become an apostle of the Lord. I know that at times, it may seem that some members of the Church, to varying degrees, have put the leading Brethren of the Church on a pedestal, but I am reminded in accounts, such as that which was shared by my grandfather, that these men may have been foreordained to the apostleship, but they are no different than any other member of the Church; the Lord just ordered their lives based on their personal choices in such a way that when such calls came to them, they were qualified through years of service in the Church and living what they believe. That is important for all of us to remember.

My mom is a freelance proofreader, and in the early days of her marriage to my dad, she worked on many projects for the Church Educational System. Since that occurred at the time when then-Brother Holland was the Commissioner of the CES, he was essentially my mom's "boss." And she speaks warmly of the experiences she had working with him on such projects. Personal connections aside, I wanted to share a brief biographical sketch of Elder Holland.

Jeffrey Roy Holland was born in St. George, Utah to Frank D. and Alice Bentley Holland on December 3, 1940. He served a full-time mission in the British Isles. His mission president was Marion D. Hanks, (who at that time was a member of the now-defunct First Council of the Seventy and later served in the First Quorum and Presidency of the Seventy). One of young Jeff Holland's missionary companions was Quentin L. Cook, alongside whom he would later serve in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Of now-President Holland, Elder Cook has remarked that it is interesting to him that he, as the previously-senior missionary companion to Elder Holland, is now the junior apostle to his former junior companion. Following the concusion of Jeff's missionary service, he attended BYU, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s degree in religious education. Additionally, shortly after his release from missionary service, he married his high school sweetheart, Patricia Terry, in 1963. They are the parents of a daughter and two sons.

Their oldest son, Matthew, served as the President of Utah Valley University and as president of the North Carolina Raliegh Mission. During General Conference in April 2020, Matthew S. Holland was sustained as a General Authority Seventy, marking the first time a fahter-and-son duo have served together as general authorities since the July 2015 death of President Boyd K. Packer. Once Elder Holland earned his bachelor's and master's degrees, he went on to earn a doctorate degree in American studies from Yale. He then became a professor at BYU, serving as Dean of the College of Religion. He served as Commissioner of Church Education from 1976-1980. In 1980, President Dallin H. Oaks, who was then serving as President of BYU-Provo, announced his intention to move on to other opportunities. Commissioner Holland was put in charge of the committee to find the new BYU President. 

Two days later, he was stunned when the First Presidency appointed him to that assignment. He had reportedly been favored for the position by President N. Eldon Tanner, who was then serving as First Counselor in the First Presidency, and was the protege of then-Elder Gordon B. Hinckley, who at that time was the senior member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles asssigned to the Church Board of Education. Elder Holland would go on to serve as president of BYU for 9 years himself, until his April 1, 1989 call as a General Authority and member of the First Quorum of the Seventy. 

Prior to his call to general Church service, Elder Holland also served as a bishop, counselor in a stake presidency, and regional representative. After the First Presidency was reorganized following the death of President Ezra Taft Benson, President Howard W. Hunter took immediate action to fill the apostolic vacancy. In the space of a few short hours on Thursday June 23, President Hunter issued a call to the apostleship to Elder Holland, gave him his apostolic charge, set apart and ordained him to that calling, and had him join the other 14 apostles in their weekly meeting at the temple. That action was sustained by Church membership during the Solemn Assembly that was held exactly 100 days later.

As we know, then-Elder Holland experienced significant health challenges earlier in 2023 that reportedly almost ended his life and kept him from speaking in both General Conferences in 2023. Prior to that hospitalization,Elder Holland also experienced the death of his sweet wife.

As we also know, President M. Russell Ballard, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles,died on Sunday November 12, with Elder Holland set appart to succeed him in that assignment 3 days later.

President Holland has given a total of 64 addresses in General Conference.  Of those, 3 were prior to his apostolic call. The first time he spoke during General Conference was in April 1983, while he was serving as the President of Brigham Young University. He spoke alongside his son during that session. He gave two other talks following his 1989 call as a General Authority Seventy, and the remaining 61 General Conference addresses as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. 

To me, it always seems as though the talks given by President Holland are specifically focused on something I have been dealing with personally at the time. As a consequence, listening to him speak every six months is one of my favorite things about General Conference weekends, and I keenly felt his absence from the two General Conferences in 2023. The last thing I want to mention about Elder Holland is that he is currently the most-senior member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the second in seniority among all current apostles. 

He is also the third-oldest member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and is the ifth-oldest among all living apostles. Interestingly enough, although he is the most senior of the three apostles born in 1940 (with Elders Uchtdorf and Cook being the other two), he is the youngest of the three. His apostolic seatmate, Elder Uchtdorf,  obsrved his 85th birthday just under one month ago, with Elder Cook having done the same two months prior to that.

I am grateful for the life and ministry of President Holland, for the miraculous preservation of his life, and for the chance I had to write this post in his honor today. 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.

Initial Predictions for the April 2026 General Conference

Hello again, everyone! As I mentioned in my previous post, I had already done a rough draft of my initial predictions for the April 2026 General Conference before today's announcement discontinuing the Saturday Evening Session of General Conference. 

That announcement took me back to the drawing board as far as those predictions were concerned. I am pleased to now present my revised initial predictions for the April 2026 General Conference. As per my usual custom, I have my projected speaker lineup, my predictions regarding changes in general Church leadership (which also includes my projected data for the 2025 statistical report), and my masterlist of possible locations in which temples could be announced.

With reference to the last document, I would not be surprised to either just see a few new temples announced or for the current hiatus on temple announcements to continue until the queue of announced temples is significantly smaller, although I am hoping by the time this General Conference rolls around that the queue will be much smaller than it is right now. This masterlist is being included in these predictions just in case there are new temples announced.

The rest of the predictions speak for themselves, I think. If any of you have any questions, I welcome the opportunity to address them 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.

BREAKING NEWS: First Presidency Discontinues Saturday Evening Session of General Conference; Places Renewed Focus on 4 Daytime Sessions

 Hello again, everyone! Roughly 45 minutes ago, the First Presidency officially announced that, in an effort to place renewed focus on the 4 daytime sessions of General Conference, the Saturday Evening Session of General Conference will be disctoninued, effective immediately. I had already put together a tentative projection for what I expected the lineup of General Conference to be. Now it's back to the drawing board.

But since the Church has already reduced the number of talks given by the First Presidency and increased the number of general Church leaders speaking in General Conference, that may give some indication of what the schedule will look like going forward. It will be interesting to see what happens in this regard. In any case, I do not expect the current First Presidency to reverse course in a month, as happened the last time the Saturday Evening Session was discusntinued. I thinik this one will stick. What that means for the future is anyone's guess.

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. 

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