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Friday, January 5, 2018

An Interesting Anomaly Regarding Upcoming Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults

Hello again, everyone! Yesterday or the day before (I'm honestly not sure which), I had posted a few thoughts about how assignments given or approved by a prophet who subsequently passes away prior to such events occurring are generally honored by his successor in the Church presidency. And it appears that is the case with the assignment given to the Uchtdorfs to speak during the Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults.

There is an interesting anomaly about that assignment, along with a unique invitation associated with it that I thought  was worth mentioning. In regards to the unique invitation, the Uchtdorfs have invited many young adults in Utah to be with them in the Conference Center as the devotional is held. But they have also announced that the devotional will include activities for their involvement, the encouragement to use social media during the course of that devotional, and refreshments and an informal get-together after the devotional.

Now that I have discussed the unique invitation, here is the anomaly: This Church News article uses the honorific title for President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, but this article from the Church's official website is virtually a verbatim copy of that article, with one exception: it refers to him as "Elder Uchtdorf".

In an earlier comment in which I offered my response to a question about the use of the honorific title, I mentioned that it is generally customary for counselors of a deceased Church president to retain the use of their honorific titles at least through the funeral services, if they do not go on to be retained in the First Presidency under the new Church president.

So I thought it was interesting that two almost identical sources about this devotional have different designations for President Monson's Second Counselor. With that said, that does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all  the best and pray that the Lord will bless you  all in everything you do.

Slight Update Provided For the Completion Time-frame for the Houston Texas Temple

Hello again, everyone! While there have not been any major Church or temple news items in the last 36 hours or so, I did find one update, albeit a minor one, to the estimated time-frame for when the restoration or renovation process will be completed this year for the Houston Texas Temple. A few of the sources I have available for temple-related information have updated that time-frame from early 2018 to spring 2018. That development makes sense. Early 2018 can be considered as the first 3-5 months of the year, whereas spring (at least in the northern hemisphere), goes from mid-March to mid-June. So that is only a slight difference. And I did want to note, for what it's worth, that I don't see this change as reason enough to alter my estimate for that event (which I have said could occur on either April 15 or 22). Just wanted to pass that update along to you all.

That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

Thursday, January 4, 2018

Potential Speakers at Funeral Services for President Monson

Hello again, everyone! In the late-night hours where the 3rd has become the 4th, I am back to pass along some thoughts about whom we might hear from during the funeral services for President Thomas S. Monson. Based on the outline for President Hinckley's funeral 10 years ago, I have felt the outline could look something like this:

Presiding: President Russell M. Nelson
Conducting: President Henry B. Eyring
Speakers: Sister Ann M. Dibb (representing the family)
Bishop Gerald Causse
Elder L. Whitney Clayton
President Russell M. Nelson
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
President Henry B. Eyring

Again, these are no more and no less than my own personal thoughts, based on what we saw with President Hinckley's funeral services almost 10 years ago. The funeral for President Howard W. Hunter saw a slightly different formula, with addresses from Jon M. Huntsman Sr., Elder James E. Faust, President Boyd K. Packer, President Thomas S. Monson, and President Gordon B. Hinckley. Since this funeral will be put together in the way the Monson family prefers, we could see something different happen. Whatever might happen in terms of that funeral, you can depend on my report on it here after the fact.

That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.