Hello again, everyone! In the last week or two, as time and circumstances have allowed, I have worked on assembling my initial predictions for the October 2018 General Conference. I will share those in a subsequent post, but for now, I wanted to pass along some assumptions I have made that have molded those predictions.
The list of those assumptions follows below. So as not to interrupt the flow of those assumptions, I will end the post here. That does it for now. 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.
Assumptions and Conclusions That Have Shaped My Initial
Predictions for the October 2018 General Conference
Overall:
1.
Any new temples may be announced as part of
President Nelson’s remarks during either the opening session on Saturday
Morning or the concluding one on Sunday Afternoon.
2.
President Nelson will continue to share the
responsibility for conducting sessions with his counselors, with the exception
of the Women’s Session, which may still be conducted by one of the presidents
of the Women’s Auxiliaries.
3.
The Sustaining of Church Officers will be
conducted at its’ usual time at the beginning of the Saturday Afternoon
Session. Since President Oaks did such a wonderful job with the names of area
seventies that were released and sustained, President Eyring may lead the
Sustaining of Church Officers this go-round, when few (if any) changes in area
seventies may be noted.
4.
The First Presidency will continue the tradition
established during the April 2018 General Conference of having an equal or
greater number of speakers born outside the US as within it.
5.
We will hear from one member of the Presiding
Bishopric (likely during the Saturday Afternoon Session), two members of the
Presidency of the Seventy (likely during the Saturday and Sunday Morning
Sessions), and at least three general officers of the Church (unless only two
speak.
6.
From among the General Authorities, we will hear
from half of the 8 who were called in April 2018, and also from more seasoned General
Authority Seventies who have either not given a second address yet, will likely
be granted emeritus status this conference, or who have not had an opportunity
to speak in 4.5-6 years.
Saturday Morning:
1.
President Nelson’s remarks will be short to
pre-endorse the other addresses that will be given during General Conference.
Any major announcements, including new temple locations, may be made during
that time.
2.
Three members of the Quorum of the Twelve
Apostles will speak.
3.
The General Authority Seventies and member of
the Presidency of the Seventy that will speak will all be born outside the US.
4.
We may hear from one general officer of the
Church.
5.
One of President Nelson’s counselors will speak
during this session (whichever one does not present the Sustaining of Church
Officers in the following one).
Saturday Afternoon:
1.
As noted above, whichever counselor in the First
Presidency does not speak during the Saturday Morning Session will present the
Sustaining of Church Officers.
2.
Four members of the Quorum of the Twelve
Apostles will speak during this session.
3.
The member of the Presiding Bishopric might speak
during this session.
4.
Three or four General Authority Seventies may
speak during this session as well.
5.
At least two or three speakers during this
session may have been born outside the US.
Women’s Session:
1.
Barring anything unexpected, this session will
likely be conducted by one of the presidents of the Church’s three female-led
auxiliaries.
2.
No members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
will likely speak during this session.
3.
The Church will continue to invite one member
from each of the three female-led auxiliaries to speak.
4.
Unlike previous Women’s Sessions, this session will
see all three members of the First Presidency speak.
Sunday Morning:
1.
Whichever of the two counselors did not speak
during the Saturday Morning Session will speak during this one, and he may be
the same person who led the Sustaining of Church Officers in the Saturday
Afternoon Session.
2.
Two members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
may speak during this session.
3.
We may hear from another member of the
Presidency of the Seventy during this session.
4.
We may also hear from one of the female
auxiliary presidency members during this session.
5.
Two or three of the speakers may be selected
from those who were born outside the US.
6.
President Nelson will speak at the conclusion of
this session, and may announce new temples during that address, if he has not
done so in the Saturday Morning Session.
Sunday Afternoon:
1.
The remaining three members of the Quorum of the
Twelve Apostles will likely speak during this session.
2.
A member of either the Young Men’s or Sunday
School General Presidencies may address us during this session.
3.
The Church could either opt to have no speakers
born outside the US, or one or two internationally-born speakers during this
session.
4.
3-4 speakers will likely be General Authority
Seventies.
5.
If a second member of the Presidency of the
Seventy has not spoken before this time, it could occur during this session.
6.
President Nelson will likely speak at the
conclusion of this session, and may make any announcements (including new
temples) that were not made during the previous three general sessions.
