Hello again, everyone! Within the last month or so, there has been somewhat of a decrease in terms of comments on recent posts. So, whether or not any of you feel that I need to, I wanted to post a general apology, reminder, and clarification on the subject of comments on this blog. Previous posts have seen good back-and-forth dialogue, between the readers of this blog and myself. I worry at times that some of you who have recently started reading this blog might misunderstand my motivations behind comments I add to those discussions.
In general, I am happy to let such dialogue continue, especially when wonderful insights are shared here. But at times, I do wonder if replies I have shared here are making me come across as a know-it-all who is more interested in asserting his own views than embracing corrections, clarifications, or any other input. I have never believed myself to know more about the subjects I cover and about the gospel than any or all of you do.
That said, I often come away from such conversations very inspired regarding the topics covered, and I hope the same is true for all of you. I made a resolve when my blog began to be more widely-read and recognized that I would do my best to reply to every comment by way of thanks for it or to acknowledge, inquire, or add further insights into comments which have been shared.
I also have worried more frequently of late that some of you may see such replies from me as an attempt on my part to end the dialogue on the topics covered in posts or comments published here. Nothing could be further from the truth. I am very much a people person, and hope that my comments here add insight, depth, or further context into what is posted or commented on.
While I recognize my own fallibility and imperfection, often, in relation to questions asked here, if I have one thing in my favor, it is that I know how to find necessary resources to provide the insights in my comments. And it happens more often than not that something said here does correct, clarify, or expand on what I have noted when putting together new posts. I greatly appreciate the chance to dialogue with all of you, and hope that the content which I post proves as interesting and illuminating as do the comments from you all.
If any of you feel that I have been abrupt, rude, discourteous, or disagreeable in my replies to your comments, I sincerely apologize. I am doing my level best to share accurate information in the things I post here, and because I am so far from perfect (which I freely acknowledge without hesitation), there have definitely been recent times where many of you will post such corrections, clarifications, or questions that successfully demonstrate errors I have made, and I am grateful for that too.
I would feel awful if I ever found out that any of my readers stopped visiting or commenting because of anything I said in response to their feedback. I hope that any of you will continue to feel free to contribute to the ongoing dialogue of anything discussed here. My hope in centering the focus of this blog around recently-reported Church news and temple developments was, is, and will continue to be to provide a safe place where such topics, along with accompanying comments from myself and each of you, can serve to uplift, encourage, and inspire us all, and allow a welcome reprieve from the craziness of the world today.
As that craziness continues and gets worse (which is a sign of the times that the Second Coming of the Savior is drawing ever closer), each of us will need to be extra inspired in our efforts to prepare for that, and to deal with the ramifications of a world which is rapidly changing and where political and public discourse becomes increasingly more uncivil. I have always believed we can have disagreements without becoming disagreeable, and I hope that that attitude has been reflected in both my posts and the comments I add to discussions here. As long as that continues to be the case for me and for each of you, then my efforts to stay on top of the latest developments will have paid off in the most important ways possible.
In addition to continuing to monitor Church news and temple developments, I am still very much committed to the projects I mentioned in a previous post, all of which I hope to take care of before the end of this year. I hope that many of you are looking forward to that upcoming content. I appreciate all of you and your ongoing efforts to add inspirational insights into topics covered here.
That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments conform to the established guidelines on the comment form. Thank you for the privilege of your time. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly-added content, please feel free to subscribe. 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.
Tuesday, December 4, 2018
A General Apology and Reminder
I have had a lifelong love for Church history, which has extended to ongoing reports of the ministry of our apostles and prophets, General Conference, and all temple developments. This blog enables me to share that love with all who read my thoughts on these developments, which are sometimes reported multiple times per day as needed.
Monday, December 3, 2018
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland Celebrates His 78th Birthday Today
Hello again, everyone! I am back in the early morning hours of December 3 as I promised to be, with a post written in honor of Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, who is celebrating his 78th birthday today. I have previously referenced the fact that Elder Holland is one of my favorites among the current apostles. His General Conference talks always seem to especially be covering topics related to things I am going through personally during any given General Conference weekend.
As I have also mentioned, when he was a young man, Elder Holland, who was born and raised in St. George, was my dad's dad's home teaching companion. I have very vivid memories of my grandfather expressing his wonderment that a boy like that could grow up to be an apostle of the Lord. Many members of the Church may be prone to putting our apostles on pedestals, forgetting about the paths which have taken such men from the circumstances of their births to the point where the Lord sees fit to call them to be His special witnesses.
The difference is in the choices they made which enabled them to be ready, worthy, and able to accept such calls when they have come. But on another level, each of us can do likewise to ensure that we are where the Lord needs us to be and will be ready to do what He needs us to do in any circumstance in which we find ourselves.
I also have another indirect connection to Elder Holland. 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 Elder 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. And my dad also reconnected with him a few different times when he (my dad) worked for the Church in Salt Lake.
Personal connections aside, I wanted to share a brief biographical sketch of Elder Holland. Jeffrey Roy Holland was born inSt. George , Utah
Upon his return from his mission, he married his high school sweetheart, Patricia Terry, in 1963. They are the parents of a daughter and two sons. ElderHolland attended BYU, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s degree in religious education. 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. While serving in that assignment in 1980, he led a search for someone to succeed the current BYU-Provo President, Dallin H. Oaks (who would also become an apostolic colleague in the future). He was surprised when President Gordon B. Hinckley, who was then serving as Second Counselor in the First Presidency, called him one day to note that he (Jeffrey R. Holland) would be the next president of BYU.
ElderHolland has served as a bishop, counselor in a stake presidency, and regional representative. Following the conclusion of his service as the president of BYU-Provo, he was sustained as a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy on April 1, 1989. 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 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, had him join the other 14 apostles in their weekly meeting at the temple, and arranged a press conference to enable him to take questions from the media. That action was sustained by Church membership during the Solemn Assembly that was held less than three months later.
Elder Holland gave 3 talks prior to his apostolic call (one of which he gave in April 1983 as president of BYU during the Priesthood Session, with his son (a teacher at the time) also speaking during that session, and the other 2 while serving as a General Authority Seventy. And since his call to the apostleship, he has spoken 49 additional times, meaning he has given 52 addresses altogether in General Conference. To review any of these wonderful addresses, click here.
Some of my favorites among those 50 in recent years have been None Were With Him (from the Easter Sunday Morning Session of the April 2009 General Conference); Lord, I Believe (from the Sunday Afternoon Session of the April 2013 General Conference); and Songs Sung and Unsung (from the Saturday Afternoon Session of the April 2017 General Conference).
The last thing I want to mention about Elder Holland is that he is currently the second most-senior member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the fourth most senior of our 15 current apostles. He is also the fourth-oldest member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and is the 7th oldest among all 15 apostles.
Although it is unlikely Elder Holland will ever read this personally, I am grateful for the chance I had to present this post in honor of his birthday today. I joyfully and whole-heartedly sustain each and every one of our 15 current apostles in their callings, and I look forward to seeing the way in which Elder Holland will continue his apostolic ministry in the future.
That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated,. on any post at any time, as long as such comments remain true to the established guidelines for this blog. Thank you for the privilege of your time. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly-added content, please feel free to subscribe. 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.
As I have also mentioned, when he was a young man, Elder Holland, who was born and raised in St. George, was my dad's dad's home teaching companion. I have very vivid memories of my grandfather expressing his wonderment that a boy like that could grow up to be an apostle of the Lord. Many members of the Church may be prone to putting our apostles on pedestals, forgetting about the paths which have taken such men from the circumstances of their births to the point where the Lord sees fit to call them to be His special witnesses.
The difference is in the choices they made which enabled them to be ready, worthy, and able to accept such calls when they have come. But on another level, each of us can do likewise to ensure that we are where the Lord needs us to be and will be ready to do what He needs us to do in any circumstance in which we find ourselves.
I also have another indirect connection to Elder Holland. 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 Elder 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. And my dad also reconnected with him a few different times when he (my dad) worked for the Church in Salt Lake.
Personal connections aside, I wanted to share a brief biographical sketch of Elder Holland. Jeffrey Roy Holland was born in
Upon his return from his mission, he married his high school sweetheart, Patricia Terry, in 1963. They are the parents of a daughter and two sons. Elder
He served as Commissioner of Church Education from 1976-1980. While serving in that assignment in 1980, he led a search for someone to succeed the current BYU-Provo President, Dallin H. Oaks (who would also become an apostolic colleague in the future). He was surprised when President Gordon B. Hinckley, who was then serving as Second Counselor in the First Presidency, called him one day to note that he (Jeffrey R. Holland) would be the next president of BYU.
Elder
In the space of a few short hours on 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, had him join the other 14 apostles in their weekly meeting at the temple, and arranged a press conference to enable him to take questions from the media. That action was sustained by Church membership during the Solemn Assembly that was held less than three months later.
Elder Holland gave 3 talks prior to his apostolic call (one of which he gave in April 1983 as president of BYU during the Priesthood Session, with his son (a teacher at the time) also speaking during that session, and the other 2 while serving as a General Authority Seventy. And since his call to the apostleship, he has spoken 49 additional times, meaning he has given 52 addresses altogether in General Conference. To review any of these wonderful addresses, click here.
Some of my favorites among those 50 in recent years have been None Were With Him (from the Easter Sunday Morning Session of the April 2009 General Conference); Lord, I Believe (from the Sunday Afternoon Session of the April 2013 General Conference); and Songs Sung and Unsung (from the Saturday Afternoon Session of the April 2017 General Conference).
The last thing I want to mention about Elder Holland is that he is currently the second most-senior member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the fourth most senior of our 15 current apostles. He is also the fourth-oldest member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and is the 7th oldest among all 15 apostles.
Although it is unlikely Elder Holland will ever read this personally, I am grateful for the chance I had to present this post in honor of his birthday today. I joyfully and whole-heartedly sustain each and every one of our 15 current apostles in their callings, and I look forward to seeing the way in which Elder Holland will continue his apostolic ministry in the future.
That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated,. on any post at any time, as long as such comments remain true to the established guidelines for this blog. Thank you for the privilege of your time. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly-added content, please feel free to subscribe. 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.
I have had a lifelong love for Church history, which has extended to ongoing reports of the ministry of our apostles and prophets, General Conference, and all temple developments. This blog enables me to share that love with all who read my thoughts on these developments, which are sometimes reported multiple times per day as needed.
Sunday, December 2, 2018
Report on the First Presidency's Christmas Devotional/Overview of Definite Projects Which Will Be Posted on This Blog Before 2018 Ends
Hello again, everyone! The First Presidency's Christmas Devotional concluded about 2 hours ago, and I am pleased to be able to bring you a report on what occurred during that event. As expected, music was provided by the Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square.
President Nelson asked President Oaks to conduct the devotional, which began with the Choir singing Joy to the World. An invocation was then offered by Brother Tad R. Callister, who serves as the Sunday School General President, after which the Choir sang "The First Noel". I should interject here that this year's devotional was more in line with previous traditions than the one held last year, with one speaker each from among the general officers of the Church, the Presidency of the Seventy, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and the First Presidency.
The first speaker at the devotional this year was Sister Sharon Eubank, First Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency, whose remarks are summarized here.
The next hymn the Choir performed was somewhat of a surprise to me. It has been a tradition for most of the last several years for the devotional to end with the Choir singing Silent Night (and with the congregation being asked to join in on the final verse), but that occurred following Sister Eubank's remarks. I should perhaps amend my previous statement. The surprising thing was not in the fact that this hymn should be part of the devotional (as that has been somewhat standard in recent years), but rather because it was performed in the midst of the devotional rather than at its' conclusion.
The second speaker was Elder Terence M. Vinson, whose call to the Presidency of the Seventy was announced in General Conference last April, and who formally began that assignment on August 1. As some of you may be aware, he was born in Australia and has lived in various surrounding nations. Prior to his call in the Presidency of the Seventy, he had been serving in the presidency of the Church's Africa West Area, to which service he referred during his remarks.
It appears that there were additional opportunities for the Choir to sing in this year's devotional than there have been in years past. Directly following Elder Vinson's address, the Choir sang "How Far is it to Bethlehem?" After that, Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (who was one of the Quorum members I projected might speak to us during this devotional) addressed us.
As anticipated, President Nelson was the concluding speaker. He talked about 4 gifts from the Savior. The Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square then concluded the meeting with the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah. The benediction was offered by Sister Becky L. Craven, Second Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency.
There were a few common themes I noticed in each of the four addresses which were given. Those themes included: memories of past Christmas experience, the life and mission of the Savior, how many Saints rose above hardships to make Christmas more meaningful in their lives, and the vital role of Christ as the reason for the Christmas season. But more than that, I continued to marvel at how energetic and awe-inspiring our beloved prophet really is, and how much he adds a gentle, grandfatherly, and very personal and personable tone to everything he says.
I am personally very happy to have the current group of 15 men whom we sustain as prophets, seers, and revelators standing as special witnesses of Christ at this time. And although the passing of each apostle or prophet does cause some feelings of sadness and loss for so many of us, as was observed a few different times in last April's General Conference, the new apostles and prophets who are called in their stead can and will become as equally beloved to each of us as were their predecessors.
It has been a great honor for me to pass along this summary of tonight's Christmas Devotional. One more observation, if I may, by way of reiterating something I have previously noted. For the last several years, this devotional has almost always been held on the first Sunday in December. Next year, that devotional has been set to be held on the second Sunday.
My theory as to why it will be held on the second Sunday of December 2019 is that the First Presidency may be potentially wanting to keep that first Sunday open next year for either a temple dedication or rededication, which would allow such an event to occur without distracting or detracting from the Church's emphasis on Christ as the reason for the season.
And in that regard, I should also mention that I have begun the preliminary process of updating my more specific estimates for those near-future temple events that will occur, which I hope to publish here within the next few days. Likewise in the works is, as previously noted, another post which will, if all goes well, be published within the next 12-15 hours (but hopefully less) in honor of Elder Jeffrey R. Holland's 78th birthday, which he will be observing tomorrow.
As time and circumstances allow, I will also be hard at work on finalizing my April 2019 General Conference predictions, which I am hoping to get published on this blog at some point before December 16, the day on which I have promised to bring you an update on the latest apostolic statistics and upcoming milestones. One week later (two days before Christmas, I will be posting the final apostolic birthday tribute for 2018 in honor of Elder Gerrit W. Gong, who will be marking his 65th birthday on that day.
And as per my usual tradition, 8 days after that, which will coincide with New Year's Eve 2018, I will be providing a look back at how much progress has been made on temples during this year. Of course, I will also do my level best to keep bringing word of any major Church news stories or temple developments. As you can see, I have my work cut out for me on this blog for the remainder of this year. And I would not in any way be shocked to find out about a few more breaking news updates which I am also committed to passing along to you all here as I become aware of them.
That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are in accordance with the established guidelines. Thank you for the privilege of your time. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly-added content, please feel free to subscribe. 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.
President Nelson asked President Oaks to conduct the devotional, which began with the Choir singing Joy to the World. An invocation was then offered by Brother Tad R. Callister, who serves as the Sunday School General President, after which the Choir sang "The First Noel". I should interject here that this year's devotional was more in line with previous traditions than the one held last year, with one speaker each from among the general officers of the Church, the Presidency of the Seventy, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and the First Presidency.
The first speaker at the devotional this year was Sister Sharon Eubank, First Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency, whose remarks are summarized here.
The next hymn the Choir performed was somewhat of a surprise to me. It has been a tradition for most of the last several years for the devotional to end with the Choir singing Silent Night (and with the congregation being asked to join in on the final verse), but that occurred following Sister Eubank's remarks. I should perhaps amend my previous statement. The surprising thing was not in the fact that this hymn should be part of the devotional (as that has been somewhat standard in recent years), but rather because it was performed in the midst of the devotional rather than at its' conclusion.
The second speaker was Elder Terence M. Vinson, whose call to the Presidency of the Seventy was announced in General Conference last April, and who formally began that assignment on August 1. As some of you may be aware, he was born in Australia and has lived in various surrounding nations. Prior to his call in the Presidency of the Seventy, he had been serving in the presidency of the Church's Africa West Area, to which service he referred during his remarks.
It appears that there were additional opportunities for the Choir to sing in this year's devotional than there have been in years past. Directly following Elder Vinson's address, the Choir sang "How Far is it to Bethlehem?" After that, Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (who was one of the Quorum members I projected might speak to us during this devotional) addressed us.
As anticipated, President Nelson was the concluding speaker. He talked about 4 gifts from the Savior. The Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square then concluded the meeting with the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah. The benediction was offered by Sister Becky L. Craven, Second Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency.
There were a few common themes I noticed in each of the four addresses which were given. Those themes included: memories of past Christmas experience, the life and mission of the Savior, how many Saints rose above hardships to make Christmas more meaningful in their lives, and the vital role of Christ as the reason for the Christmas season. But more than that, I continued to marvel at how energetic and awe-inspiring our beloved prophet really is, and how much he adds a gentle, grandfatherly, and very personal and personable tone to everything he says.
I am personally very happy to have the current group of 15 men whom we sustain as prophets, seers, and revelators standing as special witnesses of Christ at this time. And although the passing of each apostle or prophet does cause some feelings of sadness and loss for so many of us, as was observed a few different times in last April's General Conference, the new apostles and prophets who are called in their stead can and will become as equally beloved to each of us as were their predecessors.
It has been a great honor for me to pass along this summary of tonight's Christmas Devotional. One more observation, if I may, by way of reiterating something I have previously noted. For the last several years, this devotional has almost always been held on the first Sunday in December. Next year, that devotional has been set to be held on the second Sunday.
My theory as to why it will be held on the second Sunday of December 2019 is that the First Presidency may be potentially wanting to keep that first Sunday open next year for either a temple dedication or rededication, which would allow such an event to occur without distracting or detracting from the Church's emphasis on Christ as the reason for the season.
And in that regard, I should also mention that I have begun the preliminary process of updating my more specific estimates for those near-future temple events that will occur, which I hope to publish here within the next few days. Likewise in the works is, as previously noted, another post which will, if all goes well, be published within the next 12-15 hours (but hopefully less) in honor of Elder Jeffrey R. Holland's 78th birthday, which he will be observing tomorrow.
As time and circumstances allow, I will also be hard at work on finalizing my April 2019 General Conference predictions, which I am hoping to get published on this blog at some point before December 16, the day on which I have promised to bring you an update on the latest apostolic statistics and upcoming milestones. One week later (two days before Christmas, I will be posting the final apostolic birthday tribute for 2018 in honor of Elder Gerrit W. Gong, who will be marking his 65th birthday on that day.
And as per my usual tradition, 8 days after that, which will coincide with New Year's Eve 2018, I will be providing a look back at how much progress has been made on temples during this year. Of course, I will also do my level best to keep bringing word of any major Church news stories or temple developments. As you can see, I have my work cut out for me on this blog for the remainder of this year. And I would not in any way be shocked to find out about a few more breaking news updates which I am also committed to passing along to you all here as I become aware of them.
That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are in accordance with the established guidelines. Thank you for the privilege of your time. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly-added content, please feel free to subscribe. 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.
I have had a lifelong love for Church history, which has extended to ongoing reports of the ministry of our apostles and prophets, General Conference, and all temple developments. This blog enables me to share that love with all who read my thoughts on these developments, which are sometimes reported multiple times per day as needed.
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