October 2025 General Conference Predictions (Final Version)

Hello again, everyone! With just 36 hours left until the October 2025 General Conference, I wanted to present the final version of my General Conference predictions. I would like to note that I once again made adjustments that I felt would be appropriate. So with that introduction, let's review those:

First up, my projected speaker lineup (which has been slightly tweaked and restructured)/ Next is my predictions for changes in general Church leadership (which now includes the prospective call of one or twp additional counseelors in the First Presidency, one or two potential new membes of the Quorum of the Twelve as a result of the prospective First Presidency changes, possible changes to the Presiding Bishopric, and definite changes to area seventies).

And the final two elements of these projections are my master list of all prospective locations in which I feel a temple could be announced soon, and the more specific locations I most anticipate being announced in this General Conference (my selections for October are at the bottom of the document). As I've noted before, I fully anticipate that 18 temples will be announced, which will bring the worldwide total to 400 in any phase.

Well, there you have it: my complete predictions for the upcoming General Conference. This is the final version, so I don't plan on making any additional changes unless there is a very good reason to do so. I welcome any questions or comments on these predictions that any of you might have. As much as I enjoy making and sharing these predictions, I am most looking forward to the opportuniies we will have to hear from and sustain our leaders.

I will be watching General Conference weekend carefully, and will bring any major announcements and my analaysis thereof to you all here in either new comments or posts, including the much-anticipated announcement of new temples. 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.

Elder Ulisses Soares Celebrates His 67th Birthday

Hello again, everyone! I am pleased at this time to honor Elder Ulisses Soares, who is celebrating his 67th birthday today. As I've mentioned previously, Elder Soares has a most unique life story and background, and I am grateful to share some thoughts about him with you all. Ulisses Soares was born on this day in 1958 in São Paulo Brazil to Apparecido Soares and Mercedes Carecho Soares. He has European and Amerindian ancestry. When an aunt joined the Church, that was how the Soares' family first learned of the gospel. His parents, after being taught by the missionaries, were baptized when young Ulisses was five years old.

Regarding his experience with worshipping in the Church during his growing-up years, his small branch would meet in a tiny rental place that was located above a bakery. He served a full-time mission in Rio de Janeiro, Upon his return, he connected with Rosana Fernandes Morgado, who had served in the same mission at around the same time, but whom he had not met until after they both had returned. The two were married in the São Paulo Temple, and together they raised three children

His academic experience involved studying at the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo, from which, in 1985, he received a bachelor's degree in economics and accounting. He then continued his studies at the;National Institute of Postgraduate Study, where he earned a Master's Degree in Business Administration. He spent his professional career working for several multinational companies (one of which was Pirelli Tire Company) as an accountant and an auditor. Donald L. Clark, who at that time was serving as director of temporal affairs for the Church in Brazil, convinced him to take a job with the Church as a senior auditor.

When Brother Clark was asked to serve as a mission president, Brother Soares took over for him as director of temporal affairs. He went on to fill a special assignment for the Church's Presiding Bishopric. Within the Church, Elder Soares has served as an elder's quorum president, counselor in a bishopric, stake high councilman, and as a regional welfare agent.

When the São Paulo Brazil Cotia Stake was created in 1995, Elder Soares was called as the first president thereof. 5 years later, he served a three-year term as president of the Porto Portugal Mission. Less than two years after his return (during the April 2005 General Conference), he was called as a General Authority Seventy.

As a General Authority Seventy, he served as First Counselor in the Brazil South Area.from 2005-2007, as First Counselor in the Brazil Area from 2007-2009, and as President of that area from 2009-2011. He served from August 2011-January 2013 as First Counselor in the Africa Southeast Area Presidency, at which point he was called to serve in the Presidency of the Seventy, with responsibility for the North America Southeast Area. Then, in November 2015, Elder Soares was reassigned to oversee the Idaho and North America Central Areas of the Church. He still had oversight of both of those areas in 2018.

On March 31, 2018, Elder Soares was sustained to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and he was ordained an apostle on Thursday April 5, 2018. He thus became both the first Latter-day Saint apostle from Brazil and the first one from Latin America. Elder Soares has had many opportunities to grow into his assignment. In the time he has has served as a general authority, he has given a total of 20 General Conference addresses, with the first 2 given as a General Authority Seventy, 3 more as a member of the Presidency of the Seventy, and the remaining 1 given since his call to the apostleship. His talk during this weekend's General Conference will bring his apostolic total to 14, and his grand total to 19.

I testify without reservation or hesitation that the Lord inspired President Nelson to call Elders Gong and Soares as apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ. I gratefully and wholeheartedly sustain all 15 “special witnesses of Christ” in their divinely-inspired and doctrinally-supported roles prophets, seers, and revelators in their roles and responsibilities as special witnesses of Christ, and am grateful to have been able to provide this birthday tribute to Elder Soares today. I continue to monitor 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.

UPDATE: End-of-Third-Quarter-2025 Temple Construction Progress Review

Hello again, everyone! As the third quarter of 2025 draws to a close, it's time to look back on temple construction from the beginning of 2025 to this point. In order to provide that contrast, I am happy to present a look back at where things stood as 2025 began, how things had progressed 4 days before the April 2025 General Conference, what had transpired by the rough mid-point of 2025, and what that looks like now.

I will largely let that data speak for itself. I am grateful for the progress that has been made in temple construction thus far this year and am looking forward to reviewing this progress again at the end of this year. 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.