Tribute to Elder Dale G. Renlund, Who Is Observing His 68th Birthday Today

Hello again, everyone! I am back with a post in tribute of Elder Dale G. Renlund, who, as noted, is marking his 67th birthday today. Let's get right into all of that. Elder Dale Gunnar Renlund was born to Mats Ake and Marianna Andersson, in Salt Lake City, Utah, on this day in 1952. His parents had emigrated from Finland (Mats) and Sweden (Marianna) respectively in order to be married in the temple. In view of that, Elder Renlund grew up primarily speaking Swedish. The fact that he did not speak English as a primary language gives him a certain degree of international appeal. In his teenage years, Elder Renlund lived with his family in Sweden while his father was a building missionary for the Church.

Several years later, Elder Renlud returned to Sweden, this time as a full-time missionary. Following his missionary service, Elder Renlund continued his scholastic endeavors at the University of Utah, where he earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry and his M. D. Approximately 3 or 4 years after he concluded his missionary service, he met and married his eternal companion, Ruth Lybbert, who was the daughter of another General Authority Seventy, Merlin R. Lybbert. Elder Renlund went on to do a three-year cardiology residency and a three-year fellowship in cardiology, both at Johns Hopkins University, and served as a bishop while he did so.

During that very same period of time, his wife was earning her law degree, and Ruth also gave birth to their only child, a daughter, Ashley. At some point in 1986, Elder Renlund became a professor at the University of Utah. From 1991 to the time of his call as a General Authority Seventy in 2009, he served as the medical director of the Utah Transplantation Affiliated Hospitals Cardiac Transplant Program. In 2000, he was also appointed the director of the Heart Failure Prevention and Treatment Program at Intermountain Health Center headquartered in Salt Lake, while his wife was working as a law partner in the firm of Dewsnup, King and Olsen.

In the Church, in addition to serving as a bishop, Elder Renlund also served locally as ward Sunday School president, high councilman, and as a stake president. From 2000 to 2009, Elder Renlund served as an area seventy. He became a general authority seventy in April 2009, at the same conference in which Elder Neil L. Andersen was sustained as an apostle. The August after his call, Elder Renlund began serving in the Africa Southeast Area Presidency, which is headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa. He concluded that service by as the area president from 2011 to 2014.

Just over a year after concluding that service (during which time he served in other general capacities at Church headquarters), he was the third man to be called to fill the three vacancies in the Quorum of the Twelve in the wake of the passing of President Boyd K. Packer and Elders L. Tom Perry and Richard G. Scot (with his call occurring the same day as that of Elders Ronald A. Rasband and Gary E. Stevenson). Some have claimed (rightfully so, in my opinion) that since Elder Scott was the last of the three to pass away, Elder Renlund, as the last of the three new apostles called, was the one filling the apostolic vacancy occurring from the death of Elder Scott. Others may disagree on that, as is their right, but I think that is a fair statement.

Elder Renlund's apostolic call was significant for a few reasons. The calls of Elders Rasband, Stevenson, and Renlund made them the 98th, 99th, and 100th members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles called in this dispensation. There have been more men ordained as apostles, but only 102 of those men have officially served in the Quorum of the Twelve. There is another significant aspect of Elder Renlund's call. As most of you are probably aware, at times in the past where 2 or more apostles have been called, tradition is that they will be called, sustained, and ordained according to their age, from oldest to youngest. That tradition, as has been the case a couple of times before, was slightly adjusted, as Elder Stevenson, almost three years younger than Elder Renlund, was called, sustained, and ordained as the senior apostle to Elder Renlund. That kind of thing is not in any way unprecedented, but it is a significant anomaly to note.

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Given that all apostles from Elder David A. Bednar through Elder Renlund were born in the United States, some have taken issue with the Church for the perceived lack of diversity in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. But as was observed in this article, Elder Renlund's diverse background certainly qualifies him as having strong international ties and experiences. Elder Renlund had 2 opportunities to speak in General Conference prior to his apostolic call (1 of which occurred six months prior to his first address as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles), and gave his eleventh talk as an apostle just over a month ago. You can review any of those 13 addresses at your convenience.

I am grateful to have been able to offer this birthday tribute in his honor, and am also grateful for his service. I gladly sustain him and the other 14 apostles as prophets, seers, and revelators. I do continue to monitor any and all Church news and temple developments and will keep doing my level best to bring word of those to you all as I receive it. That does it for now. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made 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.

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Groundbreaking Held for Red Cliffs Utah Temple

Hello again, everyone! For the first time since Saturday September 5, today, two temples of the Church have had a groundbreaking. In addition to my previous report on the remote gorundbreaking being held for the Bentonville Arkansas Temple under the direction of Elder David A. Bednar, today also saw Elder Jeffrey R. Holland return to his hometown in St. George to preside at the groundbreaking for the Red Cliffs Utah Temple. So that's 3 down for November, 1 more scheduled (for one week from today) and 4 others anticipated to occur at some point later this month.

As far as construction time-frames, I am projecting a window of mid-to-late 2023 for Bentonville, with a window of late 2023-early 2024 for the Red Cliffs temple. Just one week into this month, and we are already nearly haflway through the scheduled queue of November temple groundbreakings. I have a feeling that 2-3 more will occur this week, with the remainder scattered through the next 1.5 weeks between then and Thanksgiving.  I will keep my eyes open for those reprots and will bring you all word thereof as I receive it.

That does it for now. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made 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.

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Elder Bednar Remotely Presides At the Groundbreaking for the Bentonville Arkansas Temple

Hello again, everyone! The second of the eight temple groundbreakings set to occur this month has taken place. As previously announced, Elder Bednar presided remotely at the ceremony, and offered a prayer dedicating the site. The news release on this does not mention which senior leader (whether that was a General Authority or Area Seventy), but obviously this was a split assignment, given that Elder Bednar couldn't wield a shovel on-locaation at the temple site. Either way, we are two temples down, with six morre to go for this month, and it seems likely we will see two temple groundbreakings every week this month.

I may add more information and sources to this post ocne those become available, or leave those additional resources in the comments section below, but either way, I am grateful to have been able to find out and report on this. That does it for now. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made 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. 

In Tribute to Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Who Observes His 80th Birthday Today

Hello again, everyone! With today being November 6, Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf is celebrating his 80th birthday. Dieter Friedrich Uchtdorf was born to Karl Albert and Hildegard Else Opelt Uchtdorf on this day in 1940 in the city of Ostrava, which, at that time, was known as the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, but is now identified as the Czech Republic. With his family twice becoming refugees, he grew up in Germany, where his family joined the Church in 1947. 

Due to developing an early interest in airplane flying, he studied engineering, business administration, and international management, after which he joined the German Air Force in 1959, where he trained to be a fighter pilot. In 1965, he joined Lufthansa German Airlines as a pilot, working as an airline captain from 1970-1996. He held many responsible executive positions with German Airlines. He reported feeling discouraged about having to learn English, but has also described how he was able to do so.

He married Harriet Reich (whom he had met when the missionaries brought her and her family to Church while he was a young man) on December 14, 1962 ,and they both have different recollections of the details whereby they actually got together). They raised two children and now have several grandchildren, along with a few great-grandchildren. He served as a stake president before his call as a General Authority. During that time, he gave an instrumental interview to the press in which he tackled tough topics related to his faith as the Frankfurt Germany Temple prepared to open. 

He was subsequently sustained as a General Authority on April 2, 1994, and was initially assigned to the Second Quorum of the Seventy. Roughly two years later, on April 6, 1996, he was sustained to the First Quorum of the Seventy. He became a member of the Presidency of the Seventy on August 15, 2002 and was sustained a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on October 2, 2004 and ordained an apostle on October 7, 2004 (becoming the eleventhth apostle born outside the United States).

On February 3, 2008, he was set apart as the Second Counselor in the First Presidency to President Thomas S. Monson. Although 12 men born outside the United States have served as apostles, he became only the sixth apostle born outside the United States to be called to serve in the First Presidency. At the time of his call to the First Presidency, he was the thirteenth in apostolic seniority. During the period of almost a decade in which he served alongside President Monson and First Counselor President Henry B. Eyring, the deaths of six apostles senior to him meant he had become the seventh in apostolic seniority. 

And with the death of President Monson occurring just three months after the death of Elder Robert D. Hales, the First Presidency was dissolved.The new Church President, Russell M. Nelson, chose as his counselors his seatmate Elder Dallin H. Oaks and President Eyring. As a result, Elder Uchtdorf returned to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. When he departed that Quorum to serve in the First Presidency, he had been the tenth most senior member of that Quorum, and he returned to it as the third in seniority, with only Acting President M. Russell Ballard and Elder Jeffrey R. Holland ahead of him. 

In recognition of his administrative capacities and capabilities, his assignments as a recently-reassigned Quorum member were those that had previously been held by the three who had been the most senior members of the Quorum prior to that time (Presidents Nelson, Oaks, and Ballard). Elder Uchtdorf has spoken frequently about ways in which Church members should consider themselves called to action. I enjoy hearing what he has to say in his General Conference addresses every six months.

Throughout his 26 years as a general authority, and his now-16 years as a special witness of the Savior, (including almost a decade of service in the First Presidency), he has now given 72 addresses in General Conference. Of those, 2 were given prior to his apostolic call, though the Church's list for some reason omits the first address he gave as a new General Authority Seventy.  He also gave 7 addresses between the time of his call to the apostleship and his subsequent call to the First Preidency. He then gave 57 more addresses in General Conference during the near-decade in the First Presidency, and has given 6 more addresses since resuming his position in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Elder Uchtdorf is a man of great personal warmth and charm, and we are blessed indeed to have him among the Special Witnesses of Christ at this time. He has always struck a very warm and welcoming tone in his public discourses, and his current assignments are a clear testament to the great faith the Brethren have in him. In addition to being the third-most-senior member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, he is also the third-oldest, behind only President Ballard and Elder Quentin L. Cook. He is also the seventh-most-senior apostle overall, and the sixth-oldest of the 15 apostles overall. I am grateful for the life and ministry of this charismatic servant of the Lord, and appreciate the opportunity I had to offer this post in tribute to his 80th birthday today.

I continue to monitor any and all Church news and temple developments and will be sure to pass word of those along to you all as I receive it. That does it for now. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made 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 all that you do.

Some Additional Thoughts and Observations About Apostolic Area Assignments

Hello again, everyone! The Church News has reported on how, in a single day (Sunday November 1), 6 members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, accompanied by their respective wives, gave counsel to young adults living in each of the Church’s 6 North American areas. For reasons I will be detailing in this post, the nature of the respective reports has led me to some additional thoughts and observations about specific apostolic assignments (particularly in relation to the Church here in North America).

In detailing how those devotionals broke down, I will list each apostle and his wife one at a time, providing the geographical area to which each couple addressed their remarks in parenthesis: Elder Dieter F. and Sister Harriet R. Uchtdorf (North America Northeast); Elder David A. and Sister Susan K. Bednar (North America Southeast); Elder Quentin L. and Sister Mary G. Cook (North America West); Elder Gary E. and Sister Lisa J. Stevenson (Utah); Elder Dale G. and Sister Ruth L. Renlund (North America Central); and Elder Gerrit W. and Sister Susan L. Gong (North America Southwest).

As I have noted a few times previously, the Quorum of the Twelve is assisted by the Presidency of the Seventy in the global administration of the Church’s now-22 areas. For a while now, it’s been difficult to determine at times which members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles were assigned oversight for each area, except in cases where that has been specified. So let’s take a look at some of the assignments listed to see if we can draw any conclusions.  The first natural conclusion to draw is that each apostle who spoke to young single adults in each area is assigned oversight for each of those respective areas.

And on the surface, that conclusion may be mostly sound and perfectly justifiable. The biography of Elder Brent H. Nielson shows him assigned to assist Elder Quentin L. Cook in the administration of the North America West Area. That’s explicitly stated, so it’s verified. But let’s now look at the biographies for Elders Carlos A. Godoy and Patrick Kearon. Although Elder Godoy’s biography notes only that he has responsibility for the Utah Area, Elder Kearon’s biography notes that Elder Ronald A. Rasband oversees the Utah Area. The note about Elder Rasband overseeing the Utah Area may be based on outdated information in an August 2018 video in which Elder Rasband introduced the new Utah Area Presidency.

I am suggesting that the information may be outdated based on another theory: When the video to which I I shared the link above was released, Elder Rasband did indeed have oversight for that area. But seven months earlier, in January, when the First Presidency reorganization was introduced, Elder D. Todd Christofferson had oversight of the Church Public Affairs Committee, and conducted the January 16, 2018 press conference as a result. At some point following the apostolic calls of Elders Gerrit W. Gong and Ulisses Soares, there was a reshuffling of responsibilities and assignments at Church headquarters, and it appears that Elder Rasband at some point took over Elder Christofferson's role in chairing the Church Public Affairs Committee.

Depending on the other assignments that each member of the  Quorum of the Twelve Apostles have, it could be that the Brethren shifted oversight responsibility for the Utah Area from Elder Rasband to Elder Stevenson.With the information from the Church News articles being more current than the information in the broadcast may have been, and with a reshuffling of assignments possibly at play here, it seems  more correct to surmise that each apostle who spoke did so in the North American Area for which they have respective oversight. 

Let me add just a few more thoughts here: For the remaining four members of the Presidency of the Seventy, no area assignments are listed for either Elder Carl B. Cook or Elder Jose A. Teixeira. But specific area assignments are noted for both Elder Robert C. Gay (including the North America Northeast) and Elder Terence M. Vinson (North America Southeast). The specific apostles the two are assisting with those areas were not detailed. But if we assume that the information in the Church News articles is correct, we have correctly been able to identify which members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles have oversight for each of the six North American areas of the Church. 

Although I wish the Church was more transparent about the specific assignments each apostle is filling in terms of areas and responsibilities at headquarters, the two articles seem to provide more official information than what we previously had to work with in that respect.  I will, of course, while tracking all other Church news developments and temple updates, continue as I can to keep my eyes open for any other insights I can glean on the specific assignments which are being filled by each of our current apostles, and will be sure to pass word of those updates along to you all as I am able to verify them. 

That does it for now. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made 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.