April 2022 Post-Conference Document Update

Hello again, everyone! Since tomorrow (Saturday April 16) marks two weeks since the April 2022 General Conference, as time has allowed, I have updated several documents I have that relate to that conference. This post will share those documents. So first, I have a look back at my projections for the speaker lineup and how that compared with what we actually saw; my projections (and the results thereof) for changes in general Church leadership; and the list I had compiled of potential temple locations, with a look at what was actually announced.

I also went through and scored those predictions. For the speaker lineup, the changes in general Church leadership, and the potential temples, 3 points were possible for each element. A score of 3 for the speaker lineup meant I had the right person in the right slot in the right session. A score of 2 was awarded if I had a speaker in the correct session but the wrong order therein. A score of 1 was awarded if I was correct that an individual would speak at all during the conference, and a score of 0 meant someone I had predicted would speak did not do so.

Meanwhile, for the changes in general Church leadership, each possible element was worth 3 points. If an element I had predicted was not included, that was not considered in the scoring. I did not venture any predictions specific to individuals, and each predicted element was scored on a scale from 0-3, depending on how wrong or right I was about the element in question. That document also included the statistical elements I had projected vs. what was in the official release. Each of those elements was also scored from 0-3 within a margin of error that was individualized to the element involved.

As for the temple predictions, for each of the 17 announced, if I had the exact location, that was 3 points. 2 points were awarded if I had the right general location (nation, island, state, etc.) but the wrong specific location (city). And there were a few surprise locations (both of the Brazilian temples are an example), so allowances were also made for that. 

Having posted that explanation, I have created a scoring overview accounting for the individual elements, then with a grand total. The results of that scoring have the accuracy of those predictions at a very respectable 64.5%, which, given all the surprises involved, is something I will gladly take. That would ordinarily conclude the analysis of my conference documents, but I am including some other documents with this analysis as well.

First up, I have compiled a list of the length of each talk given by our apostles during the April 2022 General Conference. Next, I have updated the total number of talks given by each of our apostles, along with a grand total of talks given by our current apostles, including those given before each became an apostle of the Church. And finally, based on the talk transcripts that have been released for the conference, I have crafted another document in which I offer projections for the table of contents for the May 2022 Liahona.

Regarding all of these documents, some may be concerned that the projections on my end are too speculative. But I continue to analyze patterns from the past in an effort to see how effectively I can predict the future on the known elements. This started out as something for just my own enjoyment, and I'm glad I can share such things with you all here. I am just as excited about any element of General Conference whether I have correctly or incorrectly predicted it. So hopefully, some of you might find these documents interesting.

I continue to monitor all major Church news and temple updates and will be sure to pass along word thereof to you all as those developments cross my radar. In the meantime, 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 feedback offered is consistent with 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. 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: First 37 Temples Will Gradually Return to Normal Operations (Phase 4)

Hello again, everyone! This just in from the Church News: the first 37 temples will gradually return to phase 4 (normal operations). The Memphis Tennessee Temple was the first to do so, starting that process on March 17; followed by the St. Paul Minnesota Temple on March 19; the Bismarck North Dakota, Denver Colorado, and Winter Quarters Nebraska Temples on March 29; the Tucson Arizona Temple on April 4; and the Columbia South Carolina and Kansas City Missouri Temples on April 5.

As of yesterday (April 11), the following temples are also phasing in a return to normal operations: Cedar City, Draper, Jordan River, Monticello, Mount Timpanogos, Oquirrh Mountain, Payson, Provo, Provo City Center, and Vernal Utah; Campinas, Curitiba, Fortaleza, Manaus, Porto Alegre, Recife, and São Paulo Brazil; Frankfurt and Freiberg Germany; Redlands and San Diego California; Bern Switzerland; Laie Hawaii; Portland Oregon; and Stockholm Sweden. And today, the Billings Montana and Chicago Illinois Temples began the transition to phase 4.

Effective today, 8 temples are closed for major renovations, all of which are in phase 3; 1 (Kyiv Ukraine) has operations paused/suspended having reached phase 3 previously; 1 more is operating in phase 1; 0 are in phases 2 and 2-B; 123 are now in phase 3; and, as noted, the remaining 37 are gradually returning to regular operations. These updates are reflected in the temple reopening status tracker.

I have a feeling more temples will begin the transition to normal operations in the coming weeks. I will keep my eyes open for those updates, and all other major Church news and temple developments. In the meantime, 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 feedback offered is consistent with 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. 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: Opening Arrangements Announced for Hamilton New Zealand Temple

Note: An original version of this post was published on 4/11/22 @ 2:15 PM, with subsequent additional analysis added between 6:35 and 7:35 PM.

Hello again, everyone! This afternoon,  the First Presidency announced reopening arrangements for the Hamilton New Zealand Temple. Before getting into the details of the announcement, I'd like to note that the reopening is occurring later this year than I had thought it might. 

Given the fact that New Zealand has quickly locked down its' borders in the face of COVID-19 and its' variants, I had thought the reopening arrangements could occur soon after New Zealand reopens its' borders, which is due to happen at some point in the next 3-6 weeks, based on the information I found online about 2 weeks ago.

But I've mentioned in the past that, because of my ongoing preparation to cover major Church news updates and temple developments, anytime the Church announces anything, as soon as I hear or read any such announcement, in that same instance, the Lord confirms to me through His Spirit that what has been announced is His will for His Church at this time. 

And as I share further analysis on the details of today's announcement, I hope you will all remember this statement: The Lord has proven yet again that His ways and thoughts will, as they always do, trump any analysis or prediction I have offered at any point pertaining to the timing of any temple event, including, in this particular case, the reopening of the Hamilton New Zealand Temple. 

The arrangements, though unexpected in timing to this mortal mind of mine, are exactly what they need to be and are inspired, full stop. Monday August 22 has been designated a media day, with VIP tours for invited guests from Tuesday August 22-Thursday August 24. The public open house will run from Friday August 26-Saturday September 17, 2022, with the exception of the relevant Sundays (August 28 and September 4 and 11).

At the conclusion of the open house, final preparations will be made for the dedication in the four intervening weeks. A youth devotional for those within the Hamilton New Zealand temple district will be held on Saturday October 15, and the temple will be rededicated in three sessions held the following day at 9:00 AM, noon, and 3:00 PM Hamilton time, which will be 3:00 PM, 6:00 PM, and 9:00 PM on Saturday October 15 here in Utah. 

By assignment from the First Presidency, Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will preside at the youth devotional and rededication. I take that as further proof of my theory that the responsibility for presiding at temple rededications will continue to be delegated to either the First Presidency counselors or the senior half of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. 

It's also worth noting that, beginning last year, there was a bit of a rotation of assignments in councils, committees, and area supervision for the members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. I seem to recall (but could not find again) a report from last year in which it was noted that Elder Uchtdorf had conducted the annual area review for one of the Asia Areas. 

So it's possible that if his area supervisory responsibilities have shifted to part of Asia, that the regions he oversees are geographically closer to the Pacific than any of the other senior apostles. But that's just my personal theory. As with anything else I share on this blog, unless it is specifically backed by official Church sources, please take any theories I offer with the proverbial grain of salt. 

And unless and until they are confirmed or corrected by official sources, they are no more and no less than my own opinion. Having noted that, I present a new theory: with the Hamilton New Zealand Temple rededication not taking place until October, I fully anticipate that August and September could be big months for the dedications of new temples. 

We now have two (Belem Brazil and San Juan Puerto Rico) which are nearing completion, and the Saratoga Springs Utah and Helena Montana Temples might not be too far behind. I also think it's safe to anticipate that the rededication of the Columbus Ohio Temple could occur between the already-announced rededications of the Washington D.C. Temple (on August 14) and the October 16 rededication for the Hamilton New Zealand Temple.

There are a lot more temple announcements that are anticipated to come down the pike in the coming weeks and months. To the best of my ability, I will continue to cover those and any other major announcements from the Church. In the meantime, 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 feedback offered is consistent with 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. 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.

UPDATED: Current Apostolic Data

Hello again, everyone! It has been a tradition on this blog for me to provide updates on apostolic data every 7 weeks. Having last done so on February 20, it is time to publish the newest such data. As with every two-part update, the first part contains updated data about the age and tenure length records for all 17 Church Presidents. It's worth noting that, just 3 days after this update is published, current Church President Russell M. Nelson will officially pass President Gordon B. Hinckley as the oldest living President of the Church. The first part also includes updated information on the tenure length records for each of the 28 Presidents of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

The first document also shows information on three sets of apostolic groups: the longest-serving First Presidencies (which will not be updated with the First Presidency as presently constituted until 2024), in addition to the longest-serving groups of members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and groups of all ordained apostles (the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles).

The latest version of that document also shows when the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as currently comprised will move up on the list of the longest-serving Quorums of the Twelve Apostles, in addition to specifics on when the current members of that Quorum, along with the current First Presidency, will reach the next milestones on that list.

Meanwhile, the second part of today's update shows the long-form and decimal ages for the members of the current First Presidency, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and the apostolic groups overall, in addition to the average ages of each group and apostolic nonagenarians (with 2 of the current 15 apostles being on that list, and the timing noted for when each of the other 13 apostles will join that list).

Hopefully this shared data will be of interest to you all, and again, I offer an open invitation to anyone who has any questions about those documents to ask them here. I will, of course, continue to monitor all Church news updates and temple developments, and will do my level best to bring word of those to you all as I become aware of all such reports. In the meantime, 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 feedback offered is consistent with 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. 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 NEWS: First Presidency Announces Two New Missions for 2022; The Division of the 2 European Areas into 3; and the 2022 Area Leadership Assignments

Note: This post was originally published on 4/7/2022 at 3:57 PM, with additional analysis added on 4/8/2022 at 1:12 AM. 

Hello again, everyone! Around 10 minutes ago, the First Presidency made some remarkable announcements: effective July 1, two new missions are coming to Europe: one in the UK, and one in Spain. Additionally, the 2022-2023 area leadership assignments have been announced, with those changes going into effect on August 1. 

In conjunction with the area leadership assignments, the First Presidency additionally announced that the two current Europe Areas (Europe and Europe East) will be divided into 3: Europe Central, Europe East, and Europe North. The division of the European Areas is effective immediately. 

Additionally, for the time being, the nations of Ukraine and Moldova will be separate from the 3 new European Areas, and Elder Kyrylo Pokhylko, an area seventy, will oversee them as an assistant to the Europe North Area Presidency. As I mentioned previously, a separate Church area including Russia had been noted on Classic Maps a week or two ago. Today's announcement supersedes anything I have previously noted or conjectured here on this blog.

Obviously, there is a lot to break down here, but I am preparing for an appointment presently, so I will plan on publishing further analysis on this development later this evening. For now, my thanks once again to you all.

(Added on April 8 at 1:52 AM) Hello again, everyone! Much later than I intended, I am back with the additional analysis I promised. First, regarding the two newest missions of the Church, the Spain Madrid North Mission will be formed from a division of the Spain Madrid and Spain Barcelona Missions. Christopher L. Eastland and Trista S. Eastland have been called to preside over that mission, which will open in early July of this year.

Also opening in early July of this year is the England Bristol Mission, which is being reinstated. The mission will be reformed from parts of 3 other missions in England: England Birmingham, England Leeds, and England London. The Church has reassigned Kevin E. and Janine D. Gallacher, who have presided over the England Birmingham Mission since July of last year, to oversee the opening of this new mission, with Adam and Heather West set to preside over the England Birmingham Mission as replacements for President and Sister Gallacher. The creation of these two missions bring the total number of missions worldwide to 411.

That brings me to my analysis of the area leadership assignments. The Church has split the Europe and Europe East Areas into what will now be known as the Europe Central, Europe East, and Europe North Areas. The presidency of the Europe Area (Massimo De Feo, Erich W. Kopischke, and Ruben V. Alliaud) will serve as the presidency of the new Europe Central Area (with the headquarters remaining in Frankfurt Germany), with the Europe Central Area including the following nations: 

Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

The realigned Europe East Area will consist of the nations of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia, with the area headquarters remaining in Moscow. 3 area seventies (Alexey V. Samaykin, Nikolai Ustyuzahaninov, and Aleksandr A. Drachyov) will serve as the presidency of that area. Meanwhile, Elders Hans T. Boom and Scott D. Whiting, who have been the President and First Counselor in the Europe East Area, will shift over to become the President and First Counselor in the Europe North Area, joined by Second Counselor Alan T. Phillips, an area seventy.

Elder Kyrylo Pokhylko, an area seventy who most recently was the Second Counselor in the Europe East Area presidency (working with Elders Boom and Whiting) has been reassigned as an assistant to the Europe North Area Presidency, where he will have primary oversight for the nations of Ukraine and Moldova, which will not be directly assigned to any of the three European areas for the time being.

The Europe North Area, with headquarters in the United Kingdom, will consist of the following nations: Cape Verde, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Aside from these notes, I have taken time to analyze the new area leadership assignments for the now-23 geographical areas of the Church. I have compiled the relevant data into two documents.

The first shows an alphabetical list (by last names) of General Authority Seventies and Area Seventies who are being called to and/or released from area leadership roles. The second shows the alphabetical order of the 23 areas of the Church and details the changes (or lack thereof) for each of those area presidencies. Hopefully both documents are informative to you all in providing the details about area leadership changes. And again, the changes in the 3 Europe Areas are effective immediately, with the changes to the other 20 presidencies being effective on August 1 of this year. I am grateful to have been able to analyze and report on these changes. I continue to monitor all Church news and temple updates. Unless there are 1 or more major Church news or temple updates provided later today (Friday), the next development will occur on Saturday, when ground will be broken for the Bahia Blanca Argentina Temple. Then on Sunday, it will be time for the next apostolic milestone update. I am reasonably certain other major updates will be provided later this month.

To the best of my ability, I will track them all and be sure to pass word of them along here as soon as I can once I learn about them. In the meantime, 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 feedback offered is consistent with 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. 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.