Church President and Prophet Russell M. Nelson Celebrates His 99th Birthday

Hello again, everyone! I am back once again, this time to share a post in tribute to our beloved prophet, Church President Russell M. Nelson, who officially marks his 99th birthday today, thus becoming the first apostle and prophet of this dispensation to reach that age milestone. So let's talk about this wonderful man whom we sustain as the prophet, seer and revelator for the Church, and the only man currently authorized to speak in behalf of the Lord. Russell Marion Nelson was born in Salt Lake City Utah to Marion C. and Edna Anderson Nelson on this day in 1924 (just a day before the birth of Boyd K. Packer, his future immediate predecessor to the Presidency of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles).

Though he grew up in a loving family, his parents were not active in the Church. As a teenager, he went looking for books about the Church at Deseret Book. His parents allowed him and his siblings to be baptized when he was 16. President Nelson married his first wife, Dantzel, in the Salt Lake Temple. They have nine daughters and one son. When his wife unexpectedly died in 2005, he described having "inconsolable grief" for a time. He married Wendy Watson, a BYU professor, the following April.

He studied at LDS Business College and went on to obtain his BA and MD at the University of Utah. He simultaneously trained as a surgeon and did doctoral studies at the University of Utah. He was part of the research team that developed the heart-lung machine that was first used for an open-heart operation on a human being in 1951. He spent two years on medical duty for the US Army during the Korean War, then underwent another training period in Boston at the prestigious Harvard Medical School's Massachusetts General Hospital.

At one key point in his medical career, the University of Chicago was anxious to get him to come and teach at their school of medicine, so the president of that university asked Dallin H., Oaks, then a professor at the law school, to try and persuade him to come. Then-Brother Oaks did his best to convince then-Brother Nelson to accept the offer. But Church President David O. McKay advised Brother Nelson not to go, so he turned down that opportunity.

In 1955, he accepted a teaching opportunity at the University of Utah School of Medicine, where he built his own heart-and-lung machine. Around a year later, he was on duty to perform the first pediatric cardiac operation. In 1960, he performed the first successful operative repair of a tricuspid heart valve. Being worried that a surgical procedure he had been asked to perform was too risky for anyone, he requested and received a blessing from then-Elder Spencer W. Kimball, who was one of his patients.

That surgery was a success, and he later used the same technique to operate on Elder Kimball himself, a risky procedure, which only moved forward following a pointed directive from President Harold B. Lee, who at that time was serving as First Counselor in the First Presidency. While performing that operation, Brother Nelson had the overwhelming feeling that President Kimball would one day be President of the Church.

As a result of that operation's success, Church members were blessed to enjoy the counsel and ministry of President Kimball for almost another decade and a half. The doctor-patient relationship he experienced with President Kimball enabled Brother Nelson to write a letter of assurance about President Kimball's health when the latter was called as Church President.

He has served in many positions on different hospital boards and has received several awards for his pioneering work. He likewise had many service opportunities in the Church. He served as a stake president for over six years, during which time he served alongside another future apostle, Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin.

In mid-1970, Ernest L. Wilkinson, then president of BYU, submitted his resignation, which went into effect early the following year. As Neal A. Maxwell, Commissioner of Church Education, searched for a replacement, Brother Nelson was one of the candidates considered for the position, which was in due course filled by Brother Nelson's future apostolic seatmate, Dallin H. Oaks.

In the meantime, Brother Nelson was called in June of 1971 as the Sunday School General President (during which time, Brother Wirthlin would again serve alongside him.) Brother Nelson would go on to also serve in the now-defunct calling of regional representative, during which time, having been present when President Kimball suggested that some of them should learn Mandarin Chinese, took on that task in obedience to the prophet's counsel.

In April 1984, with the advice and consent of President Spencer W. Kimball, President Gordon B. Hinckley, then Second Counselor in the First Presidency, called Brother Nelson to fill one of two vacancies in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Then-Brother Oaks was called to fill the other vacancy, and the two have sat side-by-side in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles since that time.

In the natural course of life between then-Elder Nelson's apostolic call (announced on April 7, 1984) and early July 2015, the Church had lost 4 Chrch Presidents and all of the apostles senior to then-Church President Thomas S. Monson, in addition to all apostles junior to President Monson but senior to Elder Nelson. The last of those was President Boyd K. Packer, whose passing on July 3, 2015 led to Elder Nelson becoming the de facto President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He was officially set apart in that capacity 12 days later, on Wednesday July 15, 2015, by Church President Thomas S. Monson, who had by that time begun to decrease his involvement in the day-to-day administration of the Church.

When the Church released an official statement in mid-May 2017, which noted that President Monson would no longer be taking an active role in leading the Church, as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, President Nelson filled a vital role in assisting President Monson's counselors, President Henry B. Eyring and then-President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, in taking care of the day-to-day administration of the Church.

When President Monson passed away on January 2. 2018, President Nelson directed the affairs of the Church as the senior apostle (and the de facto Acting President of the Church) for 12 days before his ordination and setting apart as Church President.

Following his ordination, he met individually with each of the other 12 apostles to get their input on who should serve as his counselors and who should be called to fill the resulting 2 vacancies in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Once that process was complete, he selected as his counselors his seatmate, Elder Oaks, and Elder Eyring, who had served as a counselor to both Presidents Monson and Gordon B. Hinckley, as his First and Second Counselors, respectively, in the First Presidency. As a result of that reorganization, Elder Uchtdorf again took his place in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. During the broadcast and subsequent press conference when the new First Presidency was introduced to the world on Tuesday January 16, President Nelson paid tribute to his predecessor's counselors and mentioned that both were willing to now serve where they were most needed. The responsibilities assigned to Elder Uchtdorf were those previously held by the senior three apostles of the Church, Presidents Nelson and Oaks, and the new Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, M. Russell Ballard.

Even prior to serving as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, or subsequently as President of the Church, President Nelson took great care of his fellow Brethren in the apostleship.

Many of you will recall how, in the midst of an address about charity, the pure love of Christ, Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin began shaking uncontrollably, In a silent demonstration of what his colleague was teaching, Elder Nelson stood by and supported Elder Wirthlin until he closed his address, then gently helped him back to his seat. Not long after Elder Richard G. Scott underwent a needed surgical procedure, he was surprised to learn that President Nelson had stood inside the operating room observing the procedure in its entirety.

And, of course, as recounted during the funeral of Elder Robert D. Hales, following the Sunday Morning Session of the October 2017 General Conference, President Nelson felt impressed skip his lunch break and go immediately to the hospital to visit Elder Robert D. Hales, who passed away within a few minutes after President Nelson arrived.

President Nelson has demonstrated a keen intellect, a willingness to seek for and follow revelation from the Lord, and an undeviating loyalty and full commitment to his family, his Church, and his apostolic colleagues. We have seen him respond swiftly to such revelation, and perhaps the greatest details of the revelation he continues to receive regularly are yet-to-be revealed in the upcoming General Conference.

I have always been impressed and touched by President Nelson's remarks. He has given 110 addresses thus far in General Conference, including 65 following his call to the apostleship, 5 given while he served as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and 40 so far which he has given since becoming President of the Church. By all accounts, he continues to think, move, and act with the health, vigor, and energy of one 20-30 years younger than his current 99 years. Something Sister Nelson has repeated in public comments lately is that she is highly suspicious of his birth certificate, because he is anything but a typical 99-year-old.

I am grateful for the chance to have paid this birthday tribute to President Nelson. He and all of the other apostles have my unequivocal and everlasting support and sustaining vote. I know for myself that President Russell M. Nelson is a prophet of God, that he will not lead us astray, that he speaks for and on the behalf of he Lord and that we will be blessed by the Lord as we follow the counsel given by His chosen mouthpiece.

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. Please subscribe if you liked what you read here and would like to be informed of newly-added posts and comments. 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 Quentin L. Cook Marks His 83rd Birthday

Hello again, everyone! I am back to share some thoughts about Elder Quentin L. Cook in honor of his 83rd birthday today. Let's dive right into that subject. Quentin LaMar Cook was born to J. Vernon and Bernice Cook on this day in 1940 in Logan, Utah. His ancestry includes his great-great-grandfather, Elder Heber C. Kimball, who was one of the original apostles of the Church and who was instrumental in bringing the gospel to England and supporting the Prophet Joseph Smith at key moments when apostates made efforts to replace Brother Joseph as the Lord's mouthpiece.

Young Quentin was a middle child, having an older brother and a younger sister. He grew up in a very gospel-centered home, although his father eventually lost interest in Church activity .At age 15, he had a discussion with his brother Joe that changed his life. Joe was unsure whether to continue with his medical school studies, or to delay that in order to serve a mission, with their father favoring the former. During that conversation, they determined that either the gospel was true or it wasn't, and that if it was, serving a mission would be the best use of Joe's time. Joe’s decision to go resulted in young Quentin eventually accepting his own call to serve in the British Mission.

One of his two mission presidents was Elder Marion D. Hanks, who simultaneously served as a general authority. At one point during his mission, his companion was Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. Though the two didn't know it at the time, both would go on to serve as General Authority Seventies and as colleagues in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Elder Cook later noted the following in relation to Elder Holland:

"Sometimes we receive revelation even when we do not know the Lord’s purposes. Shortly before Elder Jeffrey R. Holland was called to be an Apostle in June of 1994, I had a beautiful revelatory experience that he would be called. I was a regional representative and could see no reason I would be given that knowledge. But we were companions as young missionaries in England in the early 1960s, and I had a great love for him. I considered the experience a tender mercy for me. In recent years, I have wondered if the Lord was preparing me to be junior in the Twelve to an incredible missionary companion who was my junior companion when we were young missionaries. I sometimes warn young missionaries to be kind to their junior companions because they never know when they might be their senior companion."

Elder Cook returned from his mission with a strong testimony of the Savior and a resolve to associate with people who love the Savior, both within and outside of the Church. He married his high school sweetheart Mary Gaddie in the Logan Utah Temple on November 30, 1962. Their posterity includes three children and numerous grandchildren.

He graduated from Utah State University with a degree in political science and from Stanford University with a juris doctorate degree.As a managing partner in a San Francisco Bay area law firm, he specialized in business law. He later became president and chief executive officer of California Healthcare System, and vice chairman of Sutter Health Systems. His church service has included being a bishop, stake president’s counselor (during a period of time when his brother Joe was president of that same stake), stake president, regional representative, and area authority. While he was in the stake presidency, he was instilled with a love of people from all nations when he had responsibility for Spanish, Tongan, Samoan, Tagalog, Mandarin, and Cantonese congregations.

He was named a member of the Second Quorum of the Seventy on April 6, 1996, and as a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy on April 4, 1998. He served as a member of area presidencies in the Philippines, the Pacific, and North America, and he also served executive director of the Church Missionary Department during the period of time that "Preach My Gospel" was developed and instituted as the standard guidebook for missionaries, and was subsequently called to the Presidency of the Seventy on August 1, 2007.

Nine days after that, the death of President James E. Faust, who had been serving as Second Counselor to Church President Gordon B. Hinckley, would wind up having an unexpected impact on Elder Cook's life. As the October General Conference rolled around, then-Elder Henry B. Eyring was called as President Hinckley's new Second Counselor, which created a vacancy in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. On October 6, 2007, Elder Cook was sustained to fill that vacancy, and he was ordained an apostle five days later.

Elder Cook has spoken 34 times in General Conference: twice as a General Authority Seventy and 32 additional times in the almost-16 years since his call to the apostleship. I am grateful for his service as a special witness of Christ, and I wholeheartedly sustain him and the other apostles.

Tomorrow, I will publish a post in honor of our beloved prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, who will then be 99. I continue to keep my eyes open for all updates from the Newsroom, the Church News, the Church of Jesus Christ Temples site, and the LDS Church Growth Blog, and will be sure to pass along any updates from any of those sources as I become aware thereof.

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. Please subscribe if you liked what you read here and would like to be informed of newly-added posts and comments. 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.

BREAKING NEWS: Consolidated Collection of Hymns and Children's Songs Will Begin Rollout in the Next Nine Months

Hello again, everyone! A breaking news update was just provided on the new music collection the Church is creating. The Hymnbook and Children's Songbook will now be a single volume, with the hope being that Primary children will sing more hymns and that congregations will sing more children's songs in their meetings. The consolidated collection will begin rollout in the first half of next year (being made available online). 

Per the article, "By the end of 2026, the hymnbook is expected to be available digitally and in print in English, Spanish, Portuguese and French. By 2030, the Church plans to have it published in 50 languages. Other languages will receive a collection of around 60 hymns and children’s songs called “Selected Hymns.” 

This process starts in May 2024, when an early release of new hymns and children’s songs will begin to roll out online in English and other languages. They include such favorites as "Faith in Every Footstep", which were composed after the last edition of the hymnbooks and children's songbooks were released.

Elder Dale G. Renlund, Primary General President Sister Susan H. Porter, and Elder Isaac K. Morrison, a General Authority Seventy, were quoted in the article expressing their excitement for the new music collection. The news release provides other information, including how the new music is anticipated to be implemented in Sunday and at-home worship prior to the release of the full new volumes.

I am grateful to have learned of this update and to have been able to pass it along to you all here. I continue to monitor all other Church News, Newsroom, and temple construction updates and will bring word of those to you all here as I receive 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 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. Please subscribe if you liked what you read here and would like to be informed of newly-added posts and comments. 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.

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Exterior Rendering Released for Austin Texas Temple; Site Location and Preliminary Information Confirmed for Lethbridge Alberta Temple

Hello again, everyone! Just a few minutes ago, the Newsroom released new information on two temples: An exterior rendering for the Austin Texas Temple and the site location and preliminary information about the Lethbridge Alberta Temple. The site location for the Austin Texas Temple was announced last year on December 19. With a rendering released for that 30,000-square-foot single-story temple, hopefully that means a groundbreaking could soon be announced.

That said, the Lethbridge Alberta Temple (set to be built in a region where President Nelson's wife Wendy lived) will be a multistory temple of 45,000-square-feet and an adjacent distribution center, which will rise on a site of more than 9 acres at the corner of Whoop Up Drive West and Mauretania Road West. The fact that it will be a multistory temple seems significant, and suggests that the temple will be built up rather than out.

I am grateful that the first Canadian temple announced by President Nelson now has preliminary information released. And the Church has announced sufficient information on several other temples that may soon have a groundbreaking. I'm also more than slightly surprised that today's announcement did not relate to a temple opening. We've got 3 temples awaiting the announcement of their opening arrangements, and a total of 4 others that are nearing completion.

As I've commented previously, the Church may be waiting to announce opening arrangements for the Red Cliffs Utah Temple until more is known about Elder Holland's health. Based on the fact that President Nelson has assigned temple dedications to apostles with personal connections to areas in the past, Elder Holland's health may be the foremost factor impacting an announcement on Red Cliffs. As far as the delays on arrangements for Layton Utah and Puebla Mexico, not sure of the cause there.

But the Church continues to make such announcements as they can. Stay tuned here for more information as I find out about it. While composing this post, the Church News also covered these updates. I continue to monitor all such news, in addition to updates from the Church News, Newsroom, and on other temples under construction or announced and will be sure to pass word of those along here as time and circumstances allow.

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. Please subscribe if you liked what you read here and would like to be informed of newly-added posts and comments. 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.

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Manhattan New York Temple to Close for Renovation; Site Locations Announced for Temples In California, Brazil, and Bolivia

Hello again, everyone! The first major temple construction announcement in months that has not been related to a temple open house has just been released. As stated in the post title, the Manhattan New York Temple will close for renovations, and sites have been announced for the San Jose California, Natal and Teresina Brazil, and La Paz Bolivia Temples. Having posted preliminary coverage of this announcement, let's now dive into the details:

We start with the Manhattan New York Temple. The 119th dedicated temple of the Church will close for extensive renovations sometime next year, and those renovations are anticipated to wrap up sometime in 2027. The renovation will include an upgrade to the meetinghouse spaces, so while renovations are underway, the congregations that meet in the chapel spaces will be hosted in neighboring meetinghouses. Members in the Manhattan New York Temple district are encouraged to worship at the Hartford Connecticut or Philadelphia Pennsylvania Temples. An updated rendering of the temple has been provided.

The La Paz Bolivia Temple, planned to be a 18,850-square-foot edifice will rise on a 3.8-acre site near the intersection of Avenida Los Sauces and Calle 8 de Calacoto in Calacoto, La Paz, Bolivia. The temple was first announced in October 2021. The Natal and Teresina Brazil Temples were just announced in April by President Nelson. The Natal Brazil Temple will be a The La Paz Bolivia Temple, planned to be a 18,850-square-foot edifice will rise on a 3.8-acre site near the intersection of Avenida Los Sauces and Calle 8 de Calacoto in Calacoto, La Paz, Bolivia. The temple was first announced in October 2021. 

The Natal and Teresina Brazil Temples were just announced in April by President Nelson. The Natal Brazil Temple, a single-story edifice of approximately 19,800 square feet, will be built on a 5.53-acre site at Av. Senador Salgado Filho (BR-101), Nova Parnamirim, Parnamirim, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. And the Teresina Brazil Temple will be a 25,420-square-foot edifice (no indication whether it will be a single- double- or triple-story temple) at Av. Cajuína and Rua Pedro Conde, Noivos, Teresina, Piaui on a 3.6-acre site.

In view of today's significant update, the number of temples with sites announced now rises to 35. And with a total number of 79 temples, 2 have groundbreakings scheduled, leaving the number of temples with no official information announced yet down at 42. With the time between now and General Conference weekend, if several more temples have initial details announced, that will lower the numbers further. I am also cautiously optimistic that groundbreaking announcements might be coming more regularly, and that site announcements and exterior renderings might be more frequent in the weeks between now and the October 2023 General Conference weekend.

With that said, that concludes my report on the temple news today. However, I wanted to provide a preview of what I've got coming between now and the weekend of the October 2023 General Conference. Elder Quentin L. Cook will be observing his 83rd birthday on September 8. The next day, President Nelson will become the first prophet/apostle to observe his 98th birthday.  

My next apostolic milestone update and the third-quarter-2023 review of temple construction progress will both be published on October 1, along with any coverage on new temples that are announced on that date, which will be the Sunday of General Conference weekend. The Monday after General Conference, I will provide a birthday tribute to Elder Ulisses Soareas, who will observe his 65th birthday on October 2, followed by an October 8 post honoring President M. Russell Ballard on his 95th birthday.

So lots of good things planned ahead for this blog. Please stay tuned for further coverage on all Church News and Newsroom reports, temple construction updates, apostolic ministry, age, and tenure reports, and of course, extensive coverage on General Conference weekend (including new temples). 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. Please subscribe if you liked what you read here and would like to be informed of newly-added posts and comments. 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.