General Conference Predictions

Since the first session of General Conference is about 1-1/2 weeks away, I thought I'd better post general conference predictions. First, here's a link to Matthew Martinich's predictions for temples that may be announced this conference. He gives 10 potential temple sites. The discussion that follows is instructive, and I invite all who wish to do so to read the post and the accompanying comments.

Now, as to my conference predictions, I have done something different with them this go-round. I have consolidated all my predictions for this conference to one file, so it is easier to read. I also have an important note about my predictions at the beginning of the document that warrants careful reading. That said, my predictions follow. Enjoy!

NOTE: I learned from looking at the last time we had new apostles that the regular General Conference speaking order might be altered. Accordingly, I have made two separate predictions. The tables below list the possible changes in general Church leadership and the speaking order. There are some changes in general Church leadership that are definite because they have already been announced. The other changes are conditional based on who is released and sustained. With the speaking order table, where is only one name in a space, then the two unique predictions I have made will be the same. If I have two names listed in one space, it’s because I’m not sure exactly of the order in which the speakers will be called upon. The order may also be altered in view of whoever might be called to be the new apostles and when they might be called upon to speak. On who might be called, I have had a good feeling about two particular names. I am not confident enough in my feelings about who the new apostles might be to add their specific names to my prediction, but I will say that if the individuals I feel will be called are called, the second name (where two names are listed) is the most likely speaking order. I could be totally wrong in my feelings about who might be called, so, to cover my bases, I am including the names listed first just in case the standard General Conference format is followed and in the event I am wrong in my feelings about who the new apostles will be. Hope that makes sense. Here are my predictions for what changes might be made to general Church leadership, followed by my predictions for who might speak and when and in what order.

October 2015 Predictions for changes in General Church Leadership

Quorum of the Twelve Apostles: Russell Marion Nelson sustained as Quorum President; Two new apostles sustained. (I think I know who they will be, but I’m not going to say just in case I’m wrong.) NOTE: We know from previous announcements that Russell Marion Nelson should be sustained as Quorum President since he was set apart in that position on July 15. Two new apostles will be sustained to succeed Elder L. Tom Perry and President Boyd K. Packer. RESULT: Russell Marion Nelson was so sustained. Two new apostles were called, namely:

Presidency of the Seventy: New member(s) sustained (if new apostle(s) come from the Presidency of the Seventy. NOTE: I don’t believe we will see a change here. RESULT:

First Quorum of the Seventy: Elder Don R. Clarke released and granted emeritus status; other member(s) possibly released if called to the Twelve. NOTE: I believe Elder Don R. Clarke will be released and granted emeritus status because he is now over 70. I also believe that the second new apostle will come from the First Quorum, but, as stated above, I won’t be revealing who I think that will be. RESULT:

Second Quorum of the Seventy: Elders Koichi Aoyagi and Kent F. Richards and others possibly released if called to the Twelve. NOTE: I believe that at least Elder Koichi Aoyagi will be released. Not so sure about Elder Kent F. Richards. He’s at an age and service length where a release could be expected, but as of August 23, he was still identified as the Temple Department Executive Director, and any changes to Executive Directors of Departments are usually made by or before August 1. So either only Elder Aoyagi will be released (as he is unassigned and over 70) or both Elders Aoyagi and Richards will be released, and someone else will take on the role of Temple Department Executive Director. RESULT:

Presiding Bishopric: Change(s) made if new apostle(s) come from the Presiding Bishopric. NOTE: I believe the first new apostle will come from the Presiding Bishopric, but again, as stated above, I won’t be revealing who I think that will be. If any members of the Presiding Bishopric do become apostles, that would necessitate changes. RESULT:

Area Seventies: Releases and sustainings, especially if new apostle(s) come from currently serving Area Seventies. NOTE: I believe we will only have a few changes here, as it seems to be typically the pattern for major changes to be made in April when President Dieter F. Uchtdorf presents the Sustaining of Church Officers and for only a very few to be made in October when President Henry B. Eyring presents the Sustaining of Church Officers. I’m not infallible, however, so I will just say that I believe there will be few, if any, changes here. RESULT:

Sunday School General Presidency: John Sears Tanner released as First Counselor; Devin G. Durrant released as Second Counselor and sustained as First Counselor; Brian K. Ashton sustained as Second Counselor. Possible additional changes if new apostle(s) come from Sunday School General Presidency. NOTE: We know from the Church’s June 12 announcement that these changes have been made and will most likely be ratified by sustaining vote during General Conference. I don’t believe there will be any other changes here. RESULT:

Young Men General Presidency: Change(s) made if new apostle(s) come from Young Men General Presidency. NOTE: I don’t believe there will be any changes here. RESULT:

October 2015 General Conference Speaking Order Predictions

Session	Conducting	Speaker
General Women’s	Bonnie L. Oscarson	Rosemary M. Wixom
		Carol F. McConkie
		Linda S. Reeves
		President Thomas S. Monson
Saturday Morning	President Henry B. Eyring	President Thomas S. Monson
		Elder Richard G. Scott
		Elder Richard J. Maynes
		Neill F. Marriott
		Elder Kim B. Clark
		President Russell M. Nelson
		President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Saturday Afternoon	President Dieter F. Uchtdorf	President Henry B. Eyring (Sustaining of Church Officers)
		Elder Robert D. Hales
		Elder M. Russell Ballard
		Elder Von G. Keetch
		Elder Allen D. Haynie
		Elder Hugo Montoya
		Elder Dallin H. Oaks or Elder Vern P. Stanfill
		Elder Neil L. Andersen
Saturday Priesthood	President Henry B. Eyring	Elder David A. Bednar
		Bishop Gary E. Stevenson
		Elder Ronald A. Rasband
		President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
		President Henry B. Eyring
		President Thomas S. Monson
Sunday Morning	President Dieter F. Uchtdorf	President Henry B. Eyring
		Elder Quentin L. Cook or New apostle #2
		New apostle #1 or Elder Vern P. Stanfill
		New apostle #2 or Carole M. Stephens
		Elder D. Todd Christofferson
		President Thomas S. Monson
Sunday Afternoon	President Henry B. Eyring	Elder Dallin H. Oaks or New apostle #1
		Carole M. Stephens or Elder Quentin L. Cook
		Devin G. Durrant
		Elder Mervyn B. Arnold
		Elder Yoon Hwan Choi
		Elder Kevin R. Duncan
		Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
		President Thomas S. Monson

Update on Church News

Major Church news items have crossed my radar recently, but with all that's been going on in our personal lives, I haven't had the chance to report it. So, here goes!

First of all, a Portuguese edition of the Bible has recently been released by the Church. It is a major milestone for the Portuguese population. For more details on that, click here. Second, Clark Gilbert has been officially installed as the next president of BYU-Idaho. In attendance at the inauguration were President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency and Second Vice Chairman of the CES, Elders Dallin H. Oaks, Jeffrey R. Holland and David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (Elder Oaks and Elder Holland served as presidents of BYU-Provo and are currently on the CES Board of Education and Board of Trustees, and Elder Bednar was in attendance as a former BYU-Idaho President); Elder Kim B. Clark of the First Quorum of the Seventy (and Commissioner of Church Education), and Sister Linda K. Burton (Relief Society General President) and Sister Bonnie G. Oscarson (Young Women General President), both of whom serve on the CES Board as well. For a summary of what was said at the inauguration, please see this link.

Thirdly, Elder Ronald A. Rasband, Senior President of the Seventy, spoke recently about religious freedom at a BYU-Provo Devotional. For a summary of that devotional, please see this article. The Mexico City Mexico Temple was rededicated last Sunday, September 13. President Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency, presided. He was accompanied at the dedication by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, Elder Kent F. Richards of the Second Quorum of the Seventy, who serves as Executive Director of the Temple Department, and the Mexico Area Presidency (Benjamin De Hoyos, Paul B. Pieper, and Arnulfo Valenzuela, all of the First Quorum of the Seventy). Church leaders will return to Mexico in December to dedicate the Tijuana Mexico Temple, though it is unclear who all will be there. For a more detailed report on the dedication, please see this link.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf dedicated a new addition to the Polynesian Cultural Center. For more details on that, please see this link. President Russell M. Nelson, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, made his first overseas trip as Quorum President to the Central America Area. For more on what he did on that trip, please see this link. Elder L. Whitney Clayton of the Presidency of the Seventy spoke to young adults of the Church on Sunday evening in the Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults that will be the last one this year. He spoke of developing deep spiritual roots, calling Jesus Christ the key to living an abundant life. For more on that devotional, including what his wife spoke about in her remarks during the devotional, please see this link.

Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke to saints in the Utah South Area Regional Conference on the subject of maintaining habits that keep us connected to Christ. Also speaking at the conference were Elder Donald L. Hallstrom of the Presidency of the Seventy (who spoke about hastening the work of salvation), Bishop Dean M. Davies, Second Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric (who spoke about patterns found in and the importance of studying the Book of Mormon), and Linda K. Burton, Relief Society General President (who spoke on the importance of and blessings that come from proper Sabbath Day observance). For more details on this conference, please see this link.

Finally, in temple news, the Fort Collins Colorado Temple site was vandalized but work keeps progressing there. In fact, the temple recently saw the installation of the majestic figure of the angel Moroni. Other temple highlights in addition to those already noted are that progress is being made on temples worldwide, and particularly that the temple to be built in Port-au-Prince Haiti is in the design phase. Other temple milestones will be focused on in future blog posts. Hope you enjoyed this one.

We've found a place!

Hello, readers! Just wanted to let you know that we have found a new place to live--and it's not even a rental. We have, just this week, signed the papers to buy a trailer in a trailer park in Orem (right next door to the Dollar Tree store). It's at least twice as big as our current place, with twice as many bedrooms and bathrooms. For a first home, it's wonderful. We will have access to a pool and be close to many different stores and restaurants. It breaks my heart to be leaving the stake and people I have come to love so much in the 16 1/2 years I've known them. But Amy and I are agreed: we want to come back to the AF East Stake to raise our family. How and when that will happen, I'm not sure. But we will be back. We will be moving out of here and into there at the end of this month. And we will be continuing to attend our current ward and stake until we are replaced in our callings and, in my case, until I have trained someone to take over as the Ward Media Specialist. The ward we will be in starts at 9:00 am, which we are not crazy about, but the good news is that we will only have a couple of months on that schedule until we switch to a later time. Whether that will be 11:00, 11:30, 1 or 2 remains to be seen. Anyways, just wanted to post this exciting development. Thanks for your interest, friends!

Big News

Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later. But this is sooner. I wanted to let my readers know that we have a month or less left in our current apartment (our first dwelling place as a married couple). Here's what happened. Amy noticed a short while ago that some of the wood we had acquired for our own personal purposes and use alone had been taken without our permission by our landlord and used in his garden. Amy asked him a couple of days ago to return what he had stolen. Once our landlord thought about her request, he decided to be offended by the implication that he had been less than honest in this dealing with us. He informed me today that because what Amy said was hurtful, he felt it was time for us to move. He will give us until the end of October to find another place.

This made us sad in a way. You never forget your first place, and it has been a nice first place while it lasted. But then we thought about the things we wouldn't miss: the landlord's grandchildren thumping about above us, the barking dog at all hours of the day and night; the nasty-tasting water that even a new filter couldn't improve; the small kitchen sink; the temperature controls in the bath and shower being reversed, a bathroom that, while it served its purpose, only a lunatic would have put together the way it is; the influx of insects; the small cupboards; having to think hard about how to find a place for everything, and that's just the tip of the iceberg.

We don't know where we will go from here as of yet. While I still feel my work in this stake is not done yet, now we have no choice but to relocate. And since there aren't a lot of affordable options nearby for either renting or buying, we may have to leave town to find a place. Amy has found a trailer park in Orem with a particular trailer that looks promising: 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a decent kitchen, lots of cupboard space and room to store stuff. It might be the perfect place to go from here. If we decide to do that, we will probably move out sooner than the end of October, especially since the place is available now.

It breaks my heart to think of leaving the town to which I came as a newly ordained deacon and which I will leave as a man married 5 years and well seasoned in experience. This move would even put us in a new temple district, as all the stakes in Orem have been transferred to the Provo Utah Temple. So we would even be leaving the town where we met and the temple where we got married. But a temple would still be close, which is good. I don't even want to think about changing banks and pharmacies and grocery stores. I would hope there would still be everything we need there. Though there would not be a Fresh Market, so I'd have to determine which pharmacy I would want my information transferred to. I would be joining my sisters who no longer reside in American Fork. It would mean leaving behind a stake and people I have loved almost since the moment I met them all those 16 years ago. But I'm not too worried about that part of it.

I seem to have the knack of making friends wherever I go, and I'm bound to recognize someone. I can never go anywhere without running into someone who knows me and/or my family. And it's not like we'd be totally friendless. My dad's brother Lynn and his wife Claudia live in Orem with some of their children, as does Amy's brother Gary and his wife Janeal. So I'm sure we'd be fine and soon able to make other friends. We will be finding out more about this trailer Amy found ASAP, probably sometime tomorrow.

And we will be praying about it and I at least will also be fasting about it on Sunday, even if Amy can't join me due to her health. We should have a decision soon. I will let you know as soon as everything falls into place. Btw, when we prepare to leave this apartment for the last time, Amy has told me we will be taking pictures so we can remember our first abode and look back on it with satisfaction knowing that it served its purpose and that we can move on and maybe thus have more luck starting our family. I will keep you posted.

In other news, I saw my muscle doctor last week, and he recommended a neurosurgeon that works in the same clinic as that jerk I refuse to go back to under any circumstances. I called them to see if I could get an appointment with that doctor. I was told, much to my frustration, that if I started with one doctor in this clinic, I could only see him. So we will have to find another clinic at another location with another neurosurgeon. But right now the whole situation with the landlord and the resultant need to leave trumps anything else.

On the better side of news, I saw my neurologist today. Dr. Sharon Weinstein listened to my concerns carefully and gave me suggestions about dealing with them. She particularly recommended music therapy and Tai Chi. She suggested using the cane as needed for my on-and-off vertigo, but to try not to overuse it or overcompensate with it.  She also said that once we see my gastroenterologist in follow-up to my endoscopy and colonoscopy that she (Dr. Weinstein) would make further recommendations based on what Adrienne Shaver, my gastroenterologist identifies as the possible reason for the stomach cramps and additional nausea. More on that as time and circumstances allow.

Amy and I will be praying that the Lord will compensate us for our landlord's overreaction to being called on what he was doing wrong, and that the Lord will let him live to see a day when he regrets having kicked us out. Until I write again, dear readers, all the best!

Church News/Personal updates

Hello all! Much has happened in the Church and with us since my last major update. So in this post, I will attempt to update you on all the good stuff. Hang on to your hats! This will be a wild ride!

First of all, now that it's September, I wanted to remind everyone that we have two apostolic birthdays to celebrate this month (would be 3 if President Packer were still alive). Elder Quentin L. Cook turns 75 on September 8. The following day, President Russell M. Nelson celebrates his 91st birthday, hopefully the first of many years he will mark as Quorum President. I know I should be used to "President Nelson" by now, but it's still somewhat of a nuance, especially since it's been just under two months that he's had this calling. It's crazy to think that we'll find out who will be called as the new apostles in a little over a month. As I think about the apostolic vacancies, two names particularly seem to me like they could be the new apostles. Although why the Lord would reveal such information to me before he tells President Monson is beyond me. Since I'm not infallible, I will not say who I think they will be unless it turns out that I'm right. Time will tell.

On the temple news front, the Indianapolis Temple was dedicated last Sunday by President Henry B. Eyring, who was accompanied at the dedication by Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, along with Elder Donald L. Hallstrom of the Presidency of the Seventy, Elders Kent F. Richards (Temple Department Executive Director) and Wilford W. Andersen, both of the Second Quorum of the Seventy, Bishop Dean M. Davies, Second Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, and Elder Paul H. Sinclair, an Area Seventy and the only native Hoosier to serve on the temple committee. The temple becomes the first temple in the state of Indiana and the 148th temple worldwide. With the announcement of the Tijuana Mexico Temple Dedication for December 13, and the Provo City Center Temple Dedication in March of 2016, that will bring the total number of temples worldwide to a historic 150 by the 186th Annual General Conference.

In other temple news, progress is being made on the Paris France Temple, Philadelphia Pennsylvania Temple, and Fort Collins Colorado Temple. Progress was necessarily halted for a short time in Fort Collins because of vandalism to the temple site and structure. I hope they catch the vandals. To vandalize something that is sacred to so many people is to incite the wrath of a just God. I take comfort in the knowledge that even if the vandals escape justice in this life, at some future point, they will be judged for this heinous crime. I will say no more of that.

According to ldschurchtemples.com, 3 temples currently undergoing renovation will be rededicated before we have 150 temples in March of next year. Two other temples are expected to have renovations finished and be dedicated by the end of 2016, with two other temples scheduled to begin renovation within that same time frame. As for new temples that could be dedicated next year, the Provo City Center Temple will be just one of the seven temples that are anticipated to be completed in 2016. And if three of the temples that are being renovated currently are ready for rededication by the end of 2016, it will be a veritable year of temple-related events. I will keep an eye on these developments and let you know as soon as I know anything.

The 13 apostles of the Church have now had a chance to meet and consider their future relationship with the BSA. The determination was made that the Church would stick with the BSA and the BSA responded that they hoped the Church would continue to select Scout leaders that will be true to Church standards. It was a big relief to hear that. I want my sons to become Eagle Scouts as I have done. And now they'll have that chance. The Church is still concerned, however, about the outreach of the Scouting program worldwide. The situation will continue to be monitored and a decision made about a program that will work for all young men worldwide as time and circumstances allow such changes to be made.

In other news, the Church has announced that the female leaders of the Church have been invited to become participating members on major Church councils; they began their new roles immediately. Primary General President Rosemary M. Wixom will now be a member of the Church's Temple and Family History Executive Council. Relief Society General President Linda K. Burton has been invited to serve as  a member of the Priesthood and Family Executive Council, which had, prior to its name change, been traditionally called the Priesthood Executive Council. Young Women General President Bonnie L. Oscarson has been asked to be a member of the Missionary Executive Council. I imagine that this will filter down to the wards and stakes as well, if it is not already so. Some claim that because the women don't have the priesthood, they are somehow less significant to the work of the Lord than the men. These changes should serve to prove otherwise. It'll be interesting to see what happens with the work of these councils in the future now that a woman's voice has been added to them. I will keep my eye on any developments in this regard and share them ASAP.

In the meantime, things have been crazy here the last little while. I applied for a position as a Team Leader but did not get it because it would have required me to work on Sunday, and I covenanted with the Lord a long time ago that I would never work on a Sunday. The Sabbath is too important to me.

I had an interview with my bishop, who was concerned about our financial troubles, especially as we are doing all we can but can't seem to break even. I told him what the situation was with why I apparently "don't qualify" anymore to receive SSI. He said he would talk to my caseworker, for whom I gave him a number. I don't know whether it was my bishop, a lawyer by profession, who leaned on the SSA until they came to their senses or if it was the fact that I turned in many paystubs they were missing. The long and the short of it is that I got an SSI payment of about $1,800 that covered what they should have paid me for May-July. I will get my August paystubs turned in ASAP. And I'm happy to report that I got another SSI check today for the month of September. So we will be more than okay until my next paycheck (Friday).

I have had many doctors appointments for a variety of reasons. The general consensus: I need to exercise regularly 5 days a week for at least one hour per exercise session. I have a goal to lose 12 lbs by the time I see one of my doctors again. If not, she said she might have me do a sleep test to see if I have apnea. In the meantime, last Monday, I had a colonoscopy and an endoscopy to help my gastroenterologist figure out why my stomach has been so weird lately. That procedure went well, but I overdid it afterwards and was too wiped out to go to work that day and the next day as well.

I didn't see my neurologist this month as she said she could just mail me the prescriptions I needed with some advanced notice. I let her office know what prescriptions I needed and by when, but they didn't arrive. Fortunately, we were going to see my physiatrist (muscle doctor) in Salt Lake last week, so I was able to pick up a physical prescriptions I needed right before they closed down their office for the night. My doctors all seem to be impressed with the progress I am making. All of them are worried about my weight, which is why I will try to lose 2 pounds per month every month for the next half year before I see my pulmonologist again.

I see my urologist in a couple of months, and I hope everything's all right there. I have a dentist's appointment this week and hopefully have few, if any cavities. I'm a little worried about my teeth. I had 8 cavities they found that I had to get done between my visit last fall and now. I will keep you posted on all of that good stuff.

We have missed Church for several weeks in a row now due to illness. It was just as well I didn't go last week, because I was puking like there was no tomorrow. That finally settled down, but I am still dealing with some health issues that I can hopefully get resolved soon. Thankfully. Amy has been doing relatively well health-wise while I've had these problems.

I seek an interest in your prayers. Amy and I need to apply for another loan to help us buy a house, assuming we can find one within our budget where the Lord would want us to be. But in order to get a loan, I have to prove that I have steady employment. While I still am at work as often as I can be, if we gave them a paycheck history, until my ability to be at work improves drastically, we may not be eligible for a loan. This worries us because we want to move from this apartment to a place of our own. The worries about how to afford a place of our own are compounded by not knowing where to look. The Lord has told me that we need to remain in the AF East Stake, if at all possible. Every time I ask, I have received the same answer: I have not finished all the things I was brought to this stake to do. I don't know what the Lord has in mind for me, but, whatever it is, I hope I will be worthy to do it.

My work is having a BBQ up Provo Canyon on September 13 from 5-9 pm. It should be a fun event. It will be really neat to introduce Amy to my coworkers. Most of them who know me have heard by now how Amy and I got together, so they're anxious to meet her.

In just a few short weeks, my older sister Joanna and her son, Grant, will return to Utah for the final stages of Joanna's pregnancy and for the delivery. We will be so excited to see them. The one bummer about that is that Lyle may or may not be able to be there in person for the birth of the twins. We are all praying like crazy that something will work out for Lyle to be there. He missed being there for Grant's birth. It will be very hard on Joanna and Grant to have to deal with the babies coming without Lyle being there for it. So I would ask for your prayers on behalf of my sister: that the last part of the pregnancy might be easy on her and that her husband can be there for the birth. Thanks in advance, friends!

Well, that's what's going on in our lives, in a nutshell. Hope you are all well and are still enjoying these posts. Best wishes to you, my readers! You are the reason I blog. Happiness to you in your life ahead!