My New Work Responsibilities

Many of you have continued to express an interest in how I am doing with my new job. Aside from the environment and being in the minority (as it seems I am the only active Church member on the campaign), it has gone swimmingly. Most days, by the time 4 or 5 pm rolls around, all those who head up the campaign are gone for the day (including my project manager and his assistant and my team leader). Since I have been asked for and have given advice to others on the campaign in the absence of anyone higher up, I have frequently been worried that I might be overstepping my bounds. But I have been told that I am trusted to do whatever's needed and to give such advice when requested. And so far, it's been great. I have kind of slipped in to an informal role as the de facto TL for those hours when there is no one higher up there. And so far, there have been no problems in terms of the agent company's response to actions taken under my advice. It has been great to be trusted.

But above and beyond that, and even more amazing, is what happened on Friday when I came in after two days of not feeling well. The account manager (Trent) was talking to my TL (Natalie), and he said (as far as I can remember, this is an exact quote: "Since James is doing so awesome on this campaign, I want you to show him what you've been asked to do." This was cryptic but sounded promising, and I was flattered by the high praise and by the confidence they were displaying in my ability to take on new responsibilities.

So Natalie showed me what it was she had been doing as time allowed over the last couple of days that I had been sick. It involves calling those who have signed up within the last 24 hours for any of the training programs we offer, getting them started with the information they need, and scheduling their first appointment with their coach. It's not all that different from what I've been doing: it's just specific to those who have more recently enrolled in the program. Upon further inquiry, I was told that this would be what my job entailed day in and day out until either the list was sufficiently trimmed down enough for Natalie to resume taking care of it on her own as her circumstances allow or until the system issues we have been having are fixed to the point where the system does not keep calling people who have already been talked to and set up.

It also means that, since I will be devoting all the time I can to these new responsibilities while I am on the clock, there will be much less down time. This is because, for those newly enrolled in the process, the system doesn't call them automatically. My calls will all be manual for the foreseeable future.

So what does that mean in terms of my future ability to regularly check Church sites and this blog and do new posts? It means that less downtime while waiting for calls at work will cut my ability to do those things with any regularity while I'm on the clock. That's not a complaint. It has bothered me more than a little that I have just been getting paid to sit around and kill time in the best possible way while on the clock, even though that has been interspersed with semi-regular automatic calls made by the system. There will be much less free time. But it will be worth it.

As has been my usual response any time this job has led to more responsibilities, I am humbled and in some ways overwhelmed by the trust that has been placed in me by my supervisors. And it seems that every time I turn around, I am doing well enough on the job that they entrust me with more responsibility. Just last week, prior to the days I missed, we got me set up with my first work-related e-mail. And so the first expansion of my duties at that time involved me being able to send e-mail confirmation to the people I talked with regarding what we had talked about. Since I have been apparently doing well enough on the phones in general with that addition, on Friday, they gave me this additional expansion of my assignment.

And so, as overwhelming and daunting as it has been sometimes to consider how much I am trusted, and how highly I am regarded by those who have supervision over me, I move forward with perfect confidence that, even if I do have doubts periodically about my continuing ability to be worthy of the added responsibilities that have been entrusted to me, I can be secure in the knowledge that, as long as I do my best, it will be good enough.

Thanks for taking time to read and (if you feel so inclined) to comment on this post. Again, if I didn't have the assurance that the things I am posting are interesting and even in some ways beneficial to those who read them, I would not feel comfortable continuing to post as time and circumstances allow. Thank you all so much for your readership and support. You can depend on hearing from me regarding personal and Church developments on every front just as soon as I can make that happen. Thanks again.

Latest Apostolic Age Averages

With the busy day I have had today (between having the 9 am church block following a short night and having temple recommend interviews on both the ward and stake levels and hearing of the groundbreaking set for the Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple), this is my first chance to share the latest information regarding the average ages of our 15 apostles.

Before doing so, I should like to note that this will be a shorter update compared to those I have lately done on this subject. After all, not all that much has changed in terms of how close President Monson and President Nelson are to reaching significant age and tenure milestones. Nor has very much changed in terms of how close our 14 apostles under 90 are to reaching that milestone. And there also has not been any change in terms of who among our apostles are closest in age to the averages shared here. But it is well worth noting the small changes that have taken place in this regard.

As of today, the average age of the First Presidency members is 83.07, while the average age of the members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles stands at 74.62. With how old each apostle is (each of them have increased in age by about 0.02 years since last week), the average age of the 15 apostles overall is 76.31 years.

Again, I honestly can't say how those averages might compare with the week-to-week averages of these three groups over the history of the Church. But the limited research I have been able to do eon this subject leads me to believe that it is safe to say that some are much older than that average, and some are much younger.

It is absolutely amazing for me to track these averages week to week. Even if I never see much of an increase in the numbers involved, what it does absolutely indicate to me is that the promise of the Lord continues to be a reality. As the scripture says, they have been sanctified by the spirit unto the renewal of their bodies. As previously observed, President Nelson is well on track to become the oldest living apostle. I think he'll make it no problem. And with how well President Monson did in delivering that funeral tribute to Elder Rudd (still no word on how long he spoke, but by all accounts available, it was for an extended period of time), it may be a very good indicator that he is improving.

Someone asked me in response to an earlier post on the subject of apostolic age averages whether the Church was preparing anything special to mark President Monson's 90th birthday, which is this year. Because I wanted to be better informed about the question, I did my research. While there has been no announcement of any such event as yet, every time a Church president has previously reached a milestone birthday, particularly 90 or older, he is honored round about the day of his actual birthday. I am more than a little surprised that we haven't heard of any such event being planned for President Monson. But there is still time. President Hinckley's 90th birthday celebration was not announced by the Church News until about a month before the event. That might happen in this case. If it does, I would expect to hear about it perhaps 6 weeks before the event, as the month before falls right in the middle of the July recess for the General Authorities. Stay tuned for more on that as I hear of it.

In the meantime, I hope these posts are helpful to you all and that no one is bothered or offended by them. I thank those of you who have expressed an interest in these reports. I appreciate you all more than I can say. Any comments are welcome and appreciated. Thank you.

Groundbreaking ceremony scheduled for the Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple

Got a very wonderful surprise today. In a comment on the LDS Church Growth blog, someone mentioned that the groundbreaking for the temple in Rio de Janeiro Brazil would take place on March 4. The source cited was an announcement in local congregations that the temple district will serve. After a little digging, I was able to verify this. I couldn't be happier or more excited about this news. The first of what I hope will be many temple groundbreakings in 2017, when construction commences on March 4, it will mean that for the first time in Church history (to my knowledge), we will have two temples simultaneously under construction in Brazil. Not sure how far apart Rio and Fortaleza are, or even if they are in the same region, but it is still awesome news.

While the information has yet to be officially verified by the Church, if the LDS Church Temples site reports it, I don't need any other verification. The information there has been proven time and time again to be reliable and thorough. So I have no doubt that an official announcement will follow soon and be featured on the Church's website. Without that official confirmation, I am putting all my trust in a source I have found to be accurate and above any reproach. But when that official confirmation is available, you can bet it will be featured prominently here.

This is wonderful news. As those who have extensively followed my blog know all too well, I was certain that we would see a groundbreaking happen in Arequipa Peru and a site announcement and groundbreaking in Harare Zimbabwe before we heard anything else. I have never been more elated to be proven wrong.

The big question now is, who might be asked to preside at this event? I could see any member of the First Presidency doing it (especially in light of the fact that both Presidents Monson and Eyring may have had a vast improvement in their health. There is also a strong case for any member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The apostle that presided at the last groundbreaking for a Brazilian temple (in Fortaleza) was Elder David A. Bednar.

That groundbreaking happened in 2011, even though construction just barely formally got started last year. Right now in Forteleza, the second floor exterior walls are being poured. With the fact that the Fortazelza construction took 5 years before it made any formal construction progress, it is still projected to be completed in 2019, which may mean we could see both Brazilian temples dedicated within a year or less from each other. I will post more on that as I observe or hear anything further.

In the meantime, getting back on the subject of apostles who might preside at the groundbreaking, we could also see Elder D. Todd Christofferson do it, as he will be the featured speaker at a Face-to-Face event for the Spanish-speaking youth of the Church. His seatmate, Elder Neil L. Andersen, is another Spanish-speaking apostle. Either of the three (Bednar, Christofferson, or Andersen) would be a good bet.

But I could also see any member of the Presidency of the Seventy do it, or for that matter, any other General Authority Seventy. While Elder Ulisses Soares had originally been asked to preside at the most recent groundbreaking in Winnipeg, that role was actually filled by Elder Larry Y. Wilson, who serves as the Executive Director of the Church's Temple Department. In most cases, however, unless someone more senior is asked to do so, most of the time, groundbreakings in South America have traditionally been done by a member of the Area Presidency for the relevant area. The following are the current members of the Brazil Area Presidency: Elder Claudio R. M. Costa (currently the most senior General Authority Seventy); Elder Marcos A. Aidukaitis (who has given two very masterful General Conference addresses and has been a GA Seventy for 9 years this April); or Elder W. Mark Bassett (who was among those called almost a year ago and gave his first General Conference address last October). I would welcome your thoughts on this point.

Additionally, in looking over the construction status for the Tucson Arizona Temple, there were also several updates that have happened there within the last little while. It is amazing to see the Lord's work unfolding in terms of temple construction.

As you can well appreciate, this news has necessitated an update of both my temple construction progress report and my list of upcoming temple-related events. Here they are, one right after the other. Please enjoy, and feel free to let me know if you have any feedback of any kind. I appreciate you all!

Temple Construction Progress Report (current as of 1/14/17)

Current Temple Status: 155 operating; 1 scheduled for dedication; 11 under construction; 1 groundbreaking scheduled; 1 scheduled for rededication; 2 undergoing renovation; 9 announced. NOTE: With one groundbreaking announced already this year, two more have the potential to be announced and scheduled very soon, and there may be several more groundbreakings than that in the year ahead.

Dedication scheduled:

156. Paris France Temple: Exterior lighting system operating; interior work underway; dedication scheduled for Sunday May 21, 2017.

Under Construction:

157. Meridian Idaho Temple: Patron plazas and water feature added to temple grounds; interior finish work underway; completion anticipated sometime during late 2017.

158. Cedar City Utah Temple: Fencing progressing; entrance plaza created; landscaping areas defined; hanging drywall; completion anticipated sometime during late 2017.

159. Tucson Arizona Temple: Pavers installed in parking lot and west patron plaza; trees and landscaping rocks added to parking lot green spaces; completion anticipated sometime during late 2017.

160. Rome Italy Temple: Interior work progressing; completion anticipated sometime between early and mid-2018.

161. Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple: Building the exterior walls; completion anticipated sometime between early and mid-2018.

162. Concepcion Chile Temple: Attaching building wrap to exterior walls; adding landscaping structures; completion anticipated sometime during mid-2018.

163. Durban South Africa Temple: Pouring temple foundation; setting rebar for missionary housing walls; palm trees planted along entrance road; completion anticipated sometime during mid-2018.

164. Barranquilla Colombia Temple: Pouring walls for steeple base; completion anticipated sometime between late 2018 and early 2019.

165. Winnipeg Manitoba Temple: Groundbreaking held Saturday December 3, 2016; completion anticipated sometime between late 2018 and early 2019.

166. Fortaleza Brazil Temple: Second floor exterior walls poured; completion anticipated sometime during 2019.

167. Lisbon Portugal Temple: Excavation underway for temple and utility building; structural framing going up for meetinghouse; completion anticipated sometime during 2019.

Groundbreaking Scheduled:

168. Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple: Preparing for groundbreaking; environmental license issued in November 2016; groundbreaking scheduled for Saturday March 4, 2017.

Rededication Scheduled:

8. Idaho Falls Idaho Temple: Closed for renovation; finish work underway; rededication scheduled for Sunday June 4, 2017.

Undergoing Renovation:

20. Jordan River Utah Temple: Closed for renovation; rededication anticipated sometime between late 2017 and early 2018.

41. Frankfurt Germany Temple: Closed for renovation; some exterior stone removed; foundation exposed; old meetinghouse razed; rededication anticipated sometime between early and mid-2018.

Announced:

169. Arequipa Peru Temple: Construction preparation phase; awaiting groundbreaking announcement.

170. Harare Zimbabwe Temple: Approval and construction preparation phase; official site announcement anticipated in early 2017, with the groundbreaking anticipated to take place shortly following the site announcement.

171. Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement. NOTE: The LDS Church Temple website indicates that a potential site has been announced and that the temple itself is currently being designed. This indicates that a site announcement is likely to happen sooner rather than later.

172. Bangkok Thailand Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement. NOTE: As the above-mentioned website indicates for this temple, while no official temple site has been announced, there may be a possibility that a Church office building may be reconstructed into a multi-purpose edifice that may in part function as the temple. If that happens, it will be similar to the situation of the Hong Kong China and Manhattan New York temples. This indicates also that a site announcement is likely to happen sooner rather than later.

173. Urdaneta Philippines Temple: Stalled in planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

174. Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple: Planning phase; awaiting official site announcement.

175. Quito Ecuador Temple: Planning phase; awaiting official site announcement.

176. Belem Brazil Temple: Planning phase; awaiting official site announcement.

177. Lima Peru Los Olivos Temple: Planning phase; awaiting official site announcement.

Key:

Bolded numbers and text denote temples whose numbers already exists (for renovations), or is certain due to a scheduled dedication, as well as information that is certain, such as dedication or groundbreaking dates.

Italicized numbers and text denote temples whose numbers may change based on the order in which future dedications and groundbreakings are scheduled.

Underlined numbers and text denote temples whose numbers may change based on progress towards planning, approval, and groundbreaking.

Red text denotes changes from the last posted temple progress report. 

Upcoming Temple Events (Text in parentheses indicates what the status of temples will be following the event listed):

2017

1.      Saturday March 4—Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple Groundbreaking (155 operating; 1 scheduled for dedication; 12 under construction; 1 rededication scheduled; 2 undergoing renovation; 9 announced. NOTE: Two additional groundbreaking announcements may take place soon.)

NOTE: Since the announcement of the groundbreaking was made to units within the district the temple will serve, the details have yet to be verified, including regarding who might be asked to preside at the groundbreaking ceremony. It could be either of the counselors in the First Presidency or a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, with the most likely candidates being those apostles that have special ties to the area. Elder David A. Bednar presided at the last groundbreaking for a Brazilian temple in 2011. But we also have many apostles who speak Spanish and who may, at various times, have served in or around the region. It could also be that either a member of the Presidency of the Seventy or anyone in the Brazil Area Presidency (which now consists of Elders Claudio R. M. Costa, Marcos A. Aidukaitis, and W. Mark Bassett). More to come once more is known.

2.      Sunday May 21—Paris France Temple Dedication (156 operating; 11 under construction; 1 rededication scheduled; 2 undergoing renovation; 9 announced. NOTE: Two additional groundbreaking announcements may take place soon)

NOTE: As to who might be asked to preside at this dedication, previous precedent indicates it may be any member of the First Presidency (with my vote going to President Uchtdorf, as he is a European native) or any of the apostles.

3.      Sunday June 4—Idaho Falls Idaho Temple Rededication (156 operating; 10 under construction; 2 undergoing renovation; 10 announced (Up to 3 temples may soon have a groundbreaking scheduled.))

NOTE: Since the health of the brethren remains unclear, it is anyone’s guess who might be asked to preside at this dedication. I could see three possibilities at this point: President Henry B. Eyring, a former Ricks College president; Elder David A. Bednar, a former BYU-Idaho president; or Elder Neil L. Andersen, who is an Idaho native.

NOTE: A groundbreaking announcement is expected for the Arequipa Peru temple sometime early this year. Also anticipated is a site announcement for the Harare Zimbabwe Temple, with a groundbreaking to follow at the temple site within 4-6 weeks afterward. There are also at least 4 temples that will be dedicated, with 2 more rededicated. Additionally, there is a possibility that we may have any number of additional temple groundbreakings sometime during 2017.  I will keep an eye out for the announcements for such events and add them to this list as soon as I learn of them.

Important Temple Construction Progress Update--Site Clearing Begins in Arequipa Peru

I have had one of those days when, even though I didn't sleep very long last night, I woke up relatively early and unable to get back to sleep. For that reason, I had been able to make a very early initial check of my favorite Church-related websites. Aside from the news of the apostles that will represent the Church at the inauguration of President Donald Trump, not much new had happened when I checked.

But because it has been so very quiet here at work so far (in view of the fact that I am only about 50 minutes into my 8 hour shift, and have had no calls come in yet), I felt impressed to check again. When I checked the LDS Church Temples website for the second time, I was elated to discover that progress had continued at the Arequipa Peru temple site, where a groundbreaking announcement is anticipated at any time now.

This update was personally interesting, touching, and had a most profound impact on me. As work continues to be quiet, I can't wait to share what I have read. Here is the newest copy of my temple construction progress report.

Temple Construction Progress Report (current as of 1/13/17)

Current Temple Status: 155 operating; 1 scheduled for dedication; 11 under construction; 1 scheduled for rededication; 2 undergoing renovation; 10 announced. NOTE: There is a more than likely possibility for several announced temples to have a groundbreaking announced during 2017. Two are very close to that so far this year, and there may be many more before too much longer.

Dedication scheduled:

156. Paris France Temple: Exterior lighting system operating; interior work underway; scheduled to be dedicated on Sunday May 21, 2017.

Under Construction:

157. Meridian Idaho Temple: Patron plazas and water feature added to temple grounds; interior finish work underway; completion anticipated sometime during late 2017.

158. Cedar City Utah Temple: Fencing progressing; entrance plaza created; landscaping areas defined; hanging drywall; completion anticipated sometime during late 2017.

159. Tucson Arizona Temple: Trees on site for planting; patron plazas and water featured added; installing lamp posts and art glass windows; completion anticipated sometime during late 2017.

160. Rome Italy Temple: Interior work progressing; completion anticipated sometime between early and mid-2018.

161. Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple: Building the exterior walls; completion anticipated sometime between early and mid-2018.

162. Concepcion Chile Temple: Attaching building wrap to exterior walls; adding landscaping structures; completion anticipated sometime during mid-2018.

163. Durban South Africa Temple: Pouring temple foundation; setting rebar for missionary housing walls; palm trees planted along entrance road; completion anticipated sometime during mid-2018.

164. Barranquilla Colombia Temple: Pouring walls for steeple base; completion anticipated sometime between late 2018 and early 2019.

165. Winnipeg Manitoba Temple: Groundbreaking held Saturday December 3, 2016; completion anticipated sometime between late 2018 and early 2019.

166. Fortaleza Brazil Temple: Second floor exterior walls poured; completion anticipated sometime during 2019.

167. Lisbon Portugal Temple: Excavation underway for temple and utility building; structural framing going up for meetinghouse; completion anticipated sometime during 2019.

Scheduled for rededication:

8. Idaho Falls Idaho Temple: Closed for renovation; finish work underway; rededication scheduled for Sunday June 4, 2017.

Undergoing Renovation:

20. Jordan River Utah Temple: Closed for renovation; rededication anticipated sometime between late 2017 and early 2018.

41. Frankfurt Germany Temple: Closed for renovation; some exterior stone removed; foundation exposed; old meetinghouse razed; rededication anticipated sometime between early and mid-2018.

Announced:

168. Arequipa Peru Temple: Clearing, leveling, and sureveying site;  awaiting groundbreaking announcement.

169. Harare Zimbabwe Temple: Approval and construction preparation phase; official site announcement anticipated in early 2017, with the groundbreaking anticipated to take place shortly following the site announcement.

170.  Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple: Government approval phase; preliminary environmental license issued in November 2016; groundbreaking pending.

171. Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement. NOTE: The LDS Church Temple website indicates that a potential site has been announced and that the temple itself is currently being designed. This is a sign that a site announcement is likely to happen sooner rather than later.

172. Bangkok Thailand Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement. NOTE: As the above-mentioned website indicates for this temple, while no official temple site has been announced, there may be a possibility that a Church office building may be reconstructed into a multi-purpose edifice that may in part function as the temple. If that happens, it will be similar to the situation of the Hong Kong China and Manhattan New York temples.

173. Urdaneta Philippines Temple: Stalled in planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

174. Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple: Planning phase; awaiting official site announcement.

175. Quito Ecuador Temple: Planning phase; awaiting official site announcement.

176. Belem Brazil Temple: Planning phase; awaiting official site announcement.

177. Lima Peru Los Olivos Temple: Planning phase; awaiting official site announcement.

Key:

Bolded numbers and text denote temples whose numbers already exists (for renovations), or is certain due to a scheduled dedication, as well as information that is certain, such as dedication or groundbreaking dates.

Italicized numbers and text denote temples whose numbers may change based on the order in which future dedications and groundbreakings are scheduled.

Underlined numbers and text denote temples whose numbers may change based on progress towards planning, approval, and groundbreaking.

Red text denotes changes from the last posted temple progress report. 

The Church has assigned two apostles to represent Church leadership at the inauguration of President Donald Trump

As has been a long-standing tradition dating back 100+ years, the Church has officially designated two apostles to represent Church leadership at the inauguration for President Donald Trump one week from today. This time, Elders D. Todd Christofferson and Gary E. Stevenson have been asked to do so. I am grateful to have been able to read about this today. These men will represent Church leadership very well.

In addition to Elder Christofferson attending the inauguration, he will represent the Brethren at a National Prayer Service the day following the inauguration. When I read that, I wondered for a moment why Elder Stevenson would not join him in doing that. But that is cleared up by the very next sentence of the article, which indicates that shortly after he and Elder Christofferson attend the inauguration, Elder Stevenson will depart directly from there to fill another Church assignment he has in South America.

This is the third inauguration of a US President since President Monson's tenure as prophet began almost 9 years ago (it will be exactly nine years in just three weeks from today). During that time, the Church has been well represented by those sent to such events. For President Barack Obama's first inauguration, which happened just before President Monson marked one year as Church President, the leading Brethren were represented at that event by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf and Elder M. Russell Ballard.

Four years later, it was the late Elder L. Tom Perry and Elder Quentin L. Cook who did so at President Obama's second inauguration. And now we have Elder Christofferson and Elder Stevenson asked to attend President Trump's inauguration this year. It marks the first time during President Monson's tenure that two apostles that were still relatively junior in terms of apostolic seniority have been asked to attend (with Elder Christofferson being the 11th and Elder Stevenson being the 14th).

However, I am aware of one of the most likely reasons for at least Elder Christofferson's assignment to this event. Unless things have changed, he has been for quite a while the senior member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles that chairs the Church Public Affairs Committee. As far as I know, he is still doing that. If I am in error on this point, please do let me know. In the meantime, click here to read the full news release from the Mormon Newsroom at lds.org that verifies this information.

It is interesting how busy the apostles have been. And this is particularly true in the case of Elder Christofferson, who has more frequently represented the Church at various important events just within the last year. And the information the news release shared about Elder Stevenson's back-to-back assignments indicates that even though the three newest apostles have n been in their callings for about 15 months, they are still being extensively asked to fill a variety of assignments. I think it is awesome to see how well our three newest apostles have adjusted so well to the mantle of the apostleship.

As those of you who regularly follow this blog know all too well, I have always had a great love and admiration for the service our apostles so willingly render. I have loved being able to report the latest things they are doing and the assignments they are filling. And within the last little while, I have so very much enjoyed posting about the latest milestones these 15 good men are reaching in terms of age and tenure length and so on. I look forward to doing so much more in the future.

Thank you so much for taking time to read my musings about the latest developments in this regard. I appreciate you all more than I can say. Please don't hesitate to let me know if you have any feedback of any kind for me in regards to things posted on this blog. Such comments help me fine-tune the way I report developments in the future, and hearing the thoughts you have has greatly heightened my understanding of factors involved in matters on which I report. The sense of "community" I feel has been established here, even as small and insignificant as that may be in comparison with, say, the LDS Church Temples site maintained by Rick Satterfield or the Church Growth blogs maintained by Matthew Martinich, has continued to embolden me to share things like this that have personally impacted me. Thanks again.