General Conference Talk Transcripts Available Online

Transcripts of General Conference talks are now available online, which is excellent news. Click here to review those talks. What a wonderful time we live in where the words of our Church leaders are available so swiftly following each Conference. Enjoy!

Length of Apostolic Talks for last weekend's General Conference

One thing I do shortly after each General Conference is to track the lengths of the addresses given during each conference by our 15 apostles. This will be the very first time I have posted those times on my blog.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf (SPH)—20:08

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf (SUM)—19:14

President Henry B. Eyring (SPH)—18:24

President Henry B. Eyring (SAM)—18:01

Elder Quentin L. Cook—16:24

Elder David A. Bednar—16:15

Elder M. Russell Ballard—16:10

Elder Neil L. Andersen—15:52

Elder Ronald A. Rasband—15:43

Elder Gary E. Stevenson—15:28

Elder Dale G. Renlund—15:21

Elder Dallin H. Oaks—15:19

Elder D. Todd Christofferson—15:18

President Russell M. Nelson—14:50

President Henry B. Eyring (GW)—14:39

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland—14:33

Elder Robert D. Hales—11:07

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf (SAA—Sustaining of Church Officers)—8:53

President Thomas S. Monson (SPH)—4:04

President Thomas S. Monson (SUM)—3:28

As you can see, President Uchtdorf's two talks in the main sessions were the longest, followed closely by President Eyring's two talks from the main sessions. All four of those addresses spanned around 20 minutes each, which has been typical for First Presidency members. Most of the talks by members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spanned 14 minutes at shortest to just over 16 at the longest, and President Eyring's address from the General Women's Session was about the same length. Elder Hales spoke for just over 11 minutes, which has been typical for his talk lengths in the recent past. The Sustaining of Church Officers usually spans between 5 minutes (in October) to 10+ minutes (in April). And President Monson, as before noted, spoke for a combined total of less than 10 minutes between his two addresses, which has also been very typical.

So there you have it. A first for this blog that I hope at least a few of you will find interesting. Thanks for reading this.

Rumors of President Monson's death are false; his hospitalization continues

There have reportedly been some unfounded rumors circulating today that President Monson died this afternoon. Though I am late in posting about this, the Church acted very quickly in debunking that rumor. President Monson remains hospitalized as reported earlier this evening.

If the Lord's prophet does pass away at any point in the near future, that will be subsequently confirmed by the Church Public Affairs department. In the meantime, I hope no one who reads this blog was duped in any way by those rumors. Click here for KSL's updated status report on our prophet's health situation.

In the meantime, I wanted to take this opportunity to reiterate my absolute testimony that the Lord is in control of if and when each prophet is released from his calling, and that release will only ever happen by death. Anyone who says the Church should be run by younger individuals, and that an emeritus status of sorts should be enacted for apostles and prophets, or that the Church should call a second Quorum of the Twelve to help shoulder the load is not at all being influenced by the spirit of the Lord. That is not the Lord's way of doing things. The pattern of apostolic succession has been divinely orchestrated, and we would be much better served to leave the release date of apostles in His hands. After all, He has been involved in this process for so very much longer than any of us will ever be.

For now, I feel that is sufficient for this post. Thanks for your readership and support. May God continue to bless our dear prophet, President Monson, and may He continue to be with those who assist him in carrying on this work. Thanks to you all for reading this. Comments are welcome, but please be civil about making them. Thanks again.

General Conference Speaker Predictions Results

Here I am yet again with what might be my last post for the immediate future. I am posting to share how my predictions for the speaking order turned out. I got several things correct, with many of the correct speakers either in the correct spots, the correct session, or having spoken at all. What was perhaps the greatest surprise in all of this was that I had the greatest accuracy I have ever had with my predictions for the apostles, and that we only heard from one female auxiliary leader during the last weekend. I had correctly anticipated that Sister Joy D. Jones, who has not yet spoken since her call as the new Primary General President, would speak during the Sunday Morning Session, but I had Sister Linda K. Burton speaking during the Saturday Morning Session, and that did not happen.

For the first time in a long time, the Young Men General Presidency member did not speak during the Priesthood Session. But he did during the Saturday Morning Session, and Presiding Bishop Gerald Causse, who I had predicted would speak during the Sunday Morning Session as his counselors had during the last two conferences, took the one Priesthood Session spot not filled by the four apostles that spoke during that time. In a first for him, President Monson opened the Priesthood Session with his brief remarks.

I correctly had the right Presidency of the Seventy members in the session in which they actually spoke, but the General Authority Seventy speakers were all mostly in either a different session or at least a different position from what I had predicted, and there were more than a few of them that spoke that I had not predicted, while some I was sure would speak did not.

As for the apostolic predictions, I had President Nelson in the right session but in the wrong position, though I had acknowledged elsewhere that President Nelson might be the last speaker in whatever session he spoke. I had Elders Bednar and Renlund reversed in the sessions in which they spoke. The same was true for seatmates Elders Andersen and Rasband. Though I did have Elders Ballard and Holland in the correct session, I had them reversed. I correctly had Elders Hales and Oaks in the exact positions in which they spoke. And I correctly identified the fact that Elders Cook, Christofferson, and Stevenson would speak in the Sunday Afternoon Session, but I had them in a somewhat different order (predicting Stevenson, Cook, and Christofferson, when it was actually Christofferson, Stevenson, and Cook). That said, as I have before noted, it has been customary to have to generally have at least one apostle in each General Conference whose place in the apostolic speaking order for that conference matches their seniority order in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. For this conference, I had President Nelson, our most senior member and therefore the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as the first speaker from that quorum. But what actually happened was that our second-to-last of those Twelve was the second-to-last Quorum member to speak.

That said, what follows are the predictions I gave for the speaking order, and the report of the actual speakers, whose names appear in brackets. Before I post that, I do want to note that my overall average for these predictions (which has been 60-80%) held true for this conference (for which I scored myself at a very respectable 68.21%). I was on the lower end than I have been in the last several conferences, but that is still not bad for being what it what was.

And, in other news, I got my predictions together for next General Conference already, but I will wait for a time to post those. Stay tuned for that. In the meantime, here are my predictions vs. what actually happened.

April 2017 General Conference Predictions

Speaking Order (Text in brackets indicated what actually happened.)

Session	Conducting	Speaker
General Women’s	Bonnie L. Oscarson	Bonnie H. Cordon
	[Carol F. McConkie]	Linda S. Reeves
	[Linda K. Burton]	Carol F. McConkie
		President Henry B. Eyring
Saturday Morning	President Dieter F. Uchtdorf	President Henry B. Eyring
	[M. Joseph Brough]	Elder Ulisses Soares
	[Elder Weatherford T. Clayton]	Linda K. Burton
	[Elder Dale G. Renlund]	President Russell M. Nelson
	[Elder Ulisses Soares]	Elder O. Vincent Haleck
	[Elder Mark A. Bragg]	Elder Weatherford T. Clayton
	[President Russell M. Nelson]	Elder David A. Bednar
Saturday Afternoon	President Henry B. Eyring	President Dieter F. Uchtdorf (Sustaining of Church Officers)
	Church Auditing Department Report, 2016	Kevin R. Jergensen
	Statistical Report, 2016	Brook P. Hales
		Elder Robert D. Hales
	[Elder Jeffrey R. Holland]	Elder M. Russell Ballard
	[Elder Gary B. Sabin]	Elder Larry Y. Wilson
	[Elder Valeri V. Cordon]	Elder Ian S. Ardern
	[Elder Neil L. Andersen]	Elder Ronald A. Rasband
	[Elder M. Russell Ballard]	Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
Saturday Priesthood	President Dieter F. Uchtdorf	Elder Dale G. Renlund [President Thomas S. Monson]
	[Elder David A. Bednar]	Douglas D. Holmes
	[Bishop Gerald Causse]	President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
	[President Dieter F. Uchtdorf]	President Henry B. Eyring
	[President Henry B. Eyring]	President Thomas S. Monson
Sunday Morning	President Henry B. Eyring	President Thomas S. Monson
	[Joy D. Jones]	Elder L. Whitney Clayton
	[Elder Yoon Hwan Choi]	Joy D. Jones
	[Elder Ronald A. Rasband]	Elder Neil L. Andersen
	[Elder L. Whitney Clayton]	Bishop Gerald Causse
		Elder Dallin H. Oaks
		President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Sunday Afternoon	President Dieter F. Uchtdorf	Elder Gary E. Stevenson [Elder D. Todd Christofferson]
	[Elder Joaquin E. Costa]	Elder Gary B. Sabin
	[Elder S. Mark Palmer]	Elder Yoon Hwan Choi
	[Elder Gary E. Stevenson]	Elder Quentin L. Cook
	[Elder C. Scott Grow]	Elder Jose A. Alonso
	[Elder Benjamin De Hoyos]	Elder S. Mark Palmer
	[Elder Quentin L. Cook]	Elder D. Todd Christofferson

NOTE: Though I had noted on my predictions above that Linda K. Burton would conduct the General Women’s Meeting, when I was looking back at the predictions I made for the session originally, I had Bonnie L. Oscarson listed as conducting the meeting, and, according to the rotation I had observed in that duty, that’s what should have happened. And I should have double-checked on that. As soon as I confirmed it, I changed the information to reflect my original thoughts.

Fourth General Conference Post: Changes in General Church Leadership and Statistical Report

As you are all aware, with my predictions for this general conference, I included my predictions for changes in general Church leadership and what the statistical report might look like. I am posting each, and between the two will offer my comments on the reported developments.

Changes in General Church Leadership

General Authority Seventies: New General Authorities sustained from Area Seventies or Church at large. NOTE: Since the Church has stopped differentiating between those of the First and Second Quorums of the Seventy, any new General Authorities will simply be sustained under the general title of General Authority Seventies. ADDITIONAL NOTE: President Uchtdorf paid tribute to Elder Bruce D. Porter. RESULT: Six new General Authority Seventies were sustained; namely: Taylor G. Godoy, Joni L. Koch, Adilson de Paula Parrella, John C. Pingree Jr., Brian K. Taylor, and Taniela B. Wakolo.

Relief Society General Presidency: Linda K. Burton, Carole M. Stephens, and Linda S. Reeves released as Relief Society General Presidency, new Relief Society General Presidency sustained. NOTE: It has been customary of late for general presidencies to be changed every 5 years. Since the above-named individuals have served since 2012, it would make sense if they were released and a new presidency called. It is anyone’s guess, however, as to if any of the current presidency will be retained in a new presidency. RESULT: The sisters named above were released; Jean B. Bingham, Sharon Eubank, and Reyna I. Aburto are the new Relief Society General presidency.

NOT PREDICTED: In view of her call to be the new Relief Society General President, Jean B. Bingham was released as First Counselor in the Primary General Presidency, Bonnie H. Cordon, formerly Second Counselor, is the new First Counselor, and Christina B. Franco will be the new Second Counselor.

Area Seventies: Releases and sustainings. NOTE: It has been customary for most changes in area seventies to take place in April, when President Uchtdorf leads out in the sustaining vote, and for only a few to take place in October, when President Eyring leads out in the sustaining. Since we are talking about an April General Conference, it would make sense if a lot of changes happened this go-round. ADDITIONAL NOTE: The following Area Seventies have been called to serve as mission presidents and will be among the many releases: Pedro U. Adduru, Angel H. Alarcon, Winsor Balderrama (Sejas) and Abenir V. Pajaro. RESULT: Only two area seventies were released, and they were both called as General Authority Seventies. It is odd that they did not at least release the 4 above, but it may be that if they are mission presidents in their own lands, they might be able to continue their assignments as area seventies.

NOTE: The tribute offered by President Uchtdorf was the first of the two tributes to Elder Porter in that session. Elder Andersen, who served extensively with Elder Porter, also paid an inspiring tribute to Elder Porter during his remarks.

Before sharing how my predictions for the statistical report turned out, I would like to offer some comments about the changes in general Church leadership. First, President Uchtdorf paid tribute to Elder Bruce D. Porter, the long-serving General Authority who passed away in December. Since I knew the tribute was inevitable, I should have remembered to include it. But I did not. I did appreciate how, later in that same session, Elder Neil L. Andersen, who had served extensively with Elder Porter, also paid an inspiring tribute to him and the service he rendered.

Next, I wanted to note that only two area seventies were released, Elder Godoy and Elder Pingree, and they both became General Authority Seventies. But I know that Elders Koch, Parrella, and Wakolo have all previously been Area Seventies. And Elders Koch, Taylor and Wakolo were serving as mission presidents at the time of their call, while Elder Parrella served as a mission president following his service as an area seventy. I have a feeling that Elder Pingree may somehow be related, if only distantly, to Anne C. Pingree, who served in the Relief Society General Presidency from 2002-2007 during the tenure of Bonnie D. Parkin, but I have been unable to verify that.

Elder Godoy is another Peruvian General Authority, while Elders Koch and Parrella hail from Brazil, Elders Pingree and Taylor are native Utahns, and Elder Wakolo becomes the third black currently serving General Authority, though he was born in Fiji, and may be the first Fijian general authority.

The fact that only Elders Godoy and Pingree were released as area seventies did make me wonder more than a bit, as Elders Pedro U. Adduru, Angel H. Alarcon, Winsor Balderrama (Sejas) and Abenir V. Pajaro were all called to be mission presidents. I was therefore expecting that they would be released as well, even if no one else was, as service as a mission president usually necessitates a release as an area seventy. But then I got to thinking: a mission president assignment is full-time, and an area seventy only serves on a part-time basis. So it could work for one man to do both. After all, General Authorities have previously simultaneously served mission presidents, so why couldn't a current area seventy do likewise, especially if they are called as mission presidents in the same country out of which they serve as area seventies? 

That is the case for all of them. Elders Adduru and Pajaro are serving as area seventies in the Philippines, and have been called to be presidents of two of the missions in that nation.  Elder Alarcon, who lives in Ecuador, has been called to preside over a mission there. And Elder Balderrama serves out of Peru, out of which his mission assignment is based. So it is no great surprise after all. I think it's awesome that the Church has done that in this case.

In the meantime, the Church called a large number of new area seventies, which is great, because it shows how much growth is happening worldwide.

The other prediction I had for changes in Church leadership was a change in the Relief Society Presidency. That happened, but I could not have predicted how that came about. Jean B. Bingham, First Counselor in the Primary General Presidency, was called as the new Relief Society General President, which necessitated a change in the Primary General Presidency. I have been very impressed with what I've heard of Sister Bingham, and I can sustain her fully in her new calling. This reminds me of what happened 10 years ago when the Relief Society General Presidency was changed. On that occasion, Sister Julie B. Beck, then First Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency, was called as the Relief Society General President, which led to a similar reorganization of the Young Women General Presidency.

For both changes, the women who had served up to that point as the Second Counselor in the affected presidency became the new First Counselor, with a new First Counselor called. 10 years ago, Elaine S. Dalton became the new First Counselor to Susan W. Tanner, whom she would succeed as General Young Women's President a year later. And Mary N. Cook, a member of the Young Women General Board, became Sister Tanner's new Second Counselor.

So this weekend, Bonnie H. Cordon, who has been Second Counselor to Sister Joy D. Jones, became her new First Counselor, and Christina B. Franco became the new Second Counselor in the Primary General Presidency. I don't know just yet how or if the traditional 5-year tenure of most auxiliary presidencies will become a six year tenure for Sisters Jones and Cordon. But there is still time to figure that out.

In the meantime, Sister Bingham's counselors in the Relief Society General Presidency are Sister Sharon Eubank, who has been employed in the Church Welfare system and will continue to be so, and Sister Reyna I. Aburto, who was born in Nicaragua. And this gets even more coincidental. The Church happened to report that Sisters Bingham and Eubank went on a UNICEF field visit to Uganda recently. The trip, which appeared to be humanitarian in its nature, was right in line with their new responsibilities.

I will take this coincidence even further. When Julie B. Beck was called as the new Relief Society President, her counselors were Silvia H. Allred, who was from South America, like Sister Aburto, and Sister Barbara Thompson, who was unmarried, just like Sister Eubank. So this new Relief Society Presidency is much like the one sustained 10 years ago.

And I know a bit more about Sisters Eubank and Franco. Sister Eubank is the daughter of Mark Eubank, who was a KSL 5 weatherman for years and also serves as one of three or four hosts of the weekly Music and the Spoken Word broadcast, and the sister of Kevin Eubank, who succeed his dad as the chief meteorologist at KSL. As for Sister Franco, she is the wife of Rodolfo C. Franco, a former area seventy.

That does it for the discussion of Church leadership changes. Here are my estimates of the statistics, followed, in brackets, by the correct figures. I perfectly predicted many statistics that were announced, came close with a few others, and was nowhere near the actual figures for some others. For what it's worth, here are those results. It does not appear that the tool I am using to write these posts will allow me to post text below this report, so I will end things here. Thanks for reading this. Comments are welcome, but civility is required. I don't want to have to delete any comments that are not in line with what this report was intended to accomplish. Thanks for your cooperation, interest, and support.

2016 Statistical Report

Stakes	3,266
Missions	421
Districts	545 [556]
Wards and Branches	30,207 [30,304]
Total Church Membership	15,932,508 [15,882,417]
Increase in Children of Record	114,655 [109,246]
Converts Baptized	310,646 [240,131]
Full-Time Missionaries	90,517 [70,946]
Church Service Missionaries	33,410 [33,695]
Temples Dedicated during 2016 (Provo City Center, Sapporo Japan, Philadelphia Pennsylvania, Fort Collins Colorado, Star Valley Wyoming, Hartford Connecticut)	6
Temples Rededicated during 2016 (Suva Fiji, Freiberg Germany)	2
Temples in Operation by the end of 2016	155