Hello again, everyone! I just learned that the transcripts of all General Conference talks are now available. Since we have been invited by President Nelson to study those frequently, I wanted to note that those talks ca be reviewed here. I hope that all of us will take advantage of the invitation from our prophet, especially since the conference we just enjoyed last weekend was so historic.
That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.
Tuesday, April 3, 2018
General Conference Talks Transcripts Are Now Available
I have had a lifelong love for Church history, which has extended to ongoing reports of the ministry of our apostles and prophets, General Conference, and all temple developments. This blog enables me to share that love with all who read my thoughts on these developments, which are sometimes reported multiple times per day as needed.
The Current Number of General Authority Seventies
Hello again, everyone! In the comments made in response to my post highlighting the changes in general Church leadership that were announced by President Oaks at the beginning of the Saturday Afternoon Session, the observation was made that he may have been in error on the number of current General Authorities.
President Oaks had stated there were 116 currently serving General Authorities. What that means is that, in addition to those 25 men who serve in the First Presidency, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Presidency of the Seventy, and Presiding Bishopric, there should be 91 General Authority Seventies. Some pointed out that the list they keep only has 90 men listed. In checking my own list, I discovered that there are indeed 91 men serving as General Authority Seventies, which means that President Oaks was correct in saying there are now 116 men serving as General Authorities.
In order to verify that number, and to comply with Blogger formats, the easiest way in which I could share my list is to copy and paste the latest version of my list. It is divided into 3 columns and 10 full rows, with the final man on an additional row.
Before setting the context for this list, I should mention a couple of things: The last Deseret News Church Almanac (the 2013 edition) listed the numbering of the men who served in the First and Second Quorums of the Seventy as two separate groups, and numbered each according to the date on which these men were called to the Seventy. Generally that involved an alphabetical list by those dates, but there have been a few exceptions.
I also fully recognize that more men than are listed here have served in the First and Seccond Quorums of the Seventy. The numbering here reflects the dates of call for all of those serving currently, and any numbers and names not appearing on this list are not included for the reasons outlined above.
Additionally, until 2016, when the Church stopped publicly announcing to which Quorums newly-called Brethren were assigned, since a Quorum affiliation and distinction had been announced for all other Brethren called between 1994 and 2015, those called to the First and Second Quorums during that time are not listed in full alphabetical order, but first by Quorum assignment, then in alphabetical order within those Quorums. It may not be a perfect system, but it has worked for me.
When updating that list following General Conference, I realized (primarily because my own laptop is unbootable at the moment and because I had to retrieve this information from an old copy, which I subsequently updated) had many men on there that are now either in the Presidency of the Seventy, have been granted emeritus status, have passed away, or, in one case (James J. Hamula), had been excommunicated. I checked and double-checked the list to ensure that it was accurate, and unless I happened to overlook one man that should have been removed, I am reasonably confident in its' accuracy. That list follows below.
So as not to disturb the flow of it, I will end now as I always do. That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.
President Oaks had stated there were 116 currently serving General Authorities. What that means is that, in addition to those 25 men who serve in the First Presidency, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Presidency of the Seventy, and Presiding Bishopric, there should be 91 General Authority Seventies. Some pointed out that the list they keep only has 90 men listed. In checking my own list, I discovered that there are indeed 91 men serving as General Authority Seventies, which means that President Oaks was correct in saying there are now 116 men serving as General Authorities.
In order to verify that number, and to comply with Blogger formats, the easiest way in which I could share my list is to copy and paste the latest version of my list. It is divided into 3 columns and 10 full rows, with the final man on an additional row.
Before setting the context for this list, I should mention a couple of things: The last Deseret News Church Almanac (the 2013 edition) listed the numbering of the men who served in the First and Second Quorums of the Seventy as two separate groups, and numbered each according to the date on which these men were called to the Seventy. Generally that involved an alphabetical list by those dates, but there have been a few exceptions.
I also fully recognize that more men than are listed here have served in the First and Seccond Quorums of the Seventy. The numbering here reflects the dates of call for all of those serving currently, and any numbers and names not appearing on this list are not included for the reasons outlined above.
Additionally, until 2016, when the Church stopped publicly announcing to which Quorums newly-called Brethren were assigned, since a Quorum affiliation and distinction had been announced for all other Brethren called between 1994 and 2015, those called to the First and Second Quorums during that time are not listed in full alphabetical order, but first by Quorum assignment, then in alphabetical order within those Quorums. It may not be a perfect system, but it has worked for me.
When updating that list following General Conference, I realized (primarily because my own laptop is unbootable at the moment and because I had to retrieve this information from an old copy, which I subsequently updated) had many men on there that are now either in the Presidency of the Seventy, have been granted emeritus status, have passed away, or, in one case (James J. Hamula), had been excommunicated. I checked and double-checked the list to ensure that it was accurate, and unless I happened to overlook one man that should have been removed, I am reasonably confident in its' accuracy. That list follows below.
So as not to disturb the flow of it, I will end now as I always do. That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.
General Authority Seventies
Please note that the following General Authority Seventies are in the Presidency of the Seventy: 7; 37; 42; 52; 59; 68; 77
1. Claudio Roberto Mendez Costa
General Authority Seventy since April 1994; sustained to First Quorum in April 2001.
Presidency of the Seventy August 2007-August 2011.
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5. Richard John Maynes
General Authority Seventy since April 1997; sustained to First Quorum in April 2001; Presidency of the Seventy January 2012-.August 2017.
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4. Lynn Grant Robbins
General Authority Seventy since April 1997; sustained to First Quorum in April 2000; Presidency of the Seventy April 2014-August 2018.
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6. Donald Larry Hallstrom
General Authority Seventy since April 2000; Presidency of the Seventy April 2009-August 2017.
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9. Christoffel Golden Jr.
General Authority Seventy since April 2001.
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10. Walter FermÃn Gonzalez
General Authority Seventy since April 2001.
Presidency of Seventy October 2007-January 2013.
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11. Steven Erastus Snow
General Authority Seventy since April 2001. Presidency of the August 2007-January 2012.
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12. Craig Cloward Christensen
General Authority Seventy since October 2002; sustained to the First Quorum in April 2008; Presidency of the Seventy August 2012-August 2018.
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13. Mervyn Bennion Arnold
General Authority Seventy since April 2003.
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14. Benjamin De Hoyos
General Authority Seventy since April 2005.
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15. David Frewin Evans
General Authority Seventy since April 2005.
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14. Benjamin De Hoyos
General Authority Seventy since April 2005.
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15. David Frewin Evans
General Authority Seventy since April 2005.
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16. Cecil Scott Grow
General Authority Seventy since April 2005.
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17. Paul Vere Johnson
General Authority Seventy since April 2005.
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18. Paul Bowen Pieper
General Authority Seventy since April 2005.
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19. David Steward Baxter
General Authority Seventy since April 2006.
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20. Shayne Martell Bowen
General Authority Seventy since April 2006.
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22. Marcus Bell Nash
General Authority Seventy since April 2006.
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23. Anthony Duane Perkins
General Authority Seventy since April 2006.
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24. Craig Allan Cardon
General Authority Seventy since April 2006.
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29. Enrique Rienzi Salvator Falabella
General Authority Seventy since April 2007.
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30. Erich Willi Horst Kopischke
General Authority Seventy since April 2007.
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31. Michael John Uy Teh
General Authority Seventy since April 2007.
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32. Claudio Daniel Zivic
General Authority Seventy since April 2007.
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33. Marcus Anthony Aidukaitis
General Authority Seventy since April 2008
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35. Lawrence Edward Corbridge
General Authority Seventy since April 2008.
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36. Eduardo Gavarret
General Authority Seventy since April 2008.
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39. Allan Forrest Packer
General Authority Seventy since April 2008.
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40. Kevin Wayne Pearson
General Authority Seventy since April 2008.
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41. Rafael Eduardo Pino
General Authority Seventy since April 2008.
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44. Jorge Hernando Zeballos
General Authority Seventy since April 2008.
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45. Yoon Hwan Choi
General Authority Seventy since April 2009.
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46. Brent Hatch Nielson
General Authority Seventy since April 2009.
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48. Michael Tally Ringwood
General Authority Seventy since April 2009.
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49. Joseph Wafula Sitati
General Authority Seventy since April 2009.
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45. Wilford Wayne Andersen
General Authority Seventy since April 2009.
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48. Bradley Duane Foster
General Authority Seventy since April 2009.
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47. James Boyd Martino
General Authority Seventy since April 2009.
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49. Gregory Allan Schwitzer
General Authority Seventy since April 2009.
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50. Kevin Read Duncan
General Authority Seventy since April 2010.
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53. Juan Alberto Uceda
General Authority Seventy since Apr 2010; Presidency of the Seventy August 2017-August 2018.
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57. Jose Luis Alonso
General Authority Seventy since April 2011.
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58. Ian Sidney Ardern
General Authority Seventy since April 2011.
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60. LeGrand Raine Curtis Jr.
General Authority Seventy since April 2011
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62. Kazuhiko Yamashita
General Authority Seventy since April 2011.
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63. Randall Kay Bennett
General Authority Seventy since April 2011.
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64. John Devn Cornish
General Authority Seventy since April 2011
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65. Otto Vincent Haleck
General Authority Seventy since April 2011.
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66. Larry Young Wilson
General Authority Seventy since April 2011.
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67. Larry Echo Hawk
General Authority Seventy since April 2012.
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69. Scott Duane Whiting
General Authority Seventy since April 2012.
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70. Edward Dube
General Authority Seventy since April 2013.
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71. Stanley Gifford Nielsen
General Authority Seventy since April 2013.
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72. Arnulfo Valenzuela
General Authority Seventy since April 2013.
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73. Timothy John Dyches
General Authority Seventy since April 2013.
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74. Randy Dennis Funk
General Authority Seventy since April 2013.
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75. Kevin Scott Hamilton
General Authority Seventy since April 2013.
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76. Adrian Ochoa Quintana
General Authority Seventy since April 2013.
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78. Chi Hong (Sam) Wong
General Authority Seventy since April 2014.
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79. Jörg Klebingat
General Authority Seventy since April 2014.
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80. Larry S. Kacher
General Authority Seventy since April 2014.
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81. Hugo E. Martinez
General Authority Seventy since April 2014.
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82. Kim Bryce Clark
General Authority Seventy since April 2015.
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83. Allen Decker Haynie
General Authority Seventy since April 2015.
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85. Hugo Montoya
General Authority Seventy since April 2015.
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86. Vern Perry Stanfill
General Authority Seventy since April 2015.
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87. William Mark Bassett
General Authority Seventy since April 2016
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88. Mark Allyn Bragg
General Authority Seventy since April 2016.
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89. William Weatherford Touchstone Clayton
General Authority Seventy since April 2016.
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89. Valeri Vladimir Cordón Orellana
General Authority Seventy since April 2016
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90. Joaquin Esteban Costa
General Authority Seventy since April 2016.
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91. Massimo De Feo
General Authority Seventy since April 2016.
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92. Peter Fletcher Meurs
General Authority Seventy since April 2016.
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93. Kevin Brett Nattress
General Authority Seventy since April 2016.
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94. Stanley Mark Palmer
General Authority Seventy since April 2016.
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95. Gary Byron Sabin
General Authority Seventy since April 2016.
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96. Evan Antoine Schmutz
General Authority Seventy since April 2016.
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97. Taylor Guillermo Godoy Atanacio
General Authority Seventy since April 2017.
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98. Joni Luiz Koch
General Authority Seventy since April 2017.
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99. Adilson de Paula Parrella
General Authority Seventy since April 2017.
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100. John Cannon Pingree Jr.
General Authority Seventy since April 2017.
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101. Brian King Taylor
General Authority Seventy since April 2017.
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102. Taniela Biu Wakolo
General Authority Seventy since April 2017.
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103. Steven R. Bangerter
General Authority Seventy since April 2018.
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104. Matthew L. Carpenter
General Authority Seventy since April 2018.
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105. Jack N. Gerard
General Authority Seventy since April 2018.
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106. Mathias Held
General Authority Seventy since April 2018.
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107. David P. Homer
General Authority Seventy since April 2018.
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108. Kyle S. McKay
General Authority Seventy since April 2018.
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109. Juan Pablo Villar
General Authority Seventy since April 2018.
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110. Takashi Wada
General Authority Seventy since April 2018.
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I have had a lifelong love for Church history, which has extended to ongoing reports of the ministry of our apostles and prophets, General Conference, and all temple developments. This blog enables me to share that love with all who read my thoughts on these developments, which are sometimes reported multiple times per day as needed.
Monday, April 2, 2018
Apology for Not Posting Latest Apostolic Statistics
Hello again, everyone! As some of you might recall, I indicated prior to General Conference that I would be waiting until General Conference Sunday to post an update on the latest apostolic statistics so that I could take the information about new apostles into account when getting that update done.
As you also probably know, I did not wind up following through on that promise. Things have been a little crazy lately, and with all of the General Conference developments that needed to be more of a priority to report on this blog, that never wound up occurring. I will do my level best to get that report up on this blog next Sunday.
That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.
As you also probably know, I did not wind up following through on that promise. Things have been a little crazy lately, and with all of the General Conference developments that needed to be more of a priority to report on this blog, that never wound up occurring. I will do my level best to get that report up on this blog next Sunday.
That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.
I have had a lifelong love for Church history, which has extended to ongoing reports of the ministry of our apostles and prophets, General Conference, and all temple developments. This blog enables me to share that love with all who read my thoughts on these developments, which are sometimes reported multiple times per day as needed.
Yet Another Theory About the Layout of the General Women's Session Next October
Hello again, everyone! As most of you might recall, I have offered a couple of different theories over the last little while regarding how the layout of the Women's Session might change based on the fact that that sessi on will now be held two hours following the Saturday Afternoon Session of General Conference every October.
To recap those theories, I first offered my opinion that we might hear from a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles during that session in addition to whichever member of the First Presidency was assigned to speak that night.
Then, I later offered my new theory that the Church president and one of his counselors (which would rotate) will be speaking during that session along with the auxiliary presidency members. That theory was based on another theory that the length of the Women's Session would be extended to 1 hour and 45 minutes, to match the length of the Priesthood Session. But we subsequently learned that the Priesthood Session was only scheduled to be 90 minutes in length, which, by extension, would be the length of the Women's Session as well.
But during this weekend's Priesthood Session, it wound up lasting around 2 hours, and if the same thing occurs in October, the Women's Session will wind up being half an hour longer than anticipated.
This brings me to the newest theory I have. Whether or not a member of the Quorum of the Twelve is asked to speak during that session (the jury is still out on that), I now believe that the Women's Session will involve addresses from all members of the First Presidency, which would match what has traditionally occurred for the Priesthood Session.
And that, in turn, would eliminate the need to find another time in one of the other sessions during which any members of the First Presidency that do not speak during the Women's Session could give an additional address (as the counselors in the First Presidency usually speak at least twice, while one of them also leads the Sustaining of Church leaders).
It will be interesting to see what happens in that regard. And whatever does occur, you can count on my reporting it here. That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.
To recap those theories, I first offered my opinion that we might hear from a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles during that session in addition to whichever member of the First Presidency was assigned to speak that night.
Then, I later offered my new theory that the Church president and one of his counselors (which would rotate) will be speaking during that session along with the auxiliary presidency members. That theory was based on another theory that the length of the Women's Session would be extended to 1 hour and 45 minutes, to match the length of the Priesthood Session. But we subsequently learned that the Priesthood Session was only scheduled to be 90 minutes in length, which, by extension, would be the length of the Women's Session as well.
But during this weekend's Priesthood Session, it wound up lasting around 2 hours, and if the same thing occurs in October, the Women's Session will wind up being half an hour longer than anticipated.
This brings me to the newest theory I have. Whether or not a member of the Quorum of the Twelve is asked to speak during that session (the jury is still out on that), I now believe that the Women's Session will involve addresses from all members of the First Presidency, which would match what has traditionally occurred for the Priesthood Session.
And that, in turn, would eliminate the need to find another time in one of the other sessions during which any members of the First Presidency that do not speak during the Women's Session could give an additional address (as the counselors in the First Presidency usually speak at least twice, while one of them also leads the Sustaining of Church leaders).
It will be interesting to see what happens in that regard. And whatever does occur, you can count on my reporting it here. That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.
I have had a lifelong love for Church history, which has extended to ongoing reports of the ministry of our apostles and prophets, General Conference, and all temple developments. This blog enables me to share that love with all who read my thoughts on these developments, which are sometimes reported multiple times per day as needed.
Progress Reported on the Renovation Process for the Raleigh North Carolina Temple
Hello again, everyone! Either just prior to or during the General Conference weekend, I became aware of an update that has been provided on the renovation process for the Raleigh North Carolina Temple. The newest information I have found indicates that plywood panels are being attached to the temple's exterior.
While there have not been any other temple updates to report at this time. it is worth noting that, although it has not been confirmed, there is reason to believe that the exterior looks of both the Baton Rouge Louisiana and Asuncion Paraguay Temples will be the same as that for the Memphis Tennessee, Oklahoma City Oklahoma, and Raleigh North Carolina Temples.
As I have previously noted, it appears that all temples originally dedicated in the late 1990s-early 2000s have been and will be given the same overhaul in their exterior appearances. That said, if local styles dictate otherwise, that will be a factor into such changes in the future.
Whatever might occur in terms of ongoing temple developments, rest assured that I am keeping my eyes open for all such updates, and I will be sure to pass those along as I am able to going forward. That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.
While there have not been any other temple updates to report at this time. it is worth noting that, although it has not been confirmed, there is reason to believe that the exterior looks of both the Baton Rouge Louisiana and Asuncion Paraguay Temples will be the same as that for the Memphis Tennessee, Oklahoma City Oklahoma, and Raleigh North Carolina Temples.
As I have previously noted, it appears that all temples originally dedicated in the late 1990s-early 2000s have been and will be given the same overhaul in their exterior appearances. That said, if local styles dictate otherwise, that will be a factor into such changes in the future.
Whatever might occur in terms of ongoing temple developments, rest assured that I am keeping my eyes open for all such updates, and I will be sure to pass those along as I am able to going forward. That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.
I have had a lifelong love for Church history, which has extended to ongoing reports of the ministry of our apostles and prophets, General Conference, and all temple developments. This blog enables me to share that love with all who read my thoughts on these developments, which are sometimes reported multiple times per day as needed.
Sunday, April 1, 2018
Sharing a Theory Based on Reports from Church Members in Kenya and Zimbabwe
Hello again, everyone! I am posting again on this Easter Sunday to pass along a theory which I have heard offered in a couple of places based on reports by members in Kenya and Zimbabwe. The report suggests that, while it has not been confirmed, local members in those nations have been made aware of the site locations that are earmarked for the announced temples in Nairobi and Harare. And the theory I have heard about this is that, depending on what occurs before President Nelson and Elder Holland head out on their tour of Africa, Asia, and Europe, groundbreakings could be conducted by President Nelson for both temples, in addition to the theory I have previously mentioned that he could also potentially break ground for the Bangkok Thailand Temple while he is in that city.
So, depending on what happens within the next week or so before the Nelsons and Hollands depart, if this theory proves to be correct, ground will be broken in Nairobi on April 16, Harare the following day, and Bangkok on Friday April 20. It will be interesting to see whether or not that will happen. With about 1.5 weeks remaining until their departure, and with his visits to these areas set to occur in around 2 weeks, that is not a lot of time to announce an intention to break ground for those temples so it could be done while these Brethren are there.
It is also worth noting that it may not be a stretch to assume that part of the time President Nelson spends in Bengaluru on April 19 might be devoted to finding a suitable site for the temple announced for that city earlier today.
Nor would it be unheard of, in my opinion, to assume that President Nelson may pay a courtesy visit to the Chinese governmental leaders during his time in Hong Kong, with the purpose of seeing if his status as an "old friend of China" and his new calling as Church president might be enough to convince the Chinese government to officially recognize the Church and to allow full-time missionaries to proselyte in that country.
I may be wrong on this, but perhaps the Lord was waiting on having His prophet announce the temples that were announced today and to enable the Church to obtain approval to proselyte in China until this time, when President Nelson was Church president, since he is very much motivated to both bring the temples to the people and for him, as "an old friend of China", to be able to convince the Chinese government to approve whatever is needed to enable missionary work to begin in full there.
Whatever might occur regarding this theory, you can be sure I will post anything about it as I learn of it. That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.
So, depending on what happens within the next week or so before the Nelsons and Hollands depart, if this theory proves to be correct, ground will be broken in Nairobi on April 16, Harare the following day, and Bangkok on Friday April 20. It will be interesting to see whether or not that will happen. With about 1.5 weeks remaining until their departure, and with his visits to these areas set to occur in around 2 weeks, that is not a lot of time to announce an intention to break ground for those temples so it could be done while these Brethren are there.
It is also worth noting that it may not be a stretch to assume that part of the time President Nelson spends in Bengaluru on April 19 might be devoted to finding a suitable site for the temple announced for that city earlier today.
Nor would it be unheard of, in my opinion, to assume that President Nelson may pay a courtesy visit to the Chinese governmental leaders during his time in Hong Kong, with the purpose of seeing if his status as an "old friend of China" and his new calling as Church president might be enough to convince the Chinese government to officially recognize the Church and to allow full-time missionaries to proselyte in that country.
I may be wrong on this, but perhaps the Lord was waiting on having His prophet announce the temples that were announced today and to enable the Church to obtain approval to proselyte in China until this time, when President Nelson was Church president, since he is very much motivated to both bring the temples to the people and for him, as "an old friend of China", to be able to convince the Chinese government to approve whatever is needed to enable missionary work to begin in full there.
Whatever might occur regarding this theory, you can be sure I will post anything about it as I learn of it. That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.
I have had a lifelong love for Church history, which has extended to ongoing reports of the ministry of our apostles and prophets, General Conference, and all temple developments. This blog enables me to share that love with all who read my thoughts on these developments, which are sometimes reported multiple times per day as needed.
Resources Released to Add Context to Major Developments Which Occurred During General Conference
Hello again, everyone! The Church News has released resources to add context to the major developments that occurred over General Conference weekend. Members reacted to the calls of the two newest apostles and spoke of being present for the Solemn Assembly.
In a letter to Church members, the First Presidency detailed the guidelines for the ministering that will replace home & visiting teaching. Among other highlights, we as members will be known as "ministering brothers" and "ministering sisters", and if practical, Elders' Quorum and Relief Society presidencies could, with the bishop's approval, opt to assign a married couple to minister to families within their congregations, which is awesome. Also, as noted, Laurels and Mia Maids may be asked to participate in ministering companionships with Relief Society sisters.
And in another article, the Church News focused on the changes announced to Melchizedek Priesthood quorums and groups. The final article I want to share passes along some contextual specifics of the seven temples announced at the conclusion of the conference. The one quibble I have with that article is that, in reference to the Philippines, no mention is made of the temple planned for the greater Manila area, and the article lists the temple announced for Cagayan de Oro as the fourth for the Philippines. Other than that, it has great information.
It is also worth noting that, for the first time since before the April 2015, no new temples have been announced for the African continent. But I imagine that's because these seven needed to be a higher priority.
That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.
In a letter to Church members, the First Presidency detailed the guidelines for the ministering that will replace home & visiting teaching. Among other highlights, we as members will be known as "ministering brothers" and "ministering sisters", and if practical, Elders' Quorum and Relief Society presidencies could, with the bishop's approval, opt to assign a married couple to minister to families within their congregations, which is awesome. Also, as noted, Laurels and Mia Maids may be asked to participate in ministering companionships with Relief Society sisters.
And in another article, the Church News focused on the changes announced to Melchizedek Priesthood quorums and groups. The final article I want to share passes along some contextual specifics of the seven temples announced at the conclusion of the conference. The one quibble I have with that article is that, in reference to the Philippines, no mention is made of the temple planned for the greater Manila area, and the article lists the temple announced for Cagayan de Oro as the fourth for the Philippines. Other than that, it has great information.
It is also worth noting that, for the first time since before the April 2015, no new temples have been announced for the African continent. But I imagine that's because these seven needed to be a higher priority.
That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.
I have had a lifelong love for Church history, which has extended to ongoing reports of the ministry of our apostles and prophets, General Conference, and all temple developments. This blog enables me to share that love with all who read my thoughts on these developments, which are sometimes reported multiple times per day as needed.
Some Observations About the Historic General Conference Weekend
Hello again, everyone! I wanted to post again now with my observations about the historic General Conference that concluded nearly three hours after this post is published. It has been historic fo the following reasons:
1. For the first time ever, the Solemn Assembly and the Sustaining of other Church officers were held in two separate sessions, with each of President Nelson's counselors having a role in one part of that.
2. We have seen President Nelson fulfilling his own prophetic statement that someday there would be "more flavors in the mix" with the announced calling of the first Latin American and Asian American apostles, which opens the possibility that we will continue to see that prophetic promise filled in the future.
3. We have seen the Church disclose, for the first time, all of the countries from which current Church leadership has been taken.
4. We have seen more diversity among the selected speakers during this General Conference than we have in quite a while. Of the 35 addresses given (note that I am not counting the Solemn Assembly, Sustaining of Church Officers, or Church Auditing Department Report in that count), 9 (which is roughly 25% of all addresses) were given by a internationally-born leader.
2. During President Hinckley's prophetic administration (and before that during the administration of President Kimball), there were times when the Church president would speak briefly to introduce new doctrines and policies, but this was the first General Conference in a while (if it has ever happened at all) that a Church president gave two shorter address to introduce new doctrines, policies, or practices, invited a couple of speakers to add context to the reasoning behind such decisions, and then went on to give two full-length addresses to close out those sessions.
3. Off the top of my head, I can remember at least 4 General Conferences during President Hinckley's presidency (April & October 1995; October 2000; and April 2007) in which, for a variety of reasons, the entire First Presidency spoke back-to-back in a session other than the Priesthood Session. This General Conference, because it was Easter Sunday, we saw that occur again.
4. With two major changes in the interpretation and practice of the doctrine of the Church and several new temples announced, this General Conference was jam-packed with breaking news.
5. For the first time in recent years (if it has ever happened before), we saw almost a full half of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (a total of 5) speak in a single session of General Conference. The most we have seen prior to that is 4 (25%) Quorum members speak in a single session.
6. This General Conference marked the first time that the President of the Church gave more than two addresses (with those addresses being a typical length) since President Monson in April 2015 gave addresses longer that just a few minutes.
7. Even with the major announcements and Church leadership changes, President Nelson was still able to announce 7 new temples.
8. As I have mentioned previously, Elder Larry Y. Wilson, who serves as the Executive Director of the Church's Temple Department, noted last April following President Monson's announcement of the last 5 temple locations during his presidency that the Church had a list of at least 80 potential locations that were being actively considered for an announcement within the 15 years following that statement. If we take his statement literally, then by the end of this month, the Church will have 14 years in which to announce those 80. If we also assume that all 7 that were announced today were on that list, then there are roughly 73 others that will need to be announced within those 14 years, which works out to just over 5 temples per year, which could, as previously noted, be done by announcing at least a few during each General Conference, with a few being announced between each April, October, and subsequent April.
8. With a very healthy Church president directing such efforts, I would anticipate that substantial progress will be made towards getting the 12 temples that were in the announced temples section at the time he was ordained further towards their construction, and that the 7 temples announced today will be the first of many temples President Nelson will announce.
That wraps up my list of observations during this General Conference, but I did have an additional observation unrelated to General Conference which I wanted to pass along. Apparently, a report has come in from members in Kenya and Zimbabwe that suggest that, by the time of President Nelson's trip, the temples in that area may be ready to have a groundbreaking that could occur for the temples in Nairobi and Harare. With the additional fact that the artist's rendering has been released for the Bangkok Thailand Temple, it would be awesome if President Nelson is able to break ground for all three temples during his visit there.
Whatever temple or Church news might be released, you can continue to count on my report and analysis of such developments. That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.
1. For the first time ever, the Solemn Assembly and the Sustaining of other Church officers were held in two separate sessions, with each of President Nelson's counselors having a role in one part of that.
2. We have seen President Nelson fulfilling his own prophetic statement that someday there would be "more flavors in the mix" with the announced calling of the first Latin American and Asian American apostles, which opens the possibility that we will continue to see that prophetic promise filled in the future.
3. We have seen the Church disclose, for the first time, all of the countries from which current Church leadership has been taken.
4. We have seen more diversity among the selected speakers during this General Conference than we have in quite a while. Of the 35 addresses given (note that I am not counting the Solemn Assembly, Sustaining of Church Officers, or Church Auditing Department Report in that count), 9 (which is roughly 25% of all addresses) were given by a internationally-born leader.
2. During President Hinckley's prophetic administration (and before that during the administration of President Kimball), there were times when the Church president would speak briefly to introduce new doctrines and policies, but this was the first General Conference in a while (if it has ever happened at all) that a Church president gave two shorter address to introduce new doctrines, policies, or practices, invited a couple of speakers to add context to the reasoning behind such decisions, and then went on to give two full-length addresses to close out those sessions.
3. Off the top of my head, I can remember at least 4 General Conferences during President Hinckley's presidency (April & October 1995; October 2000; and April 2007) in which, for a variety of reasons, the entire First Presidency spoke back-to-back in a session other than the Priesthood Session. This General Conference, because it was Easter Sunday, we saw that occur again.
4. With two major changes in the interpretation and practice of the doctrine of the Church and several new temples announced, this General Conference was jam-packed with breaking news.
5. For the first time in recent years (if it has ever happened before), we saw almost a full half of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (a total of 5) speak in a single session of General Conference. The most we have seen prior to that is 4 (25%) Quorum members speak in a single session.
6. This General Conference marked the first time that the President of the Church gave more than two addresses (with those addresses being a typical length) since President Monson in April 2015 gave addresses longer that just a few minutes.
7. Even with the major announcements and Church leadership changes, President Nelson was still able to announce 7 new temples.
8. As I have mentioned previously, Elder Larry Y. Wilson, who serves as the Executive Director of the Church's Temple Department, noted last April following President Monson's announcement of the last 5 temple locations during his presidency that the Church had a list of at least 80 potential locations that were being actively considered for an announcement within the 15 years following that statement. If we take his statement literally, then by the end of this month, the Church will have 14 years in which to announce those 80. If we also assume that all 7 that were announced today were on that list, then there are roughly 73 others that will need to be announced within those 14 years, which works out to just over 5 temples per year, which could, as previously noted, be done by announcing at least a few during each General Conference, with a few being announced between each April, October, and subsequent April.
8. With a very healthy Church president directing such efforts, I would anticipate that substantial progress will be made towards getting the 12 temples that were in the announced temples section at the time he was ordained further towards their construction, and that the 7 temples announced today will be the first of many temples President Nelson will announce.
That wraps up my list of observations during this General Conference, but I did have an additional observation unrelated to General Conference which I wanted to pass along. Apparently, a report has come in from members in Kenya and Zimbabwe that suggest that, by the time of President Nelson's trip, the temples in that area may be ready to have a groundbreaking that could occur for the temples in Nairobi and Harare. With the additional fact that the artist's rendering has been released for the Bangkok Thailand Temple, it would be awesome if President Nelson is able to break ground for all three temples during his visit there.
Whatever temple or Church news might be released, you can continue to count on my report and analysis of such developments. That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.
I have had a lifelong love for Church history, which has extended to ongoing reports of the ministry of our apostles and prophets, General Conference, and all temple developments. This blog enables me to share that love with all who read my thoughts on these developments, which are sometimes reported multiple times per day as needed.
BREAKING NEWS: 7 New Temples Announced
Hello again, everyone! President Nelson made history again in the closing moments of General Conference by announcing 7 new temples for the following locations: Managua Nicaragua, Cagayan de Oro Philippines, Layton Utah, Bengaluru India, Salta Argentina, Richmond Virginia, and a yet-to-be named city in Russia. This brings the number of temples in any phase to 189. More information will be provided as I can get hold of it.
In the meantime, I wanted to note that 3 of those 7 locations were exactly noted on my list (Managua, Layton and Richmond), and I had also mentioned that other temples were likely to be announced in the Philippines and Argentina (though I had prioritized Neuquen and Davao above Cagayan de Oro and Salta), and I had mentioned the possibility of future temples in India and Russia, although the timing had not seemed right to me for either in the immediate future. But I am glad that we have these new temples announced.
It is also worth noting that President Nelson had publicly proposed a temple for Managua, and that land has been set aside for one for a while now, so it is fitting that he as Church president has made good on his own apostolic proposal.
That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.
In the meantime, I wanted to note that 3 of those 7 locations were exactly noted on my list (Managua, Layton and Richmond), and I had also mentioned that other temples were likely to be announced in the Philippines and Argentina (though I had prioritized Neuquen and Davao above Cagayan de Oro and Salta), and I had mentioned the possibility of future temples in India and Russia, although the timing had not seemed right to me for either in the immediate future. But I am glad that we have these new temples announced.
It is also worth noting that President Nelson had publicly proposed a temple for Managua, and that land has been set aside for one for a while now, so it is fitting that he as Church president has made good on his own apostolic proposal.
That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.
I have had a lifelong love for Church history, which has extended to ongoing reports of the ministry of our apostles and prophets, General Conference, and all temple developments. This blog enables me to share that love with all who read my thoughts on these developments, which are sometimes reported multiple times per day as needed.
BREAKING NEWS: Home and Visiting Teaching to Be Discontinued and Replaced with Principle- and Concern-Based Ministry
Hello again, everyone! In a windfall announcement made just moments ago by President Nelson, the discontinuation of home and visiting teaching has been announced, to be replaced with a program focused on ministering efforts, to enable us to watch over each other more effectively.
In subsequent addresses, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Sister Jean B. Bingham, Relief Society General President, are/will be outlining the principles surrounding the new program.
We have had plenty of examples just this weekend that modern revelation does occur and is occurring. It will be interesting to see how this changes things even further to enable all of us to lift and encourage one another on a larger scale.
More details will be coming in the hours ahead. That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do..
In subsequent addresses, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Sister Jean B. Bingham, Relief Society General President, are/will be outlining the principles surrounding the new program.
We have had plenty of examples just this weekend that modern revelation does occur and is occurring. It will be interesting to see how this changes things even further to enable all of us to lift and encourage one another on a larger scale.
More details will be coming in the hours ahead. That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do..
I have had a lifelong love for Church history, which has extended to ongoing reports of the ministry of our apostles and prophets, General Conference, and all temple developments. This blog enables me to share that love with all who read my thoughts on these developments, which are sometimes reported multiple times per day as needed.
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