Two Additional Articles Posted on Mormon Newsroom

Hello again, everyone! Earlier today, I noticed that Mormon Newsroom had published two additional articles that I wanted to share with you all. I was not able to do so before now because my wife and I spent most of our afternoon and evening going to and from Salt Lake City for a doctor's appointment. But those two newest articles are worthy of mention, so I wanted to discuss them now.

Before doing so, I did want to mention something interesting which I have noticed. We have seen a lot of major Church news released since President Monson's passing four months ago. But it has been amazing and inspiring for me to realize that a greater number of those news articles have been published in the last four months on Mormon Newsroom than has previously been the case.

Mormon Newsroom has always had extensive coverage of the major Church news stories. But since January, the number of those stories published first on Mormon Newsroom instead of any other source have increased substantially.

A couple of examples of that have been the fact that Mormon Newsroom was the first source to publish the changes in area leadership (not to mention the fact that the first report of those changes came several weeks earlier this year than has been the case previously) and that more extensive coverage has also been devoted to the ministry of our current apostles and other Church leaders.

In short, there have been a greater number of news items first published on Mormon Newsroom in the last few months than has been the case in any other previous three-month period. That is the case for two reasons: First, there have been many more developments having an impact on the whole Church within that time than we have previously seen, and second, President Nelson mentioned during the January 16 temple broadcast and press conference that the Church was working towards greater transparency. It has been amazing to see that unfold.

Sorry for that lengthy commentary. That said, now let's turn our attention to the two items which I referenced at the beginning of this post. First, as some of you might recall, several months ago, the Church reported that the First Presidency had sent out surveys to all currently-serving missionaries to gague the conditions impacting safety and security in each area of the world. Mormon Newsroom provided this update, which highlights what the Church has done and plans to do in the near future in response to the results of those surveys.

As some of you might also recall, President and Sister Nelson had been slated to speak at the final session of the BYU-Provo Women's Conference, but had to cancel those plans due to a scheduling conflict. At President Nelson's request, Elder Gerrit W. Gong, newly sustained as an apostle last month, and his wife Susan filled that assignment in their stead. Mormon Newsroom shared a summary of the remarks they offered, along with a summary of the talks given by Sisters Sharon Eubank and Reyna I. Aburto, the counselors in the Relief Society General Presidency.

It has been customary for the entire Relief Society General presidency to address the Women's Conference every year, but in view of Sister Jean B. Bingham being in Washington D. C. over the last few days to participate in the National Day of Prayer, she was not able to join her counselors in speaking during the Women's Conference this year.

Both articles are well worthy of your attention, and I can wholeheartedly recommend them to you all. I continue to monitor all Church news and temple developments and will, to the best of my ability, bring you word of ongoing developments on either front as I learn of them.

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.

Additional News Stories Reported on Mormon Newsroom

Hello again, everyone! Mormon Newsroom has published two additional news stories that are worth mentioning on this blog. In the first one, a report is given of how Relief Society General President Sister Jean B. Bingham participated in the National Day of Prayer that was observed at the White House. The full text of the prayer she offered can be found here.

The other story relates to the ministry of one member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. As most of you might recall, following his return to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf was given several assignments, one of which was to assume oversight of the Church's Europe and Europe East areas. In a previous post, I referenced how Elder and Sister Uchtdorf had visited the Rome Italy Temple site during a recent trip to Europe. Mormon Newsroom shared this report regarding some thoughts Elder Uchtdorf shared with the Saints in Russia during his trip, and with the Mormon Newsroom staff following his return about the temple that has been announced for Russia.

Both articles are well worth your time, and I commend them to you all. 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.

Additional New Temple Presidents Called; Article Published About New General Authority Seventy Jack N. Gerard

Hello again, everyone! This post will be for the purpose of reporting some major developments that have been shared in the Church News. First of all, it appears that the Church News is currently testing a new beta version of their website. From my preliminary examination of it, it will be much easier to navigate.

The other two developments piggyback on the first. On their beta site, the Church News has published an article introducing Elder Jack N. Gerard. And in another article, the calls of several additional presidents for currently operating temples, including the recently rededicated Houston Texas Temple.

The updated list of temple presidents called this year follows below. So as not to disturb the flow of that list, I will end here 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.

New presidents have been called for the following temples:

1.      Manaus Brazil

2.      Boise Idaho

3.      Denver Colorado

4.      The Hague Netherlands

5.      Oquirrh Mountain Utah

6.      Helsinki Finland

7.      The Gila Valley Arizona

8.      Brigham City Utah

9.      Stockholm Sweden

10.  Palmyra New York

11.  Accra Ghana

12.  Papeete Tahiti

13.  Sao Paulo Brazil

14.  San Jose Costa Rica

15.  Albuquerque New Mexico

16.  Provo City Center

17.  Recife Brazil

18.  Cardston Alberta

19.  Payson Utah

20.  Porto Alegre Brazil

21.  Brisbane Australia

22.  Kansas City Missouri

23.  Oaxaca Mexico

24.  Regina Saskatchewan

25.  Cebu City Philippines

26.  Boston Massachusetts

27.  Colonia Juarez Chihuahua Mexico

28.  Billings Montana

29.  Houston Texas

30.  Sydney Australia

The first presidents will likely be announced for the following new temples:

1.      Concepcion Chile

2.      Barranquilla Colombia

3.      Rome Italy

4.      Kinshasa DR Congo

5.      Fortaleza Brazil

6.      Port-au-Prince Haiti

New presidents may also be announced for the following temples:

1.      Atlanta Georgia

2.      Bountiful Utah

3.      Buenos Aires Argentina

4.      Cordoba Argentina

5.      Draper Utah

6.      Fukuoka Japan

7.      Guatemala City Guatemala

8.      Helsinki Finland

9.      Hermosillo Sonora Mexico

10.  Indianapolis Indiana

11.  Laie Hawaii

12.  Las Vegas Nevada

13.  Manti Utah

14.  Montevideo Uruguay

15.  Monticello Utah

16.  Redlands California

17.  Sacramento California

18.  St. Louis Missouri

19.  Taipei Taiwan

20.  Tegucigalpa Honduras

21.  Tijuana Mexico

22.  Trujillo Peru

23.  Vancouver British Columbia

24.  Veracruz Mexico

25.  Villahermosa Mexico

26.  Washington D. C. Temple (Note: The Church may opt to wait on calling a new president for this temple until 2020 when it is rededicated)

Updated Estimates for Known Temple Events

Hello again, everyone! As I promised, I have taken time to reevaluate the estimates I have offered for known temple events in the near future. The alterations to those estimates, as shown below, represent the results of that additional research and the subsequent adjustments I have made.

Of course, depending on what is reported in the future in terms of either progress or the lack thereof on temples going forward, these estimates may need to be completely revisited again in the future. That is a given occupational hazard of trying to gauge such things.

The revised estimates follow below. So as not to disturb their flow, I will end here 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.

Future estimates for known temple events

2018:

Anytime between now and the end of June: Full-scale construction anticipated to begin for the Winnipeg Manitoba Temple

Note: According to a Church member living in Canada, full-scale construction was anticipated to begin on this temple (which had a groundbreaking in early December 2016) at some point during April 2018. With April having come and gone with no developments in that regard, a few sources I have available have noted that full-scale efforts are likely to begin within the next two months, but hopefully sooner rather than later.

Anytime in the near future: Full-scale renovation anticipated to begin for the Asuncion Paraguay Temple

Note: This temple closed for renovation on October 29, 2017. Within the six months that have followed, the process was delayed while building permits were being acquired. In mid-to-late April 2018, many sources which I consult for temple information removed any completion estimate. While I hope that the Church’s announced intention to rededicate this temple next year will be able to occur, only time will tell if that will be possible.

Sunday May 20: Jordan River Utah Temple Rededication/Mesa Arizona Temple Renovation Closure (both have been confirmed)

Note: Since the rededication Jordan River Utah Temple is the first public temple event of President Nelson’s administration, it seems to be a given conclusion that he will preside at this event, if only the first one or two sessions. Since this temple is in the Salt Lake Valley, it seems entirely likely that several Church leaders will be in attendance at this event as well. This rededication will also mark the last time (for now) that the Church will have a cultural celebration the night before, as it seems to be the new tradition to have a devotional for youth at that time instead. And although the closure for the Mesa Arizona Temple will likely go into effect at the end of the day on the Friday or Saturday prior to this, this is the official date given by the Church for that closure.

Monday July 23: Hamilton New Zealand Temple Renovation Closure (confirmed)

Sunday October 28: Concepcion Chile Temple Dedication (160^th operating temple; confirmed)

Note: Since this will be the first new temple dedicated during President Nelson’s administration, he could opt to preside at this event himself, or he could delegate that responsibility to either of his counselors, or to one of the senior members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Sunday December 9: Barranquilla Colombia Temple Dedication (161^st operating temple; confirmed)

Note: The note above regarding who might preside at this temple event also applies to this temple, as it is possible that President Nelson, one of his counselors, or a senior member of the Quorum of the Twelve could preside at this event.

Final note on 2018: I have heard that we will likely see many groundbreakings for temples that have currently not progressed beyond their announcements. The main ones I am watching in that regard are the Bangkok Thailand, Urdaneta Philippines, Lima Peru Los Olivos, Saratoga Springs Utah, and Harare Zimbabwe Temples. Each of those temples could have a groundbreaking by the end of 2018, and I am not ruling out any of the 14 other announced temples, although the 7 announced in General Conference at the beginning of this month will likely have a bit more of a wait. The Lord could also surprise us by moving ahead any other announced temples. I will be anxious to see what occurs in that regard.

2019:

Sunday March 10-Sunday March 17: Rome Italy Temple Dedication (162^nd operating temple; confirmed)

Note: While the Church officially announced that this temple’s dedication will be held over an 8-day period (one of the longest, if not the very longest, in recent years), the exact number of dedicatory sessions that will be held has not yet been made public. I am assuming that the Church could potentially have 3-6 per day, with one every 2-3 hours, but time will tell. Since the dedicatory sessions will be held for longer than a week, it would make sense if the Church rotates attendance among several different Church leaders, which will likely include all members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve.

Mid-April: Frankfurt Germany Temple Rededication

Note: While this has yet-to-be confirmed, it would make sense if this temple was rededicated at this time. And, since the Church has periodically assigned senior members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to preside at such events, the First Presidency may opt to ask Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, a native German who has presided at previous dedications and rededications as a member of the First Presidency from 2008-2018, to preside at this event in his homeland.     

Late April-early May: Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple Dedication (163^th operating temple)

Note: In view of my need to change other estimates, and in recognition of the fact that we have seen two updates recently on the status of this temple, I have changed my thinking and now concur that this temple will be the next new one dedicated in 2019 following the Rome Italy temple dedication.

Mid-to-late May: Fortaleza Brazil Temple Dedication (164^th operating temple)

Note: Although I had previously shared my thoughts that this temple would likely be dedicated before the temple in Kinshasa, in the last couple of weeks, two significant updates on that temple now lead me to concur with most sources available that the Fortaleza temple will not be dedicated until after a dedication is held for Kinshasa. With that in mind, it seemed reasonable to move the estimate for this temple’s completion to around this time. If the need arises, further alterations can be made in the future.

Early-to-mid June: Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temple Rededication

Note: Although several temples closed for renovation prior to October 14, 2017 (which marked the closure of this temple), it has continued to make fairly consistent progress. And in spite of the fact that this temple’s general completion estimate was pushed back slightly on May 3, 2018, it seems clear to me that we will likely see this temple rededicated at around this time.

Early-to-mid August: Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple Dedication (165^th operating temple)

Note: While this temple’s construction was only anticipated to take 15-18 months, in view of the need to adjust other estimates, it has felt wise to alter this estimate. If this temple makes substantial progress in the near future, I would not have a problem moving this estimate up again.

Mid-to-late August: Memphis Tennessee Temple Rededication

Note: As was the case for the Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temple above, on May 3, 2018, this temple’s general completion estimate was pushed back. With that in mind, it has seemed reasonable to push my more specific estimate for this temple’s rededication to around this time. If sufficient progress is made on this temple in the near future, I will happily readjust my estimate again.

Mid-September: Lisbon Portugal Temple Dedication (166^th operating temple)

Note: This temple, which has progressed fairly well, may be dedicated at around this time, if it continues to make steady progress. If I see any reason to adjust this estimate in the near future, I will be sure to do so.

Mid-October: Raleigh North Carolina Temple Rededication

Note: On May 3, 2018, this temple’s general completion estimate was pushed back in many sources from which I obtain such information. With that in mind, this adjustment has felt necessary. If this temple makes sufficient progress in the near future, I could see the merits of moving this estimate up. Until that time, this alteration feels reasonable.

Mid-November: Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple Rededication

Note: This temple’s general completion estimate was altered on May 3, 2018 as well. With that in mind, although I hope for the best for this temple, it has felt wiser to be more conservative in this estimate. If I see a need to move this estimate up, I will be happy to do so.

Mid-December Durban South Africa Temple Dedication (167^th operating temple)

Note: This temple has alternated having some occasions when lots of progress has been noted, and having other times when long periods have gone by with no word on any developments. For that reason, it has seemed more reasonable to be conservative in this estimate. I hope to be able to move this estimate up, if all goes well.

Final note on 2019: As with 2018, I have heard that 2019 could potentially be another big year for temple groundbreakings. If that proves to be the case, there will be other temple-related events to add to this list for subsequent years. A lot could change within the next year that will also change the likely prospects for temple groundbreakings in 2019. Closer to the time, I may venture some thoughts for temples likely to have a groundbreaking during 2019. Additionally, although both the Oakland California and Asuncion Paraguay Temples were originally anticipated to be rededicated in 2019, the former is an older temple, which means delays are possible, and the latter is currently stalled in the process of getting its’ renovation started. For that reason, I am pushing back my estimates for the rededications of both to 2020. But I hope that I will be able to move both back into 2019 if all goes well.

2020:

Mid-February: Oakland California Temple Rededication

Note: This temple closed for its’ renovation in February 2018, and was anticipated to be rededicated during 2019. But in view of the progress (and the lack thereof) made on several new temples and others undergoing renovation, it has seemed reasonable to alter this estimate to around this time.

Mid-March: Arequipa Peru Temple Dedication (168^th operating temple)

Note: This temple had originally been estimated to have its’ dedication occur in 2019, but new information indicates that it will likely happen in 2020, and that it may be the first new temple dedicated during that year. If anything happens to change that, its’ future dedication might either be delayed or pushed up.

Mid-April: Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple Dedication (169^th operating temple)

Note: The main reason this temple’s completion estimate was pushed back to early 2020 is because many sources available to me noted that it is going to be bigger than originally believed. With that in mind, it is not hard to believe that a dedication could (and likely will) occur for this temple at around this time, before winter season hits the southern hemisphere.

Mid-May: Asuncion Paraguay Temple Rededication

Note: This temple closed for its’ renovation process in late October 2017. But as of May 3, 2018, it has not had the full-scale process begin. And although the Church originally said that the rededication for this temple would occur in 2019, unless those full-scale efforts begin before winter 2018 begins in the southern hemisphere, that might in turn delay its’ rededication to around this time. That said, if full-scale efforts are able to begin sooner rather than later, I could see the need to move up this more specific estimate.

Early-to-mid August: Tokyo Japan Temple Rededication

Note: Although full-scale efforts have begun on this temple’s renovation since the last time I posted these estimates, it has seemed wiser to be more conservative in this estimate. If I see any reason in the near future to move this estimate back up, I will do so.

Mid-to-late August: Winnipeg Manitoba Temple Dedication (170^th operating temple)

Note: Since full-scale construction is still pending for this temple as of May 3, 2018, I have felt it would be wiser to be more conservative in my estimates. If full-scale efforts are able to begin within the next three months, and if significant progress is made as a result, I could (and likely will) push this estimate up.

Mid-October: Mesa Arizona Temple Rededication

Note: This temple is older, but has been renovated previously, so the renovation process will likely be completed at around this time. If anything happens to delay that process, this estimate would need to be subsequently adjusted as a result.

Mid-December: Washington DC Temple Rededication

Note: This temple has, as of today (April 27, 2018), been closed for almost two months, but has not had any progress reported on that process as of yet. When we add to that the fact that this is an older temple having its’ first renovation, mid-December is a very conservative estimate. If anything delays that process, I would not be surprised to see this temple’s completion pushed back into 2021.

2021:

Mid-to-late April: Hamilton New Zealand Temple Rededication

Note: This temple’s July 2018 renovation closure was the first temple announcement of President Nelson’s prophetic administration. If, as is widely believed, that process involves an expansion of any kind for this temple, depending on how quickly or slowly progress is made, this estimate may need to be adjusted.

                  

Final Note: As noted above, if several temples have a groundbreaking in 2018 and the years that follow, their completion estimates will need to be added to the list above. I continue to monitor all temple-related developments and will pass news of them along as I become aware of them.

Slight Alterations Made to General Completion Estimates for Temples Undergoing Renovation; Further Alterations Needed to More Specific Estimates

Hello again, everyone! I recently became aware of information which indicates that the temples undergoing renovation in Oklahoma City Oklahoma, Memphis Tennessee, Raleigh North Carolina, and Baton Rouge Louisiana will likely not be dedicated as soon as originally thought.

For the first two temples, which as recently as yesterday were anticipated to be rededicated in early-to-mid 2019, that estimate has shifted to mid-2019. For the final two, which, as of yesterday, had a completion estimate of mid-2019, that has been altered as well, to mid-to-late 2019.

This, of course, also means that, since the general completion estimates have been altered, an alteration to the more specific estimates which I have offered is now necessary. I am evaluating all of these developments and will do my level best to post updated thoughts in that regard as soon as I can make it happen.

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.

Update Reported on the Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple

Hello again, everyone! In literally the first few minutes after I last posted, I discovered an update on the status of the renovation process that has been underway on the Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple since the end of January.

It is wonderful to be able to pass this update along, as we have not seen much of a change in that temple's status for quite a while now. The new information shows that the temple has been stripped to the framing studs, and that mildew and foundation issues are currently being remedied.

As some of you might recall, the Raleigh North Carolina Temple closed on Sunday January 7, and the closure of the Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple occurred 3 weeks later. The renovation process in Raleigh has been quite impressive, but by comparison, this may only be the second or third update on the Baton Rouge renovation process.

That said, with this update noted, it is my hope that anything that may have been preventing the renovation process of the temple from making progress might have been resolved since its' status was last updated.

As I noted in my last post, I continue to monitor all developments in that regard and will do my level best to pass those along to you as I receive word of them. 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.

Neighborhood Meeting to Be Held Later This Month Prior to the Mesa Arizona Temple Renovation

Hello again, everyone! This is just a quick post to note that, because of concerns that have been raised by local preservation societies regarding the approved plans for the Mesa Arizona Temple renovation process, a meeting will be held for the community to share their concerns at some point within the next week or two before the May 20th closure date. You can find more details here.

On a note unrelated to this subject, but regarding temples in general, another report just came in that Elder and Sister Renlund have toured the Rome Italy Temple site during their time in Europe. It is great to hear of all that is occurring in terms of the ministry of our apostles.

I continue to monitor all Church and temple developments and will pass those along to you as I receive them. 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.

Apostolic Ministry Updates

Hello again, everyone! This is the second of the two posts I mentioned previously, and will cover some updates on the ministry of our apostles. Those updates have been reported on Mormon Newsroom. So let's get right into those.

As some of you may be aware, although Elder Dale G. Renlund was born in the United States, his parents emigrated here. His mother is Swedish and his father comes from Finland. He grew up speaking Swedish, and he later served his full-time mission in Sweden. The reason I mention all of this is that Elder Renlund return to his mother's homeland on April 28 & 29, accompanied by his wife, Ruth. They had a meeting with Church leaders, missionaries, and members that was simulcast over the web to other congregations in the area. You can find more details on that visit here.

In the meantime, Elder D. Todd Christofferson spoke yesterday in London to the All-Party Parliamentary Group at one of their meetings. Mormon Newsroom shares this story highlighting the remarks he made during that time.

As always, I continue to monitor all Church and temple developments and will pass those along to you all as I receive word of them. 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.

Construction Updates Provided for Two Temples Currently Undergoing Renovation

Hello again, everyone! This will be one of two posts I will be publishing within the next half hour or so. I wanted to note in this post that, while no updates of which I am aware have been reported on new temples under construction, there have been developments and updates reported on the status of two of the temples currently undergoing renovation.

We start first with the Raleigh North Carolina Temple. The last time I posted an update on that temple appears to have been exactly one month ago today, at which time I noted that plywood panels were being attached to the temple's exterior. The latest information I have is that sheathing has been completed on the temple's exterior walls, and that new architectural elements are currently being framed.

The other temple for which I have an update is the one in Tokyo Japan. It was just over one month ago (on March 28) that I passed along news that the renovation process had formally begun. The commencement of that process had seen the annex building razed and surface parking removed. While that part of the status of this temple is still noted by many sources available to me, it has additionally been noted that interior renovations are now underway.

It was great to learn of these updates, and I am grateful to have been able to pass them along to you all here. I continue to monitor all such developments and will pass them along as I become aware of them in the future.

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.

BREAKING NEWS: Social Media Sites Will No Longer Be Accessible In Church Meetinghouses Starting This Month

Hello again, everyone! Breaking news from the Church today. In an effort to encourage members to place appropriate focus on Sabbath Day observance and to encourage greater attention to what is said in Church meetings, the Church has announced that, beginning in this month, many social media sites will be blocked on the Church's internet networks.

In my humble opinion, this is a move that is long overdue. I was brought up on the notion that, even as technology evolved, it was not right to use social media at Church, as that would distract both myself and those around me from the appropriate focus that should be placed on learning of the Savior, worshiping Him, and renewing the covenants made at baptism.

This is yet another example of how the Church continues to simplify things, in the hopes of allowing all members to focus on what is most important about the gospel. And I welcome and embrace this news with all my heart.

At the same time, however, it grieves me to realize that the Church would not have needed to take this step if more of the Church members had had common sense enough to put aside their participation on such social media sites.

If we really stop and think about it, the Lord requires relatively little of us. 3 hours a day for most of the 52 or 53 Sundays that are in a year is not a lot of time for which the Lord and the leaders of His Church are asking us to focus on Him and the principles of the gospel. That some people have failed to allow themselves to focus on that for such a short period of time during any given week makes me wonder if social media use and addiction thereunto may be more detrimental to the efforts the people of this Church should be making in their worship of the Savior than any other aspect.

At some point in the last few years, I made the determination that I was spending far too much time on social media. So I determined to gradually decrease the time I spent there. At this time, I am only really on social media once or twice every month or two, and I have not felt as though that is any great loss.

If anything, reducing that time, in my personal opinion, has allowed me to focus on more important things, not the least of which has been the ongoing Church and temple developments that I have read about and passed along to you all.

That is not to say that social media is not an important way to keep in touch with people. But in the "age of information", any one of us, myself included, may be in danger of over-utilizing any one of the many technological advances of this modern age.

So on that level, this is a development that, in my mind, truly is long overdue, and I welcome the opportunity we all, especially those who have been focused more on social media than on the spirit of worship that should attend what has traditionally been called "the most important three hours of the week".

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.