Hello again, everyone! I wanted to post again now with some Church news updates. There's a lot to cover, so let's get right to it. First of all, a few days ago, the Church News shared this report on the funeral services held recently for Elder Vaughn J. Featherstone. General Church leaders in attendance at the funeral services included Presidents Russell M. Nelson and Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency (with President Eyring representing the Brethren in speaking at the funeral, in view of his long friendship with Elder Featherstone) and Elders Jeffrey R. Holland and Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. It sounds like the service was a fitting tribute to this remarkable servant of God.
Less than 24 hours following the rededication of the Jordan River Utah Temple, the Church News released the text of the rededicatory prayer written and offered by President Eyring, who quoted many things said in the original dedicatory prayer penned by President Spencer W. Kimball, and offered by President Marion G. Romney, both of whom, as I mentioned earlier this week, have a familial connection to President Eyring.
The Church announced yesterday (May 22) that nearly 170 missionaries currently serving in Nicaragua would be relocated, due to political unrest and in consideration of their safety. Those nearing the end of their service period will be honorably released to return home, and those who remain will be reassigned to missions in North and South America or Europe.
It is heartbreaking in a way to see that happening, since the Church is in the preliminary stages of trying to get a temple built there, but hopefully things will settle down sufficiently enough to allow the missionaries to return and for work to begin on the temple before too much longer. You can find more details in this Church News article and this release from Mormon Newsroom.
President M. Russell Ballard, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, in company with Elder Gary E. Stevenson and other leaders, recently visited Saints residing in Australia and New Zealand, at which time, he encouraged Church members to "keep it simple" when sharing the gospel. You can read more about their ministry among these members from the Church News and Mormon Newsroom.
In the meantime, from the Blog section of Mormon Newsroom, the Church shared this report highlighting Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf's recent visit to Germany, during which time he presented the president of Germany with his family history. And, in continuation of the cooperative effort between the Church and the NAACP, this article highlights a luncheon that featured addresses from individuals on both sides of that effort.
The Church News also shared this account of a recent address given by Elder Anthony D. Perkins of the Seventy during a BYU-Idaho Devotional, this article highlighting a message given during the BYU Women's Conference by Sister Kathy Andersen, wife of Elder Neil L. Andersen, which emphasized following the watchman on the tower, and this article from the new Young Women General Presidency, which notes that, while programs and methods may change, the doctrines of the Church will not.
And finally, in a continuation of the Church's ongoing efforts to increase transparency, this article was released on the subject of how Church finances are managed and distributed. That article was apparently a companion piece to this post by Presiding Bishop Gerald Causse, who wrote some thoughts on why and how the Church preaches and practices financial self-reliance. To provide more context for both of those resources, the Church included these questions (and their answers).
Here's the interesting thing about those materials being published now. I have been involved in my fair share of conversations with people not of our faith who suggest that, instead of spending money on temples or anything else, the money coming into the Church should be used to help the poor. I don't know how it is that people don't seem to understand that the Church is doing both. I have seen (and been positively influenced by) the process by which the Church holds itself accountable for the expenditures of Church resources. And so on that level, these materials are a timely release indeed.
We live in a most remarkable time. Not only is the Lord hastening His work in miraculous ways, but we have also entered an era where more information about the day-to-day ministry of the leaders of His church is being published, and where the Church and its' leaders are truly interested in being more transparent and promoting greater understanding of and cooperation with those not of our faith.
I continue to monitor all such developments and will do my level best to keep passing those along to you as i become aware 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.
On this blog, I, James Stokes, share insights and analysis covering the latest news and developments reported about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. My specific emphasis and focus is on the ministry of our current apostles, General Conference, and up-to-date temple information. This site is neither officially owned, operated, or endorsed by the Church, and I, as the autthor thereof, am solely responsible for this content.
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Wednesday, May 23, 2018
Miscellaneous Church News Reported
Labels:
Apostolic Ministry & Travels,
Church Leader Passes Away,
Church Policies and Major Announcements,
Church President,
General Church News,
Missionary Work
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, May 21, 2018
Requesting Feedback for Refinement of October 2018 General Conference Speaking Order Predictions
Hello again, everyone! In an effort to refine my predictions for the potential speaking order of the October 2018 General Conference, I am posting a revised version of those predictions. These revisions have come as a result of study on my part. And I wanted to take this opportunity to solicit your feedback on the revisions. A few questions I considered in the process of those revisions were as follows:
1. It has typically been traditional for the counselors in the First Presidency to alternate being the last speaker during the Saturday Morning Session and the first speaker during the Sunday Morning Session. While there have been exceptions (such as last April), that has generally been the case. Will that prove correct this go-round?
2. In my opinion, President Oaks did an amazing job with the long list of releases and sustainings of area seventies last month. With that in mind, would it be fair to assume that President Eyring will continue to lead the sustaining vote in October, when comparatively less changes occur?
2. Will the Women's Session continue to be conducted by one of the three presidents of the female-led auxiliaries, or would that task be performed by a First Presidency member?
3. Would the entire First Presidency speak during the Women's Session every October, as they did for the Priesthood Session every conference before this upcoming one?
4. Would the First Presidency invite a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and/or other male general authorities to speak during the Women's Session?
5. If we do not hear from a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles during the Women's Session, when would the Church fit in the last member of the Quorum of the Twelve?
5. How might the Women's Session being held in the spot tradtionally reserved for the Priesthood Session alter the number of general officers who speak to us in the other four sessions.
6. Would the Church continue to have just one member of the Presidency of the Seventy speak (as we saw last month) or will we hear from 2 members of that presidency, as has been traditional in recent years?
7. Is there anything I need to keep in mind when considering the number or names of the General Authority Seventies who might speak? I know that the last few Octobers have seen a pretty even blend of new GA Seventies that were called the previous April and veteran General Authorities speaking for the second or third time (if not more than that).
In the revised predictions I have put together, I have attempted to provide the best answers I can to these questions. That said, I recognize we are going to be in somewhat uncharted territory next conference, primarily because the Women's Session will be held in the slot that has typically been reserved for the Priesthood Session.
Those revised predictions 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.
1. It has typically been traditional for the counselors in the First Presidency to alternate being the last speaker during the Saturday Morning Session and the first speaker during the Sunday Morning Session. While there have been exceptions (such as last April), that has generally been the case. Will that prove correct this go-round?
2. In my opinion, President Oaks did an amazing job with the long list of releases and sustainings of area seventies last month. With that in mind, would it be fair to assume that President Eyring will continue to lead the sustaining vote in October, when comparatively less changes occur?
2. Will the Women's Session continue to be conducted by one of the three presidents of the female-led auxiliaries, or would that task be performed by a First Presidency member?
3. Would the entire First Presidency speak during the Women's Session every October, as they did for the Priesthood Session every conference before this upcoming one?
4. Would the First Presidency invite a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and/or other male general authorities to speak during the Women's Session?
5. If we do not hear from a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles during the Women's Session, when would the Church fit in the last member of the Quorum of the Twelve?
5. How might the Women's Session being held in the spot tradtionally reserved for the Priesthood Session alter the number of general officers who speak to us in the other four sessions.
6. Would the Church continue to have just one member of the Presidency of the Seventy speak (as we saw last month) or will we hear from 2 members of that presidency, as has been traditional in recent years?
7. Is there anything I need to keep in mind when considering the number or names of the General Authority Seventies who might speak? I know that the last few Octobers have seen a pretty even blend of new GA Seventies that were called the previous April and veteran General Authorities speaking for the second or third time (if not more than that).
In the revised predictions I have put together, I have attempted to provide the best answers I can to these questions. That said, I recognize we are going to be in somewhat uncharted territory next conference, primarily because the Women's Session will be held in the slot that has typically been reserved for the Priesthood Session.
Those revised predictions 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.
October 2018 General Conference Predictions[i]
Session
|
Conducting
|
Speakers
|
Saturday Morning
|
President Russell M. Nelson
|
President Russell M. Nelson
|
|
|
Elder Terence M. Vinson
|
|
|
Elder Quentin L. Cook
|
|
|
Elder Jack N. Gerard
|
|
|
Elder Gerrit W. Gong
|
|
|
Elder Walter F. Gonzalez
|
|
|
Elder Ronald A. Rasband
|
|
|
President Dallin H. Oaks
|
Saturday Afternoon
|
President Dallin H. Oaks
|
President Henry B. Eyring (Sustaining of Church
Officers)
|
|
|
Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf
|
|
|
Bishop Dean M. Davies
|
|
|
Elder Gary E. Stevenson
|
|
|
Elder D. Todd Christofferson
|
|
|
Elder Craig A. Cardon
|
|
|
Elder Juan Pablo Villar
|
|
|
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
|
Women’s Session
|
Joy D. Jones
|
Cristina B. Franco
|
|
|
Michelle D. Craig
|
|
|
Jean B. Bingham
|
|
|
President Henry B. Eyring
|
|
|
President Dallin H. Oaks
|
|
|
President Russell M. Nelson
|
Sunday Morning
|
President Russell M. Nelson
|
President Henry B. Eyring
|
|
|
Bonnie H. Cordon
|
|
|
Elder Ulisses Soares
|
|
|
Elder Robert C. Gay
|
|
|
Elder Takashi Wada
|
|
|
Elder Neil L. Andersen
|
|
|
President Russell M. Nelson
|
Sunday Afternoon
|
President Henry B. Eyring
|
President M. Russell Ballard
|
|
|
Brian K. Ashton
|
|
|
Elder Mathias Held
|
|
|
Elder Dale G. Renlund
|
|
|
Elder Scott D. Whiting
|
|
|
Elder Paul B. Pieper
|
|
|
Elder David A. Bednar
|
|
|
President Russell M. Nelson
|
[i]Although General
Conferences in the past 20 years or so have typically conformed to general
patterns in terms of the traditional speaking order, there have been a handful
of exceptions. The most recent of those, of course, occurred with the April
2018 General Conference, when a Solemn Assembly was held, two new apostles were
called, and the announced changes in policy and practice resulted in a
completely different speaking order format. And in view of the October 27, 2017
announcement that the Priesthood and Women’s sessions would both be held
annually, with the former being held every April, and the latter every October,
it is almost certain that this will necessitate additional alterations to the
typical format. While it may be a year or two until we know what the “new
traditional format” will look like, the predictions for the speaking order of
this General Conference are molded by assumptions, which may or may not prove
accurate. With that in mind, the thoughts below represent my best efforts to
figure out how all of that might work. And until I have a better idea of what
that will look like, I will, as previously noted, be allowing myself a very
small margin of error.
Labels:
First Presidency,
General Conference
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, May 20, 2018
Jordan River Utah Temple Is Rededicated
Hello again, everyone! Mormon Newsroom shared this report on the dedication of the Jordan River Utah Temple. President Henry B. Eyring presided at the first two sessions, and will also likely oversee the third and final one, which will begin in about 20 minutes.
Also in attendance were Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (who chairs the Temple and Family History Executive Council); General Authority Seventies Elder Timothy J. Dyches (an Assistant Executive Director of the Temple Department) and Mervyn B. Arnold (who is serving in undisclosed assignments at Church headquarters); Sister Joy D. Jones, Primary General President, who serves on the Temple and Family History Executive Council; and Bishop Dean M. Davies, First Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric.
With this temple now having been rededicated, normal operations will resume on Tuesday May 22. I continue to monitor all temple developments and will pass those along to you all 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.
Additional note (included at around 5:45 PM): The LDS Church News website provided additional context for today's rededication. Not only did President Eyring draw inspiration for the rededicatory prayer he wrote from the original prayer written by President Spencer W. Kimball and read by President Marion G. Romney, but I had somehow forgotten that President Kimball's wife was President Eyring's aunt, and that President Marion G. Romney was his father's first cousin.
So President Eyring's assignment to preside at this rededication was likely more a result of the double-layered familial connection to those involved in the first dedication than it was about President Nelson recognizing that President Eyring has had more experience in presiding at temple dedications. This assignment was personal for President Eyring, and it was a nice touch to see that recognized. Just wanted to add that. Thanks again to you all.
Also in attendance were Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (who chairs the Temple and Family History Executive Council); General Authority Seventies Elder Timothy J. Dyches (an Assistant Executive Director of the Temple Department) and Mervyn B. Arnold (who is serving in undisclosed assignments at Church headquarters); Sister Joy D. Jones, Primary General President, who serves on the Temple and Family History Executive Council; and Bishop Dean M. Davies, First Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric.
With this temple now having been rededicated, normal operations will resume on Tuesday May 22. I continue to monitor all temple developments and will pass those along to you all 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.
Additional note (included at around 5:45 PM): The LDS Church News website provided additional context for today's rededication. Not only did President Eyring draw inspiration for the rededicatory prayer he wrote from the original prayer written by President Spencer W. Kimball and read by President Marion G. Romney, but I had somehow forgotten that President Kimball's wife was President Eyring's aunt, and that President Marion G. Romney was his father's first cousin.
So President Eyring's assignment to preside at this rededication was likely more a result of the double-layered familial connection to those involved in the first dedication than it was about President Nelson recognizing that President Eyring has had more experience in presiding at temple dedications. This assignment was personal for President Eyring, and it was a nice touch to see that recognized. Just wanted to add that. Thanks again to you all.
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.
Latest Apostolic Statistics: Part Two--Updated Ages & Other Important Information
Hello again, everyone! Having set the stage in the first part of this apostolic age update, we now move on to talk specifics regarding the ages of our apostles, the average ages of the First Presidency, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and the 15 apostles as a group, current and future nonagenarians, and any other pertinent information. So let’s get right into all of that.
We start with the First Presidency. President Nelson is now 93 years, 8 months, and 11 days old, with a decimal age of 93.69 years. President Oaks is 85 years, 9 months, and 8 days old, with a decimal age of 85.77 years. President Eyring, who, as noted in the previous post, will observe his birthday in just 11 days, is now 84 years, 11 months, and 20 days old, putting his decimal age at 84.97 years.
The three have a combined 264.43 years of life experience, which puts their average age at 88.14 years as of today. As previously noted, President Oaks is the closest of the three to that average, as his age is 2.37 years below it. The ages of President Nelson and President Eyring respectively fall above and below that average.
We move on now to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Before I go into specifics on these 12 men, I wanted to note that, although I have previously listed this information in groups of four apostles, I decided that, starting with today’s update, and since the First Presidency has three members, it would make more sense to list this data in groups of three apostles each.
That said, President Ballard is 89 years, 6 months, and 12 days old as of today, with a decimal age of 89.61 years. Elder Holland is now 77 years, 5 months, and 17 days old, or 77.46 decimal years. Elder Uchtdorf’s long-form age is 77 years, 6 months, and 14 days, which is 77.53 decimal years.
With Elder Bednar’s birthday being just under a month away, his long-form age is 65 years, 11 months, and 5 days old, or 65.93 years. The oldest but least-senior of our three apostles born in 1940 is Elder Cook, who has a long-form age of 77 years, 8 months, and 12 days, which is 77.70 years. For Elder Christofferson, he is 73 years, 2 months, and 15 days old, making his decimal age 73.20 years.
His seatmate, Elder Andersen, is now 66 years, 9 months, and 11 days old, making his decimal age 66.78 years. Elder Rasband, who, as previously noted, is just over six months older than Elder Andersen, has a long-form age of 67 years, 3 months, and 14 days, which is 67.28 decimal years. Elder Gary E. Stevenson, who, as noted previously, is now the second-youngest apostle, is currently 62 years, 9 months, and 14 days old, with a decimal age of 62.79.
Rounding out things with the final three Quorum members, Elder Renlund’s long-form age now stands at 65 years, 6 months, and 7 days old, which makes his decimal age 65.52 years. Elder Gong, who is just around 13 months younger than Elder Renlund, now has a long-form age of 64 years, 4 months, and 27 days, which is 64.41 years. Elder Soares, who is our only apostle currently under the age of 60, is exactly 59 years, 7 months, and 18 days old, which is 59.63 decimal years.
The current members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles have a combined 847.96 years, which averages out to 70.66 years. As I mentioned in my last update, 5 of those 12 are older than the average, while the other 7 are all younger than the average. And, as I mentioned before, Elders Christofferson is the youngest of those 5 oldest, and Elder Rasband is the oldest of the 7 youngest.
In adding the combined life experience of all 15 apostles, we get a total of 1,112.39 years, which an average age of 74.16 years. I may have been in error last time when I posted information about the apostles closest to that average. It appears that 7 of the apostles are older than that average, and 8 are younger, with Elder Holland being the youngest of the oldest, and Elder Christofferson being the oldest of the youngest.
We now move on to the nonagenarians. President Nelson remains the 7th oldest apostle, and he will move up on the list 13.5 months or so from now. President Ballard will join that list in around 4.5 months. Since the birthdays of Elder Soares and President Ballard occur less than a week apart in October, that means that Elder Soares is 30 years younger than President Ballard, his 90th birthday is around 30 years and 4.5 months away.
I continue to track all of this information, and will do my level best to pass updates on to you regularly. As I mentioned in my previous post, my hope is to post on this subject once every month or two. 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.
We start with the First Presidency. President Nelson is now 93 years, 8 months, and 11 days old, with a decimal age of 93.69 years. President Oaks is 85 years, 9 months, and 8 days old, with a decimal age of 85.77 years. President Eyring, who, as noted in the previous post, will observe his birthday in just 11 days, is now 84 years, 11 months, and 20 days old, putting his decimal age at 84.97 years.
The three have a combined 264.43 years of life experience, which puts their average age at 88.14 years as of today. As previously noted, President Oaks is the closest of the three to that average, as his age is 2.37 years below it. The ages of President Nelson and President Eyring respectively fall above and below that average.
We move on now to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Before I go into specifics on these 12 men, I wanted to note that, although I have previously listed this information in groups of four apostles, I decided that, starting with today’s update, and since the First Presidency has three members, it would make more sense to list this data in groups of three apostles each.
That said, President Ballard is 89 years, 6 months, and 12 days old as of today, with a decimal age of 89.61 years. Elder Holland is now 77 years, 5 months, and 17 days old, or 77.46 decimal years. Elder Uchtdorf’s long-form age is 77 years, 6 months, and 14 days, which is 77.53 decimal years.
With Elder Bednar’s birthday being just under a month away, his long-form age is 65 years, 11 months, and 5 days old, or 65.93 years. The oldest but least-senior of our three apostles born in 1940 is Elder Cook, who has a long-form age of 77 years, 8 months, and 12 days, which is 77.70 years. For Elder Christofferson, he is 73 years, 2 months, and 15 days old, making his decimal age 73.20 years.
His seatmate, Elder Andersen, is now 66 years, 9 months, and 11 days old, making his decimal age 66.78 years. Elder Rasband, who, as previously noted, is just over six months older than Elder Andersen, has a long-form age of 67 years, 3 months, and 14 days, which is 67.28 decimal years. Elder Gary E. Stevenson, who, as noted previously, is now the second-youngest apostle, is currently 62 years, 9 months, and 14 days old, with a decimal age of 62.79.
Rounding out things with the final three Quorum members, Elder Renlund’s long-form age now stands at 65 years, 6 months, and 7 days old, which makes his decimal age 65.52 years. Elder Gong, who is just around 13 months younger than Elder Renlund, now has a long-form age of 64 years, 4 months, and 27 days, which is 64.41 years. Elder Soares, who is our only apostle currently under the age of 60, is exactly 59 years, 7 months, and 18 days old, which is 59.63 decimal years.
The current members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles have a combined 847.96 years, which averages out to 70.66 years. As I mentioned in my last update, 5 of those 12 are older than the average, while the other 7 are all younger than the average. And, as I mentioned before, Elders Christofferson is the youngest of those 5 oldest, and Elder Rasband is the oldest of the 7 youngest.
In adding the combined life experience of all 15 apostles, we get a total of 1,112.39 years, which an average age of 74.16 years. I may have been in error last time when I posted information about the apostles closest to that average. It appears that 7 of the apostles are older than that average, and 8 are younger, with Elder Holland being the youngest of the oldest, and Elder Christofferson being the oldest of the youngest.
We now move on to the nonagenarians. President Nelson remains the 7th oldest apostle, and he will move up on the list 13.5 months or so from now. President Ballard will join that list in around 4.5 months. Since the birthdays of Elder Soares and President Ballard occur less than a week apart in October, that means that Elder Soares is 30 years younger than President Ballard, his 90th birthday is around 30 years and 4.5 months away.
I continue to track all of this information, and will do my level best to pass updates on to you regularly. As I mentioned in my previous post, my hope is to post on this subject once every month or two. 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.
Latest Apostolic Statistics: Part One--Updated Information for the President of the Quorum of the Twelve, Church President, and Apostolic Tenures
Hello again, everyone! While I have no desire to detract
attention from the big news of the day, which is the Jordan River Utah Temple
rededication, it has been 6 weeks since I last posted an update on the latest apostolic
statistics. And although I do not want to distract focus from the coverage of
the Jordan River Utah Temple rededication that was held today, I have felt it
advisable to post these statistics right now. I will continue to post such
updates every month or two.
As always, before we begin discussing that information, I
wanted to note that I know that some of you might not find this information
interesting. For that reason, I will not be at all offended if any of you
choose to bypass this post, as there is a lot of information to unpack. For
those of you who are staying with me for this information, let’s dive right in
to this subject. It is more likely than not that I will split the data I will
be providing into two posts, as I have in the last little while.
I wanted to provide some updated observations regarding
apostolic birthdays. In 1.5 weeks, or 11 days (on May 31), President Eyring
will be observing his 85th birthday. And just over two weeks
(exactly 15 days) after that, Elder Bednar will mark his 66th
birthday. The next apostolic birthday will not occur for almost 7.5 weeks
(exactly 52 days) following that time.
I also wanted to note that I have recently expanded yet
again the amount of data I track, as such information puts the ongoing
statistics into a more complete and proper context. That said, as I also always
say, if any of you see anything that doesn’t look right in this report, I would
appreciate any corrections and clarifications. As I also always note, all data
contained herein is current as of today (May 20, 2018).
This update will also continue in the same order as
previous updates. We will start with some data about the Presidents of the
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, then turn our attention to the Presidents of the
Church. After discussing those things, the first post will end, and the second
(to be published shortly after the first) will then highlight all of the latest
data about all 15 of our apostles.
To start, let’s address President Oaks’ current tenure
length as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, which will include
exploring how soon he will move up on this list. The length of his service has
currently spanned 4 months and 6 days. As noted in previous updates, he will be
marking 2 additional tenure milestones before the end of this year, and will be
marking 5 others in 2019.
In terms of those he will observe in 2018, on Sunday
September 16, he will become the 26th longest-serving Quorum
President, with his tenure being longer than that of President David O. McKay.
Just over a month later, on October 22, with his tenure length exceeding that
of President Gordon B. Hinckley, he will become the 25th
longest-serving Quorum President. Looking ahead to next year, he will mark
other milestones in April, July (in which he will observe two milestones two
days apart), November, and December. I will mention the specifics of those
milestones closer to that time.
Moving on now to President Nelson, since he was ordained
and set apart as Church president on the same day he set apart President Oaks
as Quorum President, his tenure has spanned 4 months and 6 days as well.
Nothing has changed since my last report regarding where he stands among the 16
other Church presidents in terms of his tenure length or age.
He will observe the first tenure length milestone of his presidency
in just under 5 months, on Thursday October 11 (when the length of his service
will be longer than that of President Howard W. Hunter). He will observe both
another tenure-related and his first age-related milestone two days apart in
July of 2019, with subsequent milestones more spread out in the years following
that. I will be detailing those more specifically closer to the time when they
will be reached.
Before closing out this portion of the update, I wanted
to add some information about the longest continuously-serving First
Presidencies, Quorums of the Twelve Apostles, and, for the first time ever,
some additional information about the groups of ordained apostles that have
served together for the longest periods of time.
As I may have mentioned in the last update I did, our
current First Presidency (Russell M. Nelson, Dallin H. Oaks, and Henry B.
Eyring) will not join the list of the longest continuously-serving First
Presidencies until Sunday April 1, 2024. Many have said that President Nelson
could (and likely will) serve for several years, so it will be interesting to
see what happens there.
By comparison, the current members of the Quorum of the
Twelve Apostles will not have to wait as long for the milestone that will put
them on the list of the longest-serving Quorums. Once they reach the 3-year
mark of service together (which will occur on March 31, 2021), they will join
that list, and they will move up on it fairly quickly after that.
And interestingly enough, the currently-serving First
Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will actually observe two
milestones as an apostolic group before the current Quorum of the Twelve
reaches their first milestone. But those milestones are still almost three
years away. I will discuss more specific milestones for each of these groups
closer to the time in which they will reach them.
With that said, I want to conclude this portion of the
update. 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 (which should be the second one on this subject and will be published
here within the next few minutes), 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.
Mesa Arizona Temple Closes for Renovation
Hello again, everyone! I wanted to post now to note that I have confirmed that the Mesa Arizona Temple has officially closed for renovation. As I mentioned earlier, this is the second renovation for this temple, which was the 7th one dedicated during this dispensation that is still operating today.
With the knowledge that this temple has been renovated previously, I have felt safe in assuming and asserting that its' rededication (which is anticipated to occur sometime during 2020) will fall somewhere in between the rededication of the Tokyo Japan Temple (which is a smaller one from the Kimball era) and the Washington D. C. Temple (which is larger and is just barely having its' first renovation done).
The one unknown in that regard is the status of the Asuncion Paraguay Temple. As many of you might recall my mentioning previously, there has still not been any confirmation that the renovation process has formally begun for that temple. While I hope to find out soon that it has, unless a miracle occurs, the rededication of that temple might be pushed back from sometime during 2019 to either the early or even middle part of 2020.
To the best of my ability, I continue to monitor all temple developments, and I will be sure to pass those along to you as I become aware 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.
With the knowledge that this temple has been renovated previously, I have felt safe in assuming and asserting that its' rededication (which is anticipated to occur sometime during 2020) will fall somewhere in between the rededication of the Tokyo Japan Temple (which is a smaller one from the Kimball era) and the Washington D. C. Temple (which is larger and is just barely having its' first renovation done).
The one unknown in that regard is the status of the Asuncion Paraguay Temple. As many of you might recall my mentioning previously, there has still not been any confirmation that the renovation process has formally begun for that temple. While I hope to find out soon that it has, unless a miracle occurs, the rededication of that temple might be pushed back from sometime during 2019 to either the early or even middle part of 2020.
To the best of my ability, I continue to monitor all temple developments, and I will be sure to pass those along to you as I become aware 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.
Labels:
Estimated Time-frames for Future Temple Events,
Scheduled Temple Event,
Temple Construction Update,
Temples Undergoing Renovation
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.
Saturday, May 19, 2018
Cultural Celebration Held for Jordan River Utah Temple
Hello again, everyone! Tonight, the Church held the cultural celebration for the Jordan River Utah Temple. President Henry B. Eyring, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, presided at the event. It makes sense that President Nelson asked President Eyring to be there, since he has had experience presiding over such events.
What I am not sure of is whether that means that President Eyring will also dedicate the temple tomorrow. I noted earlier my feeling that President Nelson would likely preside at this event since it is the first major temple event of his administration. But if President Nelson felt inclined to defer to President Eyring in view of his having had more time in the First Presidency, that would not surprise me either. You can find the Church News summary of that cultural celebration here.
I wanted to offer some additional thoughts not directly related to this rededication. We have seen President Nelson delegating things very early in his presidency. President Ballard presided at the private rededication of the Houston Texas Temple last month at the request of President Nelson, and, of the five general conference sessions held last month, he only conducted the Sunday Morning Session of General Conference.
It will be interesting to see what happens tomorrow in terms of whether President Eyring or someone else might preside over the rededication of this temple, and what might occur with the dedications of the Concepcion Chile and Barranquilla Colombia Temples later this year. I continue to monitor all such developments and will do my best to post those here as I become aware of any news in that regard.
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.
What I am not sure of is whether that means that President Eyring will also dedicate the temple tomorrow. I noted earlier my feeling that President Nelson would likely preside at this event since it is the first major temple event of his administration. But if President Nelson felt inclined to defer to President Eyring in view of his having had more time in the First Presidency, that would not surprise me either. You can find the Church News summary of that cultural celebration here.
I wanted to offer some additional thoughts not directly related to this rededication. We have seen President Nelson delegating things very early in his presidency. President Ballard presided at the private rededication of the Houston Texas Temple last month at the request of President Nelson, and, of the five general conference sessions held last month, he only conducted the Sunday Morning Session of General Conference.
It will be interesting to see what happens tomorrow in terms of whether President Eyring or someone else might preside over the rededication of this temple, and what might occur with the dedications of the Concepcion Chile and Barranquilla Colombia Temples later this year. I continue to monitor all such developments and will do my best to post those here as I become aware of any news in that regard.
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.
Friday, May 18, 2018
Church Announces Additional New Temple Presidents
Hello again, everyone! The Church News continues to report the calls of new temple presidents. With several more of those calls having been announced today, I have updated the list I am keeping to track that information. It is worth noting that two of the temples added to the list today (Freiberg Germany and Oakland California) were not on my original list of temples that were likely to get a new president this year.
That was the case because the Freiberg temple was just rededicated last year, and because the Oakland temple is currently closed for renovation. But it makes sense on another level that the Church would issue those calls now, since the outgoing presidents of those temples have served at least three years total.
The updates follow below. 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.
That was the case because the Freiberg temple was just rededicated last year, and because the Oakland temple is currently closed for renovation. But it makes sense on another level that the Church would issue those calls now, since the outgoing presidents of those temples have served at least three years total.
The updates follow below. 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
31. Guatemala
City Guatemala
32. Hermosillo
Sonora Mexico
33. Montevideo
Uruguay
34. Indianapolis
Indiana
35. Laie
Hawaii Temple (the new president of this temple is the older brother of General
Authority Seventy Elder Donald L. Hallstrom)
36. Las
Vegas Nevada
37. Atlanta
Georgia
38. Buenos
Aires Argentina
39. Redlands
California
40. Draper
Utah
41. Tijuana
Mexico
42. Sacramento
California
43. Monticello
Utah
44. Bountiful
Utah
45. Freiberg
Germany
46. Oakland
California
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.
Cordoba Argentina
2.
Fukuoka Japan
3.
Manti Utah
4.
St. Louis Missouri
5.
Taipei Taiwan
6.
Tegucigalpa Honduras
7.
Trujillo Peru
8.
Vancouver British Columbia
9.
Veracruz Mexico
10. Villahermosa
Mexico
11. 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)
Labels:
General Church News
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: Brook P. Hales Called as General Authority Seventy; Will Continue As First Presidency Secretary
Hello again, everyone! The Church News reported earlier today that Brook P. Hales, Secretary to the First Presidency, will continue in that capacity, but has been called as a General Authority Seventy, and will have additional responsibilities as well. His new assignment was effective yesterday, and I have no doubt his call will be confirmed by sustaining vote during the October General Conference.
It is also worth noting that, after I had repeatedly gone over my list of General Authority Seventies and always came back with the conclusion that we have 90 men currently serving in that capacity, I reached out to the Church. Unless they have responded since I last checked my e-mail, I assume they are still working to answer my question. But unless I am mistaken, with word of Elder Hales' call today, that does indeed bring the number of General Authority Seventies to 91, which would also bring the number of General Authorities to 116, just as President Oaks indicated.
I am not dismissing the possibility that the First Presidency could have been considering calling Elder Hales and that that would explain why President Oaks referenced 116 rather than the 115 that were serving at that time. I will keep you posted on all of this 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.
It is also worth noting that, after I had repeatedly gone over my list of General Authority Seventies and always came back with the conclusion that we have 90 men currently serving in that capacity, I reached out to the Church. Unless they have responded since I last checked my e-mail, I assume they are still working to answer my question. But unless I am mistaken, with word of Elder Hales' call today, that does indeed bring the number of General Authority Seventies to 91, which would also bring the number of General Authorities to 116, just as President Oaks indicated.
I am not dismissing the possibility that the First Presidency could have been considering calling Elder Hales and that that would explain why President Oaks referenced 116 rather than the 115 that were serving at that time. I will keep you posted on all of this 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.
Labels:
Breaking News,
Church Policies and Major Announcements,
First Presidency,
General Church News,
General Conference,
Sustaining the Brethren
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.
Thursday, May 17, 2018
Several Significant Church News Stories Reported
Hello again, everyone! Between the Church News website and the News & Mormon Newsroom pages on LDS.org, there have been a number of very significant Church News stories reported. All of them are worthy of mention, and I can recommend each one to you all without reservation. There's a lot to unpack here, so let's get right into it all.
First, and most significantly, earlier today, the First Presidency met with leaders of the NAACP (whose annual organization meeting was held here in Utah for the first time), and during the time they were together, a press conference was held (which was conducted by Elder Ronald A. Rasband) in which President Nelson and the top man for the NAACP offered brief statements commending the efforts of each other and providing hope that the Church will continue to work with the NAACP. The Church News shared this report on the meeting and the statements, while Mormon Newsroom provided this summary. It was good to hear of this development.
Next, in view of the recently-announced new initiative for children between 8 and 11 years-old and for all youth of the Church, several questions have come in about what should be done between now and January 2020 when the new initiative takes effect. In this article. members of the Primary, Young Men, & Young Women General Presidencies shared insights about how to continue with the current programs while preparing to utilize the new initiative.
From the News section on lds.org, we have this remarkable story of a temple ordinance worker who has reached the age of 100. As someone who worked in the temple for six years, I can tell you that I have always been impressed with the good men and women who give of their time to serve in the temple, and this is especially true of those who are older but still desire with all their hearts to help in the work that takes place in temples. That was a wonderfully inspiring story.
Moving on now, I wanted to note that both the Church News and the News page on the Church's official website have continued to carry brief biographical introductions to new mission and temple presidents. Particularly of interest to me was that, in some of those biographies, an incoming new mission president and his wife were noted as replacing two mission presidents and their wives. That is not unexpected, given the consolidation of 19 missions, but it has been interesting. You can find the latest reports on those new leaders here and here.
And, of course, as I'm sure you are all aware, the Jordan River Utah Youth Cultural Celebration will be held two days from now, with the rededication of that temple taking place the following day, which will be carried by satellite to the Saints living in the Jordan River, Draper, and Oquirrh Mountain Temple districts. While I have not yet heard this officially confirmed, I remain convinced that President Nelson will preside over at least two of the three dedicatory sessions, and I am confident that many other Church leaders will participate in this event as well.
I continue to monitor all Church and temple news and will bring word of those developments to you all as I can after 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.
First, and most significantly, earlier today, the First Presidency met with leaders of the NAACP (whose annual organization meeting was held here in Utah for the first time), and during the time they were together, a press conference was held (which was conducted by Elder Ronald A. Rasband) in which President Nelson and the top man for the NAACP offered brief statements commending the efforts of each other and providing hope that the Church will continue to work with the NAACP. The Church News shared this report on the meeting and the statements, while Mormon Newsroom provided this summary. It was good to hear of this development.
Next, in view of the recently-announced new initiative for children between 8 and 11 years-old and for all youth of the Church, several questions have come in about what should be done between now and January 2020 when the new initiative takes effect. In this article. members of the Primary, Young Men, & Young Women General Presidencies shared insights about how to continue with the current programs while preparing to utilize the new initiative.
From the News section on lds.org, we have this remarkable story of a temple ordinance worker who has reached the age of 100. As someone who worked in the temple for six years, I can tell you that I have always been impressed with the good men and women who give of their time to serve in the temple, and this is especially true of those who are older but still desire with all their hearts to help in the work that takes place in temples. That was a wonderfully inspiring story.
Moving on now, I wanted to note that both the Church News and the News page on the Church's official website have continued to carry brief biographical introductions to new mission and temple presidents. Particularly of interest to me was that, in some of those biographies, an incoming new mission president and his wife were noted as replacing two mission presidents and their wives. That is not unexpected, given the consolidation of 19 missions, but it has been interesting. You can find the latest reports on those new leaders here and here.
And, of course, as I'm sure you are all aware, the Jordan River Utah Youth Cultural Celebration will be held two days from now, with the rededication of that temple taking place the following day, which will be carried by satellite to the Saints living in the Jordan River, Draper, and Oquirrh Mountain Temple districts. While I have not yet heard this officially confirmed, I remain convinced that President Nelson will preside over at least two of the three dedicatory sessions, and I am confident that many other Church leaders will participate in this event as well.
I continue to monitor all Church and temple news and will bring word of those developments to you all as I can after 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.
Labels:
Church Policies and Major Announcements,
Church President,
First Presidency,
General Church News,
Scheduled Temple Event
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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