Hello again, everyone! Two important developments related to July 24 (when Latter-day Saints in Utah commemorate Pioneer Day) have recently been reported. Let's dive right in and discuss those.
First, as some of you may have already seen mentioned in a comment I made on the previous post, the First Presidency has once again invited President M. Russell Ballard, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who traces his ancestry back through to not only the pioneers of the early Church, but also to Hyrum Smith, brother of Joseph the Prophet, to serve as the grand marshal for KSL's Annual "Days of '47" Parade, which is always held on July 24 (or the day before or after that when the 24th falls on a Sunday). I will hopefully be able to post more about that parade after it occurs on Tuesday.
In the meantime, both earlier tonight and again tomorrow, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir is hosting its' Annual Pioneer Day Concert. While tonight's concert was only able to be viewed in person, four ways have been provided whereby those of us who could not make it to the live show can view the concert tomorrow night. You can find more details on that in this article.
I continue to monitor all Church news and temple developments and will do my level best to keep bringing those 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. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of new content, please feel free to subscribe. 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.
Friday, July 20, 2018
Two Pioneer Day Developments Reported
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.
Several Inspirational Church News Stories Published
Hello again, everyone! After taking some personal time to recuperate from ongoing illness, I am back this evening to pass along some Church news stories that I found to be very inspirational. Let's dive right in to our discussion of those reports.
First of all, some of you may vaguely recall the story of Orin Voorheis. While serving as a missionary in Buenos Aires Argentina in April 1997, he and his companion (Armondo Barry) were accosted by a few muggers, who robbed them and shot Elder Voorheis. Once the muggers had left them alone, Elder Barry assessed the situation and realized he needed to act immediately. In response to spiritual promptings, he gave Elder Voorheis a simple blessing, in which he promised his companion that he would live, go on to marry, and be the recipient of all the blessings that had previously been pronounced on him.
The blessing was fulfilled in every respect. Elder Voorheis did live following this ordeal, and more than that, he thrived. In the 21 years since that time, he has gone on to marry. He and his wife take time each April to observe this important anniversary of the time when his life was saved, and he does so by serving others. With the approval of Church leadership, he wears his missionary tag when rendering that service.
As a result of the ordeal, he does need extensive help every day to live life and get his physical therapy done. But to the extent that he is able to do so, he always ensures each day that he takes time to lift and encourage anyone he can. And his wife has been very supportive of his desire to do so. You can read more of his inspiring story here.
If I may, I would like to add a personal note here. As one who has had extensive lifelong health challenges, I can understand (even in the smallest degree possible) what this man has been through. I particularly understand what he said in the article about being unsure he would ever marry, as he was reluctant to put the burden of his day-to-day challenges on anyone else.
But I also understand what it is like to find someone who looks beyond such things, and who daily reminds me that I am more than the health challenges I am dealing with. Because of that, I applaud people like Brother Voorheis' wife and my own sweet spouse, who approach such situations with an eternal perspective, regardless of what that might mean for day-to-day life. Both the people who deal with such issues and the loved ones who so willingly support them will forever and always be heroes in my book.
That said, the other items I would like to share are highlights from the ongoing ministry efforts of our Church leaders. In the Church's News' edition of "This Week on Social", repentance, prayer, and personal revelation were important topics addressed by Church leaders. You can read more about those posts here.
As noted in that article above, a post from Relief Society General President Jean B. Bingham references a series of videos that the Church recently made available, in which her Second Counselor, Sister Reyna I. Aburto, shares some experiences she had going through various trials in her life. I am not sure whether or not I originally reported on that series, so you can find out more about that here.
The Church News also shared 8 quotes from Church leaders which provide context for what the ministering efforts of Church members worldwide should look like. Among the points emphasized in that article were not allowing the new flexibility to cause complacence, and what should determine how each pair of ministering brothers and sisters fulfill their obligations to each family to whom they are assigned to minister.
As a general heads-up, it is worth noting that the Church is currently featuring and early-access article which will be in the print version of the December Ensign, in which Relief Society General President Jean B. Bingham answers the question: "Where did my home and visiting teachers go?" You can preview that article here.
It is also worth noting that the Church is in the process of testing a new beta system for the Gospel Library. The link I shared above shows the article in the beta-testing format, but a switch allows readers to toggle back and forth between the current version and that test.
I wanted to mention a few final articles, if I may. As some of you may be aware, when the Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple closed earlier this year for renovation, it had been less than 18 years since that temple was dedicated. The main News & Events page on lds.org shares this article about how that temple was, is, and will continue to be a refuge from the storm, both literally and spiritually.
And finally, with less than 8 months remaining until the Rome Italy Temple is dedicated, the Church website ran this article on a couple in Rome who, while anxiously awaiting the dedication of a temple in their city, have celebrated 40 years of Church membership, and have 4 generations of Church members among their descendants.
Between the Church News website and the Church's official website, there have been so may wonderful general Church news stories to share. Thanks for sticking with me through what has been a massive update on the latest in that regard. I continue to monitor all such developments (including temple updates) and will pass word of those along to you as I am able to.
That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of new content, please feel free to subscribe. 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 of all, some of you may vaguely recall the story of Orin Voorheis. While serving as a missionary in Buenos Aires Argentina in April 1997, he and his companion (Armondo Barry) were accosted by a few muggers, who robbed them and shot Elder Voorheis. Once the muggers had left them alone, Elder Barry assessed the situation and realized he needed to act immediately. In response to spiritual promptings, he gave Elder Voorheis a simple blessing, in which he promised his companion that he would live, go on to marry, and be the recipient of all the blessings that had previously been pronounced on him.
The blessing was fulfilled in every respect. Elder Voorheis did live following this ordeal, and more than that, he thrived. In the 21 years since that time, he has gone on to marry. He and his wife take time each April to observe this important anniversary of the time when his life was saved, and he does so by serving others. With the approval of Church leadership, he wears his missionary tag when rendering that service.
As a result of the ordeal, he does need extensive help every day to live life and get his physical therapy done. But to the extent that he is able to do so, he always ensures each day that he takes time to lift and encourage anyone he can. And his wife has been very supportive of his desire to do so. You can read more of his inspiring story here.
If I may, I would like to add a personal note here. As one who has had extensive lifelong health challenges, I can understand (even in the smallest degree possible) what this man has been through. I particularly understand what he said in the article about being unsure he would ever marry, as he was reluctant to put the burden of his day-to-day challenges on anyone else.
But I also understand what it is like to find someone who looks beyond such things, and who daily reminds me that I am more than the health challenges I am dealing with. Because of that, I applaud people like Brother Voorheis' wife and my own sweet spouse, who approach such situations with an eternal perspective, regardless of what that might mean for day-to-day life. Both the people who deal with such issues and the loved ones who so willingly support them will forever and always be heroes in my book.
That said, the other items I would like to share are highlights from the ongoing ministry efforts of our Church leaders. In the Church's News' edition of "This Week on Social", repentance, prayer, and personal revelation were important topics addressed by Church leaders. You can read more about those posts here.
As noted in that article above, a post from Relief Society General President Jean B. Bingham references a series of videos that the Church recently made available, in which her Second Counselor, Sister Reyna I. Aburto, shares some experiences she had going through various trials in her life. I am not sure whether or not I originally reported on that series, so you can find out more about that here.
The Church News also shared 8 quotes from Church leaders which provide context for what the ministering efforts of Church members worldwide should look like. Among the points emphasized in that article were not allowing the new flexibility to cause complacence, and what should determine how each pair of ministering brothers and sisters fulfill their obligations to each family to whom they are assigned to minister.
As a general heads-up, it is worth noting that the Church is currently featuring and early-access article which will be in the print version of the December Ensign, in which Relief Society General President Jean B. Bingham answers the question: "Where did my home and visiting teachers go?" You can preview that article here.
It is also worth noting that the Church is in the process of testing a new beta system for the Gospel Library. The link I shared above shows the article in the beta-testing format, but a switch allows readers to toggle back and forth between the current version and that test.
I wanted to mention a few final articles, if I may. As some of you may be aware, when the Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple closed earlier this year for renovation, it had been less than 18 years since that temple was dedicated. The main News & Events page on lds.org shares this article about how that temple was, is, and will continue to be a refuge from the storm, both literally and spiritually.
And finally, with less than 8 months remaining until the Rome Italy Temple is dedicated, the Church website ran this article on a couple in Rome who, while anxiously awaiting the dedication of a temple in their city, have celebrated 40 years of Church membership, and have 4 generations of Church members among their descendants.
Between the Church News website and the Church's official website, there have been so may wonderful general Church news stories to share. Thanks for sticking with me through what has been a massive update on the latest in that regard. I continue to monitor all such developments (including temple updates) and will pass word of those along to you as I am able to.
That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of new content, please feel free to subscribe. 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.
Thursday, July 19, 2018
Additional Church News Reported
Hello again, everyone! While I do not wish to overshadow the temple developments I reported earlier today, I did want to note that some additional Church news stories have been reported. Let's get right into what those are and why they are significant.
Joseph Fielding Smith, as most of you are probably aware, was the 10th President of the Church in this dispensation. Today would have marked the 142nd birthday of that prophet, and the Church News published this article highlighting his accomplishments. Among the interesting mentions are the fact that he was one of the Church presidents that was acquainted with all of his predecessors (except for Joseph Smith and Brigham Young) and all of his prophetic successors down to President Thomas S. Monson. There were a lot of other, very interesting facts in that article. and it is well worthy of your attention.
Next, more news from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, with the organization reporting that their annual Pioneer Day Concert will feature a a Broadway-themed program. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the featured guests for the concerts will be Matthew Morrison and Laura Michelle Kelly, both of whom are Broadway stars who were recently featured in a production of "Finding Neverland". The other guest of the Choir for the concert will be Oscar "Andy" Hammerstein III, grandson of the legendary Oscar Hammerstein II, who teamed up with Richard Rogers to put together some of the greatest musicals of all time. You can find the Church News's most recent report leading up to this year's concert here.
And today marked another significant Church history milestone: the first Church missionaries sent to England in this dispensation arrived in England on this day in 1837. At a time when the gospel message was not widely circulated, and during a period of time when the Saints in Kirtland were struck with a crisis that shook the very foundations of the young Church, the Prophet Joseph Smith responded to an impression from the Lord to send Heber C. Kimball (one of his staunchest defenders) and fellow apostle Orson Hyde to preach the gospel to the people of England.
Accompanying the senior leaders on that first mission to the British Isles were individuals that had converted to the Church through the mission of Parley P. Pratt to Canada. The success that these Brethren found with the people of England saved the Church both by virtue of the faith of the converts they baptized and also by the sheer volume of people whose hearts were touched as a result of their efforts, many of whom crossed the ocean to join with the Saints as they subsequently moved to Missouri, then to Illinois, and across the plains here to Utah.. You can read a more complete account of that landmark mission and its' success here.
I continue to monitor all ongoing Church news and temple developments, and will do my level best to pass word of those along to you as I receive 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. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to do so, please feel free to subscribe to stay informed of new content. 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.
Joseph Fielding Smith, as most of you are probably aware, was the 10th President of the Church in this dispensation. Today would have marked the 142nd birthday of that prophet, and the Church News published this article highlighting his accomplishments. Among the interesting mentions are the fact that he was one of the Church presidents that was acquainted with all of his predecessors (except for Joseph Smith and Brigham Young) and all of his prophetic successors down to President Thomas S. Monson. There were a lot of other, very interesting facts in that article. and it is well worthy of your attention.
Next, more news from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, with the organization reporting that their annual Pioneer Day Concert will feature a a Broadway-themed program. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the featured guests for the concerts will be Matthew Morrison and Laura Michelle Kelly, both of whom are Broadway stars who were recently featured in a production of "Finding Neverland". The other guest of the Choir for the concert will be Oscar "Andy" Hammerstein III, grandson of the legendary Oscar Hammerstein II, who teamed up with Richard Rogers to put together some of the greatest musicals of all time. You can find the Church News's most recent report leading up to this year's concert here.
And today marked another significant Church history milestone: the first Church missionaries sent to England in this dispensation arrived in England on this day in 1837. At a time when the gospel message was not widely circulated, and during a period of time when the Saints in Kirtland were struck with a crisis that shook the very foundations of the young Church, the Prophet Joseph Smith responded to an impression from the Lord to send Heber C. Kimball (one of his staunchest defenders) and fellow apostle Orson Hyde to preach the gospel to the people of England.
Accompanying the senior leaders on that first mission to the British Isles were individuals that had converted to the Church through the mission of Parley P. Pratt to Canada. The success that these Brethren found with the people of England saved the Church both by virtue of the faith of the converts they baptized and also by the sheer volume of people whose hearts were touched as a result of their efforts, many of whom crossed the ocean to join with the Saints as they subsequently moved to Missouri, then to Illinois, and across the plains here to Utah.. You can read a more complete account of that landmark mission and its' success here.
I continue to monitor all ongoing Church news and temple developments, and will do my level best to pass word of those along to you as I receive 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. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to do so, please feel free to subscribe to stay informed of new content. 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.
Temple Updates Noted
Hello again, everyone! There are two surprising temple updates I have found which are certainly significant to me. First, the LDS Church Temples Facebook page reported around three hours ago that plans had been submitted to the local government for a special project in Saratoga Springs. While at the moment the purpose of those plans is undisclosed, some have speculated that the plans may be for the temple in that city.
The last update I found on that temple indicated that designs were underway, so it is possible that those plans are for the temple. However, I want to be very clear on this point: Until the Church or the city confirms that the plans in question are for the temple, it may only be speculation. But I will say this: Temples in Utah generally and in Utah County specifically have been known to get started well in advance of their international counterparts. So this development will be one to watch over the next few weeks, and, depending on what happens, there may be a possibility that this temple could be another that has a groundbreaking before the end of this year. I will have more on that as I learn of it.
In another surprise development, the Church News reported today that the first president had been called for the Durban South Africa Temple. Though I originally had six temples anticipated to be dedicated next year on my personal list of those that might have a president called soon, the Durban temple was not one of them. It was my understanding (as I noted in my post a day or two ago) that that temple was only going to be dedicated sometime during mid-to-late 2019. This development may mean that the dedication of that temple may be more imminent than many (myself included) have been led to believe.
The new president served as a mission president in Ghana, and he was born and raised in Cape Town, where he still resides. His experience as a South African native definitely makes him a good choice well suited to the task. I will be watching this development with great interest to learn more about whether this changes the timing of this temple's anticipated dedication. If it does, I will also need to change my more specific estimate. I also know from previous comments on other posts on this blog that the Church has sometimes announced such calls in advance so the new president has time to assemble his staff, which may mean there is no change anticipated or necessary for its' general or more specific completion estimates. Stay tuned for more on that as I figure it all out.
In the meantime, I again will share my list of temple presidents that have been or may yet be called. That list includes 62 new temple presidents whose calls have already been announced, along with 2 other operating temples (Veracruz Mexico and Washington D. C., with the latter potentially not having a new president announced until it is rededicated sometime during 2020). There is also a more than likely prospect that the first temple presidents will almost certainly be announced for the Fortaleza Brazil and Port-au-Prince Haiti Temples. And today's announcement also opens up the prospect that the First Presidency could additionally announce the first president for the Lisbon Portugal Temple in the near future.
The updated list follows below. I continue to monitor all temple developments and will do my level best to pass word of them along to you 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. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of new content, please feel free to subscribe. 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.
The last update I found on that temple indicated that designs were underway, so it is possible that those plans are for the temple. However, I want to be very clear on this point: Until the Church or the city confirms that the plans in question are for the temple, it may only be speculation. But I will say this: Temples in Utah generally and in Utah County specifically have been known to get started well in advance of their international counterparts. So this development will be one to watch over the next few weeks, and, depending on what happens, there may be a possibility that this temple could be another that has a groundbreaking before the end of this year. I will have more on that as I learn of it.
In another surprise development, the Church News reported today that the first president had been called for the Durban South Africa Temple. Though I originally had six temples anticipated to be dedicated next year on my personal list of those that might have a president called soon, the Durban temple was not one of them. It was my understanding (as I noted in my post a day or two ago) that that temple was only going to be dedicated sometime during mid-to-late 2019. This development may mean that the dedication of that temple may be more imminent than many (myself included) have been led to believe.
The new president served as a mission president in Ghana, and he was born and raised in Cape Town, where he still resides. His experience as a South African native definitely makes him a good choice well suited to the task. I will be watching this development with great interest to learn more about whether this changes the timing of this temple's anticipated dedication. If it does, I will also need to change my more specific estimate. I also know from previous comments on other posts on this blog that the Church has sometimes announced such calls in advance so the new president has time to assemble his staff, which may mean there is no change anticipated or necessary for its' general or more specific completion estimates. Stay tuned for more on that as I figure it all out.
In the meantime, I again will share my list of temple presidents that have been or may yet be called. That list includes 62 new temple presidents whose calls have already been announced, along with 2 other operating temples (Veracruz Mexico and Washington D. C., with the latter potentially not having a new president announced until it is rededicated sometime during 2020). There is also a more than likely prospect that the first temple presidents will almost certainly be announced for the Fortaleza Brazil and Port-au-Prince Haiti Temples. And today's announcement also opens up the prospect that the First Presidency could additionally announce the first president for the Lisbon Portugal Temple in the near future.
The updated list follows below. I continue to monitor all temple developments and will do my level best to pass word of them along to you 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. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of new content, please feel free to subscribe. 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
47. Villahermosa
Mexico
48. Manti
Utah
49. Suva
Fiji
50. Vancouver
British Columbia
51. Tegucigalpa
Honduras
52. Fukuoka
Japan
53. St.
Louis Missouri
54. Trujillo
Peru
55. Asuncion
Paraguay (not anticipated)
56. Cordoba
Argentina
57. Taipei
Taiwan
58. Kinshasa
DR Congo (first president)
59. Concepcion
Chile (first president)
60. Barranquilla
Colombia (first president)
61. Rome
Italy (first president)
62. Durban
South Africa (first president; not anticipated)
The first presidents will likely be announced for the
following new temples:
1.
Fortaleza Brazil
2.
Port-au-Prince Haiti
New presidents may also be announced for the following
temples:
1.
Veracruz Mexico
2.
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)
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.
Wednesday, July 18, 2018
Continuing Church News Coverage
Hello again, everyone! Apparently, since my last post on the subject, two additional articles have been featured on the Church News website. Although the Tabernacle Choir's tour wrapped up about a week ago, articles continued to be published covering their experiences. In the most recent one, the biggest fans of the Choir and the weekly Music & the Spoken Word are featured, along with the connections they have to the Choir. And on the off-chance that I have missed covering any articles published about the Choir, the Church News section devoted to that subject can be found here.
In the meantime, the Church News also continued providing articles leading up to Utah's Pioneer Day (which will be observed in just six days). In this latest one, 5 reasons are given as to why the Church's pioneering heritage should be especially honored by and important to members of the Church worldwide this year.
I continue to monitor Church news as it happens, and will do my best to pass such developments on to you ASAP 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. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of new content, please feel free to subscribe. 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, the Church News also continued providing articles leading up to Utah's Pioneer Day (which will be observed in just six days). In this latest one, 5 reasons are given as to why the Church's pioneering heritage should be especially honored by and important to members of the Church worldwide this year.
I continue to monitor Church news as it happens, and will do my best to pass such developments on to you ASAP 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. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of new content, please feel free to subscribe. 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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