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Thursday, October 25, 2018

Template Changes for This Blog

Hello again, everyone! I wanted to post here and now with a bit of personal business related to this blog. A few moments ago, I found out that, due to an update of the template I had been using here, the background for this blog was showing up as black, with no other color or design. I have therefore changed the background yet again as a result. I invite any of you who would like to do so to share your thoughts on the new template I am using, and particularly whether it works well for any of you on any of the devices you are using to access this blog.

I apologize for any inconvenience these changes may cause, but it was sadly unavoidably necessary. I do continue to monitor any and all Church news and temple developments and will do my level best to pass word of those along to you all as I receive it. In point of fact, I was working on a post about recent new temple information which has come to my attention. Look for that within the next hour or less.

That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time. Thank you for the privilege of your time. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly-added 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.

Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Lengths of Talks Given by Apostles During the October 2018 General Conference

Hello again, everyone! Given the high volume of things I have passed along here this month, particularly leading up to and following General Conference, with the ministry of our apostles, and the temple developments and Church news, I inadvertently neglected to pass along the compilation of data I had collected on the lengths of the General Conference addresses given by our apostles earlier this month.

That data follows below, and I hope it will interest at least some of you. So as not to disturb the flow of that information, I will end here and now as I always do. That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time.

Thank you for the privilege of your time. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly-added 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.

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf—19:38
President Russell M. Nelson (GW)—16:18
Elder Quentin L. Cook—16:13
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland—16:12
President Henry B. Eyring (SUA)—15:59
President Dallin H. Oaks (SAM)—15:48
Elder David A. Bednar—15:45
Elder Ronald A. Rasband—15:41
Elder Neil L. Andersen—15:37
President Russell M. Nelson (SUM)—15:43
President M. Russell Ballard—15:19
Elder Gary E. Stevenson—15:10
Elder D. Todd Christofferson—15:09
Elder Gerrit W. Gong—14:46
Elder Ulisses Soares—14:35
President Henry B. Eyring (GW)—14:02
Elder Dale G. Renlund—13:48
President Dallin H. Oaks (GW)—13:14
President Russell M. Nelson (SUA)—8:02
President Russell M. Nelson (SAM)—6:37
President Henry B. Eyring (SAA; Sustaining of Church Officers)—5:39


Observations On the Newly-Available PDF Version of the November 2018 Ensign

Hello again, everyone! The PDF version of the November 2018 Ensign is now available online for download. In conjunction with this development, I have new information about changes which have been made to the editor and advisers of the Church magazines. Here is a look at what has changed in that regard:

November 2018:
Editor: Randy D. Funk
Advisers: Brian K. Ashton, Randall K. Bennett, Becky Craven, Sharon Eubank, Cristina B. Franco, Donald L. Hallstrom, Larry S. Kacher, Erich W. Kopischke, Lynn G. Robbins

Released as editor: Hugo E. Martinez (in view of new area presidency assignment)
Called as editor: Randy D. Funk
Released as adviser: Randy D. Funk
Called as adviser: Larry S. Kacher

Additionally, as per my usual semiannual tradition, I am pleased to provide a look at how the potential table of contents for that Ensign compares to the actual thing. That follows below. So as not to disturb the flow of that information, I will end here and now as I always do. That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time. 

Thank you for the privilege of your time. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly-added 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.

Possible Table of Contents for the November 2018 Ensign (Text in parentheses indicate what actually occurred)
Session
Page
Title
Speaker

2
Conference Summary for the 188th Annual General Conference


4
Highlights from the 188th Annual General Conference

SAM
8 (6)
Opening Remarks
President Russell M. Nelson

11 (8)
Deep and Lasting Conversion to Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ
Elder Quentin L. Cook

14 (12)
Lift Up Your Head and Rejoice
M. Joseph Brough

16 (15)
Laying the Foundation of a Great Work
Elder Steven R. Bangerter

18
Be Not Troubled
Elder Ronald A. Rasband

22 (21)
Gather Together in One All Things in Christ
Elder David A. Bednar

26 (25)
Truth and the Plan
President Dallin H. Oaks
SAA
30 (28)
The Sustaining of Church Officers
President Henry B. Eyring

32 (30)
Firm and Steadfast in the Faith of Christ
Elder D. Todd Christofferson

36 (34)
Come, Listen to a Prophet’s Voice
Bishop Dean M. Davies

39 (37)
One in Christ
Elder Ulisses Soares

42 (40)
Our Campfire of Faith
Elder Gerrit W. Gong

45 (43)
All Must Take upon Them the Name Given of the Father
Elder Paul B. Pieper

48 (46)
Believe, Love, Do
Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf
GW
52 (50)
For Him
Joy D. Jones

54 (52)
Divine Discontent
Michelle D. Craig

56 (55)
The Joy of Unselfish Service
Cristina B. Franco

58
Women and Gospel Learning in the Home
President Henry B. Eyring

62 (61)
Parents and Children
President Dallin H. Oaks

66 (68)
Sisters’ Participation in the Gathering of Israel
President Russell M. Nelson
SUM
70 (71)
The Vision of the Redemption of the Dead
President M. Russell Ballard

78 (74)
Becoming a Shepherd
Bonnie H. Cordon

82 (77)
The Ministry of Reconciliation
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

86 (80)
The Role of the Book of Mormon in Conversion
Elder Shayne M. Bowen

88 (83)
Wounded
Elder Neil L. Andersen

92 (87)
The Correct Name of the Church
President Russell M. Nelson
SUA
96 (90)
Try, Try Try
President Henry B. Eyring

100 (93)
The Father
Brian K. Ashton

103 (97)
Taking upon Ourselves the Name of Christ
Elder Robert C. Gay

106 (101)
Wilt Thou Be Made Whole?
Elder Matthew L. Carpenter

108 (104)
Choose You This Day
Elder Dale G. Renlund

112 (107)
Now is the Time
Elder Jack N. Gerard

114 (110)
Shepherding Souls
Elder Gary E. Stevenson

118 (113)
Becoming Exemplary Latter-day Saints
President Russell M. Nelson





72 (64)
General Authorities and General Officers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints






120 (115)
Conference Story Index


122 (116)
News of the Church


132 (128)
Last Page of Conference Ensign




Tuesday, October 23, 2018

Full Report Provided on President Nelson's Visit to Paraguay

Hello again, everyone! The Newsroom on the Church's website recently shared a full report on President Nelson's visit to Paraguay. One interesting thing that stuck out to me about this report is that, as President Nelson continued to offer remarks in Spanish, Elder Stevenson commented on how weird it was for him to have to wear headphones to hear the English translation of the prophet's remarks.

But Elder Stevenson also mentioned how amazing it was to see the Saints in these congregations responding to President Nelson speaking in their native tongue. President Nelson is truly a prophet to the people. It is not surprising in any way to me that his message has been the same everywhere he has visited this year. He is continually encouraging people to prioritize their families, frequent study of the Book of Mormon, and striving for temple worthiness.

That said, I had thought (when Asuncion was announced as a stop on his tour) that he would potentially meet with governmental leaders to see what could be done to get the renovation process started for the temple in that city. But given that the process started several days prior to his departure on this tour, it appears that such a visit was not necessary.

I will continue to provide coverage of this first leg of President Nelson's South American Tour as that becomes available. I likewise continue to monitor any other Church news and temple developments and will do my level best to pass word of those along to you all as I receive it.

That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post of any time. Thank you for the privilege of your time. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly-added 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.

Monday, October 22, 2018

Additional Church News Reported

Hello again, everyone! There have been a few more reports on President Nelson's first South American leg of his Global Ministry Tour, the ministry of President Oaks and his traveling companions to those impacted by a recent hurricane in the southeastern United States, and other developments. So let's get right into all of those reports.

First of all, extensive coverage of President Nelson's visit to Bolivia has been provided by the Church News and the official Newsroom on the Church's website. An ongoing summary of this tour can be found here, including additional coverage as that is made available. My biggest take-away from this article was the fact that President Nelson had been scheduled to visit Bolivia earlier this year, but the passing of President Monson changed those plans. And the Lord recently instructed him to follow through on those earlier plans as he prepares for the Concepcion Chile Temple Dedication, which will occur this weekend. I will continue to provide reports of that tour as I receive them.

In the meantime, as previously mentioned, President Oaks was joined recently by several other Church leaders in a tour of the areas recently struck by Hurricane Michael in the southeastern United States. The Church News and the official Newsroom also covered those developments. And while Bishop W. Christopher Waddell, Second Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, joined President Oaks and others in the southeastern United States, Bishop Dean M. Davies, who serves as First Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, dedicated a new Deseret Industries in Gilbert Arizona.

It is wonderful indeed to see the leaders of the Church place such a high priority on being out among the people, whether within the United States or outside of it. As always, I continue to monitor any and all Church news and temple developments and will do my level best to keep bringing word of those to you all as I receive it.

That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time. Thank you for the privilege of your time. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly-added 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.