Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf Celebrates His 78th Birthday Today

Hello again, everyone! As it is now past midnight Utah time, Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf is marking his 78th birthday today. So let's get right into this post, which will share some highlights of his life in honor of this milestone. Dieter Friedrich Uchtdorf was born on November 6, 1940 in Ostrava, which at that time was defined as the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, but is now known as the city of Ostrava in the Czech Republic. His parents were Karl Albert and Hildegard Else Opelt Uchtdorf.

With his family twice becoming refugees, he grew up in Germany, where his family joined the Church in 1947, and  went on to study engineering, business administration, and international management, after which he joined the German Air Force in 1959, where he trained to be a fighter pilot. In 1965, he joined Lufthansa German Airlines as a pilot, working as an airline captain from 1970-1996. He held many responsible executive positions with German Airlines. He reported feeling discouraged about having to learn English, but has also described how he was able to do so.

He married Harriet Reich on December 14, 1962 (whom he had met when the missionaries brought her and her family to Church while he was a young man),and they both have different recollections of hwo they actually got together). Their family is comprised of two children and several grandchildren. He served as a stake president before his call as a General Authority.

He was sustained a member of the Second Quorum of the Seventy on April 2, 1994. On April 6, 1996, he was sustained to the First Quorum of the Seventy. He became a member of the Presidency of the Seventy on August 15, 2002 and was sustained a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on October 2, 2004 and ordained an apostle on October 7, 2004 (becoming the 11th apostle born outside the United States).

On February 3, 2008, he was set apart as 2^nd Counselor in the First Presidency to President Thomas S. Monson. Of those 11 apostles born outside the United States, he became the 6th international apostle to serve in the First Presidency. At the time of his call to the First Presidency, he was the 13th in apostolic seniority. During the period of almost a decade in which he served alongside President Monson and First Counselor President Henry B. Eyring, the deaths of six apostles senior to him meant he had become the 7th in apostolic seniority.

And with the death of President Monson occurring just three months after the death of Elder Robert D. Hales, the First Presidency was dissolved. The new Church President, Russell M. Nelson, chose as his counselors his seatmate Elder Dallin H. Oaks and President Eyring. As a result, Elder Uchtdorf returned to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

When he departed that Quorum to serve in the First Presidency, he had been the tenth most senior member of that Quorum, and he returned to it as the third in seniority, with only Acting President M. Russell Ballard and Elder Jeffrey R. Holland ahead of him. And in recognition of his administrative capacities and capabilities, his assignments as a recently-reassigned Quorum member were those that had previously been held by the three who had been the most senior members of the Quorum (Presidents Nelson, Oaks, and Ballard)..

Elder Uchtdorf has spoken frequently about ways in which Church members should consider themselves called to action. I enjoy hearing what he has to say in his General Conference addresses every six months. Throughout his almost 24 years as a general authority, almost 14 years as a special witness of the Savior, and nearly a decade of service in the First Presidency, he has now given 69 talks, only 2 of which were given prior to his apostolic call. To review any of these remarkable and noteworthy addresses, click here (it should be noted that his first talk given as a General Authority, has somehow been omitted from that larger list).

Elder Uchtdorf is a man of great personal warmth and charm, and we are blessed indeed to have him among the Special Witnesses of Christ at this time. He has always struck a very warm and welcoming tone in his public discourses, and his current assignments are a clear testament to the great faith the Brethren have in him. In addition to being the 3rd most senior member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, he is also the third oldest, behind only President Ballard and Elder Quentin L. Cook. He is also the 7th senior apostle overall, and the 6th oldest of the 15 apostles overall.

Although he may never personally read this tribute, it was an honor to provide it for him on this, his 77th birthday. I continue to monitor any and all Church news and temple developments and will be sure to pass word of those along to you all as I receive it. That does it for this post. Any 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 all that you do.

Major Developments Reported on Temples Undergoing Renovation

Hello again, everyone! Earlier today, some game-changing information was reported on the temples undergoing renovation. This post will share the highlights of these changes. Let's get right into all of that. First, given the relatively extensive progress seen on the Hinckley-era temples currently undergoing renovation (Oklahoma City Oklahoma, Memphis Tennessee, Raleigh North Carolina, and Baton Rouge Louisiana) when compared with the older and larger temples currently undergoing renovation (Frankfurt Germany and Oakland California), the former four have been moved ahead of the latter two.

Therefore, the general estimates for these temples has been altered, and there have been a few new developments reported. The estimates for OKC and Memphis have been changed to mid-2019. For the former, it has been reported that stone cladding and art glass installation are nearing completion. In relation to the latter, it has been noted that stone cladding is nearing completion.

In relation to the Raleigh and Baton Rouge Temples, the general estimate has been changed to mid-to-late 2019. Aside from that estimate change, nothing new has been reported for either temple, as stone cladding for the exterior walls continues on the former, and a waterproofing membrane has been attached to the exterior of the latter in preparation for its' stone cladding process.

For the Frankfurt Germany and Oakland California Temples, more information will apparently be needed before a more general estimate is offered. For now, it has been noted that both temples are anticipated to be rededicated at some point next year. And an update on the Frankfurt Temple shows that curbing is being poured now for the expanded parking lot, while the exterior walls of the on-site villa are being renovated.

Because these unexpected developments were reported earlier today, I have not yet had a chance to analyze how the information will alter the more specific estimates I have previously offered for the future rededication of these temples. Look for that at some point this week as I have time to put that together. I do continue to monitor any and all Church news and temple developments and will do my level best to keep passing word of such news on 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.

Additional Information on Possible Consolidation of North America Areas

Hello again, everyone! As many of you are aware, shortly after the April 2018 General Conference, the First Presidency had announced the area leadership assignments which became effective as of August 1. Among those changes, it was announced that areas in North America would once again be overseen by a presidency of three General Authority Seventies. Six such presidencies were announced for what had been 10 areas to serve the Saints in the United States and Canada.

As at least some of you also might recall, I have posted previously with evidence I found that seemed to further indicate the number of those areas had been consolidated from 10 to 6. But given the fact that some sources (particularly many of the biographies of the 18 men who have been assigned to oversee those areas) were somewhat ambiguous, I had not been able to definitively settle the question of what was actually the case.

Accordingly, a day or two ago, as I did one of my usual checks on the Church's official website for word of any new developments in terms of Church news, I found a recent address given by President M. Russell Ballard, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The address, given one week ago today (on the same day the dedication of the Concepcion Chile Temple took place), was one of four given during a regional conference for the Utah North Area.

Given that fact, it appears that any ambiguity on this point has been cleared up once and for all, and that the original source (which announced these changes) was in error in reporting that there are only 21 areas of the Church now. The number of areas within North America instead remain at 10, which means there are a total of 25 areas still within the Church.

Having noted this new information, hopefully that settles any additional questions on this point. It looks as though I will need to again rework my list of area seventies (including the demographic information I put together) in accordance with that clarification. I do continue to monitor any and all Church news and temple updates, and will do my level best to keep passing 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. 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.

Temple Updates Noted

Hello again, everyone! Several temple updates have recently been reported, so I wanted to pass those along to you all now. Let's jump right into our discussion of those developments. First of all, I wanted to follow up on something I have noted repeatedly in the recent past. The Church is well on track to have 200 operating temples by (but perhaps even before) the 200th anniversary of its' reestablishment, which will, as noted, occur on Saturday April 6, 2030.

With 160 temples operating, only 40 others will need to be dedicated during the 11.42 years between today and that day, which could easily be done if 3.5 temples are dedicated each year between now and then. Since 5 or 6 temples are anticipated to be dedicated within the next year (with one more dedication planned by the end of this year, and two already set for early next year), I have no doubts the Church will have at least that many temples by that date, but certainly more if all goes well.

In the meantime, yesterday marked the beginning of the public open house for the Barranquilla Colombia Temple. The public will be able to tour that temple every day between now and November 24, with the exception of today and the additional Sundays of November 11 and 18. Following the open house, there will be a two-week period of final preparations for the temple, and a youth devotional will be held on Saturday December 8, with the temple dedication following the next day.

We now turn our attention briefly to the Lisbon Portugal Temple, where the work of stone cladding the temple's exterior walls is nearly complete, and where the Holiness to the Lord inscription stone is now in place. And as the renovation process continues for the Mesa Arizona Temple, scaffolding is going up around the temple's exterior, while windows are being removed, and landscaping efforts to regrade the grounds of the temple are also underway.

To conclude this update, new information received today indicates that, with the Church office building having been completely vacated in Bangkok Thailand, the process of demolishing that building is now underway, and once that occurs, the Church will be that much closer to being able to have a groundbreaking for that temple. It will be interesting to see how soon that occurs. As a result of that new information, I estimate that a groundbreaking could occur for that temple within the next 4-8 months, but certainly sooner if all goes well.

And of course, we are now just 4 days away from the November 8 groundbreaking ceremony which has been scheduled for the Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple. So look for a report on that ceremony once it is provided later this week. In the meantime, on a note unrelated to temple progress, Elder Uchtdorf's birthday will occur on Tuesday, with Elder Renlund's birthday exactly one week later. So posts will be provided on those days in honor of those milestones. And any other Church news and temple developments will be passed along as they are reported as well. I am also involved in an ongoing process of getting my predictions for next General Conference put together, and will pass a copy of those along as soon as I finish doing so.

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.

Additional Church News Reported

Hello again, everyone! I wanted to post again right now about some additional news stories which have recently crossed my radar. So let's get right into those. First, from the Church's official Newsroom website, we have a look at the second Colombian Temple (built in Barranquilla) for which the open house began today, and is set to be held for the next three weeks, ending on the 24th. The Newsroom also covered a luncheon which the Church hosted for the NCAA Common Ground Executive Committee.

Church representatives in attendance included Elders Craig C. Christensen (president of the the Utah Area) and Allen D. Haynie (who serves as Second Counselor in the North America Northeast Area Presidency), both of whom are General Authority Seventies, Sisters Jean B. Bingham (Relief Society General President) and Bonnie H. Cordon (Young Women General President).

Common Ground, for those not aware, is an organization built to serve as a liaison between athletic administrators in institutes of higher education and those advocating for LGBTQ rights. As the leaders of the Church explained, the Church always has and always will support measures, programs, and practices that provide fairness for all, so this meeting was right in line with the continued commitment of the Church to that ideal.

In the meantime, Sister Lisa S. Harkness, First Counselor in the Primary General Presidency, recently spoke out to clear up confusion on the Church's stance regarding medical marijuana, and how the ballot initiative is interconnected to the legislative action which will be taken by the members of the Utah Senate and House regardless of the initiative's outcome. That story came from KSL, which is owned and operated by Bonneville Communications, a subsidiary organization of the Church.

We now conclude by catching up on some articles from the Church News website. One big story highlighted the remarkable way an apostolic prophecy about the destiny of the Church throughout the South American continent (including Brazil and the countries comprising the South America Northwest and South America South Areas) is being fulfilled.

As President Nelson recently observed, when he was born in 1924, there was no Church presence whatsoever in that continent. Since that time. numerous faithful South American Saints have served in general Church leadership positions, and last April, we saw one such faithful man, Elder Ulisses Soares, called to be the first Latin American apostle in the Church.

If that is not a testament to how much the Lord values the faithful Saints in South America, then consider this: The only two temples which have been or will yet be dedicated this year are located in South America. 3 others are currently under construction throughout that continent, while 1 previously-dedicated temple is currently closed for renovations and upgrades. And of the 31 temples currently announced, 7 (roughly 25%) of them will be built in South American countries. And that is amazing to consider.

Next, Boyd Matheson, who heads up the Sutherland Institute and who writes for the Deseret News, recently reported on a conversation he had with Church President Russell M. Nelson about the power of not looking back, or, in other words, leaving the past in the past, and going through another door when the first one closes.

Also, in the latest edition of "This Week on Social", posts shared included thoughts from President Henry B. Eyring, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, on how to endure the many trials of life; in addition to thoughts from the following members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles: Elders David A. Bednar, who highlighted the importance of faith; Neil L. Andersen, on what life's trials can teach us if we let them; Ronald A. Rasband on recognizing and utilizing our many God-given talents; and Dale G. Renlund on the similarities between a master violin maker and our Master, Jesus Christ (which, of course, reminded me personally of the poem "The Touch of the Master's Hand").

Other leaders featured in that article were Sister Sharon Eubank, First Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency, who posted some thoughts highlighting the importance of repentance and the Sabbath Day; Sister Cordon, who shared a special message for and about the Young Women of the Church; and finally, from her first counselor, Sister Michelle D. Craig, who shared her thoughts about how following President Nelson's invitation to read the Book of Mormon by the end of this year has blessed her and the members of her family.

We additionally got some good news about how Saints in Mexico have successfully weathered the recent Hurricane Willa. Also, the Church News provided highlights of favorite moments from the first South American leg of his ongoing Global Ministry Tour. In the meantime, Latter-day Saints in Great Britain recently commemorated the 100th anniversary of the ending of WWII. And finally, two former BYU athletes recently donned the yellow "Helping Hands" vests to help their fellow Saints living in the southeastern United States in their ongoing efforts to recover from Hurricane Florence.

I do continue to monitor any and all Church news and temple developments and will keep doing my level best to pass word of those developments along to you all as I receive word of them. That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, 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.