BREAKING NEWS: First Presidency's Christmas Devotional Speakers Announced in Advance for the First Time

Hello again, everyone! For the first time in the 8 years since the format changed, the speaking lineup for Sunday's First Presidency's Christmas Devotional has been officially confirmed in advance. Speakers will include President Henry B. Eyring, Second Counselor in the First Presidency; Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and Sister Michelle D. Craig, First Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency. I will cover that devotional in some way on Sunday. In the meantime, my thanks once again to you all.

BREAKING NEWS: Hawaii Laie Mission Created; First President and Companion Called

Hello again, everyone! The Church made an unexpected annnouncement today. Rather than waiting for the typical time period (July), the Church has announced a new misswion, the Hawaii Laie Mission, which will become operational as the Church's 408th mission next month. Those details were also confirmed in the Church News, which also announced the first president and companion for that mission. Let's break down the details here.

As mentioned, the creation of the mission goes into effect next month, with the president and companion also beginning their service at that time. Missionaries in the Hawaii Honolulu Mission were advised that the mission would split just yesterday, marking another lightning fast move for the Church. The new mission includes the Laie Hawaii Temple Visitor's Center, the 3 young single adult stakes closest to the campus of BYU-Hawaii, and the Church's two outlier stakes in the nearby island of Oahu. The other stakes in Oahu and all other Hawaiian Islands.

The mission will allow closer contact with mission leaders for those serving at the Visitor's Center at the Laie Hawaii Temple, the Polynesian Cultural Center, and BYU-Hawaii. Steven J. Bassett, currently a ward Young Men's specialist, formerly served in a stake presidency, after having formerly served as a stake presidency counselor and in a couple of bishoprics. Sister Stephanie R. Bassett is a current ward missionary. Both have a long legacy of Church service to their credits. I am grateful for the unexpected development and testify that the creation of this mission was brought about by inspiration from the Lord, espeially regarding the timing of the creation of this mmission. I continue to monitor all Church News updates and temple developments and will bring you word thereof as those developments cross my radar.

In the meantime, that does it for now. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made in accordance with the established guidelines. 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.

Tribute to Elder Jeffrey R. Holland on His 81st Birthday

Hello again, everyone! With today being December 3, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland is observing his 80th birthday. I know that the Lord is no respector of persons, and doesn't play favorites, but on a personal level, I wanted to reiterate again that Elder Holland is one of my favorite apostles. I have a couple of familial connections to him. My dad was born and raised in St. George, and his father (Dean Stokes), was Elder Holland's home teaching companion when "young Jeff" was an Aaronic Priesthood holder. According to my dad, his father often expressed his wonder that a boy like Elder Holland had become an apostle of the Lord.

I know that at times, it may seem that some members of the Church, to varying degrees, have put the leading Brethren of the Church on a pedestal, but I am reminded in accounts, such as that which was shared by my grandfather, that these men may have been foreordained to the apostleship, but they are no different than any other member of the Church; the Lord just ordered their lives based on their personal choices in such a way that when such calls came to them, they were qualified through years of service in the Church and living what they believe. That is important for all of us to remember.

My mom is a freelance proofreader, and in the early days of her marriage to my dad, she worked on many projects for the Church Educational System. Since that occurred at the time when Elder Holland was the Commissioner of the CES, he was essentially my mom's "boss." And she speaks warmly of the experiences she had working with him on such projects. Personal connections aside, I wanted to share a brief biographical sketch of Elder Holland.

Jeffrey Roy Holland was born in St. George, Utah to Frank D. and Alice Bentley Holland on December 3, 1940. He served a full-time mission in the British Isles. His mission president was Marion D. Hanks, (who at that time was a member of the now-defunct First Council of the Seventy and later served in the First Quorum and Presidency of the Seventy). One of young Elder Holland's missionary companions was Quentin L. Cook, alongside whom he would later serve in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Of Elder Holland, Elder Cook has remarked that it is interesting to him that he, as the previously-senior missionary companion to Elder Holland, is now the junior apostle to his former junior companion. Following the concusion of Elder Holland's missionary service, he attended BYU, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s degree in religious education.Additionally, shortly after his release from missionary service, he married his high school sweetheart, Patricia Terry, in 1963. They are the parents of a daughter and two sons, one of whom, Matthew, has served as the President of Utah Valley University and as president of the North Carolina Raliegh Mission. During General Conference in April of last year, Matthew Holland was sustained as a General Authority Seventy, marking the first time a fahter-and-son duo have served together as general authorities since the July 2015 death of President Boyd K. Packer. 

Once Elder Holland earned his bachelor's and master's degrees, he went on to earn a doctorate degree in American studies from Yale. He then became a professor at BYU, serving as Dean of the College of Religion. He served as Commissioner of Church Education from 1976-1980. In 1980, President Dallin H. Oaks, who was then serving as President of BYU-Provo, announced his intention to move on to other opportunities. Commissioner Holland was put in charge of the committee to find the new BYU President. 

Two days later, he was stunned when the First Presidency appointment him to that assignment. He had reportedly been favored for the position by President N. Eldon Tanner, who was then serving as First Counselor in the First Presidency, and was the protege of then-Elder Gordon B. Hinckley, who at that time was the senior member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles asssigned to the Church Board of Education. Elder Holland would go on to serve as president of BYU for 9 years himself, until his April 1, 1989 call as a General Authority and member of the First Quorum of the Seventy. 

Prior to his call to general Church service, Elder Holland also served as a bishop, counselor in a stake presidency, and regional representative. After the First Presidency was reorganized following the death of President Ezra Taft Benson, President Howard W. Hunter took immediate action to fill the apostolic vacancy. In the space of a few short hours on Thursday June 23, President Hunter issued a call to the apostleship to Elder Holland, gave him his apostolic charge, set apart and ordained him to that calling, and had him join the other 14 apostles in their weekly meeting at the temple. That action was sustained by Church membership during the Solemn Assembly that was held exactly 100 days later.

Elder Holland has given a total of 58 addresses in General Conference.  Of those, 3 were prior to his apostolic call. The first time he spoke during General Conference was in April 1983, while he was serving as the President of Brigham Young University. He spoke alongside his son during that session, and for unknown reasons, that talk is not listed with the others in the first link I shared at the start of this paragraph. He gave the remaining 53 General Conference addresses as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. 

To me, it always seems as though the talks given by Elder Holland are specifically focused on something I have been dealing with personally at the time. As a consequence, listening to him speak every six months is one of my favorite things about General Conference weekends. The last thing I want to mention about Elder Holland is that he is currently the second most-senior member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the fourth in seniority among all current apostles. 

He is also the fourth-oldest member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and is the seventh-oldest among all living apostles. Interestingly enough, although he is the most senior of the three apostles born in 1940 (with Elders Uchtdorf and Cook being the other two), he is the youngest of the three. His apostolic seatmate, Elder Uchtdorf,  obsrved his 81st birthday just under one month ago, with Elder Cook having done the same two months prior to that.

Given his age and current apostolic seniority, some, myself included, have suggested that Elder Holland could one day serve as Church President. Right now, the only apostles senior to him are Presidents Nelson, Oaks, and Ballard. If President Nelson does indeed the lead the Church for the next decade or two, our current prophet may outlive a few more of the apostles junior to him. So it will be interesting to see what happens there. I am grateful for the life and ministry of Elder Holland, and for the chance I had to write this post in his honor today.

I continue to monitor any and all Church news and temple updates and will do my best to bring you all word on those developments as they occur. That does it for now. Any comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made in accordance with the established guidelines. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Latest Temple Reopening Adjustments Announced

Hello again, everyone! Another week has come and gone, and it is time once again to discuss the latest temple reopening adjustments from the Church. As always, the latest information can be found in the official release from the Newsroom and the temple reopening status tracker, Usually, the Church News also shares the same updates detailed in the Newsroom on a weekly basis, but for whatever reason, that article has not been updated with today's adjustments. 

As I mentioned in my post this morning, the Medford Oregon Temple has closed for minor renovations, which are anticipated to be completed by the end of the year, with the temple's rededication (likely a one-session private event) occurring by that time as well. If tlhat rededication does not occur prior to the end of this year, then it will occur early next year.

Oddly enough, the temple reopening status tracker notes that the Medford Oregon Temple is "closed for extended maintenance", and that it is still open in phase 2-B. Given the information available online via the Church Temples site and that temple's page on the Church website, the renovation closure is confirmed, meaning that what is noted in the temple reopening status tracker is not quite accurate.

Unless I am mistaken, the status change for Medford is the only new information on temple reopenings. As a result, the status of temples now stands as follows: 10 temples are now closed for renovation, 9 of which have been given phase 3 designations. 2 other temples that had reached phase 3 remain "paused" in their reopenings. There is 1 temple each in phase 1 and phase 2, with 4 others operating in phase 2-B, and the remaining 153 temples are in phase 3.

As I've noted in just about every temple reopening update in the last several weeks, I am grateful for the carefully-planned cautiously-coordinated reopening of temples around the world, and for the revelatory process that drives those announcements every week. Although no temples anywhere have reached phase 4 (a return to full normal operations), it is wonderful the Church has been prudent and wise in the announcements of changes each week. 

I believe I have mentioned this in the recent past as well, but with the Brethren having to restrict travel from Church headquarters to some parts of the world where they might otherwise have assignments, the apostles have been able to ascertain information about COVID-19 and any related restrictions or other factors that would play into the process of the phased reopening of temples. 

And the usage of technology for that purpose has also apparently led the Brethren to conclude that, in some cases, tramsacting Church business by technology rather than in-person will be more effective. It will be interesting to see how the ministry of the apostles and other leaders changes going forward with an increased use of technology vs. in-person visits.

It seems as though COVID-19 has had a major role in reshaping how top leaders see their capacities to minister worldwide to the growing Church. And it's definitely not surprising to me that an increased usage of technology has come about during the prophetic adminnistration of President Russell M. Nelson, who appears to be the most technologically savvy prophet the Church has had since the world has more fully utlized modern technology. I anticipate that will continue to be true.

Having noted all of that, it's also worth noting that the newest strain of COVID-19 popping up in various world areas may, in subsequent weeks, lead to other temples being "paused" in their reopenings. I will be sure to watch for any such updates and will pass them along to you all as I become aware thereof. In the meantime, that does it for now. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made in accordance with the established guidelines. 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.

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Medford Oregon Temple Closed for Renovation

Hello again, everyone! While I was waiting for the latest temple reopening announcements, I did some checking on the Medford Oregon Temple. That temple had been scheduled to transition to phase 3 in August, but no word has come down the pike to confirm that has occurred. 

Instead, it appears that the Medford Oregon Temple has closed for rneovations. The work that needs to be done there is apparently minor, and that process is anticipated to wrap up by the end of this year. No other details are currently available, but I will keep my eyes open for anything along those lines and publish that here once I become aware thereof.

In the meantime, that does it for now. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made in accordance with the established guidelines. 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.

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Exterior Renderings Released for the Smithfield Utah and Redesigned Provo Utah Temples

Hello again, everyone! This morning, the Church released the exterior renderings for two Utah temples: Smithfield Utah and the redesigned Provo Utah Temple. Let's get right into the details. Firstly, while there has previously been some speculation that Provo's redesign could mirror Ogden's, the new design is more  unique, but more closely resembles its' sister temple in neighboring Orem Utah. The overhauled design will also apparently involve the removal of the angel Moroni statue, which is being phased out in newer temples of the Church.

The Smithfield Utah Temple, meanwhile, reminds me of a slighly-larger design from what the Church is using with the Feather River California Temple, among others. As we know, the Smithfield Utah Temple was announced in April of this year, and it was in October of this year that President Nelson first mentioned the redesigning of the Provo Utah Temple. Longtime reader and commenter Jim Anderson usually is very good at analyzing temple designs, so if you, Jim Anderson, have any insights on these designs, they would be most welcome here.

Although the reconstruction of the Provo Temple could be two years or so away, it is good to see that rendering released. And the Church continues a gradual release of information on newly announced temples, which is also wonderful to see. I continue to monitor all Church news and temple updates, and will pass word of those along to you all as I become aware thereof.

In the meantime, that does it for now. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made in accordance with the established guidelines. 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.

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Latest Temple Reopening Adjustments Announced

Hello again, everyone! For several months now, with only one recent exception, the Church has announced the latest temple reopening updates every Tuesday. The latest updates have been shared through an the updated release on the global Newsroom website and through updates in the Church News (including the weekly status tracker). Let's dive right into the adjustments that have been noted today, which will go into effect hopefully within the next two weeks by either Tuesday November 30 or Tuesday December 7): 

First, as early as next Tuesday, the Buenos Aires Argentina Temple is set to transition to phase 3 from its' current phase 2-B status. In addition, several months after the Church granted phase 3 designations to all other temples undergoing renovation, it has been announced this morning that the Tokyo Japan and Hong Kong China Temples are being granted that same phase 3 designation, which will now allow patrons usually served by the two Asian temples to schedule living or proxy work in the temples closest to those two.

These latest adjustments mean that 164 of the total 170 temples in the Church (96.5%) have opened for all ordinances on a limited and scheduled basis. With 4 additional temples in phase 2-B currently, that means that 98.8% (168 of the 170 operating temples) are offering at least some proxy work by appointment. Based on that information about temples in phase 2-B, only 2 of the Church's temples are now in phase 1 (San Jose Costa Rica) or phase 2 (Montevideo Uruguay).

As for the 4 temples in phase 2-B, the Barranquilla Colombia and Seoul Korea Temples have not yet transitioned to phase 3. The Cebu City Philippines Temple had reached phase 3 earlier this year, but was subject to a pause and a downgrade to phase 2-B. And of course, as has been noted numerous times in the recent past, the Medford Oregon Temple had been projected to tranisition to phase 3 in August, but that has not yet happened.

As I've noted in just about every temple reopening update in the last several weeks, I am grateful for the carefully-planned cautiously-coordinated reopening of temples around the world, and for the revelatory process that drives those announcements every week. Although no temples anywhere have reached phase 4 (a return to full normal operations), it is wonderful the Church has been prudent and wise in the announcements of changes each week. 

I believe I have mentioned this in the recent past as well, but with the Brethren having to restrict travel from Church headquarters to some parts of the world where they might otherwise have assignments, the apostles have been able to ascertain information about COVID-19 and any related restrictions or other factors that would play into the process of the phased reopening of temples. 

And the usage of technology for that purpose has also apparently led the Brethren to conclude that, in some cases, tramsacting Church business by technology rather than in-person will be more effective. It will be interesting to see how the ministry of the apostles and other leaders changes going forward with an increased use of technology vs. in-person visits.

It seems as though COVID-19 has had a major role in reshaping how top leaders see their capacities to minister worldwide to the growing Church. And it's definitely not surprising to me that an increased usage of technology has come about during the prophetic adminnistration of President Russell M. Nelson, who appears to be the most technologically savvy prophet the Church has had since the world has more fully utlized modern technology. I anticipate that will continue to be true.

Having acknowledged that, I wanted to wrap up my coverage of the latest temple reopening adjustments with a breakdown of how many temples will be in each phase of reopening as of next Tuesday (November 30). With the Tokyo Japan and Hong Kong China Temples both being granted phase 3 status effective immediately, that means all 9 temples undergoing renovations are now in phase 3. 2 temples have "paused" after having reached phase 3, with 1 each in phases 1 and 2. There are also 4 temples operating in phase 2-B, which means that by next Tuesday, 153 of the Church's 170 temples will be operating in phase 3.

That concludes my analysis of today's temple reopening announcements. As always, I continue to monitor all Church news and temple updates, and remain committed to bringing you all word of those updates as I become aware thereof. With just under 6.5 weeks remaining in 2021, I am not sure whether any other temple open houses and dedications or rededications might be announced before the end of the year, but am hopeful that those arrangements for the Yigo Guam, Quito Ecuador, Tokyo Japan and Hamilton New Zealand Temples will soon be announced as well.

It's also worth reiterating that, aside from the Bacolod Philippines Temple groundbreaking (which was announced on October 6 and will take place on December 11), the Church has not yet scheduled any thother temple groundbreakings. Although I have just recently offered my opinion that groundbreakings that have not yet been announced could take place and be acknowledged after the fact, I'm not as convinced as I previously was that the Church would conduct any temple groundbreakings without noting the plans thereof before they occur. 

So although it appeared likely in the relatively recent past that in 2021, the Church could exceed the 21 groundbreakings that occurred last year, it's possible that no other groundbreakings will occur prior to that of the Bacolod Philippines Temple, or throughout the remainder of the year following that December 11 groundbreaking. Instead, it seems more likely that arrangements for the groundbreakings of up to 17 temples could be announced in the next 2 months and set to occur in the first several months of 2022.I will be closely monitoring all of that and will bring you all word thereof as I become aware of such reports.

In the meantime, that does it for now. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made in accordance with the established guidelines. 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.

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Church Announces Latest Temple Reopening Adjustments

Hello again, everyone! With only one exception in recent weeks, Tuesday has been the designated day on which the Church has announced the latest temple reopening updates. Those releases have been shared in the Newsroom and through updates in the Church News (including the weekly status tracker).

I am pleased to be able to report the following updates related to the Church's efforts to reopen temples: 2 South American temples (Arequipa Peru and Bogota Colombia) will transition from phase 2-B (allowing all living ordinances and proxy baptisms) to phase 3 (which allows all living and proxy ordinances) as early as one week from today (Tuesday November 23). Meanwhile, as early as that same date, both the Barranquilla Comobia and Seoul Korea Temples will transition from phase 2 (allowing all living ordinances) to phase 2-B (allowing all living ordinances in priority order in addition to proxy baptisms).

And in an unexpected but welcome development, the Church also noted today that the Cebu City Philippines Temple, which had been downgraded to phase 1 due to local pandemic conditions and restrictions, has transitioned to phase 2-B. The Church News also noted today that, as a result of these latest changes, 161 of the Church's 170 total temples (94.7%) are now (or will soon be) offering all living and proxy ordinances by appointment. With 5 additional temples now operating (or those that will soon be operating) in phase 2-B, allowing proxy baptisms by appointment, 166 of the Church's total 170 operating temples (97.6% of all temples worldwide) will be offering some degree of proxy work in addition to living ordinances, as early as next week.

The Church News also reiterated again that the Medford Oregon Temple, originally anticipated to transition to phase 3 sometime in August, has still not been able to make that change. Since no specific reason has been given for the 3-month delay, I am not sure why that has been delayed. But as I've noted in just about every temple reopening update in the last several weeks, I am grateful for the carefully-planned cautiously-coordinated reopening of temples around the world, and for the revelatory process that drives those announcements every week. Although no temples anywhere have reached phase 4 (a return to full normal operations), it is wonderful the Church has been prudent and wise in the announcements of changes each week.

I believe I have mentioned this in the recent past as well, but with the Brethren having to restrict travel from Church headquarters to some parts of the world where they might otherwise have assignments, the apostles have been able to ascertain information about COVID-19 and any related restrictions or other factors that would play into the process of the phased reopening of temples. And the usage of technology for that purpose has also apparently led the Brethren to conclude that, in some cases, tramsacting Church business by technology rather than in-person will be more effective. It will be interesting to see how the ministry of the apostles and other leaders changes going forward with an increased use of technology vs. in-person visits.

It seems as though COVID-19 has had a major role in reshaping how top leaders see their capacities to minister worldwide to the growing Church. And it's definitely not surprising to me that an increased usage of technology has come about during the prophetic adminnistration of President Russell M. Nelson, who appears to be the most technologically savvy prophet the Church has had since the world has more fully utlized modern technology. I anticipate that will continue to be true.

Having acknowledged that, I wanted to wrap up my coverage of the latest temple reopening adjustments with a breakdown of how many temples will be in each phase of reopening. First, it's worth noting that today's announcement leaves just 4 temples for which no proxy ordinances are being scheduled. Of those 4 temples, 2 (Hong Kong China and Tokyo Japan) are closed for renovation. But by contrast to the other 7 temples closed for renovation, the two Asian temples have not been granted any phase reopening designation.

With the other 7 temples being granted phase 3 designation (which allows patrons in those districts to schedule living and proxy work at nearby temples in phase 3), 2 other temples remain "paused" in their reopenings after being transitioned to phase 3. The Church is also now down to 1 temple aach that are in phases 1 or 2, 5 others in phase 2-B, and the remaining 152 temples in phase 3.

That concludes my analysis of today's temple reopening announcements. As always, I continue to monitor all Church news and temple updates, and remain committed to bringing you all word of those updates as I become aware thereof. With just under 6.5 weeks remaining in 2021, I am not sure whether any other temple open houses and dedications or rededications might be announced before the end of the year, but am hopeful that those arrangements for the Yigo Guam, Quito Ecuador, Tokyo Japan and Hamilton New Zealand Temples will soon be announced as well.

It's also worth reiterating that, aside from the Bacolod Philippines Temple groundbreaking (which was announced on October 6 and will take place on December 11), the Church has not yet scheduled any thother temple groundbreakings. Although I have just recently offered my opinion that groundbreakings that have not yet been announced could take place, with the confirmation thereof occurring after the fact, I'm not as convinced as I previously was that the Church would conduct any temple groundbreakings without noting the plans thereof before they occur. So although it appeared likely in the relatively recent past that in 2021, the Church could exceed the 21 groundbreakings that occurred last year, it's possible that no other groundbreakings will occur prior to that of the Bacolod Philippines Temple, or throughout the remainder of the year following that December 11 groundbreaking.

Instead, it seems more likely that arrangements for the groundbreakings of up to 17 temples could be announced in the next 2 months and set to occur in the first several months of 2022.I will be closely monitoring all of that and will bring you all word thereof as I become aware of such reports.

In the meantime, that does it for now. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made in accordance with the established guidelines. 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.

UPDATED: Current Apostolic Data

Hello again, everyone! As most of you are almost certainly aware, I have provided updates on the latest apostolic data (specifically relating to tbeir lifespan or tenure length milestones) roughly every seven weeks. Having last done so on September 26, it is time to publish the newest such data. As with that last update, the first part contains updated data about the age and tenure length records for all 17 Church Presidents, along with updated information on the tenure length records for each of the 28 Presidents of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

The first document also shows information on three sets of apostolic groups: the longest-serving First Presidencies (which will not be updated with the First Presidency as presently constituted until 2024), in addition to the longest-serving groups of members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and groups of all ordained apostles (the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles).  

The latest version of that document also shows when the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as currently comprised will move up on the list of the longest-serving Quorums of the Twelve Apostles, in addition to specifics on when the current members of that Quorum, along with the current First Presidency, will reach the next milestones on that list.

Meanwhile, the second part of today's update shows the long-form and decimal ages for the members of the current First Presidency, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and the apostolic groups overall, in addition to the average ages of each group and apostolic nonagenarians (with 2 of the current 15 apostles being on that list, and the timing noted for when each of the other 13 apostles will join that list).

Hopefully this shared data will be of interest to you all, and again, I offer an open invitation to anyone who has any questions about those documents to ask them here. I will, of course, continue to monitor all Church news updates and temple developments, and will do my level best to bring word of those to you all as I become aware of all such reports.

It might also be of interest to some of you to know that, keeping with the same planned schedule to share these updates once every 7 weeks, today's update actually constitutes the last such update for 2021. 7 weeks from today will be Sunday January 2, 2022, so you can look for that next update on tat date.

That does it for now. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made in accordance with the established guidelines. 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.

In Honor of Elder Dale G. Renlund on His 69th Birthday

Hello again, everyone! I am back with a post in tribute of Elder Dale G. Renlund, who, as noted, is marking his 69th birthday today. Let's get right into all of that. Elder Dale Gunnar Renlund was born to Mats Ake and Marianna Andersson, in Salt Lake City, Utah, on this day in 1952. His parents had emigrated from Finland (Mats) and Sweden (Marianna) respectively in order to be married in the temple. In view of that, Elder Renlund grew up primarily speaking Swedish. 

The fact that he did not speak English as a primary language gives him a certain degree of international appeal. In his teenage years, Elder Renlund lived with his family in Sweden while his father was a building missionary for the Church Several years later, Elder Renlud returned to Sweden, this time as a full-time missionary. Following his missionary service, Elder Renlund continued his scholastic endeavors at the University of Utah, where he earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry and his M. D. 

Approximately 3 or 4 years after he concluded his missionary service, he met and married his eternal companion, Ruth Lybbert, who was the daughter of another General Authority Seventy, Merlin R. Lybbert. Elder Renlund went on to do a three-year cardiology residency and a three-year fellowship in cardiology, both at Johns Hopkins University, and served as a bishop while he did so.

During that very same period of time, his wife was earning her law degree, and Ruth also gave birth to their only child, a daughter, Ashley. At some point in 1986, Elder Renlund became a professor at the University of Utah. From 1991 to the time of his call as a General Authority Seventy in 2009, he served as the medical director of the Utah Transplantation Affiliated Hospitals Cardiac Transplant Program. 

In 2000, he was also appointed the director of the Heart Failure Prevention and Treatment Program at Intermountain Health Center headquartered in Salt Lake, while his wife was working as a law partner in the firm of Dewsnup, King and Olsen. In the Church, in addition to serving as a bishop, Elder Renlund also served locally as ward Sunday School president, high councilman, and as a stake president. From 2000 to 2009, Elder Renlund served as an area seventy. 

He became a general authority seventy in April 2009, at the same conference in which Elder Neil L. Andersen was sustained as an apostle. The August after his call, Elder Renlund began serving in the Africa Southeast Area Presidency, which is headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa. He concluded that service as the area president from 2011 to 2014. 

Just over a year after concluding that service (during which time he served in other general capacities at Church headquarters), he was the third man to be called to fill the three vacancies in the Quorum of the Twelve in the wake of the passing of President Boyd K. Packer and Elders L. Tom Perry and Richard G. Scot (with his call occurring the same day as that of Elders Ronald A. Rasband and Gary E. Stevenson). 

Some have claimed (rightfully so, in my opinion) that since Elder Scott was the last of the three to pass away, Elder Renlund, as the last of the three new apostles called, was the one filling the apostolic vacancy occurring from the death of Elder Scott. Others may disagree on that, as is their right, but I think that is a fair statement.

Elder Renlund's apostolic call was significant for a few reasons. The calls of Elders Rasband, Stevenson, and Renlund made them the 98th, 99th, and 100th members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles called in this dispensation. There have been more men ordained as apostles, but only 102 of those men have officially served in the Quorum of the Twelve. There is another significant aspect of Elder Renlund's call. 

As most of you are probably aware, at times in the past where 2 or more apostles have been called, tradition is that they will be called, sustained, and ordained according to their age, from oldest to youngest. That tradition, as has been the case a couple of times before, was slightly adjusted, as Elder Stevenson, almost three years younger than Elder Renlund, was called, sustained, and ordained as the senior apostle to Elder Renlund. That kind of thing is not in any way unprecedented, but it is a significant anomaly to note.

Given that all apostles from Elder David A. Bednar through Elder Renlund were born in the United States, some have taken issue with the Church for the perceived lack of diversity in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. But as was observed in this article, Elder Renlund's diverse background certainly qualifies him as having strong international ties and experiences. Elder Renlund has given a total of 13 addresses in General Conference, 2 of which were prior to his apostolic call (the second of which was given in the General Conference prior to the one in which he became an apostle.

I am grateful to have been able to offer this birthday tribute in his honor, and am also grateful for his service. I gladly sustain him and the other 14 apostles as prophets, seers, and revelators. I do continue to monitor any and all Church news and temple developments and will keep doing my level best to bring word of those to you all as I receive it.

That does it for now. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made in accordance with the established guidelines. 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.