BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Groundbreaking Held for Knoxville Tennessee Temple; Sites Identified for Iquitos and Cusco Peru Temples

Note: An initial version of this post was published at 2:07 PM today. Updated analysis was added between 4:30-5:30 PM.

Hello again, everyone! I had wondered if today's announcement on the Red Cliffs Utah Temple media day was the only announcement we'd get. I am pleased to be able to report that we got more than that. The Church has confirmed that ground was broken for the Knoxville Tennessee Temple on Saturday as scheduled. As I mentioned previously, barring anything unexpected, I anticipate that full-scale construction will begin on that temple either later this week or early next week.

And those aren't the only updates the Church shared in terms of temple construction today. The First Presidency also released official information for 2 temple sites in Peru: Cusco Peru (announced by President Nelson in April 2022) and Iquitos Peru (announced by President Nelson in April 2023). Let's break down the relevant details: 

A 2.48-acre site at Avenida Arcopata 452 Cusco, Cusco, Peru will be the location of what I presume will be a single-story edifice of approximately 9,950 square feet. And a 1.75-acre site at Calle San Marcos 117–137, San Juan Bautista, Maynas, Loreto, Peru will be home to what I believe will be a single-story temple that will be approximately 20,000 square feet.

The good news is that with both of these temples on the comparatively smaller side, approvals will likely be more easily obtained than for their larger counterparts elsewhere in the world. Exactly how soon that might occur is anyone's guess. But I imagine that these temples will have similar exterior designs as other temples of similar sizes.

I was somewhat surprised we have not yet heard about opening arrangements for the Casper Wyoming Temple, but even if that is not announced until mid-February, the odds seem pretty good that a dedication could still occur for that temple by the end of June. I know many of you might be surprised also by the fact that no groundbreakings have been announced today. I would count on an uptick of those announcements in February.

I would also like to note that I am not concerned about the lack of more groundbreaking announcements at this time. As was observed on the Church Growth Blog, approvals were accelerated for the Hinckley-era smaller temples, and many of them are seeing problems crop up now. I would prefer the Church take their time to get the necessary approvals to ensure we avoid that scenario going forward. As I have previously observed on this blog, President Nelson doesn't seem to be afraid of or deterred by a temple backlog.

As a result of today's announcements, of the now-95 announced temples, only 45 now lack an official announcement. I expect that number will go down further before General Conference in April. And when spring hits in the northern hemisphere, I expect to see an uptick in the number of temple groundbreakings, though we are also likely to see groundbreakings in the southern hemisphere between now and June, when winter hits that part of the world.

 In any case, I trust that the Brethren know what they are doing and how to work through the necessary approvals, so I have no doubt groundbreakings will pick up throughout the rest of this year. And I am not worried in the slightest about any sort of "backlog" of announced temples. Looking ahead to April, I think we will see anywhere between 15-20 new temples announced. The Brethren also seem to be more deliberate in how they schedule temple dedications and groundbreakings, so we can trust that process fully.

I continue to monitor any and all Church News, Newsroom, and Church of Jesus Christ Temples updates and will be sure to pass word of those along to you all as they cross my radar. In the meantime, that does it for now. All comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated on any post at any time, as long as the offered feedback is made per the established guidelines. 

I hope any of you who would like to share anything will take your opportunity to “sound off” in the comments below. Please subscribe if you liked what you read here and would like to be informed of newly added posts and comments. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

Tribute to Elder D. Todd Christofferson on His 79th Birthday

Hello again, everyone! I am pleased to be able to provide a birthday tribute to Elder D. Todd Christofferson, who is today observing his 79th. As with the posts I have written for every other apostle, I will be sharing a biography herein with highlights about his life. Let's get right into all of that. David Todd Christofferson was born on this day in 1945 in American Fork, Utah (a place I proudly claim as my hometown) to Paul Vickery and Jeanne Swenson Christofferson . He spent his formative years in Pleasant Grove and Lindon, and his family subsequently relocated to Somerset New Jersey.

While there, he participated in the annual Hill Cumorah Pageant, and, having been urged by his bishop to do so, he earnestly sought a personal testimony of the gospel. Although he felt for a while that his prayer at that time had not been answered, the witness he was seeking came about a month later. At around this same time, his mother was diagnosed with cancer and underwent surgery for it. While his father learned later that he had gathered his brothers to pray for their mom, it would be years later before Elder Christofferson learned about his father's personal sacrifices to supply what his wife needed to help her with the housework.

Young Todd Christofferson also stepped in to help his mom by making homemade bread for his family, after being taught how to do so by his grandmother. After graduating from high school, he studied for a year at BYU prior to serving full-time in the Argentina North Mission, where he had two mission presidents, Ronald V. Stone, and his future colleague in the Quorum of the Twelve, Richard G. Scott. Following the conclusion of his missionary service, Elder Christofferson returned to BYU, and there he met Kathy Jacob, whom he married in May 1968.

He earned his bachelor's degree from BYU, and went on to get a doctor of law degree from the School of Law at Duke University. During his years as a young attorney, he clerked for Judge John J. Sirica at the time the Watergate hearings were occurring. When his clerkship ended, he took active duty with the US Army for a year, after which he served in the Army reserves for 8 years, by which time, he had achieved the rank of Captain. His professional career took his family to Washington DC, Nashville Tennesee, and Charlotte North Carolina.

During that same period of time, he would serve as a bishop, stake president, and in the now-defunct calling of regional representative to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. After being called as a general authority in April 1993 (at the same time as Elder Neil L. Andersen, alongside whom he now serves in the apostleship), he served in a variety of capacities (including as a member of area presidencies outside the US) until his call to the Presidency of the Seventy in August 1998. During his service in that presidency, he first served as the executive director for the Church's Family and Church History Department (which have since been split into two departments), where he worked to negotiate with Jewish religious leaders on the matter of performing temple ordinances for Holocaust victims, which in turn shaped the policy of Church members only being allowed to perform such ordinances for direct-line family members.

In 2004, the First Presidency announced that the Presidency of the Seventy would be relieved of responsibility for the Church Departments and would instead oversee areas in the United States and Canada. Elder Christofferson was given responsibility for the North America Southeast Area of the Church from August 2004-August 2007, at which time he was reassigned to oversee the North America Northwest and North America West Areas. He continued that assignment for 8 months, then, as we know, he was the first apostle called by President Thomas S. Monson in April 2008. At the time of his release from the Presidency of the Seventy, which came in conjunction with his call as an apostle, he had become the second-most senior member thereof.

During his first seven years as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, as noted, Elder Christofferson served alongside his former mission president, Richard G. Scott. Since his ordination as an apostle, Elder Christofferson has filled a wide variety of assignments, and he was serving as the senior member of the Quorum of the Twelve assigned to oversee the Church Public Affairs Committee when he was asked by President Nelson to introduce the new First Presidency in a worldwide broadcast on January 16, 2018. He has given 38 addresses in General Conference so far, 1 of which was given in the conference following his call as a General Authority, with 5 others given during his near decade in the Presidency of the Seventy, and thhe remaining 32 as a members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Elder Christofferson currently ranks as the fifth most senior member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and as the fourth oldest. He is now the eighth in overall apostolic seniority and the seventh oldest among all of the apostles.

I am grateful for the life and ministry of Elder Christofferson. I had a couple of choice opportunities to meet him. His niece and her family lived in my parent's ward, so when their newest baby was blessed, Elder Christofferson presided at our Sacrament Meeting. A few years later, our paths crossed again while I was a temple worker, and he was the speaker at our yearly devotional. As one who has had the opportunity to chat informally with him on these two occasions, I testify that his call as one of the Savior's special witnesses is divinely inspired.

I greatly appreciate the chance to share these thoughts with you. I continue to monitor any and all Church News, Newsroom, and Church of Jesus Christ Temples updates and will be sure to pass word of those along to you all as they cross my radar. In the meantime, that does it for now. All comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated on any post at any time, as long as the offered feedback is made per the established guidelines.I hope any of you who would like to share anything will take your opportunity to “sound off” in the comments below. Please subscribe if you liked what you read here and would like to be informed of newly added posts and comments. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Exterior Rendering Released for the La Paz Bolivia Temple

Hello again, everyone! The next major temple construction announcement was just made by the First Presidency: the exterior rendering has been released for the La Paz Bolivia Temple. The site announcement for that temple occurred on August 28 of last year. Interestingly enough, this rendering was released before the rendering for the Santa Cruz Bolivia Temple, for which a site was confirmed on November 28, 2022. That suggests to me that the La Paz temple might be more fast-tracked, and that a groundbreaking could be coming soon for that temple.

I was likewise intrigued that this was the only temple update we got today. I had been hoping for a potential announcement of the opening arrangements for the Casper Wyoming Temple, but that obviously didn't happen. I also was optimistic that the Church might set more temple groundbreakings, release other renderings, or share the initial details for announced temples. But I am grateful we at least got this announcement today.

Regarding the Casper Wyoming Temple, the open house will likely be shorter, and the dedication may be set sooner than would be the case for larger temples. So despite not hearing about opening arrangements for that temple this week, if opening arrangements are announced for that temple within the next 3-4 weeks, I could still see Casper having a dedication scheduled in June.

As far as future groundbreakings go, some have expressed surprise that no other groundbreakings have been scheduled yet. What I see the Church doing in delaying those announcements is to make sure that the approvals process isn't rushed. We have seen delays in construction of the Heber Valley Utah and Kaohsiung Taiwan Temples, so perhaps the Church is wanting to clear all obstacles to the construction of future temples before groundbreakings are announced. 

I still anticipate at least a few groundbreakings between now and the April 2024 General Conference weekend, but we'll see what happens there. I am likewise grateful the Church is approaching the release of exterior renderings and site locations more slowly for now, since that will likewise allow all obstacles to eventual construction to be cleared so work can begin properly on those temples promptly after groundbreakings.

So I for one am inclined to say that it's a wise move on the Church's part to take a more reserved approach to such announcements. I believe we will have many more surprise announcements in store in the coming weeks, and I can't wait to see that process unfold. Other than these notes, I will let today's rendering speak for itself, and will let others more qualified than I am make any comments they would care to offer about this exterior rendering.

I continue to monitor any and all Church News, Newsroom, and Church of Jesus Christ Temples updates and will be sure to pass word of those along to you all as they cross my radar. In the meantime, that does it for now. All comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated on any post at any time, as long as the offered feedback is made per the established guidelines. 

I hope any of you who would like to share anything will take your opportunity to “sound off” in the comments below. Please subscribe if you liked what you read here and would like to be informed of newly added posts and comments. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

BREAKING NEWS: New Leadership Assignments in the Presidency of the Seventy

Hello again, everyone! The First Presidency announced this afternoon that Elder Carl B. Cook has officially succeeded Elder Patrick Kearon as Senior President of the Seventy, following Elder Kearon's call last month to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Further, to fill the existing vacancy in the Presidency of the Seventy, Elder Marcus B. Nash, a GA Seventy who had been serving as the Exectuvie Director of the Church's Missionary Department, will now serve in that Presidency.

The biographies of these men speak for themselves. While I was a little surprised that the Church appointed an American-born individual rather than an international GA Seventy to fill the vacancy caused by the call of Elder Kearon, as has been the case for years now, the moment I read about these changes, I knew they were in harmony with the Lord's will for the Church at this time. 

I should also note that I don't know who has succeeded Elder Nash as Exectuvie Director of the Church's Missionary Department, but I assume we will find out in the days ahead. I continue to monitor any and all Church News, Newsroom, and Church of Jesus Christ Temples updates and will be sure to pass word of those along to you all as they cross my radar. In the meantime, that does it for now. 

All comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated on any post at any time, as long as the offered feedback is made per the established guidelines. I hope any of you who would like to share anything will take your opportunity to “sound off” in the comments below. Please subscribe if you liked what you read here and would like to be informed of newly added posts and comments. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Opening Arrangements Announced for the Coban Guatemala, Salta Argentina, and Taylorsville Utah Temples; Site Location and Preliminary Information Confirmed for the Cuernavaca Mexico Temple

Hello again, everyone! As I anticipated, the First Presidency announced the next major temple construction announcement a few minutes ago: the opening arrangements for the Coban Guatemala, Salta Argentina, and Taylorsville Utah temples and the site location and preliminary information for the Cuernavaca Mexico Temple. Let's get right into the details:

We start with the Coban Guatemala Temple, which will have a media day on Monday, April 22, 2024, which will be followed by VIP tours the next two days. The temple will open to the public between Thursday, April 25-Saturday, May 11, 2024. Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the twelve Apostles will dedicate Guatemala's newest temple on Sunday, June 9, 2024, in two sessions at 10:00 AM and 1:30 PM Central Standard time.

Next, for the Salta Argentina Temple, a media day will be held on Tuesday, April 30, 2024, with VIP tours the next two days. The open house will be held between Friday, May 3-Saturday May 18, 2024. The temple will be dedicated by Elder D. Todd Christofferson, also of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, on Sunday, June 16, 2024, in two sessions at 10:00 AM and 1:30 PM Argentina standard time.

Moving on to the Taylorsville Utah Temple, Media/VIP tours will occur from Tuesday, April 9-Friday, April 12, 2024. Public tours will follow between Saturday, April 13-Saturday, May 18, 2024. The temple will be dedicated by Elder Gerrit W. Gong, also a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, on Sunday, June 2, 2024, in two sessions held at 10:00 AM and 1:30 PM MDT

Each of these dedicatory sessions will be broadcast to those in each respective temple district. I was amazed that all three temple dedications will occur in June. I will be interested to see if they can also dedicate the Casper Wyoming Temple before the end of the first half of the year. But this means that June is stacking up to be a very busy month for temple dedications. It also means that the dedications of other temples might be able to occur sooner than I had projected. i will revise my thoughts on that based on today's announcements.

We conclude now with the information about the Cuernavaca Mexico Temple. A single-story edifice of 19,000 square feet will rise on a a 5.36-acre site southeast of the corner of Calle Hernán Cortes and Calle Santa Prisca in Colonia Vista Hermosa, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico. That is now the second Mexico-city area temple announced by President Nelson in October 2022 that has had a site location and preliminary information confirmed.

In view of today's announcements, I have updated my documents showing current apostles' dedications and rededications and announced temples for which no official information has been confirmed yet. And I still wouldn't rule out a June dedication for Casper Wyoming either. Hopefully these latest announcements will lead to further shifts in the temple construction queue. And temple dedications may be accelerated even more than I previously thought. So it's back to the drawing board with the estimates I've offered.

But the only constant in life is change, so I am happy to revisit that based on these latest announcements. I continue to monitor any and all Church News, Newsroom, and Church of Jesus Christ Temples updates and will be sure to pass word of those along to you all as they cross my radar. In the meantime, that does it for now.  All comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated on any post at any time, as long as the offered feedback is made per the established guidelines. 

I hope any of you who would like to share anything will take your opportunity to “sound off” in the comments below. Please subscribe if you liked what you read here and would like to be informed of newly added posts and comments. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

Church President Russell M. Nelson Observes His 6th Anniversary as Prophet

Hello again, everyone! This Sabbath Day marks the 6th anniversary of the prophetic tenure of Church President Russell M. Nelson. Under his direction, the Church now has three global magazines, is awaiting the arrival of new hymnbooks and children's songbooks to also be used worldwide, has now seen the appointment of the first Asian-American, Latin American, and British-Irish/adult convert apostles, and has seen restructuring efforts affecting the Elders' and High Priests' Quorums, ward Young Men Presidencies, and stake Sunday School and Young Men Presidencies.

All but one of our current apostles (Elder Patrick Kearon) have individually presided at 2 or more temple dedications or rededications. And President Nelson has surpassed 15th Church President Gordon B. Hinckley as the oldest living prophet and the prophet to announce the most temples. The 153 temples announced around the world in the last five years have brought the total number of worldwide temples to 335.

Additionally, the Church is well on track to have 200 operating temples by sometime during the third or fourth quarter of this year, and the Church could almost certainly have 300 temples dedicated by the bicentennial anniversary of the Church (Saturday, April 6, 2030). President Nelson is not only the oldest living prophet but is the oldest living apostle as well.

The prophet's apostolic colleagues, his wife, and his children all say he is hard to keep up with and continue to report that he acts with the energy and vigor of someone 30-40 years younger than his now-99 years of age.  Some have stated that he might be near the end of his life several times. But just as the prophet has proven the world wrong in the January 2018 assessment that he was unlikely to change the Church, he continues to live and function well daily. 

Of course, as any good former physician would do, he followed the advice of his doctors and was absent from the October 2023 General Conference, though he was able to prerecord his remarks delivered during the final session. Later this year, President Nelson and his counselors will join the list of longest-serving First Presidencies of the Church, and several months after that, President Nelson will become the first ever centenarian prophet and apostle.

The last six years of inspired leadership from and through President Nelson has taught me so much. A long time ago, I began regularly praying that when any major Church announcement is made, I would know for myself that it has been inspired by the Lord. And the Lord has never disappointed me in that. Many of the adjustments and changes that have been made have always left me with the question, "Why hasn't this been done before?"

I am grateful for the opportunity I have almost daily to witness what is going on in the Church around the world because of our current beloved prophet, President Russell M. Nelson. He is truly the man for our time. As we heed his prophetic counsel and seek to obtain confirmation from the Lord regarding it, I promise He will continue to testify to all of us that He does indeed direct His work, through His chosen prophet, seer, and revelatory and President of the Church in our day, President Russell M. Nelson.

I am grateful to have had the chance to reflect on the impact the prophet has had on the Church in the last 6 years. I continue to monitor any and all Church News, Newsroom, and Church of Jesus Christ Temples updates and will be sure to pass word of those along to you all as they cross my radar. In the meantime, that does it for now. All comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated on any post at any time, as long as the offered feedback is made per the established guidelines.

I hope any of you who would like to share anything will take your opportunity to “sound off” in the comments below. Please subscribe if you liked what you read here and would like to be informed of newly added posts and comments. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Exterior Renderings Released for 3 Temples

Hello again, everyone! The big temple news for today, and the first major announcement affecting temple construction in 2024 was the release of 3 exterior renderings for temples that have had sites announced previously. The three renderings are for the Londrina and Riberao Preto Brazil Temples (both of which were jannounced in October 2022 and had their sites confirmed one month later), and the Bakersfield California Temple (which was announced in April 2023 and had its' site location confirmed in July 2023. 

I will let others more qualified than I am share anything they like in the comments about the features of these exterior renderings. I will just note here that I anticipate each of these temples might now be closer to a groundbreaking. But I also wanted to provide an update to my thoughts on the potential timing for temple dedications in the near term. 

Since Casper is a smaller temple, I anticipate a short open hoouse there, which probably means the Church could hold its' dedication before the end of June. There has reportedly been a delay in completing the Taylorsville Utah Temple landscaping due to a supply shortage and backlog, so I anticipate that temple will only be dedicated after the Salta Argentina and Coban Guatemala Temples. 

Those temples (Salta, Coban, and Taylorsville) will likely be at the top of the list for August and September, unless the First Presidency opts to dedicate any temples in July. There is a precedent for that, but whether they'd do it again remains uncertain. So that's why I say I anticipate that the bulk of temple dedications in 2024 will come in the last 5 months of this year. 

There is also a precedent from last year to schedule 2 or more dedications for the same day, so we could see that occur this year as well. I continue to monitor any and all Church News, Newsroom, and Church of Jesus Christ Temples updates and will be sure to pass word of those along to you all as they cross my radar. In the meantime, that does it for now. 

All comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated on any post at any time, as long as the offered feedback is made per the established guidelines. I hope any of you who would like to share anything will take your opportunity to “sound off” in the comments below. Please subscribe if you liked what you read here and would like to be informed of newly added posts and comments. 

Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

UPDATED: Current Apostolic Data

Hello again, everyone! It has been a tradition on this blog for me to provide updates on apostolic data every 7 weeks. Having last done so on Sunday, November 19, it is time to publish the newest such data. The recent passing of President M. Russell Ballard and the subsequent call of Elder Patrick Kearon are making the biggest differences in this edition. As with every two-part update, the first part contains updated data about the age and tenure length records for all 17 Church Presidents, in addition to updated information on the tenure length records for each of the 28 Presidents of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. 

The first document likewise notes information on the tenure length rankings for three sets of apostolic groups: the longest-serving First Presidencies (with the current First Presidency joining that list for the first time), 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), and an overview of when each of those current groups will move up on the list.

Obviously, in view of President Ballard's death and Elder Kearon's subsequent appointment, the clock has reset for the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and overall apostolic group, so there will not be any milestones to report in that regard until 2027, provided no other current apostles pass away between now and then.

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 3 of the current 15 apostles being on that list), and a final table showing the remaining time between today and when each of the other 12 apostles will become nonagenarians and join that list. With these updates coming every 7 weeks, the next update will be posted here on the morning of Sunday, February 25.

Hopefully, this post is of interest to you all. Again, I offer an open invitation to ask anyone who has any questions about those documents to ask them here. I continue to monitor any and all Church News, Newsroom, and Church of Jesus Christ Temples updates and will be sure to pass word of those along to you all as they cross my radar. In the meantime, that does it for now. All comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated on any post at any time, as long as the offered feedback is made per the established guidelines.

I hope any of you who would like to share anything will take your opportunity to “sound off” in the comments below. Please subscribe if you liked what you read here and would like to be informed of newly added posts and comments. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

Final 2023 Temple Construction Progress Report

Hello again, everyone! As the final minutes of 2023 come to a close, we take a look back at the major progress made on temple construction in 2023. The highlights included 11 dedications and 2 rededications, 8 temple groundbreakings, and numerous site announcements and exterior renderings. There was also tremendous progress on temples in various phases of construction and renovation.

As a matter of review, here is what the temple construction program looked like as 2023 began, on the Saturday of the April 2023 General Conference, at the end of the first half of 2023, at the conclusion of the October 2023 General Conference weekend, and at the end of 2023. There has been tremendous progress in temple construction this year, and I've been privileged to track, report, and pass along all the updates.

As 2024 begins, my hope is for another year of double-digit dedications, double-digit groundbreakings, and many more updates in terms of site announcements, exterior renderings, and general progress updates. I have no doubt we've got significantly substantial updates coming down the pike, and I look forward to seeing that unfold and covering it all for you here.

I continue to monitor any and all Church News, Newsroom, and Church of Jesus Christ Temples updates and will be sure to pass word of those along to you all as they cross my radar. In the meantime, that does it for now. All comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated on any post at any time, as long as the offered feedback is made per the established guidelines. 

I hope any of you who would like to share anything will take your opportunity to “sound off” in the comments below. Please subscribe if you liked what you read here and would like to be informed of newly added posts and comments. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

Elder Gerrit W. Gong Observes His 70th Birthday

Hello again, everyone! I am back two days before Christmas to post a birthday tribute to Elder Gerrit W. Gong, who is celebrating his 70th today. His is the last apostolic birthday to occur this year. The first apostle to observe his birthday in 2024 will be Elder D. Todd Christofferson, marking his 79th on January 24. Let's now turn our attention to today's tribute to Elder Gong.

Gerrit Walter Gong was born in Redwood City, California, on this day in 1953, to Walter and Jean Char Gong. While he was given his father's name for his middle name, his first name was given in honor of and out of respect to Gerrit de Jong, whose family hosted his mother while she studied at BYU-Provo.

After graduating from high school in Palo Alto, California, young Gerrit served as a missionary for the Church in Taiwan. He earned a bachelor's degree at BYU, then continued his education at Oxford University, where, as a Rhodes Scholar, he earned a master's degree and a doctoral degree in philosophy. 

He first met Susan Lindsay, the woman he would later marry, while giving presentations at the MTC focused on the culture of Taiwan, to groups of missionaries assigned to serve in that nation (Sister Lindsay, at that time, was preparing to serve her mission in Taiwan). At some point following her return from missionary service, while he was on summer break from Oxford, the two began dating. 

After Gerrit returned to Oxford, he and Susan (a BYU student) continued their courtship long-distance The couple was married in the Salt Lake Temple on January 2, 1980, and raised 4 sons. They spent most of their married lives in Virginia and Maryland. Brother Gong became a special assistant to the US Secretary of State in 1985. He subsequently became a professor at Johns Hopkins University and Georgetown University.

He continued his career as a special assistant in the US State Department and as a special assistant to the US embassy in China. In 1989, he served as China Chair and Asia Director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He was also invited to participate in multiple education summits, in addition to serving on the United States Department of Education's National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity. 

Toward the end of his professional career, he served as an Assistant to the President of BYU for Planning and Assessment. As impressive as his career may have been, the far more significant things he accomplished were in the course of Church service over several decades, during which he was a bishop, stake president, and area seventy. 

During his latter assignment, he accompanied the presiding authority to my parent's Stake Conference. As he spoke, I was impressed by his warmth, knowledge of the scriptures, and ability to teach from them. While I may not remember any specifics of what he said, the power of the Spirit which I felt when he was speaking was unmistakable.

After that conference, I had the opportunity to greet and chat with him informally. What I had seen at the pulpit while he spoke was even more apparent in his interactions with me and other members of my parent's stake. This is a man who feels and teaches by the Spirit. During the April 2010 General Conference, Elder Gong was among those called to serve as General Authority Seventies. 

He filled various assignments at Church headquarters for the first year or so after his call. From August 2011-August 2013, he served in the Asia Area Presidency as a counselor. In 2013, he was called as president of that same area. As a result of Elder Ronald A. Rasband's call to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles during the October 2015 General Conference, Elder Gong was called to the Presidency of the Seventy on October 6, 2015. 

He transitioned out of his role as Asia Area President and into that new assignment effective January 4, 2016. During his two years of active service in the Presidency of the Seventy, he had responsibility for overseeing the work of the Church in the North America Northeast Area. He also served on the Church Board of Education and Boards of Trustees, and as a member of the Executive Committee of the Boards. Following the October 2017 and January 2018 deaths of Elder Robert D. Hales and Church President Thomas S. Monson, new Church President Russell M. Nelson called both Elder Gong and Elder Ulisses Soares to serve as members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The two made history as the first Asian-American and Latin-American apostles of the Church. They were sustained as such on March 31, 2018, and both were ordained to the apostleship the following Thursday (April 5, 2018).

Consistent with the general practice of the Church, and for the first time since the October 2015 appointments of Elders Ronald A. Rasband, Gary E. Stevenson, and Dale G. Renlund, with the two apostles called, sustained, and ordained on the same day, Elder Gong, who is older, became the senior apostle to Elder Soares. In June 2018, Elders Gong and Soares met with media representatives for the first time as new apostles, at which time Elder Gong reported that he had been asked to chair the Scriptures Committee. 

His additional assignments included serving on the Priesthood and Family Executive Council, the Leadership and Training Committee, and the Outreach Committee. He also had apostolic oversight for the Asia and Asia North Areas. He is now serving on the Temple & Family History Executive Council.

Elder Gong has given a total of 14 addresses in General Conference thus far, which includes 1 as a General Authority Seventy, 1 other as a member of the Presidency of the Seventy, and the remaining 12 since beginning his service in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Due to his potential exposure to COVID-19 (for which he tested positive a few days later), he had pre-recorded his remarks in the days leading up to the October 2020 General Conference. 

Having successfully completed his quarantine, he was able to preside at the groundbreaking for the Taylorsville Utah Temple later that month. And after a yearlong delay, Elder Gong presided at the dedication of the Winnipeg Manitoba Temple in October 2021. As an apostle of Asia descent, he was sent in June 2022 to rededicate the Hong Kong China Temple. 

I am grateful to have been able to honor Elder Gong on this, his 69th birthday. Because of my previously-referenced personal interaction with him, I can testify that the Lord has prepared him for his present assignment, and I wholeheartedly sustain him and the other 14 apostles. I continue to monitor all Church News and temple updates and will be sure to pass word of those along to you as I become aware thereof.

I continue to monitor any and all Church News, Newsroom, and Church of Jesus Christ Temples updates and will be sure to pass word of those along to you all as they cross my radar. In the meantime, that does it for now. All comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated on any post at any time, as long as the offered feedback is made per the established guidelines. I hope any of you who would like to share anything will take your opportunity to “sound off” in the comments below. Please subscribe if you liked what you read here and would like to be informed of newly added posts and comments. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.