Solemn Assembly time! This should prove momentous.
Saturday Morning General Conference – Open Thread
April 5, 2008 by
By Common Consent, a Mormon Blog
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By Common Consent, a Mormon Blog 
Just waiting for it to start…
I love “Lead kindly light.”
packer is looking tired
man I forgot already and voted for the FP during their turn… need to wake up.
D. Todd Christopherson
who is he?
Whatever happened to Chivalry? Shouldn’t we have the women go first?
http://www.deseretnews.com/confer/leaders/c.htm
Newest apostle.
can’t get the video feed to work.
farumph….I wonder if you could restrict those from Utah accessing Conference from the Net…
Hayes,
Did you try all 3 ways to connect? BYUTV?
you on BYUTV? That is where we watch it up here.
Why weren’t the GAs permitted the opportunity to vote in opposition?
Anyone know who else is hosting an open thread for GC?
12 – Because it was apparent that the affirmative vote was unanimous?
t&s
Times and Seasons is at
thanks for the advice…I have tried the three BYUTV versions and the embedded player on LDS.org
I guess I just have a crappy connection.
I mean at http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=4474
13 – There’s timesandseasons.org, mormonmentality.org, and mormonmatters.org, at least.
Here’s what’s out there (according to Mormon Archipelago)
T&S
BCC
Mormon Mentality
Mormon Matters
Messenger and Advocate
Our Thoughts
But it semes like here and T&S have the most people
The Apostles and 70’s had previously met and sustained unanimously those being sustained, so there was no reason to ask them to do otherwise.
If I want to oppose, rather than sustain, how will they know? Am I supposed to send a telegram?
AB
If you do it in a meetinghouse, whoever presides is supposed to note it and pass it along.
Watching it at home and not in a congregation has its drawbacks, AB.
boring…..
Conference, or the comments in this thread?
conference.
but my sigh of boredom was a little premature. elder whateverhisnameis who just spoke made me feel like i was in hogwarts.
The Apostles and 70’s had previously met and sustained unanimously those being sustained, so there was no reason to ask them to do otherwise.
I’m not a fan of pro forma exercises.
Elder Wirthlin’s talk is amazing.
… wishing Elder Wirthlin would give examples of the doctrines he has in mind …
AB
wishing Elder Wirthlin would give examples of the doctrines he has in mind
the true ones.
another chance for a latino or non white apostle gone. Can’t say I’m surprised. Still disappointing a bit.
Elder Wirthlin’s talk was great, but I hope people actually go back and read it–sometimes his words get lost in the delivery.
Re: 33.
I plan to print it out as soon as it is released — I will even stay up late tonight to transcribe it on my own.
Ya’ll don’t pick on Elder Christofferson. He may not have ethnic flair, but he is one of my favorites. I hang on just about every word the man says. He’s no dope.
Did Elder Eyring just say that “true church” = keys of the priesthood? Just checking. A great speaker.
Nice catch, Steve.
While I was certainly hoping for a latin to fill the quorum vacancy, I do have a deep respect for Elder Christofferson.
Christofferson may have been born in Utah, but he’s a NC/TN guy, through and through. That’s fairly ethnic, when you think about it.
Our first NASCAR apostle?
So did that make Nathan E. Tanner the Hockey Apostle since he came from Canada, though born in Utah?
Whatever happened to doing a “hosanna shout” at the end of the solemn assembly? I brought along a white handkerchief and everything…
KSL just broadcast a short piece on blogs and open threads. They mentioned T&S, MOMentality, and FMH. No BCC. Steve?
FMH doesn’t have an open thread this morning.
Hosting this past Thursday’s Interfaith Council meeting was a great opportunity for our delegate to share with the others our anticipation of this weekend’s General Conference, our sadness about the death of GBH, about sustaining BY COMMON CONSENT a new prophet and a new apostle. We had very nice exchange, and one question asked if Howard W. Hunter had been one of our recent prophets.
I don’t ever remember standing quorum by quorum, auxiliary by auxiliary, to sustain the prophet and apostles. Did this happen when GBH was sustained? I don’t remember. And is age 12 the age at which one can begin to show a sustaining vote? What about those 8, 9, 10, and 11-year-olds who are baptized members?
Mack Wilberg and Craig Jessup are living treasures!
And I loved Rasband’s story of praying in Puno, Peru.
I hope I don’t have to wander all over the Bloggernacle with this bit of trivia but I am surprised no one else is noting it. Interesting note in Elder Cristofferson’s history is that he was the law clerk to Judge John Sirica during the Watergate court hearings. Not a major player but he was a firsthand witness to one of the more momentous crises in recent US history.
JWL, It was noted on T&S, with a link to an article about it.
I haven’t read all the posts so I hope this hasn’t been covered already. I thought the major change in how sustainings took place was interesting. In the past I know friends and others that would abstain (not vote) in certain cases or for certain people being sustained. Now that we each stand by quorum it could make that much more difficult or at least a spectacle should you abstain. If this is carried to the local level such as ward conference and there are only a dozen elders etc. you would certainly be called in should you be one of twelve standing before the ward and stake leadership and then not vote. I think this goes straight to a control issue………
Ahem, noted on T&S by me, hence the comment about wandering around the bloggernacle. Thanks for noticing though.
bytv (and kbyu) is hosting a live press interview with elder christopherson right now.
48, MP, as noted elsewhere, this is a special procedure done only in solemn assemblies, which have always been done when a new President of the church is sustained. It’s not a control issue.
1st Presidency
Q of 12 Apostles
1st and 2nd Q of 70, Presiding Bishopric
All Area 70s, Patriarchs, HP, Elders
All Aaronic Priesthood
All members of RS
All YW
Entire membership
So…the members of Relief Society and then the YW, that’s new isn’t it? I’m only going from memory here, but I thought it went straight from the Aaronic Priesthood to general membership for the other three solemn assemblies I’ve witnessed (HWH, ETB and GBH). Am I remembering incorrectly?
#42 To my knowledge, the hosanna shout has never been a part of the solemn assembly to sustain a new prophet. I have seen all the solemn assemblies beginning with SWK, and none included the shout. Temple dedications, however, are also considered solemn assemblies, and they always include the hosanna shout.
#48 There’s no reason to think this procedure will be adopted for anything other than the solemn assembly for sustaining a new church president. As noted by President Uchtdorf, there’s nothing new about the procedure followed in sustaining a new president. It’s been followed since the sustaining of John Taylor. The only major changes have been that beginning with the ETB assembly, the procedure was shortened (they used to have each quorum stand in sequence to sustain the FP, then have each quorum stand to sustain the 12, etc.), and that beginning, I think with HWH, the RS and YW have been included in the process.
And from Left Field we have the answer! Thanks.
Jami (#50), the women were not broken out for HWH, but they were broken out for GBH (ETB was too long ago, so I don’t know what was done then). I remember because one of my roommates was a bit upset when HWH was sustained because women were simply grouped with everyone and didn’t get a chance to stand and sustain alone. We were still roommates when GBH was sustained (since it wasn’t a long time between them), and I remember her happiness at being able to stand and sustain him with the group of women. I have to admit, I liked it too.
Tanya is correct that the Relief Society and Young Women first voted as a group with GBH. I was remembering incorrectly. The order of voting beginning with SWK was as follows:
Spencer W. Kimball (April 1974)
Sustaining the First Presidency
First Presidency
Quorum of the Twelve
Patriarchs
High priests
Seventies
Elders
Aaronic Priesthood
The whole congregation, including the priesthood.
Sustaining the Quorum of the Twelve
First Presidency
Quorum of the Twelve
Patriarchs
High priests
Seventies
Elders
Aaronic Priesthood
The whole congregation
Sustaining Eldred G. Smith as Patriarch to the Church
First Presidency
Quorum of the Twelve
Patriarchs
High priests
Seventies
Elders
Aaronic Priesthood
The whole congregation
Sustaining the counselors in the First Presidency, the Twelve Apostles, and the Patriarch to the Church as prophets, seers, and revelators
First Presidency
Quorum of the Twelve
Patriarchs
High priests
Seventies
Elders
Aaronic Priesthood
The whole congregation
Sustaining other general authorities and general officers
The whole congregation
Ezra Taft Benson (April 1986)
Sustaining the First Presidency and the Twelve, including their sustaining as PS, &R.
First Presidency
Quorum of the Twelve
All other Melchizedek Priesthood
Aaronic Priesthood
The whole congregation
Sustaining other general authorities and general officers
The whole congregation
Howard W. Hunter (October 1994)
Sustaining the First Presidency and the Twelve, including their sustaining as PS, &R.
First Presidency
Quorum of the Twelve
First and Second Quorums of the 70 and Presiding Bishopric
All other Melchizedek Priesthood
Aaronic Priesthood
The whole congregation
Sustaining other general authorities and general officers
The whole congregation
Gordon B. Hinckley (April 1995)
Sustaining the First Presidency and the Twelve, including their sustaining as PS, &R.
First Presidency
Quorum of the Twelve
First and Second Quorums of the 70 and Presiding Bishopric
All other Melchizedek Priesthood
Aaronic Priesthood
Relief Society
Young Women
The whole congregation
Sustaining other general authorities and general officers
The whole congregation
Thomas S. Monson (April 2008)
Sustaining the First Presidency and the Twelve, including their sustaining as PS, &R.
First Presidency
Quorum of the Twelve
First and Second Quorums of the 70 and Presiding Bishopric
All other Melchizedek Priesthood
Aaronic Priesthood
Relief Society
Young Women
The whole congregation
Sustaining other general authorities and general officers
The whole congregation
I believe that the order for SWK was virtually the same as that used beginning with John Taylor. Ezra Taft Benson’s was the first solemn assembly in which the priesthood quorums were not seated together. An opposing vote was called for in all assemblies up through 1995. If that was not done today (I wasn’t paying attention to that), it was the first time.
Uchtdorf just welcomed those of us tuning in on the internet. Thus, my wife should stop chastizing me for watching conference and blogging simultaneously.
AB
I noticed that President Packer’s son was called to the First Quorum of the Seventy, and President Monson’s daughter was called to the YW General Presidency.
President Eyring’s son was called to be an Area Seventy.
In reference to several comments about the vote….it was pointed out in the afternoon session that it was not a vote…but an opportunity to sustain… more like a covenant. Choosing not to sustain won’t change what happens…just reflects your personal commitments.
Todd Christopherson was a year behind me in law school. Even then, he was an exceptional man. His behind-the scene role in the Watergate hearings as the clerk for the presiding judge of the United States District Court in Washington DC had to be a maturing and tempering experience.
Though I haven’t checked it out thoroughly, I believe Todd is the first Duke alum to be selected as an apostle of the Lord.
I lurk pretty much on FMH – love it there – but wanted to see what the dialogue was regarding the solemn assembly.
As a member of RS …. it is incredulous to me that a 12-year-old pimple-faced boy stands before the women of the church.
you can give your fallback response “well, we don’t like it either .. but you know, it’s the priesthood.”
I will tell you – that answer is not good enough. And it shouldn’t be good enough for you either.
I love the restored gospel, but the church is run by people who put their pants on one leg at a time.
make it a great evening.
Huh. What would your suggested order be, Mary? 12-year-old boys with good complexions first? ;)
I wonder how the 12 year old pimple faced boy would feel to hear you say that. There is order in the church. Just because it goes in that order doesn’t make one group better than another.
absolutely …. clear complexions before zits… but AFTER their mothers and grandmothers
order? or my Stephanie… have you never questioned authority? it does a body and soul good from time to time.
btw – how 12 year old boys feel? I’m far less concerned about that when compared to asking how the women of the church feel … forever relegated to the back of the bus.
That’s sad, Mary. I care about how 12 year old boys feel just as much as I care about how women feel – particularly my own sons. What do you propose? We go from oldest to youngest? Even in the Aaronic priesthood, there are many men. No matter how you do it, someone would be offended . . . IF they are looking to be.
Stephanie, don’t feed the trolls.
Well, it could be worse. The women didn’t vote separately at all until the Solemn Assembly sustaining President Hinckley. We’ve come a long way, baby??
Interesting point, Ma.Magdalene, one to think more about.
I don’t connect priesthood (the power and authority of God) to sex, but if those who administer the priesthood are called to sustain the prophets by office (greater to lesser), why not interject the Relief Society (by office) into the mix?
I’m there with you PL – ask for RS sustaining – somewhere around HP group?