Kirton McConkie's Randy Austin called as Area Seventy

[malkie]

In other news, David Bednar's oldest son has been sustained as an area seventy:

Eric D. Bednar, 47, Crestwood, Kentucky; orthodontic faculty, University of Louisville; currently serving as president of the Crestwood Kentucky Stake; former bishop and bishopric counselor

I am reminded of J. Golden Kimball's purported remark: "Some people say a person receives a position in this church through revelation, and others say they get it through inspiration, but I say they get it through relation. If I hadn't been related to Heber C. Kimball I wouldn't have been a damn thing in this church.”

To augment Bro Kimball's purported remark: other's through desperation.

[malkie]

Funny you should bring that up, Tom, as I have a similar question. If an opposing vote is made in a full chapel and everyone sees it, is it recorded in Salt Lake City?

I believe the answer is yes. According to substance theory, a substance is distinct from its properties, while according to bundle theory, an object is merely its sense data. I don’t understand either theory, having completed a single philosophy class during my undistinguished academic career and lacking time today to digest the associated Wikipedia entries. In any case, as I see it, the definition of an opposing vote, simplified, is a raised arm from an individual when a church leader intones that any opposed to a sustaining may manifest it. Thus understood, an opposing vote will be recorded in Salt Lake City even if nobody saw it, simply because it could have been seen if the presiding officer was paying attention to the individuals sitting in the back of the chapel. I do recognize that the church rejects this theory (Elder McConkie famously called it one of the seven deadly theories), and the church tries to avoid the conundrum entirely by simply asking the dissenter to contact their stake president. Nevertheless, it seems entirely apparent that if an opposing vote is made in a full chapel and everyone sees, it will be recorded in Salt Lake City.

Shortly after each GC I email my Stake Pres to tell him that I opposed the sustaining of the FP and Q12, and to ask him to ensure that my dissent is recorded in the official church records.

This time I'll be sure to mention Bro. Austin.