Health issues among the presiding Brethren

The Church has recently released two statements on the health of, respectively, President Thomas S. Monson and Elders L. Tom Perry and Richard G. Scott of the Council of the Twelve Apostles:

http://www.sltrib.com/lifestyle/faith/2465653-155/at-87-mormon-leader-thomas-s

http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/elder-l-tom-perry-elder-richard-g-scott-health

I cannot recall such candid statements on this topic before.

I know that at least one senior member of the Twelve has been advocating such frank openness for a while, and I’m very pleased to see it happening.

Apart from these statements, it’s been obvious for years that Elder Robert Hales, too, has faced serious physical challenges, and President Boyd K. Packer’s physical decline has been open and unconcealed.

Critics of the Church have pointed out, happily, that changes are on the near horizon for the presiding quorums, and they’re surely right about that.  Such changes are inevitable — although, if the critics are hoping to see the Church back away from its core doctrines and commitments as personnel changes come, I’m confident that they’re going to be severely disappointed.

Some critics seem to imagine that debilitating illness and decline among senior Church leaders somehow demonstrates Mormonism false, as if it were a doctrine among Latter-day Saints that apostolic ordination guarantees immunity to all illness and freedom from all problems, as well as immortality and everlasting youth.

I wish the very best for Elder Perry.  He’s undergoing treatment, and I hope that he can beat his cancer.  He’s still entirely capable of serving.  I’m sad to know of Elder Scott’s incapacitating problems with memory — especially ironic given his distinguished career in earlier life as a nuclear engineer.  My wife and I pray for them daily, as, of course, we pray for President Monson and for President Packer and Elder Hales.

And we honor them for their exceptionally long lives of exceptional service.  We revere them as divinely chosen apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ.

May God bless them and their families.  Now and forever.