SALT LAKE CITY (AP)-Per an official statement from the Salt Lake City-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Tuesday, prophet President Thomas S. Monson will no longer attend regular meetings.
Monson, who would turn 90 on August 21, “will remain at home for the foreseeable future” per LDS Church officials.
Furthermore, Monson will no longer come to the Church offices to attend meetings “because of limitations incident to his age,” officials stated.
In a statement released by the Church, Monson “communicates and confers with his counselors on matters as needed.” The statement also confirms that Monson appreciates the prayers and support of the membership of the Church.
If Monson is absent, LDS Church First Presidency First Counselor Henry B. Eyring and Second Counselor Dieter F. Uchtdorf will oversee responsibilities of the Church.
If any major issue should arise, the First Presidency and Quorum of Twelve Apostles will come together to decide what should be done.
This past April, Monson was only able to attend four of the six General Conference meetings of the Church which caused Church spokesman Eric Hawkins to say Monson was feeling the effects of his age.
This is not an unprecedented event for the Church as in the 1980s and 1990s, when Presidents Spencer W. Kimball and Ezra Taft Benson were unable to attend meetings regularly, their respective counselors presided over the Church.
Monson was named the 16th president of the Church on February 3, 2008, following the death of his predecessor President Gordon B. Hinckley.
