President Monson not at cultural celebration in Rexburg

REXBURG, Idaho — President Thomas S. Monson, named Monday as the 16th president of the LDS Church, is scheduled to dedicated the faith's 125th temple in Rexburg Sunday, but he and his first counselor did not attend a cultural celebration here Saturday night as expected.

The event, which drew thousands of people to the Hart Auditorium on the BYU-Idaho campus, was expected to be the first at which President Monson would preside as the church's top leader. Church spokesman Scott Trotter said President Henry B. Eyring fell at home on Friday and broke his ankle. He had no information about why President Monson didn't attend the Saturday night celebration, which has become a tradition for LDS members before a new temple is dedicated.

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints here were expecting the two members of the First Presidency, along with with Elder David Bednar of the Council of the Twelve, at the celebration. As former president of BYU-Idaho, Elder Bednar did attend, and briefly addressed the crowd, as did his senior counterpart in that council, Elder Russell M. Nelson.

President Eyring was named first counselor to President Monson during a press conference Monday at the Church Office Building, after having served only since October as second counselor to the late President Gordon B. Hinckley, who died Jan. 27.