Temple
Construction Progress Report (current as of 1/26/17)
Current
Temple Status: 155 operating; 4 scheduled for
dedication; 8 under construction; 1 groundbreaking scheduled; 1 scheduled
for rededication; 2 undergoing renovation; 9 announced. NOTE: With one groundbreaking
announced already this year, two more have the potential to be announced and
scheduled very soon, and there may be several more groundbreakings than that in
the year ahead.
Dedication
scheduled:
156. Paris France Temple: Inscription gilded over baptistery; finish work underway on interior; dedication
scheduled for Sunday May 21, 2017.
157. Tucson Arizona Temple: Exterior lighting
tests underway; installation of interior art glass and millwork nearing
completion; president’s home undergoing renovation; dedication
scheduled for Sunday August 13, 2017.
158. Meridian Idaho Temple: Interior painting
and millwork underway; dedication scheduled for Sunday November 19, 2017.
159. Cedar City Utah Temple: Installing art glass
windows; hanging drywall on interior; dedication
scheduled for Sunday December 10, 2017.
Under Construction:
160. Rome Italy Temple:
Interior work progressing; completion anticipated
sometime between early and mid-2018.
161. Kinshasa
Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple: Building concrete block exterior
walls; roughing in plumbing; completion anticipated sometime between early
and mid-2018.
162. Concepcion Chile
Temple: Exterior cladding going up on north wall; framing the interior walls; completion
anticipated sometime during mid-2018.
163. Durban South
Africa Temple: Applying waterproof mastic to temple foundation; setting
concrete forms for missionary housing exterior walls; completion
anticipated sometime during mid-2018.
164. Barranquilla
Colombia Temple: Exterior concrete walls completed; completion anticipated
sometime between late 2018 and early 2019.
165. Winnipeg Manitoba
Temple: Groundbreaking held Saturday December 3, 2016; completion anticipated
sometime between late 2018 and early 2019.
166. Fortaleza Brazil Temple: Second
floor exterior walls poured; completion anticipated
sometime during 2019.
167. Lisbon Portugal
Temple: Excavation underway for temple; structural framing going up for
meetinghouse; completion anticipated sometime during 2019.
Groundbreaking Scheduled:
168. Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple:
Preparing for groundbreaking; environmental license issued in November 2016;
groundbreaking scheduled for Saturday
March 4, 2017.
Rededication Scheduled:
8. Idaho Falls Idaho
Temple: Closed for renovation; finish work underway; rededication scheduled for
Sunday June 4, 2017.
Undergoing Renovation:
20. Jordan River Utah
Temple: Closed for renovation; rededication anticipated sometime between late
2017 and early 2018.
41. Frankfurt Germany
Temple: Closed for renovation; some exterior stone removed; foundation exposed;
old meetinghouse razed; rededication anticipated sometime between early
and mid-2018.
Announced:
169. Arequipa Peru
Temple: Erecting construction
barrier; clearing and leveling site; awaiting groundbreaking announcement;
groundbreaking anticipated in early 2017.
170. Harare Zimbabwe
Temple: Approval and construction preparation phase; official site announcement
anticipated in 2017, with the groundbreaking anticipated to take place shortly
following the site announcement.
171. Port-au-Prince
Haiti Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.
NOTE: The LDS Church Temple website indicates that a potential site has been identified,
though it has yet to be officially verified.
172. Bangkok Thailand
Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement. NOTE:
As the above-mentioned website indicates for this temple, while no official
temple site has been announced, there may be a possibility that a Church office
building may be repurposed to function as a temple, meetinghouse, and office
building under one roof, in a similar fashion to those temples in Hong Kong
China and Manhattan New York. This is most likely to be confirmed sooner rather
than later.
173. Urdaneta Philippines Temple: Stalled in planning
and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.
174. Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple: Planning phase; awaiting
official site announcement.
175. Quito Ecuador Temple: Planning phase; awaiting
official site announcement.
176. Belem Brazil Temple: Planning phase; awaiting
official site announcement.
177. Lima Peru Los Olivos Temple: Planning phase; awaiting
official site announcement.
Key:
Bolded
numbers and text denote temples whose
numbers already exists (for renovations), or is certain due to a scheduled
dedication, as well as information that is certain, such as dedication or
groundbreaking dates.
Italicized
numbers and text denote
temples whose numbers may change based on the order in which future dedications
and groundbreakings are scheduled.
Underlined
numbers and text denote temples whose
numbers may change based on progress towards planning, approval, and
groundbreaking.
Red
text denotes changes from the last posted
temple progress report.
Upcoming Temple Events (Text in parentheses indicates what the status of temples will be following the event listed):
2017
1. Saturday
March 4—Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple Groundbreaking (155 operating; 1 scheduled
for dedication; 12 under construction; 1 rededication
scheduled; 2 undergoing renovation; 9 announced. NOTE: Several other groundbreakings may take
place soon.)
NOTE: According to the LDS
Church Temples website, Elder Claudio R. M. Costa, who serves as President of the
Brazil Area of the Church, has been asked to preside at this groundbreaking. It
is a pretty safe bet that his counselors in the area presidency, Elder Marcos
A. Aidukaitis and Elder W. Mark Bassett, will also be in attendance along with
Elder Larry Y. Wilson, who serves as Executive Director of the Church’s Temple
Department. However, assignments to preside at groundbreakings have been known
to change as needed.
2. Sunday
May 21—Paris France Temple Dedication (156 operating; 3 scheduled for
dedication; 8 under construction; 1 rededication scheduled; 2 undergoing
renovation; 9 announced. NOTE:
Several other groundbreakings may be possible soon.)
NOTE: As to who might be asked
to preside at this dedication, previous precedent indicates it may be any
member of the First Presidency (with my vote going to President Uchtdorf, as he
is a European native) or any of the apostles.
3. Sunday
June 4—Idaho Falls Idaho Temple Rededication (156 operating; 10 under
construction; 2 undergoing renovation; 10 announced. NOTE: Several other
groundbreakings may be possible soon.)
NOTE: Since the health of the
brethren remains unclear, it is anyone’s guess who might be asked to preside at
this dedication. I could see three possibilities at this point: President Henry
B. Eyring, a former Ricks College president; Elder David A. Bednar, a former
BYU-Idaho president; or Elder Neil L. Andersen, who is an Idaho native that has
personal ties to the area.
4. Sunday August 13—Tucson Arizona Temple
Dedication (157 operating; 2 scheduled for dedication; 8 under construction; 2
undergoing renovation; 9 announced. NOTE: Several other groundbreakings
may be possible soon.)
NOTE: The question of who might preside at
this dedication may not be easy to resolve. Both President Henry B. Eyring and
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf have accompanied President Monson to previous
dedications in Arizona, with the question of who may have actually presided at
the most recent one in Gilbert still being largely unresolved. Technically,
since President Monson was present for at least one of the sessions, and since
all three were under his direction, he presided there. However, with that said,
it appears that President Eyring was the one who read the dedicatory prayer in
the first session, opening the argument that he was the one to preside. For a
similar anomalous situation, I cite the dedication of the Provo City Center
Temple, where Elder Dallin H. Oaks was listed as presiding even though President
Russell M. Nelson was present at the final session, which made him the presiding
authority. If President Eyring does preside at the previous dedication, it is
not unlikely that President Uchtdorf will be asked to represent the Church at
this dedication, especially considering that President Eyring, an Idaho native,
will most likely be the one to preside at the next dedication in Meridian.
Also, the choice of President Uchtdorf makes even more sense when remembering
that he was the one who presided at the groundbreaking in 2015. It is also not
impossible to believe that Elder Lynn G. Robbins of the Presidency of the
Seventy, who oversees the North America Southwest Area of the Church, under which
Arizona falls.
5. Sunday November 19—Meridian Idaho Temple
Dedication (158 operating; 1 scheduled for dedication; 8 under construction; 2
undergoing renovation; 9 announced. NOTE: Several other groundbreakings
may be possible soon.)
NOTE: If President Uchtdorf is asked to preside
at the previous dedication, and given the fact that President Eyring is an
Idaho native, it would make sense if he (President Eyring) is asked to preside
at this one. Another choice could be Elder David A. Bednar, who presided at the
groundbreaking for the temple and was asked to preside at the dedication of the
Star Valley Wyoming Temple, due to his wife’s personal connection to the area.
Yet another option would be Elder Neil L. Andersen, who is an Idaho native. But
the Church has never tapped such a junior apostle to preside at a temple
dedication. It is not out of the question, however. It is also reasonable to
believe that Elder Ulisses Soares of the Presidency of the Seventy, who
oversees the Church’s Idaho Area, will be in attendance as well.
6. Sunday
December 10—Cedar City Utah Temple Dedication (159 operating; 8 under
construction; 2 undergoing renovation; 9 announced. NOTE: Several other
groundbreakings may be possible soon.)
NOTE: If President Eyring is asked to
preside at the previous dedication, it would make sense if President Uchtdorf
is asked to preside at this one. That said, it would not surprise me either in
any way if Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, a St. George native, is assigned to
officiate at this dedication. After all, for all intents and purposes, the two
are essentially neighboring cities, and it is not at all unprecedented for a
senior member of the Quorum of the Twelve to officiate at a temple dedication.
Whoever does preside, it is a near certainty that multiple apostles may be in
attendance, as has been the usual custom for temple dedications in Utah. It is
not unreasonable to also believe that Elder L. Whitney Clayton, who is the
Senior President of the Seventy and who presided at this dedication, will be in
attendance, along with Elder Craig C. Christensen, another member of the
Presidency of the Seventy, who currently has supervisory responsibilities for
the Utah South Area, within which the temple has been built.
NOTE: A
groundbreaking announcement is expected for the Arequipa Peru temple sometime
early this year. Also anticipated is a site announcement for the Harare
Zimbabwe Temple, with a groundbreaking to follow at the temple site within 4-6
weeks afterward. Additionally, there is a possibility that we may have any
number of additional temple groundbreakings sometime during 2017. 1 more
rededication may also be announced before the end of the year. I will keep an
eye out for the announcements for such events and add them to this list as soon
as I learn of them.
With so maney temples nearly completed, and with the ones having been completed since last April, I would think that it be safe to say we will see about 4 or 5 temples being announced this year.
ReplyDeleteI would gladly voice my support and agreement with this statement, Bryce, but in some ways, I am not able to do so. Let me explain. While it is true that 5 temples were completed since April of last year, and while it is true that all four temples that were expected to be dedicated during this year now have such dedications announced, the subject of how many temples might be announced is not always as cut and dried as some people think it is. A look at the temple announcements each year of President Monson's nearly 9 year presidency vs. how many were completed in any given year is instructive. In 2008, his first year as Church President, 8 were announced (which is a big number for the first year of his presidency) and 4 were dedicated. In 2009, 5 were announced, and 3 were dedicated. In 2010, 6 were announced, while 4 were dedicated. As big as his first year as Church president was for temple announcements, 2011 saw the greatest number of temples announced, 9, while 2 were dedicated. Thus far we see that the number of announced temples announced generally exceeded the number dedicated. That pattern changed in 2012, when only 2 were announced and 4 were dedicated. The next year, 2013, saw the pattern recommence, with 2 announced while only 1 was dedicated. Then in 2014, President Monson announced the temporary hiatus for temple announcements, saying that while future needs would be evaluated and new announcements made in the future as needed, the focus would temporarily shift to completing those temples that were under construction. That year, we saw no temples announced and 3 dedicated. There must have been sufficient construction progress during the one year hiatus, because in October 2014, President Monson announced that he hoped we would see at least 5 temples dedicated during the following year. In 2015, 3 temples were announced, and 5 were dedicated, thus fulfilling President Monson's goal announced the previous year. And last year, of course, we had the 4 that were announced and 6 dedicated. So it seems that for the first several years of President Monson's presidency, the number announced almost always was greater than the number dedicated. But particularly within the last two years, that has shifted to having more temples dedicated than announced. The so-called "backlog" that once existed has long since been eliminated. The interesting thing that has before been noted is that all of the temples announced within the last two years have been for locations outside the United States, which is a big thing. President Monson has previously stated that his hope and his goal is to ensure that every Saint lives within 200 miles of an operating temple. And we are getting there ever more rapidly. With all that in mind, we can throw out all the numbers we may want in terms of how many temples may be announced. But within the last five years, two years saw two temples announced (2012 and 2013), we had one year of no announcements (2014), and the last two years have seen three (2015) and four (2016). There is always a possibility that with the 11 dedicated within the last two years and the four slated for dedication this year that we could see many announced this go-round. That is always my hope. But past precedent as shown here has led me to be more conservative in terms of my personal estimates within the last little while. The "magic" number I have determined to use for my general conference predictions has been 3+ for the last several conferences. And judging by what we have seen as noted above, that seems to be safer than 4 or 5. Could we have a large number of temples announced? Of course. I cannot rule anything out. However, the pattern of the last few years seems to indicate otherwise. That said, the Lord has been known to surprise us. And I would love nothing more than to have you remind me of your comment above if and when you are proven to be right. But I prefer to be more conservative in my own estimates for the reasons outlined here. Thanks, as always, Bryce!
ReplyDeleteWith few exceptions I am guessing the average time from announcement to dedication could be about six to seven years. It often takes about three or more years from announcement to groundbreaking and about three years to build. Some temples are quicker some longer. If we were to reach a 200 temple goal by 2030 the 200 anniversary of the restauration, we would need 23 more temples anounced by 2023 or 2024 or about 3-4 announcments a year. If these temples follow the average timeline with little delay. Some temples took many years just to get to groundbreaking such as Guayaquil Ecuador and Kiev Ukraine. The Salt Lake Temple took about 40 just to buikd. I hope issues are soon resolved for Uradenta Philippines.
ReplyDeleteHey, Chris! Thanks for your always thoughtful and thorough comments. As I have before observed, it seems that in general, Utah temples are built and dedicated within roughly 1-1/2-2 years. Temples elsewhere in the United States have statistically taken between 3-5 years from announcement to dedication. As for worldwide temples, the pattern seems to be anywhere from 5 years to as long as 15 years to build. The reason, as is widely known, for the 40 year span between the construction commencement and the dedication of the Salt Lake Temple was two-fold: First, the intent was to build a temple that would last through the millennium. That is why any notion or rumor that there are plans in the works to renovate the Salt Lake Temple are categorically false and being perpetuated by enemies or disaffected members of the Church. If you hear of any such rumor, you can readily discount it. The same is true for any other rumor that is not sufficiently substantiated by official Church-endorsed sources. Only trust sites that are supported or fed information by the Church. Another rumor I heard once was that some missionary had been called to serve for a three year mission to the Middle East. That's another one on which some Church members, even some among my own family, have relied. Such rumors are not true in any way or by any definition. Unless the Church comes out and makes an appropriate announcement, it is safe to discount any such stories as being the Mormon myths they are. But I went off on a tangent. I outlined above what I have observed regarding the approximate time intervening between temple announcements and dedications. And so far, that has held true. I have done the math to verify the path the Church would have to take to reach 200 temples before the 200th anniversary is marked. Given the precedent of past years, it is most reasonable to believe that we could have up to 200 announced well in advance of 2023 or 2024. And if the general time length I have outlined herein prevails, it is not hard to believe that the Church will have 200 temples before April 6, 2030. We are well on track for that already, especially in light of those that will be dedicated within this year, to say nothing of those that will be completed next year and the year after. And some of those that could be completed by 2019 are those that have yet to have a groundbreaking. That said, I wanted to officially announce that it is now almost certain that the Jordan River Utah Temple will not be completely renovation and/or rededicated until early next year. That is sad to hear, but not surprising. It also means that unless any temples are slated for renovation anytime this year, before too long in 2018, for the first time in a long time, no temples will be undergoing renovation. I will post about that in a new blog post very shortly here. In the meantime, thanks so much again for the comments, Chris!
DeleteSee how lung it takes for temples to be completed now, the church will need to announce mere temples soon, to keep up with the growth in the church I did the math one pday on the mission so I didn't have the best numbers to work with,but anyways I came up chourch wide there has been between 90,000-130,000 members per temple.
ReplyDeleteJust my thoughts on temples.
Anther thing is I wonder what has been the hold up on temples now, it seems like the time from announcement to dedication has increased, in places of the would, this could be to any number of things but it would be interesting to now.
Bryce, thanks for the comment. I have before stated that President Monson's goal, as he himself once stated, is to have a temple within 200 miles of the closest operating temple. That goal is fast becoming a reality. And it will continue. You can also read my comment above responding to Chris about how long temples have traditionally taken from announcement to dedication. While it seems that some temples are taking longer to get started, that is the general rule. And, as I have also observed before, a lot of factors affect the finding and procurement of temple sites, the planning and approval phase, how groundbreakings may be set and take place, and construction rates. Some factors include but are not limited to local opposition (voiced at any point in the process), how fast approvals can be granted (and governments have been known to throw up red tape through which the Church has had to wade, delaying things unnecessarily, and sometimes requiring such things as changing where the temple will be built, the proposed design, or the construction company contracted to the project), the work ethic of those involved with the temple construction process (which is a wide-spread problem worldwide, in spite of the Church's best efforts to send the apostles out to speak to those involved about the importance of such projects), weather factors (not much is done in temple construction during winter months, for example, or when the weather is intemperate or inclement). These are just a handful of the factors that affect temple construction. There are likely many others involved, which I don't have time to list at the moment. Hope that clears things up a bit. Thanks, Bryce!
DeleteI wonder how busy the ABA Nigeria Temple is. It small at 11,500 square feet and has 42 stakes and 16 districts. I anticipate a second or third temple announced for that country soon. But it is also possible for an extensive renovation or mager expansion.
ReplyDeleteI don't know the answer to the question of how busy the temple in Aba Nigeria is. What I do know is that Church growth milestones are happening at very high and frequent rates in Africa, and Nigeria is no exception in that regard. Speaking from what I have observed personally about temples, the idea in Nigeria seems to have been to do a smaller temple at first, see how the Saints utilized it and how busy it would be, then announce other temples in that nation as needed, perhaps even some more massive in size than Aba. That said, by August of this year, it will mark the 12-year anniversary of that dedication. It is almost unheard of (though it might not be unprecedented) for a temple so new to be renovated so soon. With that in mind, I don't see it happening any time in the near or even far-distant future. We are much more likely, in my humble opinion, to see other temples there soon instead. And, as I have before mentioned, I could see three possibilities for the second Nigerian temple. Even though any one of them might be more likely than the others, these are three very strong contenders for that honor in terms of Church presence. The three are Benin City, Lagos, and Port Harcourt. All of them seem to be pretty neck-and-neck in terms of unit growth milestones and the imminent likelihood for a temple. As always, however, I recognize that some might have much more and much better information on this point than I do. Does that answer your questions at all? Thanks, as always, Chris!
ReplyDeleteI have seen a few temples renovated with a much quicker timeline due to high usage. Montecello and Anchorage are examples.
ReplyDeleteSo have I, Chris! But I have no doubts whatsoever concerning the reliability of the sources that have made it clear to me that the Jordan River Utah temple renovation will not take place before the end of the year. That much is indicated on the LDS Church Temples website. The renovations in Jordan River and Frankfurt could very well be finished in close proximity to each other. At this point, the timeline for the completion of either of those renovations seems to interchangeable. I will keep an eye on this point and let you know more as more is made known to me. For now, this is what I have been able to ascertain, for what it's worth. Thanks again!
DeleteI can see two more temples announced in Bolivia the next few years. Cochabamba is about halfway between Santa Cruz and La Paz. There are several stakes in both those cities. It might be a a few years, but it appears likely.
ReplyDeleteI have included among my most imminently likely temple predictions one for La Paz Bolivia, where my favorite bishop from my parent's ward, who is also a close friend I have served alongside in several Church callings before and during his tenure as my bishop. I would love one in Santa Cruz as well before too much longer. My favoring La Paz for the fact that this good friend served his mission there should not imply in any way that I believe a temple in Santa Cruz is any less likely. But of the two, because of my indirect connection to La Paz by virtue of my friendship with this man, I feel more confident that it will happen for La Paz before it happens in Santa Cruz. As always, I would love nothing more than to be proven wrong on this point as well, but it's just the way I feel. I believe temples are likely in both places, but I am of the opinion that a La Paz temple might be more imminent than one for Santa Cruz. If there is enough demand from additional comments to warrant doing so, I would love nothing more than to add Santa Cruz as an additional possibility for the next Bolivian temple. Does that clear my stance up a bit? As always, thanks so much, Chris! Hope you know how very much I appreciate your comments and observations in particular. I am humbled to know that you read my blog regularly. You are one of the very few I know who is doing so. Advertising my posts as I can on the LDS Church Growth Blog (which has become more difficult given the limited time I now have for Church sites in view of the new work regulations) has helped increase views of what I post, but since I am not able to do so nearly as much as I would like, I honestly don't know how many, if any, of those who regularly comment on that blog are reading my posts here. That said, my blog traffic has lately increased, so I may be getting more regular readers who, like you, read most every post, but I don't know for sure what anyone thinks about things I post unless they take the time to comment. Your insights and sharing of experiences as they relate to topics I tackle here are so inspiring to me. Thank you, good friend!
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