Stokes Sounds Off: Land has been purchased for a temple site in Missoula Montana

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Saturday, February 11, 2017

Land has been purchased for a temple site in Missoula Montana

Hello.  I am doing this blog post to share that land has been purchased in Missoula Montana for  a temple. I have before mentioned in other blog posts how such a temple had been proposed in 2014 by Elder David A. Bednar during his assignment to a stake conference in the area. Missoula now joins three other locations that I know of in the world where land for a temple site has been purchased: Managua Nicaragua, Port Moresby Papua New Guinea, and Bentonville Arkansas. The report of the land purchase in Missoula has come from an unimpeachable source. And I know that some will argue that the purchasing of a temple site is in no way a solid indicator of how imminent a temple announcement might be for that site. But I disagree. Someone else, who has no small familiarity on the matter, has advised me that such sites will have a temple announced when Church unit growth and activity in the area such a temple would cover warrants that happening. So I have no doubts that we will see all of those temples announced soon, and that is why those four sites are at the top of my list of most imminent future temple announcements. Please let me know what your thoughts are on this developments. Thank you.

4 comments:

  1. Just to add Missoila is around 5 hours from a temple Stevensville and killespi our also 5-6 hours from the temple, and Helena depends will you our at is between 4-5 hours from the temple, all 3 our about a hour to a hour and half to Missoule,
    I know prisdent Begham in the Helena stake, has worked hard to double the number of members going to the temple ever month, as he said in one stake conference if the Helena stack doubles it effects that a temple would be close to Helana, I think he was talking about a temple in Helana, but with Missoule only 1-2 hours a way, will Billings is 4-5, Missoule could be the answer to a temple be closer to Helana.

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  2. THank you for the feedback, Bryce! Because of the information I have received, I have moved a temple for Missoula up quite a bit on my list of near future temple possibilities. As I said in my post above, it now joins three others that I know of where a site has been purchased. And I fully understand and appreciate the expressed idea that a temple site purchase says nothing of how soon such a temple might be announced. But I also know that, at least for the other three, I have been advised by those who would know that those temples will be announced when Church unit growth and patron attendance in the temples that now serve the areas that such temples would cover warrant that happening. And I assume from your comment above, Bryce, that the same definitely applies for a Missoula Temple. It is wonderful to think about these four temples whose announcements seem to be just a matter of time. Thanks for your comment. I appreciate what you've shared.

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  3. If you're interested in other potential temple sites, missionaries in Newfoundland reported to me several years ago (2007) that land had been acquired for a temple in St. John's, next to the current meetinghouse. As the missionary explained it to me, the local leadership had at one time tried to go through the channels to sell the vacant lot next to the meetinghouse, but Salt Lake told them that they couldn't sell, because the lot was being held in reserve for a future temple. I remember when Newfoundland had five branches, but now they are down to three, and all report directly to the Canada Halifax Mission. I would love to see a temple in this corner of the vineyard, but with the small number of active Latter-day Saints, slow growth, and relatively proximity to the existing temple in Nova Scotia, realistic prospects for a temple on Newfoundland appear to be decades away. But who knows, the Lord might surprise us!

    Also, a missionary who served in Ireland reported to me (1997) that an apostle, at some point in history, had promised a temple would be built in Ireland one day. No information about an actual site purchase is known, and surely such promises are dependent on faithfulness. I believe one day a temple will be built in Ireland, and also hopefully Scotland. How lucky if these happen in our lifetime!

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  4. Hey, Gnesileah! Thanks so much for giving my blog a visit and for sharing this information. I am very interested in potential temple sites around the world. One of my great passions in this regard has been to share my best guess estimates and predictions for what future temples might be announced. I therefore greatly appreciate this report of land being purchased for a temple in Newfoundland, and that an apostle has promised a temple in Ireland at some point. These are interesting insights, to be sure. I have no doubt the Lord will surprise us as far as future temple announcements, and I could see temples happening in both Scotland and Newfoundland within the not-too-distant future. That said, the details you shared, which appear to be somewhat sketchy and vague, along with the lack of growth I have observed in both areas, makes me think that neither is very likely. I have had my sights on a possible temple for either Ireland or Scotland for a while. And of the two, someone who would know made an earlier comment on my blog indicating that a temple for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, was most likely. It is not very far up in my list of possibilities. I know enough of the lack of progress in both nations and the stubborn nature of their citizenry to believe that one there is not nearly as likely as others that have been proposed. With that said, I am hoping that the Lord will prove me wrong (as He almost always does) and see fit to announce a temple in those lands soon. In my mind, though, there are reasons to at least have it as a near-future possibility, regardless of how imminent that possibility might be. Thanks for taking time to comment. I appreciate your thoughts and observations.

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