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Tuesday, December 5, 2017

Update on recent temple-related developments

Hello again, everyone! I am grateful for the opportunity to post today and share some significant and amazing developments that have occurred with various temples worldwide. There is a lot to unpack here, so let's get right into it.

First, I am pleased to report additional progress on the Barranquilla Colombia Temple. While the process of laying sod and sidewalk pavers continues, roofing is going in for both the temple and housing facility. Additionally, the monument sign has been installed on the temple grounds. I can now see clearly why many have said that this temple will be the second new one dedicated next year.

Next, I realized today that in my last update on the Durban South Africa Temple I had unintentionally omitted some details from the construction status. The framing is under way on the interior, drywall is being hung, window frames are being fitted, brick is being laid around the pillars, and concrete is being poured for the veranda on the missionary housing facility.

The next temple I want to talk about is the Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple. While no progress has been reported since I posted twice about how it started, I forgot that I had not given a potential time-frame for that temple's completion. since work officially got underway. We know that that construction process is anticipated to take between 12-18 months, so I have set mid-June 2019 as a preliminary estimate for that temple;s dedication. That said, I could see a reason to move that estimate up a bit, depending on how consistently progress is reported on that process.

At the Arequipa Peru Temple site, since the exterior has been completed, the foundation is being backfilled and interior work has started. Because this temple has progressed so steadily in its construction, I can see why there is reason to believe that a dedication could occur before the end of 2019 rather than a few months later, as 2020 begins. With this and all other temples, I am keeping an eye out for any updated information, and I will do my best to pass any updates along as I receive them.

I have also felt that the private rededication that will be held for the Houston Texas Temple following its period of restoration and renovation could take place in June of next year, all going well. I will be sure to pass along any updates to this estimate as I find out more.

The final thing I want to discuss in this post is the dates on which temples are anticipated to close next year. I check my favorite Church sites every day before I check this blog, so when I did so, I was not aware that there was a comment on this blog indicating that the last day the Raleigh North Carolina Temple would be open is Saturday January 6. But thanks to the comment on this blog about that subject, I can now confirm that the closure of that temple is effective Sunday January 7. In the meantime, I also found out that the Mesa Arizona Temple is set to close for its renovation on Sunday May 20, which is the same day on which the Jordan River Utah Temple will be rededicated. It is exciting to have learned all of this.

That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

Monday, December 4, 2017

President Trump Visits With LDS Church Leaders during his Utah trip/Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple Renovation Closure Corrected

Hello again, everyone! As some of you may be aware, President Donald Trump had a brief trip to Utah today to announce changes to two national monuments here in Utah. The visit, arranged by Senior Utah Senator Orrin Hatch (who is a Church member and third in the presidential line of succession), included a visit to Welfare Square and a meeting with President Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency, President Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Presiding Bishop Gerald Causse, and Relief Society General President Jean B. Bingham. Among the topics discussed were the importance of religious freedom, and how the Church cares for the needs of its members and their friends of other faiths. President Trump seemed very impressed and touched, both by the time these Church leaders gave him, and with the opportunity to gain a more complete understanding of all the Church does to help not only its own members, but also friends of other faiths. I attempted to write a summary of all that transpired, but found that nothing I put together does it justice, so I refer anyone who would like more details on this to the Church News article, which can be found here.

In other news, I mentioned on this blog a while ago that the January 10 and February 1 dates for the renovation closures of the Raleigh North Carolina and Baton Rouge Louisiana Temples were likely subject to change. While I am still waiting for word on the correct date for the Raleigh closure, it appears that the Church has identified Sunday January 28 as a more exact date for the Baton Rouge renovation closure. That makes sense in light of the fact that we have generally seen such closures begin between Friday and Monday. I am keeping an eye out for the exact dates of both the Raleigh North Carolina and Mesa Arizona closures and will post those as soon as I have them.

That does it for this post. Any comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

More Information Provided on Cedar City Utah Temple Dedication; more specific information pending

Hello again, everyone! As many of you may be aware, the dedication of the Cedar City Utah Temple will be held this weekend. I have wondered periodically who all might be in attendance from the general Church leadership, and we now know a little bit more about that. While no specific leaders have been identified as of yet, this article explains that there will be 9 of the 14 current apostles (the article says 15, but does not account for Elder Hales's death) participating during the three dedicatory sessions. That brings up an interesting question: who might those 9 be?

We know that President Monson likely won't be able to attend, which leaves 13 others that could. We also know that it has been several years since any temple dedication or rededication has been attended by every member of the First Presidency, so I think it may be safe to assume that only one First Presidency member may attend, and since President Uchtdorf presided at the dedications of the Tucson Arizona and Meridian Idaho Temples, it would make sense if President Eyring presided at this one. I am not ruling out both President Eyring and President Uchtdorf being in attendance at one or two sessions each, but it seems unlikely. We also know that the Church likes to spread out attendance at temple-related events so everyone has an equal opportunity to participate.

With that in mind, we also know that Elder Neil L. Andersen accompanied President Eyring to the dedication of the Paris France temple (in view of Elder Andersen's ties to France as a former missionary and mission president there), so he may not be involved with this dedication. Likewise, Elder Ronald A. Rasband accompanied President Eyring for the rededication of the Idaho Falls Idaho Temple, so he might  not be involved in the dedication of Utah's newest temple. The same might be true for Elder Gary E. Stevenson, who accompanied President Uchtdorf to the dedication of the Tucson Arizona Temple dedication, and Elder D. Todd Christofferson, who accompanied President Uchtdorf to the dedication of the Meridian Idaho Temple.

Having said all this, if I am correct, then the apostles participating in this event could be President Henry B. Eyring, President Russell M. Nelson, Elder Dalin H. Oaks, M. Russell Ballard, Jeffrey R. Holland, David A. Bednar, Quentin L. Cook, and Dale G. Renlund. I also anticipate the participation of several other Church leaders, including Elder L. Whitney Clayton, Senior President of the Seventy, who presided at this temple's groundbreaking, Elder Craig C. Christensen, who oversees the three Utah areas of the Church, a representative or two from the Temple Department, and other leaders, including a representative from the Presiding Bishopric.

But these are just my thoughts. It is now your turn to "sound off" in the comments below with your thoughts. That does it for this post. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

Sunday, December 3, 2017

Report on the First Presidency's Christmas Devotional

Hello again, everyone! I am posting briefly tonight with a recap of the First Presidency's Christmas Devotional. President Henry B. Eyring presided at and conducted the devotional, sending season's greetings on behalf of the First Presidency. Sister Reyna I. Aburto offered the invocation. Music was provided by the Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square. Surprisingly, there were only three speakers at this devotional, which may be the new normal.

We heard from Sister Christina B. Franco, Second Counselor in the Primary General Presidency (you can find the Church news summary of her remarks here), Elder Kevin R. Duncan of the Seventy (the Church News summarized his remarks in this article), and President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency (whose remarks are summarized here). The Mormon Newsroom article covering the entire devotional can be found here.

President Uchtdorf also shared an expression of President Monson's love and greetings to all Church members. At the end of the devotional, the benediction was offered by Brother Brian K. Ashton, Second Counselor in the Sunday School General Presidency.

I always say this every year, but I absolutely loved this year's Christmas Devotional. I am so grateful that we have this opportunity each year to hear messages specifically about the Christmas season at the beginning of each December.

That does it for this post. Any comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland Celebrates His 77th Birthday Today

Hello again, everyone! I am back as promised with a post written in honor of Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, who is celebrating his 77th birthday today. Elder Holland has long been one of my favorite apostles, and I have a couple of familial connections to him. My dad was born and raised in St. George, and his father (Dean Stokes), was Elder Holland's home teaching companion when "young Jeff" was an Aaronic Priesthood holder.

According to my dad, his father often expressed his wonder that a boy like Elder Holland had been could become an apostle of the Lord. I know that at times, it may seem that each member of the Church, to a certain degree, may put the leading Brethren of the Church on a pedestal, but I am reminded in accounts such as that shared by my grandpa that these men may have been foreordained to the apostleship, but they are no different than any other member of the Church; the Lord just ordered their lives based on their personal choices in such a way that when such calls came to them, they were qualified through years of service in the Church and living what they believe. That is important for all of us to remember.

I also have another indirect connection to Elder Holland. My mom is a freelance proofreader, and in the early days of her marriage to my dad, she worked on many projects for the Church Educational System. Since that occurred at the time when Elder Holland was the Commissioner of the CES, he was essentially my mom's "boss." And she speaks warmly of the experiences she had working with him.

Personal connections aside, I wanted to share a brief biographical sketch of Elder Holland. Jeffrey Roy Holland was born in St. George, Utah to Frank D. and Alice Bentley Holland on December 3, 1940. He served full-time in the British Mission. His mission president was Marion D. Hanks, who later served in the First Quorum and Presidency of the Seventy. One of his companions was Quentin L. Cook, with whom he would later serve in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Upon his return from his mission, he married his high school sweetheart, Patricia Terry, in 1963. They are the parents of a daughter and two sons, one of whom, Matthew, serves currently as the President of Utah Valley University, though he will resign from that assignment next year to serve as a mission president.  Elder Holland attended BYU, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s degree in religious education.

He went on to earn a doctorate degree in American studies from Yale. He then became a professor at BYU, serving as Dean of the College of Religion. He served as Commissioner of Church Education from 1976-1980, then served as president of BYU until his call as a General Authority.

Elder Holland has served as a bishop, counselor in a stake presidency, and regional representative. He was sustained a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy on April 1, 1989. After the First Presidency was reorganized following the death of President Ezra Taft Benson, President Howard W. Hunter took immediate action to fill the apostolic vacancy. In the space of a few short hours on June 23, President Hunter issued a call to the apostleship to Elder Holland, gave him his apostolic charge, set apart and ordained him to that calling,  and had him join the other 14 apostles in their weekly meeting at the temple. That action was sustained by Church membership during the Solemn Assembly that was held less than three months later.

Elder Holland gave 3 talks prior to his apostolic call (one of which he gave in April 1983 as president of BYU during the Priesthood Session, with his son (a teacher at the time) also speaking during that session. And since his call to the apostleship, he has spoken 47 additional times, meaning he has given 50 addresses altogether in General Conference. To review any of these wonderful addresses, click here. While I love and sustain all the Brethren, I have found that Elder Holland's talks always affect me more.

Some of my favorites among those 50 in recent years have been None Were With Him (from the Easter Sunday Morning Session of the April 2009 General Conference); Lord, I Believe (from the Sunday Afternoon Session of the April 2013 General Conference); and Songs Sung and Unsung (from the Saturday Afternoon Session of the April 2017 General Conference).

The last thing I want to mention about Elder Holland is that he is currently the 4th senior member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the 5th most senior of our 14 apostles. He is also the 5th oldest member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and is the 8th oldest of the 14 apostles, meaning that he is the oldest of the youngest half of our current apostles.

I am grateful for the life and ministry of Elder Holland, and although he may not ever read this, I am also grateful for the chance I had to write this post in tribute to his birthday today. That does it for this post. Any comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

Update provided on Fortaleza Brazil Temple

Hello again, everyone! As you may remember, I mentioned yesterday that today I intended to post a birthday tribute to Elder Holland, who celebrates his 77th today, and I also shared my intention to post an update on apostolic age and tenure information. While I am still planning to do so later on today (in addition to posting a recap of the First Presidency's Christmas Devotional), I became aware of an updated status for the Fortaleza Brazil Temple that I wanted to post about right away.

For those following along, when I last posted an update on that temple, I noted that the exterior of the temple was receiving its stone cladding, and that the steeple had been attached to the adjoining meetinghouse. That update was provided 8 days ago on this blog. Today I learned that while stone cladding continues on the temple, a similar stone cladding is being attached to the patron housing facility, and that the roof of the adjoining meetinghouse is being placed.

It is amazing to see the day-to-day progress that occurs on many temples under construction. I have loved following that progress for several years, and I treasure the opportunity to pass such developments along to you, my readers, and I appreciate your interest in things that I have felt inspired to "sound off" about in such posts.

That does it for this post. Any comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post (which will be put up later today), I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

Saturday, December 2, 2017

A Christmas Message to My Readers

Hello again, everyone! The last couple of days have been somewhat crazy for my wife and myself, as we have been dealing with colds or low-grade viruses. For that reason, I have not been able to blog about some of the Church news that has come out that I feel deserves to be focused on in a post dedicated to that subject. I may go back in a day or two and share some of those; a lot will depend on how much time and energy I can devote to that. In the meantime, before moving to the topic of this post, I wanted to note for any that are not aware that I did finish my series of posts on the Mexico Area, and if any of you would be willing to give me your feedback on the possible sites I mentioned, I would love to hear from you.

In the meantime, as I'm sure you all are aware, the First Presidency's Christmas Devotional is set for tomorrow evening, and tomorrow is also Elder Jeffrey R. Holland's 77th birthday, so at minimum, I will be doing posts covering both of those milestones at some point tomorrow. And if I can get it done, I also hope to post an update on apostolic age information. If I can make all that happen tomorrow, I will.

For now, because there has not been any reported temple developments, I wanted to take the opportunity to share a Christmas message with you, my readers, who so faithfully look at any new content I post here.

In doing so, after offering a few preliminary thoughts, I will do what I have done in the past couple of years: share a poem that was featured on the December newsletter of my parent's ward years ago when I was a teenager. I will then pass along a link to the First Presidency's Christmas Message, and close with my testimony. Let's get into all of that.

Before sharing the poem, I wanted to note a couple of things. I have heard it said by many beloved Church leaders that, without Christmas, there would be no Easter. Were it not for the baby born in Bethlehem, there would have been no Atonement, crucifixion, or resurrection. Christmas day is the one day per year where we celebrate the Savior's birth. While scripture and religious scholars have clarified that the Savior's birth took place in April (the Doctrine and Covenants tells us that April 6 is His actual birthday. But because a majority of Christian religions mark his birthday on December 25, that day is set aside for that reason.

However, in recent years, Christmas has become more commercial in nature, and so many people who are either not religiously active or who are not associated with any religion whatsoever, and even many who are very religiously minded, lose sight of the reason for the season, and focus more on what they are receiving from others, rather than what they are giving to both their fellowman and the Savior. If that attitude describes any of us, I hope with all my heart that we will ever remember that Christ is the reason for the season.

Additionally, it is not enough for us as Latter-day Saints to merely celebrate the birth and resurrection of the Savior. As we have been taught frequently, all of us should be hoping and preparing for the time when the Savior will come again and begin His millennial reign on the earth. We know that, in that day, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is the Christ.

With all of that in mind, the poem I want to share speaks volumes about the importance of our personal preparation for that sacred day when He will come again. The poem follows below:

‘Twas the Night Before the Savior Came

‘Twas the night before Our Savior came and all through the house,
Not a person was praying, not one in the house.
Their scriptures were lain on the shelf without care,
Thinking Our Savior would not come there.
And Mom in her rocker with baby on her lap
Was watching the late show, while I took a nap.
Where out of the East there arose such a clatter,
I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash!
When what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But angels proclaiming that our Savior was here!
With a light like the sun sending forth a bright ray,
I knew in a moment it must be the day!
The beauty of His face made me cover my head,
It was Our Savior returning just like he said....
And though I possessed worldly wisdom and wealth,
I cried when I saw Him in spite of myself.
In the Book of Life which He held in His hand,
Was written the names of every saved man.
He spoke not a word, as He searched for my name.
Then He said, “It’s not here.” My head hung in shame.
The people whose names had been written with love,
He gathered to take to His father above.
With those who were read, He rose without a sound,
While all the rest were left standing around.
I fell to my knees, but it was too late.
I had waited too long and thus sealed my fate.
I stood and cried as they rose out of sight,
“Oh, if only I’d been ready tonight.”
In the words of this poem, the meaning is clear,
The coming of Our Savior is drawing near.
There is only one life and when comes the last call,

We will find that the scriptures were true, after all....

With the words of that poem in mind, I would like to offer a couple of observations. First, as I have mentioned a few times, my patriarchal blessing tells me that we are in the Saturday evening of time, which I term to be sometime between 5-8 pm. That means that in a few short hours (however long they may seem to us), the Savior will come again. I hope and pray that each of us will be ready when that happens.

As has been the custom for longer than I have been alive, the First Presidency of the Church sent out a Christmas message for this year, which can be found here. I think their own wording of that message speaks more of the importance of Christmas than I could.

I wanted to end with a final thought and my testimony. The Christmas season is meant to be a time of "peace on earth" and "good will to all men". But the only way it will be so is if each of us, in whatever way we are able to do so, retain in remembrance the vital link between Christmas, Easter, and the eventual Second Coming of the Savior. 

As this Christmas season commences, I gratefully and wholeheartedly testify that Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem, bore our sins, sorrows, and trials in Gethsemane, was crucified on the cross at Calvary, and rose again the third day after breaking the bands of death for all mankind. His incomparable gift means for all of us that death is not an end, that separation from our departed loved ones is only of a temporary duration, and that one day, each of us will be called upon to answer for how well we have remembered and served Him in our daily lives. 

And the best way we can do that in this Christmas season and during the rest of each year is by reaching out to rescue those who cannot do so themselves, by sanctifying ourselves through service, and by retaining in remembrance that Christ is the reason for this Christmas season. That this may be our blessing and privilege during this Christmas season and always is my humble prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.


Friday, December 1, 2017

Additional Update Provided for Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple

Hello again, everyone! Today is a prime example of how much things can change for a temple within a 12-24 hour period. While I found out just a few hours ago that the Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple was having its site graded and cleared, I just learned that another report has come in for that temple. While the site grading continues, excavation is being done for the foundation of the temple. Since that much occurred in the few hours since I last checked, I can definitely see why this temple may only have a 12-18 month construction process. I don't anticipate that temple being completed any earlier than early-too-mid 2019, but if construction continues to progress the way it has in just the last few hours, anything seems possible. I am keeping my eyes open for information on all of this and will post additional updates as they are needed. That does it for this post. Any comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

Full-scale construction begins on the Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple

Hello again, everyone! I am pleased to be able to report that full-scale construction has officially begun on the Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple. As I have previously mentioned, the construction process on that temple is anticipated to only take 12-18 months. Right now, the completion estimate is for early-to-mid 2019, but depending on how things go, that could either be done sooner or later than that time-frame. I will be keeping my eyes open for developments in this regard, and will pass such information along as I receive it. That does it for this post. Any comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

Important Temple Construction Updates

Hello again, everyone! I am back as promised a few minutes ago to share updates on temples that came to my attention not more than three hours ago. There have been some game-changing developments in that regard. So let's dive right in and discuss what those are and why they are significant.

First, when I last reported a status change in the status of the Concepcion Chile Temple, I noted that the cladding around the temple was nearing completion, that lampposts were being installed, and that plants and trees were being added to the temple grounds. The update provided in the late-night hours of November 30 is that interior millwork is underway.

Next we turn our attention to the Barranquilla Colombia Temple. That is not an error or typo. Apparently there is now reason to believe that that temple will be dedicated prior to the dedication of the Kinshasa DR Congo Temple. Temples switching numbers as a result of those that were further down the list progressing more consistently than the temples that were above them,.

That does not mean that the temples that are moved down are not progressing at all, just that those that used to be below them have progressed with more consistency. We have seen that happen a lot, from the speedy construction process for the Star Valley Wyoming Temple to how the Tucson Arizona Temple was dedicated before both the Meridian Idaho and Cedar City Utah Temple, despite the fact that the newest Idaho and Utah temples were anticipated for quite a while to be dedicated first.

While the status of the Barranquilla Colombia still includes the fact that the Angel Moroni was installed atop its spire, I also found out that sod sidewalk pavers are being laid. Once a temple reaches that status, it is approaching the time when it is far enough along that a dedication can be announced. Not quite there yet, but I've followed such things long enough to know that a dedication announcement could occur within the next six months.

In the meantime, perhaps the biggest reason the Kinshasa DR Congo Temple was moved below the Barranquilla Colombia is because the baptismal font needed to be poured again. And because that has delayed the process, the completion estimate for the Kinshasa Temple has been changed to either late 2018 or early 2019. I still think it will be dedicated before the end of 2018, and that Rome will be the first new temple dedicated in 2019.

But the estimates have changed so many times now that I cannot say for certain whether any of these temples that are anticipated to be the next four to be dedicated will be completed within these adjusted time-frames. That said, I am keeping an eye out for any and all updates on any and all temples, whether they are under construction, announced, or undergoing renovation, and I will be sure to pass along any new information as I become aware of it.

That does it for this post. Any comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.