BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Renderings Released for the Vienna Austria & Culiacán Mexico Temples

Hello again, everyone! As anticipated, the First Presidency made its customary Monday announcement at the top of this 2:00 PM MDT hour. Today, the renderings were released for the temples in Vienna Austria and Culiacán Mexico, and a new location was announced for the Charlotte North Carolina Temple.

We start in Vienna Austria, where the site location was announced in late October 2021 and the temple was originally announced the previous April. The release of this exterior rendering means a lot to my wife, who served in the Mission (which also covered parts of Germany).  Groundwater has been measured at that temple site, but grass has been resown over the boreholes in question. I don't know how close the Vienna Austria Temple might be to a groundbreaking, but I have promised my wife I will find a way to get her back there when the temple in question is dedicated, which may be 4-5 years out.

We now turn to the Culiacán Mexico Temple. The release of its' exterior rendering follows the site location confirmation in mid-February of last year, which in turn followed that temple's announcement in October 2021. Given the size of the edifice in question (around 10,000 square feet), it may or may not wind up being a modular temple. Given that temples in Mexico generally get approvals faster than European temples, I think the construction will only take 2-3 years once it's underway, unless this temple is modular, in which case it may only take 18-21 months to construct.

No reason was given for the altered site location of the Charlotte North Carolina Temple. The temple's original site was announced in late May 2023, following that temple's original announcement in April 2023.  The single-story edifice of approximately 30,700 square feet will now rise at 5926 Mathews-Mint Hill Road, Mint Hill, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. Unless there is a later change, it will retain the Charlotte name.

So far, for the 106 announced temples, 1 has a groundbreaking scheduled, site locations have been confirmed for 56 more (all but 16 of which have also had renderings released), and 50 other temples are awaiting confirmation of any official information. So the queue of announced temples is moving along nicely. That said, I had hoped another temple dedication or two or one or two groundbreakings would be announced.

But I am not disappointed in the news that we got pertaining to these three temples, and hopefully, with one more Monday left prior to General Conference, we will see temple dedications and/or groundbreakings announced. Whatever happens in that regard, you can count on my covering it. In the meantime, I invite you all to stay tuned here for my coverage of the latest updates from the Church News, Newsroom, and Church of Jesus Christ Temples sites. I’ll be sure to pass word of those along to you all as soon as I can after I learn about them. In the meantime, that does it for now. All comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated on any post at any time, as long as all such feedback is made per the established guidelines. I hope any of you who would like to share anything will take your opportunity to “sound off” in the comments below. If you liked what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly added posts and comments, please subscribe to receive the applicable updates.

Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Exact Dates Noted for Salt Lake Temple Open House

Hello again, everyone! In the latest update on the Temple Square renovation, the precise dates have been released for the open house of the Salt Lake Temple. That open house will run from Wednesday, April 7, through Friday, October 1, and for the first time in open house history, the tours will run 7 days per week, Sundays included. It's wonderful to have this information confirmed.

We do not yet know when the temple will be rededicated, but I anticipate that the dedicatory sessions may be held for at least a week, and that there will be enough dedicatory sessions for each apostle to conduct at least one. Based on information available to me, my newest projections for that dedication window are Sunday, May 21, to Saturday, May 27, 2028. 

Again, that's just my personal estimate, based on what I have been able to ascertain on my end. Nothing official has been confirmed, nor will it be until closer to when the open house either begins or ends. Until official sources confirm, correct, or clarify this, that is no more and no less than my own personal estimate, based on known factors.

I will be interested to see what happens as we get closer to the open house for the Salt Lake Temple. I invite you all to stay tuned here for my coverage of the latest updates from the Church News, Newsroom, and Church of Jesus Christ Temples sites. I’ll be sure to pass word of those along to you all as soon as I learn about them. In the meantime, that does it for now. 

All comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated on any post at any time, as long as all such feedback is made per the established guidelines. I hope any of you who would like to share anything will take your opportunity to “sound off” in the comments below. If you liked what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly added posts and comments, please subscribe to receive the applicable updates. 

Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

BREAKING NEWS: First Presidency Broadens Sunday School Leadership Opportunities, Among Other Updates to the Church Handbook of Instruction

Hello again, everyone! I am pleased to report that, effective immediately, the First Presidency has broadened Sunday School leadership opportunities.  Going forward, a man or a woman may be called as Sunday School presidents in wards and branches. If a man is called, the entire presidency must be men as well, and if a woman is called, the entire presidency must be women. Sunday School General President Paul V. Johnson was quoted as follows on this change:

“This important change gives bishoprics additional options as they prayerfully consider who should lead the effort of teaching and learning in their wards. At the time of our call as Sunday School leaders in 2024, the First Presidency gave us a charge—as they have done with previous presidencies—to improve teaching and learning in the Church. There are many capable women and men who can help strengthen gospel instruction and foster spiritual growth.”

This comes as one of many recent adjustments reported to the Church's general handbook. This update was first announced in a First Presidency letter dated today. I am grateful for this inspired adjustment and can attest that, as soon as I read the announcement, I felt the spiritual confirmation that it is the right change at this time.

I invite you all to stay tuned here for my coverage of the latest updates from the Church News, Newsroom, and Church of Jesus Christ Temples sites. I’ll be sure to pass word of those along to you all as soon as I learn about them. In the meantime, that does it for now. All comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated on any post at any time, as long as all such feedback is made per the established guidelines. 

I hope any of you who would like to share anything will take your opportunity to “sound off” in the comments below. If you liked what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly added posts and comments, please subscribe to receive the applicable updates. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.