BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Groundbreakings Announced for Eket Nigeria, Calabar Nigeria, and Viña del Mar Chile Temples; Offical Renderings Released for the Goiânia Brazil and Campo Grande Brazil Temples; President Eyring Will Dedicate the Montpelier Idaho Temple

Hello again, everyone! Today, the First Presidency released renderings & announced groundbreakings for the Eket Nigeria, Calabar Nigeria, and Viña del Mar Chile Temples, in addition to releasing official renderings for the  Goiânia Brazil and Campo Grande Brazil Temples. The renderings largely speak for themselves, but we will be discussing the latest developments for each of these five temples. So let's jump right in!

The groundbreaking ceremony for the Eket Nigeria Temple will be held on Saturday, November 28, 2026, underElder Sergio R. Vargas the presiding direction of Elder D. Martin Goury of the Africa West Area Presidency. The release of the exterior rendering and groundbreaking information was preceded by its October 2022 announcement and its subsequent site location confirmation in mid-April 2022.

As for the Calabar Nigeria Temple, its groundbreaking will be held on Saturday, December 5, 2026, under the presiding direction of Elder Christian C. Chigbundu, also of the Africa West Area Presidency. The release of its exterior rendering and groundbreaking information was preceded by its October 2023 announcement and its subsequent site confirmation in mid-November 2025,  It appears that the Calabar rendering was released at the same time as the site location was confirmed, so that part of the opening paragraph of this post is incorrect, but  I will leave it as is.

We now move on to the Viña del Mar Chile Temple. Its groundbreaking will also take place on Saturday, December 5, 2026, but will be under the direction of Elder Sergio R. Vargas of the South America South Area Presidency. The release of the exterior rendering and the groundbreaking announcement follow the temple's October 2023 announcement and its subsequent site confirmation just one month later (for which I can't seem to find the associated Newsroom release). 

I have updated my document showing temple groundbreakings in 2025 vs. 2026. We have now outpaced last year's 20 with a whopping 25, and hopefully there may be a few additional groundbreakings announced for 2026, though time is growing short for such prospects. Hopefully my theory is correct in that regard. As I noted above, the renderings for the two Brazilian temples speak for themselves, but I'd like to note that the rendering of the Goiânia Brazil Temple follows its announcement, which also occurred in October 2023,.and its site location confirmation in mid-July of this year.

Meanwhile, for the Campo Grande Brazil Temple, the release of the exterior rendering follows the temple's site announcement in mid-July of this year and its' original announcement in October 2023. In view of today's announcement, there are now 8 temples with groundbreakings announced, 53 more with sites announced (38 of which have exterior renderings published), and 42 temples with no official information released yet.

And while I was preparing this update, the Newsroom also reported that President Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency, will dedicate the Montpelier Idaho Temple this weekend, so that information has been added to my document showing current aposltes' temple dedications and rededications during President Oaks' prophetic tenure. I'm glad to hear that he will be well enough for that assignment. He didn't look well during General Conference,, so I was glad to see that additional announcement.

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Preliminary Work to Begin on the Yuma Airzona Temple

Hello again, everyone! On this Monday after General Conference, I wondered whether there would be any new temple construction news. But we did. I am pleased to be able to share that preliminary work is set to begin soon on the Yuma Arizona Temple, According to the news release itself, that will reportedly involve "grading and the installation of underground utility infrastructure such as water, sewer and electrical service connections to the city’s existing systems. Design work on the temple continues, and a date for an official groundbreaking ceremony has not yet been announced."

The Yuma Arizona Temple was first announced in April 2024, with the site and exterior rendering released in late November 2025. Since the Yuma Arizona Temple is on the smaller side (18500 square feet), hopefully that preliminary work can be carried out fairly quickly, which would then enable the Yuma Arizona Temple to have a groundbreaking within the next 6-12 months, if not sooner. I am grateful we got this announcement today, even if it wasn't what I was expecting for today.

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.

Elder Ulisses Soares Celebrates His 68th Birthday

Hello again, everyone! I am pleased at this time to honor Elder Ulisses Soares, who is celebrating his 68th birthday today. As I've mentioned previously, Elder Soares has a most unique life story and background, and I am grateful to share some thoughts about him with you all. Ulisses Soares was born on this day in 1958 in São Paulo Brazil to Apparecido Soares and Mercedes Carecho Soares. He has European and Amerindian ancestry. When an aunt joined the Church, that was how the Soares' family first learned of the gospel. His parents, after being taught by the missionaries, were baptized when young Ulisses was five years old.

Regarding his experience with worshipping in the Church during his growing-up years, his small branch would meet in a tiny rental place that was located above a bakery. He served a full-time mission in Rio de Janeiro, Upon his return, he connected with Rosana Fernandes Morgado, who had served in the same mission at around the same time, but whom he had not met until after they both had returned. The two were married in the São Paulo Temple, and together they raised three children

His academic experience involved studying at the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo, from which, in 1985, he received a bachelor's degree in economics and accounting. He then continued his studies at the;National Institute of Postgraduate Study, where he earned a Master's Degree in Business Administration. He spent his professional career working for several multinational companies (one of which was Pirelli Tire Company) as an accountant and an auditor. Donald L. Clark, who at that time was serving as director of temporal affairs for the Church in Brazil, convinced him to take a job with the Church as a senior auditor.

When Brother Clark was asked to serve as a mission president, Brother Soares took over for him as director of temporal affairs. He went on to fill a special assignment for the Church's Presiding Bishopric. Within the Church, Elder Soares has served as an elder's quorum president, counselor in a bishopric, stake high councilman, and as a regional welfare agent.

When the São Paulo Brazil Cotia Stake was created in 1995, Elder Soares was called as the first president thereof. 5 years later, he served a three-year term as president of the Porto Portugal Mission. Less than two years after his return (during the April 2005 General Conference), he was called as a General Authority Seventy.

As a General Authority Seventy, he served as First Counselor in the Brazil South Area.from 2005-2007, as First Counselor in the Brazil Area from 2007-2009, and as President of that area from 2009-2011. He served from August 2011-January 2013 as First Counselor in the Africa Southeast Area Presidency, at which point he was called to serve in the Presidency of the Seventy, with responsibility for the North America Southeast Area. Then, in November 2015, Elder Soares was reassigned to oversee the Idaho and North America Central Areas of the Church. He still had oversight of both of those areas in 2018.

On March 31, 2018, Elder Soares was sustained to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and he was ordained an apostle on Thursday April 5, 2018. He thus became both the first Latter-day Saint apostle from Brazil and the first one from Latin America. Elder Soares has had many opportunities to grow into his assignment. In the time he has has served as a general authority, he has given a total of 22 General Conference addresses, with the first 2 given as a General Authority Seventy, 3 more as a member of the Presidency of the Seventy, and the remaining 17 given since his call to the apostleship. His talk during this weekend's General Conference will bring his apostolic total to 18, and his grand total to 23.

I testify without reservation or hesitation that the Lord inspired President Nelson to call Elders Gong and Soares as apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ. I gratefully and wholeheartedly sustain all 15 “special witnesses of Christ” in their divinely-inspired and doctrinally-supported roles prophets, seers, and revelators in their roles and responsibilities as special witnesses of Christ, and am grateful to have been able to provide this birthday tribute to Elder Soares today. I continue to monitor all Church News, Newsroom, and Church of Jesus Christ Temples updates and will be sure to pass word of those along to you all as they cross my radar. 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 the offered 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 be informed of newly added posts and comments, please subscribe. If you would like to support the work done on this blog, donations in any amount are never required but are always welcome and appreciated. 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.