BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: First Presidency Announces Marysville Washington Temple

 Good evening, everyone! This evening, as some of you may already be aware, the First Presidency announced a new temple to be built in Marysville Washington this evening. The First Presidency announcement was read by Elder Hugo E. Martinez of the United States West Area Presidency, during a devotional in the Marysville Washington Stake. The full text of the First Presidency announcement follows below: 

"We are pleased to announce the construction of a temple in Marysville, Washington, The specific location and timing of the construction will be announced later. This is a reason for all of us to rejoice and express gratitude for such a significant blessing — one that will allow more frequent access to the ordinances, covenants and power that can only be found in the house of the Lord." 

This announcement continues a pattern laid out by President Oaks at the dedication of the Burley Idaho Temple: a member of the area presidency, as authorized, reads the announcement in the area in which the temple in question will be built. There are now 384 temples worldwide, and this will be the seventh temple in Washington State. 

And this unexpected announcement comes just over 4 months after the first such temple announcement (for Portland Maine). Couldd this suggest a pattern for when we might expect the next new temple to be announced? If so, then the third temple announced under President Oaks' presiding direction could be announced in August of this year. I for one am hoping to see the next announcement sooner than that, but time will tell.

The Church News has not yet reported on this update, but when they do, that report will be shared in the comment section below. In any case, this announcement makes it clear that this is indeed the new method of announcing temples that, as President Oaks stated, will be observed for as long as he has any say in such matters.  I still don't think that this additional temple announcement will be all we get this week. But time will tell. 

I invite you all to keep watch on this blog during the 2:00 PM MDT hour for my analysis of anything else that is announced. 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.

UPDATED: Current Apostolic Data

Hello again, everyone! It has been a tradition on this blog for me to provide updates on apostolic data roughly every 7 weeks. Having last done so on Sunday, March 1, it is time to publish the newest such data. As with every two-part update, the first part contains updated data about the age and tenure length records for all 18 Church Presidents (including our current prophet, President Dallin H. Oaks), in addition to updated information on the tenure lengths for each of the 30 Presidents of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (including current Quorum President, Henry B. Eyring). 

The first document likewise notes information on the tenure length rankings for three sets of apostolic groups: the longest-serving First Presidencies (with the current First Presidency not even making that list for the next 6 years), the longest-serving groups of members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and groups of all ordained apostles (the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles). The clock on the current group reset when Elder Gilbert was ordained last week.

Meanwhile, the second part of today's update shows the long-form and decimal ages for the members of the current First Presidency, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and the same data for the combined First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, in addition to the average ages of each group, plus apostolic nonagenarians (with 2 of the current 15 apostles being on that list), and a final table showing the remaining time between today and when each of the other 13 apostles will become nonagenarians and join that list.

With these updates being published every 7 weeks, the next one will be provided here on Sunday, June 7. Hopefully, this post is of interest to you all. Again, I offer an open invitation to anyone who has any questions about those documents to ask them here. 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: 2026 Area Leadership Assignments Announced; Changes in Area Presidency Designations Noted

Hello again, everyone! The First Presidency has announced area leadership assignments that will be effective August 1. In conjunction with that announcement, it has also been noted that, going forward, only the area presidents will be designated as such. This means that the others assigned to the area presidency are basically all area assistants now. Additionally, 9 of the 26 area presidencies will now be comprised of three area assistants and the area president, for a total presidency size of 4.

Those 9 areas with 4-member presidencies are as follows: Africa West, Brazil, Mexico, Pacific, United States Central, United States Northeast, United States Southwest, United States West, and Utah. It has additionally been noted that, for the first time in recent memory, the leadership of the Middle East/Africa North Area is comprised entirely of general authority seventies. Therefore, the Eurasian Area is now the only area of the Church entirely served by area seventies.

The Church News has also covered this announcement. Further analysis from me will follow as soon as I can put that analysis together. 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.