Hello again. Between the new temple announcements last weekend and the developments that are continuing to happen with temples around the world, I have revised my timeline for future temple-related events. I also felt slightly guilty about the fact that my previous timelines have not been timelines, but rather a litany of detail about the nuances of future events. So I completely redid it, changing the format. I have also taken the liberty of including the dates of each future General Conference within the timeline, which, according to past General Conference dates, do seem to be streamlined to the last Saturdays in March and September (for the General Women's Meeting) and the first weekends in April and October (for the other five sessions). And I have included President Monson's 90th birthday, which, in light of what has happened with temples since he became Church President 9 years ago (with the number of operating temples then at 124 and the number of operating temples when all in any status are completed will be 182) definitely makes me feel that the milestone birthday is very noteworthy for this timeline.
I should mention that for future temple dedications and groundbreakings, I am running on little more than my own hopes and desires that have been based on the best research I could have done, and by running some calculations of the typical time periods by which previous events have happened for other temples. As with anything else I post that is similar to this, I welcome any and all feedback. Thanks so much for your continued interest and feedback. The fact that this blog of mine ranks as one of the top Google search results for future temple-related events is so much more a credit to you who read and comment than it is an acknowledgement that my theories, such as they have been, have any merit. I cannot count the number of times when an insightful comment from so many of you has changed completely the direction of my line of reasoning previously. And I hope it will continue to be so. Thanks again.
Here's the timeline. Enjoy, and let me know what you think.
PRELIMINARY NOTE: As I pondered the newest five temples announced last weekend, and as I did
further study, I realized that my estimated timeline for future temple-related
events needed to be revised. I have also simplified things a lot in this
version, giving the year for such events, followed by a brief description of
what the event is and when it will happen, along with a brief note about such
events, when applicable.
2017—Events already scheduled:
Now: Reservations being accepted for the Paris France and Idaho Falls Temple
Open Houses
Anytime soon: Construction expected
to begin in earnest for the Rio de Janeiro Brazil and Arequipa Peru Temples,
which both had a groundbreaking ceremony on March 4.
Saturday April 22-Saturday May 13
(excluding the Sundays of April 23 & 30 and May 7): Paris France Temple
Open House
Saturday April 22-Saturday May 20
(excluding the Sundays of April 23 & 30 and May 7 &14): Idaho Falls
Temple Open House
Monday May 15: Reservations will
begin to be accepted for the Tucson Arizona Temple Open House
Saturday May 20: Paris France
Temple Cultural Celebration
Sunday May 21: Paris France Temple
dedication (the Church’s 156th operating temple)
NOTE: I am anticipating that President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, our European
apostle, will preside at this event and be accompanied by Elder Neil L.
Andersen, who served his mission in France, and Bishop Gerald Causse, our
French Presiding Bishop.
May or June: Construction expected to
begin in earnest for the Winnipeg Manitoba Temple, following the conclusion of
the really bad Canadian winter.
Saturday June 3-24 (excluding the
Sundays of June 4, 11 & 18): Tucson Arizona Temple Open House
Saturday June 3: Idaho Falls Idaho
Temple Cultural Celebration
Sunday June 4: Idaho Falls Idaho
Temple Rededication
NOTE: It is my belief that President Henry B. Eyring or Elder David A.
Bednar, who have ties to Idaho, may preside at this event, and that either or
both will be accompanied by Elder Neil L. Andersen, an Idaho native.
Saturday August 12: Tucson Arizona
Temple Cultural Celebration
Sunday August 13: Tucson Arizona
Temple Dedication (157th operating temple)
NOTE: Since President Dieter F. Uchtdorf broke ground for this temple, it is
not unreasonable to assume that he will return to dedicate it.
Monday August 21: President Monson’s
90th birthday
NOTE: While this is not, strictly speaking, a temple-related event, it is on
this list because of President Monson’s extensive contribution to the worldwide
number of temples. With the 124 that were operating when he became Church President,
and, noting that the total number of temples in any phase is now 182, it is
fitting that the milestone birthday of this Church President, who has so well
carried on the legacy of his predecessor President Hinckley, should be included
on this timeline.
September 23 and 30 and October 1: 187th
Semiannual General Conference
NOTE: This event made the list since there is every possibility that new
temples could potentially be announced during this time.
Saturday October 21-Saturday November
11 (excluding the Sundays of October 22 and 29 and November 5): Meridian Idaho Temple Open House
Saturday November 18: Meridian Idaho
Temple Cultural Celebration
Sunday November 19: Meridian Idaho
Temple Dedication (158th operating temple)
NOTE: It would not surprise me, as I have before noted, if President Eyring,
Elder Bednar, and Elder Andersen were all in attendance at this event.
Friday October 27-Saturday November
18: Cedar City Utah Temple Open House
Saturday December 9: Cedar City Utah
Temple Cultural Celebration
Sunday December 10: Cedar City Utah
Temple Dedication (159th operating temple)
NOTE: With this event being the dedication of a Utah temple, it is
anticipated that several general authorities will be in attendance. I have felt
that the temple will be dedicated by either President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, or
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, a native of St. George, a close sister of Cedar City.
Likely to be scheduled later this year:
November 2017: Groundbreaking for
Harare Zimbabwe Temple
2018—Exact event timeline
unknown, but I offer my best estimate
Late January or early February:
Rededication of the Jordan River Utah Temple
Early February: Renovation begins on
the Oakland California Temple
Late February or early March:
Dedication of the Rome Italy Temple (160th operating temple)
Early March: Renovation begins on the
Washington DC Temple
March 24 and 31 and April 1: 188th
Annual General Conference
NOTE: While this is yet-to-be confirmed, it does conform to the general
timeline under which previous general conferences have taken place. Temple
announcements are always possible during General Conference.
Early-to-mid May: Rededication of the
Freiberg Germany Temple
Late May or early June: Dedication of
the Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo (161st operating
temple); groundbreakings for the Port-au-Prince Haiti and Bangkok Thailand
Temples
NOTE: As Winter 2018 ends in the northern hemisphere near the end of March,
it is my feeling that we might see the groundbreakings for the temples in
Port-au-Prince Haiti (where a site has already been confirmed) and Bangkok
Thailand (where an existing building might be rebuilt and renovated into a
multi-purpose edifice) during this time. That said, with so much unknown about
future temples, it is only my best-effort prediction.
Early August: Dedication of the
Barranquilla Colombia Temple (162nd operating temple)
Mid-to-late August: Groundbreaking
for the Brasilia Brazil Temple
NOTE: Though this temple was just announced this past weekend and the temple
site has yet to be officially confirmed by the Church, local leaders have
identified where it will likely be located, opening the possibility that the
groundbreaking could happen at around this time, especially if that site
confirmation happens soon.
September or October: Groundbreakings
for the Greater Manila Philippines and Pocatello Idaho Temples
NOTE: While the official sites have yet to be confirmed, the Facebook page
for the Philippines indicates that the newest Filipino temple will be built on
the southern side of the Manila metropolitan area in the area known as Alabang,
Muntinlupa City. And while many options are under consideration for the next
Idahoan temple, one of the most likely locations is the 10-acre land parcel
that neighbors the meetinghouse on which the Pocatello Idaho Highland Stake Center
sits. So it is very likely that these two groundbreakings could happen around
this time, as identifying a site is half the battle. It all depends on how
quickly the Church is able to confirm these sites. But it wouldn’t surprise me.
September 29 and October 6 & 7: 188th
Semiannual General Conference
NOTE: While this is yet-to-be confirmed, it does conform to the general
timeline under which previous general conferences have taken place. Temple
announcements are always possible during General Conference.
Early-to-mid November: Dedication of
the Concepcion Chile Temple (163rd operating temple)
Late November-Early December:
Groundbreaking for the Saratoga Springs Utah Temple
NOTE: As the Church reportedly owns several acres of land in this community,
the temple could be built on any of those developments. It is not impossible to
believe that a groundbreaking could happen by the end of 2018, but I could see
the Church pushing that back perhaps to sometime early in the year following. I
will keep an eye on all of that and try to make a better prediction later on
when more is known.
Early December: Dedication of the
Durban South Africa Temple (164th operating temple)
2019 (NOTE: This gets more
speculative as it is two years out, but again, I offer my best estimate based
on the information I have)
Late January or early February:
Groundbreaking for the Lima Peru Los Olivos Temple
NOTE: While the site for this temple has yet to be confirmed, the official
name of it seems to indicate that it will be built within the district of the
same name in the Peruvian capital city. If a site confirmation happens between
now and then, I could definitely see a groundbreaking at this time. But that
will largely depend on what happens between now and then. More to come once
more is known.
Late March: Dedication of the
Winnipeg Manitoba Temple (165th operating temple) and groundbreaking
for the Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple
NOTE: If construction for the Winnipeg Temple starts as anticipated in May
or June of this year, with the 20-month estimated timetable for construction,
the dedication could happen there. As for the groundbreaking for the Ivory
Coast’s first temple, while I recognize that an official site has not yet been
confirmed, temples in Africa are having construction commence in relatively
short order. I have mentioned above the likelihood that the Church will break
ground for the first Zimbabwean temple by the end of this year. And given that
that temple was announced one year after this one, it is not hard to believe
that Abidjan could have a groundbreaking by this time, especially since this
projection would allow for it to happen during the final days of the summer
season for Africa.
March 30 & April 6 & 7: 189th
Annual General Conference
NOTE: While this is yet-to-be confirmed, it does conform to the general
timeline under which previous general conferences have taken place. Temple
announcements are always possible during General Conference.
Early-to-mid May: Dedication of the
Fortaleza Brazil Temple (166th operating temple)
Late May: Groundbreaking for the
Quito Ecuador Temple
NOTE: We have had two temples whose time span between the announcement and
the subsequent groundbreaking have spanned 14+ years, and one of them was
Ecuador’s first temple in Guayaquil. With that in mind, I don’t think such a
delay will apply in any way to this temple in the capital city. If the
groundbreaking happens here at this time, it would hold true for the latest
patterns in that regard for South American temples.
Early-to-mid September: Rededication
of the Oakland California Temple
Mid-to-late September: Dedication of
the Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple (167th operating temple) and
groundbreaking for the Belem Brazil Temple
NOTE: Brazil seems to be highly favored of the Lord due to the wide-spread
reception of the gospel by its citizens. Temples in particular are important to
the Saints there, and the many announcements of Brazilian temples in the last
few years has been amazing to see. With some exceptions (the Fortaleza Brazil
temple being one), it has generally be the case that Brazilian temples progress
fairly swiftly from announcement to groundbreaking to construction to
dedication. It is therefore not only possible but highly probable that both of
these events could take place at around this time, especially in light of the
fact that they would be held during the Brazilian spring.
September 28 & October 6 & 7:
189th Semiannual General Conference
NOTE: While this is yet-to-be confirmed, it does conform to the general
timeline under which previous general conferences have taken place. Temple
announcements are always possible during General Conference.
Early December: Dedication of the
Lisbon Portugal Temple (168th operating temple)
2020 (NOTE: With this being 3
years from now, with the exception of General Conference dates, which are
easily predicted, it is anyone’s guess how or if the events proposed here will
take place as I am estimating they will. I will make adjustments when more is
known.)
March: Dedication of the Arequipa
Peru Temple (169th operating temple); Groundbreaking for the Nairobi
Kenya Temple
NOTE: Temples in Africa always take a little while between announcement and
groundbreaking. While I am hoping and praying that Kenya’s first temple has its
construction commence sooner than this, it may not happen that way.
March 28 & April 4 & 5: 190th
Annual General Conference
NOTE: While this is yet-to-be confirmed, it does conform to the general
timeline under which previous general conferences have taken place. Temple
announcements are always possible during General Conference.
June: Rededication of the Washington
DC Temple and groundbreaking for the Urdaneta Philippines Temple
NOTE: The renovation on the temple of the US capital is anticipated to take
two years, so this is a very conservative estimate on my part. And while I
certainly hope it will not take another three years to see the groundbreaking for
this Philippines temple that will have had almost ten years since its
announcement by this time, there are no clear signs that it will happen any
sooner than this. I will monitor that situation closely and go from there.
September: Dedication for the Harare
Zimbabwe Temple (170th operating temple)
NOTE: The completion timeline for this temple will depend entirely on how
soon we see a site announcement, when ground is broken, what the design
entails, and how swiftly construction progresses. But it seems to be a safe
initial prediction.
September 26 & October 3 & 4:
190th Semiannual General Conference
NOTE: While this is yet-to-be confirmed, it does conform to the general
timeline under which previous general conferences have taken place. Temple announcements
are always possible during General Conference.
December: Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple
Dedication (171st operating temple)
NOTE: The timeline for this dedication will depend on whether or not a
groundbreaking takes place at the time indicated above. And things might happen
sooner than indicated here, all going well. The only other Caribbean temple was
completed within a similar time frame to what I have suggested here.
2021 (NOTE: With this being 4
years from now, with the exception of General Conference dates, which are
easily predicted, it is anyone’s guess how or if the events proposed here will
take place as I am estimating they will. I will make adjustments when more is
known.)
February: Pocatello Idaho Temple
Dedication (172nd operating temple)
NOTE: The timeline for this dedication will depend on whether or not a
groundbreaking takes place at the time indicated above. And things might happen
sooner than indicated here, all going well. But I have noted the general
timeline in which temples in Idaho are usually completed, and will readjust my
timeline as needed for the future.
March 27, April 3 & 4: 191st
Annual General Conference
NOTE: While this is yet-to-be confirmed, it does conform to the general
timeline under which previous general conferences have taken place. Temple
announcements are always possible during General Conference.
May: Saratoga Springs Utah Temple
Dedication (173rd operating temple)
NOTE: The timeline for this dedication will depend on whether or not a
groundbreaking takes place at the time indicated above. And things might happen
sooner than indicated here, all going well. But I have noted the general
timeline in which Utah temples are usually completed, and will readjust my
timeline as needed for the future.
August: Bangkok Thailand Temple
Dedication (174th operating temple)
NOTE: The timeline for this dedication will depend on whether or not a
groundbreaking takes place at the time indicated above. And things might happen
sooner than indicated here, all going well. But I have noted the general
timeline in which Asian temples are usually completed, and will readjust my
timeline as needed for the future.
September 25 & October 2 & 3:
191st Semiannual General Conference
NOTE: While this is yet-to-be confirmed, it does conform to the general
timeline under which previous general conferences have taken place. Temple
announcements are always possible during General Conference.
November: Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple
Dedication (175th operating temple)
NOTE: The timeline for this dedication will depend on whether or not a
groundbreaking takes place at the time indicated above. And things might happen
sooner than indicated here, all going well. But I have noted the general
timeline in which African temples are usually completed, and will readjust my
timeline as needed for the future.
2022 (NOTE: With this being 5
years from now, with the exception of General Conference dates, which are
easily predicted, it is anyone’s guess how or if the events proposed here will
take place as I am estimating they will. I will make adjustments when more is
known.)
February: Brasilia Brazil Temple
Dedication (176th operating temple)
NOTE: The timeline for this dedication will depend on whether or not a
groundbreaking takes place at the time indicated above. And things might happen
sooner than indicated here, all going well. But I have noted the general
timeline in which Brazilian temples are usually completed, and will readjust my
timeline as needed for the future.
March 26 & April 2 & 3: 192nd
Annual General Conference
NOTE: While this is yet-to-be confirmed, it does conform to the general
timeline under which previous general conferences have taken place. Temple
announcements are always possible during General Conference.
May: Quito Ecuador Temple Dedication
(177th operating temple)
NOTE: The timeline for this dedication will depend on whether or not a
groundbreaking takes place at the time indicated above. And things might happen
sooner than indicated here, all going well. But I have noted the general timeline
in which Ecuadoran temples are usually completed, and will readjust my timeline
as needed for the future.
August: Lima Peru Los Olivos Temple
Dedication (178th operating temple)
NOTE: The timeline for this dedication will depend on whether or not a groundbreaking
takes place at the time indicated above. And things might happen sooner than
indicated here, all going well. But I have noted the general timeline in which
Peruvian temples are usually completed, and will readjust my timeline as needed
for the future.
September 24 & October 1 & 2:
192nd Semiannual General Conference
NOTE: While this is yet-to-be confirmed, it does conform to the general
timeline under which previous general conferences have taken place. Temple
announcements are always possible during General Conference.
November: Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple
Dedication (179th operating temple)
NOTE: The timeline for this dedication will depend on whether or not a
groundbreaking takes place at the time indicated above. And things might happen
sooner than indicated here, all going well. But I have noted the general
timeline in which African temples are usually completed, and will readjust my
timeline as needed for the future.
2023 (NOTE: With this being 6
years from now, with the exception of General Conference dates, which are
easily predicted, it is anyone’s guess how or if the events proposed here will
take place as I am estimating they will. I will make adjustments when more is
known.)
February: Nairobi Kenya Temple
Dedication (180th operating temple)
NOTE: The timeline for this dedication will depend on whether or not a
groundbreaking takes place at the time indicated above. And things might happen
sooner than indicated here, all going well. But I have noted the general
timeline in which African temples are usually completed, and will readjust my
timeline as needed for the future.
March 25 & April 1 & 2: 193rd
Annual General Conference
NOTE: While this is yet-to-be confirmed, it does conform to the general
timeline under which previous general conferences have taken place. Temple
announcements are always possible during General Conference.
May: Belem Brazil Temple Dedication
(181st operating temple)
NOTE: The timeline for this dedication will depend on whether or not a
groundbreaking takes place at the time indicated above. And things might happen
sooner than indicated here, all going well. But I have noted the general
timeline in which Brazilian temples are usually completed, and will readjust my
timeline as needed for the future.
August: Urdaneta Philippines Temple
Dedication (182nd operating temple)
NOTE: As this temple is currently stalled in the planning and approval
phase, it is anyone’s guess as to when a site announcement and groundbreaking
will happen. That said, if a groundbreaking can take place according to the
timeline suggested above, it is very possible that this temple will be
completed within the general time frame in which other temples in the
Philippines have been known to be completed.
FINAL NOTE: Any other temple-related event is too far distant to be
predicted, as the dedication above will mark that of the last temple we
currently have announced. While I have based the timeline above on my
observations for the timelines of temples worldwide, it is by no means a
perfect or infallible system. With that in mind, I hope to see events happen
much sooner than indicated here. And it is sure that I will make every effort
to report any changes as more information comes to light. Thanks for reading
this. Any comments are welcome and most appreciated.
On this blog, I, James Stokes, share insights and analysis covering the latest news and developments reported about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. My specific emphasis and focus is on the ministry of our current apostles, General Conference, and up-to-date temple information. This site is neither officially owned, operated, or endorsed by the Church, and I, as the autthor thereof, am solely responsible for this content.
Search This Blog
Thursday, April 6, 2017
Updated Timeline for Future Temple-related Events
I have had a lifelong love for Church history, which has extended to ongoing reports of the ministry of our apostles and prophets, General Conference, and all temple developments. This blog enables me to share that love with all who read my thoughts on these developments, which are sometimes reported multiple times per day as needed.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment
In addition to my life-long love for the subjects which I cover in the posts of this blog, I have long held the belief that we can disagree without becoming disagreeable. Differences of opinion are natural, while being disagreeable in expressing those differences is not. And in that sense, I have no desire to close the door on anyone who earnestly desires to contribute to the ongoing dialogue on subjects covered in the posts on this blog.
At the same time, however, I recognize that we live in a time when incivility, discourtesy, unkindness, and even cyber-bullying has regrettably become part of online interactions. With that in mind, while anyone who wishes can comment on anything if they choose to do so, I hereby reserve the right to immediately delete any comments which are critical, unkind, lack civility, or promote prodcuts, services, and values contrary to either the Church, or to the rules of online etiquette.
I'd also like to remind all who comment here that I try to respond personally to each individual comment as I feel is appropriate. Such replies are not meant to end the conversation, but to acknowledge earnest feedback as it is submitted.
And in order to better preserve the spirit and pure intentions for which this blog was established, I also hereby request that anyone not commenting with a regular user name (particularly those whose comments appear under the "Unknown" or "Anonymous" monikers, give the rest of us a name to work with in addressing any replies. If such individuals do not wish to disclose their actual given names, a pseudonym or nickname would suffice.
Any comments made by individuals who opt to not give a name by which they can ber identified may, depending on the substance and tone of such comments, be subject to deletion as well. I would respectfully ask that all of us do all we can to keep the dialogue positive, polite, and without malice or ill-will. May the Lord bless us all in our discussion of these important matters.