Stokes Sounds Off: Temple Updates Provided

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Saturday, September 22, 2018

Temple Updates Provided

Hello again, everyone! I am pleased to be able to bring you word of several updates that have been reported on both new temples under construction and existing ones undergoing renovation. As some of you may have noticed, it has been a while since any major progress has been reported (aside from the announced calls of the presidents for all new temples anticipated to be dedicated sometime next year). So it is good to have these updates. I am in the initial process of evaluating if and how such updates might impact the general or more specific estimates I have previously provided.

That said, I wanted to note that, unless there is something of which I and the sources from which I pulled these updates are not aware, then there is most likely no need to alter such estimates too much. The Lord and those working on these projects are in control of those time-frames, and all of those events will unfold according to His timetable.

With my apologies in advance, the extensive nature of the updates provided on many of these temples necessitates my posting a fully-updated copy of my temple construction progress report. New updates and information continue to be noted in red text. As I said earlier, I will be taking time over the next few days or so to try and get a better feel for any alterations that might be needed to the general and more specific estimates I have provided in the report below.

One thing which I am still trying to evaluate is figuring out whether or not any temples other than the one in Bangkok Thailand will have a groundbreaking this year. Although there have been encouraging developments reported of late with both the Urdaneta Philippines and Saratoga Springs Utah Temples, it sounds like the Church may be looking to have a groundbreaking for the Pocatello Idaho Temple next year, which may perhaps occur before either of the other two, unless otherwise announced.

I do continue to monitor all such developments and will do my best to bring word of those to you all as I become aware of such information. The report follows below. So as not to disturb the flow of that information, I will end here and now as I always do. That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time.

Particularly, if any of you have any specific comments or thoughts about what the recent updates (or lack thereof) on any of the temples under construction, undergoing renovation, or announced might mean in terms of altered time-frames for such events, please feel free to take your turn and "sound off" in the comments below. I'd appreciate your thoughts.

In the meantime, thank you for the privilege of your time. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly-added content, please feel free to subscribe. 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.


Temple Construction Progress (current as of 9/23/18)

Note about future temple construction: I have previously referenced the statement made by Elder Larry Y. Wilson, who serves as the Temple Department Executive Director, to the effect that 80 temples were on a list of locations that would be considered for an official announcement within the 15 years following that statement. And although we may not know whether or not those 80 locations have been announced by late April 2032, it seems reasonable to believe that the Church could (and likely will) have 200 operating temples by or before Saturday April 6, 2030 (which will mark the Church’s bicentennial anniversary). In order to do so, the Church would just need to complete the 30 temples in various phases, and announce and complete 11 others in the 11.54 years between now and then, which could be done if 3.55 temples are dedicated each year. Although this year will see only 2 temple dedications, there are 5 or 6 anticipated in 2019, and at least 3 that we know of so far the following year. So I am confident the Church will have at least 200 in operation by that time, whether or not an official goal is made to do so.
                        
Current temple status: The Church has 189 temples in various phases. There are 159 in operation, while 1 other has an open house underway; 2 more have a dedication scheduled; 8 others are in various phases of construction. In terms of temples undergoing renovations, 10 temples are currently closed for renovation (5 or 6 of which are anticipated to be rededicated next year), and 1 other, which closed for renovation in late 2017, is currently stalled in its’ renovation process. The remaining 19 are announced, with at least 2 that to have a groundbreaking by the end of 2018, while several others are likely to have a groundbreaking in 2019 and the years following that.

Public open house underway:
160. Concepcion Chile Temple: Public open house underway (will go through Saturday October 13, excluding the relevant Sundays); dedication scheduled to occur on Sunday October 28, 2018.

Dedication Scheduled:                                                                                         
161.  Barranquilla Colombia Temple: Exterior work completed; temple open house begins in roughly 2 months; dedication scheduled to occur on Sunday December 9, 2018.
162. Rome Italy Temple: Link to Church survey for those wanting to attend this temple’s dedication posted on Facebook on September 22, 2018; temporary information center closing tomorrow (will be replaced by a visitor’s center); dedication scheduled to occur from Sunday March 10-Sunday March 17, 2019.

Under construction, completion estimated during 2019:
163. Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple: Installation of lamp-posts underway on temple grounds; completion estimated sometime during early-to-mid 2019.
Note: Having recently been reminded that this temple (for the moment, at least) will not include an angel Moroni statue, it is my feeling that we could see a dedication held in mid-April, unless it is scheduled to occur prior to the already-scheduled dedication of the Rome Italy Temple.
164. Fortaleza Brazil Temple: Installation of exterior lighting underway; completion estimated sometime during early-to-mid 2019.
Note: Given the recent massive number of updates which we have seen provided for this temple, as long as it continues to steadily progress towards its’ completion, a rededication could be set for mid-to-late May, following Mother’s Day.
165. Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple: Exterior cladding underway; new photograph shared on Facebook on September 12, 2018; completion estimated sometime during mid-2019.
Note: Although I have not found any updates for this temple in the recent past, if it has progressed at a steady rate, the dedication could be held for it in early-to-mid June. If I see information that leads me to conclude that will happen sooner, I will alter this estimate.
166. Lisbon Portugal Temple: New photographs shared on Facebook on September 12, 2018 show progress on exterior stonework for temple; installation of lampposts underway at adjacent meetinghouse; completion estimated sometime during mid-2019.
Note: Given the recent massive number of developments reported for this temple on the LDS Church Temples page, if construction continues at a steady rate, this temple could potentially be dedicated in mid-to-late August. I will alter this estimate as needed once more information is available.
167. Durban South Africa Temple: Installation of roof shingles nearing completion; completion estimated sometime during mid-to-late 2019.
Note: As previously mentioned, on July 19, 2019, the Church News identified the first president for this temple. Since we have not yet heard about the first presidents for the Fortaleza or Lisbon temples, there may be a possibility that this temple could be dedicated sooner than many (myself included) have anticipated. Until more is known in that regard, I am adjusting my previously-offered estimate to mid-October.

Temples estimated to be completed sometime during 2020:
168. Arequipa Peru Temple: Picture update posted to Facebook on September 22, 2018 shows Holiness to the Lord inscription stone in place; completion estimated sometime during early 2020.
Note: While this temple and the temples in Rio de Janeiro and Winnipeg may, in some ways, be interchangeable in terms of their future likely completion order, since this one seems to remain ahead for the moment, it could be dedicated sometime between January and March, but perhaps on the earlier side of that estimate, if progress continues at a steady rate.
169. Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple: Exterior cladding continues; completion estimated sometime during early 2020.
Note: While I have not found a recent update on this temple, if progress has continued steadily, a dedication could potentially occur between February and April, but perhaps on the earlier side of that estimate.
170. Winnipeg Manitoba Temple: Work continues on foundation for meetinghouse being built adjacent to the temple; completion estimated sometime during early-to-mid 2020.
Note: Since there has been no change to the 20-month estimate in which this temple is anticipated to be completed, full-scale construction could conclude in February or March, in which case a dedication could follow between April and June. I will be keeping my eyes open for anything that would necessitate a change in that estimate.

Undergoing Renovation (rededication estimated sometime during 2019):
41. Frankfurt Germany Temple: Closed for renovation; updated photograph posted to Facebook on July 24, 2018; completion estimated sometime during early-to-mid 2019.
Note: Given the update noted above, I stand by my estimate that this temple could either be rededicated in February (prior to the already-scheduled dedication of the Rome Italy Temple) or in mid-to-late April. As more is known, if I need to adjust my thinking on this estimate, I will do so.
95. Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temple: Closed for renovation; angel Moroni statue reinstalled on September 10, 2018; rededication estimated sometime during mid-2019.
Note: If the article about this temple’s renovation process, which was posted on the LDS Church Temples Facebook site on the date noted above, is any indication, then renovation efforts will conclude in April or May, which means that a rededication could potentially occur in either June or early-to-mid August, following the annual July recess for the General Authorities.
80. Memphis Tennessee Temple: Closed for renovation; photograph posted on Facebook on July 24, 2018 shows progress on tower cladding; rededication estimated sometime during mid-2019.
Note: Although this temple has not progressed as consistently as the Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temple, it has continued at a steady pace. With that in mind, this temple could be rededicated in mid-September.
94. Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple: Closed for renovation; process of cladding exterior in stone will soon be underway; rededication estimated sometime during mid-to-late 2019.
Note: Given the recent steady progress made on this temple, and the comparatively less progress we have seen reported for the Raleigh North Carolina Temple, I am making a bold new prediction that this temple will be rededicated before that one, and that this could occur in mid-to-late October.
68. Raleigh North Carolina Temple: Closed for renovation; window openings boarded up; scaffolding installed around tower; preparation for stone cladding underway; cladding nearing completion on east side; rededication estimated sometime during mid-to-late 2019.
Note: Given the lack of a report showing that this temple is making steady progress in its’ renovation, and the relatively more substantial progress that has been noted on the Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple, as noted above, I moved this one down on July 24, 2018. That said, this temple could be rededicated in either mid-November or mid-December, assuming all goes well.

Undergoing Renovation (rededication estimated sometime during late 2019-early 2020)
13. Oakland California Temple: Closed for renovation; new photograph posted on Facebook on September 22, 2018; rededication estimated sometime during late 2019-early 2020.
Note: As I have previously noted, this temple is older, and is having its’ first renovation. With that in mind, depending on how consistently we hear updates on its’ progress, a rededication could occur anytime during December 2019-March or April 2020.

Undergoing Renovation (rededication estimated sometime during 2020):
18. Tokyo Japan Temple: Closed for renovation; scaffolding put up around the exterior tower area; rededication estimated sometime during early-to-mid 2020.
Note: If this temple continues to make consistent progress, then we could see a rededication occur sometime during April-June, though that may be pushed back to August if delays occur.
7. Mesa Arizona Temple: Closed for renovation; alterations to window openings shown in new picture posted to Facebook on September 22, 2018; interior work continues; rededication may take place sometime during mid-to-late 2020.
Note: On May 10, 2018, the Church released details of the renovation plans for this temple. Exactly three weeks later, the Church released additional details of plans to redevelop the area around the temple. Bearing in mind that this temple has been renovated before, and that it is a somewhat older and larger temple, its’ rededication could occur sometime between mid-August and late September.
16. Washington D. C. Temple: Closed for renovation; repairs underway on temple spires; rededication may take place sometime during mid-to-late 2020.
Note: Since this is an older and larger temple undergoing its’ first renovation, a rededication could take place sometime between early October and mid-December. Once more is known about this temple’s progress (or the lack thereof), I will provide any adjustments to this estimate that may be needed.

Undergoing Renovation (rededication estimated sometime during 2021):
11. Hamilton New Zealand Temple: Closed for renovation; photograph shared on Facebook on August 27, 2018 shows massive attendance at the temple the day before its’ renovation closure began; rededication may take place sometime during early-to-mid 2021.
Note: On July 24, 2018, the LDS Church Temples Facebook page confirmed that this temple had closed for renovation. While the extent of the renovation plans currently remain unknown (or at least uncertain), the temple may be subject to a complete exterior and interior overhaul, which may involve an expansion. Unless something occurs that delays this process, this temple could potentially be dedicated in mid-to-late April 2021. As more is known, any adjustments that are needed in terms of this estimate will be made.

Renovation process stalled; full-scale work pending:
112. Asuncion Paraguay Temple: Closed for renovation; full-scale renovation pending.
Note: Until formal renovation efforts are underway for this temple, it will be difficult (if not impossible) to pinpoint both a general and more specific completion estimate. Consequently, on July 24, 2018, I removed any estimates from this temple. If I hear renovation efforts are underway in the near future, I will then again add a general completion estimate, and offer a more specific estimate as well. Either way, it does not appear likely at this point that this temple will be rededicated in 2019, as was originally announced.

Note on announced temples: Although I have previously indicated that I was no longer comfortable or confident enough to venture general or even more specific time-frames for the groundbreakings of these temples, recent developments have made it easier to surmise how soon such events might happen, so, on May 31, 2018, I again added those estimates. As part of that process, I have once again altered, where new information necessitated, the order in which these temples are listed. That said, the timing of such events has always been up to the Lord, who reveals His will in that regard to His prophets. Whether or not the groundbreakings occur within the windows indicated here, I will embrace those whenever they actually take place.

Announced temples:
171. Bangkok Thailand Temple: Planning and approvals; artist’s rendering released on March 19, 2018; groundbreaking may take place sometime during late 2018.
Note: With the site identified and the release of the artist’s rendering, a groundbreaking for this temple may just be a matter of time. And since this November marks the 52nd anniversary of Thailand’s being dedicated for the preaching of the gospel, November may just be the month in which this groundbreaking occurs.
172. Urdaneta Philippines Temple: Site clearing activities underway; artist’s rendering anticipated to be released in the near future; groundbreaking may take place sometime during mid-to-late 2018.
Note: On July 6, 2018, the LDS Church Temples Facebook page reported the developments noted above, and with that in mind, an artist’s rendering may be released and a groundbreaking ceremony may be set at some point in the very near future. What is unclear for the moment is how soon that might occur. While I would anticipate that the Bangkok Thailand Temple, which is further along in the process for now, might have a groundbreaking first, I am certain a groundbreaking ceremony will be held for this temple by the end of this year. As more is known, I will be able to offer a more precise estimate.
173. Saratoga Springs Utah Temple: Planning and approval; designs underway; picture of presumed location shared on Facebook on August 27, 2018; groundbreaking may take place sometime during late 2018-early 2019.
Note: Although a site confirmation is pending for this temple, because designs are currently underway, and because this is a Utah County temple (since temples in Utah always progress more swiftly than other temples elsewhere within the US), on May 31, 2018, I moved this temple up on this list. Then, on July 6, 2018, as a result of the developments relating to the Urdaneta Philippines temple, I moved this one down and adjusted my general estimate for its’ groundbreaking. I am not ruling out the prospect that the Church could hold a groundbreaking for this temple before the end of 2018, so if I feel a need to move this temple again in the near future, I will do so.
174. Pocatello Idaho Temple: Planning and approval; site confirmed and artist’s rendering released on September 6, 2018; groundbreaking anticipated sometime during early 2019.
Note: On the date mentioned above, with the site confirmation and artist’s rendering, the official announcement also noted that construction on the temple (which will take around 2-3 years) was anticipated to begin at some point next year. I have therefore moved my estimate for that process to early 2019, and could see a groundbreaking scheduled sometime between late March and mid-to-late April.
175. Lima Peru Los Olivos Temple: Planning and preliminary construction phase; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking may take place sometime during early-to-mid 2019.
Note: In March 2017, the contractor for this temple indicated that a year of pre-planning would be needed for this temple site before a groundbreaking could be held. While it is unclear when that year began (or if that year has already passed), it seems safe to assume that the groundbreaking for this temple could occur within the next year, if not sooner.
176. Harare Zimbabwe Temple: Planning and approval; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking may take place sometime during mid-2019.
Note: Although an official site confirmation is pending, President Nelson visited a probable location during his world tour in April 2018. If that site location is officially confirmed in the near future, then a groundbreaking could easily follow within the next 15 months or less.
177. Nairobi Kenya Temple: Planning and approval; awaiting official site announcement; media event held June 14, 2017; groundbreaking may take place sometime during mid-2019.
Note: During President Nelson’s recent visit to Kenya, a national newspaper noted that the site for this temple had been selected, and that because this temple was anticipated to be a smaller one, its’ dedication might occur sometime during 2021. With that in mind, it is not hard to believe that an official site announcement and groundbreaking could occur within the next 15-18 months.
178. Brasilia Brazil Temple: Planning and approval; site inspected by Church engineers on June 21, 2017; groundbreaking may take place sometime during mid-to-late 2019.
Note: Although a site inspection occurred one year ago for this temple, the prospective groundbreaking timeframes offered for the temples above necessitates a change in my previously-offered thoughts about the imminence of that groundbreaking. While I would hope that the Brazilian Saints would not have to wait another 1.5 years for this temple’s groundbreaking, until more is known, it seems wiser to be conservative in this estimate.
179. Greater Manila Philippines Temple: Planning and approval; awaiting official name announcement; groundbreaking may take place sometime during mid-to-late 2019.
Note: Although this temple may also be further along in its’ progress towards a groundbreaking than other temples above it, in view of the factors noted on the others above this one, it has seemed wiser to be more conservative in my estimate for this temple’s future groundbreaking. Additionally, since getting the Urdaneta Philippines Temple underway may be more of a priority for the Church, this one may only have a groundbreaking within the next 16-19 months.
180. Layton Utah Temple: Announced April 1, 2018; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking may take place sometime during late 2019-early 2020.
Note: While I would anticipate that, for this temple in Utah, its’ construction will likely get underway sooner than other temples on this list, and while that could happen sooner than indicated above if the Church confirms that the land that was bought in Layton two days before the temple was announced in that city will serve as the site for that temple, it has seemed wiser to be more conservative in my estimate for this temple’s potential groundbreaking. I will be delighted to move it up on this list if I see a good enough reason to do so.
181. Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple: Planning and approval; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking may take place sometime during early 2020.
Note: This is the last of the three temples announced in April 2015 that may have a groundbreaking. The Church in the Ivory Coast has seen sufficient enough growth that a second (and perhaps even a third) temple may be announced to serve the Saints in this nation, but that may not occur until this temple makes further progress. We have seen recent developments on other temples in Africa, which gives me hope that this temple could have a groundbreaking ceremony around the estimated time noted above, but time will tell how accurate that might prove to be.
182. Quito Ecuador Temple: Planning and approval; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking may take place sometime during early-to-mid 2020.
Note: While the first Ecuadoran temple had a 14-year wait between its’ announcement and groundbreaking, with the progress the Church has made in South America within the last two decades, this temple (to be built in the Ecuadoran capital city) will likely not see a wait nearly that long. I personally hope that this groundbreaking will occur sooner than indicated above, but until more information is available, I have felt a need to be more conservative.
183. Richmond Virginia Temple: Announced April 1, 2018; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking may take place sometime during early-to-mid 2020.
Note: Although an official site confirmation is pending for this temple, a Virginia newspaper noted in mid-April 2018 that the Church had procured several acres of land in Richmond sometime during 2015. If the Church confirms in the near future that one of those plots will be the official temple site, then a groundbreaking could easily occur within the next two years, but possibly less, since temples in the US generally have construction begin well in advance of their international counterparts.
184. Belem Brazil Temple: Planning and approval; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking may take place sometime during early-to-mid 2020.
Note: Although this temple was announced one year before the Brasilia Brazil Temple, that temple is further along in the approval process and will likely therefore have its’ groundbreaking before that occurs for this temple. In preparing these updated thoughts, it occurred to me that the Church may opt to hold off on beginning construction of this temple until both the Fortaleza and Rio de Janeiro Temples are dedicated. With that in mind, I have felt that the groundbreaking could occur at around this time, but I will alter this estimate as needed once more is known.
185. Managua Nicaragua Temple: Announced April 1, 2018; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking may take place sometime during mid-2020.
Note: Since then-Elder Nelson had publicly proposed this temple in 2012, and President Nelson himself made the announcement, I would imagine the Lord will allow him to be very much involved in the process of this temple’s construction and eventual dedication. With that in mind, I could see a groundbreaking occur within the next 24-27 months, but hopefully sooner if all goes well.
186. Salta Argentina Temple: Announced April 1, 2018; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking may take place sometime during mid-2020.
Note: While the time-frames offered for the temples above this one has resulted in this temple’s estimate being delayed as well, it would not surprise me if a groundbreaking for this temple happens sooner than estimated here.
187. Cagayan de Oro Philippines Temple: Announced April 1, 2018; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking may take place sometime during mid-to-late 2020.
Note: While I would anticipate that this temple will likely not have a groundbreaking until significant progress has been made on both the Urdaneta and greater Manila area temples, it is not impossible to believe that a groundbreaking could occur for this newest Filipino temple within the next 2.5-2.75 years, but perhaps sooner if all goes well.
188. Bengaluru India Temple: Announced April 1, 2018; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking may take place sometime during early-to-mid 2021.
Note: As previously noted, President Nelson had not originally intended to announce a temple for India during the April 2018 General Conference, but was inspired to do so the night before that conference began. Although India may have some political obstacles that would need to be cleared before this temple has a groundbreaking, I fully anticipate that the Lord could enable a groundbreaking to occur within the next three years, but possibly sooner, especially since President Nelson has also urged the members to hurry and prepare so it can be built.
189. Russia: Announced April 1, 2018; awaiting official location and site announcement; groundbreaking may take place sometime during mid-to-late 2021.
Note: Although both a specific city and a site location for this temple have yet to be identified, President Nelson did have supervisory responsibility for Eastern Europe for the last several years he was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. With that in mind, he may have connections that would enable an acceleration of the process to get this temple built, which is why I am being conservative in my offered estimate above, but will not in any way be surprised if the Lord clears all obstacles to allow that to occur sooner than indicated here.

Final note: If recent statements from Church leaders (regarding how President Nelson’s legacy as a temple-building Church president will outpace and overshadow the previous legacy set by President Hinckley) are any indication, we may soon enter an era where the volume of temple-related developments will be multiplied. As more is known in that regard, I will add any needed elements to this report.

Key:
Bolded numbers and text denote temples whose numbers already exists (for renovations), or is certain due to a scheduled dedication, as well as information that is certain, such as dedication or groundbreaking dates.
Italicized numbers and text denote temples whose numbers may change based on the order in which future dedications and groundbreakings are scheduled.
Underlined numbers and text denote temples whose numbers may change based on progress towards planning, approval, and groundbreaking.
Changes since last report are highlighted in red.

6 comments:

  1. James,

    Thank you for your updates. I wanted to mention a few things in regards to the Oakland Temple, as we have lived in the Oakland Temple District for 40 years.

    In the late Eighties the Oakland Temple was closed for a renovation that took almost two years including the addition of 2 additional ordinance rooms. Also, during the past several years, the Temple has closed for 6 weeks to months several times to update the ordinance rooms, etc.

    Therefore, it might be that the date for that Temple dedication might be earlier than expected. We were told to expect it to be closed for 1 year, but I do believe it will be a bit longer than that.

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  2. Dianne, first of all, thank you for taking time to comment. I always appreciate hearing from someone who has first-hand knowledge which I may lack. That said, could I ask you to clarify a couple of things?

    First of all, I double-checked the sources I had available, and I find no record of that closure. I do know (from the research I have done) that sometimes, during extended closures, labor is provided by Church members, which would eliminate the need for a rededication, since the labor was not provided by anyone outside the Church. I also know that what you describe has been done in other temples before by local members. Is that what occurred with what you describe in Oakland?

    I am also somewhat familiar with how the Church periodically closes temples for periods of 4 weeks to several months for minor repairs and refreshments that would not necessitate a rededication either. As I noted in a post done earlier this year on this blog, several temples have been or will be closed for such extensive periods, which would, in some cases, eliminate or push back the need for full-scale renovations.

    That said, I have also drawn conclusions I share here about the time-frames for future temple events from extensive personal research, which includes drawing from sources I have readily available. With that in mind, I recognize that the Church's official news release announcing the renovation of this temple noted a rededication was anticipated to occur for this temple in 2019. As I have monitored the sources I have for new information, I am choosing to be more conservative in the estimates I offer based on what I know from those sources, but feedback from members such as yourself with personal experience in the areas where temples are being built or renovated are certainly a consideration in such factors.

    That said, if and when I am next able to reevaluate both the general and more specific time-frames I continue to provide for such projects, I will certainly keep your excellent feedback in mind as I formulate those adjustments.

    I know that until any temple projects (renovations, new temples, or announced temples awaiting a groundbreaking) get to a point where a completion estimate can categorically be verified as reasonable, it is largely conjecture. I hope that the general and more specific estimates I provide can be insightful. But I recognize that the Lord, those assigned to such projects, the Church leaders overseeing such efforts, and factors beyond the control of the Church, its' leaders, or those working on such projects can result in an adjustment being made to these estimates. Nothing is ever set in stone until it is confirmed through the proper channels (including official announcements), and as such, any estimates I provide are always subject to change until anything is officially announced. That said, there are many indicators which point to how soon such projects might actually be completed, and as one who monitors those factors and makes adjustments to estimates as necessary, I can tell you it is an ongoing process that never ends. But that is a welcome challenge in a Church where such developments may be reported and could change on a day-to-day basis. I hope that my thoughts, such as they are offered here, are clearly understood to be no more than my own conclusions, based on sources from which I find a variety of information that is used to mold the general and more specific time-frames I offer here. Thanks for taking time to comment. I appreciate hearing from you, and I will certainly keep your excellent and well-taken observations based on your first-hand knowledge into account with any adjustments I make to the estimates for Oakland going forward. Thanks again.

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  3. One other thought occurred to me, if I may add to what I said above. Renovations of the Church's temples almost always take longer than originally anticipated because, when full-scale renovations occur which necessitate an eventual rededication, there is much that is unpredictable about the process, and numerous delays can occur. Back in 2015, when the Church announced the dedication of the Frankfurt Germany Temple, it was anticipated that process would conclude sometime last year at latest. Since that time, various delays and problems with completing the project has pushed that prospective timeline back several times. Currently, the information I have indicates a rededication could occur for that temple in early-to-mid 2019, if all goes well and the process concludes without further delay.

    I just wanted to mention that because the First Presidency does set anticipated deadlines for projects, but some of those projects conclude well behind the anticipated schedule. Another example of this is the Asuncion Paraguay Temple, where renovations were anticipated to begin prior to the end of last year, and the Church said that temple would reopen sometime next year. But here we are almost one year later, and because that renovation has not even begun yet, the odds of a completion still occurring for that temple in 2019 are slim to none, unless efforts begin at some point in the next 3 months and consistently progress ahead of schedule.

    By mentioning that, I do not mean to imply that I know more about the Oakland renovation than you do. I would certainly trust the word of a member more in-the-know about specific temples than I am above and beyond my own research, which is imperfect.

    Rather, based on what I have observed in previous temple construction updates, until I can be sure that the Oakland temple will definitively be rededicated next year as the First Presidency announcement suggests, I have felt a need to be more conservative in my estimate on that temple.

    There is a lot to consider when I put together the updates I share here, especially if, how, and to what extent each newly-reported development might point to a need to change general or more specific time-frames I have previously offered. As I said, I will take your excellent and well-put observations under consideration, since you have first-hand knowledge about this that I didn't know about. But I will also continue to look at the ongoing updates I have on all temples, including Oakland, to see if a change in estimates previously given might be appropriate. Based on what you shared, I may need to reevaluate those estimates specific to Oakland. Thanks again for the information. I hope this additional comment provides context for the reasoning behind how I came to the current estimate for Oakland. I appreciate hearing from you.

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    Replies
    1. James,

      If you go to the following web page at BYU Religious Studies, https://rsc.byu.edu/archived/oakland-temple-portal-eternity/temple-operation, you will find a timeline of significant events in the history of the Oakland Temple on the right hand side of the page. Note that on Dec 29, 1988, the Oakland Temple closed for "extensive renovation". and on Oct 1990 it "reopened with two additional endowment rooms". The best I can recall, there was no rededication of the Temple at that time.

      As an interesting side note, during the late 1970's, and 1980's, a number of areas,(including up where we live in Santa Rosa) of the Oakland Temple District experienced a lot of growth with new buildings built and wards added to the Stakes. The two original large endowment rooms of the Oakland Temple were no longer enough to serve the large number of those who wanted to attend sessions. Therefore, two additional rooms were added in the late '90's during this renovation, as noted in the timeline, and sessions could now be held every half hour.. Unfortunately, during the run-up of housing prices in the late 90's, this influx of people completely turned around. From that time up to the present we have continued to lose people and combined wards. The attendance at the Oakland Temple has really suffered because of this. Sessions are now held only hourly and are very sparse most of the time,.

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    2. Oops, I meant to say that two additional endowment rooms were added in the late '80's during this renovation....

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    3. Thank you for those additional details, Dianne. I will do a more in-depth check of the source you provided perhaps later today. In the meantime, it is not at all uncommon for the Church to close a temple for a number of weeks or months to allow work to be done on its' interior design. And it is similarly not surprising that if Church members provided the labor on those projects that there would be no need for a public rededication. As I mentioned in my earlier reply, that is the situation of a large number of temples which have been or will yet be closed for such periods this year.

      I know that California in general has experienced somewhat of a stagnating period of growth. That said, there is widespread belief among those I have talked to that California could get another temple in the near future, and that the best location for that would be Bakersfield. Do you, having living in California for the last several years, have any insight on that prospect?

      In the meantime, there are always a couple of tricky things when trying to pinpoint the time-frame for any temple event, but that is especially true for older temples undergoing renovation. The information I cited above on the Frankfurt Germany Temple (which closed in 2015 and was anticipated to reopen last year, but will not be rededicated until sometime next year) suggests that, at least in nations outside the United States, the renovation process may be delayed.

      As for temples being renovated within the United States, the smaller Hinckley-era ones are easily going to be completed before the larger, older ones. In terms of the specific completion for Oakland, the First Presidency did say in the renovation closure announcement that the temple would reopen sometime next year. But as I have monitored the ongoing developments (and sometimes the lack thereof) with the renovation process which the Oakland Temple is currently undergoing, I have felt a need to be more conservative in my previously-offered estimate. I would love to find out that the Oakland Temple will reopen sometime next year as anticipated. But right now, from the reports I can find and the data I have, I have felt to be more conservative and set the estimate I offered to sometime between late 2019 and mid 2020. That is just based on what I now know, and on the reports I have followed of the progress on that process. As more is known, and if it looks like that temple will indeed be rededicated before the end of next year, I will certainly adjust my estimate again. I continue to monitor all such progress and the estimates I have previously offered often change as more information is provided and more data is analyzed. Thanks again, Dianne, for taking time to comment. I appreciate hearing from you.

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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.

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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.