Hello again, everyone! I have some breaking temple news to report, which must have just been posted a few minutes ago. The First Presidency today announced the open house and rededication dates for the Oakland California Temple. The open house will be held for a 4-week period between Saturday May 11 and Saturday June 1, with the exception of the Sundays of May 12, 19, and 26. A youth devotional will be held on Saturday June 15, with the rededication of the temple the next day (Sunday June 16) in three sessions. This marks the first of up to 7 rededications which the Church may hold next year.
In other temple news, at the Arequipa Peru Temple, the monument sign has been installed, while the guardhouse has been completed, and much progress has been made on the plaza landscaping. For temples undergoing renovation, at the Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temple, driveways and walkways are being poured, and stone cladding is nearing completion. There has also been a report on the Memphis Tennessee Temple, where stained-glass windows are currently being installed. I imagine those two temples will similarly have a rededication set within the next 2-3 months.
I am a little surprised that we heard about the Oakland rededication before a dedication was set for the Fortaleza Brazil Temple, but am confident we may see something announced in that regard before the end of this year. I continue to monitor all of these developments and will bring you word of them as I receive it.
That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made in accordance with the established guidelines. 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.
Tuesday, December 18, 2018
BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Open House and Rededication Dates Announced for Oakland California Temple; Other Temple Developments Reported
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.
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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.
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.
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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.
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Hello again, everyone! At some point after I posted the above content, another report came in on a temple undergoing renovation. This update relates to the Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple. The update indicates that exterior walls are being waterproofed, and that hanging brackets are being installed to support the addition of exterior stone.
ReplyDeleteAs I mentioned in my post above, I had been almost certain that the next temple news would be the dedication of the Fortaleza Brazil Temple. Now that the rededication has been announced for the Oakland California Temple, it seems possible that that dedication could be held during either of the two weeks which precede or will follow the Oakland rededication. Failing that, unless that is set for July (which has typically been a recess month for the General Authorities), it might be pushed back to August. Either way, I would anticipate the dedication of the Fortaleza Brazil Temple will precede the rededications of both the Oklahoma City Oklahoma and Memphis Tennessee Temples. I hope this information is helpful to you. My thanks again to you all.
The Church News has provided additional coverage of the rededication announcement for the Oakland California Temple:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/temples/2018-12-18/open-house-rededication-dates-set-for-oakland-california-temple-48651
With exactly one week remaining until Christmas Day, the Church has reported that the "Light the World" Giving machines, which have been located around the world this year, have already been a huge success. That has been covered by the Church News:
https://www.thechurchnews.com/global/2018-12-18/lighttheworld-giving-machines-raise-more-than-dollar1-million-for-global-local-charities-and-are-still-going-strong-48647
and by the official Newsroom:
https://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/global-response-light-the-world-service-initiative
There were a couple more stories from the Church News which are worthy of mention here. First, a former BYU and NFL football player was miraculously able to be reunited with his birth family 35 years after being separated from them in a course of events which he termed to be "mind-blowing". You can read more about that at the web address below:
https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2018-12-18/the-mind-blowing-discovery-that-reunited-former-byu-nfl-lineman-ed-kehl-with-his-birth-family-35-years-later-48622
And a Latter-day Saint ballerina who recently retired from performing has been able to balance her career with raising a family and continuing to make the gospel part of her daily life. You can read more about that below:
https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2018-12-18/a-balancing-act-latter-day-saint-ballerina-achieves-dreams-of-professional-dancing-motherhood-48645
Hello again, everyone! Earlier today, the Church News published two more articles which are worthy of mention on this blog. The first article shares a look at the 10 most tender moments from President Nelson's first year as Church President (he will, of course, reach the one-year mark officially on January 14 of next year, which is less than a month from now). Here's a link to that article:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2018-12-19/the-10-most-tender-moments-from-president-nelsons-first-year-as-prophet-of-the-church-48649
Also, recently, a group of missionaries who had served in Bolivia years ago were able to return there for a visit along with some of their family members. The other Church News article highlights how the reunion of those missionaries was the start of many miracles which occurred during their time there. The specifics of those miracles are highlighted in the article at the web address below:
https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2018-12-19/god-is-good-how-a-not-so-typical-mission-reunion-in-bolivia-was-the-start-of-many-miracles-48635
Just an observation here: In searching through the archives of the Church News, quite a few stories about Bolivia have been published just this year alone. In relation to that, the fact that President Nelson also visited La Paz during his mid-to-late October 2018 South American leg of his Global Ministry Tour has me more convinced than ever before that there will be a second temple announced for Bolivia at some point during 2019.
And I wanted to end with a reminder here: I still continue to request and will be accepting feedback on my April 2019 General Conference predictions up until the week before that General Conference. Those predictions can be found at the web address below. Thanks again, everyone!
https://stokessoundsoff.blogspot.com/2018/12/april-2019-general-conference.html
Just saw an announcement that sister missionaries can wear slacks worldwide. One of the reasons seems to be for safety and health. Such as more protection from disease carrying insects.
ReplyDeleteI had seen that same announcement earlier today; I just have not been able to mention it here before now. For those interested in the details, there is an official release on the Newsroom website about this, which you can find at the web address below. Thanks for mentioning this here, Chris! Always appreciate hearing from you.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/dress-standards-updated-for-sister-missionaries
2018 had been a year of many changes. I wonder what will come next
ReplyDeleteWell, if President Nelson's statement about eating our vitamin pills and getting our rest is any indication, there is so much more to come. I read an article recently (which I need to find again) that stated something about President Nelson mapping out future Church developments for the next 2-3 years, and Presidents Oaks and Eyring being amazed about that. There will be much more to come. But the question is, are we ready? Many of the changes made this year were about the implementation of a higher, holier approach, and about putting more responsibility on individuals and families (rather than the Church) for our own preparation for Sunday services. There will be much more to come indeed, and we need to be ready for it. But the best is yet to come, and will probably involve many more temple announcements, in addition to other developments we cannot now foresee. Thanks for taking time to comment, Chris!
ReplyDeleteHello again, everyone! In addition to the Newsroom coverage about sister missionaries being allowed to wear slacks now, the Church News also published an article on that subject, which you can find at the web address below:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2018-12-20/sister-missionaries-now-have-the-option-to-wear-dress-pants-48657
The Church News also highlighted an article about 8 of the biggest natural disasters which impacted Church members around the world during 2018:
https://www.thechurchnews.com/global/2018-12-20/here-are-8-of-the-biggest-natural-disasters-in-2018-and-how-they-impacted-latter-day-saints-48653
And Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles was the featured speaker at BYU-Idaho's Fall 2018 graduation ceremonies. You can learn more about that at the address below:
https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2018-12-20/elder-christofferson-tells-byu-idaho-grads-to-be-grateful-take-responsibility-and-have-faith-48655
Meanwhile, in temple news, an update was recently provided for the Durban South Africa Temple. The update notes that the work of drywalling, painting, tiling, and plumbing continues, while the HVAC, electrical, and fire suppression equipment, and that more trees and plants are being added to the temple grounds.
ReplyDeleteWith Christmas Day now only 4 days away, there may not be many more temple developments before the end of this year. But I will keep my eyes open for anything in that regard, and will pass anything I hear along to you all here. Thanks again, everyone!
Also, in continuation of their ongoing partnership, members of the New York Latter-day Saint Professional Association, joined by Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, got together to honor the executive vice president of the New York Board of Rabbis, for his efforts to build bridges of understanding between the Jewish community and their friends of other faiths, including those members of our Church. You can read more about that in the Newsroom's article which can be found at the address below:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/latter-day-saint-professionals-honor-new-york-city-rabbi
Hello again, everyone! Chris, you had mentioned in your last comment above that you wondered what would come next in terms of a new development. And previously on this blog, I have mentioned on a few occasions that the Lord has demonstrated a trust in local leadership by having them take over responsibilities which had been filled previously by apostles (with one example of that being that those who cast a dissenting vote in General Conference are being invited to meet with their stake presidents rather than with an apostle).
ReplyDeleteA new development reported earlier today will place more responsibility on youth Quorum or class presidencies. As the Church continues the "Come Follow Me" curriculum for all ages, Quorum or class presidencies all around the world will be able to meet to determine the order in which the topics available will be studied within their Quorums or classes, and an additional unit will be included next year which will enable study of the talks given in the most recent General Conference, with emphasis on the talks given by our 15 apostles.
In addressing the recently-announced age changes for Quorum and class progression for the youth, President Nelson was quoted as saying that the Lord loves and trusts the youth, and this development reiterates that trust. More information is available at the web address below.
https://www.lds.org/church/news/teaching-come-follow-me-for-youth-pick-your-doctrinal-topics-in-2019?lang=eng
There were other Church news items reported, but I will address those in a new comment in a few minutes. For now, my thanks again to you all for your ongoing interest and support.
I am back as promised with a look at a couple more Church news stories. I shared in an earlier comment or post how Elder Cook represented the Church at a gathering of Jewish leaders to honor a rabbi who has fostered understanding and good relationships with leaders of our Church and the leaders of other faiths. The Church News also shared a report on that gathering, which can be found at the web address below:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2018-12-21/jewish-and-latter-day-saint-leaders-build-bridges-between-faiths-find-common-ground-on-doctrine-in-new-york-48673
And the Church News also published another edition of the series "This Week on Social". Not surprisingly, the posts shared in this week's edition focused on the subject of Christmas, with leaders either sharing memories of previous Christmases they remembered, or highlighting the importance of Christ as the reason for the season. Those posts were shared by Presidents Dallin H. Oaks and Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency, Elders David A. Bednar, Neil L. Andersen, Ronald A. Rasband, Dale G. Renlund, and Ulisses Soares, along with Sisters Sharon Eubank and Reyna I. Aburto (who serve as First and Second Counselor respectively in the Relief Society General Presidency) Michelle D. Craig and Becky Craven (who serve as First and Second Counselor respectively in the Young Women General Presidency) and Lisa L. Harkness, who serves as First Counselor in the Primary General Presidency. The Church News continues to provide greater coverage of the ministry of its' female auxiliary leaders, for which I am grateful. You can find a summary of those posts at the web address below.
https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2018-12-21/the-12-posts-of-christmas-that-will-make-you-want-to-grab-the-tissue-box-48674
I honestly don't know whether or not any additional Church news or temple updates will be reported between now and the day after Christmas, but I will be sure to pass along anything else that crosses my radar. Again, thank you all for your ongoing interest and support.
Hey, I just saw some news about the Harare Zimbabwe Temple. "Elder Andersen also shared with Vice President Mohadi news that the Church planned to begin construction of the Harare Temple in late 2019."
ReplyDeletehttps://www.mormonnewsroom.co.zw/article/elder-andersen-meets-with-zimbabwes-vice-president-mohadi-pledges-support
Interesting. Thanks for passing that along. It is interesting that two temple groundbreakings have been scheduled for January (for the Urdaneta Philippines and Bangkok Thailand Temples), and we know that the groundbreaking for the Pocatello Idaho Temple is anticipated to occur next year. The international director of public affairs for the Africa Southeast Area indicated in the article below that a site has already been selected for the Nairobi Kenya Temple, but that the Church has not officially confirmed the location. He further noted that the temple will be a smaller one, and estimated that the dedication of that temple could occur in 2021.
ReplyDeletehttps://religionnews.com/2018/04/18/east-african-mormons-look-forward-to-a-nairobi-temple/
And since Utah temples generally have construction begin sooner than international temples, I am keeping my eyes open for news about the Saratoga Springs Utah Temple. Additionally, the contractor who will oversee the construction of the Lima Peru Los Olivos Temple indicated in March of 2017 that a year of site preparation would be necessary before a groundbreaking can occur. If that year began sometime last year, we are almost certain to see a groundbreaking for that temple next year as well.
Sites for the Brasilia Brazil and Greater Manila Philippines Temples have already been identified. So there are quite a few temples which could have a groundbreaking sometime next year. I imagine that President Nelson will do everything he can to clear the current backlog of announced temples so that other new temples can be announced. Thanks again for sharing the address of that article with us all here.
Hey James (and everyone else reading), just wanted to pass along something interesting regarding temple plans that I heard from a relative recently. He, along with his wife, recently returned from their mission. Sometime during their mission (not sure exactly when, although I think this may have been fairly recent within the last several months of their mission) Elder Cook visited the area and met with local members and missionaries.
ReplyDeleteDuring a question and answer period, someone asked Elder Cook what President Nelson's visions/goals are for temples and the response was (not sure the exact quote so I am paraphrasing) "take the current number, and add a zero to it." Take that as you will, but that seems to me to represent big plans, which already seems evident given the developments that have already happened this year.
Hello, Eric! Thank you for sharing that. I had heard statements which alluded to President Nelson's plans before, but those statements mostly focused on how President Nelson's legacy as the foremost temple-building prophet will surpass what we saw with President Hinckley in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and that that might involve doubling or tripling the number of temples. But in light of Elder Cook's statement (which I thank you for sharing), if there will be 10 times as many as the current number, that is certainly bigger than all of us thought.
DeleteThe question is, should that be so surprising? President Nelson took the Church from 182 temples in various phases as of January 2018 to 201 in various phases now. As we've mentioned, 19 new temples (quite a few of which came as a surprise to many) in the first year of anyone's Church presidency is, AFAIK, unheard of.
But then, so is President Nelson's increased emphasis on the importance of revelation. The language of some of the announcements he has made in 2018 alone matches with language used in Joseph F. Smith's vision of the redemption of the dead. And President Nelson has (again for the first time of which I am aware) extended an invitation to those on both sides of the veil to accept, embrace, and live the gospel. He has demonstrated out of the gate that he knows how important the gift of seership is, and he is using it more frequently.
It is fitting that Elder Cook was the one making reference to the extent of President Nelson's plans. Unless the calls of Elders Gong and Soares have changed the assignments of the other apostles, Elders Cook and Renlund are the members of the Quorum of the Twelve with oversight for the Temple and Family History Executive Council. I have not been able to confirm that is still the case, but it was as of late 2017.
But if we take Elder Cook at his word, then maybe the 19 temples announced this year were President Nelson's way of starting slowly. And if that turns out to be the case, then we might see that number of announced temples double in 2019.
It will be interesting to also see what occurs in terms of the timeline within which temples will now move from announcement to construction. If what I have heard from various people who have talked to other members of the First Presidency/Quorum of the Twelve is correct, then the Church continues to hire new personnel for the Temple Department to accommodate an anticipated surge/acceleration of temple construction.
But if that is the case, it may be a year or so before we learn how that has affected the speed at which temples would then be able to be built. There is also a chance that an even smaller design than we have heretofore seen will be utilized to get a bunch of temples built very quickly, or that the adapted design for the Hinckley-era temples which have recently been renovated could be utilized or adapted further.
If 2018 is any indication, as President Nelson himself noted, there is much more to come in the future. And he has, as I noted earlier, demonstrated the gift of seership and been able to use it well. Sorry that I rambled on so long. It is exciting to hear of this latest statement from Elder Cook, and I thank you for sharing it with all of us here. I appreciate you stopping by to comment, Eric!
Given the statement, nothing is off the table as to where temples will be announced for in the next few years. We had the 1k miles radius from President Kimball, maybe other intervening parameters, then the 200 mile radius of Hinckley and Monson. Now it could be that is to be shrunk yet again.
DeleteBut I think to start, they may be looking at filling the larger gaps, that was apparent in most of this year's announcements. They could also include areas that have maybe around 10k members. Then when that is all done fill in things even further where temples are reasonably spaced now. In Utah, Heber City, Tooele, and slightly later, Herriman I think are certain.
Provo City Center is busy and they have an added issue, high student turnover when it comes to temple workers. The had a shortage at the end of an endowment session last month (reported by a member who was there), and that backed things up probably the rest of that day. Staffing will certainly be a focus of regional and local leaders as these come online.
Hello, James Anderson! Thank you for taking time to comment. As I mentioned a few times in the notes on my list of potential locations which could have a temple announced, if President Nelson's plans involve halving or quartering that 200-mile distance specified by his two predecessors, that would widen the scope of possibilities quite a bit. Another thing to consider is whether the current 200-mile specification refers to the distance traveled to get to and from the temple, or whether it is just meant to be the mileage one way. If the former applies, then there is still quite a ways to go.
DeleteThere are so many factors at play here, not just distance. If arduous or unreasonable journeys are required, the locations involved would be a priority. If political strife is involved, perhaps crossing borders will become almost impossible in the future. I also think you are right on in your assessment that larger gaps may be given the priority.
I do know that one aspect that is likely given high consideration is future anticipated growth in any given area, and whether there will be sufficient member support for a temple. My experiences working at the Mount Timpanogos Utah Temple opened my eyes to the problems involved in getting enough workers to fill the need. In that regard, one problem was the length of each shift. Most shifts lasted roughly 6-8 hours, with 3 shifts per day. At some point within the last year, I found out that, at least at the Mount Timpanogos Utah Temple, the shift lengths had been shortened to 4 shifts which are now each 4-5 hours. So that change, if it has been implemented in all other temples, might help with the staffing problem.
I for one am grateful to know that the Brethren seem to be aware of such problems, and are taking steps to remedy them. As more temples are built, more workers will be needed for them, but having them closer will help for sure.
It will be interesting to see where the Church's temple-building program goes from here. If we take the statement "add a zero to the current number" literally, that opens up a whole slew of possibilities. Whatever is ahead in that regard, I am sure President Nelson and the Temple Department have been or are being prepared to handle it. Thanks again, James Anderson, for taking time to comment.
I was curious as to what cities with stakes are still above 1000 miles from any nearest temples (operating, under construction, or announced). The ones I found are Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia; New Delhi, India (just barely above 1000 from Bengaluru); Abu Dhabi, UAE; Manama, Bahrain; Jakarta and Surakarta, Indonesia; and Tarawa Kiribati (eastern Micronesia). There might be a couple of others in the Pacific, especially when looking at air travel miles, but those seem to be the main areas. Curious to see which ones have a temple announced in the near future.
DeleteHello, Eric! Thanks for this additional comment and the interesting research. I apologize it took me so long to reply. I thought I had replied earlier, but apparently, that didn't go through. So between that and not feeling well, I have had to take it easy for most of the day today.
DeleteAs to the cities you mentioned above, I should like to comment on them if I may. A temple for Ulaanbaatar may simply be a matter of time. Mongolia is not within an easy distance of either the Hong Kong China Temple (to which it is currently assigned) or the announced temples in Bangkok, Bengaluru, or Phnom Penh. That is one of many reasons the Mongolian capital city has been on my list of potential temples for each of the last 3-4 General Conferences.
As for New Delhi India, Elder Neal A. Maxwell publicly proposed a temple for that city while on assignment there in June 1992. Based on the distance involved, a temple there makes sense. That said, unless the Church can somehow expedite the process of construction for the Bengaluru temple, a subsequent second temple for India may be 20-30 years out. When President Nelson visited Bengaluru, he indicated that the construction of the temple he announced in that city would likely be a lengthy process, but he urged members to make themselves ready for it, saying it was easier for the Church to build a temple than it is to have a temple-ready people. There is a political and religious element involved which may complicate that process as well. That said, I had thought before the April General Conference that a temple in India would only be possible 15-30 years from now, so a temple in New Delhi could happen sooner than I feel it will.
The problem with the UAE and Bahrain is that both are located within the boundaries of the Church's Middle East/Africa North Area. As Matt recently outlined in his blog, the strongest presence the Church has in that area is in the UAE, so some have ventured their prediction that a temple could be built there. But the Middle East is predominantly Muslim, with varying degrees of religious and political strife. That is part of the reason why the Church administers that area from Church headquarters. Also, as I know from my brother-in-law's military service, most of the Church membership there is comprised of servicemen who are there for varying periods of time. So that might present problems in terms of staffing a temple. If and when that area does get a temple, however, I would anticipate it being built in the UAE.
Jakarta Indonesia has also been on my watchlist for a temple prospect for a while now, and I saw enough of a reason to justify that location's inclusion on my list of temple prospects this go-round. The timing of a second temple in Indonesia will largely depend on how soon one is announced for Jakarta, how swiftly it is constructed, and how busy it might be kept following its' dedication.
As for Tarawa Kiribati, that nation comes in as the third nation with the most significant Church presence which does not have a temple in any phase. My research on that list of top ten nations shows that there is just over a 1,400 mile journey one way for the Saints in that city. That is one location which I will be watching in the near future as a prospective temple location. I don't remember why exactly I did not include it among my list for the April General Conference, so I will have to figure that out. Thanks again for the research and for taking time to comment, Eric! I appreciate hearing from you.
Given what was supposedly said I have thought of a few already for possible midrange timing.
DeleteArizona: A southwest Phoenix metro temple to eventually relieve the one in north Phoenix when that regularly hits 80 percent capacit which I hear seems to be a magic number that gets them thinking where to build the next one. With the Loop 202 finished by a year from now and the planned SR-30 freeway there is going to be significant growth as that seems to happen any time you open a new freeway in an area where there is some growth already. Top picks for a location would be Avondale or Goodyear.
California: Bakersfield as LA County is close to approving a plan for a massive development at the bottom of the Grapevine and just south of the CA-00 split on I-5. Traffic in this area to LA is notorious, aggravated on the weekend, and even more so if there is a wreck between that and Santa Clarita that blocks lanes.
Ventura County: You have to run quite a gauntlet of lights on PCH or heavy traffuc in the 101 from Oxnard east. Then deal with even worse many times on the 405 down to Santa Monica. Short distance but given traffic issues this could be an area in the mid term.
Brazil: Natal, a little distant from Receife but closer than Fortaleza was, several stakes in the area plus a mission center make it possible, maybe sooner than Sao Luis, Maranhao, west of Fortaleza and has only one stake so far.
Florida: We have talked about Jacksonville but the west end of the Panhandle, maybe near Pensacola might go, as it would service Mobile and Tallahassee too plus small parts of Georgia and Alabama. .
James Anderson, thanks for these additional observations, and Merry Christmas to you. I have wondered in passing if President Nelson will formally detail his plans, or if they will instead be detailed by means of their implementation. I hope the former scenario applies, because until the Church does officially confirm what some Church leaders have reportedly said, it may be difficult to know with any degree of certainty how extensive those plans are.
DeleteThat said, many of the locations you mentioned are certainly solid choices. I had Bakersfield on my list of prospects for last October, but when a temple was announced for Yuba City, I put Bakersfield on the back-burner for now.
The one question would be the timing of announcements for such locations. But that is also true with any other location. That's one of many reasons I am anxiously waiting for formal details of the extent of those plans to be announced. Until President Nelson confirms what has been discussed in relation to the reported statements from other leaders, it may be hard to know what the exact plan in the future might be. It will be interesting to see what happens in that regard in 2019. If the 19 temples announced this year were President Nelson starting slowly, then there will certainly be so much more to come next year and during the years that follow. Thanks again, James Anderson, for taking time to comment.
While anyone can feel free to add other replies to Eric's comment above, I wanted to note a couple of things that crossed my radar recently. My latest update on the Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple noted that the exterior walls had been waterproofed, and that hanging brackets for exterior stone had been installed. An update noted today indicates that stone cladding for that temple has recently progressed on the rear side of it.
ReplyDeleteI also wanted to note one Church news item. Another edition of "Latter-day Saints around the World" has been published on the official blog of the Newsroom's webpage. That latest edition included updates from Zimbabwe (complete with Elder Andersen's visit to the Vice President of the country, during which he noted construction of the Harare temple was anticipated to begin late next year); Mexico (focusing on the ministry of three sister leaders there); Switzerland; India; Los Angeles California, USA; Australia; Singapore; and Portugal. You can find out more on the details of these stories at the web address below. My thanks again to you all!
https://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/latter-day-saints-around-the-world-country-newsroom-websites-december-21-2018
One more thing. I am hard at work on the post paying tribute to Elder Gerrit W. Gong on this, his 65th birthday, and my hope is to have that published on this blog either later this afternoon or in the early evening hours. Either way, it should be published here within the next 4 hours or less. So be on the lookout for that. Thanks again, everyone!
ReplyDeleteA couple more Church News developments crossed my radar just now. The Church News reports in the following article that in Peru, a new Church-built well is providing much needed water to citizens in the city of San Cristo.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/global/2018-12-23/new-church-built-well-provides-relief-to-thousands-in-peru-48678
And the Church and BYU have asked Elder D. Todd Christofferson to be the featured keynote speaker at the concluding session of the BYU Women's Conference, which will, as noted previously on this blog, be held on Thursday and Friday May 2-3 of next year. I was somewhat surprised to learn this, as earlier information indicated that the keynote speakers would not be announced until January. Other keynote speakers (for the remaining 3 sessions of that conference) will be announced later, and you can find information on the schedule for those sessions at the web address below.
https://womensconference.ce.byu.edu/keynote-speakers
Around 75 minutes or so ago, I was also able to publish the post I mentioned above (a birthday tribute to Elder Gong), which you can find at the following web address:
http://stokessoundsoff.blogspot.com/2018/12/elder-gerrit-w-gong-marks-his-65th.html
Once again, my thanks to you all.
Merry Christmas, everyone! A few different sources have noted the major temple-related developments of this year, but it appears that the Church News has the most detailed report in that respect. A summary of those developments can be found at the web address below:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/temples/2018-12-25/19-latter-day-saint-temples-were-announced-this-year-heres-a-look-at-dedications-groundbreakings-in-2018-48682
On this Christmas day, my hope and prayer is that we may all retain in remembrance that Christ truly is the reason for the season. Thanks again to all of you.
And the Church News has also compiled a collection of Christmas memories shared in various settings by different leaders of the Church. You can find that collection at the following web address:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2018-12-24/favorite-christmas-memories-from-the-quorum-of-the-twelve-apostles-church-leaders-to-brighten-up-the-season-48684
I wanted to note that it appears the link to Elder Renlund's Christmas memory is broken, so that can be found at the following web address: https://www.thechurchnews.com/archive/2016-12-08/elder-dale-g-renlund-recalls-a-beloved-christmas-memory-45136
Thanks again, everyone!
Hello again, everyone! As 2018 winds to a close, the Newsroom on the Church's official website has shared another article, which highlights the most-viewed videos featured on the Newsroom during this year. For a list of the videos, or to review any of them, you can visit the web address below:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/most-viewed-church-newsroom-videos-2018
I should also note that I am working on at least one other project which will be posted on this blog before the end of the year, but aside from that, if nothing else, I will be posting a review of temple progress for 2018 on New Year's Eve (5 days from now). Of course, if any major Church news or temple developments occur between now and then, I will bring word of those to you all here. My thanks again to you all.
Additional Church news has been reported. I have covered those developments in a comment on the post I wrote for Elder Gong's birthday. You can catch up on the latest there.
ReplyDeleteMore reports of Church and temple news has come in today. A summary of those developments can be found in the same location I mentioned above. Thanks again, everyone!
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