Hello again, everyone! I am pleased to be able to bring you several temple updates and an article from the Newsroom which was published earlier today relating to the missionary program. Let's get right into all of that. First, the temple updates. At the Durban South Africa Temple, in addition to what I noted in my last update on that temple, it has also been noted that ceiling tiles are being installed and that floors are being assessed currently for carpet installation. That temple appears to be on track to be one of the first dedicated following the annual July recess for the General Authorities, though it is not as clear whether that might occur before or after the September 1 dedication for the Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple.
At the Arequipa Peru Temple grounds, window frames are being installed, while the installation of exterior lighting on the grounds of the temple appears to be complete. While there is still an outside chance that this temple won't be dedicated until early 2020, if it stays on track, I can see it being dedicated prior to the end of this year. I have estimated that could occur in December of this year, but could see that being pushed back into the early months of 2020 depending on what happens between now and then.
Next, I had previously mentioned that the Pocatello Idaho Temple was likely to have a groundbreaking in spring of this year. New information received today indicates that plans have been submitted to the city to undergo a plan review process. I have mentioned a prospective timing of April or May for this temple's groundbreaking, and we will see how and if that theory holds.
The one other update I have is on the Lima Peru Los Olivos Temple. Since I last mentioned any information on it, it appears that the site President Nelson visited in October has been conclusively verified as the location for that temple. Last Sunday, the meetinghouse on the grounds of that temple (which housed the Habish and Cayetano Heredia wards) closed in preparation for demolition, which will clear the way for that temple's groundbreaking.
Until more is known about that, I am sticking with the general estimate I previously offered for the groundbreaking (mid-to-late 2019). As more information comes to light in this regard, I will update that estimate as needed. That said, I still anticipate 2019 will be a big year for temple groundbreakings, and I look forward to seeing what happens in that regard.
Shifting gears slightly to general Church news, a new planning tool has been made available for prospective missionaries which will enable them to more fully consider the timing of their service. Elder Brent H. Nielson, who continues to serve as Executive Director of the Missionary Department, noted that while most missionaries enter the MTC shortly after the end of each academic school year, those who feel they can defer that to sometime between November and May will find the opportunity to work with a more seasoned companion, and to have more one-on-one attention in the training process. The tool also allows prospective missionaries to approximate their release dates based on when they are thinking of commencing their service. It was good to hear of this development in the Church's missionary program.
One other item of Church news. At a Joseph Smith Memorial Devotional on January 27, Elder Gary E. Stevenson and his wife, Lesa, shared their testimonies of the life and mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith, the divine origin of the Book of Mormon, and how the truth of those two ideas lends support to the idea that we have a living prophet today. This devotional allowed Elder Stevenson a "home court" advantage, as it was held in Logan Utah, where he grew up.
I appreciated my opportunity to bring word of those developments to you all here. I continue to monitor all Church news and temple updates and will keep passing those along as I receive word of them. 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.
Wednesday, January 30, 2019
Temple Updates Provided; Tool Created to Assist Prospective Missionaries
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.
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.
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Your site is covered with offensive images of women.
ReplyDeleteThat's unusual. Thanks for letting me know. I will remedy that right away. I appreciate the information.
DeleteOkay. Just double-checked my ad settings. The kind of ad you specified is supposed to be blocked, but occasionally, the ad system glitches and throws out something like what you reported. I wish that the bugs were able to be worked out with the system so that wouldn't be an issue anymore, but I can't control that side of things. FYI, if you ever encounter something like that again here on this blog, there should be an option to close the ad, and a dialogue box will allow you to flag it as inappropriate, which will then be sent in a report to the Google Adsense powers-that-be to alert them to the problem and the need to fix it. Again, my apologies for the inconvenience, and thanks again for letting me know.
DeleteJust a query I had a brother a few weeks ago in my ward's Elders Quorum he's on the Stake high council I believe.
ReplyDeleteHe has a few connections in the local mission department I'm sure he said he was in some type of meeting with them I don't recall specifics point being he went on to say the brethren in Salt Lake (Q15?) are really interested in changing the current missionary program.
He says they are revising the current system of young people being called to serve in pairs 'why do we send out missionaries?' I recall him saying 'we have families in the church we have members, the brethren are really considering these options' he says they will be implementing all of this this year 2019.
The ward is busy one so I didn't bother ask any questions or go up to him after class finished. This sounds like the Jehovah's Witness system or similar but I would think with members being occupied with this system what will then happen to ministering?
But the thing is this why wouldn't a system similar to the JWs never be implemented most JW members do their missionary work and that totals to more than 5million people across the glob compared to the current LDS missionary numbers of what about 70,000.
Just my thoughts here if this info is true and others know similar info please share I would love to know or feel free to share your thoughts. All I know this could all be a faith promoting rumor but it all sounds like fun. If this is all true it probably won't be implemented this year but in the next span of coming years.
Thanks for the query. I do have some thoughts on this, if I may. The local missionary department may not be the best vehicle for information about the intent of the general missionary department. In my extensive efforts to monitor Church news, I frequently look out for indications of things coming down the pike, particularly in relation to temple developments and any changes in programs, procedures, or policies of the Church.
DeleteIn the latest comments from the Executive Director of the Missionary Department, he mentioned that changes are ahead for the missionary program of the Church. That said, a couple of insights from other Church leaders may be illustrative. Throughout the last 60-70 years, Church Presidents have been fearless in their declaration that every worthy and able young man should commit to, and worthily serve, an honorable full-time mission.
Those who are worthy to do so, but choose not to go will be subject to the promise made by another Church President: "If you do not magnify your calling, God will hold you responsible for those you might have saved, had you done your duty." This suggests to me that if any young man who was foreordained to serve as a missionary in a certain area, to find certain people ready for the gospel, opts not to so serve, then he will be responsible for the fact that those he was supposed to find and teach were not saved by his doing so.
We have also been instructed on the idea of "every member a missionary", and on the fact that, once baptized, a new convert to the Church needs a friend, a responsibility, and nourishing by the good word of God. So in that sense, each member has been responsible for missionary work for a while now. There have also been times where members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve have promised that, if we seek for the opportunity, the Lord will enable us to find someone to be taught the gospel in our homes.
DeleteThere may be measures enacted in the near future which will more clearly define that division of responsibility between missionaries and lay Church members, but having noted that, I don't believe we will ever see a day where individual and family missionary efforts will supplant the missionary program as we currently know it. Leaving home and serving in areas as assigned by the apostles and sanctioned in a call letter from the President of the Church has been practiced to one degree or another throughout this dispensation. And in the days of early Church history, it was not all that uncommon for mission calls to be issued to an individual directly and in person by the prophet.
In those early days, at times when men with their own families were so called to serve, some would be granted approval to take their wives with them, and others would take their children as well. That has not changed up to now in the case of the family of a mission president, for one example.
But the situation of the Church and its' missionary program is such that to have proselyting efforts done entirely by families on more of a full-time basis may not be practical. The Lord has reminded us in the scriptures of the importance of moderation in all things, and to not run faster or labor harder than we have strength and energy to do so.
Additionally, in the early 1840s, at a time when the Quorum of the Twelve had been more hands-on in terms of being involved in missionary efforts, the Lord gave this instruction to Quorum President Brigham Young, who would go on to succeed the Prophet Joseph Smith a few short years later (as found in Doctrine and Covenants Section 126):
"Dear and well-beloved brother, Brigham Young, verily thus saith the Lord unto you: My servant Brigham, it is no more required at your hand to leave your family as in times past, for your offering is acceptable to me.
"I have seen your labor and toil in journeyings for my name.
"I therefore command you to send my word abroad, and take especial care of your family from this time, henceforth and forever. Amen.
The Lord continues to send His word abroad and urge His saints to "take especial care" of their families. Could all members of the Church be more involved in finding people to share the gospel with? Absolutely. As noted by other Church leaders, missionaries should be full-time baptizers, and other Church members should be full-time finders of people for the missionaries to teach and baptize.
That said, there has always been an interconnection between those two programs (member and full-time efforts), and while tweaks may be coming down the pike, I have seen no evidence to suggest that the former will be supplanting the latter.
Many have observed that the current missionary age enables each young man (and those young woman who desire to serve but do not have the same mandate their male counterparts do) to donate a tithe of 10% of their lives up to that point to the Lord in His missionary work. I have seen nothing to indicate that will no longer be the case. I hope these thoughts, for what they may be worth, are helpful to all who read them. And I hope that helps answer your question.
Hello again, everyone! I have one minor item of temple news to report. At the Lima Peru Los Olivos Temple site, not only has the chapel thereon been closed, but an adjacent building that housed several of the institute classes is also on the grounds of that site, so both have now been closed as of last Sunday in preparation for their demolition in the near future.
DeleteIt will be interesting for sure to see what happens this year in terms of the number of temples that will have a groundbreaking. If the information I have is correct, there are at least 5 that I know of which could have that happen, along with perhaps a few more of the temples announced by President Nelson. i will be sure to pass along word of such news as I become aware of it. Thanks again.
With the closure of the two buildings on the site having already occurred, I wonder how soon it might be that we get an official rendering and groundbreaking date. The San Juan Temple had its official rendering released and groundbreaking announced just prior to the existing building being closed. I think it may be possible that we will see the groundbreaking announced for both Lima Los Olivos and Pocatello within the next month or so. Will be exciting to see.
ReplyDeleteHey, Eric! As always, thank you for taking time to comment. As you might recall, the First Presidency released the artist's rendering for the Bangkok Thailand Temple in March of last year. Given that the offices in the on-site building had to be vacated before the building could be demolished. It was not until November of last year that that building was fully dedicated and able to be razed, and the groundbreaking for the Bangkok Temple occurred just under two months later. For that reason, it may be harder to pinpoint how soon the existing buildings at the site of the Lima Peru Los Olivos Temple will be vacated. After the debris from that process concludes, the site will have to be cleared of debris and made ready for the formal groundbreaking.
DeleteI have not heard anything to indicate how far along that process might be, aside from what I noted in my comment above. If both of the buildings to be demolished in Lima are on the larger side of the scale, then time and care will be needed to prepare for and carry out that process.
To be perfectly honest, I can see the Church potentially scheduling and conducting groundbreaking ceremonies for a couple more temples prior to any announcement on the Los Olivos Temple. If a spring groundbreaking is anticipated for the Pocatello Idaho Temple, then the next one in line is almost certain to be the Saratoga Springs Utah Temple from what I hear. It is possible that the groundbreaking ceremony for the Los Olivos Temple will follow within 1-2 months of the end of the General Authorities' annual July recess. But if the demolition process is extended, a groundbreaking for the Brasilia Brazil Temple might push that back even further.
Of course, it would not surprise me at all to find out that groundbreakings are unexpectedly announced for other temples this year as well. We know that both the Harare Zimbabwe, Nairobi Kenya, and second Manila Philippines Temples may be a lock for groundbreakings this year or early next year as well.
And it is possible that other temples announced between January 2016 and the end of last year could be surprise announcements in terms of the timing for their groundbreaking. I am, of course, speaking for myself, and the Lord has at times surprised us with the timings of groundbreakings, especially in recent years.
Either way, with two temple groundbreakings held this year already, along with one other that has been announced, and at least a handful of others likely to see a groundbreaking occur later this year, it should continue to be an outstanding time for temple developments. And I am not ruling out the prospect that several such groundbreakings could be simultaneously announced, or that two or more groundbreakings, regardless of when they are announced, could occur within a similar 24 hour period.
I say that because, in August 2018, the Church released an article highlighting days in Church history when two or more groundbreakings were held at once. So that led me to wonder, why would that information be released again at that time if it was not an indication that we may see that kind of thing recur with greater frequency in the near future? It is interesting to think about what may be ahead in that regard, and I will keep my eyes open for information so I can pass that along as I become aware of it. Thanks again, Eric, for taking time to comment.