Stokes Sounds Off: Updated Estimates for Known Temple Events

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Tuesday, February 26, 2019

Updated Estimates for Known Temple Events

Hello again, everyone! Based on new information I have received, I have once again revisited my more specific estimates for known temple events which will be occurring within the next several years. So I wanted to post those now. I'd just like to mention that I have utilized a wide variety of sources which I have available, and that I would anticipate several other temple events being announced in the not-too-distant future. With that said, the updates follow below.

So as to not 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, 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.


2019:
Sunday March 10-Tuesday March 12: Dedication of the Rome Italy Temple (162nd operating temple; confirmed)
Note: The First Presidency announced the amended dedication dates for this temple on November 8, 2018. Given that this dedication will now be held over three days rather than the previously-announced 8-day period, there may be only 2-3 of our 15 apostles participating in this event. That said, it would not surprise me in any way if this dedication was either the start or conclusion of another leg of President Nelson’s ongoing Global Ministry Tour.
Saturday March 16: Groundbreaking for the Pocatello Idaho Temple (confirmed)
Note: On February 1, 2019, the First Presidency announced the groundbreaking information for this temple. Given that it will be similar in size to The Gila Valley Arizona temple, I am venturing a general completion estimate of mid-to-late 2022. As more is known about that process, I will make any necessary alterations to that estimate as they are needed.
Saturday & Sunday April 6 & 7: 189th General Conference
Note: Because 19 temples were announced in 2018 (which may have been President Nelson’s way of starting slowly), and because one of his major focuses during his first year as Church President has been highlighting the importance of temples, I’m sure we will see several new temples announced during this General Conference.
Sunday April 14: Dedication of the Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple (163rd operating temple; confirmed)
Note: In view of the facts that the dedication of this temple will occur after the April General Conference, and that following the April 2018 General Conference, President Nelson began his Global Ministry Tour, I could see President Nelson doing another leg of his tour in conjunction with this temple’s dedication, whether that tour starts or ends with this dedication, or whether this dedication is held sometime in the mid-point of that tour.
Saturday May 4: Groundbreakings for the Yigo Guam, Praia Cabo Verde, and San Juan Puerto Rico Temples
Note: On January 12, 2019, the First Presidency released the artist’s rendering for the San Juan Puerto Rico Temple. Five days later (on January 17), the groundbreaking for that temple was set to be held on May 4, with Elder Walter F. Gonzalez, President of the Church's Caribbean Area, presiding at that ceremony. Then on Febuary 1, 2019, the First Presidency released the artist’s rendering for the Yigo Guam Temple and announced that its’ groundbreaking ceremony would also occur on May 4, and that Elder Yoon Hwan Choi, President of the Church's Asia Area, would preside at that event. On February 8, 2019, the artist’s rendering for the Praia Cabo Verde Temple was released, and its’ groundbreaking was set to occur on May 4 as well, under the direction of Elder Paul V. Johnson, who serves as President of the Church's Europe Area. The time in Guam is ahead of that in Cabo Verde, which is ahead of the time in Puerto Rico, so I am listing them in that order. Since the construction for each of those temples is anticipated to take 2 years, I am estimating that all of them will be dedicated in early-to-mid 2021.
Sunday May 5: Private rededication of the Memphis Tennessee Temple (confirmed)
Note: On January 16, 2019, the First Presidency announced the private rededication of this temple would take place in a single session on this date, that Elder Jeffrey R. Holland would preside at the rededication, and that no open house or youth devotional would be held prior to this event.
Sunday May 19: Private rededication of the Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temple (confirmed)
Note: On January 16, 2019, the private rededication for the Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temple was also announced. President Henry B. Eyring will preside at the single-session rededication, which will not be preceded by an open house or youth devotional.
Sunday June 2: Dedication of the Fortaleza Brazil Temple (165th operating temple; confirmed)
Note: On January 10, 2018, the First Presidency announced this temple’s dedication. In an unusual (but not unexpected) move, that dedication has been scheduled to occur two weeks prior to the rededication of the Oakland California Temple. To the best of my knowledge, this is the first time a dedication has been set to occur prior to a rededication which has previously been announced. Usually, a temple’s rededication has been set to occur prior to a previously-announced temple dedication. As noted on other temples, President Nelson could preside at this event himself, or he could delegate one of his counselors or a senior member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to do so.
Sunday June 16: Rededication of the Oakland California Temple (confirmed)
Note: This temple’s rededication was announced on December 18, 2018. As noted above, the dedication of the Fortaleza Brazil Temple, announced almost a month later, has been set to occur before this temple’s rededication.
Monday July 8: Hong Kong China Temple Renovation Closure
Note: On January 30, 2019, the First Presidency announced the renovation closure for this temple, with the plans to be detailed more fully at a later time. I am anticipating that that process will take between 2-4 years.
August: Private rededication for the Raleigh North Carolina Temple
Note: While I once felt certain that both this temple and the Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple could take place during this time, new information received in late February led me to rethink that, and I now believe that this temple’s renovation may wrap up during early summer, with a rededication taking place sometime during the early-to-middle part of this month.
Sunday September 1: Dedication of the Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple (165th operating temple; confirmed)
Note: On November 14, 2018, the First Presidency announced the open house and dedication information for this temple. Then, on January 18, 2019, the dedication was pushed back to this date in view of all that still needed to be done on the construction process.
Saturday & Sunday October 5 & 6: 189th Semiannual General Conference:
Note: Depending on what is done by this time to clear the existing backlog of announced temples, it seems more likely than not that several new temples will be announced during this weekend.
Mid-October: Rededication of the Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple; Dedication of the Lisbon Portugal Temple (166th operating temple)
Note: On February 22, 2019, I received new information which indicated that the Lisbon Portugal Temple, which has continued to progress ahead of schedule, may be dedicated sooner than anticipated. Meanwhile, I also learned that the Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple could be rededicated at around this time, and I anticipate that will be done privately. And while the dedication & rededication of these temples could be seen as interchangeable, based on the more consistent progress we have seen relating to the Lisbon Portugal Temple, I have listed that one first.
November: Dedication of the Durban South Africa Temple (167th operating temple)
Note: On February 22, 2019, I received information which indicated that, due to a current blackout in South Africa, depending on how long that lasts, the temple in Durban might experience a delay towards its’ completion. Until I know one way or another whether or not that is true, I have moved my estimate to this point. If I find evidence in the future that no such delays will occur, I can and will move this temple up on this list again.
Monday November 4: St. George Utah Temple Renovation Closure (confirmed)
Note: This temple’s renovation was announced on January 25, 2019. Given the fact that seismic and systemic updates are anticipated to occur, I have set a preliminary general completion estimate of mid-to-late 2022.
Mid-November: Rededication of the Frankfurt Germany Temple
Note: New information received on February 22, 2019 indicates that the Frankfurt Germany Temple could be rededicated at around this time. If I find information which leads me to conclude that this rededication could be held ahead of this time, I will gladly move it up.
December: Dedication of the Arequipa Peru Temple (168th operating temple)
Note: The Arequipa Peru Temple has progressed swiftly. A member living in Peru has confirmed that the cornerstone reads “Erected 2019”, which seems to imply that the temple will be dedicated before the end of this year. If construction for this temple stays ahead of schedule as it currently seems to be, then I could see a need to move up the estimate I have offered here, and I will be sure to do so.
                                                                                                                                                           
Final note on 2019: Given what I have heard about 2019, it seems more likely than not that several temples will have a groundbreaking at some point during that year. As noted above, the groundbreakings have been confirmed for the Pocatello Idaho, Yigo Guam, and San Juan Puerto Rico Temples. I am also anticipating that groundbreakings may be held for the Saratoga Springs Utah, Lima Peru Los Olivos, Brasilia Brazil, the Nairobi Kenya, Harare Zimbabwe, and Greater Manila Philippines Temples, most (if not all) of which could have a groundbreaking this year. But in view of the unexpected announcement of the groundbreakings for 3 of the temples President Nelson announced last year, we could also see other temples have a groundbreaking by that time as well.

2020:
Mid-January: Dedication of the Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple (169th operating temple)
Mid-March: Rededication of the Asuncion Paraguay Temple
Saturday & Sunday April 4 & 5: 190th Annual General Conference
Note: Barring anything unexpected, I would anticipate several new temples being announced during this weekend.
Mid-to-late May: Rededication of the Tokyo Japan Temple
June or early-to-mid August: Dedication of the Winnipeg Manitoba Temple (170th operating temple)
Saturday & Sunday October 3 & 4: 190th Semiannual General Conference
Note: Temple announcements are always possible, so it is not hard to believe that a few could be announced during this General Conference.
Mid-September: Rededication of the Mesa Arizona Temple
Mid-November: Dedication of the Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple (171st operating temple)
Note: At the groundbreaking for this temple (which occurred on November 8, 2018), Elder Neil L. Andersen, who presided at this event and gave his remarks in French, noted that construction of the temple was anticipated to take around two years. For that reason, I am moving my previous estimate for this temple’s dedication up to this point.
Mid-December: Rededication of the Washington DC Temple

Final note on 2020: Some of the announced temples that will have a groundbreaking between now and the end of 2019 could potentially be dedicated during this year. And several other announced temples (I currently have 7 on my radar) could have a groundbreaking during 2020 as well.

2021:
Saturday & Sunday April 3 & 4: 191st Annual General Conference
Note: Depending on what happens between now (early December 2018) and the dates for this General Conference, I could easily see several new temples announced.
Mid-March: Dedication of the Yigo Guam Temple (172nd operating temple
Mid-to-late April: Dedication of the Praia Cabo Verde Temple (173rd operating temple)
Late April-early May: Dedication of the San Juan Puerto Rico Temple (174th operating temple)
Mid-to-late May: Rededication of the Hamilton New Zealand Temple
June: Dedication of the Urdaneta Philippines Temple (175th operating temple)
Saturday & Sunday October 2 & 3: 191st Semiannual General Conference
Note: I am hoping that by the time this particular General Conference weekend rolls around, the temple construction program of the Church will have progressed to the point where some temples will continue to be announced every six months.
Mid-November: Rededication of the Hong Kong China Temple
Note: This is just a projected estimate, based on what is currently known. As more information is revealed, this estimate could be pushed forward or back as needed.
Mid-December: Rededication of the St. George Utah Temple
Note: What I shared above about the probable timing of the rededication for the Hong Kong China Temple also applies here: As more information is made available, and as the renovation process proceeds, I will be sure to make any adjustments to this estimate that might be needed.

Final note on 2021: If, as anticipated, several more temples are announced in 2019 and 2020, and any which have not yet had a groundbreaking have that occur within that same time period, that in turn will multiply the number of known temple events which will likely occur in 2021 and the years beyond. As more is learned about future temple renovations, that will also have an impact on the number of future events.

2022:
Saturday & Sunday April 2 & 3: 192nd Annual General Conference
Note: Since the face of the Church’s temple construction program will likely look entirely different by this time, I would anticipate the announcement of several new temples.
Mid-August: Dedication of the Pocatello Idaho Temple (176th operating temple)
Saturday & Sunday October 1 & 2: 192nd Semiannual General Conference
Note:  As noted above (for the 2022 April General Conference), by this time, it is more likely than not that the face of the Church’s temple construction program will be looking entirely different. With that in mind, it seems more likely than not that other temples could be announced during this General Conference.
Mid-November: Dedication of the Bangkok Thailand Temple (177th operating temple)
Note: Because this temple is significantly larger than temples which have been built in recent years, delays in that construction process are more likely than not. It is also worth noting that the official number for this temple is almost certain to change as other temples have a groundbreaking and construction and are potentially completed before this one is.

Final note: As noted a few different times here, within the 3.9 years or so between now and the end of 2022, the face of the Church’s temple construction program will likely look very different. We currently have a Church President who has clearly prioritized bringing the temples to the people, and the fact that he announced 19 new temples within his first year as such verifies that beyond doubt. I also am equally certain he will do all he can to clear the existing backlog of announced temples. With that in mind, there will likely be many more temple events to add to this list in the future. I am committed to bringing updates in that regard to you all as I receive them.



9 comments:

  1. Hello again, everyone! One or two more temple updates have been reported. For the Yigo Guam Temple, the on-site chapel (of which I have not been aware) closed on Sunday February 24 in preparation for its' demolition. As many of you might recall, part of the temple construction process will entail building a new on-site chapel.

    In the meantime, the other update I have is for the Memphis Tennessee Temple, which is, as noted previously, scheduled to be rededicated in a single private session by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland on Sunday May 5 of this year. The latest information I have received indicates that entrance doors are being installed while preparation is underway to seal the temple's exterior stone.

    And in the meantime, the Church News reported around an hour ago that Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles was the featured speaker at the LDS Business College's weekly devotional. Elder Gong focused his remarks on the example of a man he considered to be "a hero on Temple Square", Brother Mack Wilberg, who is the head director of the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square. Elder Gong cited 8 valuable lessons he has learned from Brother Wilberg's life and experiences. You can read a summary of Elder Gong's remarks at the address below:

    https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2019-02-26/a-hero-on-temple-square-8-lessons-elder-gong-learned-from-mack-wilbergs-life-49073

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  2. I would not be surprised if the entire First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve were there at differing times during the dedication.

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    1. For the Rome dedication.

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    2. Hello, and thank you for taking time to comment. If the information I have is correct, it has been almost a decade since the dedication of a new temple for the Church spanned more than one or two days. The most recent two examples I could find are the dedications of the Draper and Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temples in 2009.

      For at least the Draper temple, I could not find anything indicating whether or not all of the apostles attended, but it appears that President Monson presided over most (if not all) of the sessions. If memory serves, for the Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple dedication, President Monson presided over some sessions but his counselors presided over others.

      Without a complete list of participants for either event, I am reliant on incomplete information that I can find. And that information seems to note the names of some of the apostles, but omits the names of others who were serving at that time. Elder Andersen was, of course, the junior apostle that year.

      But Rome is a different situation because of its' rich connection to Christian history. At this point, I have not even successfully found information which would indicate the total number of sessions planned. Among our current group of apostles, I would imagine a high degree of participation from President Nelson, who is finishing what his prophetic predecessor started. As to other participants, quite a few apostles may be involved, but I don't see anything which would indicate all of them will be.

      Aside from the likelihood of President Nelson being extensively involved, I know that among our current apostles, the only one whose participation might be limited is President Eyring (if he is involved at all). Right now, his wife is suffering severe age-related difficulties, and being on the other side of the world for even a day or two would likely not be an ideal scenario for him or for her.

      With all of that noted, I have no "inside information" aside from what is reported by official Church sources or tips I receive from members living near the areas in question. I imagine that the Church will likely have some rotation of attendance, but would anticipate at least two of the apostles being absent from each session, as has been the case for every General Conference session in the recent past, as I have mentioned in previous threads.

      These are just some personal observations from me, for what they may be worth. And I will be elated to see more reported about which general Church leaders attended each session, which I imagine will be made public due to widespread interest in this temple on the part of Latter-day Saints and our friends of other faiths all around the world. Hope these comments, such as they are, are helpful to all who read them.

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  3. Hello again, everyone! Just wanted to post here to note that, since the Lisbon Portugal Temple seems closer to its' completion than the Durban South Africa Temple might be (as evidenced by the fact that I have the former in my estimates above potentially being dedicated prior to the dedication of the latter), I have switched the two in order on my temple construction progress report. Time will tell if that action was justifiable, but for now, I feel confident in doing so. My thanks again to you all.

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  4. I have one more temple update and some additional Church news to report. First, at the Memphis Tennessee Temple, an update reported earlier today notes that entrance doors are being installed, and that the exterior stone is being prepared for its' sealing process.

    There were a few additional Church news stories reported as well. First, an article has been published to introduce the keynote speakers who will be featured at RootsTech this year:

    https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2019-02-25/actress-patricia-heaton-lion-film-subject-saroo-brierley-and-ukulele-musician-talk-2019-rootstech-49056

    And RootsTech kicked off today with an announcement made by Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles that the Church has donated $2 million for a new African American museum:

    https://www.thechurchnews.com/global/2019-02-27/rootstech-2019-kicks-off-with-announcement-of-dollar2-million-donation-from-church-for-a-new-international-african-american-museum-center-for-family-history-49085

    The Church's official Newsroom shared more on this development:

    https://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/church-donation-2-million-international-african-american-museum-center-family-history

    And FamilySearch has added a historically-significant Canada census of the Prairie Provinces from 1926 to their library:

    https://www.lds.org/church/news/familysearch-adds-historical-canada-1926-census-of-the-prairie-provinces?lang=eng

    Elder Joaquin E. Costa and his wife, Renee, spoke at a BYU-Idaho devotional, and they shared 3 things they wish they had known in college:

    https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2019-02-27/general-authority-byu-idaho-students-bishops-jesus-christ-temples-3-things-buenos-aires-argentina-they-wish-they-had-known-during-college-devotional-49075

    And the Church News reported on how the April and October 2018 General Conferences inspired a new album for the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square (for which President Nelson was a surprise visitor while they recorded his song, "Our Prayer to Thee"):

    https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2019-02-26/tabernacle-choir-mack-wilberg-cd-how-the-historic-events-of-april-2018-general-conference-prompted-a-new-album-49077

    I continue to monitor all Church news and temple developments, and am committed to bringing you all word of those here as I receive it, whether in the comments of existing posts, or through newly-published content. Thanks again, everyone!

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  5. Hello again, everyone! I am dropping by to share a temple update here so as to not clog up the post about potential future temples which may be announced during the April General Conference. First, the First Presidency announced today that a one-week temple open house would be held for both the Memphis Tennessee and Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temples. The open house for Memphis will run from Saturday April 13-Saturday April 20, excluding Sunday April 14 (which the news release mistakenly notes as April 7), and the open house for Oklahoma City will run from Wednesday April 24-Wednesday May 1, excluding Sunday April 28. Read the updated official release from the First Presidency below:

    https://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/temple-rededications-announced-for-may-2019

    And two other temple updates have been reported as well. At the Winnipeg Manitoba Temple, a concrete floor slab is being poured, and roof trusses have been installed for the adjacent meetinghouse. And the Pocatello Idaho Temple site is currently being surveyed, and the site is being cleared of snow in preparation for the groundbreaking ceremony for that temple. The service project will take place next Tuesday, and the groundbreaking ceremony will follow roughly 1.5 weeks after that.

    As always, I continue to monitor all Church news and temple developments and will pass word of those along to you all as I receive it. Thanks again, everyone!

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  6. https://www.localnews8.com/news/pocatello/neighbors-offered-look-at-temple-construction-plan/1045726128

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    1. Hey, Chris! Thanks for sharing that article. The Church has long observed the practice of sharing such plans with the community each temple is anticipated to serve, so it was good to hear about those plans relating to the Pocatello Idaho Temple.

      I heard through the grapevine that construction on that temple might conclude in mid-to-late 2022, if all goes well. It has been correctly observed that the Pocatello Idaho Temple may be similar in design, floor plan and size to the Meridian Idaho Temple, and since construction of that temple took roughly 3 years and 3 months, I imagine the same might be true for Pocatello.

      We have seen the Church make a concerted effort to do everything they possibly can to get any major preliminary work done before a groundbreaking is held, with a view to have construction begin not long after that groundbreaking, and I hope the same proves true for Pocatello.

      It is interesting to consider that the Church has not yet shared information on who might be presiding at the March 16 groundbreaking. There are a few possibilities I can see: President Eyring (due to his Idaho connections), Elder Bednar (who broke ground for the Meridian Idaho Temple), or Elder Andersen (who spent some of his Primary, youth, and I believe young adult years in Pocatello). Other possibilities are any of the current members of the Presidency of the Seventy, any of the members of the Idaho Area Presidency (Wilford W. Andersen, S. Gifford Nielsen, or Brian K. Taylor). There are probably a few other General Authority Seventies with connections to Pocatello as well. But the Church could also call on the Executive Director of the Temple Department or one of his assistants to do so. It is intriguing to me that the Church has already identified who will preside at each of the 3 groundbreakings planned for May 4, but there has still been no public mention (of which I am aware, at least) regarding who might preside at this temple groundbreaking, which is now just over two weeks away.

      Thanks again for taking time to share that article, Chris. I always appreciate hearing from you.

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