Hello again, everyone! While running a cursory internet search for insight into who might preside at the Pocatello Idaho Temple groundbreaking, I came across this article, which notes that Elder Wilford W. Andersen of the Seventy, who serves as president of the Church's Idaho Area, will preside at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Pocatello Idaho Temple, which has, as previously noted, been scheduled to occur on Saturday March 16.
Still no word on who might preside at the dedication of the Rome Italy Temple from March 10-12, but I would anticipate that, since President Monson did not live long enough to do so, President Nelson will likely preside over at least the very first session(s) of that temple. We may not know yet whether there will be 9, 12, or some other number of dedicatory sessions, but I will keep my eyes and ears peeled for more on that within this next week.
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Sunday, March 3, 2019
BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Elder Wilford W. Andersen to Preside at Pocatello Idaho Temple Groundbreaking
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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Sorry. Forgot to mention above that Elder Andersen presiding at this temple groundbreaking may be one of the last major things he does as president of the Idaho (and North America Central) Area(s), since he turns 70 in August and will therefore likely be released from his area assignment effective August 1 of this year, and will likely go on to be granted emeritus status in October. Thanks again, everyone!
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of the Rome Temple dedication, I have a story to share:
ReplyDeleteYesterday here in KC, we had a snowstorm that caused the changing of our Sunday meeting schedules. We only had Sacrament Meeting, and only one per building, and you could attend the meeting closest to you. With that backdrop, the bishop of a neighboring ward was attending our meeting and he bore his testimony - one that was so powerful concerning prophecy. I will paraphrase what he shared.
He said that while he was on his mission in Italy in 1998 (that's what I heard. It might have been 1988), James E. Faust visited his mission and had a missionary conference. During that conference, Elder Faust provided three prophecies for Italy: 1) that where there are now wards, there would be stakes and where there are now branches, there would be wards. 2) that there would be native Italians as General Authorities, and 3) that a temple would be built on Italian soil. This humble bishop was almost in tears as he elaborated on each of these, saying that 1) one of the areas he served in was a ward at the time, and is now a stake. And that there were only 3 stakes in Italy when he served where there are now 10. 2) Elder Massemo de Feo is now serving as a General Authority Seventy, and was born in Italy, and of course we know about #3. I just felt like I needed to share that amazing testimony I heard yesterday. :)
Michael
That is awesome. Thank you for sharing that, Michael. There is a reason we sustain these men as prophets, seers, and revelators. Almost always, the Lord honors such promises. Lately, we have seen the leadership of the Church diversify in ways that perhaps no one but a prophet, seer, and revelator could have foreseen. Elder De Feo is one who had several leadership callings, including as an area seventy, before he became the first Italian General Authority of the Church.
DeleteBut interesting you should mention Elder (or President) Faust's prophecy in that regard. I have spoken before about the young missionary to Italy who had been in my young men's age group. He and I exchanged letters fairly frequently, and he wrote a time or two about some discouragement he was experiencing when it didn't seem like he was having much success. As I pondered about what (if any) encouragement I could give him, the Lord prompted me to tell him that he would live to see the fruits of his missionary labors, and that he would also live to see the day when a temple was built and dedicated within his field of labor. And about two years after sending that encouragement by letter to him, the temple in Rome was announced in General Conference.
Full disclaimer here, whether it is needed or not: I have not been (nor am I ever likely to be) in a position to make the kind of promise that Elder (or President) Faust made, but it is interesting to consider the experience I had with that young missionary serving in Italy in light of the recounting of the promises of Elder (or President) Faust.
It has been interesting to watch such promises being fulfilled in unexpected ways. In 2012, then-Elder Nelson promised the Saints in Nicaragua they would get a temple of their own one day. And 6 years later, he himself made good on that apostolic promise last April, when he announced a temple for that nation.
It is awesome to see the Lord moving in his majesty and power through the labors of His servants. Based on what you shared above, I wish that both President Faust and President Monson had been alive to see this temple finished, but I have no doubt they will be at the dedicatory services in spirit. But I am certain the Lord knew that neither of them would be alive when the temple was completed.
Sorry. I have been somewhat all over the place with this comment. Thanks again for sharing these insights, Michael! Always a pleasure to hear from you.
More temple news announced. Open house and dedication dates set for Lisbon Portugal Temple.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/public-invited-to-tour-lisbon-portugal-temple
Thank you, Eric, for sharing that here. I actually saw the news a few minutes before I saw your comment about it. I am grateful the Lord verified my recently-offered opinion that the Lisbon Portugal Temple will be dedicated before a dedication is held for the Durban South Africa Temple. I just published a new post covering this breaking temple news. Thanks again for passing it along. I always appreciate hearing from you.
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