Updated Estimates for Future Temple Events: Part One—Overview and 2019 Estimates

Hello again, everyone! Based on what I shared in my last post regarding the updated general time-frames, I have updated my more specific estimates for known temple events. This post will share those temple events anticipated to occur during the remainder of this year. Two other posts will then follow to share the changed estimates for 2020 & 2021, and for 2022-2024, of which there are comparatively far less. The estimates for the remainder of this year, along with the relevant notes, follow below. In order to not disturb the flow of that information, I will end here and now as I always do:

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2019:

Saturday May 4: Groundbreakings for the Yigo Guam, Praia Cabo Verde, and San Juan Puerto Rico Temples

Note: In mid-January the First Presidency released the artist’s rendering for the San Juan Puerto Rico Temple, and announced the groundbreaking for that temple less than a week later. Elder Walter F. Gonzalez, president of the Church's Caribbean Area, will preside at that ceremony. In early-to-mid February, the artist’s renderings for the Yigo Guam and Praia Cabo Verde Temples were also released, with their groundbreakings set to occur on May 4 as well. Elders Yoon Hwan Choi (the president of the Asia North Area) and Paul V. Johnson, (the president of the Europe Area) will preside at the groundbreakings in Yigo and Praia respectively. 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, and that Elder Jeffrey R. Holland would preside at the rededication. Although it was originally announced that no open house tours would be offered, on February 28, 2019, the First Presidency subsequently announced that a one-week open house would be held for this temple in mid-April.

Saturday May 11: Groundbreaking for the Quito Ecuador Temple (confirmed)

Note: The First Presidency released the artist’s rendering and announced the groundbreaking arrangements for this temple on March 7, 2019. Elder Enrique R. Falabella, president of the South America Northwest Area, will preside at this event. Construction on this temple is anticipated to take between 2-3 years.

Thursday May 16-Saturday May 25: President Nelson Pacific Ministry Tour

Note: On April 10, 2019, the Church announced that President Russell M. Nelson and his wife Wendy W. Nelson, accompanied by Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Susan L. Gong, would be doing a ministry tour in the Pacific (which will be the next leg of the prophet’s ongoing Global Ministry Tour). Since that tour includes stops in areas where temples are either operating (Kona Hawaii, Apia Samoa, Sydney Australia, Suva Fiji, Nuku’alofa Tonga, and Papeete Tahiti) or where temples have been announced (Auckland New Zealand), it seems appropriate to include this trip among the list of known temple events, since part of the time will surely be used to scout out temple locations in Auckland New Zealand, Pago Pago American Samoa, and Neiafu Tonga.

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, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, will preside at the single-session rededication. On February 28, 2019, in conjunction with the aforementioned announcement of the one-week open house for the Memphis Tennessee Temple, an identical arrangement was set (with slightly different timing) for this temple.

Sunday June 2: Dedication of the Fortaleza Brazil Temple (165^th operating temple; confirmed)

Note: On January 10, 2019, 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. President Nelson could personally preside at this dedication, or he could delegate that to either of his counselors or a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. While it used to be customary for only the most senior apostles to preside at a temple dedication or rededication, in April, junior apostle Elder Dale G. Renlund presided at the dedication of the Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple. With that in mind, Elder David A. Bednar (who broke ground for this temple) or Elder Ulisses Soares (our native Brazilian apostle) could preside at this dedication.

Saturday June 8: Groundbreaking for the Lima Peru Los Olivos Temple

Note: On March 7, 2019, the groundbreaking for this temple was also announced. Since this temple is also being built within the South America Northwest Area, Elder Falabella will preside over this as well. And based on the fact that the design of this temple reminds me of the Mesa Arizona Temple, I am anticipating a 3-4 year construction period for that process.

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 around 3 years, so I have set a preliminary estimate of mid-to-late 2022.

Sunday September 1: Dedication of the Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple (165^th operating temple; confirmed)

Note: On November 14, 2018, the First Presidency announced the open house and dedication information for this temple (with the latter originally set for mid-May). Then, on January 18, 2019, the dedication was pushed back to this date in view of delays in the construction process. It is possible that President Nelson could preside at this temple’s dedication, and that perhaps that would be done as part of a Global Ministry Tour, but time will tell whether he dedicates this temple, or delegates that task to either of his counselors, or any of the members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Insofar as I am aware, none of the current apostles have a personal connection to Haiti, so any of them could preside.

Friday September 6: President Nelson’s 95^th Birthday Celebration

Note: On March 14, 2019, the Church announced this milestone celebration for President Nelson, which will occur 3 days before his actual 95^th birthday. In view of the fact that President Nelson has announced 27 temples since his prophetic administration began, it seems appropriate to mention this milestone   birthday among other events on this timeline.

Sunday September 15: Dedication of the Lisbon Portugal Temple (166^th operating temple; confirmed)

Note: On March 4, 2019, the First Presidency announced the open house and dedication information for this temple. What I noted above in terms of who might preside at this event (and under what circumstances that might occur) applies to this event as well.

Saturday & Sunday October 5 & 6: 189^th Semiannual General Conference:

Note: Given that there have been 27 new temples announced during the first 3 General Conferences of President Nelson’s prophetic administration, I believe he will continue to announce temples every six months in General Conference, and may also announce some in between each April, October, and subsequent April.

Mid-to-late October: Dedication of the Arequipa Peru Temple (167^th operating temple)

Note: The Arequipa Peru Temple has been ahead of schedule for a while now, and a Church member living in Peru spotted the cornerstone engraving, which reads: “Erected 2019”. With that in mind, I feel reasonably confident that this temple will be dedicated at around this time.

Sunday October 20: Rededication of the Frankfurt Germany Temple (confirmed)

Note: New information received on February 22, 2019 indicated that the Frankfurt Germany Temple was anticipated to be dedicated in October. Then, on March 5, 2019, the First Presidency officially announced that this temple would be rededicated on this date. I am anticipating that the First Presidency will ask Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, our native German apostle who is also the third most-senior member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the sixth most senior apostle overall, to represent them in rededicating this temple, both because it would be personal for him and because he has had experience dedicating other temples during his near-decade of service in the First Presidency.

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.

Early-to-mid November: Private rededication for the Raleigh North Carolina Temple

Note: On May 2, 2019, many of the sources I utilize for temple information noted that this temple’s renovation was only likely to be completed in late 2019. As a consequence, I adjusted my estimate to this point.

Mid-to-late November: Rededication of the Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple

Note: On May 2, 2019, many of the sources I utilize for temple information noted that this temple’s renovation was only likely to be completed in late 2019. As a consequence, I adjusted my estimate to this point.

December: Rededication of the Asuncion Paraguay Temple

Note: Although information about the progress on this temple’s renovation is scarce, given the need to adjust my estimate for the Durban South Africa Temple, I have moved this temple’s rededication up to this point. If I find out anything that leads me to revise that thinking, I will adjust this estimate again.

Sunday December 29: Salt Lake Temple Renovation Closure (confirmed)

Note: On April 19, 2019, President Nelson announced renovation plans for this temple. Based on those plans, the temple is scheduled to close on this date and is anticipated to be rededicated in 2024. I will be offering my estimate for this temple’s rededication later on in this document.

                                                                                                                                                           

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. With groundbreakings held so far for the Urdaneta Philippines, Bangkok Thailand, and Pocatello Idaho Temples, groundbreakings have also been confirmed for the Yigo Guam, Praia Cabo Verde, San Juan Puerto Rico, Quito Ecuador, and Lima Peru Los Olivos Temples. I am also anticipating that groundbreakings may be held for the Brasilia Brazil, Richmond Virginia, Saratoga Springs Utah, Greater Manila Philippines, and Harare Zimbabwe 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.