Personal Update/Additional Church News and Temple Developments Reported

Hello again, everyone! I wanted to provide a brief personal update, along with sharing some additional Church news and some temple developments which have crossed my radar recently. First, the personal update. At a doctor's appointment towards the end of last month, my wife, my doctor, and I determined that I have received the maximum benefit I am going to get from the pain medication I have been on for over a decade. I am in the process of tapering off of that medication.

In the meantime, I am also in the process of making a switch with the medication I have been on for anxiety and depression, which has presented an additional challenge for me. But I also had a consult with another of my doctors yesterday, and we determined to go ahead with a procedure I have needed but have been avoiding. I have tentatively planned to have that same-day procedure done in mid-April. So my physical and mental health have been challenged recently with all of that going on.

And for that reason, I wanted to again throw out an apology to any of you (especially first-time or recently-returning readers) if what I have said or the way I have said it has come across as abrupt, rude, or with a seeming lack of compassion, tact, understanding, or courtesy. It will be rough going for me for a while with that going on, but my blogging has provided a source of release for the many stresses I am currently under, and my enthusiasm for reporting the subject matter I have continued to cover on this blog is as strong as it ever has been.

Having indulged that personal moment, I'd like to move on to cover recent temple updates and Church news that has been reported. Today marks both the final day for the Rome Italy Temple dedication, and the first day of public tours for the Kinshasa DR Congo Temple. I have mentioned before my theory that President Nelson could (and likely will) head out on another leg of his Global Ministry Tour within the week following General Conference next month, and that this temple dedication could mark either the start, mid-point, or conclusion of that tour.

In the meantime, a report has come in demonstrating that demolition is underway on the Trujillo Alto Ward chapel, as the Church prepares the ground on which it stands for a new meetinghouse that will be adjacent to the San Juan Puerto Rico Temple, which is 1 of the 3 temples set to have a groundbreaking on Saturday May 4. It is wonderful to see the day-to-day milestones of temple construction progress which have been occurring of late.

Turning in conclusion to Church news items, more articles and coverage have been provided for the Rome Italy Temple, including more videos, a copy of the dedicatory prayer, and some additional context into the circumstances leading up to the Rome Italy Temple dedication which has been held over the last 4-5 days. The Church has released a look at the Kinshasa temple in pictures, biographies of more newly-called mission presidents, and some suggestions from the Sunday School General Presidency about how to effectively teach from General Conference messages (which is the prescribed curriculum for Priesthood and Relief Society on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month). Catch those articles via the Church News website.

And more coverage of the Rome Italy Temple, the Kinshasa open house, and other developments can be found on the Church's official Newsroom, which includes the release of a new video featuring the apostles in reverse seniority order reading portions of the Living Christ. As most of you may recall, that document was released by the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve in 2000, in honor of the birth of the Savior "two millenia ago".

The most significant thing about that (aside from prophets, seers, and revelators quoting such scripture as if it were their own words) was that only 5 of the apostles who originally signed that joint apostolic testimony are still living. In the almost-2-decades that have passed between then and now, the apostolic Quorums have seen a 66.667% turnover. I am not sure how that compares in terms of other 20-year periods, but it is significant enough a circumstance to bear mentioning here.

I continue to monitor any and all Church news and temple developments, and will do my level best to keep bringing word of such things to you as I become aware of 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.