Latest Apostolic Milestone Observed; Upcoming Developments Which Will Be Reported on This Blog

Hello again, everyone! On this last day of July, I would be remiss indeed if I did not focus a new post on upcoming developments which will be a focus of future coverage on this blog. So let's go over those. The highlights will include 3 apostolic birthdays, the beginning of one temple open house, the end of that open house coinciding with the day of the next temple groundbreaking ceremony and the beginning of another open house, and the end of that same open house.


Before we talk specifics about that information, I would also be remiss if I did not note that today, the next apostolic milestone is being marked. As of today, the lifespan of President M. Russell Ballard matches that of President Boyd K. Packer. Barring anything unexpected, President Ballard will still be very much alive tomorrow, so I have moved him ahead of President Packer on the list of apostolic nonagenarians. President Ballard now thus ranks as the 14th oldest apostle overall. His next milestones on that list will be observed roughly three weeks apart in late March and mid-April of next year.

With that sidenote out of the way, let's talk specifics about what will be upcoming. First, I wanted to note that some of these developments will be the focus of new posts on this blog, while others will be merely mentioned in the comments on existing blog posts. I can say that I am planning new posts for the latest apostolic milestone update (a two-part series on that subject will be published on this blog this upcoming Sunday, August 4).

Next, I also intend to provide posts in tribute to the 3 apostles who will have birthdays in August. Two days after my aforementioned apostolic update (on Tuesday August 6), Elder Gary E. Stevenson will be observing his 64th birthday. Just three days later (on Friday August 9), Elder Neil L. Andersen is set to mark his 68th birthday. And three days after that (on Monday August 12), the final August apostolic birthday will be observed: President Dallin H. Oaks' 87th.

In addition to these developments, several temple milestones will be observed as well. On Thursday August 8, the open house for the Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple will begin. The conclusion of that open house on Saturday August 17 will coincide with two other temple events: the beginning of the open house for the Lisbon Portugal Temple (which will end two weeks later on Saturday August 31) and the groundbreaking for the Belem Brazil Temple.

Regarding the Belem Brazil Temple, with that groundbreaking being 2.5 weeks away, I am more than slightly surprised that we have not yet seen an official acknowledgement of any kind from the Church about this event, nor a release of its' artist's rendering or any indication of how long construction is anticipated to last. It could be that the last two elements may be detailed more fully by Elder Aidukaitis as part of the groundbreaking ceremony itself.

While I may only give a passing mention of the open house developments for the Haiti and Portugal Temple open houses, as coverage is made available, I will be sharing analysis of the Belem Brazil Temple groundbreaking. So just with these developments alone, I will be busy providing content for this blog. But I also intend to cover all Church news and other temple developments, either through new posts or through comments on existing posts.

I wanted to note in relation to that temple that new information indicates that the site is being cleared, and that surveyors are staking the site in preparation for that event. Based on the photographs of the process of the site staking, it appears that the Belem Brazil Temple might be slightly larger than I originally thought, which may impact how long the construction process for that temple might take. It was also recently noted that a choir is conducting practice sessions in preparation for their involvement in the groundbreaking ceremony for this temple.

That does it for now. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such feedback is in compliance 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.