Tuesday, March 31, 2020
Temple Construction Progress Review During the First Quarter of 2020
Hello again, everyone! As this last day of March comes to its' close, while I continue to welcome comments on my General Conference predictions for the next few days, as this first quarter of 2020 draws to its' conclusion, I am pleased to take this opportunity to look back on the progress which has been made on temples worldwide during this quarter. As per my usual tradition, I will be providing links to which any who clinck on them will have access to the full reports. What I'd like to present at this time is the report that I provided as 2020 began and the one that shows how that progress looks at this first quarter's end.
I do continue to monitor all Church news and temple updates and will do my level best to bring word of those to you all as I become aware of them. In the meantime, in addition to finalizing my predictions for this General Conference and covering any of the major developments and updates that are reported, I am also planning on posting my next apostolic milestone update at some point on Sunday April. 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 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.
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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In addition to my life-long love for the subjects which I cover in the posts of this blog, I have long held the belief that we can disagree without becoming disagreeable. Differences of opinion are natural, while being disagreeable in expressing those differences is not. And in that sense, I have no desire to close the door on anyone who earnestly desires to contribute to the ongoing dialogue on subjects covered in the posts on this blog.
At the same time, however, I recognize that we live in a time when incivility, discourtesy, unkindness, and even cyber-bullying has regrettably become part of online interactions. With that in mind, while anyone who wishes can comment on anything if they choose to do so, I hereby reserve the right to immediately delete any comments which are critical, unkind, lack civility, or promote prodcuts, services, and values contrary to either the Church, or to the rules of online etiquette.
I'd also like to remind all who comment here that I try to respond personally to each individual comment as I feel is appropriate. Such replies are not meant to end the conversation, but to acknowledge earnest feedback as it is submitted.
And in order to better preserve the spirit and pure intentions for which this blog was established, I also hereby request that anyone not commenting with a regular user name (particularly those whose comments appear under the "Unknown" or "Anonymous" monikers, give the rest of us a name to work with in addressing any replies. If such individuals do not wish to disclose their actual given names, a pseudonym or nickname would suffice.
Any comments made by individuals who opt to not give a name by which they can ber identified may, depending on the substance and tone of such comments, be subject to deletion as well. I would respectfully ask that all of us do all we can to keep the dialogue positive, polite, and without malice or ill-will. May the Lord bless us all in our discussion of these important matters.
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Hello again, everyone! The Newsroom has shared the latest edition of "The World Report", which will be broadcast via the Church website between General Conference sessions on Saturday:
ReplyDeletehttps://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/april-2020-edition-of-the-world-report
And the Newsroom has also provided two more COVID-19 updates, which I may or may not have shared before:
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/coronavirus-update#distribution-stores
Aside from these Church news updates, the Church of Jesus Christ Temples site has shared the latest developments on the renovation process for the Mesa Arizona Temple:
https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/mesa-arizona-temple/
This marks the second (or perhaps even the third) update on this temple that has been provided since the beginning of March, and, by comparison, the status of the Tokyo Japan Temple has remained unchanged since mid-February. As a result of that, and of COVID-19's widening impact in Asia, I may opt to swap the order of completion for Tokyo and Mesa as a result. Stay tuned for more on that. In the meantime, my thanks once again to you all.
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/coronavirus-update#missionary-work
And the Church News has shared the following updates:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/global/2020-04-01/unforgettable-lds-general-conference-spring-2020-178103
https://www.thechurchnews.com/history-revisited/2020-04-01/joseph-smith-restoration-decade-timeline-179045
https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2020-04-01/coronavirus-death-bob-garff-businessman-church-leader-179124
https://www.thechurchnews.com/global/2020-04-01/lds-church-2020-hearhim-restoration-reminder-178715
https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2020-04-01/elder-holland-covid-19-shelter-in-place-enforced-solitude-opportunity-179127
My thanks once again to you all.
Hello again, everyone! Major updates have been provided on the Orem and Taylorsville Utah Temples this evening:
ReplyDeletehttps://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/orem-utah-temple/news/
https://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/faith/orem-planning-commission-approves-zone-change-for-lds-temple/article_52a15dd2-d66d-5918-bf78-bbd4a58b2f50.html
https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/taylorsville-utah-temple/news/
It very much sounds as though, based on these updates, groundbreakings could occur for both temples in August or September of this year. If that happens, then the Orem Temple will take around 2 years to construct, and would likely be dedicated in late 2022-early 2023. And given that the Taylorsville Temple is planned to be roughly the same size, it would make sense if similar/identical floor plans, exteriors, and interiors were used. And that means that both temples could potentially be dedicated in the last few months of 2022 or the first few months of 2023.
As I previously mentioned, it does not appear that the Church is anticipating that COVID-19 will slow or halt groundbreakings, the construction of new temples, or the renovation of previously-dedicated temples. And if that turns out to be the case, the biggest question will be whether there will be a queue of temples to be dedicated or rededicated once COVID-19 conditions clear. And that is a possibility. But if that happens, then I am sure that members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will fan out all over the world, either individually, or in sets, to take care of that queue as soon as it may be safe to do so.
Of course, that is no more and no less than my own assessment here, based on what is and is not known about the COVID-19 situation. The reality of it is that if all of us follow the advice of health experts to stay home as much as we possibly can, and do all we can to minimize the spread of COVID-19, this global pandemic and the crises it is causing will be nipped in the bud ASAP, which means that life in general as we know it and the Church in particular can resume normal functions and activities.
I'll get off my soapbox now. Just know that I do continue to monitor all Church news and temple updates and will be sure to bring word of those to you all as I become aware of such things. In the meantime, my thanks once again to you all.
Hello again. everyone! The following additional developments have been reported:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/global/2020-04-01/unforgettable-lds-general-conference-spring-2020-178103
https://www.thechurchnews.com/history-revisited/2020-04-02/joseph-smith-first-vision-accounts-restoration-179037
https://www.thechurchnews.com/history-revisited/2020-04-02/church-restoration-celebrations-look-back-200th-anniversary-177411
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/workers-remove-salt-lake-temple-spires
https://www.thechurchnews.com/temples/2020-04-02/salt-lake-temple-renovation-angel-moroni-statue-spires-temporarily-removed-179208
https://www.thechurchnews.com/callings/2020-04-02/new-temple-presidents-matrons-logan-utah-cedar-city-lubbock-texas-178865
Among the new temple presidents are 2 former area seventies; 1 former member of the presidency of the temple over which he will now preside; 1 former member of the presidencies of two different temples (who will preside over a different temple); 3 current sealers serving in the temples over which they will now preside; and 1 volunteer assistant temple recorder.
As reflected in my updated list that tracks new temple presidents, 29 temples have had a new president announced thus far this year. The other temples currently on my list include 4 new ones, for which a dedication appears likely to occur within the next 1.5 years, 9 currently-operating temples, and 7 others which are undergoing or have recently undergone renovation. You can find that updated list at the following web address:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qcf4P9oxAlBJ7Mh20Ixy11WQ7BQGxOtgqIRwnFhSn6A/edit?usp=sharing
My thanks once again to you all.
Sorry. There was an error with my previous comment sharing the latest Church news stories. Here they are:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2020-04-02/joseph-smith-sacred-grove-spiritual-experiences-178698
https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2020-04-02/joseph-smith-prophet-restoration-video-president-ballard-179337
https://www.thechurchnews.com/history-revisited/2020-04-02/church-restoration-celebrations-look-back-200th-anniversary-177411
My thanks once again to you all.
Hello again, everyone! The Church News has reported two additional articles:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2020-04-03/venezuela-latter-day-saints-change-isolation-uncertain-times-179095
https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2020-04-03/elder-curtis-millions-shall-know-brother-joseph-178340
With that second article, penned by Elder LeGrand R. Curtis Jr., who serves as Church Historian and Recorder, in mind, and with General Conference now less than 24 hours away here in Utah, within the last hour or so, my mind was drawn again to a talk I gave in Sacrament Meeting when we first moved into our current ward. A majority of that talk deals directly with some key lessons I have learned from the life and ministry of the Prophet Joseph Smith, so I am pleased to share again here a link to te post in which I first shared a copy of that talk:
https://stokessoundsoff.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-prophet-joseph-smithteacher-by.html
I would just like to also mention here, FWIW, that the commenting period for my General Conference predictions this go-round has now come to a close, and I invite any of you who may be interested in doing so to follow along with a copy of those predictions:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hHjnnmwcr16z8FHZUc7PZtFRImAGEl4kXGU10UXlgyY/edit?usp=sharing
My thanks once again to you all for your continued interest and ongoing support.
Apparently, as I was preparing my comment above for publication, the Church News published yet another article. This one highlights what each of our 17 current Church Presidents have said about the First Vision:
ReplyDeletehttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1hHjnnmwcr16z8FHZUc7PZtFRImAGEl4kXGU10UXlgyY/edit?usp=sharing
Thanks again, everyone!
And the Church News and Newsroom have shared additional articles, one or two of which I may have previously missed:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2020-04-03/general-conference-preparation-restoration-joseph-smith-first-vision-179196
https://www.thechurchnews.com/history-revisited/2020-04-03/joseph-smith-first-vision-restoration-latter-day-prophets-quotes-179265
https://www.thechurchnews.com/history-revisited/2020-04-03/gerry-avant-president-benson-sacred-grove-178085
https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2020-04-03/general-conference-latter-day-saints-prepare-worldwide-179425
https://www.ldsliving.com/Why-3-Latter-day-Saints-Around-the-World-Say-This-Conference-Will-be-Unforgettable/s/92601
https://news-gh.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/unable-to-gather-west-african-latter-day-saints-to-participate-in-general-conference-through-nationwide-broadcasts
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/april-2020-general-conference
My thanks once again to you all.
The Church News has shared the latest edition of "This Week on Social":
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2020-04-03/missionaries-returning-covid-19-general-conference-2020-179468
Posts from the following general leaders were featured: Acting President M. Russell Ballard and Elders Jeffrey R. Holland, Dieter F. Uchtdorf (from whom 2 posts were shared), and Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; the entire Relief Society General Presidency (General President Sister Jean B. Bingham and her First and Second Counselors, Sisters Sharon Eubank (from the latter of whom 2 posts were shared) and Reyna I. Aburto, respectively; Young Women General President Sister Bonnie H. Cordon (from whom 2 posts were shared) and her Second Counselor, Sister Becky Craven; and Sister Lisa L. Harkness, First Counselor in the Primary General Presidency.
In the last 24-48 hours, the Newsroom has also provided two updates due to changing conditions as a result of COVID-19:
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/coronavirus-update#distribution-stores
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/coronavirus-update#missionary-work
Unless there is anything else for me to report on here between now and then, you can count on my bringing up-to-the-minute reports on all significant aspects and announcements during this General Conference weekend. In the meantime, thanks again, everyone!
Hello again, everyone! I was just running some searches on the internet, and I found the following articles:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.deseret.com/faith/2020/4/3/21207493/tabernacle-choir-temple-square-general-conference-music-mormon-lds
In relation to that article, from what it sounds like, the Tabernacle Choir prepared music for all 5 sessions (which would preempt the previous plans for a multicultural choir in the Saturday evening session), and anything they were unable to prepare, the Church will use archived performances from prior General Conferences or other settings. If the information that the Tabernacle Choir will provide music in this way for all 5 sessions is correct, that will be the first time ever in Church history that that has occurred.
https://www.deseret.com/faith/2020/4/3/21203426/president-nelson-april-2020-general-conference-mormon-lds-first-vision
My thanks once again to you all.