Hello again, everyone! Recently on this blog, it has become traditional for me to publish updated apostolic statistics relating to both the age and tenures of our current apostles roughly every 7 weeks. Since I last did so on Sunday August 30, it is now time to do so again today. Those updates, as has also been customary, will be featured in two parts: the first, and the second. The information speaks for itself. I continue to monitor all Church news and temple updates and will be sure to pass word of those developments along to you all as I become aware of any such reports.
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.
Hello again, everyone! The Church News has published another article by Elder Tad R. Callister, a former General Authority Seventy who also formerly served as Sunday School General President:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2020-10-18/tad-r-callister-optimism-turbulent-times-covid-19-195477
My thanks once again to you all.
Hello again, everyone! A short while ago, the Church News and the Newsroom both noted a single update on temples reopening, sharing that the Birmingham Alabama Temple, whose president recently passed away due to COVID-19 complications, would reopen under phase 2. The following articles share some insights into temple reopenings to-date, albeit with different data-based breakdowns:
ReplyDeletehttps://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/first-presidency-limited-reopening-temples
https://www.thechurchnews.com/temples/2020-10-19/lds-temples-open-worldwide-phased-reopening-183918
My thanks once again to you all.
The Church News has also shared one other report:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2020-10-19/saints-studio-channel-series-musicians-faith-personal-struggles-launch-195823
And updates have been provided on the construction status for the following temples:
Layton Utah:
https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/layton-utah-temple/
Richmond Virginia:
https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/richmond-virginia-temple/
My thanks once again to you all.
The Church News will start hosting a weekly podcast beginning tomorrow:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2020-10-19/church-news-podcast-launch-195861
My thanks once again to you all.
And the Newsroom has reported on the relief the Church has provided in the wake of three hurricanes that struck the Gulf Coast in the Eastern United States:
Deletehttps://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/how-the-church-organizes-before-after-disasters-provide-helping-hand
My thanks once again to you all.
Hello again, everyone! A new report shared this evening by the Church of Jesus Christ Temples site indicates that construction has been completed on the Winnipeg Manitoba Temple:
Deletehttps://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/winnipeg-manitoba-temple/news/
The open house for that temple had originally been scheduled to begin this Thursday, but as we now know, those plans have been postponed as a result of COVID-19 conditions. The Winnipeg Manitoba Temple now joins the Rio de Janeiro Brazil and Washington DC Temples in the queue of those completed for which the announcement of revsed opening dates is pending once large public gatherings are deemed safe.
My thanks once again to you all.
Sorry. I should have also shared the web address where the latest status update on this temple can be found:
Deletehttps://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/winnipeg-manitoba-temple/
My thanks once again to you all.
Since I posted the above comment, in the interim, another update has been provided on the Alabang Philippines Temple:
Deletehttps://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/alabang-philippines-temple/
My thanks once again to you all.
Hello again, everyone! Yesterday, at 4:01 PM MDT, I shared a new update from the Newsroom about how the Church prepares to deal with natural disasters well in advance of their occurring, and how aid continues to be provided during and in the aftermath of those crises. Today, the Church News published an article linking to that news release and giving some additional analysis:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2020-10-20/helping-hands-hurricane-sally-laura-delta-volunteers-service-195930
I had also mentioned that the Church News would be starting a weekly podcast, hosted by Church News editor Sister Sarah Jane Weaver. The first episode of that podcast was released today, featuring her in-depth interview with Acting President M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:
https://www.thechurchnews.com/podcast/2020-10-20/episode-1-president-ballard-sarah-jane-weaver-35-years-apostle-testimony-195867
That interview coincides with both President Ballard's 92nd birthday and the 35th anniversary of his call to the apostleship. President Ballard's participation in the first podcast episode for the Church News is also significant because he is the longest-serving General Authority of the Church. He was first called as a General Authority in April of 1976, and has thus served for a total of 44.5 years.
The Church News has made the weekly podcasts available through most (if not all) maor outlets from which anyone can get their podcasts. That wraps up the Church news items I wanted to cover. Temple updates will follow shortly.
As mentioned at the end of my comment above, I have temple updates to pass along. I should note that none of them relate to the construction status of these temples, but instead to the general time-frames for the dedications of these temples.
DeleteBased on information obtained through many of my sources for temple information, I have adjusted estimates to the following general windows for the following temples:
Late 2021-early 2022: Quito Ecuador Temple
Early 2022: San Juan Puerto Rico Temple
Early-to-mid 2022: Saratoga Springs Utah Temple
Mid-2022: Belem Brazil Temple
Mid-to-late 2022: Abidjan Côte d'Ivoire Temple
Late 2022: Richmond Virginia and Layton Utah Temples
Late 2022-early 2023: Urdaneta Philippines, Feather River California, and Orem Utah Temples
Early 2023: Moses Lake Washington and Bangkok Thailand Temples
Early-to-mid 2023: Auckland New Zealand
Mid-2023: Lima Peru Los Olivos
Mid-to-late 2023: Taylorsville Utah* and Puebla Mexico Temples
Late 2023: Alabang Philippines and Brasilia Brazil Temples
Late 2023-early 2024: San Pedro Sula Honduras Temple
*Although no specific date has been confirmed for the Taylorsville Utah Temple groundbreaking, it is my feeling that that could occur this weekend (on Saturday October 24). The completion estimate offered for that temple is based on the fact that it is just slightly larger than the Orem Utah Temple.
Final note: Some of my sources for temple information use other time-frames and/or sequences for many of these temples, including only listing 2023 as a completion year for most of those I listed above. And any estimates I offer are always subject to change as new information comes to light.
Above and beyond that, however, following the groundbreaking ceremony for the Taylorsville Utah Temple, 11 others will have their groundbreakings occur before the end of the year, and most (if not all) of those may join the other temples I mentioned above in various completion time-frames during 2023. As a result, completion windows (and the temples in each one) will likely fluctuate over the next year.
With that in mind, in 2023, we may be likely to see more than one new temple dedicated every month, and it is possible that 2023 could be another year in which two temples may be dedicated either in the same week or on the same day.
That concludes the updates I wanted to share and some analysis on the revised general time-frames for temples now under construction or for which a groundbreaking has occurred or may soon occur. My thanks once again to you all.
For all my readers who may be Young Single Adults in the 18-25 age demographic, the Church News has shared an open invation to any who may be interested to apply for selection as a YPM (Young Performing Missionary) in Nauvoo. An informational fireside will be held for those interested on Sunday October 25 @ 6:00 PM MDT. More details can be found in the following article:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2020-10-20/nauvoo-young-performing-missionary-program-virtual-fireside-195940
My thanks once again to you all.
The Church News covered 2 devotional addresses given earlier today to students at BYU-Pathway Worldwide and BYU-Idaho:
Deletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2020-10-20/elder-gong-byu-idaho-devotional-lds-les-miserables-parachuting-learning-195871
https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2020-10-20/sister-craig-byu-pathway-worldwide-salt-lake-temple-renovation-195990
My thanks once again to you all.
Hello again, everyone! The Newsroom and the Church News have both reported that the Church has made 2 portions of the General Handbook available in 22 additional languages aside from English:
ReplyDeletehttps://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/general-handbook-language-update-october-2020
https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2020-10-21/general-handbook-updates-22-languages-church-discipline-moral-issues-195704
The Church News has also reported on the death of another temple president:
https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2020-10-21/jose-luis-gonzalez-gutierrez-bogota-colombia-temple-president-dies-67-195978
The Bogota Colombia temple president, along with his wife, had nearly wrapped up their service in that assignment at the time of the president’s passing. Since a new temple president and matron had been called for that temple earlier this year, they transitioned into that assignment immediately following the passing of the outgoing president.
In Houston Texas, Church service missionaries, along with their family members and Church leaders, were involved in a project to not only clean up and fix portions of a cemetery but to also identify and trace the family history of many former slaves who were buried there:
https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2020-10-21/houston-black-cemeteries-african-american-family-history-project-195963
And Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, along with his wife, Sister Melanie T. Rasband, spoke yesterday at a BYU-Hawaii devotional that originated from Salt Lake City:
https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2020-10-21/elder-rasband-byu-hawaii-devotional-names-of-christ-195875
Finally, updates have been provided on the following temples today:
Tokyo Japan
https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/tokyo-japan-temple/
Taylorsville Utah
https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/taylorsville-utah-temple/
(Parenthetically, regarding this temple, the fact that construction trailers have arrived on site and that the process of connecting to utility lines is underway has me more convinced than ever that the groundbreaking ceremony for Taylorsville will occur this Saturday.)
My thanks once again to you all.
The following four additional updates were provided today by the Church News:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2020-10-22/byu-study-family-teens-covid-19-depression-anxiety-196012
https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2020-10-22/youth-family-history-luke-morrison-195858
https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2020-10-22/expogenealogia-virtual-family-history-event-mexico-196114
https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2020-10-22/temple-square-christmas-concert-virtual-video-submissions-covid-19-196156
My thanks once again to you all.