Hello again, everyone! As confirmed in a new report from the Newsroom a short while ago, this morning, ground was officially broken for the McAllen Texas Temple by Elder Art Rascon, an area seventy. Since Texas is one state that has seen severe outbreaks of COVID-19, local regulations prevented a large gathering, so a video of the proceedings will be made available later this week. In a recent comment about that temple on the Church Growth Blog, someone living in Texas noted that the temple was anticipated to be completed in late 2022. It seems as though a lot of temples have a window of late 2022-early 2023, so it will be interesting to see what actually happens in that respect.
As previously announced, the temple is anticipated to be one story, and approximately 25,000 square feet in area, and will include an adjacent meetinghouse on the site. It will be interesting to see how quickly full-scale construction can begin for this temple. As some of you might recall, in the days leading up to this groundbreaking, the Church was still working on obtaining a conditional use permit for the property. Insofar as I am aware, that permit has not yet been obtained, which may or may not lead to a delay in the construction for that temple.
The McAllen Texas Temple, in addition to being the fifth for the state of Texas, is also the sixteenth temple to have a groundbreaking this year alone. The Church now has five temples left that are on the docket for a groundbreaking this year. And for the first time since Halloween, this week ground was broken for only one temple. I had mentioned in the threads of my previous post that the exact date of the groundbreaking ceremony for the Antofagasta Chile Temple had been confirmed as this upcoming Friday, November 27. That means that only the Mendoza Argentina Temple groundbreaking remains in the queue for November, and will occur at an as-yet unspecified date.
One other note may be of interest to you all here: with this latest groundbreaking, there are now 30 temples in the current construction queue, and 33 others are announced. If the Church remains on track in breaking ground for the other five temples this year (Antofagasta Chile, Mendoza Argentina, Okinawa Japan, Harare Zimbabwe, and Bengaluru India), then the Church will end the year with more temples under construction than there will be just in the announced section.
With that in mind, given the efforts this year to clear that queue in the midst of a global pandemic, and in consideration of the number of temples for which groundbreakings might soon be announced, we could easily see a large number of new temples announced during the April 2021 General Conference. I am still putting together some updates on my temple files, and evaluating how and to what extent recent precedents and developments might factor into my April 2021 General Conference predictions, but if all goes well, hopefully, I'll have something posted soon.
In the meantime, 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 reported on this temple's groundbreaking as well:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/temples/2020-11-21/mcallen-texas-temple-ground-breaking-fifth-members-miracle-198329
And the "Music & the Spoken Word" broadcast for this week will reair an episode for which the message relates in surprising ways to President Nelson's address yesterday:
https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2020-11-21/music-and-the-spoken-word-gift-of-gratitude-198063
My thanks once again to you all.
On this Sabbath Day, the Church News looked back on the top 9 developments covered in the latest edition of the "Week in Review" series:
Deletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2020-11-22/president-nelson-give-thanks-wildfire-message-black-14-philanthropy-justserve-lighttheworld-198326
And an update has been provided on new stake presidencies called to serve around the world:
https://www.thechurchnews.com/callings/2020-11-22/new-stake-presidents-brazil-mexico-canada-spain-australia-farmington-layton-peru-logan-venezuela-198160
I am hoping that we may start seeing a gradual increase in the number of newly-created stakes that will last through the foreseeable future, in view of the fact that COVID-19 conditions worldwide led to a temporary suspension of all stake meetings through November 1. It will be interesting to see what happens there. Temple updates will follow. In the meantime, my thanks once again to you all.
Updates have been provided on the following temples today:
DeletePocatello Idaho:
https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/pocatello-idaho-temple/
San Juan Puerto Rico:
https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/san-juan-puerto-rico-temple/
Feather River California:
https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/feather-river-california-temple/
Taylorsville Utah:
https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/taylorsville-utah-temple/
McAllen Texas:
https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/mcallen-texas-temple/
Regarding the update on the McAllen temple, which had been provided alongside the report of that temple's groundbreaking, a comment on the Church Growth blog indicated that the hope was for construction crews to commence full-scale construction on it at some point this week before Thanksgiving Day. I will be interested to see what happens in that respect, and will be sure to pass along any updates as I learn of them. In the meantime, my thanks once again to you all.
They may be able to get equipment on-site and maybe stake some things out, but I don't expect heavier work until next.
DeleteDid see on Facebook a personal post with a short cellphone video taken at the Bentonville site yesterday, one piece of equipment and some of the grass on site stripped away and a couple piles of grass debris. What I said about McAllen may also hold true for this also.
Jim Anderson, you may have a point there: expressed hopes about how soon construction can get underway on any temple often turn out to be overly optimistic. We saw just recently with the Lima Peru Los Olivos Temple that full-scale construction was delayed on that temple for more than a year after its' groundbreaking. COVID-19 is also having a wide-spread effect on Texas currently. So it's not necessarily a given that those full-scale efforts may indeed start this next week.
DeleteHaving acknowledged that, the status of that temple is only slightly different now in contrast to what it was prior to its' groundbreaking. Although the Church in some cases waits to place a construction fence around a temple site, and to move the heavy equipment and construction trailers onto the site, in the case of the McAllen temple, that process was initiated in the week or so leading up to the groundbreaking, not long after the conditional use permit was approved by the city.
And for whatever reason, with the other United States temples for which a groundbreaking has taken place this year, the Church delayed that preliminary process until the week or two after the groundbreaking ceremonies were held. So in that respect, the construction crew assigned to the mcAllen Texas Temple project may already be well ahead of where other US temples were in the week or two following their groundbreakings.
With that being said, we'll have to see what may or may not happen with the McAllen Texas Temple as this next week begins. But I for one wouldn't be surprised by either a delay of at least a week or by construction beginning before Thanksgiving. There is also the fact that, with Thanksgiving being observed this upcoming Thursday, construction crews may be given time off to go be with their families for the holiday weekend, which would defer the construction further. I'll be sure to keep my eyes open in that respect either way. In the meantime, thanks, as always, Jim Anderson, for taking time to comment. I always appreciate hearing from you.
Hello again, everyone! The Church has continued a tradition that has been observed the last several weeks in that the only COVID-19 updates announced are related to the phased reopening of temples. Additionally, as has been the case for the last several weeks, only a few temples are mentioned as shifting in their upcoming applicalbe phase change.
ReplyDeleteOn November 30, the Bogota Colombia Temple will reopen under phase 1, which allows the living husband-to-wife sealing where both have been previously endowed, with limited guests in attendance. Meanwhile, the Quetzaltenango Guatemala and San Salvador El Salvador Temples will transition from phase 1 to phase 2. Phase 2 allows the performance of all ordinances for the living, with priority given first to those preparing to be sealed in the temple who have not yet been endowed, then to missionaries out in the field who departed prior to being able to receive their endowment, then to those preparing to serve missions, then to anyone else who may need to receive those ordinances for any other reason.
With the latest phased changes announced today, the Church News reports that 156 of the Churh's 168 temples have reopened. And of the 166 that have reopenedx, 130 of those are or will soon be in phase 2. The Church News and the Newsroom have provided different demographic data about the reopenings, as shown in the following articles:
https://www.thechurchnews.com/temples/2020-11-23/lds-temples-open-worldwide-phased-reopening-183918
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/first-presidency-limited-reopening-temples
My thanks once again to you all for your continued interest and ongoing support.
Hello again, everyne! The Church Newss has tracked the responses of general Church leaders to President Nelson's #givethanks" social media challenge:
Deletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2020-11-23/president-nelson-give-thanks-gratitude-social-media-posts-church-leaders-198314
Among the leaders who were featred in that Church news article were the following: Church President Russell M. Nelson and his respective First and Second Counselors, Presidents Dallin H. Oaks and Henry B. Eyring; Acting President M. Russell Ballard and Elders David A. Bednar, Quentin L. Cook, D. Todd Christofferson, Neil L. Andersen, and Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; Young Women General President Sister BOnnie H. Cordon; Sister Reyna I. Aburto, Second Counselor in the First Presidency; and Sister Lisa L. Harkness, First Counselor in the Primary General Presidency.
Just to be clear on this matter, since President Nelson's challenge will span several more days, I'm reasonably certain these are just the initial highlights being shared in the Church News. I think it likely that another edition may be published on Thursday, perhaps entitlted: "This Thanksgiving Day on Social", and that at least one more article could be published during this challenge's duration to share more highlights. I will keep my eyes open for that and publish all such updates here as those are reported. In the meantime, my thanks once again to you all.
The Newsroom and the Church News have provided the following additional reports:
ReplyDeletehttps://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/handbook-november-2020-language-update
https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2020-11-24/give-thanks-running-cross-country-high-school-alabama-198483
https://www.thechurchnews.com/history-revisited/2020-11-24/president-nelson-invitation-gratitude-historical-perspective-198424
https://www.thechurchnews.com/podcast/2020-11-24/episode-6-president-nelson-invitation-gratitude-rick-turley-historian-198517
My thanks once again to you all.
On this day before Thanksgiving, the Church News has provided the following additional reports:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2020-11-25/byu-mark-pope-basketball-missionaries-gratitude-198522
https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2020-11-25/mark-madsen-shaq-lakers-uvu-basketball-198484
https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2020-11-25/president-nelson-give-thanks-video-message-inspiration-story-prompting-198625
https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2020-11-25/president-nelson-invitation-gratitude-journal-social-media-give-thanks-scott-taylor-198512
My thanks once again to you all.
The Newsroom has provided the following additional new reports:
Deletehttps://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/black-14-partnership
https://news-gh.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/west-africa-prepares-then-watches-and-listens-to-the-prophet
My thanks once again to you all.
And the Church of Jesus Christ Temples site has published updates on the Quito Ecaudor and Puebla Mexico Temples:
Deletehttps://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/quito-ecuador-temple/news/
https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/puebla-mexico-temple/
My thanks once again to you all.
On this Thanksgiving Day, the Church News has reported on the annual address given by a general authority to missionaries serving worldwide. This year, that speaker was Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who was accompanied by his wife, Sister Katherine J. Christofferson:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2020-11-26/elder-christofferson-missionary-devotional-restoration-gratitude-thanksgiving-198651
My thanks once again to you all.