BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: 6 Temples Will Move to Phase 3; 6 Others Will Move to Phase 2 in the Next Two Weeks

Hello again, everyone! At this hour, we have some breaking Church news to get to. So let's dive right in. The Church has announced this morning that 12 additional temples will have changes in their reopening status that will go into effect over the next two weeks, with 6 of those temples transitioning to phase 3 on Monday February 22, and 6 others moving to phase 2 effective next week. Additionally, next week will also see 3 temples that previously had their reopenings paused or downgraded terutning to their former status.

So let's break down this information. First, for the 6 temples transiitioning to phase 3 in two weeks, that marks the largest number to-date transitioning to that phase on the same date. The six temples tranisitioning to phase 3 in two weeks include 3 in Mexico (Merida, Oaxaca, and Tuxtla Guitierrez); and 1 each in Central America (Guatemala City Guatemala); Canada (Halifax Nova Scotia); and the Pacific (Sydney Australia). Phase 3 allows those temples to perform all living ordinances, along with some ordinances for the dead, while ensuring proper COVID-19 protocols are followed.

With those phase 3 reopenings occurring in two weeks, for next week, 3 temples will begin phase 2 for the firs timet, offering all ordinances for the living, with the priority given first to those previously-endowed couples who are going to be sealed, with limited guests in attendance; then to those preparing for a temple sealing in the neear future who have not previously been endowed; then to missionaries already out in the field, who departed without being able to receive their own endowments; then to those missionaries preparing to depart for the mission field; then to anyone else who made need to receive their own ordinances for any other reason.

The Palmyra New York, Rome Italy, and San Jose Costa Rica Temples are the 3 that will start phase 2 for the first time next week. The Johannesburg South Africa and Santiago Chile Temples were previously paused, and now resume phase 2 operations. And the Quetzeltenango Guatemala Temple, which had returned to phase 1 briefly due to local COVID-19 restrictions, will again resume phase 2.

The Church News provides additional details on the reopening, including updates made to the status tracker for all temples worldwide. Church leaders are continuing the inspired process of monitoring global COVID-19 restrictions or adjustments, and to adjust the temple reopenings accordingly. The cautiously-coordinated efforts have also involved receiving and evaluating information on nations worldwide from those serving in area presidencies or as area seventies, and it is inspiring to witness that occurring the way it has.

For my part, I continue to monitor any and all such developments, in addition to any breaking Church news, and will do my level best to pass word of those along to you all as I become aware thereof. 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.

All Current Apostles Observe Their First Group Tenure Length Milestone

Hello again, everyone! As demonstrated in the last update I provided on apostolic data (posted on January 24), the current members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, both on their own and in company with the current First Presidency, were set to observe serefveral apostolic group milestones this year. As the documents I shared in that last update showed, the first of those milestones has been reached today, Monday February 8. As of today, the current members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles have served together for a period of 2 years, 10 months, and 8 days.

The length of their service has now matched that of the apostolic group which included Presidents Gordon B. Hinckley, Thomas S. Monson, and James E. Faust in the First Presidency, and when the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles was comprised of President Boyd K. Packer and Elders L. Tom Perry, Russell M. Nelson, Dallin H. Oaks, M. Russell Ballard, Joseph B. Wirthlin, Richard G. Scott, Robert D. Hales, Jeffrey R. Holland, Henry B. Eyring, Dieter F. Uchtdorf, and David A. Bednar.

That group served together from October 2, 2004, when Elders Uchtdorf and Bednar were called to the apostleship until the death of President Faust on August 10, 2007. Oddly enough, this first milestone for our current group of apostles will not be the only one they observe this month. They will be marking their second one on February 26.

On that date, the length of their tenure as an apostolic group will match that of the First Presidency consisting of Presidents Heber J. Grant, Charles W. Penrose, and Anthony W. Ivins, while the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles consisted of President Rudger Clawson and Elders Reed Smoot, George Albert Smith, George F. Richards, Orson F. Whitney, David O. McKay, Joseph Fielding Smith, James E. Talmage, Stephen L Richards, Richard R. Lyman, Melvin J. Ballard, and John A. Widtsoe.

With both milestones being observed this month, the current group of apostles will then become the twelfth longst-serving such group in Church history, and they will be observing their next two milestones 15 days apart in July, followed by 1 more that will coincide with President Nelson's 97th birthday.

Meanwhile, the current members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will mark 3 years of continuous service together on March 31, and will be observing 3 milestones of their own this year as well, with one a few days after their third anniversary, and the final two also coincidentally in July, but not necessarily on the same days as the two milestones for the current group of 15 apostles as a whole.

I will provide more specific details on these milestones closer to the dates on which each will be reached. In the meantime, I continue to monitor any and all Church news and temple developments, and will be sure to bring word of all of them to you here as they are brought to my attention.

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.