Clarification on My General Conference Predictions

Hello again, everyone! As some of you might be aware, beginning about 2 years ago, I somehow inadvertently offended someone on Wikipedia. As a result of that, since that time, I have been harassed both on and off Wikipedia, most notably by trolls who continue to this day to use phony accounts on Wikipedia to harass me or generally make nuisances of themselves. Unfortunately, whoever is behind those efforts is very clever, and is using multiple false accounts of various names.

A few of them have even attempted to spoof names of some of my fellow editors, or by using the names of various general leaders of the Church. The names change, but the abuse by those who operate those accounts is the same. As a result, I have had to take some drastic measures on Wikipedia (including having several others keep their eyes out for those types of accounts in the history of pages I visit) and trying to be more discerning with the comments on this blog. 

2 days ago, I had a new comment posted here by President Russell M. Nelson To my knowledge, the senior Brethren of the Church haven't habitually followed personal blogs, and have never commented on them, which is understandable given the heavy loads they carry. Something about the comment didn't seem right, and given the fact that the names of senior apostles in the Church had been invoked in user accounts on Wikipedia to disrupt page content, I had to make a quick call about whether to keep it or not. At the time, I deleted it because something about it didn't seem right to me.

But if it was a genuine comment from the prophet, then it should be retained here in some form. I am posting a copy of the comment, just in case it is genuine, along with some additional information from me. President Nelson, if that really was a genuine comment from you, I apologize if I was unnecessarily suspicious of it, and I hope that the explanation that follows this reproduction of that comment might be illuminating to you and to all my other readers:

So, at 10:02 AM on February 25, 2022, at 10:02 AM, President Russell M. Nelson posted the following comment:

"Please do not make predictions about the upcoming General Conferences. You are not in a position to know what decisions may or may not be made. Do no make predictions about matters that you cannot possibly know about.

"When I was a heart surgeon, it was always dangerous to make predictions about what may or may not happen in a surgery. It's even more dangerous to make unfounded predictions about spiritual matters. You might lead new converts to trust in your opinion, instead of following the prophet. I know that you love the Lord and His Church too much to continue to do that.

"Thank you for your thoughtful, faith inspiring blog. In my 97 years, I've never seen a better example of a faithful Latter-day Saint.

"Sincerely,

"President Russell M. Nelson"

I bolded the errors which I believe point to this being a troll omment rather than a genuine one from the prophet, on which grounds I deleted that comment. 

But if it was genuine, I appreciate the kind words offered. Some of the things said reminded me of what the Prophet Joseph Smith said about the destiny of the Church being something the other men of his day knew no more about than a babe on its' mother's lap. At the same time, I have been creating such predictions for my own personal use since around 2007, and have publicly posted them since turning this blog's focus from personal updates to being almost completely focused on the Church. 

The point is valid: In general, I have no idea what decisions have been/will be made, who will speak and when they might do so, what changes will be made in general Church leadership, what the statistical report for 2021 might look like, or the full list of locations for which the Church will announce a temple in April. 

So for me to suggest in any way that each set of predictions will be 100% accurate would be foolish on my part. At the same time, beginning with the General Conferences held under President Hinckley, each General Conference followed specific patterns that were fairly easily analyzed so that a general framework for each subsequent conference emerged. 

Based on those patterns, I started keeping files of multiple documents relating to the general leaders of the Church. At a glance, I can give information on which members of the First Presidency conducted and spoke at any General Conference from April 1995 through now. I also track the most recent conferences in which each current member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has spoken in each General Conference session. 

And I have other documents showing information about the first time each current GA Seventy spoke in each General Conference, and when each GA Seventy last did so. That information has similarly been compiled for members of the current Presidency of the Seventy and the Presiding Bishopric. I've also tracked information about the speaking history for General Officers of the Church during President Nelson, and the particulars of each Women's Session in terms of who has conducted and spoken at each. As President Nelson reminded us in 2018, "Good inspiration is based on good information."

Based on the data in those files, which continues to expand, I have a rough idea of which leaders are likely to speak and when. But I have never once been 100% accurate on that, so I hope no one is taking those projections as gospel. The prophet is the one who ultimately discerns who speaks when and for how long, under the inspiration of the Spirit. 

And quite honestly, the process of predicting the speakers has been even more challenging under President Nelson, who has given us 8 General Conferences thus far that have each uniquely differed from the "usual patterns" I noticed in General Conferences overseen by Presidents Hinckley and Monson. 

As such, they should not at all be taken as gospel, and anyone who puts their faith in those or in myself as the predictor thereof is misguided. I have found myself paying even more attention to General Conferences since President Nelson became the prophet because, even with my best projections, I'm bound to be surprised multiple times over that one weekend. 

Similarly, I have never been fully accurate in predicting the changes in general Church leadership or the exact figures on the statistical report.  And I've been clear about the fact that some of the temples being announced caught me off guard. Temples for India, Russia, mainland China, and the Middle East were announced long before I thought that would ever happen. And Vitoria Brazil last time wasn't anywhere on my radar. 

Having linked to the files of information I keep for General Conferences, I hope that helps explain my process more thoroughly.  Let me clearly state this again: I have no inside sourcing or special access to inside information that would qualify me to pass off these predictions as anywhere close to doctrinally correct. If I were to attempt to do so, and someone was led away from the Church because of such assertions, I'd stand accountable before the Lord for that in the final judgment. 

I am just as likely to be wrong about any of these predictions as I am to be right. And I will gratefully and joyfully report any flaws in my thinking as they are proven to be incorrect. Anyways, hope this explanation is helpful to all who read it. I still am not sure whether that comment was genuinely from the prophet or not, and although I have my doubts, I am honored by the thought that he might have weighed in here. 

I hope no one who reads my blog here is taking my thoughts on this as having any authority of any kind because that's not the case. What I do is the best research I'm capable of, followed by waiting to find out if anything I have predicted is correct. With that said, I invite us all to tune in to General Conference to see how accurate I might be. 

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 adhere to the the established guidelines.  I hope any of you who would like to share anything will take your opportunity to “sound off” in the comments below. 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.

BREAKING NEWS: First Presidency Issues Statement on Armed Conflict

Hello again, everyone! On the heels of my report last night about the Kyiv Ukraine Temple, the First Presidency has issued an official statement on the armed conflict currently underway by the government of Russia targeting Ukraine. The Church News app alerted me to this development. While the First Presidency was not under any obligation to weigh in on the matter, I am grateful for and comforted by their calming words at this time.

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. I hope any of you who would like to share anything will take your opportunity to “sound off” in the comments below. 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.

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Groundbreakings Announced for Elko Nevada & Grand Junction Colorado Temples

 Hello again, everyone! This morning, as first reported by the Newsroom and the Church News, groundbreaking have been set for two more temples in the United States. Let's break down the details. First up will be the Grand Junction Colorado Temple, which will have a groundbreaking on Saturday April 16. Anyone who has followed the Church Growth Blog comments lately will know that Nancy, who has previously commented there and here, noted recently that an announcement for that temple's groundbreaking was forthcoming. 

The groundbreaking will be under the direction of Elder Chi Hong (Sam) Wong, who serves as First Counselor in the North America Central Area Presidency. Following the announcement of that temple in April 2021, the site was announced on June 23 of that same year, with the release of the exterior rendering following on September 17. 

Moving on to Elko Nevada, the groundbreaking for that temple will be held on May 7, under the direction of Elder Paul B. Pieper, the current president of the North America Southwest Area, under which this temple falls. That groundbreaking follows the announcement of that temple, also in April 2021,  which was followed by the site announcement on June 10, and the release of the exterior rendering (which also occurred on September 17 of that same year). 

The latest announcements bring the total number of groundbreakings scheduled thus far in 2022 to a total of 6. In 2021, the sixth groundbreaking had occurred on August 21. With the sixth 2022 temple groundbreaking occurring on May 7, I will be interested to see where we are at with temple groundbreakings by August 21 of this year. I am keeping a side-by-side comparison of temple groundbreakings this year vs. those that occurred last year.

Since the scheduled groundbreakings have not yet been announced for the rest of May and June,  depending on what the Church is able to get approved if we assume that a minimum of 1 temple will have a groundbreaking each week until the end of June, a minimum of 7 more could have a groundbreaking by that time, which would bring the total number of temple groundbreakings to 13.

The temples for which I anticipate groundbreaking announcements in the relatively near future are as follows: Belo Horizonte Brazil, Ephraim and Smithfield Utah, Burley Idaho, and Willamette Valley Oregon. Depending on a variety of factors, we might also possibly hear soon about groundbreaking arrangements for the temples in Cali Colombia, Torreon and Queretaro Mexico, Greater Guatemala City Guatemala, and Cape Town South Africa.

As always, there is also a chance that temples for which no information has been publicly released yet could have a groundbreaking announcement soon, with a site announcement and exterior rendering coming in conjunction with that. I am monitoring all of these developments, in addition to Church News updates, and will be sure 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. I hope any of you who would like to share anything will take your opportunity to “sound off” in the comments below. 

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.

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Kyiv Ukraine Temple Closes Until Further Notice

Hello again, everyone! Late-breaking temple news was reported a short time ago. In the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Kyiv Ukraine Temple has been closed, effective immediately, until further notice. While it is generally safer for Church members to be in the temple during a natural disaster or upheaval,  with the current ongoing invasion of Ukraine by Russia, the Church is acting out of an abundance of caution.

All missionaries of the Church serving in Ukraine were relocated last month. In noting this development, the page for that temple was updated with the following note: "On Tuesday, the presidency of the Eastern Europe Area reassured members that the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles were fully aware of the unfolding events in Ukraine and that the situation is being closely monitored on an hourly and daily basis."

The situation that necessitated the closure of this temple is in flux at the present time. While we don't exactly know when the dust will settle, or when that temple will be able to reopen, the Lord is aware of what needs to happen here. My prayer is that we will all petition the Lord for His blessings to be upon all those affected by this current crisis. As we unite in prayer at this time, the Lord will bless that region with whatever is needed at this time. For now, my thanks once again to you all.

UPDATED: Lists of Temples Which Will Have an Extended Closure Period in 2022 and Temples for Which New Leaders May Be (or Have Been) Called in 2022

Hello again, everyone! Towards the beginning of the last two years, I have been able to provide updated documents showing which temples will have extended closure periods each year, and temples for which new leaders may be (or have been) called any given year. My hope was to provide completed versions of both before the Church began announcing temple leadership changes this year. But in view of ongoing health challenges (nothing serious, thankfully, just a lot to figure out), I am somewhat behind the times.

I have not yet completed either document for this year but wanted to share what I have compiled thus far. The documents will be updated as I am able to make those updates happen. So here they are: the list of temples that will have an extended closure this year, and the list showing which temples have had or may have new leaders announced this year.

I am committed to continuing to work on these lists as I can, but don't know how soon they might be fully completed. In the meantime, it's also worth noting that the Church News has shared biographies for new temple leaders on the following dates thus far: February 3; February 10; February 17; and today (February 24). The biographies speak for themselves and are well worthy of your time and attention.

I just wanted to share a couple of notes. There have been a few surprises in the announcements that are being made. The first leaders have already been identified for the Helena Montana and Feather River California Temples, which could both have construction concluded and dedications held in the next 4-8 months. 

But those callings were announced in advance of the announcement about the first president for the Quito Ecuador and Belem Brazil Temples, which may point to the Church focusing on getting US temples up and running as soon as possible after completion since COVID-19 is less of an issue in the nation now. In the meantime, taking that approach with US temples would allow them to open temples outside the US when that can safely occur.

Of course, the timing of any temple event, particularly with COVID-19 as the major variable, will be up to the Lord as revealed to His prophet, President Nelson. But it wouldn't shock me to see temples outside the US dedicated after some of their US counterparts, which may be further behind in the construction queue currently, but for which temple dedications can be more easily and safely held.

Whatever might happen in terms of major developments in temple construction or Church News, you can depend on my bringing word of those updates to you all here as I become aware thereof. For now, hope you enjoy the documents I shared above. I will continue to work on them as I can, and you can track my progress therewith via the placeholder note I have at the top of each document.

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. I hope any of you who would like to share anything will take your opportunity to “sound off” in the comments below. 

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.

UPDATED: April 2022 General Conference Predictions

Hello again, everyone! As I mentioned almost 2 weeks ago, when the First Presidency announced the Women's Session for the April 2022 General Conference, my initial predictions were blown out of the water. Since then, I have reasoned that, if my theory is correct, the determination to hold a women's session was made because this General Conference will come just over two weeks after the 180th anniversary of the establishement of the Relief Society organization. So what might that mean for this General Conference? 

I'm not entirely sure. Any patterns that previously prevailed in the process of rotating speakers in General Conference have literally been blown to smithereens by each of the now-8 markedly-different General Conferences held under President Nelson's dynamic leadership. While there are some patterns, there is also a high degree of unpredictability for each one going forward. 

As I've mentioned in other settings, the different focus of each Saturday Evening Session of General Conference adds even further to the complex process. But for me, admittedly, that also makes it all the more exciting to try and analyze, theorize, and present something even close to what actually happens every six months. Where possible, I have picked up on some factors that have been of assistance to me in crafting the last few versions of those predictions. 

With just under 6 weeks remaining until the April 2022 General Conference, I am pleased to present for your perusal my updated predictions for that conference. Those predictions consist of 3 parts: the potential speaker lineup, the potential changes in general Church leadership (which includes my estimated figures for the Statistical Report), and the usual extensive list of the most likely locations for which a temple could be announced in April. 

As I metnioned recently on the Church Growth Blog, Elder Kevin S. Hamilton, who serves as the Executive Director of the Family History Department, presided at my stake conference in December, where he noted that the Church has over 300 temples in various phases. With a total of 265 now, that means the Church could be looking at announcing at least 35 new temples this year. 

I consider it more likely that we will see a smaller number of temples in April, with a larger number announced in October, to give us that total of at least 35 new ones. As a final note on these revised predictions, I am not including footnotes or endnotes on them this time around.If there is anything in these predictions about which any of you have questions, I'd be happy to address those as they come. 

The commenting period on them remains active through 10:00 PM on Wednesday March 30, which I hope will give me enough time to update and post a final version before the conference officially starts. I look forward to hearing your feedback. 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.

I hope any of you who would like to share anything will take your opportunity to “sound off” in the comments below. 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.

UPDATED: Current Apostolic Data

Hello again, everyone! As most of you are almost certainly aware, I have provided updates on the latest apostolic data (specifically relating to tbeir lifespan or tenure length milestones) roughly every seven weeks. Having last done so on January 2, it is time to publish the newest such data. As with that last update, the first part contains updated data about the age and tenure length records for all 17 Church Presidents, along with updated information on the tenure length records for each of the 28 Presidents of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

The first document also shows information on three sets of apostolic groups: the longest-serving First Presidencies (which will not be updated with the First Presidency as presently constituted until 2024), in addition to the longest-serving groups of members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and groups of all ordained apostles (the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles).  

The latest version of that document also shows when the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as currently comprised will move up on the list of the longest-serving Quorums of the Twelve Apostles, in addition to specifics on when the current members of that Quorum, along with the current First Presidency, will reach the next milestones on that list.

Meanwhile, the second part of today's update shows the long-form and decimal ages for the members of the current First Presidency, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and the apostolic groups overall, in addition to the average ages of each group and apostolic nonagenarians (with 2 of the current 15 apostles being on that list, and the timing noted for when each of the other 13 apostles will join that list).

Hopefully this shared data will be of interest to you all, and again, I offer an open invitation to anyone who has any questions about those documents to ask them here. I will, of course, continue to monitor all Church news updates and temple developments, and will do my level best to bring word of those to you all as I become aware of all 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.

POTENTIAL BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Several Temple Locations Added to Google Maps or Classic Maps; Release of Official Information Imminent?

Hello again, everyonne! On the Church Growth Blog, there have been periodic mentions of details of new temples being added on the Church's Classic Maps page. Most often, those mentions occur when recently-dedicated temples are added to show their corresponding temple districts. But periodically, a new tidbit can be gleaned about other temples that are in various phases of planning and approval. And it is on that front that I am providing this report of potential breaking temple news. 

Several new comments on the most recent thread of the Church Growth Blog provide information about temples that have recently been added to Classic Maps. Each of these temples is currently in an "Announced" status, where no official information has been released by the Church. So those temples being added in the very recent past might suggest that they are temples to watch for the near future for potential announcements, including (but not limited to) site and/or location confirmations, exterior renderings released, and groundbreakings scheduled (or already having privately taken place). 

The first of those mentioned, Managua Nicaragua, has a location that is verified only by Google Maps, not by the Church's Classic Maps page.  But since a site was reportedly acquired for that temple a while ago, and since it is the third of three Central American temples previously referenced in past comments here from Patzicia, who provided accurate information about the timing of the release of site information, exterior renderings, and groundbreaking announcements before those announcements were eventually made, the fact that it is listed on Google maps gives me hope that something official could be coming down the pike soon.

The same situation applies to the Lagos Nigeria Temple. We know, courtesy of the Church of Jesus Christ Temples site, that property was acquired for that temple not long after its' announcement, and although the Google Maps information is not also reflected on Classic Maps, hopefully that means something will happen with that temple sooner rather than later. The Cagayan de Oro Philippines Temple is similarly listed on Google maps, but also shows up on Classic Maps in the same spot. It will be up to the Church to confirm that is indeed the location, but it seems more likely than not.

Similarly, Google Maps provides information on the location of the Rexburg North Idaho Temple, for which a member living in that region has confirmed the information is accurate. We also have an indirect confirmationon the location of the Rexburg North Idaho Temple, which follows the early October report about the family who deeded the land for the temple over to the Church. Unless something major chages, that will be the location of the temple in question.

And finally, I had mentioned in the past that I received feedback shortly after the announcement of the Russia temple that the only cities under active consideration were Moscow, Saratov, and St. Petersburg. Subsequently, I learned from someone privy to the information that Moscow was the only location under active consideration. And given that the headquarters for the Europe East Area offices are located in Moscow, it would not shock me if the temple in Russia was not only based in Moscow, but also included ancillary facilities with offices and residences for the area and mission presidency members.

So I was not shocked by a recent statement on the Church Growth Blog that Classic Maps showed the probable location of the Russia Temple, which, if true, will likely mean the name of that temple will be the Moscow Russia Temple. I was in the middle of an overhaul on my temple construction progress report anyway in view of new analysis I did on the likely timing for temple dedications and rededications for the next two years, so updates were necessary either way.

That being said, I want to be absolutely clear when I say that until the Church makes official announcements on any of these 5 temples, any information from anywhere else, including even the Classics Maps site, is subject to change, clarification or correction. When the time is right for each of these 5 temples (or any others) to move forward in the queue, that will occur. The Lord is in control of His work, and He manifests His will concerning any aspect thereof through His chosen prophet today, President Russell M. Nelson.

But these latest updates also mean that there will likely be even more temple news to cover in the coming months than I originally believed. To the best of my ability, I will track all of these developments and pass word of those along to you all here as I become aware thereof. 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.

I hope any of you who would like to share anything will take your opportunity to “sound off” in the comments below. 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.

Clarification on Blog Comments

Hello again, everyone! Since a good majority of the comments on this blog lately have come from me personally, I wanted to provide some clarification. I had one new comment submitted today on the threads of the previous post by Nancy, who also comments periodically on the threads of the Church Growth Blog. Though there wasn't anything wrong with Nancy's comment, she chose to delete it herself a few hours after it was posted.So I wanted to set the record straight regarding comments from you all here: Last year or the year before, any new development was covered in a new post, leaving the comments free for others to share their thoughts. As there have been more minor developments than major news items lately, I have begun providing a stream of those updates in the comments thread of other posts.

So I worry that many of you may have felt discouraged to share your feedback and input in the comments becausee a majority of the comments in each thread come from me. Here's the thing: As I'm sure many of you reading these posts know, there has been quite a lot more to cover in termis of general Church news on this blog. I no longer have time to devote new posts to every update, which is why I have shared the bulk of those in comments lately. But I never intended for any of you reading this blog to feel as a result of my increased comments that your input is no longer valid or necessary. To the contrary, as coverage of major developments continue, more than ever, I need the input of my readers.

I sincerely apologize if that hasn't been clear to you all. I also apologize if my large monopolization of the comments thread has been a deterrent to any of you from weighing in. I want to provide as much coverage of the ongoing developments of the continuing restoration as I can. But I also very much want to hear from you all in response to those reports, as often as any of you might want to weigh in. So if you have any feedback on what I can do to improve the comment threads here so it's not always just me sharing subsequent updates, I'd be happy to take those suggestions under advisement.

As the work accelerates, we need each other. I need to hear from you just as much as I want to ensure I provide the most thorough coverage of the ongoing restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ.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.

I hope any of you who would like to share anything will take your opportunity to “sound off” in the comments below. 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.

BREAKING NEWS: April General Conference Will Include a Women's Session

 Hello again, everyone! Breaking news was reported by the Church a short time ago. As confirmed by the Newsroom and the Church News, the April 2022 General Conference will include a Women's Session for all wmen and girls age 11 and older. This means that, before my revision to my General Conference predictions was complete, I will have to redo them again based on this new information. 

It appears there will be flexibility in the scheduling of the Saturday Evening Session. I assume that, in similarity to previous Women's Sessions, they will feature 3 female speakers and the entire First Presidency in reverse seniority order. This also means that no apostles are likely to speak during that session. 

So adjustments will need to be made to that part of my predictions.I also assume, until further evidence suggests otherwise, that the sWomen's Session will be conducted by one of the female General Presidents. I will be evaluating what that means for my predictions as well. This announcement supercedes any previous predictions I have provided.

The First Presidency's announcement today also notes that a limited number of tickets will be made available for each session. I assume the details on how many tickets that will be for each session are forthcoming. Given that part of the announcement, it will be interesting to see if the other sessions return to normal. There is also a possibility that one of the apostolic advisers to the General Officers could be called upon to speak.With that in mind, I will hopefully have revised predictions ready to go sooner rather than later. I will put in some work on those ASAP. Stay tuned for more on this as I figure that out.

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.

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Site Confirmed, Exterior Rendering Releaed, and Groundbreaking Announced for the Bahia Blanca Argentina Temple

Hello again, everyone! In aa single announcement today, the First Presidency released the location and rendering for the Bahia Blanca Argentina Temple and set a groundbreaking for it. The location will be Aldea Romana over Cabrera Avenue on a 8.14 acre site. The project will feature an ancillary building of 25,000 square feet, which will feature patron housing and a distribution center,

The temple itself will be a single-story edifice of 19,000 square feet. Elder Joquin E. Costa, the current First Counselor in the Brazil Area Presidency, will break ground for this temple that will serve his home city of Concordia, Entre Rios, Argentina on Saturday April 9, 2022. That means it will occur two weeks prior to the recently-announced groundbreaking for the Lindon Utah Temple. So there will be 1 temple groundbreaking in March, followed by 3 temple groundbreakings in April in a 3-week period. 

That also means that, before the one-year anniversary of the Deseret Peak Utah Temple groundbreaking (which will be observed on May 15), four new temples will have had a groundbreaking before the time it tookto do the first one last year. That suggests 2022 will indeed be a big year for groundbreakings. I can't wait to see the announcements that may come next.

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

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Renovation Work Completed on the Medford Oregon Temple; All US Temples Now Open for Living & Proxy Ordinances

Hello again, everyone! A short time ago, the Church News confirmed temple reopening updates. Right off the bat, it was announced that the process of "extended maintenance" or "renovation" has been completed for the Mdeford Oregon Temple, which will now move to phase 3 as early as next week. As a result of this adjustment, all 82 currently-operating temples in the United States will be in phase 3. For the Washington D.C. and Columbus Ohio Temples, their phase 3 status will allow the patrons served within those districts to schedule living and proxy ordinances at the nearest temple(s) to them.

Additionally, the Montreal Quebec Temple, recently closed down due to pandemic-related restrictions, is also reopening in phase 3. 167 of the Church's 170 temples (98.2%) are now in phase 3. And with two additional temples operating in phase 2-B, all but one of those 170 temples (for a total of 99.4%)  are now offering all living ordinances and at least proxy baptisms. As a result of these changes, 8 temples are currently under renovation (with all 8 of those granted phase 3 status) no temples are currently "paused" in their reopenings, and none are in phase 2. 1 temple (Suva Fiji) is in phase 1.

2 others (Barranquilla Colombia and Seoul Korea) are in phase 2-B, with the remaining 167 in phase 3 as noted above. The Church News update also acknowledges that, with so many temples operating in phase 3, and with the Church holding off for now on attempting to shift any temples to phase 4, reopening updates will be more sporadic and will be published only as needed going forward. The details shared in the Church News update are likewsie noted in the temple reopening status tracker and in the official release from the Newsroom.

Interestingly enough, the Newsroom incorrectly lists the Rio de Janeiro Brazil and Yigo Guam Temples as "Temples Undergoing Renovation",when both are new temples that have been completed and are awaiting their dedications, which have been scheduled. I suppose categorizing those as "Under Renovation" may be easier for the Newsroom staff than making that distinction that they are awaiting scheduled dedications. Just thought that was noteworthy.

I don't know at this point whether any other breaking news will be reported by the Church for the duration of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, but if and when those reports are shared, I will be sure to pass them along to you all here. I also monitor all temple construction updates and general Church news and will pass word of those along to you all as I become aware thereof.

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.

Elder Ronald A. Rasband Observes His 71st Birthday

Hello again, everyone! This post is written in honor of Elder Rasband, who today becomes the second current septuagenarian apostle. I am pleased to share a biographical overview of his life with you all on his special day. Ronald Anderson Rasband was born to Rulon Hawkins Rasband and Verda Anderson in Salt Lake City, Utah, on February 6, 1951. He served as a full-time missionary in the Eastern States Mission, which was headquartered in New York City and encompassed the whole New York Metro area, while also stretching into western New York and Pennsylvania. He met Melanie Twitchell in a class they both attended at BYU. At the time, both of them were dating other people, but they soon made arrangements to go on a date themselves, and once they started dating, that was it for both of them. They got engaged eight weeks later, were married in the Salt Lake Temple in 1973, and went on to raise their five children.

Following their marriage, they continued their studies at the University of Utah. He later discontinued his college experience in order to begin his professional career in the Huntsman Container Company as a Sales Representative in 1976. Still in that employment 11 years later (in 1987), he was promoted to the position of president and chief operating officer of Huntsman Chemical Corporation, where he closely worked with Jon Huntsman Sr. and later served on the board of directors of that company. It was not until 1995 that, in tribute to his success as a businessman, he received an honorary degree in business and commerce from Utah Valley State College (now Utah Valley University).

As prestigious as his professional career might have been, his life, in similarity to those of his fellow apostles, has been characterized by a variety of assignments in the Church. Elder Rasband has served as a bishop, Temple Square missionary guide, member of the Church’s Sesquicentennial Committee, and, from 1996-1999, as president of the New York New York North Mission. On April 1, 2000, he was sustained as a general authority and member of the First Quorum of the Seventy. Over the next 5 years, he served in the Europe North & Europe Central Areas from 2000-2003 (with both areas having since been consolidated). From 2003-2004, he presided over the Utah Salt Lake City Area. In August 2004, responsibility for oversight of the work of the Church in North America was transferred to the Presidency of the Sevent

He then served from 2004-2005 as Executive Director of the Temple Department. He was called to serve in the Presidency of the Seventy in August 2005, at which time he was assigned oversight for the North America Northwest and North America West Areas. Two years later, his assignment shifted to supervising the Utah North, Utah Salt Lake City, and Utah South Areas (from 2007-2009).

By August of 2008, he had become the second most senior member of the Presidency of the Seventy. The following April, as a result of Elder Neil L. Andersen's call to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Elder Rasband became the Senior President of the Seventy, and, as such, was given oversight for all areas in the United States and Canada.

He was still serving in that same assignment when, in October 2015, he was called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. With Elders Gary E. Stevenson and Dale G. Renlund called at the same time (something that had not happened since 1906), the number of those who had served as members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles reached a total of 100. He is currently the eighth in seniority among the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the eleventh in overall apostolic seniority. He also ranks as the sixth oldest among the current members of the Quorum of the Twelve, and the ninth oldest among all 15 apostles.

As I’ve noted previously, I have an indirect personal connection to Elder Rasband. When my wife was initially involved in the institute program, Elder Rasband was one of her instructors. As a result of the three apostolic vacancies in 2015, my wife was one of many who felt Elder Rasband would be called to the apostleship to fill one of those, and she (and others who felt the same way) turned out to be right.

I will never forget praying in advance of the October 2015 General Conference for my own personal witness to know that whoever was called had indeed been chosen by the Lord. The moment President Eyring read the names of the three new apostles, I received the witness I had requested. That experience is one that has been repeated for every apostle called since I entered my adult years.For that reason, I gratefully sustain not just Elder Rasband, but also each of the other 14 apostles in their divinely-appointed roles.

Having served for nearly 21 years as a General Authority, Elder Rasband has had 19 opportunities to address us in General Conference: 1 as a General Authority Seventy, 5 more while in the Presidency of the Seventy, and the remaining 13 since his call to the apostleship almost 5.5 years ago. Any of those addresses, covering a wide variety of topics, is well worthy of review. I am grateful for this opportunity I have had, in my own small way, to pay tribute to and reflect on Elder Rasband’s life in honor of his 71st birthday. I also continue to monitor all apostolic updates, general Church news, and any temple-related developments and will continue my coverage of all such updates as I become aware thereof.

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.

Temple Construction Progress Update for Early February 2022

Hello again, everyone! As I mentioned in a recent comment on this blog, the queue of temples under construction has seen a dramatic shift. That in turn has changed the estimates within which those temples are anticipated to be completed. The nature of the adjustments has required a complete overhaul to my temple construction progress report. Aside from the changes, which I hope are relatively self-explanatory, I wanted to note that, in view of the unpredictable nature of COVID-19, as of today, I have eliminated any specific estimates for temple dedications, rededications, or groundbreakings and have opted for more general estimates.

Hopefully the Church's temple construction will not be as delayed as I have outlined in this newest report. But I wanted to be safe instead of sorry. The Church is doing a great job of monitoring and adjusting to the varying factors relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, which I anticipate may be the case going forward. To the best of my ability, I remain committed to tracking all such developments and passing word of those along to you all as I become aware thereof.

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.