Hello again, everyone! I am pleased to share a new post now to note that the PDF version of the May 2022 Liahona was made available earlier this afternoon. As some of you might recall, in mid-April, I had presented a look at several of my documents relating to the April 2022 General Conference. One of those was a mock-up version of what I projected the table of contents might look like for the General Conference edition of the Liahona. With the PDF version now available, I have corrected the mock-up version by putting the actual page numbers in parentheses in the same document.
Just wanted to note that, FWIW. I continue to monitor all Church news and temple updates and will be sure to pass word of all such developments 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 feedback offered is consistent 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.
Hello again, everyone! The Church News has provided two new articles covering the subject of patriarchal blessings:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2022-04-29/president-russell-ballard-partriarchal-blessings-thomas-monson-patriarch-249855
https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2022-04-29/patriarchal-blessings-3-frequently-asked-questions-and-answers-252429
My thanks once again to you all.
Here are two more Church News reports, which speak for themselves:
Deletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2022-04-29/scripture-study-jan-newman-sunday-school-byu-idaho-devotional-curious-careful-courageous-252436
https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2022-04-29/christmas-reindeer-bus-translink-bc-vancouver-canada-toys-for-tots-justserve-252212
And the latest edition of "This Week on Social" has also been published:
https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2022-04-29/this-week-on-social-the-message-apostles-shared-with-government-leaders-who-visited-the-washington-d-c-temple-open-house-252518
The leaders featured this week included: Elders Quentin L. Cook and D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Sister Reyna I. Aburto, outgoing Second Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency (each of whom posted about leading tours at the Washington D.C. Temple); while the following leaders, whose posts were also featured, shared thoughts unrelated to that temple open house:
Elders and Gerrit W. Gong, all of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; outgoing Relief Society General President Sister Jean B. Bingham; Sisters Michelle D. Craig and Rebecca L. (Becky) Craven, the respective First and Second Counselors in the Young Women General Presidency; Sister Amy A. Wright, outgoing Second Counselor and incoming First Counselor in the Primary General Presidency; and Brother Bradley R. (Brad) Wilcox, Second Counselor in the Young Men General Presidency.
My thanks once again to you all.
And a Newsroom report originating from Singapore shares highlights of the Pacific Area visit currently underway by outgoing Relief Society General President Sister Jean B. Bingham and Young Women General President Sister Bonnie H. Cordon:
Deletehttps://news-sg.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/sister-jean-b-bingham-and-sister-bonnie-h-cordon-ministers-to-saints-in-asia
The general leaders were accompanied by their respective husbands and the Asia Area president. Also, the Farmington New Mexico Temple groundbreaking is set to occur at 11:00 AM, which is the time both in New Mexico and here in Utah. I will post tomorrow once that has taken place, and will also provide reports from the Newsroom and the Church News once they are available. In the meantime, my thanks once again to you all.
Hi James. I promised I would update you on the progress of the Grand Junction Temple. Today is the end of the second week since the groundbreaking, and, while it hasn't been very obvious, a few things have happened on the site. Last week a big excavator arrived. I expected some digging to get started right away, but it has not moved since it arrived. This week I have seen workers wearing safety vests walking around the site, doing something undefinable, and a lot more white construction company trucks have been seen at the site. Today I noticed that there are quite a few new stakes placed at various different places, with variously colored flags on them. The construction leader who recently moved into our stake gave his ward a report recently, saying that a lot of digging will be the initial effort that we will see, with holes 25 feet deep dug for...footings, I presume. Because the site is on a slope, I'm sure there will also be a lot of pushing dirt around to create the necessary level areas. Your predicted 2 weeks to get started has passed, and I am still hoping to see some big things start to happen, hopefully next week!
ReplyDeleteHey, Nancy! Thanks for passing along the newest updates as promised for this temple. I was intrigued to learn that the head of the construction crew moved into your stake. That makes sense, since he'd want to be closer to the site in question. I seem to also recall a US temple (couldn't find anything verifying which one that was) for which the conditional usage permit was granted with the stipulation that the uneven site would be graded within a year after construction commenced. Obviously, if the site is not level or is on uneven ground, that would need to be fixed before formal construction commenced.
DeleteThe different colored stakes do not surprise me either. If memory serves me correctly, the different color stakes indicate what kind of process is used, based on the floor plan. For example, the pour for the baptismal font would be handled differently from the rest of the basement. As for the comment from the construction leader about footings and foundations, that is an essential part of the construction process. Right now, if you look at the construction status page from the Church of Jesus Christ Temples site, you'll see several temples in the preliminary stages for which footings and foundations are poured as construction efforts get underway.
Yes, my projected 2-week estimate passed without the commencement of formal construction. But as I noted above, if it was the Grand Junction temple site that had to be graded and leveled before construction could proceed, that's not surprising. Obviously, with you living near the temple site, you'd be able to report updates more easily than most, but with the construction supervisor now residing in your stake, those updates will probably be more easily obtained from you than from someone without those connections.
If you have the time and capability to do so, you might also want to reach out to the webmaster of the Church Temples site with any verbal or picture updates on the status of that temple. I believe he checks in on my blog relatively regularly, but I can't say for certain that is the case. Very positive information, and I certainly hope that formal construction can begin next week as well. I appreciate hearing from you. Thanks again for taking time to share this update.
Hello again, everyone! I am pleased to be able to confirm that the groundbreaking for the Farmington New Mexico Temple occurred this morning as scheduled. Since that broadcast ended just a few minutes ago, no reports on that have been shared by the Newsroom or the Church News. Once that coverage is provided, I will pass that along here to you all.
ReplyDeleteIn the interim, 3 new Church News updates have been noted, the first two of which speak for themselves:
https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2022-04-29/christmas-reindeer-bus-translink-bc-vancouver-canada-toys-for-tots-justserve-252212
https://www.thechurchnews.com/global/2022-04-30/africa-philippines-lead-church-growth-over-past-10-years-252411
The final Church News update thus far today is the biographical sketch for Elder James W. McConkie III:
https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2022-04-30/elder-james-w-mcconkie-iii-general-authority-seventy-power-of-the-gospel-of-jesus-christ-to-change-lives-czech-slovak-246648
No new updates from the Newsroom for now, but that could change soon. I will bring you word of all Church News developments and temple construction as I become aware of those. In the meantime, my thanks once again to you all.
Here are a couple more Church News reports:
Deletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2022-04-30/church-blood-drives-produce-nearly-1-million-units-for-american-red-cross-252250
https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2022-04-30/music-and-the-spoken-word-tender-mercies-252568
Still no Newsroom updates, but I am hopeful that this morning's groundbreaking will be covered there and by the Church News at some point later today. In the meantime, my thanks once again to you all.
At some point between my last comment above and now, both the Newsroom and the Church News covered the groundbreaking for the Farmington New Mexico Temple:
Deletehttps://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/ground-broken-farmington-new-mexico-temple
https://www.thechurchnews.com/temples/2022-04-30/ground-broken-in-four-corners-area-for-farmington-new-mexico-temple-252669
I apologize for any delay in reporting those updates. As I mentioned elsewhere, I've not been feeling well this weekend. It's nothing serious like COVID-19, just a couple of minor infections that have left me more wiped out than usual. So if there is any delay on any reports for the next week or so, that would be why. My thanks once again to you all.
Please get better.
DeleteThank you for your kind expression regarding my health. After spending lots of time yesterday taking naps, I am doing considerably better today. I am also on day 3 of a 7-day antibiotic course, which also seems to be helping. To whom might I offer thanks for this kind expression?
DeleteI hope you feel better
ReplyDeleteThank you, Chris. I am actually doing much better today. I've been on a 7-day antibiotic course for 3 days now, and I spent a good chunk of yesterday resting, so I think I'm through the worst of it. You have been a longtime follower of this blog and a great personal friend, for which I'm grateful. Hope all is well with you, Chris! Thanks again for your kind expressions.
DeleteHello again, everyone! On this Sabbath Day when I am feeling considerably better, I am pleased to share some new reports with you all today. First, the Church News has observed that the Church will reach a remarkable milestone next week: With the dedication of the Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple set to occur under the direction of Elder Gary E. Stevenson, each of our current 15 apostles will have presided personally over at least 1 temple dedication or rededication:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/temples/2022-05-01/historic-first-all-first-presidency-apostles-to-have-presided-temple-dedication-rededication-252267
https://www.thechurchnews.com/temples/2022-05-01/temple-dedications-dates-and-church-leaders-offering-dedicatory-prayers-252464
And here is a report on what the apostles and general officers of the Church said (mostly on social media) about leading tours at the Washington D.C. Temple open house:
https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2022-05-01/washington-dc-temple-open-house-what-church-leaders-said-bednar-eubank-cook-christofferson-aburto-gong-252205
My thanks once again to you all.
The Church News "Week in Review" noted several significant developments, with some of those being temple-related:
https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2022-05-01/week-in-review-president-ballard-patriarchal-blessings-109-temples-phase-4-bednar-washington-dc-temple-252610
And the Church News has shared the following information about 14 new stake presidencies which have recently begun their service:
https://www.thechurchnews.com/callings/2022-05-01/14-stake-presidencies-peru-mexico-australia-new-zealand-utah-ysa-usa-252345
I seem to recall someone on this blog asking how long after a new presidency was put in we'd see a report of that in the Church News. It appears that the 14 new stake presidencies noted on this May 1 were originally installed in March and April of this year, so there is at least a lag of one month, but could be up to 3 or 4 months in some cases. Just wanted to note that, FWIW. In the meantime, my thanks once again to you all.
As we begin another workweek, the Church News has posted the following additional reports:
Deletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2022-05-02/nigerian-young-single-adults-donate-to-help-orphans-after-asking-have-i-done-any-good-250825
https://www.thechurchnews.com/temples/2022-05-02/historical-look-at-temple-dedications-and-the-church-leaders-nelson-hinckley-monson-252468
https://www.thechurchnews.com/church-news-videos/2022-05-02/video-how-temples-connect-latter-day-saints-with-the-savior-252696
https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2022-05-02/washington-d-c-temple-open-house-sharing-temple-testimonies-252260
My thanks once again to you all.