Hello again, everyone! I have breaking temple news to report today. Two temples of the Church will have groundbreakings in August. This morning, the First Presidency announced the arrangements for such ceremonies for the Lubumbashi Democratic Republic of the Congo and Ephraim Utah Temples. In conjunction with today's announcement, the general location, artist's rendering and details were announced for the Democratic Republic of the Congo's second temple.
Let's break down the details: The groundbreaking for the Lubumbashi DR Congo Temple will take place on Saturday August 20, 2022, under the direction of Elder Matthew L. Carpenter, the current First Counselor in the Africa Central Area presidency who, by the time of the groundbreaking, will transition to being the Area President. The temple will be built on a 2.57-acre site near the intersections of Av. Kashobwe, Av. Biyayi, and Av. Du Lac Kipopo. Plans call for a single-story temple of 19,300 square feet. Ancillary buildings (note the plural) of 31,000 square feet will house a distribution center for the Church and patron and missionary housing. We have another temple announced in April 2020 that has had official details confirmed.
In the meantime, as we know, the Ephraim Utah Temple was announcedin May of last year, with site identification following five months later (last October) and a rendering resed on March 4 of this year.
Ground will be broken for that temple on Saturday August 27. The First Presidency has asked Elder Walter F. González, the current Second Counselor in the Utah Area Presidency who will be released from that assignment on August 1 and will be released and granted emeritus status in October, to preside at that groundbreaking.
The fact that these two events are set for back-to-back weeks in mid-to-late August gives me hope that perhaps other temples might have their groundbreakings on the Saturdays of August 6 and 13.
I continue to monitor all such updates and will pass word of those along to you all here as I receive it. 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 also shared information about today’s announced groundbreakings:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/temples/2022-05-10/groundbreaking-dates-set-for-new-ephraim-utah-and-lubumbashi-democratic-republic-congo-temples-253572
The Church News additionally shared an update through its’ status tracker indicating additional temples have started transitioning to phase 4:
https://www.thechurchnews.com/temples/2022-05-10/temple-reopening-status-tracker-worldwide-199279
Based on that update, I am pleased to confirm that, on the following dates, each of the following temples began a transition to normal operations:
May 4: Preston England
May 7: Hartford Connecticut
In the absence of a separate article detailing the temples that have transitioned, I can confirm, through information on the status tracker, that there are 8 temples closed for major renovations (each of which is in phase 3, allowing any ordinance work to be scheduled at the nearest temple with available timeslots), while operations at the Kyiv Ukraine Temple remain suspended.
The Suva Fiji Temple remains in phase 1, and with no temples in either phases 2 or 2-B, 32 are now in phase 3, with the remaining 128 in phase 4 (transitioning to normal operations). Three other Church News updates were also provided, and they speak for themselves:
https://www.thechurchnews.com/podcast/2022-05-10/episode-82-how-a-unique-reverse-open-house-is-helping-build-interfaith-relationships-in-the-washington-d-c-diana-brown-gerogetown-university-253625
https://www.thechurchnews.com/global/2022-05-10/europe-ukraine-2-women-drive-14-hours-to-deliver-aid-meetinghouse-transformed-into-refugee-waystation-253534
https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2022-05-10/candy-bomber-gail-s-halvorsens-name-plane-sends-supplies-donations-utah-to-ukraine-253086
My thanks once again to you all.
Earlier this evening, the Church News released the text of the dedicatory prayer for the Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple, which was written by Elder Gary E. Stevenson, who presided over the three sessions last weekend:
Deletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/temples/2022-05-10/rio-de-janeiro-brazil-temple-dedicatory-prayer-elder-stevenson-253655
My thanks once again to you all.
Construction status updates were provided yesterday evening for the Red Cliffs Utah and Tallahassee Florida Temples:
Deletehttps://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/red-cliffs-utah-temple/
https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/tallahassee-florida-temple/
My thanks once again to you all.
On this Wednesday, the Newsroom and the Church News have shared new videos featuring Elders Gary E. Stevenson and Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and their respective spouses, Sisters Lesa J. Stevenson and Ruth L. Renlund. The two apostles and their wives lead a virtual tour of the Washington D.C. Temple. This marks the first time the Church has made a virtual tour available since the 2019 dedication of the Rome Italy Temple:
ReplyDeletehttps://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/apostles-give-virtual-tour-washington-dc-temple
https://www.thechurchnews.com/temples/2022-05-11/watch-2-apostles-lead-virtual-tour-washington-d-c-temple-253695
The Church News has also provided additional details about this Sunday's Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults, which will feature Church President Russell M. Nelson and his wife, Sister Wendy W. Nelson:
https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2022-05-11/president-and-sister-nelson-to-speak-at-may-15-worldwide-devotional-for-young-adults-253483
No new temple updates have been reported yet today, but if that changes, or if there are any additional Church News or Newsroom updates, I will try to pass those along to you all here as I become aware of them. In the meantime, my thanks once again to you all.
The Guam/Micronesia Newsroom has carried the following report about how the Church is helping Mongolia:
Deletehttps://news-gu.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/mongolia-receives-vital-pandemic-resources-from-the-church
It did occur to me to wonder if the current status of COVID-19 in Mongolia might explain why a temple has not yet been announced there. There's probably no such connection, but I did wonder.
In the meantime, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke at a devotional held at the Provo MTC:
https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2022-05-11/elder-jeffry-r-holland-provo-mtc-devotional-equates-greenwich-mean-time-and-59-plus-years-to-mission-service-253735
And Primary Children's Hospital (also known as Primary Children's Medical Center or PCMC) is observing its' hundredth birthday this year. Given the Church's initial involvement with that hospital, it isn't surprising that the Church News covered the milestone with the following article:
https://www.thechurchnews.com/history-revisited/2022-05-11/primary-childrens-hospital-in-salt-lake-city-turns-100-years-old-253777
I am personally a beneficiary of the excellent services offered at that hospital. For the first 17 years of my life, anytime my medical situation called for any major surgical procedure, that was usually where those occurred. The hospital, formerly owned and operated by the Church, is part of the reason I am who I am and where I am today. So I greatly appreciated the Church News acknowledging this milestone.
My thanks once again to you all.
I am also pleased to report that construction status updates have been provided for the Deseret Peak Utah, Harare Zimbabwe, Manti Utah, and Salt Lake Temples:
Deletehttps://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/deseret-peak-utah-temple/
https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/harare-zimbabwe-temple/
https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/manti-utah-temple/
https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/salt-lake-temple/
My thanks once again to you all.
As always thank you for the temple and other updates. It was nice to see the humanitarian work in my wife's home country of Mongolia and Primary Children's Hospital.
DeleteChris, I apologize for my delayed acknowledgement of your comment. I read it last night not long after you posted it. There have been a lot of wonderful reports from the Church lately, and it's always a pleasure to provide those. I appreciate your longtime readership and frequent contributions here and on the Church Growth Blog. I'm grateful our paths crossed. Hope all is well with you and yours. Stay safe in this crazy world in which we're living.
DeleteOn this Thursday, the Church News has provided the following additional report:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2022-05-12/brigham-young-university-museum-art-old-testament-christ-come-follow-me-253505
It appears there are at least a few temple construction updates as well. If so, those will be posted later today. In the meantime, my thanks once again to you all.
Another update has been provided for the Bentonville Arkansas Temple:
Deletehttps://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/bentonville-arkansas-temple/
Meanwhile, the status of the Elko Nevada Temple has not changed, but despite that, the new first photograph in the gallery for that temple shows that the temple site is being prepared for footings and foundations. Hopefully that means full-scale construction might soon begin there:
https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/elko-nevada-temple/
https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/elko-nevada-temple/photographs/#Construction-1
My thanks once again to you all.
The Church News has shared 3 new reports, the first 2 of which speak for themselves:
Deletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2022-05-12/brigham-young-university-museum-art-old-testament-christ-come-follow-me-253505
https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2022-05-12/military-church-chaplains-missionaries-armed-forces-ministering-253723
And the calls of 3 new couples as temple leaders has been announced as well. Each of the 3 couples featured today were on the May 25 list of new leaders who will begin serving later this year:
https://www.thechurchnews.com/archives/2022-05-12/new-temple-presidents-and-matrons-belem-brazil-seattle-washington-fresno-california-253531
Of those 3 new couples, two will begin serving in September, while the first couple listed today (the first leaders of the Belem Brazil Temple) will reportedly begin serving "when the temple is dedicated". That leads me to believe that the Church might schedule an August dedication for the Belem Brazil Temple. And it is a stark contrast to what the Church News noted about the first leaders for the Quito Ecuador Temple:
https://www.thechurchnews.com/callings/2022-04-14/new-temple-presidents-and-matrons-quito-ecuador-dallas-texas-nashville-tennessee-250395
That article noted that, while 2 of the 3 couples featured would begin serving in September, the first leaders of the Quito Ecuador Temple "will begin their service later."
If I had to make a guess here, I'd conjecture that the announcement of opening arrangements for the Belem Brazil Temple could be announced at any point between now and the end of May, although it wouldn't shock me if that announcement comes sooner rather than later. I also believe that, when those arrangements are announced, they will include an open house that starts in June or July and wraps up in July or early August, with the temple dedication following on either of the last two Sundays in August (the 21st or 28th) or the first Sunday in September (the 4th).
In view of today's announcement, my list tracking these updates now shows 11 new temples anticipated to be completed between now and the middle part of next year for which the first leaders could be identified in the next 6-9 months. There are also 4 temples which are currently or have recently been closed for renovation, and since their current leaders have had their tenures affected by those renovations, those 4 probably won't get new leaders until 2023 or 2024.
Two couples leading operations in the Detroit Michigan and Port-au-Prince Haiti Temples will continue to serve beyond the standard 3-year mark. And from the aforementioned March 25 list released by the Church, there are now only 3 other currently-operating temples for which new leaders have not yet been profiled by the Church News. The details are in the following document:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1J-KR6Hdv4ElYa8ZxBn6OqGWSEMcZxi3GaLcCoYTrJec/edit?usp=sharing
Additionally, the Newsroom provided its' own report on the 100th anniversary of Primary Children's Hospital (aka Primary Children's Medical Center or PCMC), sharing how Sister Camille N. Johnson, the outgoing Primary General President and incoming Relief Society General President represented the Church in recognizing and honoring this milestone:
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/primary-childrens-hospital-celebrates-100-years
There may be additional temple updates later today, but for now, my thanks once again to you all.
The Newsroom has published another major update on the renovation process for the Salt Lake Temple:
Deletehttps://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/temple-square-renovation-update--may-2022
My thanks once again to you all.
Are Temple Presidents also ordained as sealers if they werent already?
ReplyDeleteDanny, another great question. Being a sealear does not require a priesthood office, and there are no ordained sealers. Remember that on the Mount of Transfiguration, Peter, James and John were given the priesthood keys by the Savior to bind and seal on Earth and in heaven.
DeleteThose same priesthood keys are bestowed upon members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in our day, and, at their discretion and with the approval of the prophet, can then also be bestowed upon others, including but not limited to the Geenral Authority Seventies of the Church, the Presiding Bishopric, temple presidencies, and each man who serves as a temple sealer.
If you look at the biographies of the newest crop of temple presidents who will begin serving later this year, nearly all of those men hve previously served in temple presidencies, as temple sealers, or at least as temple ordinance workers. In such cases where no prior temple service has been rendered (which happens, but is infrequent), the bestowal of the necessary priesthood keys is accomplished in conjunction with the setting apart of each temple president as such, with the same being true for their counselors, as applicable.
The only priesthood offices requiring ordination are Deacon, Teacher, Priest, Bishop, Elder, High Priest, Patriarch, Seventy, Apostle, and Prophet. That's it. Any other assignment may require additional priesthood keys, which are granted as part of the setting apart of any individual in such callings and assignments. Insofar as I am aware, once anyone has been given the sealing keys, they retain those for the rest of their lives, whether or not those keys are actively used throughout the rest of their lives.
The man who performed the temple sealing for my wife and myself was a longtime friend of mine and a former General Authority Sevety (Elder C. Max Caldwell). Ours was amog the last he performed. Around a year or so after that, he fell seriously ill and at one point was sent home from his assigned shift because he could no longer function as usual. But regardless of his inability to actively use the sealing keys, he still retained them until his passing.
I hope that explanation makes sense, Danny. It was a great question. If you have any follow-up queries, I'd be happy to try and address those further. Thanks for taking time to weigh in here. I always appreciate hearing from you.
I was surprised to see that while it mentions the new President of the Seattle Temple is a Sealer, it doesn't mention that he has served as the Stake Patriarch. I don't believe he is still actively serving in that role, but he was in the late 90s and early 2000s.
DeleteThanks for the explanation! I knew ordination wasnt quite the right word. It makes a ton of sense that the temple presidency all have the keys.
DeleteAnonymous, the list of previous callings for temple presidents and matrons as shared in those biographies is not meant to be full and complete. By the time new temple presidents and matrons are called as such, most of them have had decades of extensive Church service. Not every calling is equally notable for such biographies, and a lot depends on which parameters the Church News staff contributing to those biographies use. Hope that's helpful. Danny, it was my pleasure to provide the information. Glad it proved helpful. Great to hear from you both. Thanks again.
DeleteHello again, everyone! On this Friday, the Church News has shared coverage on yesterday's Newsroom update about the Salt Lake Temple renovation:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/temples/2022-05-13/salt-lake-temple-square-church-office-building-renovation-project-may-update-latest-look-253851
A new article by Church News editor Sister Sarah Jane Weaver provides insight on how Church President Russell M. Nelson has helped make the Salt Lake Temple renovation relevant on a global scale:
https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2022-05-13/sarah-jane-weaver-how-president-russell-m-nelson-made-the-salt-lake-temple-renovation-relevant-worldwide-253847
And the Newsroom and the Church News have both provided coverage on the details of the 2021 Annual Report of Caring, which highlights major Church humanitarian contributions:
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/2021-annual-humanitarian-welfare-report
https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2022-05-13/church-2021-annual-report-includes-more-than-3900-humanitarian-projects-in-188-countries-253927
Here is a copy of the report in question:
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/bc/content/shared/english/charities/pdf/2021/PD60013504-CaringForThoseInNeed-Annual-Report-2021-mobile-eng.pdf?lang=eng
This PDF document offers a detailed look at how the Church engaged in charitable efforts worldwide, both on its' own and in partnership with many organizations around the world. Hopefully the report proves illuminating to all who read it.
My thanks once again to you all.
The following Church News article shares how young adults can tune in for Sunday's Worldwide Devotional, which will featured Church President Russell M. Nelson and his wife, Sister Wendy W. Nelson:
Deletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2022-05-13/worldwide-devotional-for-young-adults-president-nelson-sister-nelson-254027
And the latest edition of "This Week on Social" has also been published:
https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2022-05-13/social-media-elder-uchtdorf-refugees-burdens-president-eyring-jesus-christ-254078
In this newest installment, the following apostles were featured: President Henry B. Eyring, Second Counselor in the First Presidency and Acting President M. Russell Ballard and Elders Dieter F. Uchtdorf, D. Todd Christofferson, Neil L. Andersen, Gary E. Stevenson and Dale G. Renlund, all of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The following General Officers of the Church were also featured: Sister Sharon Eubank, the outgoing First Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency; outgoing Primary General President and incoming Relief Society General President Sister Camille N. Johnson; Young Women General President Sister Bonnie H. Cordon; and Young Men General President Brother Steven J. Lund and his Second Counselor, Brother Bradley R. (Brad) Wilcox.
My thanks once again to you all.
On this Saturday, the Church News has shared the following additional reports:
Deletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2022-05-14/president-ballard-honors-joseph-smiths-ancestors-and-all-who-carry-on-his-work-today-254137
https://www.thechurchnews.com/church-news-videos/2022-05-14/joseph-smith-family-foundation-in-topsfield-massachusetts-russell-ballard-253951
https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2022-05-14/elder-ryan-olsen-general-authority-seventy-trust-lord-missionaries-uruguay-253887
https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2022-05-14/music-and-the-spoken-word-of-enemies-and-friends-forgiveness-253900
The open house tours will wrap up this evening for the Yigo Guam Temple, which will now be prepared for its' dedication a week from tomorrow:
https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/yigo-guam-temple/
The open house for the Praia Cape Verde Temple begins one week from today:
https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/praia-cape-verde-temple/
Meanwhile, updates have been provided on three Utah temples: Saratoga Springs, Red Cliffs, and Lindon:
https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/saratoga-springs-utah-temple/
https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/red-cliffs-utah-temple/
https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/lindon-utah-temple/
And with one month remaining before the groundbreaking ceremony is held for the Burley Idaho Temple, site clearing is now well underway:
https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/burley-idaho-temple/news/
My thanks once again to you all.
On this Sunday, the Newsroom and the Church News have reported on the dedication of a new Church monument honoring the birthplace of Joseph Smith Sr., father of the Prophet Joseph Smith:
Deletehttps://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/president-ballard-smith-monument-ministry-massachusetts
https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2022-05-15/significance-topsfield-massachusetts-to-latter-day-saints-community-president-ballard-historical-254223
The following 3 additional Church News reports speak for themselves:
https://www.thechurchnews.com/callings/2022-05-15/new-reorganized-stake-presidencies-democratic-republic-of-the-congo-idaho-ohio-california-venezuela-argentina-salt-lake-253919
https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2022-05-15/youth-lead-tours-at-replica-ancient-tabernacle-replica-pointing-to-christ-and-temple-covenants-253558
https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2022-05-15/week-in-review-elder-holland-invitation-to-training-missionaries-updates-on-the-salt-lake-temple-renovation-rio-de-janeiro-brazil-temple-primary-childrens-hospital-254125
My thanks once again to you all.
The Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults featuring remarks from Church President Russell M. Nelson and his wife, Wendy W. Nelson, will begin in around half an hour. Here are instructions on how to watch it for those unable to attend in person:
Deletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2022-05-13/worldwide-devotional-for-young-adults-president-nelson-sister-nelson-254027
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/event/worldwide-devotional-for-young-adults-may-2022
`It is also available to livestream from the Church's website:
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/?lang=eng
in addition to YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvS5wDoKoBk
and through BYU TV or BYU Radio:
https://www.byutv.org/
https://www.byuradio.org/schedule
My thanks once again to you all.
The devotional featuring President and Sister Nelson took place as scheduled this evening. Much to my surprise (but perhaps it should not have been), with the event convening in the Conference Center, members of the Priesthood and Family Executive Council were in attendance, and Elder Uchtdorf, who chairs that council, conducted the devotional. Also seated on the stand were a few of the General Officers of the Church.
DeleteHere are the Newsroom and the Church News reports on that:
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/president-nelson-young-adult-devotional-2022
https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2022-05-15/worldwide-devotional-for-young-adults-president-nelson-sister-nelson-254027
The Church News also shared information about 11 things young adults in attendance at tonight's devotional could see and do before and after the devotional:
https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2022-05-09/headed-to-temple-square-for-may-15-young-adult-devotional-here-are-11-things-to-see-and-do-253365
I am cautiously optimistic that these activities being made available for tonight might also be options for the October 2022 General Conference as well, although I recognize that some functions at Temple Square will continue to be impacted by the renovations on the Salt Lake Temple and surrounding areas for the next 3-3.5 years at least.
In the meantime, it may be worthwhile to note that all I have left to do before posting my October 2022 General Conference predictions is to complete the revisions to my list of potential locations in which a temple might be announced that weekend. As I've noted elsewhere, I am anticipating a minimum of 18 new temples will be announced that weekend.
In the meantime, aside from covering breaking Church and temple news the rest of this month, I am also planning on posting my next apostolic milestone update on May 29, and two days after that, will be posting a tribute to President Henry B. Eyring, who will be marking his 89th birthday on that date. I will also continue to share other Church News and Newsroom updates and temple construction developments as well. For now, my thanks once again to you all.
As we begin another week, the Newsroom has shared the following report:
Deletehttps://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/tours-ancient-tabernacle-replica-point-visitors-to-christ-temple-covenants
And the Church News has shared two new reports:
https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2022-05-16/charts-show-churchs-ongoing-growth-through-191-years-members-temples-stakes-wards-253894
https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2022-05-16/young-adults-fill-the-conference-center-take-home-a-message-of-true-identity-254334
My thanks once again to you all.
Here is one more report from the Church News:
Deletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2022-05-16/primary-songs-can-help-strengthen-spiritual-foundation-prayer-nelson-doctrine-love-253083
My thanks once again to you all.