Hello again, everyone! The First Presidency announced this afternoon that renovations, expansions, and a redesign are planned beginning around October 2023 for the Kona Hawaii Temple. The updates are anticipated to be completed sometime in late 2025. Plans call for an increase in the square footage of that temple from 9,500 square feet to 12,000 square feet. The rendering for the temple after the change reflects a slightly different look.
The temple is the 70th in operation, originally dedicated by President Hinckley on January 23 and 24, 2000. This continues the Church's efforts to expand the floor plan of Hinckley-era temples to accommodate an increased need. During the renovation process, the Church encourages patrons in the Kona temple district to participate in ordinance work at the Laie Hawaii Temple. I am grateful to have heard about this news and for the opportunity to share it with you all here.
I continue to monitor all such updates and will bring you word of those here as I become aware of them. In the meantime, that does it for now. All comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as the offered feedback is made per 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. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly added content, please feel free to subscribe. Thank you for the privilege of your time. 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.
This will be the ninth standardized temple to undergo major renovation (not including Monticello and Anchorage) I believe. I am still waiting for the closing date to be announced for the Logan Temple and renderings for the Manti Temple currently under renovation. I'm also curious to see what the when standardized Temple will be renovated, as there are around 30 that still await plans.
ReplyDeleteHey, Noah! I apologize for my delayed acknowledgement of your comment. I've been dealing with a couple of minor health issues that have made the last few days a little more difficult. Between statements from the Executive Directors or Assistant Executive Directors of the Temple Department and what the Church has announced thus far, I have kept a list tracking the most likely temples that might be renovated in the near future:
Deletehttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1Xsmsb--mFOEEr3l_tOZXj9_ohPz5wJykL5NHiiTsjko/edit?usp=sharing
Now, I should note that I haven't included information on that document about which temples were, are, or will soon be closed for extended periods this year, but the existing list may be illustrative of the temples most likely to be renovated soon. It did occur to me to wonder if the Church will announce a press conference for details on the Logan renovation during the upcoming October or perhaps next April's General Conference, but time will tell in that respect. The Church has been consistent on releasing updated information (including renderings) for the Salt Lake Temple as changes to that renovation has been announced, but aside from the press conference announcing the original plans for the St. George Temple, no additional renderings have been released for that temple as of yet. So that could explain why we've heard regular updates on Salt Lake but no similar updates on the Manti temple. If nothing else, I anticipate updated resources will be provided for both St. George and Manti closer to their completion (next year for the former, and 2024 for the latter). Hope these thoughts and observations, such as they are, are helpful. Not sure why you deleted your second comment, Noah, but if you have any other questions, please let me know. I always appreciate hearing from you, so thanks for weighing in with your thoughts.
My deleted comment was about the Bacolod Philippines. I noticed a construction barricade was added in June 2022 in Google Street View at the supposed site on Google Maps. I found out, however, that the location of the site on Google Maps was incorrect, but is the site of a commercial construction project. According to the site announcement for the temple on Church Newsroom, the site is actually a few blocks north.
DeleteInteresting. Now it appears a new photo from the temple site does reflect that full-scale efforts may begin soon. Thanks for taking time to comment, Noah. I always appreciate hearing from you.
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ReplyDeleteHello again, everyone! As I mentioned in my reply to Noah above, I've been dealing with some minor health issues the last couple of days that have slowed me down a bit. So it is now for the first time on this Tuesday that I have the opportunity to pass along 4 new Church News reports, which each speak for themselves:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2022/8/30/23326814/eastern-kentucky-flooding-cleanup-helping-hands-seven-stakes-church-members
https://www.thechurchnews.com/global/2022/8/30/23327415/byu-students-create-new-water-filtration-device-for-pakistan
https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2022/8/30/23323234/what-are-service-missions-read-stories-of-service-missionaries
https://www.thechurchnews.com/podcast/2022/8/30/23328940/episode-99-former-federal-judge-thomas-b-griffith-importance-of-religious-liberty-political-civility
And the Newsroom has shared one new report on one of the four developments shared by the Church News above:
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/hundreds-latter-day-saints-volunteer-eastern-kentucky-flood-recovery-efforts
My thanks once again to you all.
Construction status updates have been shared today for the Casper Wyoming and Lindon Utah Temples:
Deletehttps://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/casper-wyoming-temple/
https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/lindon-utah-temple/
And a new photograph available for the Bacolod Philippines Temple may indicate that construction could soon be underway:
https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/bacolod-philippines-temple/photographs/
And in the midst of the surprising development that President Nelson presided over Saturday's groundbreaking for the Ephraim Utah Temple, I completely forgot that open house tours began that same day for the Hamilton New Zealand Temple:
https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/hamilton-new-zealand-temple/
Those public tours will continue through the end of the day on Saturday September 17, after which the temple will undergo a month of preparation prior to its' Sunday October 16 rededication by Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. My thanks once again to you all.
On this Wednesday, the Church News has shared the following 5 reports, each of which speaks for itself:
Deletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2022/8/30/23326814/eastern-kentucky-flooding-cleanup-helping-hands-thirty-stakes-church-members
https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders/2022/8/31/23327410/elder-bednar-devotional-intermission-university-of-utah-institute
https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders/2022/8/31/23328989/president-camille-n-johnson-provo-missionary-training-center-devotional-potted-plants-marathons
https://www.thechurchnews.com/2022/1/2/23218542/general-conference-talks-about-trust-in-the-lord
https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders/2022/8/31/23329200/sister-craven-young-women-counselor-sister-wright-primary-minister-philippines
My thanks once again to you all.
And updates have been noted today on the construction statuses of the Urdaneta Philippines and Coban Guatemala Temples:
Deletehttps://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/urdaneta-philippines-temple/
https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/coban-guatemala-temple/
My thanks once again to you all.
Although no other Church News or Newsroom reports have been provided, apparently new evidence suggests that the Bangkok Thailand Temple could be the next one dedicated after the San Juan Puerto Rico:
Deletehttps://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/bangkok-thailand-temple/
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1L7HBLNZZTnlI4Dk8fpr3HZCf-wqkjUBcCCYqdxP7HRk/edit?usp=drivesdk
My thanks once again to you all.
Are we assuming that the Columbus Ohio Temple and Kona Hawaii Temple will retain their progressive endowment structure like Montreal, Memphis, and Asuncion (all began renovation before President Nelson became Church President), or is there a chance that they will be converted into stationary rooms? Not many interior details have been announced for either temple.
ReplyDeleteHey, Noah! Great question. I think it can safely be assumed that anything not officially confirmed in conjunction with temple renovations remains unchanged. But official information may later be released that corrects or clarifies that point. Hope that helps.
DeleteOn this Thursday, here is a new report from the Church News:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders/2022/9/1/23331152/elder-holland-devotional-washington-tacoma-kent-youth-missionaries-elder-sabin-bishop-causse
My thanks once again to you all.
Two other Church news updates have been provided:
Deletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders/2022/9/1/23331061/elder-soares-visits-french-polynesian-brilliant-future-in-beautiful-land
https://www.thechurchnews.com/temples/2022/9/1/23333000/video-president-oaks-calls-temples-a-great-symbol-of-the-continuity-of-life
My thanks once again to you all.
I found it interesting what president Nelson said about Jesus,in the very near future,will pour out blessings,even miracles,upon the righteous and faithful members.Perhaps the rapture???
ReplyDeleteIt's a little difficult to respond to a comment when I don't know to whom I might be responding, but I'll give it a shot anyways. While that was an interesting statement, for those paying attention to the reports about Church members worldwide, such miracles have been occurring for decades. After I was diagnosed at birth with serious health conditions (cerebral palsy and hydrocephalus), one of the first doctors I was taken in to see advised my parents to "take him home and simply love him. He won't amount to anything but a limp noodle on the sofa."
DeleteThat advice didn't sit well with my parents, and after consulting with their priesthood leaders and the Lord, they had a strong impression that they should instead do everything in their power to support and encourage me to live the fullest life possible despite my conditions. Those efforts on their parts led me to milestones I could never have otherwise achieved, including part-time missionary service and a subsequent marriage. Although there are still difficulties in my life, there are far less of those because of that inspiration they received and the support and encouragement they gave me for the better part of 2.5 decades prior to my marriage.
And my own life is just one example. Those paying attention to quite a few of the reports shared daily here will see that the Lord has been blessing His people and pouring out miracles on a regular basis throughout the world. According to my patriarchal blessing, I was born in the "Saturday evening of time", ie between 5-8 PM. In the ensuing 3.5 decades, while signs of the time of the Second Coming have increased, and while a significant focus of the President Nelson's ministry has been preparing for the Second Coming, it's also true that no one currently living knows the timing of the Second Coming.
In fact, per the scriptures, only our Heavenly Father knows when that is going to happen. Parenthetically, it's also worth mentioning that "the rapture" is more of a Protestant concept, and that Latter-day Saints understand that concept a little differently. The following source explains that doctrinal difference better than I can do so myself here:
Deletehttps://www.fairlatterdaysaints.org/answers/Question:_Do_Mormons_believe_in_the_%22rapture%22%3F
I'd particularly draw your attention to the following portion of a paragraph under "origin of the term and concept of 'rapture'": "The term rapture as it is used by orthodox Protestants is based on a belief that, when Christ comes, he will instantly catch up all living believers to meet him in the air and translate them into immortal bodies without experiencing physical death. It is further believed that those who are caught up will be miraculously taken away from tribulations to be with the Lord in heaven. LDS scripture presents a different picture especially on this last point."
So according to Latter-day scripture, while the "rapture" concept stipulates that the righteous will be caught up to meet the Lord in heaven at the end of time, the doctrine of the Second Coming teaches that the righteous will remain on the perfected Earth, where Christ will remain and receive His covenant people unto Himself, and where those who "die" will not sleep in the grave, but will be changed in an instant from mortality to immortaility.
To borrow a phrase from the Book of Mormon, "and thus we see" that the concept of the rapture does not accurately reflect what Latter-day Saints believe: "We believe in the literal gathering of Israel, and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion, the new Jerusalem, will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the Earth; and that the Earth will be renewed and receive its' paradisiacal glory."
Based on that understanding, timing-wise, it appears we are somewhere in time between the opening and closing of the sixth seal, and the seventh seal will be opened with the coming of Christ and his millenial reign on Earth. We also know that Joseph Smith was once "praying earnestly" to know when the Second Coming would occur, and that the Lord's answer to that question was ambiguous. While we also don't know the extent of the Lord's knowledge about when He will come again, ancient and modern-day scriptures appear to imply that Heavenly Father is the only one who definitively knows exactly when that will happen.
DeleteHopefully this response to your comment is helpful. To whom might I offer thanks for this comment?