Hello again, everyone! The next major temple announcement was made a few minutes ago: groundbreaking arrangements have been set for the Port Vila Vanuatu Temple, the second temple to have a groundbreaking in 2023. Elder K. Brett Nattress will preside at the ceremony, which will be held on Saturday, March 4, 2023. As you might recall, the site locations and renderings for both the Port Vila Vanuatu and Tarawa Kiribati Temples were both released on May 19, 2021.
This announcement came as a complete surprise to me. I had anticipated that the first of the first 3 Pacific Island temples announced by President Nelson that would have a groundbreaking would be the first one announced: Port Moresby Papua New Guinea, where the demolition of the meetinghouse on the existing site is underway. But hopefully, that temple and the Tarawa Kiribati Temple might not be far behind Port Vila Vanuatu.
And I was also slightly shocked that today's announcement didn't relate to the Montpelier Idaho Temple, where the Planning and Zoning Commission approved a height exemption earlier this month. But hopefully, a lot of groundbreaking announcements will be forthcoming in the next month or so. I know I had said previously that I anticipated dedication announcements in the near term, but as I subsequently mentioned, the Church has been spreading out the announcement of dedications, and might only dedicate 3-4 more than the 2 already set to have dedications in the first half of 2023.
Among the most likely 4 I'd expect within that window are Brasilia Brazil, Feather River California, Okinawa Japan, and Helena Montana. It is also possible that the Church could announce other dedications in the first half of this year, but that those might take place in the second half of the year. So I think that the next several weeks could see other temple groundbreakings announced, and/or site locations revealed and/or exterior renderings released.
I continue to monitor all temple updates and reports from the Newsroom and the Church News and will bring word of those to you all 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. Please subscribe if you liked what you read here and would like to be informed of newly-added posts and comments. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.
Hello again, everyone! The Church News covered this development as well:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/temples/2023/1/30/23572377/groundbreaking-port-vanuatu-temple-south-pacific-islands
I also have an updated version of my side-by-side comparison of groundbreakings in 2022 vs. 2023:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1H5mEFgOIJzXiMDKz86xzhyydCTpuuerjC_t35x6Skm4/edit?usp=sharing
As you can see, the Church remains ahead of where it was last year with groundbreakings. Last year, the first groundbreaking didn't take place until March 19, and by March 19 of this year, the Church will have broken ground for at least these two temples. My thanks once again to you all.
I have one new update apiece from the Church News and the Newsroom:
Deletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2023/1/30/23574994/tabernacle-organ-virtuoso-performance-series-to-feature-ukraine-viktor-billa
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/official-church-news-social-media-pages
My thanks once again to you all.
On this Tuesday, the Church News has shared 4 reports, which speak forthemselves:
Deletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/global/2023/1/31/23575101/young-single-adult-conference-fiji-elder-wakolo
https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders/2023/1/31/23577577/elder-renlund-spiritual-hyperopia-looking-beyond-the-mark-tempe-institute-devotional
https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders/2023/1/31/23576939/elder-soares-byu-hawaii-devotional-compassionate-pattern-christ-ask-seek-knock
https://www.thechurchnews.com/podcast/2023/1/31/23579834/podcast-episode-121-young-women-general-presidency-youth-can-do-all-things-through-christ
I will be sure to pass along anything new from the Church News, Newsroom, or Church of Jesus Christ Temples sites as I become aware of any such updates. for now, my thanks once again to you all.
Late this evening, the Church Temples site noted some alterations in the temple construction queue, as reflected in the following document:
Deletehttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1L7HBLNZZTnlI4Dk8fpr3HZCf-wqkjUBcCCYqdxP7HRk/edit?usp=sharing
Aside from the changes in the queue which I have noted in previous posts, the following additional changes were specifically noted today: The Grand Junction Colorado Temple, which had previously been between the temples in Farmington New Mexico (which has a general estimate of early 2025) and Lindon Utah (with a general estimate of early-to-mid 2025), has had its' estimate downgraded from early-to-mid 2025 to mid-2025, so the temples in Lindon Utah and Burley Idaho are now ahead of Grand Junction.
Similarly, the Willamette Valley Oregon Temple has previously been listed between the Davao Philippines Temple (with an estimated completion in mid-2025) and Smithfield Utah (with an estimated completion in mid-to-late 2025), while the Bahia Blanca Argentina Temple has been in the queue of those anticipated to be completed in mid-to-late 2025. Before both temples moved today, the Bahia Blanca Argentina Temple had been between Bengaluru India and Neiafu Tonga. But due to the lack of progress on obtaining approvals to build the Willamette Valley Oregon Temple, and because the Bahia Blanca Argentina Temple has made significant progress, the queue of temples estimated to be completed in mid- or mid-to-late 2025 now stands as follows:
Mid-2025: Burley Idaho; Grand Junction Colorado; Elko Nevada; Davao Philippines
Mid-to-late: Bahia Blanca Argentina; Smithfield Utah; Bengaluru India; Willamette Valley Oregon; Neiafu Tonga
My thanks once again to you all.
On this Wednesday, the following 4 new updates have been published by the Church News, each of which speaks for itself:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2023/2/1/23574916/record-keeping-church-history-family-global-preserve-train-collect
https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2023/2/1/23580492/byu-forum-rabbi-dr-ari-berman-yeshiva-university-power-of-a-covenantal-education
https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders/2023/2/1/23580313/elder-bednar-ensign-college-devotional-holy-ghost
https://www.thechurchnews.com/global/2023/2/1/23579678/elder-wakolo-meets-with-president-first-lady-republic-of-kiribati
Just a brief note on that last report: with Elder Wakolo stating that the groundbreaking for the Tarawa Kiribati Temple was "upcoming but not yet scheduled", we could see an announcement on those arrangements within the next one or two weeks. And if that happens, the Papua New Guinea Temple would be the only Pacific Area Temple announced in the first two years of President Nelson's prophetic administration to be awaiting a groundbreaking. If there are any more Church News reports, Newsroom updates, or temple construction developments, I will be sure to pass those along here as time and circumstances allow. For now, my thanks once again to you all.
Here is a new report from the Newsroom:
Deletehttps://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/apostles-welcome-mexico-consul-general-utah
My thanks once again to you all.
Updates have been noted on the Farmington New Mexico, Lindon Utah, and Grand Junction Colorado Temples:
Deletehttps://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/farmington-new-mexico-temple/
https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/lindon-utah-temple/
https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/grand-junction-colorado-temple/
My thanks once again to you all.
On this Thursday, after giving myself time to deal with some health-related matters, I am pleased to present 2 Church News reports which speak for themselves:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/global/2023/2/2/23578497/justserve-europe-north-england-finland-harvest-appeal-food-drives-donations
https://www.thechurchnews.com/history/2023/2/2/23582907/stories-to-read-in-honor-of-black-history-month
Another Church News report describes an innovative "satelite Bishop's Storehouse" that has been established to serve those in need in Maui Hawaii:
https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2023/2/2/23579848/maui-satellite-bishops-storehouse-helps-those-in-need
And the Church News has also shared the biographies of 7 couples called to oversee temples around the world:
https://www.thechurchnews.com/2023/2/2/23574753/7-new-temple-presidents-will-serve-from-switzerland-to-bangkok
The first leaders have been identified for the Bangkok Thailand, Moses Lake Washington, and Orem Utah Temples. Among the 7 new temmple presidents are 3 former area seventies (1 of whom is currently a temple sealer); 1 current counselor in the presidency of the same temple for which he will assume oversight (Bern Switzerlad); and 3 current temple sealers;. Here is a link to my document tracking temples for which new leaders have been or may yet be called this year:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZFxVX_M7JfchmzNG_7QAMP00a6jLLvfZjFIy-ka1Ut0/edit?usp=sharing
My thanks once again to you all.
On this Friday, 16 new biographies of mission leaders have been released by the Church News:
Deletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/callings/2023/2/3/23579907/new-leaders-of-16-missions-from-arizona-to-the-adriatic-north
According to my running tally of featured mission leaders, 78 couples have not yet been featured. If the Church shares 16 biographies every week for the next four weeks following today, the number of couples not featured will sink to 12. But it's possible that as the numbers go down by 16 for the next couple of weeks, for a couple of weeks afteer that, less than 16 biographies might be featured.
In the meantime, it's worth noting that the latest group of new mission presidnts includes 3 current stake presidents, 5 former stake presidents, 1 current counselor in a YSA stake presidency, 3-4 former counselors in a stake presidency, 2 current members of the stake high council (one of whom also serves as a temple ordinance worker, with the other serving as the stake young men's president), 1 Church service missionary, 1 temple ordinance worker (who formerly sserved as an MTC presidency counselor), and 1 elders' quorum president and temple ordinance worker who previously served as a stake president.
3 other reports speak for theselves:
https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2023/2/3/23573101/mesa-arizona-martin-luther-king-jr-event-justserve-familysearch
https://www.thechurchnews.com/global/2023/2/3/23583182/building-community-reliance-combating-water-crisis-in-southern-africa-eswatini
https://www.thechurchnews.com/global/2023/2/3/23582097/donations-food-kitchen-equipment-northern-mexico-help-feed-those-in-need
And the latest edition of "This Week on Social" has been published:
https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2023/2/3/23583653/this-week-on-social-elder-christofferson-on-world-interfaith-harmony-elder-andersen-attends-temple
The newest installent of the ongoing series includes featured content from Elders Dieter F. Uchtdorf, D. Todd Christofferson, Neil L. Andersen, and Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; Young Women General President Sister Bonnie H. Cordon and Young Men General President Brother Steven J. Lund (from each of whom 2 posts were featured); Sister Michelle D. Craig, First Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency; Sister Amy A. Wright, 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.
Here are two ore Church News report:
Deletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2023/2/3/23573454/chaplains-air-force-graduation-military-service-faith
https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders/2023/2/3/23585278/elder-stevenson-utah-valley-institute-two-great-commandments
My thanks once again to you all.
On this Saturday, the Church News has shared the following 4 reports which speak for theselves:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2023/2/4/23582221/sarah-jane-weaver-uncle-bill-question-that-answers-all-doubt-book-of-mormon
https://www.thechurchnews.com/global/2023/2/4/23585225/church-members-service-flooding-auckland-new-zealand
https://www.thechurchnews.com/global/2023/2/4/23583502/humanitarian-efforts-in-brazil-in-january-cancer-institute-operation-smile-shower-chairs
https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2023/2/4/23584903/music-the-spoken-word-tabernacle-choir-thinking-ahead-spiritual-planning-to-be
I will be sure to pass along any additional Church News or Newsroom updates and temple construction developments later today as time and circumstances allow. In the interim, it's also worth noting that, aside from the anticipated temple construction announceent on Monday, it will also be Elder Ronald A. Rasband's birthday, so I have posts prepared for both of those updates on Monday. My thanks once again to you all.
On this Sabbath Day, the Church News has shared the following additional reports, which speak for themselves:
Deletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/temples/2023/2/5/23583304/members-in-vanuatu-share-excitement-for-the-port-vila-temple
https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders/2023/2/5/23579086/new-for-the-strength-of-youth-guide-young-women-general-presidency-parents-all-in
https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders/2023/2/5/23583087/week-in-review-elder-uchtdorf-elder-bednar-elder-stevensen-elder-gong-speak-to-young-adults
https://www.thechurchnews.com/global/2023/2/5/23581968/democratic-republic-of-the-congo-kinshasa-flooding-emergency-response-aid
My thanks once again to you all.
And updates have been provided today on the Moses Lake Washington, Helena Montana, Abidjan Ivory Coast, Salvador Brazil, Antofagasta Chile, and Burley Idaho Temples:
Deletehttps://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/moses-lake-washington-temple/
https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/helena-montana-temple/
https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/abidjan-ivory-coast-temple/
https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/salvador-brazil-temple/
https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/antofagasta-chile-temple/
https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/burley-idaho-temple/
My thanks once again to you all.