Hello again, everyone! This afternoon, on the heels of the late September visit of Hungary's first female president to Church headquarters, the First Presidency has released the site location and preliminary information for the Budapest Hungary Temple, which had, before today, been the last temple announced in April 2019 that had not had any official information confirmed. Let's break down the details:
An arrival center and patron housing will join the planned single-story 18,000-square-foot temple, all of which will be built on a 5.92-acre site at Kocsis Sandor ut and Borsikafu utca, Harsanylejto, Budapest, Hungary. Though not explicitly stated, I take it as a given that project managers will begin working with government officials through the approvals process.
As a result of today's update, all temples announced between October 2018 and October 2020 have had official information confirmed. Between today's announcement (which also confirmed the Modesto California Temple groundbreaking) and the 20 new temples announced by President Nelson in General Conference over a week ago, of the 98 announced temples, 55 lack official information.
That may change in the near term (or so I hope). I was also surprised that there were not any temple openings announced, but hopefully such announcements will either come later this week or as the major announcement next week. I continue to monitor all such updates and will be sure to pass those along here as time and circumstances allow.
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.
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I'm not as disappointed in the lack of dedications being announced as I am in the lack of groundbreakings. There are 21 temples whose site were announced in 2021-2022. I would have thought that the groundbreaking announcements would be coming quicker.
ReplyDeleteScott, I'm not sure why the Church has seemed to be so reserved about setting groundbreakings or dedications either. I assume there are major issues with approvals for many temples that have had sites announced. I know for sure that litigation is pending and that the Church is hoping to recoup their losses from the government delays on the Cody Wyoming Temple. Aside from that, my best guess is that the Church may be setting up 2024 as an unprecedented year for temple groundbreakings and dedications. Based on what I've heard, beginning next year, the Church may look to have dedications in the double-digits, which will be a continuing trend through at least 2030. 2024 could see groundbreakings in the 20s or 30s as well. The Temple Department has reportedly hired several new teams of people to help construction crews get approvals from community leaders more quickly, so I'm hopeful something will change in the near term. Thanks, Scott.
DeleteThe Church News covered today's update as well. The same source has also shared how the Church is giving help to abuse survivors in Samoa, where a second temple (in Savai'i) was just announced during General Conference weekend. And as Elder Alvin F. "Trip" Meredith III prepares to be inaugurated as the 18th president of BYU-Idaho, he shared his thoughts on his new assignment with the Church News (I am assuming he will be the guest for tomorrow's edition of the Church News podcast). My thanks once again to you all.
ReplyDeleteThe Church News has shared a report on Saturday's groundbreaking for the Modesto California Temple. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteA status update has been reported for the Smithfield Utah Temple. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteAnd the text of Elder Uchtdorf's dedicatory prayer for the McAllen Texas Temple has been released. Hopefully the text of the Feather River California Temple dedicatory prayer will soon follow. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteToday was inauguration day for Elder Alvin F. "Trip" Meredith III, the new president of BYU-Idaho, who was officially inaugurated by Elders D. Todd Christofferson and Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, the respective Chair and Vice Chair of the Executive Committee of the Church Board of Education. In advance of that inauguration, yesterday evening, the Church News released an introduction to President Meredith. Another article from the Church News introduces Elder Alexander Dushku, the General Authority Seventy called on August 15 and sustained during the October 2023 General Conference. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteA Jewish rabbi invited to attend General Conference earlier this month joined the Church News podcast today to talk about his experience. And the text of the dedicatory prayer for the Feather River California Temple, written and offered by Elder Ulisses Soares, was finally provided. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteThe Newsroom and >a href="https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders/2023/10/10/23911843/elder-alvin-meredith-inauguration-18th-president-byu-idaho-preserve-spirit-of-ricks" >The Church News Elder Allen D. Haynie spoke at this week's BYU-Provo devotional, while Elder David P. Homer spoke at the Ensign College devtional. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteAnd Bishop L. Todd Budge, Second Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, spoke at this week's BYU-Hawaii devotional. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteOn this Wednesday, the Newsroom and the Church News have introduced the two newest members of the Relief Society General Advisory Council. Additionally, artists have shared how they've been inspired by prophets, apostles, and other leaders and the Church's ASL religion classes are reaching more deaf individuals than ever before. My thanks once again to you all.
ReplyDeleteElder Jeffrey R. Holland has posted his first social media message since returning home to recuperate. The overall impression I got from this message? It's as if he's saying: "I'm not done yet." My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteHere is one new report. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteStatus updates have been noted today on the Port Vila Vanuatu and Kona Hawaii Temples. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteOn this Thursday, the First Presidency just released an official statement on the violence in the Middle East. Additionally, I missed a report yesterday about a new Church News video.
ReplyDeleteNew for today from the Church News are the following reports: Church members continue to provide relief in the aftermath of Hurricaine Idalia. African leaders have visited the Ghana MTC and BYU this month. A Utah Area Education Devotional featured a panel discussion including Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Young Women General President Emily Belle Freeman, and Elders Clark G. Gilbert (who serves as the Commissionary of Church Education) and Kevin W. Pearson (Utah Area President). Elder Lance B. Wickman, an Emeritus General Authority Seventy who still (as far as I know) serves as the Church's General Counsel, spoke at the Chaplain Seminar. And the final Tabernacle Virtuoso Performance Series 2023 will feature Tabernacle Organist Brian Mathias. My thanks once again to you all.
A new Church News video, which features Church leaders discussing the hopes they have for future missionaries. And there have been some unexpected updates in the construction queue for temples expected to be completed within the next year. The changes in general estimates are as follows:
DeleteLate 2023: Casper Wyoming
Late 2023-early 2024: Mendoza Argentina; Abidjan Ivory Coast
Early 2024: Tallahassee Florida
Early-to-mid 2024: Desert Peak Utah; Pittsburgh Pennsylvania
Mid-2024: Salvador Brazil
Mid-to-late 2024: Antofagasta Chile
Late 2024: Farmington New Mexico; San Pedro Sula Honduras; Auckland New Zealand; Alabang Philippines
2024: Manti Utah
I am still trying to work out how these adjustments will impact what I have projected regarding the relevant specific timelines. In the interim, I am pleased to be able to report as well that full-scale construction has already begun on the Modesto California Temple. Right now, the Church Temples site lists it behind the Belo Horizonte Brazil Temple, with a general completion estimate of mid-to-late 2024. But given the update on Modesto, I have personally put it ahead of the Belo Horizonte Brazil Temple on my temple construction progress report. I have a feeling that the Church Temples site might do the same at some point, especially if progress is made on Modesto while nothing much happens with the temple in Belo Horizonte. My thanks once again to you all.
On this Friday, in the wake of an increasingly-volatile situation in Jerusalem, the BYU-Jerusalem Center has indicated that all faculty and staff are being relocated to Greece. Bonnie H. Cordon, who wrapped up her service as Young Women General President on August 1 of this year, has been officially named the president of Southern Virginia University. Although that institution is not a Church-owned school, it does operate with a gopsel-centered focus. During her time as Young Women General President, she served on the Church Board of Education, which uniquely qualifies her to serve as the SVU president. FamilySearch is marking the opening of a new FamilySearch Center in Las Vegas. My thanks once again to you all.
ReplyDeleteI had previously theorized that we were likely to see several significant shifts in the temple construction queue as more was known about the progress (or lack thereof) on some temples vs. others. Yesterday, we saw some significant shifts in temples anticipated to be completed at some point within the next year. Today, it was the temples anticipated to be completed in 2025 and 2026. Following the changes, which saw some moved foward while others moved back, this is how things look between mid-2025 and the end of 2026:
DeleteMid-2025: Bahia Blanca Argentina; Lindon Utah; Phnom Penh Cambodia
Mid-to-late 2025: Davao Philippines; Ephraim Utah
Late 2025: Bacolod Philippines; Willamette Valley Oregon; Kona Hawaii
2025: San Diego California
Late 2025-early 2026: Bengaluru India; Smithfield Utah; Pago Pago American Samoa; Neiafu Tonga; Port Vila Vanuatu
Early 2026: Managua Nicaragua
Early-to-mid 2026: Yorba Linda California; Montpelier Idaho
Mid-2026: Miraflores Guatemala City Guatemala; Freetown Sierra Leone; Queretaro Mexico
Mid-to-late 2026: Belo Horizonte Brazil; Modesto California
2026: Stockholm Sweden; Salt Lake
Just a quick note on the temples undergoing renovation: With the exception of the Kona Hawaii Temple, all temples currently undergoing renovation just have a completion year, rather than a specific period within that year. And for the Salt Lake Temple, although its' completion is anticipated in 2026, if what I have heard is correct, the Church is planning an open house of 18-24 months, so even though the renovation may be completed in 2026, I anticipate the earliest dedication window for Salt Lake will be early--to-mid 2028. Of course, if the Church has to push back the offered completion estimate from 2026, that in turn will shift the rededication window for it.
But hopefully these updates mean we could see temples completed much faster than I had projected. I will be sure to monitor any subusequent shifts in the queue and will pass them along here. Additionally, a new update on the Belo Horizonte Brazil Temple indicates that the tower crane has been installed at the temple site and that site grading and excavation are underway. That is why that temple remains ahead of the Modesto California Temple. My thanks once again to you all.
I have updated my document showing the general completion estimates for temples now under construction or undergoing renovations. Based on feedback I have received, we are looking at double-digit temple dedications every year beginning next year and continuing for the foreseeable future. This means that, looking ahead to 2026 and beyond, temples that have not yet even had groundbreakings could be dedicated in the coming years.
DeleteAs I also may have mentioned, I have heard some chatter that may point to the Church looking to have 300 dedicated temples by April 6, 2030 (the bicentennail anniversary of the Church's reestablishment), which is beyond the 200 I have been projecting for a while. Until we get some major momentum on now-completed temples having dedications set, and until I know for sure that goal will be reachable, I will retain my calculations on having 200 temples by that date. For now, my thanks once again to you all.
The widow of emeritus GA Seventy Elder Eduardo Ayala has also passed away. My thanks once again to you all.
Delete