Stokes Sounds Off: BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: New Location Announced for the Tampa Florida Temple; Site Locations and Preliminary Information Released for the West Jordan and Lehi Utah Temples

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Monday, April 22, 2024

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: New Location Announced for the Tampa Florida Temple; Site Locations and Preliminary Information Released for the West Jordan and Lehi Utah Temples

Hello again, everyone! A few minutes ago, the First Presidency announced the relocation of the Tampa Florida Temple and the site locations for the West Jordan Utah and Lehi Utah Temples. There's a lot to get to, so let's jump right in! 

The site location for the Tampa Florida Temple was originally announced in late October 2022. No reason was given for the relocation, but hopefully approvals will be easier to get on the new location. The single-story edifice of approximately 29,000 square feet will now rise on a 12-acre site at 9445 Camden Fields Parkway, Riverview, Florida. 

The announcements of site locations for the two newest Utah temples caught me off guard a little, as I didn't anticipate them so soon since those temples were just barely announced earlier this month in General Conference. But I am pleased to report that the Lehi Utah Temple will rise a short distance from where I currently live.  The multi-story temple of approximately 85,000 square feet will rise on a 22.48-acre site northwest of the intersection of 3950 North and Center Street in Lehi. 

A meetinghouse will also be built at that location.  The West Jordan Utah Temple will have the exact same square footage and multistory as the Lehi Utah Temple (the two might even be twins). The project will also include a meetinghouse. Both the temple and meetinghouse will rise on a 16.10-acre site at approximately 7148 South and west of Highway 111. 

The fresh-out-of-the-gate announcement of the site locations for the two newest Utah temples may suggest that the Church is already beginning to secure approvals for those temples. If that is the case, hopefully, exterior renderings and groundbreaking announcements can follow shortly. Likewise, hopefully the decision to relocate the Tampa Florida Temple (whatever might have been behind it) will enable approvals to be expedited for that temple.

As a result of today's announcement, I have updated my document showing announced temples for which no information has been officially confirmed yet. Of the 109 announced temples, 51 lack any official information. Given how many temple sites the Church has been able to confirm this year alone, I'm sure other site location confirmations are pending.  While I was working on getting this report ready for publication, the Church News also covered this update. 

I am grateful for this news and to have been able to share it with you all. I continue to monitor any and all Church News, Newsroom, and Church of Jesus Christ Temples updates and will be sure to pass word of those along to you all as they cross my radar. 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.

26 comments:

  1. A couple hours ago, the Newsroom and the Church News shared information about the media day for the Coban Guatemala Temple. My thanks once again to you all.

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    1. The Church News has shared one new report. My thanks once again to you all.

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    2. On this Tuesday, the Church News has reported the continuing apostolic ministry efforts of Acting President Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who recently met with priesthood leaders of six stakes in Orem Utah. President Holland was accompanied by Elder Gary E. Stevenson, also of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Elder Hugo E. Martinez, First Counselor in the Utah Area Presidency, and by President Holland's son-in-law, Elder Ulysse G. McCann, who serves as a Utah Area Seventy. My thanks once again to you all.

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    3. This week's Church News podcast features President Dallin H. Oaks and Sister Kristin M. Oaks reminiscing on their 2 years as leaders of the Philippines and talking about what it means for them to be assigned to return there to dedicate the Urdaneta Philippines Temple on Sunday. And a group of Utahns recently connected with Ghanaian girls in need. The Newsroom has sharedone new report as well. Also, a status update has been provided for the Anchorage Alaska Temple. My thanks once again to you all.

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    4. Here is one additional report from the Church News. My thanks once again to you all.

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    5. On this Wednesday, the Church News has shared two new reports. My thanks once again to you all.

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    6. The Church News has shared one additional update. My thanks once again to you all.

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    7. Updates have been noted in the last 24 hours on the following temples: Freetown Sierra Leone, Queretaro Mexico, Anchorage Alaska, Stockholm Sweden, and Provo Utah Rock Canyon. My thanks once again to you all.

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  2. On this Thursday, the Church News has shared two new reports. My thanks once again to you all.

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  3. The Church News has shared one new report, and status update have been noted today on the Managua Nicaragua, Lone Mountain Nevada, McKinney Texas, and Vienna Austria Temples. My thanks once again to you all.

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    1. The Church News has released a new video featuring President and Sister Oaks talking about their love for the Philippines as they prepare to return for the dedication of the Urdaneta Philippines Temple on Sunday. And Elder Gerrit W. Gong spoke at today's BYU-Provo graduation. My thanks once again to you all.

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    2. On this Friday, much to my amazement, the Church News has shared the biographies of 7 new mission leader couples. I had thought all mission leader biographies had been shared for the year, but I was clearly mistaken. 2 of those called will be the first mission leaders in their respective missions. 1 couple is replacing President Aroldo B. Cavalcante, who was called earlier this month as a General Authority Seventy. Other than these notes, I will let those biographies speak for themselves.

      With an NHL hockey team coming to Utah, one of those on the team is believed to be the only Latter-day Saint in the NHL. The Church News also describes a miraculous meeting at a temple serving Central African saints. A few weeks before the April 2024 General Conference, the Church News has published a new chart of the General Authorities and General Officers. I seem to recall the accompanying article saying something about not publishing another such chart until October, but I may be mistaken on that. A new chart has indeed been published.

      And finally, the latest edition of >a href="https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders/2024/04/26/this-week-on-social-book-of-mormon-find-peace-bednar/" >"This Week on Social" has been published. The newest installment in this weekly series featured content from the following general Church leaders: Elders David A. Bednar, Quentin L. Cook, Ronald A. Rasband, and , and . all of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; Sister Kristin M. Yee, Second Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency; Sisters Tamara W. Runia and Andrea Munoz Spannaus, the respective First and Second Counselors in the Young Women General Presidency (both of whom posted via Young Women Worldwide); the entire Primary General Presidency (President Susan H. Porter and her respective First and Second Counselors, Sisters Amy A. Wright and Tracy Y. Browning; all of whom did a joint post on the launch of Primary Worldwide for parents and leaders of Primary-aged children); Sister Amy A. Wright posted on her own Facebook page as well; and outgoing Sunday School General President Mark L. Pace (who will conclude his service ion August 1).

      My thanks once again to you all.

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    3. Sorry. Apparently I messed up the hyperlink to the latest edition of "This Week on Social". My thanks once again to you all.

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    4. I only have one of the new leaders being the first in the mission. (President Porter in the Lima Northeast). I believe the other one you may be thinking is the Andersons in the Quito mission, but they aren't the first. The current President is E. Xavier Espinoza, who began serving earlier this month, replacing Bryan Welton who was called in 2023. Also of note, the Pazes in Rio South are the second leaders with biodms for that missions this year. On January 26th Curtis Oscarson was listed as the new President in Rio South.

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    5. Thanks for that analysis, Scott! There were a couple of those biographies that didn't list the outgoing leaders, so I made an incorrect assumption. I think today should wrap up this year's biographies, unless I am again mistaken. Thanks again, Scott.

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    6. The Newsroom previously shared this update. Covering the same development this evening, the Church News shared this report. My thanks once again to you all.

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  4. On this Saturday, a brief personal note: I am still trying to find ways to make this blog more profitable for me. It's going to be a continual process until I can figure out what does or doesn't work. As a result, you may notice changes from time to time. I appreciate your understanding on this matter.

    In the interim, the Church News has shared a few new reports: Executive Editor Sister Sarah Jane Weaver provides an introduction to new GA Seventy Elder David L. Buckner and shares reflections from President Dallin H. Oaks, First Counselor in the First Presidency, as he prepares to dedicate the Urdaneta Philippines Temple on Sunday. Just wanted to note that it is now almost 2:00 AM Sunday in the Philippines, so the first dedicatory session for that temple will be underway in just under 8 hours.

    Sister Amy A. Wright, First Counselor in the Primary General Presidency, ministered to Primary children in Mexico City recently. And the Church is partnering with both the World Food Programme and BRAC Liberia to help farmers in that nation build self-reliance and emotional resilience. My thanks once again to you all.

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    1. The Church News has shared two new reports, which speak for themselves. My thanks once again to you all.

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  5. The Newsroom has shared one additional update. My thanks once again to you all.

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    1. Since it is now just past noon on Sunday in the Philippines, I'm going to assume that the first dedicatory session for the Urdaneta Philippines Temple has wrapped up. This makes that temple the 190th in operation worldwide. I have spoken of my belief that the Church could easily have at least 300 temples operating by the 200th anniversary of the Church's reestablishment (which will occur on Saturday, April 6, 2030). As of tomorrow (when the reports of that dedication will likely be available), there are 5.94 years until that date. With 110 temples to dedicate within those 5.94 remaining years, that goal could be reached if roughly 18.52 temples are dedicated per year. And dedications will be ramping up towards the end of this year and the beginning of next year. So I have no doubts that goal could be easily met, and perhaps even exceeded. My thanks once again to you all.

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    2. And, as expected, the Philippines Newsroom has published a report on the dedication of the Urdaneta Philippines Temple. My thanks once again to you all.

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  6. On this Sabbath Day, the Newsroom and the Church News have shared reports on the dedication of the Urdaneta Philippines Temple. Church News Executive Editor Sister Sarah Jane Weaver also shared a photograph gallery of the dedication, and Church News managing editor Scott Taylor took a look at why the current First Presidency members presiding at the last three temple dedications/rededications is noteworthy, along with some historical context about temple dedications in general. My thanks once again to you all.

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    1. One more note: It appears that President Oaks is using a cane now to help steady himself. Just another sign of the aging Church leadership, but I'm glad he was able to return to that nation to dedicate its' newest temple. My thanks once again to you all.

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    2. On this Monday, with the next major temple construction announcement 2.5 hours or so away, the Church has covered the media day for the Salta Argentina Temple. I was surprised by that, because the original announcement about the opening arrangements for that temple said that the media day wouldn't be until tomorrow. But I don't think this is the big announcement for today. I have a doctor's appointment in Salt Lake this afternoon, which may delay my coverage of whatever the announcement is, but I will provide my analysis ASAP. My thanks once again to you all.

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In addition to my life-long love for the subjects which I cover in the posts of this blog, I have long held the belief that we can disagree without becoming disagreeable. Differences of opinion are natural, while being disagreeable in expressing those differences is not. And in that sense, I have no desire to close the door on anyone who earnestly desires to contribute to the ongoing dialogue on subjects covered in the posts on this blog.

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