Hello again, everyone! In a social media post earlier this morning, President Nelson announced an "open house celebration" for the Salt Lake Temple. Here is a plain-text copy of the post in question:
"On February 14, 1853, a groundbreaking ceremony in Salt Lake City began a 40-year journey of faith and sacrifice, culminating in the dedication of the Salt Lake Temple in 1893.
"A current and comprehensive renovation to strengthen this sacred house of the Lord for future generations is now nearing completion.
"Today, exactly 172 years after the groundbreaking ceremony, I am delighted to announce that the temple will reopen for tours during a public open house from April to October 2027.
"We warmly invite our friends to come and learn about God's plan for His children and rejoice in the love of Jesus Christ. Details about this event will be shared as April 2027 approaches.
"As houses of the Lord now dot the earth, I invite you to cherish your time and service at the temples closest to you as we prepare for the reopening of the Salt Lake Temple in 2027."
This official announcement supersedes anything I had privately or publicly theorized. Nothing in there about the temple's rededication, but the open house is obviously shorter than I had heard it might be. If the open house ends in October 2027, I imagine that the temple's rededication will likely follow in the early months of 2028.
Other than these notes, I will let this announcement speak for itself. Stay tuned here for updates from the Church News, Newsroom, and Church of Jesus Christ Temples sites. I’ll be sure to pass word of those along to you all as soon as I learn about 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 all such feedback is made per the established guidelines.
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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! Roughly two hours before the above announcement was made about the Salt Lake Temple open house, the Church News shared the biographies of 16 new mission leader couples. As always, the incoming couples featured this week have served, both separately and together in a wide range of callings on the ward and stake levels, but the following notes about the incoming presidents may be helpful:
ReplyDelete3 are current stake presidents; 1 is a mission presidency counselor; 2 are stake presidency counselors; 2 are former stake presidents; 1 (along with his wife) are FSY session directors; 1 is a former stake president who is now a Sunday School teacher; 1 is currently a Sunday School teacher who formerly served as a stake high councilor; 1 is a former stake president currently serving as a temple ordinance worker; 1 is a current service mission leader who formerly served as a bishop; 1 is a current stake high councilor; 1 is a young men adviser and former stake presidency counselor; 1 is an FSY representative and stake presidency counselor; and 1 is a YSA bishop and former stake presidency counselor.
Guest artists have been announced for the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square's tour concerts in Peru. Young Men General President Steven J. Lund has ministered to Latter-day Saints at West Point. And the latest edition of "This Week on Social" featured posts from the following general leaders:
Church President Russell M. Nelson and Elders David A. Bednar, Quentin L. Cook, D. Todd Christofferson, Gary E. Stevenson, and Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; Sisters Anette J. Dennis (via Primary Worldwide (yes, that is correct)) and Kristin M. Yee (via Relief Society Worldwide), the respective First and Second Counselors in the Relief Society General Presidency; Young Women General President Emily Belle Freeman (via Young Women Worldwide) and her respective First and Second Counselors Sisters Tamara W. Runia and Andrea Munoz Spannaus (the latter of whom also posted via Young Women Worldwide); and Sister Amy A. Wright, First Counselor in the Primary General Presidency.
My thanks once again to you all.
On this Saturday, the Newsroom and the Church News have reported on this morning's Friend-to-Friend event, featuring Elder David A. Bednar and the Primary General Presidency. In other Church News updates, Rachel Sterzer Gibson explains her gratitude for those who pay the price for priesthood power; the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square provided the text of the message that will be given during tomorrow's broadcast of "Music & the Spoken Word", and Church supported humanitarian projects are blessing the Pacific Area of the Church. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteThe Newsroom link above is not working. You can read that update here. My apologies for the error, and my thanks once again to you all.
DeleteAt around 8:00 AM or so this morning, President Dallin H. Oaks, First Counselor in the First Presidency, represented them by sharing a short Easter message via livestream on YouTube. I was privileged to watch it live as it happened, then to watch it a second time later today with my sweet wife. I don't know if this is a one-time thing or if any other members of the First Presidency or Quorum of the Twelve will be recording other Easter messages as well.
ReplyDeleteIn other news on this Sabbath Day, the Church News also shared a special report of pioneers in Chile, with Elder Kevin R. Duncan providing his perspective and deep connections to that nation. And this week's "Come, Follow Me" study will center on D&C sections 12-17 and the remainder of Joseph Smith---History in the Pearl of Great Price. Ordinarily, the Church News has also provided a "Week in Review" covering the top 9 or 10 developments reported by the Church News in the last week, but that has not yet happened for the week that is concluding today.
As another note, tomorrow is Presidents' Day here in Utah, so I was uncertain whether or not Church headquarters would be closed then, because if that was the case, we wouldn't be getting a new major temple construction announcement tomorrow, and that might come on Tuesday instead. However, tomorrow also marks the media day for the Auckland New Zealand Temple, so there will at minimum be some coverage on that via the Church News and Pacific and main Newsroom pages. I will be sure to share that update when it happens. In the meantime, my thanks once again to you all.
The latest edition of "In Case You Missed It: Week in Review" has been published, recapping the top 9 developments covered by the Church News this week. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteIt is apparently past 12:00 PM on Monday in New Zealand already, which may mean the media day has already kickec off. I will be sure to share coverage of that once it is available., My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteTurns out I misremembered the opening of the Auckland New Zealand Temple incorrectly. That open house will only kick off next Monday. So today, there should be something announced today or tomorrow (if the First Presidency doesn't announce anything on this President's Day. With that announcement potentially coming in less than 10 minutes, the Church News has shared two updates, the second of which was an update of a previously published report. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteGiven that it is just past 2:30 PM already, my assumption is that there is no announcement coming today. Hopefully tomorrow. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteThe Newsroom and the Church News have provided one new report apiece. As expected, no major temple construction announcement today. Hopefully we get one tomorrow. My thanks once again to you all.
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