Hello again, everyone! Much later than I had originally planned (and even later than I promised to do so), I wanted to provide a look at my updated documents relating to the April 2025 General Conference. I think I have provided sufficient explanations for these documents previously, so this will just be a quick look at those updated documents. If any of you have any questions about anything, please let me know in the comments below.
We start with my predictions for the April 2025 General Conference, including the speaker lineup, the predicted changes in general leadership (which includes the projected numbers for the statistical report), and my projected prospective temple locations. Based on the scoring methods I have previously outlined, I put together this scorecard to analyze how well I did.
With that result calculated at 71.05%,even with the curveballs thrown at me this time around (like failing to project that Bishop Causee would speak, or erroneously projecting that Sunday School President Paul V. Johnson would speak), my predictions still surprisingly remained in the middle range of my usual accuracy (60-80%).
After General Conference weekend, I updated this document showing the total number of addresses given by our current apostles in General Conference, and created this document, which shows the length of each address given by each of our current apostles (16 in total this April, including the sustaining led by President Oaks on Saturday Morning). I also prepared this document, a projected table of contents for the May 2025 Liahona, which was updated with the actual page numbers once the PDF version thereof became available online.
This concludes my proverbial post-mortem for the April 2025 General Conference. I am already hard at work on my projections for the October 2025 General Conference. I also continue to monitor the latest 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. I hope any of you who would like to share anything will take your opportunity to “sound off” in the comments below.
If you liked what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly added posts and comments, please subscribe to receive the applicable updates. If you would like to support the work done on this blog, donations in any amount are always welcome and appreciated, but never required. 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.
In addition to the updates I shared in the threads of the previous post, at some point this afternoon, the Newsroom provided this update on how the Church continues to help members and friends of other faiths with cleanup and recovery following the violent spate of wildfires in the Pasadena area of California. My thanks once again to you all.
ReplyDeleteAnd one more update has been provided by the Church News. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteThe Church News just posted a side-by-side look the Church's major statistical numbers (members, Church units, and missionaries) during the past 3 years. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteThe Newsroom has also covered the dedication of the Nairobi Kenya Temple. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteI will just add here that I don't think the reports on the dedication of the Nairobi Kenya Temple and coverage of the Natal Brazil Temple groundbreaking will be the only major temple construction updates we get this week.I am hoping the Church will announce the opening arrangements for either or both the Burley Idaho and Alabang Philippines Temples, or that groundbreaking arrangements could be set for any of the 7 temples which, in my view, are the closest to a groundbreaking (Fairview Texas, Vancouver Washington, Jacksonville Florida, Tampa Florida, Cuernavaca Mexico, Lone Mountain Nevada, and Bakersfield California), or that we could get more exterior renderings or site confirmations.As I noted in a comment above, stay tuned here for my coverage of whatever that announcement is tomorrow. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteNo major temple construction announcements today. Any updates from the Church News, Newsroom, or Church of Jesus Christ Temples sites will be shared later today as time allows. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteOn this Monday, the Newsroom has added an update to the goodwill statement that was issued by the First Presidency upon the elevation of Pope Leo. This update indicated that Elder Matthew S. Holland, the General Authority Seventy who heads up the Church Communications Department (formerly the Public Affairs Department), represented the Church at Pope Leo's official inauguration, and was one of a few Christian religious leaders who were granted an audience with the new pontiff. When he met with Pope Leo, Elder Holland, who is also the son of Acting President Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, presented the Pontiff with a letter from the First Presidency that expressed our Church's desire to continue to collaborate and work with those of the Catholic faith on religious projects to benefit those in need.
DeleteMeanwhile, the Church News has shared two new reports, which speak for themselves, and construction status updates have been shared for the Tarawa Kiribati and Orlando Florida Temples, with the former update indicating that full-scale construction is underway on the Tarawa Kiribati Temple. My thanks once again to you all.
The Church News has shared two new reports, which speak for themselves. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteWhen I was contemplating possible sites, I kind of thought that the old Provo High School would be the location of the medical school. But in think I also heard speculation somewhere as that being an option.
ReplyDeleteThat's awesome, Chris! Thanks for sharing that. Hope all is well with you and yours. I always appreciate hearing from you.
DeleteIt's looking as though the dedication of the Nairobi Kenya Temple and the confirmed groundbreaking for the Natal Brazil Temple may indeed be the only major temple construction updates we are getting this week. If that changes, I will post an analysis of whatever comes down the pike ASAP. If nothing else is reported, I will be back later to share other Newsroom, Church News, and temple construction status changes as time allows later today. For now, my thanks once again to you all.
ReplyDeleteThe Church News has shared this guide for studying the talk given by outgoing Young Men General President Steven J. Lund, in addition to providing the text of the prayer offered by Elder Ulisses Soares to dedicate the Nairobi Kenya Temple, a report on wildfire recovery in California, a report on the groundbreaking for the Natal Brazil Temple, the latest edition of the Church News podcast, and an Ensign College devotional featuring Sister J. Anette Dennis, First Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteAnd aside from the report on the groundbreaking for the Natal Brazil Temple, the Newsroom has also shared a summary of the ministry of Young Women General President Emily Belle Freeman to Missouri and Kansas. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteOn this Wednesday evening, the Church News has shared a total of 5 new reports. And with no new reports from the Newsroom today, if there are any new temple construction updates, they will be shared in a new comment here later tonight. For now, my thanks once again to you all.
DeleteA construction status update has been provided for the San Luis Potosi Mexico Temple. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteOn this Thursday night, the Newsroom and the Church News have each shared a few new reports. Before I get to those, KSL has reported that the Church is now offering Church members the option of a "mobile temple recommend" that will be rolled out worldwide through the Church's Member Tools app. This is a most exciting development. I was unable to report it as soon as I learned about it, which is why I am sharing this update in the comments rather than as a new post.
DeleteThat said, we start with the Newsroom updates: Elder Patrick Kearon of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has begun a 10-day ministering visit in the Philippines, where he reconnected with Cardinal David of the Catholic Church. The two ministered to parolees in the Caloocan region of the Philippines. The latest updates to the "Gospel Topics & Questions" section of the Church website's Gospel Library (also available on the app of the same name) includes resources on Church finances, temples, and peacemaking.
The Young Men organization is sponsoring a July broadcast to honor the 150th anniversary of the establishment of the Young Men organization and will also be a belated commemoration of the restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood. That broadcast will feature Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and outgoing Young Men General President Steven J. Lund. And the Newsroom also reported the Church's sponsorship of a new facility in Utah that will help children healing from abuse.
Meanwhile, from the Church News comes a few reports as well: a study guide for teaching and learning from the April 2025 General Conference talk by Elder Sandino Roman of the Seventy; a report on how family history is making a difference in Latin America; the Church News' coverage of the First Presidency letter to Pope Leo XIV; and how water projects have blessed 5 Kiribati islands and how water aids are also helping in Tonga. My thanks once again to you all.
The only temple construction status update is a new report on the renovation process for the Kona Hawaii Temple. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteWhile there aren't currently any other temple construction status updates to pass along, there have been changes in that construction queue yet again. This document shows the temples' completion estimates and queue order as it stood on May 21, while this one shows where things stand as of today (May 23). You'll see that the main difference is the order in which the temples are estimated to be completed in early vs. early to mid-2026. In the former document, those estimates look like this:
DeleteEarly 2026: Miraflores Guatemala City Guatemala, Bacolod Philippines, & Neiafu Tonga Temples
Early-to-mid 2026: Smithfield Utah & Belo Horizonte Brazil Temples
And the latter document shows them in this new order:
Early 2026: Miraflores Guatemala City Guatemala, Smithfield Utah & Belo Horizonte Brazil Temples
Early-to-mid 2026: Bacolod Philippines, & Neiafu Tonga Temples
In summary, the Smithfield Utah and Belo Horizonte Brazil Temples are now ahead of the Bacolod Philippines and Neiafu Tonga Temples, because the former two are closer to completion than the latter two. My thanks once again to you all.
On this Friday, the Newsroom has shared two new reports, while the Church News shared two rreports this morning. along with covering the reports I mentioned yesterday about mobile temple recommends, the additions to the Gospel Topics & Questions resource, the upcoming Young Men broadcast, the new Children's Justice Center, and the latest edition of "This Week on Social".
DeleteIn the newest installment of that weekly series, the following general Church leaders were featured: Elders David A. Bednar & Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson and her Second Counselor, Sister Kristin M. Yee; Sister Tamara W. Runia, First Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency; Primary General President Susan H. Porter and her respective First and Second Counselor,s Sisters Amy A. Wright and Tracy Y. Browning; and Brother Bradley R. Wilcox, First Counselor in the Young Men General Presidency.
My thanks once again to you all.
As this Saturday edges closer to a Sunday, the Church News has shared the following reports: an introduction to Elder Kevin G. Brown, a report on the history of the Church in Abidjan on the eve of the dedication of the Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple (which is now just 4 hours or so away), the text of the message that will be offered during tomorrow's 4993rd broadcast of "Music & the Spoken Word", and an article by Church News editor Jon Ryan Jensen about the seasons of life. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteAnd at this early-morning Sabbath Day hour in Utah, the Church Temples site has indicated a slight change in the construction queue: The general completion estimate for the Port Vila Vanuatu Temple has been downgraded from mid-to-late 2026 (where it sat between the Torreon and San Luis Potosi Mexico Temples) to now being late 2026-early 2027 (the last temple for that estimated range, now sitting behind the Queretaro Mexico and Kaohsiung Taiwan Temples). The Church Temples site has also confirmed that, as scheduled on Saturday, ground was broken for the Benin City Nigeria Temple, as verified by this source. Please note that the cited source mistakenly refers to the Benin City Nigeria Temple as the second Nigerian temple when it is in fact the third, following Aba and Lagos, for which ground was broken 2 weeks ago. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteThe latest "In Case You Missed It: Week in Review" recapped the top 9 developments shared in the Church News within the last seven days. Another 22 stake presidencies were reported as reorganized today. The Church News has additionally shared the inspiring story of a young transplant recipient whose bravery and courage in the face of his adversity garnered attention in his ward, stake, and community.
DeleteThere has been no new General Conference talk recapped so far today. Hopefully that changes later today or tomorrow. The Newsroom has not yet shared any new reports today either, but I assume a report on the Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple dedication today and the Benin City Ngeria Temple groundbreaking yesterday will be covered at some point either today or tomorrow. In terms of new temple updates, the open house tours for the Antofagasta Chile Temple concluded yesterday as scheduled, and that temple is now being prepared for its June dedication. While I expect the reports of the newest dedicated temple and temple groundbreaking will constitute some of the major temple construction update on Tuesday (in view of tomorrow being Memorial Day in the United States), I don't think that will be the sum and total update.
I am hopeful we will see a dedication set for either or both the Burley Idaho and Alabang Philippines Temples. I am also hopeful there will be more groundbreakings announced, exterior renderings released, and/or site locations confirmed for any of the currently announced temples. In view of the fact that it's been a while since any such updates have been released.
Stay tuned here during the 2:00 PM MDT hour on Tuesday for my coverage of whatever announcement(s) we do get. In the meantime, my thanks once again to you all.
On this Memorial Day, the Church News republished this report, which shared resources for Memorial Day. In terms of new reports, the Church News shared resources for the talk given by Elder Hans T. Boom, in addition to the inspiring story of a Latter-day Saint track star who saved his coach's life, the Church publicly honoring the city of Quincy Illinois for their hospitality towards early Saints, and how local Latter-day Saints in Korea donated supplies to two children's centers.
DeleteMeanwhile, because Memorial Day is only observed here in the United States, the African Newsroom provided a report today on the groundbreaking for the Benin City Nigeria Temple. Above and beyond that, the 2025 and 2026 estimates for temple construction have changed yet again. This document shows where things stood on Saturday, while this document shows where things stand today. Additionally, it has been noted that major construction has been completed for the Harare Zimbabwe Temple.
For those who are curious about the changes, this is where things stood in the former document:
Awaiting the Announcement of Opening Arrangements: Burley Idaho & Alabang Philippines Temples
Temples under construction:
Mid-2025: Harare Zimbabwe, Lindon Utah, & Phnom Penh Cambodia Temples
Mid-to-late 2025: Willamette Valley Oregon, Davao Philippines, & Ephraim Utah Temples
Late 2025: Port Moresby Papua New Guinea & Montpelier Idaho Temples
Late 2025-early 2026: Pago Pago American Samoa, Cleveland Ohio, Managua Nicaragua, & Yorba Linda California Temples
Early 2026: Miraflores Guatemala City Guatemala, Smithfield Utah & Belo Horizonte Brazil Temples
Early-to-mid 2026: Bacolod Philippines, & Neiafu Tonga Temples
And this is where things stand now:
Awaiting the Announcement of Opening Arrangements: Burley Idaho, Alabang Philippines, & Harare Zimbabwe Temples
Temples under construction:
Mid-2025: Lindon Utah & Phnom Penh Cambodia Temples
Mid-to-late 2025: Willamette Valley Oregon, Davao Philippines, & Ephraim Utah Temples
Late 2025: Pago Pago American Samoa, Port Moresby Papua New Guinea & Montpelier Idaho Temples
Late 2025-early 2026: Managua Nicaragua, Yorba Linda California, & Smithfield Utah Temples
Early 2026:Belo Horizonte Brazil, Cleveland Ohio, & Bacolod Philippines Temples
Early-to-mid 2026: Miraflores Guatemala City Guatemala & Neiafu Tonga Temples
If there are any other construction status updates to pass along, those will follow later tonight as time and circumstances allow. For now, my thanks once again to you all.
Aside from the aforementioned update about the Harare Zimbabwe Temple, construction status updates have been noted for the following additional temples: Yorba Linda California, Smithfield UtahBelo Horizonte Brazil, Fort Worth Texas, Port Vila Vanuatu, and Colorado Springs Colorado. Based on the update about the latter temple, I have moved that temple to the bottom of the "Groundbreaking Announcement Pending" section of my temple construction progress report. There are now 8 temples in that section. My thanks once again to you all.
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