Hello again, everyone! Something wasn't quite sitting right with me about my predictions for the October 2025 General Conference. So I took another look at them, doing some further research to refine them. I have now completed my second edition of these predictions. We have the revised projected speaker lineup, an expanded list of projected changes in general Church leadership, and an expanded list of prospective new temple locations.
The commenting period on these predictions remains open until Thursday, October 2, at 10:00 PM MDT. So if any of you have any feedback on anything, including questions, suggestions, enhancements, and improvements, please feel free to share them here. Stay tuned here for my coverage of 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.
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 the threads of the previous post, I left this comment. My thanks once again to you all.
ReplyDeleteHere is one additional report from the Church News. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteDo you have any predictions of exciting policy changes that you think will be announced at General Conference? How about changes in format about the way conference is conducted? We have have seen a lot more of that since President Nelson has been in charge.
ReplyDeleteHey, Kimberly in San Diego. Thanks for the inquiry. Not beyond what I have projected above, which is about as close as I like to venture into such things as someone who is not privy to the deliberations at Church headquarters about any such issues. Others have their "pet preferences" of policies they'd like to see changed for various reasons. Some of those never will be announced because they veer from policy into doctrinal areas people confuse for policies. Those kinds of lists are beyond my comfort zone. That being said, if someone had suggested having the members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles conduct most sessions of General Conference a few years ago, I might have dismissed it out of hand. Now it makes sense, especially with the First Presidency in advancing years. But I would recommend the practice of praying in advance of each General Conference to know in the moment that what is announced is inspired by the Lord. Every time I've done that, in the moment such announcements have come, I have had the inspiration of that confirmed on the spot Hope that suggestion is helpful. Always a pleasure to hear from you.
DeleteYes, you have to be careful aboout speculation. Too much of it can be harmful and disrespectful to the leadership of the church. But sometimes a little bit of speculation can keep things interesting. It has been fun to show off by acurately predicting to my friends the exact number of temples that will be announced at General Conference. But the only reason I've been getting it right was because I was quoting you.
DeleteIt's taken me a while to successfully predict the exact number of temples, but I see methods to it now that I didn't see before. Those kinds of predictions I can pinpoint within reason now because I understand the methodology now in a way I didn't before. It should have occurred to me that's what you were asking about. Sorry for my confusion on that. I can offer a projection on that right now. We now have 382 operating temples. I'm reasonably certain we can count on 18 new temples in October, bringing us to an even 400 at the end of General Conference weekend. I was made aware of a report further suggesting that the Church could have a total of 500 temples I'm any phase by the bicentennial of the Church (Saturday April 6, 2030). If we do get to 400 with the October 2025 General Conference, getting 100 more by the bicentennial as should easily be done.Ii think we can count on all of that. Thanks again, and sorry for my confusion.
DeleteDo you have a top 10 list of temples most likely to be announced?
ReplyDeleteHey, Scooter! No, I don't. But, as I told Kimberley from San Diego above, I am projecting that 18 new temples will be announced. I haven't created my most likely 18 list yet, but I need to do so relatively soon.. I will post that when I have it. Thanks for the additional question, Scooter.
DeleteHello again, everyone! As some of you may have noticed, aside from my replies to recent comments from Kimberley from San Diego and from Scooter above, I have not posted regular updates for a few days. My sister and her kids drove up from the Eastern US to visit us during summer break. So we've been spending a lot of time with them while they are here, since even they don't know the next time they will be visiting us, and there are uncertainties about our ability to go back east to see them. So we've been making the most of that time. My updates may continue to be sporadic over the next week or so while they are still here, though you can count on my passing along any major news ASAP after it is announced.
ReplyDeleteAll of that being said, I will be playing catch-up as circumstances allow, so stay tuned for my summary of the latest items from the Newsroom and the Church News, all of which I hope to provide later today. But for now, I am pleased and stunned to present some major shifts in the temple construction queue that have occurred in the last few days. This document shows where those estimates stood as of July 6, while this one shows where things stood yesterday (with just a few shifts noted) and this one shows where things stand today, with significant shifts noted in the queue of new temples estimated to be completed next year, and also a major estimate change for the Orlando Florida Temple, which is now estimated to be completed in 2027 rather than next year.
So, major shifts in the construction queue have been noted. I am still evaluating how (and to what extent) these shifts may change my most recently reported estimates (as summarized in this post. I still think there is a high probability that the Burley Idaho and Lindon Utah Temples will be dedicated before the end of this year. I am not as certain that both the Harare Zimbabwe and Alabang Philippines Temples (the only two temples remaining in the construction queue that were originally announced by President Thomas S. Monson) will both be dedicated before the end of this year, but there is still some probability that one or both may be dedicated this year.
DeleteFor Burley and Lindon, if opening arrangements are announced at any point this month, I could see either or both dedicated in October or November. If I am recalling correctly, I heard once that temples outside the United States sometimes face supply chain issues to get the finishing touches taken care of. I don't know if that's the case with the two temples in question, but it is a possibility. Don't get me wrong: I will be absolutely thrilled if the Church can close out 2025 with Harare and Alabang dedicated. I would be even more thrilled if that also proves to be the case with the Davao Philippines Temple, which is getting closer to completion as of its latest status update.
Having shared the latest completion estimate changes and my thoughts on the current temple queue, I am also relatively certain that there are construction status updates to pass along, which I may be able to do before the next planned gathering with my family this evening. My summary of the updates from the Church News and the Newsroom may or may not be shared later today. I'm playing everything by ear and trying to make the most of any time I can spend with my sister and her kids while they are here. So I'm grateful to be able to do what I can to share the latest, but if those updates are delayed further, at least you'll know why. Sorry for the lengthy comment here. I continue to appreciate the readership, support, and any comments that continue to be shared. I welcome your thoughts on any of the latest developments, whether or not I get the chance to report on them first. I will be certain to cover the latest major temple construction announcements every Monday as usual. All of that said, my thanks once again to you all.
Construction status updates have been provided for the Yorba Linda California Temple (for which the first leaders have been called), with status updates also reported for the following additional temples: Santa Cruz Bolivia, Austin Texas, Cagayan de Oro Philippines, and Orlando Florida (for the latter of which, as I mentioned in my comment above, the completion estimate has been shifted down from mid-2026 to mid-2027.) My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteOn this Thursday, the Church Temples site has noted a change in the completion estimate for the new Anchorage Alaska Temple. It has been pushed back from mid-2026 to late 2026. Additionally, construction status updates have been reported for the following additional temples: Miraflores Guatemala City Guatemala, Yorba Linda California, Port Moresby Papua New Guinea, Montpelier Idaho, San Luis Potosi Mexico, and Cali Colombia. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteFurther, since I last posted updates from the Newsroom, several developments have been reported, including the upcoming 5000th episode of "Music & the Spoken Word"; the Church's participation with the Interreligious Initiative for Forests in Peru; Church assistance in the Marshall Islands, record global growth in the Church; and the 200th anniversary of Norwegian Emigration. Church News updates will follow. In the interim, my thanks once again to you all.
DeleteThere have been a lot of Church News reports within the last several days, so let's dive into those: the Church has assisted in opening an Ethiopian Orthodox Meetinghouse here in Utah; youth and young adults share how they Love, Share, and Invite, the 2026 "Come Follow Me" Old Testament Manual is now available online, and the latest edition of "This Week on Social" has been shared, which includes posts from the following general Church leaders:
DeleteChurch President Russell M. Nelson and his Second Counselor, President Henry B. Eyring; Acting President Jeffrey R. Holland and Elders David A. Bednar, Ronald A. Rasband, Gerrit W. Gong, and Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson and her Second Counselor, Sister Kristin M. Yee; Young Women General President Emily Belle Freeman (via Young Women Worldwide); Primary General President Susan H. Porter; and Brother Bradley R. (Brad) Wilcox, the outgoing Second Counselor in the Young Men General Presidency (who posted via Young Men Worldwide).
More Church News updates will follow. My thanks once again to you all.
Continuing the updates from today, Church members hosted an interreligious panel in Sweden; and the wife of emeritus GA Seventy Elder Robert C. Oaks has passed awayl ,
DeleteNow for Thursday's updates: the Church is supporting individuals with disabilities; a medical clinic has opened in Ghana; the Church has donated aid to Mexico for breast cancer care; and, as previously reported, the first leaders for the Yorba Linda California Temple have been called.
On Wednesday, the Church News shared the following reports: across denominations, women in the Cook Islands have United in prayer; the Church cares for those in need in Europe; the Church responds to flooding in Texas; the Church builds Interfaith relations in the DR Congo; a replica ship honors Norwegian immigrants; Church donations help provide fruit in the Gambia; and missionaries worldwide participate in community and humanitarian service. My thanks once again to you all.
Sorry. That report about the missionaries worldwide participating in community and humanitarian service was from Tuesday, as were the following updates: a Church-sponsored collaboration brings hope to children and mothers in Mexico; the latest edition of the Church News podcast featured a professional pickleball player; and a new branch of the Church has been organized in a Kenyan refugee camp (with my "adopted uncle" David Sturt creating that branch in one of his final acts as president of the Kenya Nairobi West Mission).
DeleteMy thanks once again to you all.
On this Saturday, the Church News has published the following reports: why repetition in Gospel Learning is so important; the Church in the Marshall Islands is growing as members listen, love, and lift their neighbors; an introduction to new GA Seventy Elder Brik V. Eyre (which uniquely also included an introduction to his wife), and this report was published as Elder Eyre is preparing to fill his first assignment as the Second Counselor in the Mexico Area Presidency; the text of the message that will be delivered by Brother Derrick Porter during tomorrow's landmark 5,000th episode of "Music & the Spoken Word"; what leaders of the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square are saying about that historic 5,000th episode of "Music & the Spoken Word"; how the Church recently hosted an Eid-al-Adha prayer for over 600 Muslims in Australia; and how a European gymnast is staying "True To The Faith". Updates from the Newsroom, if any, and temple construction updates will follow later today as time and circumstances allow. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteThere are no additional Newsroom updates today, but there are a few temple construction status updates, noted for the temples in Phnom Penh Cambodia, Tampa Florida, and Vancouver Washington. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteThe Church News has shared one new report. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteOn this Sabbath Day, the Church News has shared a few new reports: a dying mother penned the words and music for one of our newest hymns; 17 new stake presidencies have been called: 1 for a newly-created stake, and 16 for existing stakes that had leadership reorganizations; and the latest edition of "In Case You Missed It: Week in Review" recaps the top 9 developments the Church News has covered within the last week.
ReplyDeleteLooking ahead to additional reports, the upcoming week's "Come, Follow Me" home study will comprise D&C sections 77-80 inclusive. So I'm looking forward to the Church News coverage of what Church leaders have said about that. And tomorrow is the media day for the Farmington New Mexico Temple, so a report on that will be forthcoming probably sometime tomorrow morning. But I don't believe that will be the only major temple construction update reported tomorrow, so stay tuned here during the 2:00 PM hour as usual for my coverage of anything else that may be announced.
I'm hopeful that the Church will announce 1 or 2 temple dedications, 1 or more groundbreakings, release the exterior renderings of 1 or more temples, or confirm the locations of 1 or more temple sites. And I'm sure there may be one or more additional reports of today's 5,000th episode of Music & the Spoken Word. My thanks once again to you all.
As anticipated, here is what Church leaders have said about D&C 77-80. Any other updates published by the Church News, Newsroom, or Church of Jesus Christ Temples site will be shared here later today as time and circumstances allow. For now, my thanks once again to you all.
DeleteThe Newsroom has published this summary of the historic 5,000th episode of "Music & the Spoken Word". I just had the privilege of watching that historic episode via Youtube. To honor the milestone, the Choir brought back the previous principal director, Craig Jessop, to lead one of the Choir's selections. Additionally, Mack Wilberg led historic performances of the Choir's first and last selections, which echoed the first and last selections of the first broadcast.
DeleteThe news release I shared above included quotes from J. Spence Kinard and Lloyd Newell, previous principal presenters of the "Spoken Word" messages, and Derrick Porter, in opening and concluding the broadcast, used wording that had been used to open and close the first ever broadcast. It was a wonderful broadcast, and I encourage you all to watch it for yourselves, if you have not already done so. The link to the Youtube video of the broadcast is now available within the news release to which I referred at the start of this comment. Temple construction updates will follow. My thanks once again to you all.
Construction status updates have been shared for the Miraflores Guatemala City Guatemala and Provo Utah Rock Canyon Temples. Additionally, the status of the Jacksonville Florida Temple has been updated to note that both governmental approvals and building permits are being secured. In view of this update, I am hopeful that the Jacksonville Florida Temple will be one of the next, if not the very next, temple to have a groundbreaking announced.
DeleteI also recognize that I rmay be totally off in my expressed hope that more news than just the media day for the Farmington New Mexico Temple may be announced tomorrow, but either way, I hope those of you who can do so will stay tuned to this blog during the 2:00 PM MDT hour here in Utah for any other updates that may be announced.
I also continue to watch for any other updates, major or minor, and will report those as time and circumstances allow throughout this week. My sister and her family are still here until at least Saturday, if I am correct, so I will obviously adjust anything I need to in my reports here to accommodate any other family get-togethers we might have while they are still here. My thanks once again to you all for your understanding on this matter and for staying tuned as you are able to do so for these updates. May the Lord continue to bless and be with you all.
I feel slightly embarrassed. I have been so focused on the historic nature of the 5,000th episode of "Music & the Spoken Word" and the forthcoming prospective temple updates that I somehow completely forgot that today the Church released a special broadcast to honor the 150th anniversary of the establishment of the Young Men organization. That released broadcast featured Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and outgoing Young Men General President Steven J. Lund, the latter of whose service in that capacity will conclude in roughly 2.71 weeks, on August 1 of this year. The summary of the broadcast speaks for itself. My thanks once again to you all.
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