Hello again, everyone! Today, I am pleased to share that the First Presidency has announced the opening arrangements for the Harare Zimbabwe Temple. Let's get right into the relevant details: A media day will be held on Monday, January 19, 2026, with VIP tours following over the next two days. The public open house will then run from Thursday, January 22, 2026, through Saturday, February 7, 2026, excluding the Sundays of January 25 and February 1.
The temple dedication will follow on Sunday, March 1, 2026, under the direction of Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. A few surprises were connected to this announcement, in my opinion. While I was sure that a temple dedication would be announced today, I thought Lindon would be the natural choice. Hopefully next week.
The open house length was not surprising, but I am a little stunned that the dedication will only take place in March, about four weeks following the conclusion of the open house. So I don't quite know what to make of today's news. It is good news, to be sure, but unexpected in many respects. I will update some relevant associated documents and link to those in the comments of this post.
I invite you all to 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.
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This will be the last temple to be dedicated that was announced by President Monson, if I remember correctly.
ReplyDeleteThat is correct, Thomas. Thanks for mentioning it. I appreciate hearing from you.
DeleteI have updated my list showing current apostle's temple dedications during President Nelson's prophetic administration. I have also updated my document showing temple dedications in 2026.
ReplyDeleteOther updates: the Church News has not yet reported on the news about the Harare Zimbabwe Temple, but has shared the text of the prayer written by Elder Andersen to dedicate the Farmington New Mexico Temple. My thanks once again to you all.
The Church News has just covered today's temple news. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteThe Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square has arrived in Argentina to begin the next leg of their global ministry tour. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteOn this Thursday, the main Newsroom page has shared this report from the Pacific Newsroom, along with two other reports. And the Church News has shared four new reports. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteYesterday was Tuesday, and today is Wednesday. I apologize for that mix-up. I got an MRI yesterday in preparation for a minor procedure I will be undergoing in the near term, and it left me a little dizzy and disoriented. So on this Wednesday, I am pleased to report this update on the leaders of the Mexico Mexico City West Mission, which indicates that the mission president has been released from the hospital, that he and his wife are looking forward to continuing their service, and that they are grateful for the many prayers offered in their behalf. The Newsroom also shared another update, which speaks for itself.
DeleteAdditionally, the Church News has covered this update based on this Newsroom report from yesterday. The Church News also shared this update, which speaks for itself. My thanks once again to you all.
I apologize for the unintentional bold text in my comment above. Not sure how that happened. Moving on to temple construction updates, while there are no new updates for any temples currently under construction or undergoing renovation, the Church Temples site has noted updates on the status of the Cape Town South Africa Temple (from which the mission office has been relocated and preliminary site preparations are underway), and the Victoria British Columbia Temple (for which the zoning amendment for the proposed candidate site was passed unanimously yesterday).
DeleteWith reference to the former update, hopefully this means that the Church will soon be able to announce the groundbreaking for the temple in Cape Town. And regarding the latter update, hopefully the site location, exterior rendering, and groundbreaking announcement will be announced for the temple in Victoria British Columbia. My thanks once again to you all.
The Church News has shared two additional reports, which speak for themselves. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteThe Newsroom just published this update on the Tabernacle Choir's tour in Argentina. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteThe Church News also covered the Choir's tour in Argentina, and also provided one other report, which speaks for itself. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteAfter what has been a very crazy Thursday for me, I am pleased to be able to finally shared this update from the Newsroom, and one, two, three, four, five six others courtesy of the Church News. No new temple construction status updates today, from what I have been able to ascertain. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteI somehow neglected to post this yesterday, but here is the comment I meant to post at that time: "On this Friday, the Church News has published one, two, three, four, five reports, which speak for themselves. And the latest edition of "This Week on Social" has been published, including an invitation and request for comments from those who would like to share anything as a birthday tribute to Church President Russell M. Nelson's upcoming 101st birthday on September 9. Aside from that invitation, posts from the following general leaders were shared:
Delete"President Dallin H. Oaks, First Counselor in the First Presidency; Elders Quentin L. Cook (from whom a couple of posts were mentioned), Neil L. Andersen, Gerrit W. Gong, and Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson (via Relief Society Worldwide); Sister Tamara W. Runia, First Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency; and, on the Young Men Worldwide account, an introduction was provided to Brother Sean R. Dixon, the new Second Counselor in the Young Men General Presidency, was posted on Young Men Worldwide.
"My thanks once again to you all."
And, on this Saturday, the Church held groundbreakings for the Brazzaville Republic of the Congo, Tampa Florida, and Vancouver Washington Temples. Elder Andersen, in presiding at the groundbreaking for the Tampa Florida Temple, noted that the following temples will soon be dedicated: Grand Junction Colorado (dedication set), Yorba Linda California, Elko Nevada (dedication set), Cleveland Ohio, Harare Zimbabwe (dedication set) Alabang Philippines (dedication set), Phnom Pehn Cambodia, Bahia Blanca Argentina (dedication set), and Port Moresby Papua New Guinea. He also noted that the contractor assigned to build the Tampa Florida Temple previously built the Winnipeg Manitoba Temple and is currently working on the Lethbridge Alaberta Temple as well.
DeleteAnd on this Saturday, the Church News has posted this introduction to new GA Seventy Elder Ozani Farias, along with this report from Church News staff writer Mary Richards and one other update that speaks for itself. My thanks once again to you all.
The Church News has provided the text of the message that will be offered by Brother Derrick Porter during an encore airing of a previous episode of "Music & the Spoken Word" due to the Tabernacle Choir being on tour in Argentina. Though the episode in question is not live and has previously aired, this week's episode is still listed as being the 5,006th to air. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteThe Newsroom has just reported on the three temple groundbreakings that occurred today. And there have been major shifts in the temple construction queue. This document shows what those estimates looked like two days ago, and this document shows where those estimates currently stand.
DeleteBut aside from the groundbreaking report and the adjusted estimates and queue reordering, there have also been several temple construction status updates. At the Phnom Penh Camobia Temple, major construction has been completed, and the finishing touches are being applied. There are also status updates for the Yorba Linda California, Bacolod Philippines, Montpelier Idaho, Belo Horizonte Brazil, Port Moresby Papua New Guinea, and Austin Texas. My thanks once again to you all.
On this Sabbath Day, the Church News has chronicled the creation of the new hymn, "Look Unto Christ", shared the inspiration behind the selection of the site on which the newly dedicated Farmington New Mexico Temple now stands, shared the latest edition of <a href='https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2025/08/24/in-case-you-missed-it-elder-andersen-dedicates-farmington-new-mexico-temple/" >"In Case You Missed It: Week in Review"</a>, which highlighted the top 9 developments reported in the Church News this week, and provided <a href="https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2025/08/24/come-follow-me-august-25-31-what-have-church-leaders-said-about-doctrine-and-covenants-93/" >teachings from Church leaders</a> about the "Come, Follow Me" study this week, which wiill focus on D&C 93. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteThere were errors with two of the links I posted earlier. The latest edition of "In Case You Missed It: Week in Review and teachings from Church leaders about D&C 93. I apologize for those oversights. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteThe Tabernacle Choir has helped mark 100 years of Church history in South America as they continue their tour in Argentina.A senior missionary has reconnected 40 years later with a woman whose life he saved. And in presiding at the Tampa Florida groundbreaking yesterday, Elder Andersen offered 3 specific reasons the Church builds temples. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteI informally follow a discussion group on Facebook about the Heber Valley Utah Temple, and according to a very recent post in that group, the district court judge's ruling means that, even though the citizen's group has appealed the temple's approval to the Utah Supreme Court, there is nothing legally stopping the Church from going ahead with the construction of that temple in the meantime, and full-scale construction is anticipated to begin later this week. My thanks once again to you all.
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