Stokes Sounds Off: BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: First Presidency Announces Major Updates on Six Temples

Search This Blog

Top Leaderboard

Monday, February 23, 2026

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: First Presidency Announces Major Updates on Six Temples

Hello again, everyone! On this Monday afternoon, the First Presidency has announced updates for 6 temples. There's a lot to cover, so let's get started: We begin with the Teresina Brazil Temple, for which a groundbreaking has been officially set. Elder Ciro Schmeil, First Counselor in the Brazil Area Presidency, will preside at the temple's groundbreaking on Saturday, April 18, 2026. 

This announcement follows that temple's April 2023 announcement by President Nelson, the confirmation of its' location in August 2023, and the release of its exterior rendering in February 2024. As things currently stand, the Teresina Brazil Temple will be the fifth temple to have a groundbreaking this year. The fifth temple groundbreaking laast year occurred on April 26, so that puts us 8 days ahead this year vs. last year. And there will likely be more groundbreakings coming down the pike.

We now move on to the 3 temples in the Philippines for which we received news today: Naga, Santiago, and Iloilo. That news included site confirmations and exterior renderings. We start with Naga. A single-story edifice of approximately 18,850 square feet, with an adjacent chapel and ancillary building, will rise on a 9.11-acre site on Lot 1045-A-1-A Barangay Concepcion Grande, Naga, Bicol, Philippines. Today's double announcement follows the October 2022 announcement of that temple.

The Santiago Philippines Temple, also announced in October 2022, will be a single-story edifice of 18,850 square feet and will rise on a 14.47-acre site east of Camella Isabella Main Road in Barangay Malvar, Santiago City, Province of Isabela, Philippines. The temple project will also include a meetinghouse, patron housing, and a distribution center. 

Meanwhile, the Iloilo Philippines Temple, announced in April 2023, will rise on a 7.7-acre site at Circumferential Road 1, Green Meadows, in Barangay Tacas, Jaro District, Province of Iloilo, Philippines, That temple will be the same size as the Santiago Temple, and the project will also include all 3 things mentioned in relation to the Santiago Temple, in addition to an arrival facility.

We now move on to the official details for the Rapid City South Dakota Temple. Announced in April 2025, the 11,800 square foot edifice will rise on a 4.86-acre site at the northeast corner of Mount Rushmore Road and Moon Meadows Drive in Rapid City, South Dakota. NO exterior rendering or gorundbreaking information has been released at this time. Thesquare footage is slightly larger than the standard for modular temples, but I'm hoping it will be modular. My dad served in the South Dakota Rpaid City Mission, so I'm particularly grateful for this announcement today.

And finally, the Houston Texas South Temple has been renamed the Fort Bend Texas Temple. The temple's location and rendering were released in October of last year.  I am grateful for the announcements about these six temples. In view of the release of the official details for the 3 Philippines temples and the first temple in South Dakota, the number oft temples without any official information now sits at 50. I am grateful for today's announcements and for the chance Ihad to share this analysis here.

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. 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.

By at
Labels: , , , , , ,

12 comments:

  1. James G. StokesFebruary 23, 2026 at 5:19 PM

    The Church News has covered the temple news for the Philippines, the Brazil groundbreaking, the Texas renaming, and the South Dakota site location. My thanks once again to you all.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. James G. StokesFebruary 23, 2026 at 9:09 PM

      A status update for the Montpelier Idaho Temple now indicates that major construction has wrapped up and that furniture and fixtures are being delivered. There are now 7 temples with major construction completed. I'm not sure what, if anything may be preventing or delaying dedication announcements, but hopefully we see that change soon. My thanks once again to you all.

      Delete
    2. James G. StokesFebruary 24, 2026 at 12:14 PM

      On this Tuesday, the Church News reports on a BYU-Idaho devotional address by Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who focused his remarks on the importance of having a modern-day prophet. My thanks once again to you all.

      Delete
    3. James G. StokesFebruary 24, 2026 at 12:37 PM

      The Newsroom has highlighted Elder Gérald Caussé's ministry in France. My thanks once again to you all.

      Delete
    4. James G. StokesFebruary 24, 2026 at 1:15 PM

      The Church News has shared details on the upcoming Relief Society Devotional. My thanks once again to you all.

      Delete
    5. James G. StokesFebruary 24, 2026 at 1:19 PM

      And the Newsroom shared one other update yesterday that I somehow missed. My thanks once again to you all.

      Delete
    6. James G. StokesFebruary 24, 2026 at 4:08 PM

      The latest edition of the Church News podcast features Elder Clark G. Gilbert and his wife, Sister Christine Gilbert, who spoke with guest host Mary Richards a short time after his call to the apostleship was announced. It is well worthy of your time. My thanks once again to you all.

      Delete
    7. James G. StokesFebruary 24, 2026 at 6:23 PM

      As the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square prepares for its' ministry in Brazil, the Church News has introduced the two choir members and 2 global participant members from Brazil who will be performing with the Choir. My thanks once again to you all.

      Delete
    8. James G. StokesFebruary 25, 2026 at 11:02 AM

      In the South America South Area, Church and government leaders are united in prayer. Following deadly storms in Portugal, see how Latter-day Saint volunteers are responding. And Bishop Sean Douglas, the new Second Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, spoke at this week's MTC devotional. And the Newsroom highlights Elder Dale G. Renlund's ministry visit to Romania. The Newsroom additional shares the newest installment of Latter-day Saints Around the World,which featured content from the following nations: Argentina, Benin, Chile, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Mexico and the United States. My thanks once again to you all.

      Delete
    9. James G. StokesFebruary 25, 2026 at 1:58 PM

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

      Delete
    10. James G. StokesFebruary 25, 2026 at 4:10 PM

      The Newsroom also covered the update noted in my last comment. My thanks once again to you all.

      Delete
    11. James G. StokesFebruary 25, 2026 at 6:31 PM

      The Church News has shared two additional updates. My thanks once again to you all.

      Delete

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.

At the same time, however, I recognize that we live in a time when incivility, discourtesy, unkindness, and even cyber-bullying has regrettably become part of online interactions. With that in mind, while anyone who wishes can comment on anything if they choose to do so, I hereby reserve the right to immediately delete any comments which are critical, unkind, lack civility, or promote prodcuts, services, and values contrary to either the Church, or to the rules of online etiquette.

I'd also like to remind all who comment here that I try to respond personally to each individual comment as I feel is appropriate. Such replies are not meant to end the conversation, but to acknowledge earnest feedback as it is submitted.

And in order to better preserve the spirit and pure intentions for which this blog was established, I also hereby request that anyone not commenting with a regular user name (particularly those whose comments appear under the "Unknown" or "Anonymous" monikers, give the rest of us a name to work with in addressing any replies. If such individuals do not wish to disclose their actual given names, a pseudonym or nickname would suffice.

Any comments made by individuals who opt to not give a name by which they can ber identified may, depending on the substance and tone of such comments, be subject to deletion as well. I would respectfully ask that all of us do all we can to keep the dialogue positive, polite, and without malice or ill-will. May the Lord bless us all in our discussion of these important matters.

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)