Hello again, everyone! Today, the First Presidency announced opening arrangements for the San Diego California and Phnom Penh Cambodia Temples. Let's get right into the details: We start with the San Diego California Temple. A media day will be held on Monday, June 15, 2026, with tours for invited guests the following two days. The open house will then occur from Thursday, June 18 through Saturday, July 11, 2026. The temple rededication will follow on Sunday, August 23, 2026, with the presiding apostle to be named at a later time. The dedicatory session will be held at 10:00 AM local time, with a rebroadcast at 2:00 PM to all units in the temple district.
Meanwhile, the media day for the Phnom Penh Cambodia Temple will be held on Wednesday, August 12, with invited guest tours the next two days. The public open house for this comparatively smaller temple will be held for a week between the Saturdays of August 15 and 22. The temple dedication will follow on Sunday, August 30, 2026, with Elder Patrick Kearon presiding thereover. The 10:00 AM dedicatory session will also be rebroadcast at 2:00 PM local time to all units in the temple district.
I am not surprised that the open house for the San Diego California Temple is almost a month long, and the temple's rededication was around the time I htought it would be. I am also not shocked that the presiding apostle was not named at this time. That means the odds are very good that it could be rededicated by a member of the First Presidency, though I don't know whether any of them have connections to San Diego. In the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, I believe that Elder Quentin L. Cook has some connection to the San Diego area, but I could be mistaken on that.
But I was surprised that the open house for the first temple in Cambodia will only last a week, and that the temple dedication in question will not take place until the end of August. Ihad projected it would occur on August 2, 9, or 16. I was only off by two weeks from the latter end of that estimate, but it still surprised me. I am cautiously optimistic that the mid- to late August windows for both of these events might mean that we could get other new temples dedicated in early to mid-August (August 2, 9, or 16). That might be a good window for the Miraflores Guatemala City Guatemala Temple. But time will tell on that.
I am glad that two more temples have had opening arrangements announced. I hope for other opening arrangements tobe announced later this month, along with perhaps some groundbreakings, exterior renderings, and/or site location confirmations later this month as well. 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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The temple in Camodia announced Elder Kearon as the presiding elder at the dedication. But they did not announce who will preside at the rededication in San Diego. I wonder who that will be.
ReplyDeleteHey, Chris! Thanks, as always, for taking time to comment. I always appreciate hearing from you. The news release does indeed confirm Elder Kearon as the presiding official for the dedication of Cambodia's first temple, but does not specify the presiding authority for the San Diego California Temple's rededication. In general, when the presiding official is not named at the time a temple dedication or rededication is announced, that's because it will likely be a member of the First Presidency or a member of the Quorum of the Twelve with connections to the area in question. Not specifying it in advance makes sense if it's going to be a member of the First Presidency. 2 or the 3 First Presidency members are in their 90s with unpredictable health, so if either of them has been tentatively assigned to that temple dedication, theChurch likely wants to delay announcing it until it is certain they will be well enough to make the trip.
DeleteThe other possibility is a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles with ties to the area, As I stated in my analysis above, I am not sure exactly which current apostle(s) may have ties to San Diego. Aside from that, it has been a general rule up until recently that temple Rededications are typically under the direction of either a First Presidency member or one of the six senior members of the Quorum of the Twelve. That trend was broken a few years ago when Elder Gong, a junior member of the Twelve, was sent to rededicate the Hong Kong China Temple. So the general rule may not be the best gauge to determine which of the 15 apostles will preside at the San Diego California Temple rededication. But barring anything very unexpected, I anticipate it will be a member of the First Presidency or of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles who has a personal connection of some kind to the San Diego region. Who might that be? Stay tuned to find out.
As always, Chris, your longtime friendship and readership are appreciated. Thanks for taking time to share your thoughts and questions. I always appreciate hearing from you.
Also on this Monday, the Church News has covered today's temple news and has also provided several apostolic updates: aside from the aforementioned reports about Elder Soares' meeting with Brazil's vice president and President Uchtdorf's recent address at BYU-Hawaii, additional reports include the text of the dedicatory prayer offered by Elder Gerrit W. Gong to dedicate the Harare Zimbabwe Temple,, and the Estonia ambassador's meeting at Church headquarters with the First Presidency and Elder Quentin L. Cook. My thanks once again to you all.
ReplyDeleteOn this Tuesday thus far, the Church News has published one new report. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteAnd the Newsroom has recapped the Tabernacle Choir's Brazilian ministry. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteThe Newsroom has reported on the release of discourses by Eliza R. Snow and Elder Quentin L. Cook's BYU-Provo devotional in which he offered counsel about artificial intelligence. The Church News has also covered those same updates, in addition to the latest edition of the Church News podcast. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteThe Newsroom and the Church News have also provided a final report on the Tabernacle Choir's ministry trip to Brazil. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteAnd a status update has been provided for the Tarawa Kiribati Temple. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteOn this Wednesday, the Newsroom has shared a few new updates: the future Chilean minister of women has visited Church leaders in Chile, Elder Gary E. Stevenson recently met with the governor of the state of Mexico. and the Church has provided key information on its' Easter initiative. Since General Conference coincides with Easter this year, the article also notes that a Solemn Assembly will be held during General Conference weekend. While that was always taken as rote, it's nice to have it officially confirmed.
DeleteMeanwhile, from the Church News comes a report of Elder Gérald Caussé's recent apostolic ministry in his native France; a two-day JustServe blitz in Meridian Idaho; the reunion of Asian Church members with their ancestors across time; and new GA Seventy Elder Aaron T. Hall's BYU-Idaho devotional address. My thanks once again to you all.
And the latest updated completion order for temples under construction or undergoing renovation brings some surprises with it. At a glance, in view of Sunday's dedication of the Harare Zimababwe Temple, that temple is off the list, while Phnom Penh Cambodia joins the temples with a dedication scheduled. It appears that major construction has wrapped up on the Port Moresby Papua New Guinea Temple, but that it is still behind the Cleveland Ohio and Torreon Mexico Temples, the former of which is being prepared for the installation of its' cupola, and the latter of which is awaiting the arrival of its' cupola. In other temple news, full-scale construction has begun on the Antananarivo Madagascar Temple, which is now between the Lone Mountain Nevada and Cape Town South Africa Temples in the construction queue.
DeleteThe latter development comes roughly one year after ground was broken for that temple. This takes the number of temples for which full-scale construction is pending down to 10, which I hope will continue to go down in the next month or so before General Conference. To the best of my knowledge, there are no other temple construction updates, but I will be sure to provide them if there are. My thanks once again to you all.
On this Thursday, the Newsroom has shared 3 new reports, which speak for themselves. Meanwhile, one new update from the Church News speaks for itself, while 3 others directly relate to RootsTech.
DeleteIn reference to the last report, it is a summary of the Temple and Family HIstory Leadership Training, which was conducted this year by Elder Patrick Kearon of the Quorum of the Twelve and Elder Mark A. Bragg, the Executive Director of the Family History Department who serves as the Chairman of FamilySearch International, which sponsors RootsTech every year. Interestingly, Elder Bragg was the only member of the Temple and Family HIstory Executive Council to participate in this year's training. As he conducted the training and introduced Elder Kearon, Elder Bragg noted that, while the apostle was filling his assignment to lead the Temple and Family History Leadership Training, Elder Kearon was no longer doing so as a member of the Temple and Family History Executive Council.
We already know, from previous sources, that Elder Rasband now chairs the Missionary Executive Council, and that that change occurred at some point following the death of President Holland and President Uchtdorf's subsequent setting apart as Acting President of the Quorum. So Elder Kearon's assignment change is not surprising either. Who now serves on the Temple and Family History Executive Council from the Quorum of the Twelve? Time will tell.
The final report shared by the Church News today is the biographies of 8 more incoming temple leader couples, all of which have been assigned to currently operating temples. Thus far this year, all of the incoming leaders are either staffing newly-completed or soon-to-be-completed temples or else are replacing temple leader couples who have all served at least 3 years. I have updated my document tracking these changes. My thanks once again to you all.
The Church News has shared one additional RootsTech report. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteOn this Friday, the Church has released new group photographs of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and of all 15 apostles. The photographs in question were taken on Wednesday of this week. This marks the first time since the 2019 dedication of the Rome Italy Temple that a group photograph of all 15 apostles has been released.
DeleteThe Newsroom also reports on the February ministry of Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson to 3 countries in the Eurasian Area: Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. The latest edition of "This Week on Social" features posts from the following general Church leaders:
President D. Todd Christofferson, Second Counselor in the First Presidency; Acting President Dieter F. Uchtdorf (from whom 3 posts were shared) and Elders David A. Bednar, Neil L. Andersen, Ronald A. Rasband, Gerrit W. Gong, Ulisses Soares, Gérald Caussé (the latter of whom posted 2 reels) and Clark G. Gilbert of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson (via Relief Society Worldwide) and her Second Counselor, Sister Kristin M. Yee; the Young Women General Presidency (President Emily Belle Freeman, Tamara W. Runia, and Andrea Munoz Spannaus, who posted via Young Women Worldwide); and Brother David J. Wunderli, First Counselor in the Young Men General Presidency (via Young Men Worldwide).
There were also two additional RootsTech reports, and the biographies of 16 couples who will serve as mission leaders, most of whom begin that service in July. I will let those biographies speak for themselves. My thanks once again to you all.
The Church News has shared three additional reports. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteOn this Saturday, the Church News has shared three new reports which speak for themselves. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteThe Church News has shared the text of the message that will be given by Brother Derrick Porter during tomorrow's 5,034th episode of "Music & the Spoken Word". And Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Melanie, spoke at RootsTech's Family Discovery Day. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteThe Church News has provided one additional RootsTech report. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteAnd the Newsroom has likewise provided a summary for the entire RootsTech weekend. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteOn this Sabbath Day, the Church News has shared a few new updates: messages from Church leaders support and recognize International Womens' Day. A two-time Latter-day Saint paralympian had the honor of carrying the torch for the 2026 Paralympic Games in Milan-Cortina Italy. With our "Come, Follow Me" study focusing on the 5 chapters from Genesis 37-41, see what Church leaders have taught about those chapters.
DeleteThe latest edition of "In Case You Missed It: Week in Review" shares the top 10 developments covered by the Church News within the last week. And a Relief Society Worldwide Devotional features the entire Relief Society General Presidency (President Camille N. Johnson and her respective First and Second Counselors, Sisters J. Anette Dennis and Krstin M. Yee) and Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
With reference to that devotional, it is usually attended by the apostles who serve on the Priesthood and Family Executive Council. At the moment, we don't know exactly which of the current 12 apostles serve on each of the 3 major Executive Councils of the Church, with the exceptions that Elder Ronald A. Rasband now chairs the Missionary Executive Council and that Elder Patrick Kearon no longer serves on the Temple and Family History Executive Council. Hopefully, in the coming weeks, we will find out more about those current apostolic assignments. My thanks once again to you all.
Aside from the noted Church News updates, there have been a few updates in the current temple construction queue that are featured in this document. In conjunction with those updates, there have been status updates for the following temples: Montpelier Idaho, Cleveland Ohio and Torreon Mexico.
DeleteMy thanks once again to you all.
The Church News has provided one more RootsTech report. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteOn this Monday, we are just over an hour away from the next anticipated major temple construction announcement. The Newsroom and the Church News have covered the media day for the Lindon Utah Temple, with public tours set to begin later this week. A RootsTech professor spoke about the Salt Lake Temple. And the Young Women General Presidency took to social media to discuss the For the Strength of Youth pamphlet. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteLooks like the only new temple construction news for today is the coverage of the Lindon Utah Temple media day. Hopefully, we'll get additional updates, including dedication and groundbreaking announcements, again next Monday, since the Davao Philippines Temple media day is on the Monday following that, and the next week is the last Monday before General Conference weekend. My thanks once again to you all.
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