Hello again, everyone! The First Presidency has set opening arrangements for the Ephraim Utah Temple and a groundbreaking ceremony for the Springfield Missouri Temple. Let's get righton into the details: The media day for the Ephraim Utah Temple will be held on Monday, August 31, 2026, with invited guests touring the temple on Tuesday, September 1. The public open house will follow between Wednesday, September 2 and Saturday, September 19, excluding the Sundays of September 6 and 13.
The temple dedication will follow on Sunday, October 11, 2026, at 10:00 AM local time (with a reboradcast at 2:00 PM). Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will preside thereover. Elder Rasband brought the announcement of the Ephraim Utah Temple to the Saints in that district, so it is fitting that, in the absence of President Nelson, Elder Rasband will dedicate this temple. Interestingly enough, Elder Rasband will dedicate this temple one week before he presides over the previously announced dedication of the Managua Nicaragua Temple.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the Springfield Missouri Temple wll take place on Saturday, June 6, 2026. Elder Aroldo V. Cavalcante of the United States Southeast Area Presidency will preside at the temple groundbreaking. I had theorized that Springfield Missouri might be one of the next temples to have groundbreakings, so I'm grateful I was proven to be correct in that theory.
As a result of today's announcement, I have updated my documents showing current apostles' temple dedications during President Oaks' prophetic administration and my side-by-side comparison of temple groundbreakings in 2025 vs. 2026. As another interesting fact, the groundbreaking for the Springfield Missouri Temple will take place before the groundbreaking for the Missoula Montana Temple, although both will occur on the same day. And the side-by-side comparison of temple groundbreakings shows we are not currently keeping pace with last year, though I suspect strongly that that will change in the near term.
The Church News has also covered the Ephraim dedication and the Springfield groundbreaking. I am pleased to have been able to provide this analysis for you all. 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.
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Until my next post, I wish you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.
Aside from the Church News reports about today's temple news items (which are already linked in the post above), the Church News has shared a couple of other reports as well today: a new chapel in Cape Verde, and a Church donation of food,/a> in Atlanta. My thanks once again to you all.
ReplyDeleteThe Newsroom has reported that the New Nauvoo Temple Visitor's Center is set to be rededicated on Saturday, June 27, 2026 by Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. That is a fitting assignment for a few reasons: First of all, Elder Gong may now be serving as an apostolic advisor to the Church History Department. Secondly, the dedication will be held on the 182nd annivesary of the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother, Hyrum Smith, the Patriarch and Assistant Church President. Thirdly, the presiding apostle (Elder Gong) happens to share a birthday with the Prophet Joseph Smith (December 23). So with that in mind, a very fitting assignment indeed. The Brigham and Mary Ann Young Home will be simultaneously rededicated with the Visitor'c Center.
DeleteTurning now to the Church News, it has featured the previously released FAQs about the new Young Women's group names; Elder Dale G. Renlund recently spoke to students at the Jordan Institute of Religion; emeritus General Authority Seventy Elder D. Rex Gerratt has passed away; the latest edition of the Church News podcast discusses the power of Primary music; and Church and global humanitarian leaders gathered in Geneva Switzerland to discuss their mutual responsibilities to care for those in need.
And finally, temple construction status updates have recently been noted on the Knoxville Tennessee, Natal Brazil, and Tacoma Washington Temples. Additionally, although its construction status remains unchanged, the Cagayan de Oro Philippines Temple has moved ahead in the construction queue. It had previously sat between the Grand Rapids Michigan and Cali Colombia Temples, and now sits in the queue between the Santiago West Chile and Austin Texas Temples. That may only boost that temple's likely dedication window by a few months. My thanks once again to you all.
Two members of the Relief Society General Advisory Council (Sisters Sharlene Miner and Garna Mejia) shared their insights on one of the new Relief Society videos that offers counsel about managing competing priorities. And the Church News has provided its' coverage about Elder Gong's assignment to dedicate the Nauvo Illinois Temple Visitor's Center. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteOn this Wednesday, the Church News has shared a couple of new reports: the doctrine and context behind the Young Women's new age group names. Kansas City's annual JustServe night in Kansas City Missouri. My thanks once again to you all.
DeletePresident Oaks offers an invitation to attend seminary and institute as those programs' enrollees surpass 1 million worldwide. And the Church has helped to bring solar power to families in the Navajo nation. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteAnd more than a year after full-time missionaries were moved out of Burundi, 4 missionaries were welcomed with joy and gratitude. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteThe HTML version of the May 2026 Liahona is now available, which may mean that the PDF version of that magazine may soon follow. But I wanted to note something interesting: it has been customary that the Church, a few months after a new First Presidency is organized, provides some type of coverage about the reorganization of the First Presidency and also feature articles about each member thereof, in addition to providing articles to introduce new apostles, in subsequent editions of the Ensign or Liahona.
DeleteIn the upcoming General Conference edition of the May 2026 Liahona, the News section will include introductory articles about Elder Gérald Caussé: (written by Elder Neil L. Andersen) and Elder Clark G. Gilbert (written by Elder David A. Bednar). So unless there is a supplement to the May 2026 Liahona that will feature articles about the First Presidency reorganization and each individual member thereof, it would appear that future First Presidency reorganizations (and articles about each member thereof) will not be highlighted in the Liahona going forward. My thanks once again to you all.
The Church News has covered the previously mentioned Newsroom report about how the Church assisted the Navajo nation in getting solar-powered light to their more remote communities. Tickets are now available for the Tabernacle Choir's Spring Concert, and the first leaders have been called for the Montpelier Idaho and Cody Wyoming Temples. I have added those two temples to my document tracking the temples for which new leaders have been appointed this year. That number now reaches a total of 52, and I'm sure the Church is not done naming new temple leaders for 2026, so that number could increase by 20 or 30 before the end of this year. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteElder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke at commencement exercises for BYU-Provo earlier today, where he counseled graduates to share the l.ight of Jesus Christ. The Church News recapped 15 times top Church leaders have quoted classic literature in General Conference. That report was in honor of World Book Day. And in a special Thursday edition of the Church News podcast, the Young Women General Presidency celebrated the new names of Young Women classes. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteAfter a very busy Friday, I am pleased to share that, starting May 17, reservations will be required for "Music & the Spoken Word". The Church News also talked about the transformative power of sacred music for children. And the latest edition of "This Week on Social" featured posts from the following general Church leaders:
DeletePresident D. Todd Christofferson, Second Counselor in the First Presidency; Acting President Dieter F. Uchtdorf (from whom two posts were shared) and Elders Neil L. Andersen, Dale G. Renlund, Gerrit W. Gong, Ulisses Soares, and Gérald Caussé of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; the entire Relief Society General Presidency (President Camille N. Johnson and Sisters J. Anette Dennis and Kristin M. Yee, who posted via Relief Society Worldwide); President Camille N. Johnson (in separate voiceover post) and Sister J. Anette Dennis (on her official page); the entire Young Women General Presidency (President Emily Belle Freeman and Sisters 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 (who posted via Young Men Worldwide). My thanks once again to you all.
And the Philippines Newsroom published a report in conjunction with the open house of the Bacolod Philippines Temple. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteOn this Saturday, the Church News has shared a few new reports: The Church hosted a Religious Freeodom Day Interfaith Event at which the governor and several faith leaders spoke. The Church News has shared the text of the message that will be given by Brother Derrick Porter during tomorrow's 5,041st episode of "Music & the Spoken Word". An Idaho Latter-day Saint family is preparing to send 4 of their children on 4 separate mission assignments. And Church News staff writer Aimee Cobabe shares her thoughts on a masterclass of peacemaking from the astronauts who recently toured the far side of the moon while Church President Dallin H. Oaks was simultaneously giving a message in General Conference about peacemaking. My thanks once again tto you all.
DeleteOn this Sabbath Day, the Church News has shared what Church leaders have said about our "Come, Follow Me" study for this week, which will focus on Exodus 35-40 and Leviticus 1, 4, 16, and 19. The top 9 stories covered by the Church News were recapped in "In Case You Missed It: Week in Review". Biographies have been shared for 4 new mission leader couples. Interestingly enough, it appears that one couple will be heading out immediately to succeed Elder Paul H. Sinclair, who was called as a GA Seventy during the April General Conference, and who will transition to his new assignment in the Europe North Area Presidency in August. As another matter of interest, another of the new GA Seventies from earlier this month, Elder Clement M. Matswagothata, is being called to replace Elder Kevin J. Hathaway, who is also a new GA Seventy. Elder Hathaway will serve in the United States Northeast Area Presidency beginning in August. And finally, the Church News reports how high school seniors served Senior Citizens at a "For the Strength of Seniors" conference. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteOne additional update from the Church News speaks for itself. And with no additional Newsroom updates today (so far), I will be back to share any other general updates or updates from the Church Temples site. For now, my thanks once again to you all.
DeleteElder Neil L. Andersen spoke on his son's podcast about his role as an apostle. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteOn this Monday, when we are about 2.5 hours away from the next anticipated major temple instruction news, the Newsroom has provided coverage of the media day for the Yorba Linda California Temple. Still no word as far as which top Church leaders were there as the open house commenced. I assume that will be clarified in any subsequent Church News coverage of this event, but in the interim, I wanted to note that I don't think that this will be the sum and total of major temple news for this week. Time will tell if I'm correct in that theory. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteThe Church News shared its report on the Yorba Linda California Temple media day. It indicated that the General Authority Seventies present for the media day were United States West Area President Elder Takashi Wada and Elders Mathias Held and I. Raymond Egbo the latter two of whom have unknown assignments, likely with the temple department. My thanks once again to you all.
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