BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Dedication Set for the Torreon Mexico Temple; Groundbreaking Set for the Colorado Springs Colorado Temple

Hello again, everyone! This afternoon, the major temple construction announcement from the First Presidency set the opening arrangements for the Torreón Mexico Temple and the groundbreaking arrangements for the Colorado Springs Colorado Temple. Here are the details: We start with the Torreon Mexico Temple, which will have a media day on Monday, October 19, with invited guest tours the following two days.

The public will be invited to tour the temple between Thursday, October 22, and Saturday, November 7, excluding the Sundays of October 25 and November 1. The temple dedication will follow on Sunday, November 22, under the presiding direction of Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. That will be the same date as the previously announced dedication of the Modesto California Temple. By that date, daylight saving time will have ended, so Torreon will then be 1 hour ahead of Modesto, so if the two dedications are held at 10:00 AM, Torreon will be the first of the two to be dedicated.

The dedication announcement follows the temple's April 2021 announcement, with the site location confirmed in mid-September 2021 (the exterior rendering was simultaneously released on that same date) and the groundbreaking announcement in mid-October 2022, with the groundbreaking subsequently occurring in mid-December of that same year. I am grateful we got news of this temple dedication.

We now turn to the Colorado Springs Colorado Temple groundbreaking, which will be held on Saturday, September 12, under the direction of Elder Karl D. Hirst of the United States Central Area Presidency. The groundbreaking announcement follows the temple's October 2023 announcement by President Nelson, with the site location confirmed in early November 2024 and the release of its' exterior rendering occuring in early May 2025. I am grateful that my theory of other groundbreakings between Couer d'Alene Idaho and Maceio Brazil has proven correct. There are now 

In view of these announcements, I have updated my documents showing apostolic temple dedications under President Oaks' prophetic administration and my side-by-side comparison for groundbreakings in 2025 vs. 2026. I still think at least a couple other groundbreakings could be set to occur between Colorado Springs Colorado and Maceio Brazil, or that perhaps one more could be set between Couer d'Alene and Colorado Springs, but time will tell on that.

I am grateful we got these two announcements. While I was doing the research to prepare the full post covering this news, the Church News covered both the Torreon Mexico dedication and the Colorado Springs Colorado groundbreaking. I still think the Church will set dedications for a few more temples to occur before the end of this year, and I have a feeling that additional groundbreakings are coming down the pike 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. 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.

UPDATED: Current Apostolic Data

Hello again, everyone! It has been a tradition on this blog for me to provide updates on apostolic data roughly every 7 weeks. Having last done so on Sunday, june 7, it is time to publish the newest such data. As with every two-part update, the first part contains updated data about the age and tenure length records for all 18 Church Presidents (including our current prophet, President Dallin H. Oaks), in addition to updated information on the tenure lengths for each of the 30 Presidents of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (including current Quorum President, Henry B. Eyring). 

The first document likewise notes information on the tenure length rankings for three sets of apostolic groups: the longest-serving First Presidencies (with the current First Presidency not even making that list for the next 6 years), the longest-serving groups of members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and groups of all ordained apostles (the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles). The tenure clock on the current groups (the Quorum of the Twelve and the 15 apostles overall) reset when Elder Gilbert was ordained.

Meanwhile, the second part of today's update shows the long-form and decimal ages for the members of the current First Presidency, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and the same data for the combined First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, in addition to the average ages of each group, plus apostolic nonagenarians (with 2 of the current 15 apostles being on that list), and a final table showing the remaining time between today and when each of the other 13 apostles will become nonagenarians and join that list.

With these updates being published every 7 weeks, the next one will be provided here on Sunday, September 13. Hopefully, this post is of interest to you all. Again, I offer an open invitation to anyone who has any questions about those documents to ask 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. 

BREAKING NEWS: 10 Additional New Hymns Released

 Hello again, everyone! Today, I am pleased to share that 10 additional new hymns have been released. These newest hymns focus on"simple, Christ-centered truths". The ten have been released in English, Spanish, Portuguese and French, and will be available in the Gospel Library app later today. These 10 hymns are:

“Peace, Peace, Be Still”

“Great Is Thy Faithfulness”

“Isaiah Said”

“Fight the Good Fight”

“It’s Joyful to Live the Gospel”

“To God Be the Glory”

“Speak to Us, Lord”

“The Miracle”

“What God Calls Us To”

“When I Survey the Wondrous Cross”

Of these 10 newest selections, I have familiarity with "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" & "To God Be the Glory" (courtesy of the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Sqaure) & "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" (courtesy of the ward choir in my parents' ward a decade or two ago). These 10 additions bring the total number of released hymns to 82. 

The Newsroom release also noted that "Additional hymns are being released in other languages, including 22 in Armenian and Malagasy, nine in Cebuano, Indonesian, Italian, Samoan, and Tongan, and 12 in German, Korean, and Tagalog."

We may be just about a year ahead of when the new hymnbooks are available for release, so I project that we may have about 3-4 more batches of new hymns released before the new hymnbook is widely available in our congregations. And while we don't know how big the "core collection" of current hymns and children's songs will be, taking a look at some of the current hymns that have been sung in the most recent General Conferences may give us clues.

I am grateful for these newest releases, and for the chance to pass this analysis on to 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.

 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.

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Groundbreaking Announced for the Maceio Brazil Temple

Hello again, everyone! Today, the First Presidency set groundbreaking arrangements for the Maceió Brazil Temple. Let's break down those details: the groundbreaking for this temple is set to take place on Saturday, October 10 (just one week after the October 2026 General Conference). Elder B. Corey Cuvelier of the Brazil Area Presidency will preside over that ceremony. This announcement follows that temple's announcement in April 2022, the site location confirmation in March 2023, and the release of its exterior rendering in May 2024.

Given the timing of this temple's groundbreaking, I'm sure other temple groundbreakings could be set to occur before it. But currently, this announcement marks the fourteenth in 2026. 2026 is currently 48 days behind 2025. But, as noted, I do anticipate other groundbreakings perhaps being set to occur before this one does. Time will tell how correct that notion is. This will mark the sixth Brazilian temple to join the current construction queue.

I had been hoping we might see other temple dedications announced, or additional information released about other temples, but I'm glad we at least got this announcement today. 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.

Elder Patrick Kearon Celebrates His 65th Birthday Today

Hello again, everyone! With today being July 18, Elder Patrick Kearon is observing his 65th birthday. This post will be my birthday tribute to him. Let's revieiw some details about him: Patrick Robert David Kearon was born on this day in 1961 to Paddy and Patricia Kearon in Carlisle, Cumbria, Northern England. 

His parents met when both were serving in the British armed forces. Despite his family not being religious, Elder Kearon and his four older siblings were raised in an environment of service, sacrifice, and devotion to one another. While his family was stationed in Saudi Arabia, Patrick spent time away from his family in boarding schools, and he recounted the hardships of that. 

While at his second boarding school, he and his classmates were tasked with helping to clean up after flooding in the area of his boarding school. That too was a formative experience for him in his youth. Once Patrick finished high school, he returned to his family in Saudi Arabia, where he underwent vocational training in several industries, eventually concluding with a communications consultancy that he ran with his wife.

When he was 19 years old, his father and brother-in-law died in a tragic accident. Patrick went home to England to be with his mother for a time, but soon returned to Saudi Arabia to continue working. In a later return to London, he met some Church members. From them, he gained a genuine appreciation and respect for their Christlike examples. A couple of years after that, some impressive missionaries asked if he would like a priesthood blessing.

During that blessing from a senior missionary he knew well, he felt a strong peace, light, and joy that he couldn't deny. After a couple more experiences that further touched his mind and heart, he was baptized on Christmas Eve in 1987. Two years later, he was in a YSA ward when he met Jennifer Hulme, who was an American-born student on a foreign-exchange program. She was impressed by the way he interacted with and treated people. They married in the Oakland California Temple in January 1991.

They raised their family in England for 19 years until Elder Kearon's April 2010 General Conference call as a General Authority Seventy. Coincidentally, that was the same conference in which his now fellow apostle Elder Gerrit W. Gong was also called as a General Authority Seventy. Prior to his call as a General Authority Seventy, Elder Kearon served as branch president, stake president, and area seventy.

Elder Kearon was called to the Presidency of the Seventy in August 2017, where he served alongside Elders Gerrit W. Gong and Ulisses Soares, who would become his immediate apostolic seniors. Elder Kearon became the Senior President of the Seventy in August 2020, serving in that capacity until his aforementioned call to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in early December 2023.

Following a meeting with the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Elder Kearon was invited to meet with President Nelson, who extended the apostolic call to him. Upon his acceptance of that call, President Nelson asked him to go with him to meet the other apostles. He was then given his apostolic charge, was ordained an apostle, and set apart as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He didn't have much time to adjust to his new role, as he and his wife had to catch a plane to BYU-Hawaii, where he spoke about how daunting the call seemed to him.

Those who know Elder Kearon best describe him as very soft-spoken, kind, and genuinely interested in everyone with whom he comes in contact. Elder Kearon has spoken 8 times in General Conference, twice as a GA Seventy, once as a member of the Presidency of the Seventy, and 5 times since his apostolic call. I am pleased to testify of the divine origin of his call to the apostleship. The moment I read about the call, the Spirit witnessed clearly to me that he was the right man to fill this apostolic vacancy. 

I'm grateful for the opportunity to pay tribute to Elder Patrick Kearon on this, his 65th birthday. 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.

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.

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Preliminary Details Confirmed for the Campo Grande & Goiania Brazil & Medellin Colombia Temples; Exterior Redering Released for the Spanish Fork Utah Temple

Hello again, everyone! With the Newsroom still being intermittently down, I wasn't sure there would be any temple news released today. But I accessed the repository page for temple news in 2026, which lead me to finding today's temple news: The First Presidency has announced the preliminary information for the Campo Grande Brazil, Goiânia Brazil, & Medellín Colombia Temples & also released the rendering for the Spanish Fork Utah Temple. There's a lot to get into, so let's get started!

We begin in Brazil. The Campo Grande Brazil Temple was announced in April 2025 by President Russell M. Nelson. The 11,300-square-foot, single-story edifice will rise on a 5.6-acre site at the intersection of Nelly Martins Avenue, Cigana Street, and Rio Negro Street, Carandá Bosque, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. As for the Goiânia Brazil Temple, it was announced in October 2023 by President Nelson. The 18,850-square-foot, single-story edifice will rise on a 5.54-acre site at the intersection of Rio Verde Avenue, Captain Breno Street, and Professor Hélio França Boulevard in Loteamento Faicalville, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil,

And for the Medellín Colombia Temple, it was originally announced by President Nelson in October 2024. The 10,471-square-foot edifice and an accompanying ancillary building.will rise on a 3.05-acre site located at Carrera 52#4-96, Guayabal, in Medellín, Colombia. The rendering of the Spanish Fork Utah Temple speaks for itself, but the release thereof marks an important step towards a groundbreaking. The Church Temples site notes that core soil samples & groundwater have been measured, and that design plans are well underway, so this temple's subsequent groundbreaking may be just a matter of time. That temple was also originally announced in April 2025, with the site location confirmed in mid-January of this year.

I have nothing much more to add as far as the rendering goes, but if any of you have any insights on that, please feel free to weigh in on that subject. I am grateful for the announcements about these 4 temples, though I was slightly surprised when, yet again, there were no dedications or groundbreakings announced. But I am pleased to report that 61 temples now have site locations announced (42 of those 61 have renderings published), which brings the queue of announced temples with no information officially confirmed down to 44.

I am very pleased by today's announcement, and hope my analysis thereof here is helpful to 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.

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.

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Full-scale Construction Anticipated to Resume Soon for the Bengaluru India Temple

Hello again, everyone! A stunning update on the Bengaluru India Temple may indicate that the temple's construction won't be stalled much longer. As the status update on that page explains, construction halted in late 2024. A new FCRA license (in India, FCRA stands for the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act) has been issued by India's Ministry of Home Affairs, and frozen funds have been released by the Bank of India. The only thing remaining is for the Church to get local approval from India's GBA (Global Biofuels Alliance), which may or may not be a routine matter.

At any rate, from what I can gather, construction on the Bengaluru India Temple appears likely to be able to resume in the near term. However, because there is that one last approval to get before the Church can resume that construction, the Church of Jesus Christ Temples site has moved that temple down in the construction queue. It previously sat between the Teton River Idaho and Birmingham England Temples and is now positioned between the Vancouver Washington and Budapest Hungary Temples. I will evaluate how that changes the estimates I have most recently offered ASAP.

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.

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Groundbreaking Announced for the Couer d'Alene Idaho Temple

Hello again, everyone! This afternoon, the First Presidency set a groundbreaking date for the Couer d'Alene Idaho Temple. The groundbreaking will take place on Saturday, August 29, 2026, under the direction of Elder Hutch U. Fale of the United States West Area Presidency. This will be the 13th temple groundbreaking in 2026. 

The 13th temple groundbreaking in 2025 occurred on August 23, so we are only a few days behind last year's groundbreakings. I am hoping many other groundbreakings will take place during the remainder of this year, and that 2026 groundbreakings will well surpass 2025 groundbreakings. I am more than slightly surprised that we didn't also get either one or two more groundbreakings or another temple dedication set. Right now, we have 4 temples with major construction wrapped up, and 5 more nearing completion.

But maybe we'll see one or more dedications and one or more groundbreakings announced next week. Given that the First Presidency announced this today, I'm hopeful we can count on Monday announcements continuing through the remainder of this month and for the foreseeable future. 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.