Hello again, everyone! About an hour later than usual, the First Presidency officially confirmed the opening arrangements for the Pago Pago American Samoa Temple and the groundbreaking arrangements for the Vienna Austria Temple. There's a lot to get into, so let's dive right in! The media day for the first temple in American Samoa will take place on Monday, November 2, 2026, with invited guests touring the temple the next day.
The public open house follows from Wednesday, November 4, through Saturday, November 21. The temple's dedication will follow on Sunday, December 13, 2026, under the presiding direction of Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Contrary to what I had originally theorized, this announcement demonstrates that the Church will still conduct some temple dedications in December. The arrangements make sense, given the smaller size of that temple.
It did occur to me to wonder if the Church might also be able to dedicate the Smithfield Utah Temple before the end of this year as well, but since it is a larger temple and there's no announcement on that dedication yet, Smithfield's dedication will probably take place in January of next year at the earliest. I am grateful we got this temple dedication news today. I have added this dedication to my document showing current apostolic temple dedications during President Oaks' prophetic tenure.
That brings me to the other news: a groundbreaking for the first temple in Austria. That event will take place on Saturday, October 17, 2026, under the presiding direction of Elder Michael Cziesla of the Europe Central Area Presidency. This one is personal to my wife, as she served in what was then the Vienna Austria Mission (which became the Germany Munich/Austria Mission). This groundbreaking will be the seventeenth this year, and there are still plenty of Saturdays left in the year for other groundbreakings.
So we may yet see 2026 surpass the 20 groundbreakings we saw last year. I'm sure others will be scheduled in the coming weeks. The dedication and groundbreaking are the only updates we got this week, but I was glad to see both of them and to bring you word of them in this post. It'll be interesting to see if other temple updates on the next several Mondays are similarly delayed. But whatever happens in that regard, you can count on my covering it 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.
The Pago Pago Temple dedication is perfect timing with the Apia Temple closing just 10 days later on December 23.
ReplyDeleteI assume we will see interior photographs of the Miraflores Temple either later today or sometime tomorrow, since the media tours are currently under way. https://noticias.laiglesiadejesucristo.org/articulo/medios-de-comunicaci%C3%B3n-conocen-el-templo-de-miraflores--ciudad-de-guatemala--guatemala
ReplyDeleteNoah, thanks for weighing in with these two comments. I hadn't thought of your first point, but you are correct. I'm sure the plan all along was to have the American Samoa Temple operational in time to cover for the closure of the Apia Samoa Temple, even though the latter announcement was made first. I also hope for photographs and details on the Miraflores temple in the main Newsroom later this evening or at some point tomorrow. Please let me know if you happen to see such an update before I mention it here. Thanks for taking time to comment, Noah. I always appreciate hearing from you.
DeleteAs mentioned in Noah's earlier comment, the Spanish Newsroom page shares information about the beginning of the open house for the Miraflores Guatemala City Guatemala Temple, but does not include interior pictures as of yet. Hopefully the main Newsroom will cover that update later today or tomorrow. In the interim, the Church News has reported on the Vienna Austria groundbreaking but has not yet covered the dedication of the first temple in American Samoa. My thanks once again to you all.
ReplyDeleteAnd the Church News has also covered the beginning of the Miraflores Guatemala City Guatemala Temple. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteThe Church News has now covered the American Samoa Temple dedication. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteAnd the main Newsroom has shared a report on the media tours for the Miraflores Guatemala City Guatemala Temple. Present for that media day were Elders Patricio M. Giuffra (Central America Area President) and one of his counselors, Elder Ryan K. Olsen, in addition to Elder Mark D. Eddy, who may be an Assistant Executive Director of the Temple Department. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteOn this Tuesday, the Church News has shared two new reports, each of which speaks for itself. With no new reports from the Newsroom thus far, I am pleased to report several temple construction updates:
DeleteFirst, the Port Vila Vanuatu and Freetown Sierra Leone Temples have swiched spaces in the queue and both have moved back in that queue. The two temples used to sit between the Neiafu Tonga Temple on one end and the Santa Cruz Bolivia Temple on the other. In addition to switching places, the Freetown Sierra Leone & Port Vila Vanuatu Temples now sit between the Londrina Brazil Temple on one end and the Queretaro Mexico Temple on the other.
Aside from that shift in the queue, temple construction status updates have been reported for the following temples: Londrina Brazil, Freetown Sierra Leone, Birmingham England, and Heber Valley Utah.In reference to that update on the latter temple, there has been no report as of yet that the Utah Supreme Court has reached a decision on the legality of the construction approval process for that temple. But the fact that we lack such a ruling for now does give me hope that when the ruling comes, it might be in favor of the Church and Wasatch County. Time will tell if that theory is proven correct. My thanks once again to you all.
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and Elder Neil L. Andersen of that same Quorum ministered to fire survivors in Spokane Washington. And the latest edition of the Church News podcast focuses on the third anniversary of a Church-sponsored initiative blessing and benefitting women & children. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteA new Church News video features President Christofferson at the rededication of the San Diego California Temple. Additionally, the Church News has shared the text of the prayer President Christofferson offered for that rededication. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteOn this Wednesday, the Church News has shared the origin story of another new hymn, "What God Calls Us To Do".Having such an origin story published on a Wednesday is unusual. I hope that means we might get another major announcement this week, or at very least word of one or more new temple leader couples for more of the newer temples that are getting closer to the top of the construction queue.
DeleteAnd speaking of that construction queue, I am surprised and pleased to share that full-scale construction has commenced on the construction queue between the Heber Valley Utah Temple and the Singapore Temple. Hopefully otther temples with full-scale construction pending will soon have similar updates that put them in the construction queue. For now, my thanks once again to you all.
Bishop Sean Douglas, Second Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, spoke to missionaries yesterday about the importance of seeking Christ in their service. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteAnd in light of the recent visit from President Uchtdorf and Elder Andersen, Church members in Spokane Washington are finding faith and blessings in the ashes from the fires. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteThe Church has formally issued a statement on the regional drought and the Great Salt Lake, and the Bells at Temple Square had their "Ring, Rejoice, Rise" concert. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteOn this Thursday, from the African Newsroom comes a report on Elder Cllark G. Gilbert's apostolic ministry visit to Sierra Lone, where our newest apostle spoke with the Vice President of that nation about ways in which the Church can help the citizens of Sierra Leone become better educated. So it appears as though, despite the fact that Elder Gilbert is no longer the Commisioner of Church Education, he is still helping the Church to expand educational opportunities to underserved areas of the world. The news release did not specify whether the apostle would be visiting any other nations in the Africa West Area, but it did occur to me to wonder whether he might have been given apostolic oversight of the Africa West Area. Seems likely, but no official confirmation of that yet.
DeleteMeanwhile, the Church News provides a look at Church membership growth in the United States within the last 25 years. The number of Latter-day Saints has increased in 49 of the 50 states of that nation. California is the only exception to that, which might explain why the Church opened 3 new missions in California despite the deficit of Church membership in that state.
As noted previously, Elder Mark A. Bragg, who is the Executive Director of the Church's Family History Department, recently was a guest on the Church News podcast, where he spoke about the vital role of records custodians in family history work. The Church News also covered yesterday's Church statement on the Great Salt Lake and the regional drought.
My thanks once again to you all.
A new Church News videoshares how Cambodia "treasures temples".And 3 Latter-day Saint teens represented Team USA at the world Ulitmate Frisbee championships. And Elder Gary E. Stevenson ministered to earthquake victims in Colombia. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteOn this Friday, with no new updates from the Newsroom thus far, the Church News has shared the following updates: at the Tri-Africa Conference, legal, religious, and civic leaders underscored the link between laws and religious freedom.Participating on behalf of the Church was Africa South Area President Elder Carlos A. Godoy. The Church News also shared the statement from the Asia Area Presidency about the recent flooding in China and Nepal. And the Church now has new procedures in place to book Church camps.for Young Men and Young Women. That update was first shared in a notice sent out to ward and stake leaders yesterday, and the updated process will be beginning in November.
DeleteMy thanks once again to you all.
One additional update from the Church News speaks for itself. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteA few thousand food kits are being delivered to Cali, Colombia, by the Church as the aftermath of the massive earthquake continues. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteIn a newly released statement, the First Presidency paid tribute to King Harald V of Norway, who passed away yesterday at the age of 89. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteAnd the Church News has named the next guest for the Tabernacle Choir's Virtuoso Concert Series: Dr. Kenneth Udy. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteThe latest edition of "This Week on Social", which featured posts from the following general Church leaders this week:
DeletePresident D. Todd Christofferson, Second Counselor in the First Presidency; the following members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles: Acting President Dieter F. Uchtdorf and Elders David A. Bednar, Ronald A. Rasband, Gary E. Stevenson, Dale G. Renlund, Ulisses Soares Patrick Kearon, Gérald Caussé, and Clark G. Gilbert ; the Young Women General Presidency (President Emily Belle Freeman and Sisters Tamara W. Runia & Andrea Munoz Spannaus, posting via Young Women Worldwide), who addressed the new youth curriculum; Brother Gabriel W. Reid, Second Counselor in the Sunday School General Presidency (who was featured on the Gospel Learning and Teaching page); and Brother Sean R. Dixon, Second Counselor in the Young Men General Presidency (who was featured on Young Men Worldwide).
My thanks once again to you all.
Elder Gary E. Stevenson continues his ministry in the South America Northwest Area. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteOn this Saturday, the Church's official website has noted that a special broadcast will be held on Tuesday, September 1 at 10:30 AM as reservations for the Salt Lake Temple celebration will be released for the first time. The broadcast in question will just be half an hour,. So stay tuned for that. Meanwhile, the Newsroom has shared that CNN will provide a limited sneak peek of the Salt Lake Temple.
ReplyDeleteIn an unrelated Newsroom update, Elder Gary E. Stevenson met with the mayor of Cali Colombia. The Church News also shared an apostolic ministry update about Elder Clark G. Gilbert's first visit to Sierra Leone. As Inoted in conjuction with the Newsroom report on that visit, it occurredto me to wonder if Elder Gilbert has apostolic oversight of the Africa West Area. Church News editor Jon Ryan Jensen shared his thoughts about the importance of a well-functioning home. And ahead of tomorrow's dedication of Cambodia's first temple, the Church News shares this report.
My thanks once again to you all.
In addition, I can also confirm that the groundbreaking for the Coeur d'Alene Idaho Temple took place as scheduled this morning, although there are no official reports there of as of yet today. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteThe Church News has also provided the text of the messagethat will be given by Brother Derrick Porter during tomorrow's 5,059th episode of "Music & the Spoken Word". My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteAnd an update has been reported on the Fairbanks Alaska Temple. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteThe Newsroom has shared a report on this morning's Coeur d'Alene Idaho Temple groundbreaking. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteThe Church News has covered Elder Stevenson's Colombian ministry and the Coeur d'Alene Idaho Temple groundbreaking, My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteElder Patrick Kearon dedicated the Phnom Pehn Cambodia Temple as scheduled on Sunday morning (it is now late Sunday night there). And the Church News has also reported 17 new stake presidencies, 6 for newly created stakes, and the other 11 were stake reorganizations. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteThe top 9 developments reported by the Church News have been shared in the latest edition of "In Case You Missed It: Week in Review".
DeleteAnd with this next week's "Come,, Follow Me" focusing on Psalms 102-103, 110, 116-119, 127-128, 135-139, 146-150 (19 Psalms in all, if I counted correctly), see what Church leaders have said about those passages. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteThe Cambodian Newsroom covered the dedication of the Phnom Penh Cambodia Temple, with that report being featured on the main Newsroom page and also on the repository page for temple news in 2026. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteWe are down to just 34 days before the October 2026 General Conference convenes. In order to prepare for that, the Church News suggests reviewing one talk per day. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteElder Clark G. Gilbert continues his ministry visit in West Africa. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteThe public open house for the Ephraim Utah Temple began today with media tours. Representing the Church at that kick-off were Elders K. Brett Nattress and Taylor G. Godoy (both of whom are Assistant Executive Directors of the Temple Department) and Elder John A. McCune of the Utah Area Presidency, I don't anticipate that will be the only temple news we get today, so stay tuned here during the 2:00 PM MDT hour for my analysis of whatever else might be announced at that time. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteJust prior to today's temple news, the Church News shared a special Monday edition of the Church News podcast featuring the youth curriculum changes outlined by Young Women General President Emily Belle Freeman and Young Men General President Timothy L. Farnes. My thanks once again to you all.
Delete