UPDATE: Third Quarter 2023 Temple Construction Progress Updates

Hello again, everyone! As the final moments of September (and thus the third quarter of 2023) wind down, it is time to take a look at where temple construction stands as of the end of this quarter. So, by way of review, let's look back at where things stood as 2023 began, on the Saturday of the April 2023 General Conference, at the end of the first half of 2023, and where things stand now.

The data largely speaks for itself. I also recognize that the last report will be outdated in about 16 hours, when, at the conclusion of the Sunday Afternoon Session of General Conference, President Nelson will likely announce new temples. The new temples will be added to both the third-quarter report and the main temple construction progress document. I am looking forward to that announcement.

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 the offered 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. 

Please subscribe if you liked what you read here and would like to be informed of newly-added posts and comments. 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: Site Location and Preliminary Information Released for Lagos and Benin City Nigeria Temples; Exterior Rendering Released for Rebuilt Kona Hawaii Temple

Hello again, everyone! The First Presidency just released the site locations and preliminary details for both the Lagos Nigeria and Benin City Nigeria Temples, and also released a rendering of the reconstructed Kona Hawaii Temple. With a preliminary version of this post having been published a short time ago, let's get right into the details: First, as most of you are likely aware, the Lagos Nigeria Temple was originally announced in October 2018, with the Benin City Nigeria Temple following in April 2020.

The single-story temple in Lagos will be approximately 19,800 square feet and will rise on a 2.7-acre site at Rumens Road and Bourdillon Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, Nigeria. In addition to the temple proper, patron housing and an arrival center will be part of that project. The two-story 30,700-square-foot Benin City Nigeria Temple will also feature an arrival center and patron housing at 16 Commercial Ave., Benin City, Nigeria.

Before I move on to the Kona Hawaii Temple rendering, I wanted to note that, in view of these announcements about two Nigerian temples, all temples originally announced in October 2018 have, at minimum, had site locations and preliminary details announced, though a number of them are also in the construction queue, somewhere in between, or have already been dedicated. 

Only 2 temples originally announced in April 2020 have not had information released: Dubai United Arab Emirates and Shanghai China, both of which may take some time. Of the 79 currently announced temples, all but 39 (a little under half) have seen some information announced. I should also note I'm a little surprised we haven't gotten word on any other temple dedications yet. Hopefully, that's coming down the pike starting next week. 

With all of that said, let's now turn to the Kona Hawaii Temple rendering. That temple is scheduled to close for renovation on September 30, with plans to expand it from either 10,700 square feet or 9,500 square feet (the Church Temples page for that temple lists both numbers) to an even 12,000 square-foot edifice. That temple will close on September 30. That said, the rendering seems to be very much in keeping with temples designed under President Nelson's dynamic leadership. I will let others more qualified than I am comment on anything significant you see about the redesign.

I am grateful to have been able to learn about this news and to be able to pass it along to you all. Hopefully, this means that the Church may soon queue up more groundbreakings and release several more renderings in the weeks ahead. I also hope we get at least 1 or 2 temple dedication announcements before General Conference weekend, but time will tell in that regard. 

I continue to monitor all Church News, Newsroom, and Church Temples updates and will be sure to bring word of those to you all here as I receive those updates. 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 the offered 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. Please subscribe if you liked what you read here and would like to be informed of newly-added posts and comments. 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: Exterior Rendering Released for Austin Texas Temple; Site Location and Preliminary Information Confirmed for Lethbridge Alberta Temple

Hello again, everyone! Just a few minutes ago, the Newsroom released new information on two temples: An exterior rendering for the Austin Texas Temple and the site location and preliminary information about the Lethbridge Alberta Temple. The site location for the Austin Texas Temple was announced last year on December 19. With a rendering released for that 30,000-square-foot single-story temple, hopefully that means a groundbreaking could soon be announced.

That said, the Lethbridge Alberta Temple (set to be built in a region where President Nelson's wife Wendy lived) will be a multistory temple of 45,000-square-feet and an adjacent distribution center, which will rise on a site of more than 9 acres at the corner of Whoop Up Drive West and Mauretania Road West. The fact that it will be a multistory temple seems significant, and suggests that the temple will be built up rather than out.

I am grateful that the first Canadian temple announced by President Nelson now has preliminary information released. And the Church has announced sufficient information on several other temples that may soon have a groundbreaking. I'm also more than slightly surprised that today's announcement did not relate to a temple opening. We've got 3 temples awaiting the announcement of their opening arrangements, and a total of 4 others that are nearing completion.

As I've commented previously, the Church may be waiting to announce opening arrangements for the Red Cliffs Utah Temple until more is known about Elder Holland's health. Based on the fact that President Nelson has assigned temple dedications to apostles with personal connections to areas in the past, Elder Holland's health may be the foremost factor impacting an announcement on Red Cliffs. As far as the delays on arrangements for Layton Utah and Puebla Mexico, not sure of the cause there.

But the Church continues to make such announcements as they can. Stay tuned here for more information as I find out about it. While composing this post, the Church News also covered these updates. I continue to monitor all such news, in addition to updates from the Church News, Newsroom, and on other temples under construction or announced and will be sure to pass word of those along here as time and circumstances allow.

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 the offered 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. Please subscribe if you liked what you read here and would like to be informed of newly-added posts and comments. 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: Site Location and Preliminary Information Confirmed for the Bakersfield California Temple; Exterior Rendering Released for Cleveland Ohio Temple

Hello again, everyone! As I predicted, today, the Church announced the latest major temple construction update has been announced. But contrary to what I had supposed, today's announcement did not include opening arrangements for the Red Cliffs Utah Temple. Instead, the First Presidency confirmed the site location and preliminary information for the Bakersfield California Temple, and an exterior rendering for the Cleveland Ohio Temple.

Let's break down the details: The Bakersfield California Temple was announced in April of this year. In addition to the 30,000-square-foot single-story temple, the Church will also be building a distribution center and a new meetinghouse at the northwest corner of Jewetta Avenue and Stockdale Highway in Bakersfield. Meanwhile, the site location and preliminary information were confirmed for the Cleveland Ohio Temple on December 19 of last year. 

The single-story temple of approximately 9,950 square feet will be built south of Longano Dr., Independence, Cuyahoga County. The current status of that temple suggests it is another that is being fast-tracked to the construction phase. The exterior rendering does not suggest this will be another modular temple, but since it is a smaller one, and because approvals are well underway for it, hopefully we will see a groundbreaking announcement soon.

In view of today's announcement, of the 79 announced temples, 46 have not yet had official information confirmed. Having covered these developments, I wanted to post a few thoughts about the timing for the opening arrangements for the next few temples. The announcement of opening arrangements for the Orem Utah Temple was made on Tuesday, June 20, with a dedication set for January 21, 2024. 

If we assume that the Red Cliffs Utah Temple dedication will have a similar length of time between the announcement of opening arrangements and the subsequent dedication, and we assume that the opening arrangements for that temple will be released next week, the dedication of the Red Cliffs Utah Temple is likely to be held sometime in March. 

I still don't know whether construction for the Puebla Mexico Temple is still being halted by the government, but we do know that that temple, in addition to those in Layton Utah, Salta Argentina, and Coban Guatemala, is nearing completion. So I think the Layton temple could be dedicated in either March or April, the Salta temple in April, the Coban temple in April or May, and the Puebla Temple in May.

The next 3 temples likely to be dedicated are, in order, Casper Wyoming, Taylorsville Utah, and Urdaneta Philippines, with a May or June window for Casper, a June window for Taylorsville, and a late June or early August dedication for the Urdaneta temple. Of course, these are no more and no less than my own projections, and they are subject to confirmation, correction, or clarification by an official announcement from the Church.

Whatever might happen with temple construction updates, you can count on my bringing word thereof to you all as I receive it. I also am continuing to monitor all Church News and Newsroom updates and will likewise pass word of those along to you all here as I receive it. 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 the offered 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. Please subscribe if you liked what you read here and would like to be informed of newly-added posts and comments. 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 Ceremonies Set for Modesto California and Fort Worth Texas Temples

Hello again, everyone! Although I previously stated that I didn't foresee the Church making any major temple construction announcements in the month of July, the First Presidency proved me wrong again. Just a few minutes ago, groundbreaking arrangements were announced for the Modesto California and Fort Worth Texas temples. Let's get right into the details: 

The groundbreaking for the Modesto California Temple will occur on Saturday, October 7 (the week after General Conference), with Elder Gary B. Sabin, the current Second Counselor in the North America West Area presidency (who will serve as First Counselor effective August 1), presiding. Ground will be broken for the Fort Worth Texas Temple on Saturday, October 28, with Elder Jose L. Alonso, First Counselor in the North America Southwest Area, presiding.

While I welcome the announcements of these upcoming groundbreakings, I was surprised they are spread out so far into the future. My hope is that the Church may be trying to get approvals for other temple groundbreakings that could occur between August 1 and these two October groundbreakings. I continue to monitor any and all temple construction updates, in addition to Church News and Newsroom reports and will be sure to pass those along to you all here as time and circumstances allow.

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 the offered 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. Please subscribe if you liked what you read here and would like to be informed of newly-added posts and comments. 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.

UPDATE: Overview of Temple Construction Prgoress During the Second Quarter (and First Half) of 2023

Hello again, everyone! As the final minutes of the second quarter (and first half) of 2023 move toward their inevitable conclusion, I wanted to provide an overview of temple construction progress throughout the last six months. We begin with the document showing where temple construction stood as 2023 began, on the first day of the April 2023 General Conference, and where things stand at this mid-point of 2023.

The data largely speaks for itself. While I am not surprised at the high number of temples that have already been dedicated this year, I have been surprised by the slower pace the Church has taken in announcing subsequent dedications. Again, that seems to simply be the result of supply chain issues, which will not last forever. And the temples currently in the construction queue have moved a lot both forward and backward in terms of their completion orders and estimates.

Quite frankly, I was also surprised that the St. George Utah Temple will be rededicated before the end of this year. With Elder Holland having started to return to his apostolic duties, I believe he will either preside over or accompany whomever presides over both the rededication of the St. George Utah Temple and the dedication of the Red Cliffs Utah Temple.

And I'm cautiously optimistic that once the Saratoga Springs, Orem, Red Cliffs, Layton, and Taylorsville Utah Temples are dedicated, additional Utah temples could be announced.

I was similarly stunned that this first half of 2023 only had 4 temple groundbreakings. I'm cautiously optimistic that we could see over a dozen temple groundbreakings in this second half of 2023. And I'm sure we've got other site confirmations and exterior renderings coming down the pike in the near term, especially if the Church continues its' custom of sharing major temple construction news once a week. So I think we are in for a very busy second half of 2023.

To the best of my ability, I will be sure to track those developments, in addition to all updates from the Church News and the Newsroom, and will be sure to pass word thereof to you all here as they cross my radar. 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 the offered 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. Please subscribe if you liked what you read here and would like to be informed of newly-added posts and comments. 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: Open House and Dedication Set for Orem Utah Temple; Closure Date Announced for Provo Utah Temple; Location and Preliminary Details Released for the Wichita Kansas Temple

 Hello again, everyone! At this 2:00 PM hour on this Tuesday, the Church has shared the next major temple construction announcement has been made, which means that Tuesday may be the new standard date for temple news going forward. What we have today is opening arrangements for the Orem Utah Temple; an official closure date for the Provo Utah Temple; and the site location and initial information for the Wichita Kansas Temple. There's a lot to break down, so let's get right into it.

We begin with the Orem Utah Temple. Following a media day on Monday, October 23, and VIP tours from Tuesday, October 24-Thursday October 26, the public open house will be held between Friday, October 27-Saturday, December 16, 2023, except for the Sundays of October 29, November 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30, and December 3 and 10. 

The dedication of that temple will follow in two sessions at 12:30 and 3:30 PM on Sunday, January 21, 2024. I was intrigued by the later times for these sessions. That may indicate that another temple dedication is anticipated to be held on that day.  No word on who will preside at that dedication, but the fact that this is the first temple dedication for 2024 is significant. 

I wouldn't be shocked if a member of the First Presidency, perhaps even President Nelson himself, presides at this dedication, but either of his counselors or any members of the Twelve with ties to that part of Utah County could be chosen for the task. At a glance, that may include President Dallin H. Oaks, or Elders D. Todd Christofferson or Ronald A. Rasband.

I also don't know what this might indicate about the timing of the dedications for the Lima Peru Los Olivos and Red Cliffs Utah Temples, but if I had to guess, one of the two might be dedicated by the end of the year, and the other might be delayed until next year. It's also possible that both will be dedicated next year on either January 14, 21, or 28. Stay tuned for further updates on this as I receive word thereof.

We now shift to the Provo Utah Temple, which, as we know, was announced to be reconstructed once the Orem Utah Temple was dedicated. Since that dedication has now been set, the Church has also announced the closure date for the Provo Utah Temple. That temple will be open through Saturday, February 24, and will close at the end of that day. I have ventured a completion estimate of late 2026 or sometime in 2027, but it could be completed sooner if construction goes smoothly and without interruption.

That brings us to the information released today about the Wichita Kansas Temple site. The temple will rise at at Lot 1 Block 1 of The Moorings Plaza Fourth Addition, Wichita, Sedgwick County, Kansas. Plans call for a single-story temple of approximately 9,950 square feet on the 6.42 acre site, and the temple may or may not use the modular design. I

t was my original understanding that the Church intended the Helena Montana, Casper Wyoming, and Elko Nevada Temples to all use the modular design, but the modular method was apparently only used on the first of those 3. The Okinawa Japan Temple was the right size for the modular design, but as far as I'm aware, that was built with normal methods. And the Casper and Elko temples were apparently built normally as well.

It's possible also that the Port Moresby Papua Nee Guinea, Port Vila Vanuatu, Tarawa Kiribati, and Torreon Mexico Temples all use the modular design as well, as could any temple with a floor plan close to 10,00 square feet. But I'm less sure on that than I once was. The Wichita Kansas Temple was one of the last two US temples announced in April 2022 that did not have any information officially confirmed. The last one is Missoula Montana. And today's announcement on the Wichita Kansas Temple means that 47 of the 79 announced temples have not had official information confirmed yet.

As I noted at the beginning of this post, with the Orem Utah Temple dedication set to occur next year, it remains to e seen how soon the Lima Peru Los Olivos and Red Cliffs Utah Temples could have official opening arrangements announced. But I'm glad we have additional information about these three temples today. Since it appears that Tuesday is the new standard day of the week for major temple updates, I will be sure to keep an eye out for those and will pass them along ASAP as time and circumstances allow.

I likewise monitor all updates from the Church News and the Newsroom, and any other temple construction developments and will pass those along to you all as I receive word thereof. 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 the offered 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. Please subscribe if you liked what you read here and would like to be informed of newly-added posts and comments. 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: Ste Location Confirmed and Official Details Released for Charlotte North Carolina Temple

Hello again, everyone! Contrary to what I had asserted, we got a major temple construction announcement today: official details for the Charlotte North Carolina Temple. This post will be updated with details later this afternoon. My thanks once again to you all.

(Added at 2:45 PM) I am back to provide a more detailed analysis of today's announcement. First, the Church News has also covered this announcement is significant, as the Charlotte North Carolina Temple was just announced 8 weeks ago in General Conference. The single-story edifice of 30,000 square feet will rise at 345 Providence Rd. S, in Weddington, North Carolina, on a 5.9-acre site. Given the size, it would not shock me if precast concrete panels were used to build this temple. 

There is no exterior rendering yet, nor has a groundbreaking been set. But if the Church has sufficient approvals for this temple to announce a site so soon after its' announcement, we might see quick action taken on this temple. Obviously, I was also not expecting any temple announcement today. So it begs the question: was this announcement made today because yesterday was Memorial Day in the United States, or is Tuesday now going to be the standard day on which major temple construction announcements are made?

Stay tuned for more on that as I figure it out. In any case, I am grateful for today's announcement and to have been able to pass it along to you all here. My assumption is that opening arrangements for the Orem Utah Temple could be released next week, with arrangements for the Red Cliffs Utah Temple being released either at the same time or a week or two later, with Lima Peru Los Olivos potentially following either in one or two weeks as well. 

I continue to monitor all Church News, Newsroom, and Church of Jesus Christ Temples updates and will bring word of those to you all here as I become aware of 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 the offered 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. Please subscribe if you liked what you read here and would like to be informed of newly-added posts and comments. 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: Opening Arrangements Set for the McAllen Texas Temple

Hello again, everyone! I mentioned in my most-recent comment on the threads of the previous post that I did not believe that the Helena Montana open house beginning would be the only major temple update noted today. That theory has now been proven correct. The opening arrangements for the McAllen Texas Temple have been officially confirmed. Let's get right into the details: A media day will be held on Monday, August 21, with VIP tours following for the next three days.

The public open house will then follow between Friday, August 26-Saturday September 9, excluding the Sundays of August 28 and September 3. The temple will be dedicated in two sessions (at 10:00 PM and 1:30 PM) by Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on Sunday, October 8, 2023. While the announcement of the arrangements for the McAllen Texas Temple was not unexpected, the timing of the dedication was a surprise. 

This dedication will occur on the same day as the previously-set dedication of the Feather River California Temple. And that opens the prospect that more US temples could be fit into the dedication schedule. I would therefore project that the dedication of the Red Cliffs Utah Temple might be set for October 22 or 29, or November 5. And if that happens, the dedication of the Lima Peru Los Olivos and Puebla Mexico Temples could take place in November as well, and that would still allow the Church to finish the year out with the dedications of the Layton Utah and Orem Utah Temples. 

But that's at a minimum. If two or more temple dedications occur on the same day again, the number of temples likely to be dedicated by the end of this year could be a lot higher than what has seemed likely with the more spread-out method of temple opening announcements. I will need to do some research and will try to pass along any updates on what we could potentially see ASAP. In the interim, I have started a new document to highlight the temple dedications and rededications by each of our current apostles during President Nelson's prophetic tenure.

I am grateful for this announcement. I continue to monitor all temple construction updates, along with all updates from the Church News and the Newsroom and will be sure to pass those along to you all here as I become aware thereof. 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 the offered 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. Please subscribe if you liked what you read here and would like to be informed of newly-added posts and comments. 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: Rededication Set for Historic St. George Utah Temple

Hello again, everyone! On this Monday, the First Presidency has announced the arrangements for the open house and rededication of the St. George Utah Temple. I was surprised that the announcement has been made already, and that it is apparently the only major temple news shared today. Let's get into the details: A media day will be held on Monday, September 11, with VIP tours held from Tuesday, September 12-Friday September 15, 2023.

Hello again, everyone! On this Monday, the First Presidency has announced the arrangements for the open house and rededication of the St. George Utah Temple. I was surprised that the announcement has been made already, and that it is apparently the only major temple news shared today. Let's get into the details: A media day will be held on Monday, September 11, with VIP tours held from Tuesday, September 12-Friday September 15, 2023.

A public open house will follow between Saturday, September 16-Saturday, November 11, 2023. The temple will then be rededicated in two sessions (at 10:00 AM and 1:30 PM) on Sunday, December 10, 2023. Interestingly, the release doesn't say who will rededicate that temple. I believe that is the case because the Church is waiting to see whether Elder Holland will be well enough to preside at that event.

Not only was this announcement sooner than I expected but the open house and rededication windows are both a lot shorter than I anticipated. I thought the Church would have a similar-length open house to the Saratoga Springs Utah Temple, and that this temple would only be rededicated next year. But the Lord knows what He's doing in inspiring these arrangements, so I have no doubt this was inspired.

That is the only temple announcement for today. So now we have an answer on the question of the St. George Utah Temple open house and rededication. I continue to monitor all such updates and will be sure to pass word of those along to you all here as I become aware thereof. 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 the offered 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. Please subscribe if you liked what you read here and would like to be informed of newly-added posts and comments. 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: Opening Arrangements Set for the Okinawa Japan Temple

Hello again, everyone! The next major temple announcement has been made from an unexpected source. Though the main Newsroom does not show this update, the Japanese version of the Newsroom has announced opening arrangements for the Okinawa Japan Temple. According to the release, open house tours will be conducted from Saturday, September 23-Saturday, October 7, 2023 (except for the Sundays of September 24 and October 1).

Though this is not specified in the release, I'm assuming media tours will be conducted on Monday or Tuesday, September 18 or 19, with VIP tours following for a few days prior to the public open house. The temple will be dedicated in two sessions on Sunday, November 12. Though the session times are not specified, every other two-session dedications have been held at 10:00 AM and 1:30 PM. 

The release also fails to specify who will preside at the dedicatory services. I am somewhat surprised by the timing of this dedication, but I'm glad the Church has set those arrangements. In any case, the timing on this dedication means that we might not see dedications for the Lima Peru Los Olivos and McAllen Texas Temples until November. 

The Red Cliffs Utah Temple dedication could either be held in November or December, with at least the Urdaneta Philippines and Puebla Mexico Temples dedicated before the end of 2023. That would then put the rededications of the St. George Utah Temple and the dedications of the Urdaneta Philippines, Layton Utah, Orem Utah, and Taylorsville Utah Temples in January or February. 

So beginning in 2024, I believe we will see a double-digit number of temples dedicated per year going forward. Once the main Newsroom page and the Church News cover this update, I will be sure to update this post with those links. In the meantime, I continue to monitor all Church News, Newsroom, and other temple construction updates and will bring those to you as they cross my radar.

That does it for now. All comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated on any post at any time, as long as the offered 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. 

Please subscribe if you liked what you read here and would like to be informed of newly-added posts and comments. 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.

Added t 4:09 PM: The Newsroom published an update on the Okinawa Japan Temple, which indicated that Elder Gary E. Stevenson will preside over the two dedicatory sessions for that dedication. The Newsroom release also included new information about  a temple in California. I will discuss that in a new post here in the next few minutes. For now, my thanks once again to you all.

UPDATE: First Quarter 2023 Review of Temple Construction Progress

Hello again, everyone! With the final day of March coming to its' official conclusion, and as we head into April, I am pleased to provide a look back at temple construction progress through the first quarter of 2023. For this review, I have a link to what my temple construction progress report looked like on the first day of this year, and a look at where things stand as the first quarter of 2023 ends. 

We are still getting regular temple construction updates every Monday. I don't anticipate that this weekend's General Conference will change that, so I anticipate that Monday will mark the first major temple construction announcement since General Conference weekend. In the meantime, I will be sure to bring you all an analysis of any other major developments from this General Conference weekend,

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 the offered 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. 

Please subscribe if you liked what you read here and would like to be informed of newly-added posts and comments. 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: Opening Arrangements Announced for Bangkok Thailand Temple; Groundbreakings Set for 3 Temples in Brazil and the Pacific Islands; Rendering Released for the Cody Wyoming Temple

Hello again, everyone! The Church's final Monday temple announcement before General Conference has just been shared. Today's update includes the opening arrangements for the Bangkok Thailand Temple, groundbreaking arrangements for the Belo Horizonte Brazil, Port Vila Vanuatu, and Port Moresby Papua New Guinea Temples, and the release of an exterior rendering for the Cody Wyoming Temple.

Let's get right into the details. We start in Bangkok Thailand. A media day will be held on Monday, August 28, with VIP tours held from Tuesday, August 29-Thursday August 21. Public tours will follow from Friday, September 1-Saturday, September 16, excluding the Sundays of September 3 and 10. Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will dedicate the Bangkok Thailand Temple in two sessions at 10:00 AM and 1:30 PM Bnngkok time on Sunday, October 22.

Although I had ventured an estimate of October 8, 15, or 22 for the Bangkok Thailand Temple, I was more than a little surprised that this dedication will occur on the last of those dates, given the Church's recent setting of 3 dedications for September 17. I don't know how or to what extent that might affect the timing of other temple dedications that I've protected, but I'll be looking into that ASAP and will provide updates as I make them.

I was also slightly surprised that the temple in Thailand will not be dedicated by one of our apostles with Asia connections. Elder Gerrit W. Gong served in the Asia Area presidency, and Elder Gary E. Stevenson served in the Asia North Area presidency. So I assume the Church is saving those apostles for other temple dedications. Despite the details of the announcement not being exactly what I anticipated, I am grateful to see this temple's dedication scheduled.

We now move on to the three temple groundbreakings. First up, the groundbreaking for the Port Vila Vanuatu Temple has been rescheduled for Saturday, April 8, with Elder K. Brett Nattress, Pacific Area President, pressing as originally announced (it had been set to occur on March 4 but was postponed due to two major cyclones) The Church released the site location and exterior rendering for the Port Vila Vanuatu Temple on May 19, 2021. 

The groundbreaking for the Port Moresby Papua New Guinea Temple will occur on Saturday, April 22, with Elder Peter F. Meurs, First Counselor in the Pacific Area, presiding. The site location and exterior rendering for Papua New Guinea's first temple was announced on September 15, 2020, so it's great to have a groundbreaking announced almost 3 years later.

Ground will be broken for the Belo Horizonte Brazil Temple on Saturday, June 17, with Elder Juan A. Uceda, Second Counselor in the Brazil Area presidency, presiding thereat. The temple's site location and exterior rendering were originally released on September 23, 2021. Two of the other three temples for which site confirmations and renderings were released have had groundbreakings, leaving only the Cali Colombia Temple as the one from that group of four for which a groundbreaking has not yet been announced.

Finally, just two weeks after the Church confirmed the location of the Cody Wyoming Temple, the Church has today released its exterior rendering, which may suggest that the Church is fast-tracking that temple's construction start. With that in mind, this temple may also use the modular design to speed up construction. I am grateful to have learned of these updates and to be able to pass them along here. 

I continue to monitor Churchwide developments and will be sure to pass along Church News updates, Newsroom reports, and other temple construction updates as they cross my radar. 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 the offered 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. Please subscribe if you liked what you read here and would like to be informed of newly-added posts and comments. 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: Opening Arrangements Announced for Feather River California Temple; Rendering Released for Tampa Florida Temple; and Location and Preliminary Information Released for the Huehuetenango Guatemala Temple

Hello again, everyone! A few minutes ago, the Church made announcements about 3 temples: 2 in North America and one in Central America. The opening arrangements have been confirmed for the Feather River California Temple; the exterior rendering has been released for the Tampa Florida Temple; and the site location and preliminary information has been confirmed for the Huehuetenango Guatemala Temple. Let's break down the relevant details:

First, we start with the Feather River California Temple. There will be a media day on Tuesday August 15, followed by VIP tours Wednesday, August 16-Friday, August 18. Public open house tours will then be conducted from Saturday, August 19-Saturday, September 9, except for the Sundays of August 20 and 27, and September 3. The temple will be dedicated on Sunday, October 8 in two sessions at 10:00 AM and 1:30 PM, with Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles presiding thereat.

Over this last weekend, I had reconfigured my estimates for temple events yet again, and my updated projection for the Feather River California Temple dedication was for October 8, 15, or 22. With October 8 confirmed now for Feather River, I wouldn't be shocked if the dedications of the Bangkok Thailand and Okinawa Japan Temples were set for any of those 3 dates as well. Given the fact that the Church will dedicate 3 temples on Sunday September 17, multiple dedications on the same day in October, November, and December may be in store for the Church.

Of course, the timing of any temple event is up to the Lord, so unless and until official announcements confirm, clarify, or correct any of the estimates I offer for such events, as a disclaimer, I want to ensure my readers understand that these are no more and no less than my own best projections. Until an official Church announcement sets the actual details, no one reading those estimates of mine should take them as gospel. I am just as elated when proven wrong as I am on days like today, where an announcement verifies any of my projections.

Let's move on now to the rendering released for the Tampa Florida Temple. The site location for Florida's newest temple was announced on October 31 of last year, so to have the official rendering released today is a clear indicator of progress made towards being able to hold a groundbreaking ceremony. With that temple planned to be roughly 30,000 square feet, the rendering released today seems reminiscent of other Southwestern US temples in general, but also, more specifically, of a couple of other recently-announced Florida temples of the Church. 

If anyone else has any observations about the rendering, their assessment would likely be better than mine. I don't know whether or not I've mentioned this, or how recently I last shared it if I did, but as part of my day-to-day health challenges, I do have some visual perception issues that may not prove helpful in analyzing such renderings. So if any of you have feedback on the rendering, please feel free to comment, because I love hearing from those who can see things I might miss.

That said, today's final announcement pertains to Guatemala's newest temple in Huehuetenango. The 10,787-square-foot single-story edifice will rise at 18 Avenida, Zona 4, El Terrero in Huehuetenango. That temple, originally announced in October of last year, may either use a slightly larger modular design or else have the dual-purpose ordinance rooms that can rotate between being used for temple sealings or endowment sessions as the need arises.

With today's announcement, the number of temples for which no official information has been confirmed now stands at 36. I am grateful to have been able to provide a look at this latest update, and it's good to see the Church continuing to announce such developments regularly. Today's announcement marks the second-to-last one the Church will make on a Monday before General Conference, which is now just under two weeks away.

Between now and General Conference weekend, I continue to monitor all updates from the Church News and the Newsroom and will be sure to pass those along ASAP after they cross my radar. 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 the offered 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. Please subscribe if you liked what you read here and would like to be informed of newly-added posts and comments. 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: Opening Arrangements Announced for Moses Lake Washington Temple; Site Location and Initial Details Released for the Cody Wyoming Temple

Hello again, everyone! As you are undoubtedly aware, the Church has recently habitually made major temple construction announcements nearly every Monday afternoon at some point during the 2:00 PM hour. Today's announcement relates to two temples in the western United States (Moses Lake Washington and Cody Wyoming). Let's get right into the details:

The opening arrangements have been set for the Moses Lake Washington Temple.  A media day will be held on Monday, July 31, with VIP tours between Tuesday, August 1, and Thursday, August 3. The public open house will follow from Friday, August 4 to Saturday, August 19, 2023. That temple will then be dedicated on September 17, with Elder Quentin L. Cook presiding over the two dedicatory sessions, which will be held at 10:00 AM and 1:30 PM.

As most of us might recall, the Church has already set the dedications for the Bentonville Arkansas and Brasilia Brazil Temples for September 17 as well. So that means that 3 temples of the Church will be dedicated on a single day, which is a first for the Church unless I am mistaken. The order of those dedications will be Brasilia Brazil, Bentonville Arkansas, and Moses Lake Washington.

I was honestly stunned by this announcement, as I had been expecting news on the Feather River California, Okinawa Japan, Bangkok Thailand, and Lima Peru Los Olivos Temples before anything was announced for Moses Lake. Even though I wasn't expecting this announcement now, 3 temple dedications held on the same date will be wonderful and may suggest that more temples could be dedicated this year than I had projected previously.

That being said, we move on now to the news about the Cody Wyoming Temple. The single-story edifice, which will be roughly 9,950 square feet, will rise on the northwest side of Skyline Drive at Cody Canal. Based on that, either a slightly-downscaled modular design could be used, or the Church could opt to use two dual-purpose ordinance rooms which could serve alternately as either endowment or sealing rooms as the need and schedule may require.

That temple was the final one in the US originally announced in October 2021. So the only US temples remaining in the queue of those without an announcement now include 2 from April of last year and 3 from last October. With 68 announced temples in the current queue, today's announcement brings the number of temples with no information officially confirmed down to 37. I am certain that number will decrease further in the two Mondays remaining before General Conference weekend.

The better question is how soon we might hear news on any other temple openings, and that's a harder question to answer. I think we could see at least one or two more dedications, groundbreakings, and/or site locations announced in those two weeks. And if the Church is setting a new precedent of 3 temple dedications in one day, it's not s stretch to believe that 4 or 5 could potentially take place over a two-week period.

Whatever might happen in that regard, I am keeping my eyes open for all such updates, and will be sure to pass them along to you all here as I become aware thereof. 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 the offered 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. Please subscribe if you liked what you read here and would like to be informed of newly-added posts and comments. 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 Set for the Montpelier Idaho Temple; Site Location and Preliminary Details Confirmed for the Maceio Brazil Temple

 Hello again, everyone! As I mentioned a few minutes ago, there was no new temple update at 2:00. However, here we are at around 2:30, and such an update has been published. The First Presidency has announced the groundbreaking arrangements for the Montpelier Idaho Temple and the site location and initial details for the Maceió Brazil Temple. Let's get right into the details:

Ground will be broken for the Montpelier Idaho Temple on Saturday, June 17, 2023, with Elder Ryan K. Olsen, a GA Seventy, presiding. An official rendering for the temple, and additional details about the groundbreaking, will be released closer to that time. By way of review, the Montpelier Idaho Temple was announced in April 2022, with the site location and initial details confirmed just 1 month later. 

As for the Maceió Brazil Temple (which was also announced in April of last year), the single-story 19,000-square-foot temple will rise at the location of  Avenida — Dr. Durval de Góis Monteiro, S/N, Quadra 0522, Lote 0228. Project leaders will work with government officials through the planning and approvals process, and an exterior rendering will likely be released closer to the time of its groundbreaking.

I'm a little surprised about the timing for the Montpelier Idaho Temple groundbreaking. My assumption is that the Church wanted to lock in a date for the groundbreaking now and then do the work to ensure the approvals can go through so that the exterior rendering can then be released once it gets the go-ahead from the governmental leaders with whom the Church will work. I think this may be the first time (at least in a couple of decades) that the Church has set a groundbreaking for any temple without a rendering being simultaneously released or released before the groundbreaking is announced.

To get these two updates in the same announcement was exciting. It's interesting to see how these announcements have come about. I will likewise be curious to see how the scheduling of other groundbreakings, dedications, and rededications works in the months ahead. I am watching out for word on all of these updates and will do my best to pass word thereof along to you all here, in addition to all Church News and Newsroom updates as they cross my radar. 

Between now and my next update, here is a revised copy of the document showing temples for which no official information has been announced. Of the 68 temples currently announced, 38 have not yet had any official information confirmed. If the First Presidency continues to announce preliminary information about other announced temples, either in conjunction with or separate from other temple construction announcements, those numbers are likely to change in the weeks ahead. 

I look forward to seeing what other updates will be announced between now and the upcoming General Conference. 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 the offered 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. 

Please subscribe if you liked what you read here and would like to be informed of newly-added posts and comments. 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.

BREAKIN TEMPLE NEWS: Opening Arrangements Announced for the Brasilia Brazil and Bentonville Arkansas Temples

Hello again, everyone! A few minutes ago, the First Presidency announced the opening arrangements for both the Brasilia Brazil and Bentonville Arkansas Temples. Let's break down the details: The Brasilia Brazil Temple open house will begin with a media day on August 1, followed by VIP/invited guest tours from Wednesday, August 2-Friday August 4.

The public open house will run from Saturday, August 5 to Saturday, August 26, except for the Sundays of August 6, 13, or 20, so tours will be offered for roughly 19 days. The temple's dedication will follow on Sunday, September 17, in two sessions held at 10:30 AM and 1:00 PM, and will be carried to all units in the new temple district.

The First Presidency has asked Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to preside over those sessions, due to his personal connection to the area while serving in the Brazil South Area Presidency in the early 2000s.

And for the Bentonville Arkansas Temple, a media day will be conducted on Monday, June 12, followed by VIP/invited guest tours between Tuesday, June 13, and Friday, June 16. The temple will be open to the public between Saturday, June 17-Saturday, July 2, except for the Sundays of June 18 and 25, which means tours will last approximately 14 days.

The temple's dedication will follow in two sessions at 10:30 AM and 1:00 PM, also on Sunday, September 17, 2023. The First Presidency has asked Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to preside at that dedication. He lived in that area for nearly two decades and also presided over that temple's groundbreaking remotely during COVID-19.

So a couple of takeaways here: This is the first time (to my knowledge) that a news release on this has indicated the reason for the assignment of these apostles to dedicate these temples. Hopefully that continues. We also know that the Church has set the dedications of these two temples for the same day, so they could do something similar with other temple pairs. Additionally, the Okinawa Japan Temple has not yet had opening arrangements announced, but it's possible that when that announcement is made, the dedication of that temple could take place between the June 18 dedication of the Helena Montana Temple (announced last week), and the August 13 dedication of the Saratoga Springs Utah Temple dedication.

Additionally, the fact that these dedications are set for mid-September leads me to believe that, at least for the time being, the scheduling of dedications will be further out than I have hoped or projected previously. Bryan Dorman, who is my Church contact from Mexico, mentioned the hope that the Puebla Mexico Temple might be dedicated in October or November.

But since the two dedications announced today are not taking place until September, and since there are 7 other temples in the queue between Brasilia/Bentonville and Puebla, we may only see the dedication of the Puebla Mexico Temple either towards the end of this year or the beginning of the next year, unless that temple moves ahead in the queue of the 5 other current temples in various phases between it.

That also likely means that the dedications of the 3 Utah Temples which are back-to-back in the queue might only occur next year as well, which would mean the Provo Utah Temple will likely not close for reconstruction until early-to-mid 2024, which might mean the reconstructed temple will only be rededicated in 2027 or 2028.

I am analyzing various factors on this and will have updated estimates for you here ASAP. I am grateful to have found today's update, and for the opportunity to pass those along to you all here. I continue to monitor all temple construction developments and updates from the Newsroom and the Church News and will pass those along to you all here as I become aware of 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 the offered 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. 

Please subscribe if you liked what you read here and would like to be informed of newly-added posts and comments. 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: Opening Arrangments Announed for the Helena Montana Temple

Hello again, everyone! As I mentioned this morning in my birthday tribute to Elder Rasband, I anticipated that, as has been traditional for most Monday afternoons (with the exception of US national holiday observances), the next major temple construction announcement would likely be made today at this time. That has proven to be correct. The First Presidency just announced the next major temple construction announcement. This week,the opeing arrangements were announced for the Helena Montana Temple. Let's take a closer look at the details.

A media day will be held on Monday May 15,followed by VIP tours the next couple of days. Public tours will be conducted between Thursday May 18 and Saturday June 3, with no tours conducted on the Sundays of May 21 and 28. Given that temple's smaller size, only 2 dedicatory sessions will be held on Sunday June 18, 2023, at 10:00 AM and 1:30 PM, with Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles presiding thereover.

I am grateful to have been able to find and publish all such updates as they are provided. I continue to monitor all other temple construction developments and Church News and Newsroom updates and will bring word of those to you all here as I receive it. 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 the offered 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. Please subscribe if you liked what you read here and would like to be informed of newly-added posts and comments. 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: Grounbreaking Announced for the Port Vila Vanuatu Temple

Hello again, everyone! The next major temple announcement was made a few minutes ago: groundbreaking arrangements have been set for the Port Vila Vanuatu Temple, the second temple to have a groundbreaking in 2023. Elder K. Brett Nattress will preside at the ceremony, which will be held on Saturday, March 4, 2023. As you might recall, the site locations and renderings for both the Port Vila Vanuatu and Tarawa Kiribati Temples were both released on May 19, 2021.

This announcement came as a complete surprise to me. I had anticipated that the first of the first 3 Pacific Island temples announced by President Nelson that would have a groundbreaking would be the first one announced: Port Moresby Papua New Guinea, where the demolition of the meetinghouse on the existing site is underway. But hopefully, that temple and the Tarawa Kiribati Temple might not be far behind Port Vila Vanuatu. 

And I was also slightly shocked that today's announcement didn't relate to the Montpelier Idaho Temple, where the Planning and Zoning Commission approved a height exemption earlier this month. But hopefully, a lot of groundbreaking announcements will be forthcoming in the next month or so. I know I had said previously that I anticipated dedication announcements in the near term, but as I subsequently mentioned, the Church has been spreading out the announcement of dedications, and might only dedicate 3-4 more than the 2 already set to have dedications in the first half of 2023.

Among the most likely 4 I'd expect within that window are Brasilia Brazil, Feather River California, Okinawa Japan, and Helena Montana. It is also possible that the Church could announce other dedications in the first half of this year, but that those might take place in the second half of the year. So I think that the next several weeks could see other temple groundbreakings announced, and/or site locations revealed and/or exterior renderings released.

I continue to monitor all temple updates and reports from the Newsroom and the Church News and will bring word of those to you all as I become aware of 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 the offered 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. Please subscribe if you liked what you read here and would like to be informed of newly-added posts and comments. 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: Anchorage Alaska Temple Location to Be Moved and Reconstructed; Current Temple Site Will Have Meetinghouse

Hello again, everyone! As I mentioned previously, the Church has established a home page on the Newsroom website to keep track of major temple news for 2023. That page was updated a short time ago with the latest development: the Anchorage Alaska Temple will be reconstructed. Let's dive right into the details:

First, the Church announced that the existing Anchorage Alaska Temple will remain in operation through the reconstruction of that temple. How will that work? The Church will demolish the existing meetinghouse adjacent to the temple, and a new 30,000-square-foot temple will be built on the former meetinghouse site at 3111 Brayton Drive, Anchorage, AK. Construction on the new temple is anticipated to begin early next year, and the Church is hoping to complete the new temple by the summer of 2026.

Once the new temple is dedicated, the existing 11,900-square-foot Anchorage Alaska Temple will be decommissioned and demolished to make way for a mew meetinghouse. I'd have to check, but I think that this is the first time ever that the Church has built a new larger temple while keeping the existing one in operation, then demolishing the existing one to make way for a new meetinghouse. 

I'd assume that the current plot on which the temple now stands is smaller than the plot occupied by the meetinghouse. It's also worth noting that this announcement wasn't anywhere on my radar. I had thought for sure we'd be getting an announcement of one or more temple dedications, groundbreakings, exterior renderings, or additional temple site locations confirmed. Clearly, I was wrong. But this is a most intriguing development, and I am grateful to have been able to find out about it and pass that along to you all. 

I continue to monitor all temple construction developments and Church News reports and will keep sharing those here as time and circumstances allow. 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 the offered 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. Please subscribe if you liked what you read here and would like to be informed of newly-added posts and comments. 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.