BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Latest Temple Reopening Adjustments Announced

Hello again, everyone! For several months now, with only one recent exception, the Church has announced the latest temple reopening updates every Tuesday. The latest updates have been shared through an the updated release on the global Newsroom website and through updates in the Church News (including the weekly status tracker). Let's dive right into the adjustments that have been noted today, which will go into effect hopefully within the next two weeks by either Tuesday November 30 or Tuesday December 7): 

First, as early as next Tuesday, the Buenos Aires Argentina Temple is set to transition to phase 3 from its' current phase 2-B status. In addition, several months after the Church granted phase 3 designations to all other temples undergoing renovation, it has been announced this morning that the Tokyo Japan and Hong Kong China Temples are being granted that same phase 3 designation, which will now allow patrons usually served by the two Asian temples to schedule living or proxy work in the temples closest to those two.

These latest adjustments mean that 164 of the total 170 temples in the Church (96.5%) have opened for all ordinances on a limited and scheduled basis. With 4 additional temples in phase 2-B currently, that means that 98.8% (168 of the 170 operating temples) are offering at least some proxy work by appointment. Based on that information about temples in phase 2-B, only 2 of the Church's temples are now in phase 1 (San Jose Costa Rica) or phase 2 (Montevideo Uruguay).

As for the 4 temples in phase 2-B, the Barranquilla Colombia and Seoul Korea Temples have not yet transitioned to phase 3. The Cebu City Philippines Temple had reached phase 3 earlier this year, but was subject to a pause and a downgrade to phase 2-B. And of course, as has been noted numerous times in the recent past, the Medford Oregon Temple had been projected to tranisition to phase 3 in August, but that has not yet happened.

As I've noted in just about every temple reopening update in the last several weeks, I am grateful for the carefully-planned cautiously-coordinated reopening of temples around the world, and for the revelatory process that drives those announcements every week. Although no temples anywhere have reached phase 4 (a return to full normal operations), it is wonderful the Church has been prudent and wise in the announcements of changes each week. 

I believe I have mentioned this in the recent past as well, but with the Brethren having to restrict travel from Church headquarters to some parts of the world where they might otherwise have assignments, the apostles have been able to ascertain information about COVID-19 and any related restrictions or other factors that would play into the process of the phased reopening of temples. 

And the usage of technology for that purpose has also apparently led the Brethren to conclude that, in some cases, tramsacting Church business by technology rather than in-person will be more effective. It will be interesting to see how the ministry of the apostles and other leaders changes going forward with an increased use of technology vs. in-person visits.

It seems as though COVID-19 has had a major role in reshaping how top leaders see their capacities to minister worldwide to the growing Church. And it's definitely not surprising to me that an increased usage of technology has come about during the prophetic adminnistration of President Russell M. Nelson, who appears to be the most technologically savvy prophet the Church has had since the world has more fully utlized modern technology. I anticipate that will continue to be true.

Having acknowledged that, I wanted to wrap up my coverage of the latest temple reopening adjustments with a breakdown of how many temples will be in each phase of reopening as of next Tuesday (November 30). With the Tokyo Japan and Hong Kong China Temples both being granted phase 3 status effective immediately, that means all 9 temples undergoing renovations are now in phase 3. 2 temples have "paused" after having reached phase 3, with 1 each in phases 1 and 2. There are also 4 temples operating in phase 2-B, which means that by next Tuesday, 153 of the Church's 170 temples will be operating in phase 3.

That concludes my analysis of today's temple reopening announcements. As always, I continue to monitor all Church news and temple updates, and remain committed to bringing you all word of those updates as I become aware thereof. With just under 6.5 weeks remaining in 2021, I am not sure whether any other temple open houses and dedications or rededications might be announced before the end of the year, but am hopeful that those arrangements for the Yigo Guam, Quito Ecuador, Tokyo Japan and Hamilton New Zealand Temples will soon be announced as well.

It's also worth reiterating that, aside from the Bacolod Philippines Temple groundbreaking (which was announced on October 6 and will take place on December 11), the Church has not yet scheduled any thother temple groundbreakings. Although I have just recently offered my opinion that groundbreakings that have not yet been announced could take place and be acknowledged after the fact, I'm not as convinced as I previously was that the Church would conduct any temple groundbreakings without noting the plans thereof before they occur. 

So although it appeared likely in the relatively recent past that in 2021, the Church could exceed the 21 groundbreakings that occurred last year, it's possible that no other groundbreakings will occur prior to that of the Bacolod Philippines Temple, or throughout the remainder of the year following that December 11 groundbreaking. Instead, it seems more likely that arrangements for the groundbreakings of up to 17 temples could be announced in the next 2 months and set to occur in the first several months of 2022.I will be closely monitoring all of that and will bring you all word thereof as I become aware of such reports.

In the meantime, that does it for now. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made in accordance with the established guidelines. Thank you for the privilege of your time. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly added content, please feel free to subscribe. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: All Temple Cafeterias Will Close, Effective in Early 2022

Hello again, everyone! As some of you are no doubt aware. several temples of the Church around the world have had caeterias in operation for their patrons and workers to obtain good food as they worship and work in the temple. But one of the top initial temple updates on the renovation process for the Salt Lake Temple, as reported in March of this year, was a decision to close the cafetera in that temple and repurpose it for temple worship spaces.

Today, a second major temple development announced by the Church was that, effective in early 2022, all temple cafeterias will pernmanently close. The two exceptions are for the Guayaquil Ecuador and Hamilton New Zealand Temples, where a longer transitionary period will be required. The announcement also noted that the Church has already closed some temple cafeterias due to COVID-19, and that those will not reopen. This move comes as the result of the Church continuing its' steady efforts to reduce and simplify the day-to-day operations of the Church on a global scale.

But more than that, based on the fact that a major focus of President Nelson's prophetic priorities for the Church is to determine what is most needful for the members thereof, and how the Church can focus on whar really matters (the work for the living and the dead that is performed in temples). This also opens up the prospect that for the temples that had operated cafeterias, current or future renovations could repurpose those spaces for temple worship.

Makes perfect sense to me. While I wouldn't have traded my experiences as a worker in the Mount Timpanogos Utah Temple (which included regular stops at the cafeteria and numerous memories in the early 2010s when I met my wife in that temple and we had numerous opportunities to eat together while we served together, I can understand the reasoning behind these decisions.

And in the future, if the Church no longer is needing to plan to include temple cafeterias in some of the larger temples, that would create more space for temple worship to occur.rega I am grateful for this inspired directive and testify that it was the result of revelation to those 15 men I gratefully sustain as prophets, seers, and revelators.ark

I will be back tomorrow with another new post, honoring Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, who will then be celebrating his 81st birthday. The following Saturday, Elder Dale G. Renlund will mark his 69th birthday, and the day after that will mark the last 2021 update I will share regarding apostolic age and tenure milestones.

So that does it for now. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made in accordance with the established guidelines. Thank you for the privilege of your time. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly added content, please feel free to subscribe. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Revised Opening Arrangements Announced for Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple

Hello again, everyone! In a stunning announcement that I did not see coming at all, the First Presidency has announced the revised opening arrangements for the Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple, Open house tours will occur between Saturday March 26 and Saturday April 16, with the exceptions of Sunday March 27, Saturday and Sunday April 2 and 3 (General Conference weekend), and Sunday April 10.

A youth devotional wilnl take place on Saturday May 7, 2022, and the temple will be dedicated in 3 sessions the following day (at 9:00 AM, 12:00 PM, and 3:00 PM Rio de Janeiro time). Elder Gary E. Stevenson, the only remaining member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles who has not yet presided at a temple dedication, will preside at this one.

I think I would be remiss if I didn't share some thoughts about the timing of the dedication arrangements here. As some of you might recall, back in July, the First Presidency announced revised reopening arrangements for the Washington D.C. Temple, which will see that temple rededicated on June 19. With the Rio de Janeiro dedication now set for My 7, that will occur before the Washington D.C. Temple rededication.

It's also worth noting that, with this temple dedication set in May, there seems to be a high likelihood that the opening arrangements for the Yigo Guam and Qutio Ecuador Temple could be set to occur before this dedication of the Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple. But for temples outside the United States, COVID-19 is the big variable in play here. It's also worth noting that I am more than slghtly surprised that the Church isn't sending native Brazilian apostle Elder Ulisses Soares to dedicate this temple.

And with Elder Stevenson being assigned to preside at this dedication instead, it will be interesting to see who actually is assigned to preside at the dedications of the Yigo Guam and Quito Ecuador Temple. With President Ballard set to dedicate the Pocatello Idaho Temple this weekend, and Elder Stevenson designated to dedicate the Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple, it will be interesting to see what unfolds going forward with the scheduling of other temple openings and which apostles might be assigned to preside at each of those events.

The announcement of the Rio de Janeiro Temple's revised opening arrangements also gives me hope that the Church will be able to  set the reopenings for Tojkyo Japan and Hamilton New Zealand soon as well. And it will be interesting to see how COVID-19 might impact the scheduling of other temple openings as well. I remain cautiously optimistic that the Church might have some groundbreaking announcements made soon for other temples.

I will monitor all such developments and bring you word thereof here as i become aware of it.

In the meantime, that does it for now. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made in accordance with the established guidelines. Thank you for the privilege of your time. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly added content, please feel free to subscribe. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

UPDATED: Temple Construction Progress Report

Hello again, everyone! As almost of you are obviously aware, the Winnipeg Manitoba Temple was dedicated on Sunday by Elder Gerrit W. Gong, and this Sunday,  Acting President M. Russell Ballard will preside at the dedication of the Pocatello Idaho Temple. Construction has also concluded for the Yigo Guam Temple, and with the first president and matron of that temple having arrived, hopefully the announcement of opening arrangements for that temple will be made by the end of this month. In addition to having the final stages of construction wrapping up, there has not yet been an announcement about the first president and matron for the Quito Ecuador Temple. 

Similarly, we are awaiting the announcement of opening arrangements for both the Tokyo Japan and Hamilton New Zealand Temples. Hopefully those arrangements are forthcoming.  While those opening (or reopening) arrangements are pending for four temples (two new, and two for which renovations have been completed), a new report from the Church Temples site includes a stunning update on the Helena Montana Temple, including a move up the queue so it is now below Saratoga Springs Utah. 

The resulting adjustments that I've made to my temple construction progress report show changes in the queue and several updated and revised estimates for dedication windows, in addition to new reports on the status of Moses Lake Washington and Puebla Mexico Temples. Other than these preliminary notes, the changes in the temple construction progress report speak for themselves, and I was grateful to be able to provide them for you now. I am hopefully that on at least one of the final two days of this week, a breaking update will be shared on at least one temple, though I can't rule out the prospect of two days straight wherein new temple updates are shared.

In the meantime, that does it for now. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made in accordance with the established guidelines. Thank you for the privilege of your time. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly added content, please feel free to subscribe. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do. 

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: First Temple Dedication in Over a Year Includes Slight Change to Dedicatory Procedures

Hello again, everyone! This morning, the latest edition of "In Case You Missed It" was published by the Church News. 5 of the top 9 developments reported were about the ministry of the apostles. The last of those 5 updates detailed the real reason (rather than the previously-conjectured one) that the Church held the temple dedication youth devotional one week ago today.

The Church had previously announced that the temple dedication would occur in four general sessions held today at 8:00 and 10:00 AM and at 12:00 and 2:00 PM, with the option to hold a fifth at 4:00 PM if that is needed.

As we also know, under normal arrangements, the Church would include the sealing of the cornerstone as part of the first dedicatory session. But with the dedicatory sessions for the Winnipeg Manitoba Temple being held within two-hour intervals today, in order to allow more speakers to offer remarks during the first dedicatory session, Elder Gong officiated at the cornerstone ceremony yesterday evening.

So, while COVID-19 may impact the timing of temple dedications, particularly having a youth devotional the week before the dedication will allow the cornerstone ceremony to occur the day before the dedication, and the Church could allow one or two additional dedicatory sessions to encourage smaller groups in attendance at each session.

I am grateful to have learned about these updates and to pass them along to you all here. I'm hopeful we could see temple reopenings announced for the Tokyo Japan and Hamilton New Zealand Temples soon, in addition to opening arrangements soon for the Yigo Guam and Quito Ecuador Temples, and that between now and the only currently-scheduled groundbreaking (in mid-December for the Bacolod Philippines) there could be at least a few other groundbreakings held, whether or not they are announced in advance.

In the meantime, that does it for now. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made in accordance with the established guidelines. Thank you for the privilege of your time.

If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly added content, please feel free to subscribe. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Quetzeltenango Guatemala Temple Transitions to Phase 3; Nearly 93% of All Temples Now Offering Proxy Ordinances

 Hello again, everyone! This morning, the Church News has reported that the Quetzeltenango Guatemala Temple is the latest to transition to phase 3, offering all living and proxy ordinances in priority order, with appropriate protocols and procedures in place to keep all Church members safe. With this latest development, the Church has almost 93% of its' 168 temples open in phase 3. 

With this weekend marking the dedication of the Winnipeg Manitoba Temple, and next weekend marking the dedication of the Pocatello Idaho Temple, the Church will then have 170 operating temples by mid-November, 158 of which will be open in phase 3, as a result of which the percentage of temples open in phase 3 by mid-November will then remain steady at 93%.

The Church also noted that the Medford Oregon Temple, which had been projected to move into phase 3 in August of this year, has not yet moved into that phase, but will do so at a later time when COVID-19 conditiions allow that to occur. Aside from these updates, there have not been any other changes reported. so the latest data, which is also featured in the temple reopening status tracker and in the Church's official Newsroom release, now shows the status of temple reopenings as follows: 

9 remain closed for major renovations,, all but 2 of which (Hong Kong China and Tokyo Japan) have been granted phase 3 designation, which allows the members residing in those other 6 temple districts to schedule living and proxy ordinances at the temples cloesest to them that are also in phase 3); 3 remain paused in their reopenings (with 2 that were in phase 3 and 1 that was in phase 2 at the time their pauses went into effect); just 2 remain in phase 1; 3 in phase 2; 4 in phase 2-B; and the remaining 147 in phase 3.

I continue to find it very humbling to witness the inspired and careful way the Brethren have directed the weekly efforts to reopen temples around the world. Modern technology has allowed the apostles to more frequently check in with the area presidencies for the areas in which they each have oversight, and since those conversations are able to carry on weekly, no matter where any of them are geographically, the Church has been very smart in evaluating and assessing things and responding accordingly.

I also keep going back to what President Nelson described as he came to the painful decision that all temples should be closed for the time being. He noted that he agonized over what he would say to them and that he was "going to see them soon"(which to me does not sound like he's talking about when his ministry as prophet ends and he is called home to help direct the work from the other side of the veil). I can understand his feelings on some level: it's a huge, unprecedented thing for the Church to have closed all temples worldwide for a significant duration of time. 

At the same time, unprecedented times (during a global pandemic of a highly-transmissible disease) call for unprecedented measures, and I for one do not find it accidental in any respect that the Church is dealing with the effects of a global pandemic at a time when the prophet representing the Lord to the Church is a former medical physician and surgeon. I think on that level, President Nelson's fellow prophets would be very understanding of what had to be done. I also think that their biggest question for him would be: "Did you do what the Lord instructed you to do on the matter?" And when he answered in the affirmative, that would be the only thing they'd be concerned about.

It's something I've thought about a lot and wanted to put into words now. It's natural that unprecedented times requiring unprecedented measures would cause worry for the Lord's prophet, but my personal opinion is that he didn't need to worry on that count. As I've previously mentioned, two weeks ago today, no temple reopening updates were provided. With such updates provided anew the last couple of weeks, I think that most weeks will see updates on that going forward, especially as COVID-19 becomes less of an issue worldwide, but that there could be a few weeks where no updates are announced as things hold steady.

It's also worth noting that  I anticipate that the Church could potentially begin to transition temples to phase 4 either just prior to Christmas 2021 and New Years' Day 2022 or as 2022 progresses. I will be sure to monitor all of that and bring you word of those developments as I become aware thereof. I'd be remiss if I also didn't note that it seems more likely than not that opening arrangements for the Yigo Guam and Quito Ecuador temples could be coming down the pike within the next week or two, as could the reopening arrangements for the Tokyo Japan and Hamilton New Zealand Temples.

Right now, the Church only has 2 temples currently scheduled for a groundbreaking: Pago Pago American Samoa (on Saturday October 30), and Bacolod Philippines (on Saturday December 11). Right now, no other temple groundbreakings have been scheduled. I have been hoping that for some temples, it might be psosible to hold a private groundbreaking for the temple before publicly releasing the video and photographs verifying that those groundbreakings took place on those dates.

Either way, I am anticipating that a maximum of 9 temples within the United States will have groundbreakings occur soon (whether or not they are announced in advance), along with a maximum of 8 other temples outside the United States. And if at least 10 of those 17 are able to have a groundbreaking by the end of this year, temple groundbreakings in 2021 will exceed the 21 that occurred last year.

I will monitor all of those updates and will do my best to bring you word of any developments as I become aware thereof.In the meantime, that does it for now. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made in accordance with the established guidelines. Thank you for the privilege of your time. 

If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly added content, please feel free to subscribe. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

UPDATED: Temple Construction Progress Report

Hello again, everyone! Throughout this week, there have been periodic changes in the number, ordering, or time-frames for the completion of new temples under construction. As a result of the changes made in the last couple of days, I have prepared an updated copy of my temple construction progress report. I am pleased to be able to share that with you.

On my end, I also continue to minotor all Church news updates and temple developments, and will be happy to pass those along to you all as I receive such updates. In the meantime, that does it for now. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made in accordance with the established guidelines. Thank you for the privilege of your time. 

If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly added content, please feel free to subscribe. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Church Upgrades Manila Philippines Temple to Phase 3,; 95% of Temples Now Open for Proxy Wrk

Hello again, everyone! On the literal heels of th is morning's announcement about the Farmington temple's exterior rendering, and following a one-week hiatus on temple reopening adjustments, the Church announced that the Manila Philippines Temple, which, if my memory serves me correctly, had previously transitioned to phase 3 before those arrangements were paused, will once again open for phase 3 ordinances. 

This means that husband-to-wife sealings, endowments for the living, and all proxy work (including baptims for the dead will be able to be scheduled in that temple. But above and beyond that, the fact that Manila will be returning to phase 3 means that 95% of all currently-operating temples (including 7 of the 9 temples currently closed for renovations) will be open in phase 3. 

The changes reported in the Church News article to which I linked at the beginning of this post are further confirmed by the updated Newsroom release and in the temple reopening status tracker. As a result of this latest update, the reopening of the first temple in the Philippines of the Church remain closed for renovation (although 7 of those temple districts have been granted phase 3 designations); 3 other temples remain paused (with 2 of those 3 being in phase 3, and the other 1 temple in phase 2 at the time those reopenings were paused); with 3 more apiece in phases 1 and 2. 5 additional temples are in phase 2-B (baptistry open for proxy work with living ordiances available in priority order., which means the remaining 146 temples aow in phase 3. 

I have mentioned this a few times in the recent past, but the COVID-19 pandemic has provided the members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles assigned to each of the Church's 22 areas worldwide a chance to virtually and regularly taouch bases with and ascertain infrmation from each area presidency, which in turn informs the apostles of any new updates of which they need to be made aware, especially if those updates pertain to the ongoing and in-flux temple reopenings week-to week.

The process of reopening temples has been inspiring to see, and I look forward to seeing what happens in that respect throughout the remainder of this year. In the meantime, with the Church releasing the exterior rendering for the Farmington New Mexico Temple, the approvals process for that has moved to the next phase, so hopefully between the latest updates on all new US temples, the Church could then plan on breaking ground for each of the now-14 temples for which sites have been confirmed and exterior renderings released. 

There is also the possibility that the Church could potentially hold some of those groundbreakings without publicly announcing when they will take place. And if that is the case for more than a few of those 14 temples, it's also possible that other temples for which official information is still pending could also have a groundbreaking without drawing attention to that occurring until after the fact.

Whether or not any or all of those temples have groundbreakings announced before thy occur,, even though the Church has not yet scheduled any temple groundbreakings, unless and until we have proof to the contrary, I still fully believe that this year, the Church will both meet and exceed the total number of temple groundbreakings which took place last year (21).

I am monitoring any such updates, and will bring you all word thereof here as I become aware of such updates on my end. In the meantime, that does it for now. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made in accordance with the established guidelines. Thank you for the privilege of your time. 

If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly added content, please feel free to subscribe. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Temple Reopenings To Continue Throughout October

 Hello again, everyone! A shot time ago, the Church released its' weekly update on temple reopenings. Aside from the main Church News report, updates have also been relfected in the temple reopening status tracker and were documented in the updated Newsroom release.  Let's get into the details. Two temples, which had previously paused their reopening due to COVID-19 conditions, regulations, and restrictions, have reopened in phase 3: Duban South Africa and Papeete Tahiti.

Additionally, several weeks ago, the Church announced that, following the dedication of the Pocatello Idaho Temple (which is set to occur on Saturday November 7), that temple will open in phase 3 right off the bat. The Church also announced this morning that the Winnipeg Manitoba Temple, which is scheduled to be dedicated on October 31 (with that announcement coming after the information about Pocatello's opening was announced) will also start operations in phase 3.

The Medford Oregon Temple, which had originally been projected to move to phase 3 in August,  has not yet transitioned to that phase, and no new updates are available on when that might occur.  The Church also has 7 temples remaining in phases 1 or 2 (neither of which opens those temples for proxy work), among which 2 temples are closed for renovations.

It may also be of interest to some of you that, with the recent renovation closure of the Manti Utah Temple going into effect over General Conference weekend, the Church has given that temple a phase 3 designation so that patrons within that temple district can schedule living and proxy ordinances at the temples nearest to them. 

The latest announcements leaves the reopening status of temples worldwide as follows: 9 closed for renovation (all but 2 of which of those districts have been granted phase 3 designations); with 3 more each either paused (2 in phase 3 and 1 in phase 2) or in phases 1 & 2; 4 temples operating in phase 2-B (allowing all living ordinances in priority order in addition to limited poxy baptisms by appointmen); and the remaining 146 are in phase 3.

The Church continues to monitor conditions and restrictions relating to COVID-19 and to adjust temple reopening plans accordingly in a cautious and carefully-coordinated manner, which continues to be wonderful to observe. I testify The inspired nature of thsese reopening announcements week-to-week have been both humbling and gratifying to see. I testify that the Lord, though inspiration and providing good information to our apostles in the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve, is directly effecting the miraculous circumstances under which each week's announcements are made.

On my end, I continue to monitor all Church news updates and temple developments and remain committed to bringing word of those to you all as I become aware thereof. That does it for now. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made in accordance with the established guidelines. Thank you for the privilege of your time. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly added content, please feel free to subscribe. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

Review of Temple Construction Progress During the Third Quarter of 2021

Hello again, everyone! As the last day of September 2021 winds towards its' conclusion, not only has the commenting period for my October 2021 General Conference predictions ended, but additionally, as September concludes, it is time to take a look back at the temple construction progress that has occurred from the beginning of the year until today.  So we have the three reports showing where things stood at the beginning of this year, in the days just prior to the April 2021 General Conference, at the halfway point of this year, and how things look as we near the October 2021 General Conference weekend.

As I've mentioned in the past, I anticipate that between the Church's capacity to use modular components on smaller temples (a process which could potentially expand to larger temples) and precast concrete panels on other temples, that might accelerate the process whereby most temples are able to be constructed in the future.  With that in mind, I believe that we will see most temples moved from the status of just being announced to being under construction within roughly 2-3 years of their announcements.

And if that can happen, that in turn will clear up the queue for more new temples to be announced. So I anticipate that, given all that has been done to clear the queue since the April 2021 General Conference, we are more likely than not to see President Nelson announce another double-digit number of temples this weekend. While there could be 20 or more that are announced, it's also possible that the number of temples announced this weekend could be any other double-digit number between 10 and 20.

Whatever might happen this weekend, I will do my level best to cover those developments here ASAP after any such announcements are made.That does it for now. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made in accordance with the established guidelines. Thank you for the privilege of your time. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly added content, please feel free to subscribe. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Phased Process of Reopening Templex Continues Into October

Note This post was published at around 10:30 AM ias originally scheduled, with further analysisa and context added thereunto between 12;00-1:45 PM.

Hello again, everyone! The final Tuesday before General Conference has rolled around, as a result of which the latest information about temple reopenings has been released by the Church. Since there is just over a week of September left, the latest update shares some details about reopenings that are planned through the rest of September and into October. The updates are, as always, detailed in the updated Newsroom release, and through the Church News, with the latter also linking to the area-by-area temple reopening status tracker.

I will have a more complete analysis on the latest announced adjustments at some point later today. (Note: I was able to post content on the announced change as indicated at the top of this post, so the content between this paragraph and the traditional closing of my post was added at around that time.) I am back to provide additional analysis on the latest temple reopening updates provided by the Church earlier today.

This morning, the Church announced that the Arequipa Peru and Bogota Colombia Temples will shift from phase2 to phase 2-B as early as next Tuesday. Additionally, today's update was the first to mention anything about the status of the Manti Utah Temple, which, as we know, is scheduled to close for its' formal renovation at some point on or around Friday October 1. 

That temple, becoming the ninth in the current queue of those undergoing renovations, will retain its' phase 3 designation, which will allow those served by that temple district to schedule living and proxy work at the closest temples to Manti. As we know, the adjusted plans for that temple renovation will cut the amount of work needing to be done, and will also cut the time needed to do it. The temple is anticipated to conclude its' renovation within 18-24 months of its' closure. 

With that in mind, the renovation of that temple could wrap up in either April or October 2023, with the temple reopening events being held a couple of months after that. As we also know, the Columbus Ohio and Hong Kong China Temples are anticipated to wrap up their renovations at some point next year. The renovation process for the St. George Utah Temple is now anticipated to wrap up at some point in 2023, perhaps within a similar window as is expected for the temple in Manti.

We also know that, before the announcement of changed plans for the Salt Lake Temple, the first full-scale multi-year renovation of that temple was originally anticipated to be complete at some point in 2024. With official Church resources noting that the additional work on the Salt Lake Temple, which was not part of the original plan, now being included, the Church has only acknowledged that the additional work will extend the length of time for that prospect. As a result, I have adjusted my general estimate for that temple's completion to sometime during late 2024-early 2025.

Additionally, the Church has confirmed that plans are well underway for the renovation process of the Logan Utah Temple. Depending on when those plans are announced, that could be another temple completed in 2023 or 2024. It will be interesting to see what happens in terms of those historic temple renovations.

Returning now to the latest temple reopening announcements from today (sorry about my unintended detour), the Church also noted again today that the Medford Oregon Temple, which had been originally planned to transition to phase 3 operations in August of this year, will still do so this year on a yet-to-be-determined date. The Church also again shared the list of 10 temples not yet open for any proxy work, which again included 2 in the renovation queue.

So, as of next Tuesday October 5), the current status of temple reopenings in the Church will stand as follows: 9 remain closed for major renovations (2 of which have dedications scheduled, with 2 more anticipated to have reopening arrangements announced in the relatively near term; in addition to which, 7 of those 9 have been granted phase 3 designations). 3 temples have paused in their reopening process due to factors relating to COVID-19 (2 of those 3 had been in phase 3 at the time the pause became necessary, while the other temple was in phase 2 when its reopening was paused).

And for the final four phases, there will be 3 in phase 1, 4 in phase 2, 5 in phase 2-B, and the remaining 144 temples of the Church are in phase 3. The Church continues a cautiously-coordinated plan, with a long-term view of the process that will, in due course, result in all temples of the Church being open for normal operations. 

COVID-19 is the huge variable here, and for that reason, I'm grateful to know that, as plans for the latest temple reopening announcements are made each week, the Brethren in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who have roles in supervising each of the 22 Church areas with the assistance of members of the Presidency of the Seventy, are regularly meeting with area leaders virtually to determine the best courses of action for temples worldwide. on a week-to-week basis.

My hope is that, as each of the Church's temples eventually resume normal operations, that the members of the Church around the world will not forget what it was like to not have access thereunto during the COVID-19 pandemic. I similarly hope as well that the closure of all temples and the subsequent reopening adjustments will also fill those of us living very close to a temple with more gratitude for that blessing, and will instill in each of us a greater appreciation for the plight of those who do not currently live anywhere near a temple.

On Sunday of this week, my ward's Elders' Quorum discussed President Eyring's talk from the Saturday Morning Session of the April 2021 General Conference.

In the course of that lesson, I felt impressed to share the experience my mom, her siblings, and her parents had in having to sell off nearly everything they owned just to enable them to make the journey from South Africa to the temple in England (which was the closest one at that time). I then made the observation that, while all the temples of the Church had closed for a time, all members of the Church had likely understood what not being able to go to a nearby temple is like. And it's something that I hope none of us take for granted going forward. 

With that in mind, I'm grateful to have been able to learn about these latest updates and to pass them along to you all here. While I don't know if any breaking news (whether that is related to temples or not) might be reported before General Conference weekend, I remain committed to bringing those updates to you as I become aware thereof. I am also monitoring all other Church News reports and temple construction updates and will likewise pass those along as I find myself able to do so. 

That does it for now. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made in accordance with the established guidelines. Thank you for the privilege of your time. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly added content, please feel free to subscribe. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Phased Reopening of Temples to Continue Through August and September

Note: An initial version of this post was published on this blog at 10:12 AM. Following the addition of specific details, the updates were published between 1:00-1:30 PM.

Hello again, everyone! Another week has come and gone, and it is time once again for me to provide analysis on the latest temple reopening updates from the Church. Those updates have been (or soon will be) released through the Newsroom, the Church News, and the temple status tracker which lists the temples in each of the Church's 22 areas). 

I hope to be able to post a more complete analysis on these changes later today, but I have another commmitment this morning that will delay my analysis on the latest updates. Stay tuned for a more complete report later this afternoon. This post will be updated. In the meantime, my thanks once again to you all.

I am back just under 3 hours from when this post was originally published to provide further analysis and information about the latest temple reopening adjustments which were announced this morning. Two temples in Mexico (Ciudad Juarez and Colonia Juarez Chihuahua Mexico) are expected to transition to phase 3, allowing all proxy ordinances in priority order, with limited proxy work available as scheduled for those temples. 

Although the Church has not yet specified how soon it might occur, the updates released today also noted that the Medford Oregon Temple will also transition to phase 3 by the end of this month. Since that shift was not noted as part of today's update, I'm assuming that the phase 3 designation will be effective for Medford either later this week, or by either of the two remaining Tuesdays of this month (August 24 and 31 respectively).

There are now 10 temples which have not been granted any phase designations that would allow any form of proxy work (phases 2-B and 3). Of those temples, 2 are closed for renovation: Tokyo Japan (which is completed but awaiting announced reopening arrangements) and Hong Kong China (which is anticipated to be rededicated in the mid-to-latter part of that year (probably sometime around August, September or October). 

For the remaining 8 not yet able to offer proxy work, 1 (San Jose Costa Rica) is in phase 1, with 1 other (Buenos Aires Argentina) which was in phase 2 but had to pause in its' reopening process). The final 6 temples (Barranquilla and Bogota Colombia; Arequipa Peru, Kyiv Ukraine, Montevideo Uruguay, and Seoul Korea) are in phase 2.

As of next Monday (August 23), 8 temples will remain closed for renovation (all but two of which, Hong Kong China and Tokyo Japan) have been granted phase 3 designations, which allows the patrons residing in the districts of those temples to schedule limited proxy work at nearby temples which are also in phase 3). 7 other temples remain "paused" in their reopenings (of which 5 were in phase 3, with 1 each in phases 2-B and 2).

Only 1 temple is currently in phase 1, with 6 remaining in phase 2, 19 others offering living ordinances and proxy baptisms in phase 2-B; and the remaining 127 have been given phase 3 status, allowing living ordinances and all proxy work by appointment, with limitations and protocols in place. As I read about and pass along these reports on this blog, I'm continually blown away by how well the Church is monitoring COVID-19 conditions around the world and making weekly adjustments as necessary.

Of course, to a certain extent, it's not surprising at all that a Church guided by heavenly inspiration through a living prophet has been better equipped than many secular, governmental, or educational entities at rolling with the changing circumstances that the fluctuating COVID-19 situation requires. While not surprising, it is impressive. And I hope that each of you, my readers and followers, have found similar inspiration and comfort in observing that process as well.

With my having added some new reports from the Newsroom and the Church News that were provided between the release of the temple reopening information and now, I continue to monitor all major updates in that regard, in addition to the latest developments and milestones. I also continue to work as I can on my predictions for the upcoming October General Conference and will publish those here ASAP once I have those completed.

That does it for now. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made in accordance with the established guidelines. Thank you for the privilege of your time. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly added content, please feel free to subscribe. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Latest Phased Reopening Updates Released

Note: This post was originally published on this blog at 10:20 AM. Subsequent content was added between 12:30 and 1:00 PM.

Hello again, everyone! Although I had published an initial version of this post here at 10:20 AM,  some of the Church News articles covering that development were not yet available at that time, and I had another commitment to tend to this morning, so, on the heels of this morning's announcement of the revised reopening dates for the Washington D.C. Temple, temple reopening update were first provided in this official release from the Newsroom. Those updates were subsequently also shared in the latest update from the Church News, and were further reflected in the weekly reopening status tracker. Let's get right into those details.

First, the temples in Caracas Venezuela, Manaus Brazil, Tijuana Mexico, and Vancouver British Columbia have reopened or will soon reoepen in phase 3, which allows for the performance of all living ordiances in priority order, and the scheduling of limited proxy work. Meanwhile, the Church has announced that the Fortaleza Brazil Temple could transition to phase 2-B, allowing ordinances for the living in priority order, and proxy baptisms by appointment, as early as August 2. And the Sydney Australia Temple, which had reached phase 3 in its reopening, has had to puuse operations due to COVID-19 conditions and restrictions.

And three more temples in North America could reopen in phase 3 anytime between now and the ned of next month. Those three are the Toronto Ontario Temple in the North America Northeast Area, and the Medford Oregon and Spokane Washington Temples  in the North America West Area. As of next Monday (July 26), these adjustments will result in the following breakdown of temples reoepning in each phase:

8 are closed for major renovations (6 of which have been granted phase 3 designation, allowing ordinances for the living in priority order and limited proxy ordinances as scheduled); 10 temples are currently "paused" in their reopenings (6 of those had reached phase 3, with 1 in phase 2-B and the remaining 3 in phase 2); 3 are operating in phase 1; with 10 in phase 2; 17 others are in phase 2-B; and the remaining 120 are now operating in phase 3.

As always, I remain continuously grateful for the measured approaach the Brethren have taken to carefully transition temples to the next phases of operation, while allowing COVID-19 conditions to inform their choices about pausing or stepping back any of the temples in their reopening. Each week, the Church is getting all the more close to a return to normal temple operations, and that is very much a reason to rejoice.

For my part, I continue to monitor all Church news updates and temple developments, and will be sure to pass word of those along to you all as I become aware thereof. That does it for now. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made in accordance with the established guidelines. Thank you for the privilege of your time. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly added content, please feel free to subscribe. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Reopening Dates Set for the Washington D.C. Temple

Hello again, everyone! Although I anticipate the weekly announcement of temple reopenings any time now, other breaking temple news has been announced by the Church. Following a nearly 2-year delay due to COVID-19 conditions, revised reopening dates have been reset for the Washington D.C. Temple Let's break down the particulars. The Church has announced that a media day will occur on April 18, 2022, with VIP/private tours from April 19-April 27. 

Following those tours, the temple will reopen to the public for a rough 6-week period (from April 28-June 4, excluding the relevant Sundays).  There will be a youth devotional held on June 18, followed by the rededication of the temple the next day in 3 sessions (at 9:00 AM, 12:00 PM, and 3:00 PM), The youth devotional and rededication will be broadcast to all meetinghouses in the the Wasshington D.C. Temple district.

Interestingly enough, the news release does not mention who will preside at the youth devetional and templei rededication. I was a little surprised that the rededication of this temple will only occur in mid-June of next year, but ive view of the extended open house, it does make sense. As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, the Church will likely make its' temple reopeneing announcements for the week in the next little while, which I will pass along to you all as I receive that information.

That does it for now. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made in accordance with the established guidelines. Thank you for the privilege of your time. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly added content, please feel free to subscribe. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do. 

UPDATED: Significant Temple Developmnts Reported Days Before the End of the Second Quarter of 2021

Hello again, everyone! Although we are now just days away from the conclusion of the second quarter, also the first half) of this year, and although I will be bringing a special report to you all to mark that milestone on June 30/July 1, in the last 24 hours, new information and updates have changed the entire layout of the quue of temples now under construction. There is so much that has changed that the easiest way to relay the information is to provide a report from yesterday (Saturday) that demonstrates all of these changes. 

Perhaps most significantly, the position of many temples previously anticipated to be completed next year or the year after have been dramatically altered because of the progress (or lack thereof) or the availabe information (or the lack thereof). And particularly, the newest updates have dtrastically borken up the previously-larger queue of temples anticipated to be completed next year and the year after that. That queue will continue to change based on all the factors that led to the changes demonstrated in the latest report. 

Hopefully at least the information will be of interest to some of you. I continue to monitor all Church news updates and temple developments and will be sure to pass those along to you all as I become aware thereof.. That does it for now. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made in accordance with the established guidelines. 

Thank you for the privilege of your time. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly added content, please feel free to subscribe. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do. 

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Opening Arrangements Announced for the Mesa Arizona Temples

Note: This post was originally published at 10:02 AM, and updated with additional analysis throughout that afternoon.

Hello again, everyone! This morning, the First Presidency announced the reopening dates for the Mesa Arizona Temple. At some point shortly after the Newsroom reported those arrangements, subsequent additional coverage on the announcement was provided through the Church News. I was surprised by the timing of both the arrangements being announced and by the parameters of when that will take place. Let's get into the details. 

I want to note right at the outset that I had believed and asserted as recently as earlier this week that the reopening of the Mesa Arizona Temple seemed likely to be delayed into 2022, primarily because I knew Arizona has had some issues getting COVID-19 properly controlled. At the same time, however, I recognize that the First Presidency likely has some information that may not be available to those of us not privy to the relevant discussions that has led them to surmise that this temple can be safely reopened.

Getting into the specifics of this morning's announcement, the Church announced plans to dedicate the Visitor's Center on Thursday August 12 @ 7:00 PM PDT.The use of Pacific Daylight time in those arrangements may require a bit of explanation. Time works differently in Arizona. Most of the year, Arizona aligns with Mountain Standard time, as a result of which the time in Denver, a majority of Arizona, and here in Utah is exactly the same. 

But because Arizona does no spring forward or fall back time-wise, when daylight savings time impacts Denver and Utah, most of Arizona (including Mesa) does not shift, and the time during those months aligns with Pacific time (which is impacted by Daylight Savings).. So during Daylight Savings time, although most of Arizona doesn't observe that, given the shifts in Denver and Utah, the Pacific Daylight time applies to Arizona.

The open house for the Mesa Arizona Temple will be held in the weeks between the Saturdays of October 16 and November 20, 2021. That is a period of 35 full days, but tours will obviously not he conducted on any of the applicable Sundays (October 17, 24, and 31 and November 7 and 14), which brings the number of open house tour days down to 30.

A youth devotional is set to occur on Saturday December 11, with the rededication set for the following day. Three rededicatory sessions will be held (at 9:00 AM, 12:00 PM, and 3:00 PM). Presiding over that weekend's events will be President Dallin H. Oaks, First Counselor in the First Presidency. The youth devotional and rededicatory sessions will be carried to all meeting houses in the temple district, which will allow a smaller number of guests to safely gather for each session in the temple proper.

And it appears that in-person attendance in the temple proper will be by invitation only. The announcement notes that additional details will be announced closer to that temple's opening. Given that the rededication of this temple is occurring roughly one month after the recently-announced dedication of the Pocatello Idaho Temple, it will be very interesting to see what happens in terms of opening arrangements for temples that are or will sonon be completed, and for the rededications of the Washington DC, Tokyo Japan, and Hamilton New Zealand Temples.

I imagine that the First Presidency is waiting a little longer on announcing arrangements for the Hamilton temple because more needs to be done to move it towards completion, but since New Zealand has the pandemic well under control, the Church could probably fit that in to the schedule wherever it might make sense. We additionally know that Brazil still does not have the pandemic under control, nor is that likely to occur until April of next year, so the dedication of the Rio de Janeiro temple might be postponed until that time. If Washington DC (technically Maryland), Japan, Manitoba, Ecuador, Guam, San Juan, and Praia all continue to see improvements in COVID-19 conditions, those temples could ee opening dates announced in the coming months as well.

The one big question, to which we might not have an answer in the near term, is whether any of these other temples to which I referred might be able to have their openings before the end of the year. My gut feeling is that the Church will likely hold off on announcing reopening arrangements for the Tokyo temple until after the rescheduled 2020 Olympic Summer Games in that city conclude. And it will be considerably easier for the Church to schedule openings for smaller temples. So I'm thinking that we might see the Church dedicate the Quito temple and rededicate the Tokyo and/or Hamilton temples by the end of this year, and that other temple openings or reopenings might be deferred until the early months of next year.

But the Lord has surprised us in the recent past, and He can and definitely will continue to do so in the future. In the meantime, I am grateful to have learned of and been able to cover this announcement today, and I was intrigued by the mention that "additional details" will be announced on the Mesa reopening closer to the time it is set to occur, so we'll look forward to seeing what that means. Aside from that, I will continue to also monitor all Church news updates and temple developments and will bring word of those to you all as I become aware thereof.

That does it for now. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made in accordance with the established guidelines. Thank you for the privilege of your time. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly added content, please feel free to subscribe. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: President Nelson Announces a New Temple for Ephraim Utah; Renovation on the Manti Utah Temple Will Begin in October

Hello again, everyone! In a stunning and unusually-timed announcement, President Russell M. Nelson announced this morning that the multi-year renovation on the Manti Utah Temple will begin on or around October 1 of this year, that greater care would be taken with the multi-year project to preserve the pioneer's efforts and craftsmanship, and that renovation plans for the temple would be evaluated and adjusted on an ongoing basis as the Lord inspires the Brethren further in that process

But today's video from President Nelson also included something I had not expected. It has been somewhat traditional under the leadership of Presidents Gordon B. Hinckley and Thomas S. Monson for the bulk of new temples to be announced in General Conference, with a few announced outside of those gatherings. A few examples of that are the Payson Utah Temple, announced in January 2010, and the confirmation of the intention to build the Paris France Temple was acknowledged in the summer of 2011, with plans officially confirmed for that temple in General Conference several months later.

The trend of temples announced by President Nelson seemed to focus for the most part on announcing temples every six months in General Conference, with a focus between each conference on clearing the existing queue. But this morning, President Nelson announced that, in consideration of the multi-year closure planned for the Manti Utah Temple, the Brethren have felt impressed to build a new temple in Ephraim to serve those currently in the Manti Utah Temple district during its' closure, especially given the student body population of Latter-day Saint young adults attending nearby Snow College. So it appears the new temple announced for Ephraim will, in similarity to the Deseret Peak Utah Temple, be built on a similar accelerated schedule.

This is developing news I did not see coming, but I welcome it. I continue to monitor all such updates and will be sure to pass word of those along to you all as I become aware thereof.

That does it for now. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made in accordance with the established guidelines. Thank you for the privilege of your time. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly added content, please feel free to subscribe. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

Review of Temple Construction Progress During the First Quarter of 2021

Hello again, everyone! As the final minutes of March draw to a close, I am pleased to take a look back at the progress that has been made on temple construction efforts throghout the world during this first quarter of 2021. The information is fairly straightforward and largely speaks for itself. That said, the first report shows how the temple construction efforts looked as 2021 began, while the second demonstrates where things stand in that respect as this first quarter concludes. I have no doubt that we are just seeing the beginning of the wonderful developments that will occur in temple construction throughtout this year.

I fully anticipate that this weekend's General Conference will bring with it the announcement of several new temples. As I've previously noted, my gut feeling is that a double-digit number of temples may be announced, but that will be up to the Lord, through President Nelson, to either confirm, correct, or deny. I will be sure to bring you all my analysis on any such announcement here ASAP after it it made, in addition to covering any other breaking developments that may occur during General Conference. I likewise continue to monitor temple construction updates and general Church news, and remain committed to bringing the latest updates on those developments to you all here as I become aware thereof.

Parenthetically, I should also note that today marks 3 yhears exactly since Elders Gerrit W. Gong and Ulisses Soares were sustained to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as the first Asian-Ameerican and Latin-American apostles, fulfilling President Nelson's promise that there would one day be "more flavors in the mix" among the top leadership Quorums of the Church. I support and sustain each of our current apostles and on this anniversary of the calls of Elders Gong and Soares testify again of the inspiration behind their calls to that role as special witnesses of Christ.

That does it for now. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made in accordance with the established guidelines. Thank you for the privilege of your time. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly added content, please feel free to subscribe. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: 7 Temples Will Move to Phase 3; 42 Other to Transition to Phase 2-B

Hello again, everyone! On this Monday of the week before General Conference, breaking temple news relating to temple reopenings has been reported yet again. As confirmed by the Newsroom and subsequently reported by the Church News within the last hour, two weeks from today (Monday April 12), 7 more temples will transition to phase 3, which will allow ordinances for the living in the same priority order as phase 2, in addition to allowing work for the dead in small groups by appointment only.

Those 7 include the only currently-operating temple in the Africa Central Area (the Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple); the two currently-operating temples in the Africa South Area (Durban and Johannesburg South Africa); the two currently-operating temples in the Africa West Area (Aba Nigeria and Accra Ghana); 1 more temple in the Asia North Area (Fukuoka Japan Temple), and 1 temple in the Caribbean (Santo Domingo Dominican Republic).

Also on April 12, 17 other temples are anticipated to transition to phase 2-B, which allows the performance of all living ordinances in priority order, and also reopens the temple baptistries for baptisms for the dead. The temples anticipated to make that change on that date include 8 in Utah (Bountiful, Brigham City, Draper, Jordan River, Logan, Monticello (that one's not technically part of the Utah area, but counts as a Utah temple), Ogden, and Oquirrh Mountain) ; 3 in Arizona (Snowflake, The Gila Valley, and Tucson) 2 in Idaho (Boise and Meridian); 2 in England (London and Preston); 1 in Nevada (Reno), and 1 in Wyoming (Star Valley).

2 weeks after that, on Monday April 26, the Church will be reopening 22 more temples in phase 2-B. Those planned for that date include 7 more in Utah (Cedar City, Manti, Mount Timpanogos, Payson,. Provo City Center, Provo, and Vernal),  11 elsewhere in the United States (Albuquerque New Mexico, Baton Rouge Louisiana, Bismarck North Dakota, Columbia River and Spokane Washington, Gilbert Arizona, Las Vegas Nevada, Memphis and Nashville Tennessee, St. Louis Missouri, and Winter Quarters Nebraska) and 1 more in Canada (Toronto Ontario).

Additionally, in an unusual (but understandable) move, the Church has also announced that 3 temples which are still undergoing renovation will open their baptistries. That will apply to the Salt Lake Temple, effective April  12, and the Mesa Arizona and St. George Utah Temples, effetive on April 26. I am assuming that, because the work has focused elsewhere thus far in the renovation of these temples, that the baptistries can thus be used without the need for rededication of those spaces.

By April 12, the Church's temple reopenings will see 26 in phase 3, 30 in phase 2-B, 86 in phase 2, 7 in phase 1, 10 "paused" in their reopening, with 9 that had reached phase 2, and 1 more that had reached phase 1; 1 which has not yet reopened (the Kyiv Ukraine Temple); and 8 closed for major renovations (although 3 of those will reopen their baptistries by appointment). All of these changes impacting every temple mentioned are now noted in the temple reopening status tracker.

I am grateful to have ben able to find out about these updates and to bring word of those to you all here. I continue to monitor all Church news, temple updates, and General Conference developments in this week leading up to that, and will bring you word of those reports as I become aware of them.

That does it for now. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made in accordance with the established guidelines. Thank you for the privilege of your time. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly added content, please feel free to subscribe. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Updates Announced for Salt Lake Temple Renovation;Mantis Utah Temple To Be Renovated Later This Year

NOTE: This post was originally published not long after the announcement was made, with subsequent edits added roughly 2 hours later.

Hello again, everyone!  The Newsroom has shared new information (which was also shared in the Church News) on the Salt Lake Temple renovation, with today's announced changes likely to extend the duration of that project. That announcement also noted that the Manti Utah Temple will also close for renovation later this year. There's a lot of information to get to, so let's break it down.  

First, for the Salt Lake Temple, continuing revelation has been sought regarding that process since well before that temple's renovation got underway in December of 2019, and the Church has continued to evaluate the best options to keep that temple up and running in the future, and to serve the needs of an expanding Church at its' headquarters. Consequently, a decision has been made to add two more instruction rooms, additional sealing rooms, and a second baptistry.

Next, rather than involving a room-to-room (progressive) endowment session that involves live performances from the ordinance workers, those live presentations of that ceremony will now be replaced by single-stage endowment rooms and include the incorporation of video presentations instead of the live performances. That will expand the temple's capacity for sessions each day.  Meanwhile, to free up space for the anticipated increased capacity of that temple, the cafeteria will no longer be part of that temple's facilities, and will be repurposed. The change in plans also means that the temple murals will need to be moved and either repaired or replaced, especially to accommodate a layout change for each endowment room now that those will be stationary rather than four-stage progressive. 

Also, since these particular additions to that project were added recently through revelation and were not part of the original plans, it seems likely that the renovation process for this temple may be extended to allow for the additional alterations. I previously shared my opinion that the Church would likely complete the renovation in mid-2024, with the open house and rededication likely to follow in the third or fourth quarter of that year. But in view of the adjusted and expanded renovation plans, the estimate for the completion may be more reasonably anticipated as late 2024-early 2025, though the Church will need to confirm or correct that, if that's not the case.

Having provided details on the Salt Lake Temple renovation updates, we now turn our attention to the part of the announcement relating to the Manti Utah Temple. The Church announced today that the temple will close for its' major renovation later this year, for a multi-year project. Aside from mechanical, electrical, seismic, and systemic updates, the Church plans to shift the Manti Temple from live presentations of the endowment in a multi-stage progressive style to a stationary endowment presented by video, which will expand the availiablity of the endowment in other languages at this temple.

The murals will also be documented, photographed, and removed, and some elements of the interior and exterior of that temple will also be altered and updated, with specifications on those to be provided as those plans are developed and as the scheduled renovations begin, which, again, will occur later this year. I am anticipating that the renovation on that temple will last a minium of 3-4 years, which will put its' completion sometime in late 2024-early 2025 as well. 

I am grateful to have been able to learn about and pass along these updates to you all. I continue to monitor all Church news and temple updates and wil also pass those along as well as I learn about them. That does it for now. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made in accordance with the established guidelines. Thank you for the privilege of your time. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly added content, please feel free to subscribe. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do