BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Opening Arrangements Announced for San Juan Puerto Rico Temple; Renovation Plans Announced for Stockholm Sweden Temple

Hello again, everyone! This afternoon, the First Presidency made a major announcement regarding two temples of the Church: opening arrangements for the San Juan Puerto Rico Temple, and a planned renovation for the Stockholm Sweden Temple. Let's break down the details: A media day on Monday, November 28 will be followed by invited guest tours on Tuesday and Wednesday, November 29 and 30. 

The public open house for the San Juan Puerto Rico Temple will be held from Thursday, December 1-Saturday, December 17, 2022. Although a youth devotional is not mentioned, I assume that will occur on Saturday, January 14, followed the next day by the dedication of that temple in three sessions at 9:00 AM, 12:00 PM, and 3:00 PM Puerto Rican time, which is 7:00 AM, 10:00 AM, and 1:00 PM the same day here in Utah. 

Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will preside at the dedication. I had recently shared my theory that since August has come and gone without the announcement of temple dedications or rededications, any that were set would occur next year, and that appears to be the case. The one exception might be the Columbus Ohio Temple, which is nearing completion and could probably have an open house and rededication prior to the end of this year.

That being said, let's move on to the Stockholm Sweden Temple. That temple will close sometime next year for an extensive renovation that will nearly double the size of that temple from 16,366 square feet to approximately 31,000 square feet. That will increase the capacity of the temple, which will now have two rooms for the endowment that will include 40 seats apiece. 

A rendering of the redesign was also released in conjunction with this announcement. Due to the extensive work planned, the temple will remain closed for approximately three years, reopening sometime in 2026 or 2027. So we now have three temples that are set to close for extensive renovations next year: Kona Hawaii, Provo Utah, and Stockholm Sweden. Each of those renovations involves an overhauled exterior look and expansions.

I am grateful to have learned about this and to have passed it along to you all. I continue to monitor all such updates and will be sure to pass them along here as I become aware thereof. In the meantime, that does it for now. Thank you for the privilege of your time. 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. 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: Renovations, Expansions, and a Redesign Scheduled for Kona Hawaii Temple

Hello again, everyone! The First Presidency announced this afternoon that renovations, expansions, and a redesign are planned beginning around October 2023 for the Kona Hawaii Temple. The updates are anticipated to be completed sometime in late 2025. Plans call for an increase in the square footage of that temple from 9,500 square feet to 12,000 square feet. The rendering for the temple after the change reflects a slightly different look.

The temple is the 70th in operation, originally dedicated by President Hinckley on January 23 and 24, 2000. This continues the Church's efforts to expand the floor plan of Hinckley-era temples to accommodate an increased need. During the renovation process, the Church encourages patrons in the Kona temple district to participate in ordinance work at the Laie Hawaii Temple. I am grateful to have heard about this news and for the opportunity to share it with you all here.

I continue to monitor all such updates and will bring you word of those 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. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly added content, please feel free to subscribe. Thank you for the privilege of your time. 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 Half of 2022

Hello again, everyone! With just 10 minutes left in the first half of 2022, I wanted to provide a look back at temple construction progress during these first 6 months of 2022. To contextualize that, I have three reports: what temple construction looked like as 2022 began, a look at the progress made on that front when the April 2022 General Conference was a few days away, and how things look as we head into the month marking the General Authorities' annual recess.

As we know at this point, the Church has dedicated 3 new temples and has rededicated 1 (with the rededication of another occurring this weekend). So far, the Church has broken ground for 9 temples, and 2 others are scheduled to occur in mid-to-late August. And the site location and preliminary information have been announced for 1 temple thus far. In view of the recess month into which we're entering, I don't anticipate any major announcements relating to temples until August, but I would love to be wrong about that.

I am cautiously optimistic that the second half of this year will bring with it major updates on a variety of fronts. I continue to monitor all such developments and Church news reports, and will bring word thereof 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. 

Thank you for the privilege of your time. I hope any of you who would like to share anything will take your opportunity to “sound off” in the comments below. 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: 9 More Temples Will Transition to Phase 4

Hello again, everyone! The Church News shared yet another new report on temple reopenings this morning. The latest update indicates that 9 more temples of the Church will begin to transition to phase 4 (normal operations). Let's get into the details: 162 of the Church's 171 dedicated temples are operational. With 8 closed for major renovations, 1 other (the Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple) has been dedicated and is anticipated to begin operations soon.

The 9 temples moving toward normal operations include: 4 in the United States (Boston Massachusetts, Hartford Connecticut, Louisville Kentucky, and Nashville Tennessee);  2 in Europe (Madrid Spain and Preston England) and 1 each in Canada (Montreal Quebec); Central America (San Salvador El Salvador); and Asia (Seoul Korea).

As a result of these details, the status of the Church's 171 temples stands as follows: 1 (Rio de Janeiro Brazil) will begin operations soon; 8 are closed for major renovations (with all 8 having been granted phase 3 status, allowing patrons in those districts to schedule phase 3 living and proxy work at the nearest temple); 1 (Kyiv Ukraine) has had operations paused/suspended in phase 3 out of an abundance of caution due to the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine; and 1 (Suva Fiji) remains in phase 1.

With no temples currently in phases 2 or 2-B, of the remaining temples, 26 are in phase 3 (those 26 do not include the 8 temples undergoing renovation, which are being separately categorized for the time being), and, with the changes announced today, the total number of temples now in phase 4 is 134. The Church News has also updated the temple reopening status tracker, which shows an area-by-area breakdown of temples worldwide.

Incidentally, on that status tracker, if you look at the Brazil Area specifically, there is an entry for the Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple. The text on that entry reads: "Dedicated May 8, 2022. Ordination work for patrons begins May 19, 2022." I assume that "Ordination work" was supposed to be "Ordinance work" because otherwise, it doesn't make much sense. But if the temple is officially open for ordinance work on May 19, I assume that it will be granted phase 4 status right away, since all other Brazilian temples are now in phase 4. 

Either way, the status of that temple is likely to be clarified by the Church News in the update next week. I will continue to monitor all updates from the Newsroom and the Church News, along with any updates on the status of temples in the construction queue (under construction, undergoing renovation, or those in various other phases) and pass those along to you all here 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 feedback offered is consistent with 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. 

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: Number of Temples Transitioning to Normal Operations Now Exceeds 100

Hello again, everyone! As some of you might recall, last week, we had two temple reopening updates released on Tuesday and Wednesday. In the first comment I posted yesterday, I indicated that, with no new reopening updates reported, I was unsure whether the Church would share such a report later this week, or if they would hold steady for the time being with the information posted Wednesday. 

This morning, I am pleased to report on the latest update from the Church, which was released by the Church News a short time ago. That update indicates that with additional phase 4 transitions that occurred yesterday and today, the number of temples making the transition to phase 4 now officially exceeds 100. As of Tuesday April 26, the following 23 temples that began transitioning to phase 4 included: 

13 temples in Mexico (Cuidad Juarez, Colonia Juárez Chihuahua, Guadalajara, Hermosillo Sonora, Merida, Mexico City, Monterrey, Oaxaca, Tampico, Tijuana, Tuxtla Guitierrez, Veracruz, and Villahermosa Mexico); 7 in the United States (Meridian and Pocatello Idaho, Logan Utah, Manhattan New York,  Nauvoo Illinois, St. Louis Missouri, and Star Valley Wyoming); and 3 elsewhere in the world (Papeete Tahiti, Port-au-Prince Haiti, and Santo Domingo Dominican Republic). 

The following 3 temples in the Western United States began transitioning to phase 4 effective today: Fresno California, Medford Oregon, and Seattle Washington. As a result of the changes to these 26 temples, the status of all Church temples now stands as follows, effective today: 8 are closed for major renovations (with all 8 designated as phase 3, allowing patrons in those districts to schedule living or proxy work at the nearest phase 3 temples open to them). 

Phase 3 operations at the Kyiv Ukraine Temple remain paused/suspended due to the ongoing Russian invasion. The Suva Fiji Temple remains in phase 1.  And with 0 temples in phase 2 or 2-B, there are now 51 temples still in phase 3, and the remaining 109 are now in phase 4 (returning to normal operations). These changes can be confirmed in the area-by-area status tracker.

The Church remains committed to a carefully-planned, cautiously-coordinated effort to move all 170 temples worldwide towards resuming normal pre-pandemic operations. As I've watched that process unfold, I have become even more convinced of and profoundly grateful for the prophetic foresight that continues to guide this process. In the coming weeks, I will be interested to see if future updates are published on Monday or Tuesday, or if the announcement today shifts those updates to Wednesday.

I continue to monitor any and all Church news updates and newly-reported temple developments, and remain committed to bringing word of those to you all here 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 feedback offered is consistent with 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. 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 Hamilton New Zealand Temple

Note: An original version of this post was published on 4/11/22 @ 2:15 PM, with subsequent additional analysis added between 6:35 and 7:35 PM.

Hello again, everyone! This afternoon,  the First Presidency announced reopening arrangements for the Hamilton New Zealand Temple. Before getting into the details of the announcement, I'd like to note that the reopening is occurring later this year than I had thought it might. 

Given the fact that New Zealand has quickly locked down its' borders in the face of COVID-19 and its' variants, I had thought the reopening arrangements could occur soon after New Zealand reopens its' borders, which is due to happen at some point in the next 3-6 weeks, based on the information I found online about 2 weeks ago.

But I've mentioned in the past that, because of my ongoing preparation to cover major Church news updates and temple developments, anytime the Church announces anything, as soon as I hear or read any such announcement, in that same instance, the Lord confirms to me through His Spirit that what has been announced is His will for His Church at this time. 

And as I share further analysis on the details of today's announcement, I hope you will all remember this statement: The Lord has proven yet again that His ways and thoughts will, as they always do, trump any analysis or prediction I have offered at any point pertaining to the timing of any temple event, including, in this particular case, the reopening of the Hamilton New Zealand Temple. 

The arrangements, though unexpected in timing to this mortal mind of mine, are exactly what they need to be and are inspired, full stop. Monday August 22 has been designated a media day, with VIP tours for invited guests from Tuesday August 22-Thursday August 24. The public open house will run from Friday August 26-Saturday September 17, 2022, with the exception of the relevant Sundays (August 28 and September 4 and 11).

At the conclusion of the open house, final preparations will be made for the dedication in the four intervening weeks. A youth devotional for those within the Hamilton New Zealand temple district will be held on Saturday October 15, and the temple will be rededicated in three sessions held the following day at 9:00 AM, noon, and 3:00 PM Hamilton time, which will be 3:00 PM, 6:00 PM, and 9:00 PM on Saturday October 15 here in Utah. 

By assignment from the First Presidency, Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will preside at the youth devotional and rededication. I take that as further proof of my theory that the responsibility for presiding at temple rededications will continue to be delegated to either the First Presidency counselors or the senior half of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. 

It's also worth noting that, beginning last year, there was a bit of a rotation of assignments in councils, committees, and area supervision for the members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. I seem to recall (but could not find again) a report from last year in which it was noted that Elder Uchtdorf had conducted the annual area review for one of the Asia Areas. 

So it's possible that if his area supervisory responsibilities have shifted to part of Asia, that the regions he oversees are geographically closer to the Pacific than any of the other senior apostles. But that's just my personal theory. As with anything else I share on this blog, unless it is specifically backed by official Church sources, please take any theories I offer with the proverbial grain of salt. 

And unless and until they are confirmed or corrected by official sources, they are no more and no less than my own opinion. Having noted that, I present a new theory: with the Hamilton New Zealand Temple rededication not taking place until October, I fully anticipate that August and September could be big months for the dedications of new temples. 

We now have two (Belem Brazil and San Juan Puerto Rico) which are nearing completion, and the Saratoga Springs Utah and Helena Montana Temples might not be too far behind. I also think it's safe to anticipate that the rededication of the Columbus Ohio Temple could occur between the already-announced rededications of the Washington D.C. Temple (on August 14) and the October 16 rededication for the Hamilton New Zealand Temple.

There are a lot more temple announcements that are anticipated to come down the pike in the coming weeks and months. To the best of my ability, I will continue to cover those and any other major announcements from the Church. 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 feedback offered is consistent with 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. 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.

UPDATE: Temple Construction Progress During the First Quarter of 2022

Hello again, everyone! As this last day of March 2022 draws to its' conclusion, I wanted to provide a look back at the progress the Church has made in the construction of temples as the first quarter of 2022 also wraps up. So for a refresher course, I am providing a look at where things stood as this year began. And as this first quarter of 2022 wraps up, there have been significant updates with the Church's temple construction program.

The Church has already broken ground for 1 temple this year, with 8 more temple groundbreakings set to occur during the second quarter of this year. 3 new temples have had dedications scheduled, all of which will take place during the next three months. The Church also defined, clarified, and expanded the length of the opening dates for the Washington D.C. Temple, and has announced the rededication arrangements for the Tokyo Japan Temple. While neither of those rededications will occur this quarter, that is also a positive sign.

Current temples have also been announced to shift to phase 4 as local conditions and area presidency directions provide. Oddly enough, this quarter passed without the Church announcing official details for any of the 4 US cities in which temples were announced last October. As we also know, 2 temples each are awaiting announcements of their opening or reopening arrangements. That number may increase in the next quarter, but hopefully official announcements are coming there as well.

I am likewise hopeful that the Church may release more official information (either just a site announcement, or a site announcement and artist's rendering, or a site announcement, artist's rendering, and groundbreaking arrangements for a few more temples this quarter. And, of course, we have the always-anticipated announcement of new temples likely to occur on Sunday during General Conference. 

Although I have provided an extensive list of locations in which a temple could be announced this weekend, I have also put together a more specific list of 16 locations in which I have felt a new temple could be announced this time around. As I've mentioned in the past, when Elder Kevin S. Hamilton presided at my stake conference in December, he alluded to the Church having more than 300 temples in various phases. 

Since there are 265 current temples in any phase, the Church might be looking to announce at least 35 temples. And since the number of temples which have had may soon have a groundbreaking scheduled is 8, announcing the smaller number of those 35 could allow the Church to focus on clearing the current queue of announced temples more before the October General Conference, then announcing a larger number of temples to total or exceed 35 could work out nicely.

With that being said, hope you all enjoyed this look back at temple construction progress during the first quarter of 2022. I continue to monitor all such developments, and will be sure to pass along any updates to you all here 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 feedback offered is consistent with 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. 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 Arrangements Annouced for the Tokyo Japan Temple

Hello again, everyone! At this early evening hour, I have breaking temple news to report. As shared by the Newsroom and the Church News, reopening arrangements have been announced for the Tokyo Japan Temple. Let's get right into the details: A public open house will be held from Friday June 3 to Saturday June 18, with no tours offered on Sunday June 5 or 12 (making the open house a total of 14 days). 

A youth devotional will be held on Saturday July 2, with the rededication thereof following the next day. President Henry B. Eyring, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, will preside over the 3 rededicatory sessions, which will be held at 9:00 AM, 12:00 PM, and 3:00 PM on that day Tokyo time, which is 6:00 PM and 9:00 PM on Saturday in Utah, and the final session occurring at midnight Utah time when Saturday July 2 becomes Sunday July 3.

Unless I am mistaken, this is the first time since the Hinckley-era smaller temples that any dedication or rededication of a temple occurred in July, which typically marks the annual recess month for the General Authorities of the Church. But as recently as this morning, I had privately theorized that the rededication arrangements for the Tokyo temple might be one of the next major announcements made. And this will actually put the rededication of the Tokyo Temple occurring roughly 6 weeks before the August 14 rededication of the Washington D.C. Temple. 

I am grateful for this announcement. My research on the timing for other temple events indicates that we could see announcements soon for the reopening of the Hamilton New Zealand and Hong Kong China Temples, and that the opening arrangements for the Quito Ecuador, Belem Brazil, San Juan Puerto Rico, and Helena Montana Temples could also follow. My understanding is that New Zealand is hoping to reopen to the United States towards the end of spring or the beginning of summer in Utah.

But as always, COVID-19 has been the huge game-changing variable here. So I will be interested to see what happens with all such announcements in the coming weeks and months. In the meantime, I'm thinking that any other temple groundbreakings might only be announced to occur after the annual July recess. I'd be pleased to be wrong on that, or on anything else, but for right now, it seems like the Church is easing into scheduling future events, which I think is a very smart approach.

I continue to monitor all such developments and will bring word of those to you here 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 feedback offered is consistent with 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. 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: Public Open House; Dedication Announced for Praia Cape Verde Temple

Hello again, everyone! As reported by the Newsroom and the Church News, in the last few minutes, the First Presidency announced the open house and dedication dates for the Praia Cape Verde Temple. Let's break down the details. Open house tours will be held from Saturday May 21-Saturday June 11, 2022, excluding the relevant Sundays of May 22 and 29 and June 5.

A youth devotional will take place on Saturday June 18, followed by the temple's dedication on Sunday June 19, 2022, in three sessions, which will be held at 9:00 AM, 12:00 PM, and 3:00 PM. Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will preside over the dedicatory events. This continues the tradition of President Nelson delegating temple dedications to his fellow apostles. 

This marks the second temple to be dedicated by Elder Andersen, following the mid-September 2019 dedication of the Lisbon Portugal Temple.  For perspective, the dedication times line up with Utah time as follows: When the 9:00 AM session is held, it will be 3:00 AM here in Utah, with the 12:00 PM session held at 6:00 AM Utah time, and the 3:00 PM session held at 9:00 AM Sunday here.

This announcement also means that, barring anything unexpected, the Church will dedicate this temple before dedicating the Quito Ecuador Temple. Of course, since the Yigo Guam Temple will be dedicated on Sunday May 22, we could see other temple dedications/rededications held between that time and the dedication of this temple.

It will be interesting to see what the timing is on this. I would also mention that, although Quito, Brazil, New Zealand, and Japan are at phase 4 Do Not Travel alerts, there are certain conditions that allow such travel and entry. Temple dedications or rededications may be an exception to the rule, since there may be no limits on religious gatherings.  

Anyways, given the almost four-week gap between the dedications for the Yigo Guam and Praia Cape Verde Temples, there may be hopes to dedicate the Hamilton or Tokyo temples in early June. It's also possible that the Church is keeping an eye on conditions in Ecuador to schedule the Quito dedication.

Whatever happens in that regard, I will be sure to bring word of those developments to you as I become aware thereof. I am hopeful that tomorrow the Church might announce more groundbreakings. But I will keep my eyes open for all such temple updates and major Church news and pass those along as well.

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.

I hope any of you who would like to share anything will take your opportunity to “sound off” in the comments below.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: Lists of Temples Which Will Have an Extended Closure Period in 2022 and Temples for Which New Leaders May Be (or Have Been) Called in 2022

Hello again, everyone! Towards the beginning of the last two years, I have been able to provide updated documents showing which temples will have extended closure periods each year, and temples for which new leaders may be (or have been) called any given year. My hope was to provide completed versions of both before the Church began announcing temple leadership changes this year. But in view of ongoing health challenges (nothing serious, thankfully, just a lot to figure out), I am somewhat behind the times.

I have not yet completed either document for this year but wanted to share what I have compiled thus far. The documents will be updated as I am able to make those updates happen. So here they are: the list of temples that will have an extended closure this year, and the list showing which temples have had or may have new leaders announced this year.

I am committed to continuing to work on these lists as I can, but don't know how soon they might be fully completed. In the meantime, it's also worth noting that the Church News has shared biographies for new temple leaders on the following dates thus far: February 3; February 10; February 17; and today (February 24). The biographies speak for themselves and are well worthy of your time and attention.

I just wanted to share a couple of notes. There have been a few surprises in the announcements that are being made. The first leaders have already been identified for the Helena Montana and Feather River California Temples, which could both have construction concluded and dedications held in the next 4-8 months. 

But those callings were announced in advance of the announcement about the first president for the Quito Ecuador and Belem Brazil Temples, which may point to the Church focusing on getting US temples up and running as soon as possible after completion since COVID-19 is less of an issue in the nation now. In the meantime, taking that approach with US temples would allow them to open temples outside the US when that can safely occur.

Of course, the timing of any temple event, particularly with COVID-19 as the major variable, will be up to the Lord as revealed to His prophet, President Nelson. But it wouldn't shock me to see temples outside the US dedicated after some of their US counterparts, which may be further behind in the construction queue currently, but for which temple dedications can be more easily and safely held.

Whatever might happen in terms of major developments in temple construction or Church News, you can depend on my bringing word of those updates to you all here as I become aware thereof. For now, hope you enjoy the documents I shared above. I will continue to work on them as I can, and you can track my progress therewith via the placeholder note I have at the top of each document.

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. I hope any of you who would like to share anything will take your opportunity to “sound off” in the comments below. 

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: Renovation Work Completed on the Medford Oregon Temple; All US Temples Now Open for Living & Proxy Ordinances

Hello again, everyone! A short time ago, the Church News confirmed temple reopening updates. Right off the bat, it was announced that the process of "extended maintenance" or "renovation" has been completed for the Mdeford Oregon Temple, which will now move to phase 3 as early as next week. As a result of this adjustment, all 82 currently-operating temples in the United States will be in phase 3. For the Washington D.C. and Columbus Ohio Temples, their phase 3 status will allow the patrons served within those districts to schedule living and proxy ordinances at the nearest temple(s) to them.

Additionally, the Montreal Quebec Temple, recently closed down due to pandemic-related restrictions, is also reopening in phase 3. 167 of the Church's 170 temples (98.2%) are now in phase 3. And with two additional temples operating in phase 2-B, all but one of those 170 temples (for a total of 99.4%)  are now offering all living ordinances and at least proxy baptisms. As a result of these changes, 8 temples are currently under renovation (with all 8 of those granted phase 3 status) no temples are currently "paused" in their reopenings, and none are in phase 2. 1 temple (Suva Fiji) is in phase 1.

2 others (Barranquilla Colombia and Seoul Korea) are in phase 2-B, with the remaining 167 in phase 3 as noted above. The Church News update also acknowledges that, with so many temples operating in phase 3, and with the Church holding off for now on attempting to shift any temples to phase 4, reopening updates will be more sporadic and will be published only as needed going forward. The details shared in the Church News update are likewsie noted in the temple reopening status tracker and in the official release from the Newsroom.

Interestingly enough, the Newsroom incorrectly lists the Rio de Janeiro Brazil and Yigo Guam Temples as "Temples Undergoing Renovation",when both are new temples that have been completed and are awaiting their dedications, which have been scheduled. I suppose categorizing those as "Under Renovation" may be easier for the Newsroom staff than making that distinction that they are awaiting scheduled dedications. Just thought that was noteworthy.

I don't know at this point whether any other breaking news will be reported by the Church for the duration of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, but if and when those reports are shared, I will be sure to pass them along to you all here. I also monitor all temple construction updates and general Church news and will pass word of those along to you all 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.

Temple Construction Progress Update for Early February 2022

Hello again, everyone! As I mentioned in a recent comment on this blog, the queue of temples under construction has seen a dramatic shift. That in turn has changed the estimates within which those temples are anticipated to be completed. The nature of the adjustments has required a complete overhaul to my temple construction progress report. Aside from the changes, which I hope are relatively self-explanatory, I wanted to note that, in view of the unpredictable nature of COVID-19, as of today, I have eliminated any specific estimates for temple dedications, rededications, or groundbreakings and have opted for more general estimates.

Hopefully the Church's temple construction will not be as delayed as I have outlined in this newest report. But I wanted to be safe instead of sorry. The Church is doing a great job of monitoring and adjusting to the varying factors relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, which I anticipate may be the case going forward. To the best of my ability, I remain committed to tracking all such developments and passing word of those along to you all 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.

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: First Presidency Extends Washington D..C. Temple Open House; Pushes Back Rededication

 Hello again, everyone! Breaking news has been reported in a statement from the Temple Department, which was also shared by the Church News. Due to widespread interest in the reopening of the Washington D.C. Temple, the open house will still begin on Thursday April 28, but rather than concluding on Saturday June 4, it will be extended as needed to allow all who want to see it the opportunity to do so. The determination about the end date of the open house will be made later.

As a result of this adjustment, the temple's rededication, originally set for Sunday June 19, has been reschuedled to Sunday August 14. I am grateful for this inspired change. It means that some of the smaller temples, like Quito Ecuador, Praia Cabo Verde, Belem Brazil, and perhaps even Helena Montana, could be dedicated prior to this new rededication date for the Washington D.C. Temple. 

It will be interesting to see how all of that turns out. I continue to monitor all Church news updates and temple developments, 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. 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.

2021 Year-End Review of Temple Construction

Hello again, eveyone! As the final moments of 20e 21 tick towards their unavoidable conclusion, I wanted to provide you with a 2021 year-end review of temple construction progress. So by wayrom  of a reminder, here's a look back at the status of temples as the year began, a few days prior to the April 2021 General Conference, as the 2021 recess got underway for the General Authorities in July, how things looked a few days before the October 2021 General Conference, and how tenple construction looks as of 2021 concludes.

I think that 2022 will be another big year for temple eventsed 19-29 temples at minimum that could have a groundbreaking nwxt year as well. So I wouldn't be shocked if a minimum of 34 new temples were announced next year in the two General Conferences. I continue to monitor all such decelopmentd and will be sure to pass them along to you all as such announcements are made.

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: Latest Phased Reopening Adjustments Announced

Hello again, everyone! Another week has come and gone, and it is time once again to discuss the latest temple reopening adjustments from the Church. As always, the latest information can be found in the official release from the Newsroom, the Church News overview of those changes, and the temple reopening status tracker.

Only one temple update has been noted for this week: The Montecideo Uruguay Temple will transition to phase 3 as early as next Tuesday (December 28), which will mean that 164 of the Church's 170 temples (96.5%) will be in phase 3. And with 4 other temples in phase 2-B, 168 od the Church's 170 temples (98.8%) are offering some proxy ordinances.

As a result of these updates, the status of temples will stand as follows on Tuesday December 28: 8 temples are closed for renovation, with 1 more closed for what the Newsroom terms a "renovation" but for what the Church News calls "extended maintenance". I defer to the Newsroom's terminology because the Church's official page for Medford terms the current closure as a "renovation". 

Aside from Medford, the other 8 temples undergoing renovations have all been granted phase 3 designations. No temples are currenrly "paused" in their reopenings, and none are in phase 2 either. There are now 2 temples in phase 1, with 4 others operating in phase 2-B, and the remaining 156 temples are in phase 3. 

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 remeof changes each week.

Having noted all of that, it's also worth noting that the newest strain of COVID-19 popping up in various world areas may, in subsequent weeks, lead to other temples being "paused" in their reopenings. I will be sure to watch for any such updates and will pass them along to you all 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.

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Church Continues Cautiously-Coordinated Plan to Reopen Temples

Hello again, everyone! Another week has come and gone, and it is time once again to discuss the latest temple reopening adjustments from the Church. As always, the latest information can be found in the official release from the Newsroom, the Church News overview of those changes, and the temple reopening status tracker.

This week's updates note that the Mesa Arizona Temple, which was rededicated on Sunday, will reopen in phase 3 as early as December 21. Additionally, rhe Suva Fiji Temple, which was paused in its' rreopening since May of this year, will unpause but also will revert back to phase 1, only allowing living sealings of a previously-enodwed husband-and-wife. That temple joins the San Jose Costa Rica Temple in phase 1.

And the Sydney Australia Temple, which "paused" in its' reopening from mid-July until now will reopen to phase 3, allowing all living ordinances in priority order, and all other ordinances for the dead on a limited scale by appointment only.

As a result of these updates, the status of temples will stand as follows on Tuesday December 21: 8 temples are closed for renovation, with 1 more closed for what the Newsroom terms a "renovation" but for what the Church News calls "extended maintenance". I defer to the Newsroom's terminology because the Church's official page for Medford terms the current closure as a "renovation". 

Aside from Medford, the other 8 have all been granted phase 3 designations. No temples are currenrly "paused in their reopenings, and none are in phase 2 either. There is 1 temple in phase 1, 5 others operating in phase 2-B, and the remaining 155 temples are in phase 3. 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. Having noted all of that, it's also worth noting that the newest strain of COVID-19 popping up in various world areas may, in subsequent weeks, lead to other temples being "paused" in their reopenings. I will be sure to watch for any such updates and will pass them along to you all 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.

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: "Inspired Modifications" Extend Salt Lake Temple Renovation Timeframe

Hello again, everyone! As announced by the Newsroom, and detailed further in two updates from the  Church News, the First Presidency announced today that the modified renovation plans announced in March of this year (to which the previously-announced permanent closure of the Salt Lake cafeteria, among others, was added as a detail last month) will extend the length of time needed for that renovation's completion. That completion winfow has shifted from sometime in 2024 to sometime in 2025. 

I had previously shared my opinion that the additional plans would probably delay the completion of that process until late 2024 or early 2025, so today's announcement constitues both a justification for my rationale for pushing that window back the way I did, while also serving as an official correction to the previously-offered estimate on my part. I continue to monitor all Church news updates and temple developments and will be sure to pass on that information as it crosses my radar.

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: Latest Temple Reopening Adjustments Announced

Hello again, everyone! Another week has come and gone, and it is time once again to discuss the latest temple reopening adjustments from the Church. As always, the latest information can be found in the official release from the Newsroom and the temple reopening status tracker, Usually, the Church News also shares the same updates detailed in the Newsroom on a weekly basis, but for whatever reason, that article has not been updated with today's adjustments. 

As I mentioned in my post this morning, the Medford Oregon Temple has closed for minor renovations, which are anticipated to be completed by the end of the year, with the temple's rededication (likely a one-session private event) occurring by that time as well. If tlhat rededication does not occur prior to the end of this year, then it will occur early next year.

Oddly enough, the temple reopening status tracker notes that the Medford Oregon Temple is "closed for extended maintenance", and that it is still open in phase 2-B. Given the information available online via the Church Temples site and that temple's page on the Church website, the renovation closure is confirmed, meaning that what is noted in the temple reopening status tracker is not quite accurate.

Unless I am mistaken, the status change for Medford is the only new information on temple reopenings. As a result, the status of temples now stands as follows: 10 temples are now closed for renovation, 9 of which have been given phase 3 designations. 2 other temples that had reached phase 3 remain "paused" in their reopenings. There is 1 temple each in phase 1 and phase 2, with 4 others operating in phase 2-B, and the remaining 153 temples are in phase 3.

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 noted all of that, it's also worth noting that the newest strain of COVID-19 popping up in various world areas may, in subsequent weeks, lead to other temples being "paused" in their reopenings. I will be sure to watch for any such updates and will pass them along to you all 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.

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Medford Oregon Temple Closed for Renovation

Hello again, everyone! While I was waiting for the latest temple reopening announcements, I did some checking on the Medford Oregon Temple. That temple had been scheduled to transition to phase 3 in August, but no word has come down the pike to confirm that has occurred. 

Instead, it appears that the Medford Oregon Temple has closed for rneovations. The work that needs to be done there is apparently minor, and that process is anticipated to wrap up by the end of this year. No other details are currently available, but I will keep my eyes open for anything along those lines and publish that here once 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.

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Exterior Renderings Released for the Smithfield Utah and Redesigned Provo Utah Temples

Hello again, everyone! This morning, the Church released the exterior renderings for two Utah temples: Smithfield Utah and the redesigned Provo Utah Temple. Let's get right into the details. Firstly, while there has previously been some speculation that Provo's redesign could mirror Ogden's, the new design is more  unique, but more closely resembles its' sister temple in neighboring Orem Utah. The overhauled design will also apparently involve the removal of the angel Moroni statue, which is being phased out in newer temples of the Church.

The Smithfield Utah Temple, meanwhile, reminds me of a slighly-larger design from what the Church is using with the Feather River California Temple, among others. As we know, the Smithfield Utah Temple was announced in April of this year, and it was in October of this year that President Nelson first mentioned the redesigning of the Provo Utah Temple. Longtime reader and commenter Jim Anderson usually is very good at analyzing temple designs, so if you, Jim Anderson, have any insights on these designs, they would be most welcome here.

Although the reconstruction of the Provo Temple could be two years or so away, it is good to see that rendering released. And the Church continues a gradual release of information on newly announced temples, which is also wonderful to see. I continue to monitor all Church news and temple updates, and will pass word of those along to you all 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.