So as not to disrupt the flow of that list, I will conclude now as I always do. That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. 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.
Preliminary note on these locations: In a post I published on my blog on February 15, 2018, I set the background for my thoughts and observations about the timing of future temple announcements and shared my feelings that we may be entering an unprecedented era for temple announcements. In view of that consideration, after the personal research and feedback from others who commented on my blog, I divided the potential future locations on this list into two categories: those that are more likely to be announced in the near future (which are included in the list below) and those that will likely be announced at some point, but for which more of a waiting period may potentially be involved. The subject of where future temples may be built and how soon that might occur is close to my heart, and I will do my best to update my lists of such locations as that becomes necessary, including reprioritizing such sites once there is a more compelling case in their favor.[i]
Africa[ii]
& Europe: Freetown Sierra Leone[iii];
Lagos Nigeria[iv]; Kumasi
Ghana[v];
Budapest Hungary[vi]; Praia
Cape Verde[vii]
Asia (including the Pacific and the Philippines): Auckland
New Zealand[viii];
Port Moresby Papua New Guinea[ix];
Phomn Penh Cambodia[x]; Osaka
Japan[xi]; Davao
Philippines[xii]
Latin America (includes Central and South America,
Brazil, and Mexico)[xiii]:
Managua Nicaragua[xiv]; Puebla Mexico[xv]; Santa
Cruz Bolivia[xvi]; San Pedro Sula Honduras[xvii];
Senahu Guatemala[xviii]; Neuquen Argentina[xix];
Antofagasta Chile[xx]; Belo Horizonte/Salvador Brazil[xxi]
United States[xxii]:
Missoula Montana[xxiii]; Bentonville Arkansas[xxiv];
Herriman[xxv]/Layton[xxvi]/Tooele[xxvii]
Utah; Richmond Virginia[xxviii]
Final Note:
As with everything else I put together, these are no more than my own thoughts,
feelings, and observations based on the research I have done and the reports I
have received, which are just as imperfect and prone to fallibility as I myself
am. I hope that is absolutely understood and accepted. No one can know the mind
of the Lord relating to His Church except those authorized to receive
revelation for the Church, and the prophet of the Church has the final say in
approving such locations. While I am always gratified when my predictions turn
out to be correct, I am even more appreciative of the many times developments
do not take place as I project they will. At the end of the day, the Lord is
the only one who can determine best how to further His work, and He manifests
His will to His chosen prophet. Just wanted to end on that note.
[i]As part of my ongoing
efforts to be more organized in the presentation of my thoughts regarding future
temple locations, I determined that it would make the most sense to group the
temples on this list in the same way the Church groups those Area Seventies
serving throughout the world, with Africa and Europe in one group, Asia and the
Pacific (including the Philippines) in another, Central and South America
(including Brazil and Mexico) in another, and finally those in the United
States. I should also probably note that while the Church divides its area
seventies even further than that, the general grouping of these world areas
seemed logical enough for my purposes. But because of this grouping, my next
task was to try and determine in which order I should list these prospective
locations. The order for which I have opted may not be perfect, and likely will
not satisfy all who read about it, but it represents the best way in which I
felt I could organize these locations.
[ii]The Church in Africa has
experience consistent significant growth. In each of the last three times
temples were announced in General Conference, the African continent got one new
one. The growth in West Africa has reportedly been most significant. The LDS
Church Growth Blog noted last year that, if current growth trends continued in
the Church’s Africa West Area, the Church there could go from the 3 temples in
any phase right now to as many as 13 in operation by 2030. With that in mind,
it seems more than likely that many new temples will be announced to accommodate
that extensive growth, and I have narrowed it down to the three most likely
locations for the immediate future, and am keeping, as previously noted,
another list for temples that may be possible in the future but may not perhaps
be as imminent.
[iii]The LDS Church Growth Blog
noted last year that Sierra Leone was the 6th in the top 10
countries that have the strongest Church presence but do not have a temple in
any phase. And its’ Church presence is becoming ever more significant. Last
year alone, 3 districts were upgraded to stakes in Sierra Leone, and that
nation also saw 1 new stake and 1 new district created as well. It is obvious
that Church growth is accelerating in Sierra Leone. I have had a temple for
Freetown on my list for as long as I have been evaluating temple prospects, and
I am more convinced than ever that a temple there is just a matter of time.
[iv]The Church in Nigeria has
seen especially significant growth in recent years, and although there may be
some who feel that Benin City may be a better location for Nigeria’s second
temple, my research indicates that, at least initially, Lagos would likely be
chosen. But the odds are very good that we could see temples in both cities at
some point. With that said, in relation to Lagos, the one question is how
imminent that possibility is. Based on the projection cited in the note above
from the LDS Church Growth blog, if 13 temples are dedicated in West Africa by
2030, then it is very likely that Nigeria could get a second (and possibly also
a third) temple between now and then, and that this will occur sooner rather
than later.
[v]My research also has
pointed to the idea that Ghana could get another temple as well, and Kumasi has
emerged as the most likely prospective city for that honor. Again, the only
question on my mind in that regard is how
soon that might occur. I would hope sooner rather than later, but it will
be interesting to see how justified that hope might be.
[vi]In the course of several
discussions on potential future locations on my blog, the general consensus
seemed to be that Budapest Hungary was the most likely European location to get
a temple, which my subsequent research confirmed. And while I was also
confident enough to include a temple for neighboring Austria on an earlier
version of this list (primarily because my wife served her mission there), my
study showed that Austrian growth is somewhat retrogressing, and that a temple
in Budapest would likely serve Austria as well, as the Austrian capital
(Vienna) is less than 200 miles from Budapest.
[vii]Cape Verde, which is
close to Africa but falls under the Church’s Europe Area, ranks as the 10th
of the top ten members with the strongest Church presence that does not have a
temple. It therefore seems more likely than not that a temple could be built
there in the near future, but it has also seemed more likely than not that a
temple in Budapest will be announced first.
[viii]My research indicates
that land has been held in reserve for a temple in Auckland for several years.
So the main question seems to not be if
a temple will be built there, but rather how
soon that might occur. The Hamilton New Zealand Temple is currently
scheduled for renovation beginning this July, and part of that process may very
well be an expansion of that temple. If that occurs, that could potentially put
off the announcement of a temple in Auckland. But for now, I feel confident
enough in the prospect that I have it prioritized first on this list. If that
changes, I will pass that along.
[ix]Before learning about the
temple site in Auckland, I had discovered that land has been held in reserve
for a while for a temple in the capital city of Papua New Guinea. And since the
Saints in Papua New Guinea travel more than 10 times farther to reach their
assigned temple (in Suva Fiji) than the 200-mile distance within which prophets
have indicated each member should be from the nearest temple, a temple in this
nation seems to be just a matter of time.
[x]At one point on this list,
there was a cluster of large nations in Asia for which I had a potential temple
location listed. But as I thought about those locations further, it made sense
to put most of them on the list for the more distant future, except for the most
likely possibility among those locations (a temple for Cambodia). With another
temple announced for Bangkok Thailand, and with the fact that I put Singapore
on this list as well (which I will be addressing in a subsequent note), that
could break up the Hong Kong district rather nicely. If and when I see a reason
to again include some of those other locations on a future list, I will be
doing so.
[xi]The most recent temple
built in Japan was dedicated in 2016, and it had been announced in October
2009. Since that was over 8 years ago, it seems entirely possible that another
Japanese temple could be announced in the near future, and of the many
possibilities, the city of Osaka has emerged from my research as the most
likely location for Japan’s fourth temple. While that city is not the location
of any of Japan’s 7 missions, the city does have three stakes within it, and
the odds are very likely that, among the other cities that may potential be
served by an Osaka temple would be the city of Kobe, which is 20.9 miles away,
and which does have a mission within its’ boundaries.
[xii]In the discussions that
took place on my blog, many possibilities were explored in terms of the most
likely future locations for temples in the Philippines. A recent report
confirmed the site location for the Urdaneta Philippines Temple, and the second
Manila Philippines Temple has also had a site confirmed. So those two could
both be under construction in the near future, perhaps within the next year or
two. Regarding future temples in the Philippines, the one unknown id, of
course, if the Church would announce any other temples while these two are in
the construction process. We have seen other nations that have multiple temples
in different phases at once, so it is not out of the question. With that said,
if a temple is announced in the near future, Davao has emerged from my research
as the most likely location for that honor. Cagayan de Oro is another
possibility, but a temple in either city would serve the other as well, at
least initially, since the two are roughly 162 miles apart. So I have opted to
list Davao above. But it is plain that the Lord’s hand is over the Philippines
Area, and that many more temples will likely be announced in this area in the
near future.
[xiii]Just as the Church has
seen widespread growth in Africa, there has been similar significant growth in
Latin America, and particularly through Central and South America. Mexico is
the one exception, where growth appears to be in somewhat of a stagnating state.
But there is reason to believe that temples will continue to be announced in
Latin America, especially since there are 5 under construction in that region
currently, and since 4 of the last 12 temples announced between 2015-2017 have
been in that region as well, we can clearly see the Lord’s hand in the growth
of the Church and the spreading of temples in Latin America
[xiv]Of all the prospects for
potential temples in Latin America, the possibility of one for Nicaragua is
likely the most imminent possible locations. That is true for a few reasons.
First, the LDS Church Growth blog ranks Nicaragua as the first of the top ten
nations without a temple in any phase, and that has held true for at least the
last 6.5 years. Additionally, the Church has reportedly held land in reserve
for several years for such a temple. The Saints in Nicaragua currently travel
233.1 miles to get to their assigned temple in Tegucigalpa Honduras. And in
January 2012, then-Elder Nelson publicly proposed a temple for Nicaragua. In
light of all of this, it would not be surprising to find out that a Nicaraguan
temple has been under consideration for several years, or that President Nelson
might be inspired by the Lord to fulfill his own apostolic promise of a temple
for the Nicaraguan Saints. A temple there has been on my list for as long as I
have been sharing my thoughts on the subject of potential future temple
locations, so it is my hope to see that occur sooner rather than later, and if
not during this conference, then certainly within the next 2-3 years.
[xv]The last Mexican temple (for
the city of Tijuana) was announced in October 2010, and dedicated in December
2015. Although Mexico has been experiencing some stagnated growth (such that
congregations have been and will continue to be consolidated), I have long
heard that Puebla is the most likely location for Mexico’s next temple, and my
own study and comments from those familiar with Mexico verifies that. So I feel
confident that a temple there is just a matter of time, and that there is
justification to believe that will occur sooner rather than later.
[xvi]For Bolivian temples in
the near future, I started out with the two most likely possibilities: Santa
Cruz and La Paz. Both cities (and the surrounding regions) have experienced
substantial growth since the dedication of the first Bolivian temple
(Cochabamba), which occurred on the last day of April 2000. Of the two cities,
I have tended to favor La Paz because a former bishop of my parent’s ward (who
is also a very good friend) served his mission there, but as I studied more
about the two cities, I realized that unless both are announced simultaneously,
or unless the other is announced while the first is in another constructional
phase, I had to look at the most likely possibility, and that study resulted in
Santa Cruz making it to the final list. With that said, I would anticipate both
cities will likely have a temple in the next 15 years or less.
[xvii]Honduras has experienced
significant Church growth as well, especially since its’ first temple was
dedicated in Tegucigalpa in March of 2013. Of the many places that could be
selected for a second temple in that nation, the general consensus seems to be
that San Pedro Sula is the most likely location for that honor, which my
subsequent personal study has confirmed. I also believe that will occur sooner
rather than later.
[xviii]Guatemala’s second
temple (which was built in the city of Quetzeltenango) was announced in
December 2006 and was dedicated 5 years later. And since that time, especially
in the years within which I have been covering future temple possibilities,
Guatemalan Church growth has been substantial enough for a third temple to be a
real possibility. And of the many locations where such a temple could potentially
be built, the next most likely possible location seems to be Senahu. And that could
occur sooner rather than later.
[xix]The Church in Argentina
has experienced significant growth as well, and with a temple last announced in
that nation in October 2008 and dedicated almost seven years later (in May
2015), it has seemed very reasonable to believe that a third temple could be
announced in the near future for Argentina. And when that occurs, my study (and
feedback from others) points to Neuquen as being the most likely location for
that honor. It is my belief that is likely to occur in the near future, and is
more likely sooner rather than later.
[xx]The overwhelming consensus
from my study and the comments on my blog is that Antofagasta will likely be
the next Chilean city to get a temple. The only question is how soon that might
occur. And that is difficult to know. That nation’s second temple (currently in
the final stages of construction in Concepcion) is anticipated to be dedicated
at some point during the second half of this year. But when that occurs, since
the city of Antofagasta is closer to Santiago than it is to Concepcion, until a
temple is built in Antofagasta, the Saints have a journey of more than 4 times
longer than the goal that has been set by previous Church presidents (200
miles) to the Santiago temple. So in that regard, an Antofagasta Temple seems
to be just a matter of time.
[xxi]Brazil has seen
significant Church growth in recent years. Since 2016, two Brazilian Temples have
begun full-scale efforts (Fortaleza (which experienced a 5-year delay between
the time of its’ groundbreaking and when construction formally began) and Rio
de Janeiro), and within that same time, two others have been announced (for the
cities of Belem and Brasilia). So it is obvious that the Saints in Brazil are
using the temples they have, and that many others might be needed. Of the dozen
or so potential locations that could get a temple soon, Salvador and Belo
Horizonte seem like they may be more imminent. And the two may be
interchangeable in terms of that imminence. Some may say that the four temples
in various stages might preclude any others being announced in the near future,
but as we saw last April, Brasilia was announced even though Fortaleza, Rio de
Janeiro, and Belem were still in various stages. So it seems entirely likely
that either or both of the two locations could be announced before too much
longer, and I have several other locations which I am watching as well that
could also be announced in the near future.
[xxii]The United States has
seen somewhat of a stagnation in terms of Church growth, with the exception of
the “Mormon Corridor”, which takes in the states of Arizona, Idaho, Nevada and
Utah. We have seen a reflection of growth within that corridor in the recent
dedications of the temples in Tucson Arizona, Meridian Idaho, and Cedar City
Utah, and the April 2017 announcement of new temples for Pocatello Idaho and
Saratoga Springs Utah. But I have also found locations outside this area that may be ripe for a temple announcement,
based either on a public proposal by a prophet or apostle, what I have heard
and uncovered through research about land being held in reserve for other
locations, the factor of which locations are more than 200 miles from their
assigned temples, and which temple districts may need to split in the near
future. So I have hope that many of these locations will have an announcement
at some point in the near future, even if those announcements are not as
imminent as some, myself included, might believe they should be.
[xxiii]This possibility is
first on the list of those that may get an announcement in the near future
within the US for two reasons. First, a comment on my blog confirmed that Elder
Bednar had publicly proposed such a temple during a stake conference over which
he presided, and second, I subsequently uncovered information that pointed to
the idea that land has been held in reserve for such a temple for a while now.
Based on these facts, it seems clear that an announcement will be made sooner
rather than later, and of the many options, it seems this one may be more of an
imminent possibility.
[xxiv]A good friend whose
mission was in Bentonville Arkansas learned of my interest in potential future
temple locations, and shared with me that, in following the developments of the
Church in that city, he could confirm that land has been held in reserve for a
temple there for a while now. My subsequent study confirmed that. Others have
offered their opinion that Rogers may be a more likely location, but since the
two are so close together, a temple in either city would serve the other. While
I fully believe that those advancing the idea of a Rogers temple have valid
reasons for doing so, I have felt it wiser to include Bentonville on my personal
list.
[xxv]While this has yet to be
officially confirmed by any Church President, my personal research points to
the notion that the Southwest Salt Lake Valley Temple site referenced by
President Hinckley is one that, at the time of the announcement, fell within
the boundaries of Bluffdale city, although it now appears that land has since
been transferred in its’ ownership to the city of Herriman. I also know that
the site in question has since been the subject of at least one (and perhaps
more than one) border dispute between Herriman and Bluffdale. President
Hinckley made the announcement in 2005 that the site was being held in reserve
for when it would be needed in the future. Since 13 years have come and gone
between now and then, and since recent Church presidents have taken action to
announce sites publicly proposed or referenced during their predecessor(s)
presidencies, we could see the official location confirmed and an announcement
made in the near future. Until it is officially confirmed or denied as the
location, it seems wise to list Herriman.
[xxvi]Regardless of how soon
the Southwest Salt Lake Valley location is confirmed and a temple is announced
there, I have had my eyes on Layton for the last several years as a potential
temple prospect, and some have said it could be the next Utah temple. So having
one officially announced there seems more likely sooner rather than later.
[xxvii]Tooele may run a close
third compared to Layton and Herriman in terms of its’ likely prospect as a
Utah temple, but Utah has seen extensive enough growth that all three could be
announced either simultaneously or in short order one after the other. It has
felt wise to include all three on this list, and they may be announced in that
order.
[xxviii]Regarding Virginia, I
have heard from many that a temple for that state is just a matter of time,
which my personal study has confirmed. With that said, I also wanted to note
that there is a wide variety of opinions about the most likely location for
such a temple. While there are several possible locations where a temple could be built in Virginia, the capital
city makes the most sense of those options. And that temple will likely be
announced sooner rather than later.
[xxix]In my discussions with
others on potential future temples, I asked for thoughts on where the next
temple in Texas might be built. Two cities emerged: El Paso and Fort Worth. Of
the two, according to someone who lives within the Dallas Texas Temple
district, the temple is kept busy enough and there is enough of a commute that
a temple in Fort Worth was the more likely prospect. Based on that assertion, I
have prioritized Fort Worth over El Paso, although I anticipate we will see
temples in both cities in the near future. And I will keep my eye open for
anything that would change that thinking, if neither gets a temple during this
conference.
[xxx]Regarding the prospects
of a temple in Las Cruces, as I noted above, some have offered the opinion that
a temple in El Paso might be given priority. But if the assessment regarding
Fort Worth’s prospective status as the next most likely location for a temple
in Texas proves correct, then a temple in Las Cruces would also make a lot of
sense, since it would serve the Saints in El Paso if they are unable to easily
get to their currently assigned temple.
[xxxi]The general consensus
from comments on my blog on the subject is that the next temple built in Nevada
would either be in Henderson or Elko. After further research on my part, I have
determined that an Elko temple may be more of a priority for the Church, if one
is needed anywhere in Nevada in the near future.
[xxxii]Extensive study on my
part has pointed to the notion that Arizona’s next temple will likely be built
in Flagstaff, which seems to be a shared opinion with those who have commented
on that prospect. The only question is how soon that might occur. In an
interview done by Elder Wilson while the Tucson Arizona Temple was under
construction, he noted that the dedication of that temple would have Arizona
pretty well stocked for temples for the near future. I have felt confident
enough to list it here, but would not in any way be surprised if such an
announcement is delayed for a time.