Additional Temple Progress Reported

Hello again, everyone! I am pleased to report that, within the last hour, two important temple developments have been reported. We first turn to an update on the renovation process for the Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple. A new photograph posted to the LDS Church Temples Facebook page shows that the framing on the temple's exterior has continued to make steady progress.

As I mentioned on this blog earlier this year, the general estimate for that temple's completion was pushed back from mid-2019 to mid-to-late 2019. With that in mind, despite this reported progress, I do not currently see any reason to believe that this temple will be rededicated any sooner than between October and December of next year. But if and when my thoughts change in that regard, I will pass that information along.

And just around half an hour ago, that same page reported a development related to the Winnipeg Manitoba Temple. At the site where that is being built, a new photograph shows that preliminary work is underway on the meetinghouse that will be near the temple. As I mentioned previously, when the groundbreaking was held for the Winnipeg temple in December 2016, the Church indicated that the construction process was anticipated to take around 20 months or so.

With that process only having formally begun within the last six weeks, I have offered my estimate (which I will stand by until I see a reason to change it) that if all goes well, construction could conclude for this temple in February or March 2020, with a dedication following in April or May of the same year. Again, if I see any reason to alter that estimate in the future, I will be sure to do so.

I continue to monitor all temple developments and will do my level best to bring word of those to you as I receive them. That does it for this post. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to, please feel free to subscribe to stay informed of new content. 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.

Elder Bednar Shares 5 Vital Lessons on Revelation and Its' Role in Missionary Work

Hello again, everyone! Elder David A. Bednar's recent address at the Seminar for New Mission Leadership was shared today in this article. He focused his remarks on 5 principles that should be vital lessons about the way revelation works, and spoke of how those connect to missionary work. As part of his remarks, he took time to debunk some common misconceptions on the subject of revelation that he had heard exist on a wide scale both in and out of the Church.

This is a timely message, not just for those involved in the missionary work of the Church, but for every Church member, especially those in leadership positions. I have had the opportunity to serve in Aaronic Priesthood Quorum presidencies, and have also served in the Ward Sunday School Presidency. And I can attest firsthand to the revelation that comes in those callings when the right questions are asked at the right time.

The Brethren have recently reiterated the importance of revelation in the lives of each member of the Church. That was the subject of the first address given by President Nelson to the entire Church in General Conference last April. The overwhelming sense I get from these messages is that the Lord is very anxious to speak to us about the important decisions in our lives, and that we need to keep ourselves open to those promptings as they come.

Everything we have seen occur during President Nelson's prophetic administration (which will have spanned a full half-year this Saturday) indicates that he knows how to receive revelation, and that the Lord is motivating through inspiration given to his servant those changes that will allow us as Saints to better care for one another, and to be united in the work.

We live in a significant period of time, where we are hearing more about the regular revelation that is coming at Church headquarters than I can ever remember previously occurring. So I fully believe the Church's best and most significant revelations are yet to come, and I am committed to continue to bring coverage of those developments to you all as I become aware of them.

That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to, feel free to subscribe for notification of new content on this blog, whether future posts or comment threads. 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.

Additional Temple Musings

Hello again, everyone! Though news of updates on our current temples has slowed in recent days, I wanted to post right now to share an update on the status of the Kinshasa DR Congo Temple, interspersed with additional musings I have had about temple progress in general. So without further ado, let's get right into all of that.

First, there has been increased discussion on this blog in recent days, both by me and by many of you, regarding the ambitious temple-building plans that, by all reports, President Nelson is frequently discussing with other leaders. In summary of those discussions, those who have talked to him about that are reporting that his prophetic legacy as a temple-builder will by far outshine and overshadow that of President Gordon B. Hinckley. As we know, President Hinckley announced an ambitious plan in the late 1990s that would more than double the number of temples within the following 10 years.

If President Nelson's plans will truly outpace President Hinckley's ambitious vision, then there is every likelihood that the number of operating temples could more than double again within the next few years, which would be amazing to think about.  I will speak more of that plan later on.

But the reason I mentioned it at the outset is to provide an update on what I have shared before: my belief that the Church will almost certainly have 200 operating temples by Saturday April 6, 2030, which will mark the Church's bicentennial anniversary. With 30 total temples in various stages of the construction process currently, the Church would merely need to complete each of those and announce and complete 11 others.

As of today, 11.74 years remain until that 200th anniversary, so the Church would just need to dedicate roughly 3.49 temples per year. As I have also noted, the two set for dedication this year means 2018 will fall below that average in this regard, but for next year, 1 such dedication has already been set, with 5 others that are also anticipated to be dedicated during 2019. And there are already 3 that we know of which are currently anticipated to be dedicated in the first half of 2020.

As we also know, there are currently two temples that we know of that are very close to a groundbreaking, and there are several others that may also have a groundbreaking within the next year or two. If President Nelson does start announcing temples en masse, then he will also surely want to do anything he can to quickly move the temples that are currently or will shortly be announced into the construction process.

In the earlier posts I have done, I noted that 2018 and 2019 were anticipated to be big years for temple groundbreakings, and while it is rare to get to early July without any occurring, that does not rule out the possibility that the last 5 months of this year may see several groundbreakings take place, especially if the October General Conference results in another massive and significant amount of new temple announcements.

That said, I am also pleased to provide an update I just learned of relating to progress that has been made on the Kinshasa DR Congo Temple. A report shared less than 2 hours ago via the LDS Church Temples Facebook page indicates that work continues to advance on driveways, walkways, and lampposts on the grounds of the temple, and that interior work is also progressing at a steady rate.

With that being the case, depending on what's left to be done on this temple, the Church could (and possibly will) announce the open house and dedication information before the October General Conference, and I have previously offered my opinion that that dedication could take place within the month or two following the already-scheduled 8-day dedication of the Rome Italy Temple. There are also other new temples and those undergoing renovation that could similarly have their dedications or rededications announced soon and set for the first 6-8 months of 2019.

All these things considered, it is apparent that the next two 2+ years are shaping up to be full of temple events. I continue to monitor all such developments and am committed to continuing to bring those to you ASAP. That does it for this post. If you enjoyed this content and would like to stay informed of new content, please feel free to subscribe. 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.

My Rebuttal Of A Story Shown on NBC Nightly News

Hello again, everyone! As some of you may know, I have always felt a fierce loyalty to the Church and to its' leaders, and I have repeatedly posted on this blog thoughts about common misconceptions presented in the public forums that do not make sense to me. I would request your indulgence as I do so again.

In my time zone, the NBC Nightly News program is winding down. They just ran this video about the Church's 40th anniversary of the Revelation on the Priesthood. While I respect and recognize that many people of color do have a harder time feeling accepted in the Church because of the previous restrictions, the NBC story takes things to an extreme that bugs me a lot.

Among the many complaints cited in that story were that blacks were not welcome in the Church prior to the Priesthood Revelation, and that the restriction policy was driven by racial prejudice. This could not be further from the truth. The Church invites all to participate in the blessings that the gospel affords. While the restrictions were in place for a while, no individual of color who had a testimony of the gospel was denied the opportunity to be baptized.

Additionally, although the reasons behind the restriction were not known, and although many previous apostles and Church presidents felt it would take a revelation from the Lord to reverse the policy, there were a few that may have felt (according to reports) that the timing was not right. I firmly believe that it took the right group of apostles asking the right question at the right time to enable the revelation to come.

But that is only the tip of the iceberg. In that story above, one or two "faithful" Church members were interviewed and stated that they could not feel fully accepted by the Church until someone of color was in its' leading councils.

I put the word "faithful" in quotation marks, because I think the argument is disingenuous at best, and blatantly ignorant of the ways of the Lord at worst. We have repeatedly heard that the apostles are not meant to be a representation or reflection of the Church's global diversity, though we have seen President Nelson fulfill his own promise that there would one day be "more flavors in the mix".

I am convinced that when apostolic vacancies exist, there are literally hundreds of men, both known and unknown to the Church, that could be called to fill those assignments, who would do so equally well. But more than that, if, as some "faithful members" stated in that report, they considered leaving the Church because their racial background was not reflected in the apostleship, that seems to be more of a personal problem.

In the Church, we believe in common consent, but we also believe that each of us can (and should) seek for and obtain our own testimonies about the process by which prophets and apostles are called. For any of us that have that witness, sustaining whomever is called should trump any feelings of resentment that those we would like to see called do not have that occur.

This may seem to be an unkind thing to say, but quite honestly, if the testimony of any Church member is based solely upon whether or not their racial or other backgrounds are represented in the leadership councils of the Church, then they may not have the testimony nor the faith that they claim to have, and the vocalization of their discontent puts them, spiritually, on dangerous ground.

Several current and previous Church presidents and apostles have spoken on this subject to back up these ideas. First, to set the context, due to financial hardship the Church experienced in Kirtland in the mid-1830s (including inability to pay debts and the fact that Church leadership were misled about the prospect of funds that would help the situation), many members of the Church, including some in the highest Church councils, voice disapproval of Joseph Smith. In one particular meeting to which the prophet was not invited, a suggestion was made that he should be replaced.

Brigham Young shared this recollection about that meeting: “I rose up, and in a plain and forcible manner told them that Joseph was a Prophet and I knew it, and that they might rail and slander him as much as they pleased, [but] they could not destroy the appointment of the Prophet of God; they could only destroy their own authority, cut the thread that bound them to the Prophet and to God, and sink themselves to hell. Many were highly enraged at my decided opposition to their measures. …

“This meeting was broken up without the apostates being able to unite on any decided measures of opposition. This was a crisis when earth and hell seemed leagued to overthrow the Prophet and Church of God. The knees of many of the strongest men in the Church faltered. During this siege of darkness I stood close by Joseph, and with all the wisdom and power God bestowed upon me, put forth my utmost energies to sustain the servant of God and unite the quorums of the Church.”

And Joseph Smith the Prophet has been quoted as follows: “I will give you one of the Keys of the mysteries of the Kingdom. It is an eternal principle, that has existed with God from all eternity: That man who rises up to condemn others, finding fault with the Church, saying that they are out of the way, while he himself is righteous, then know assuredly, that that man is in the high road to apostasy; and if he does not repent, will apostatize, as God lives.”

I understand to a point how any group not represented in leading Church councils may feel marginalized, forgotten by the Lord, unimportant, or slighted. But at the same time, every one of the apostles has spoken about the inadequacy they feel regarding their calls to serve. As then-President Uchtdorf reminded us during the April 2008 General Conference, "In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we do not seek, nor do we decline, callings that come from God through inspired priesthood channels."

Three months following his return to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Elder Uchtdorf made this statement to begin his remarks in the Sunday Afternoon Session: "Although I miss my dear friend President Thomas S. Monson, I love, sustain, and support our prophet and President, Russell M. Nelson, and his noble counselors. I am also thankful and honored to once again work more closely with my beloved fellow Brethren of the Quorum of the Twelve."

When the reorganization of the First Presidency originally occurred, many people correctly pointed out that Elder Uchtdorf is popular, and expressed dismay at his "demotion" and over him "not being brought back" into the First Presidency, My response to that is simple: President Nelson did not need to "bring him back" as he was not really gone. The members of the First Presidency have a long-standing tradition of delegating major responsibilities to the senior members of the Twelve.

When Elder Uchtdorf came in to the First Presidency in 2008, there were only 2 apostles junior to him. When he returned to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles earlier this year, he did so as the third most senior member of that Quorum. And the First Presidency and President Ballard have recognized his immense administrative talents, because, as I previously noted, the assignments he now has formerly belonged to President Nelson and then-Elders Oaks and Ballard prior to that reorganization.

If that is not a testament to how much the Brethren value Elder Uchtdorf, I don't know what is. By extension, that also applies to all those called to the apostleship. The lack of someone of a certain background not being called to the apostleship is not meant to slight those of any ethnicity or race, but should rather serve as a testament to the fact that the Lord needs the men who are called to come in to the apostolic circle for very specific reasons.

Some of those reasons may best be demonstrated by what Elder Dale G. Renlund said in the October 2015 General Conference in response to his apostolic call. He talked about being called as a bishop, and being given this timely advice from his brother, who, according to Elder Renlund, is "older and much wiser." His brother said: "You need to know that the Lord hasn’t called you because of anything you have done. In your case, it is probably in spite of what you have done. The Lord has called you for what He needs to do through you, and that will happen only if you do it His way.”

The idea that the call to the leading Church councils is not based on any kind of quota was further reiterated just recently by Elder Ulisses Soares, who acknowledged the honor he felt in being the first Brazilian apostle of the Church, but who rightly reiterated President Nelson's words spoken during the press conference for the new First Presidency, that the important factor is the testimony of Christ and the capacity to witness of Him worldwide.

So the suggestion that the lack of any specific racial background in the top councils of the Church is a slight to Church members of those backgrounds who do not feel represented is something that I feel widely misses the mark.

Anyone who has that witness could be called, but for those that have been called or will yet be, and for those of us who are called upon to sustain them every six months, the testimony of Christ and of the process by which such calls come should rightly be more important than whether or not the Church's diversity is appropriately reflected in its' top ranks of leadership. That said, I fully believe that when the time is right, even more "flavors" will be added to the "mix", including in ways we cannot now expect.

I hope that any readers of this blog will keep all this in mind when they come across news stories like this one. That does it for this post. If you enjoyed what you read and would like to keep informed of new content from this blog, please feel free to subscribe. 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.

First Presidency Calls First Presidents for Two New Temples

Hello again, everyone! On this beautiful Sabbath Day, I am pleased to bring you news that the First Presidency has called the first presidents for two new temples, namely, the Kinshasa DR Congo and Concepcion Chile Temples.

A few things stood out to me about this development. First and foremost, if the Brethren have called the first temple president for Kinshasa, then it may be closer to its' completion than many, myself included, may have thought. That said, it is also not uncommon for the Church to call temple presidents in advance. Earlier this year, we saw a new president called for the Asuncion Paraguay Temple, which is currently being renovated.

But above and beyond that, the first presidents of both of these temples actually served as mission presidents in both of those cities, so they would certainly be familiar with the regions in which they will serve, and I would also imagine that they will be welcomed back and embraced by the people of those nations.

With these new presidents announced, the number of new temple presidents called during this year now rises to 59. Additionally, there are 4 other temples that are or could be set for dedication in the near future for which we may also see the first presidents called (namely Barranquilla Colombia and Rome Italy, which have had a dedication announced, in addition to Fortaleza Brazil and Port-au-Prince Haiti, which are anticipated to be dedicated within the first 6-8 months of 2019).

There are also, as I have previously noted, two currently operating temples on my list that may additionally have a new president announced, with those two being Veracruz Mexico and Washington D. C. As I have previously observed, with the D. C. Temple being closed for renovation currently, the Church may opt to wait on calling a new president until its' renovation concludes in mid-to-late 2020.

That said, as I have also noted previously, the First Presidency did announce earlier this year that a new president has been called for the Asuncion Paraguay Temple, which, as most of you are likely aware, is currently stalled in its' renovation process, so I cannot safely rule out the prospect that the D. C. temple may have a new president announced this year.

For any who are interested (including new readers who may not have seen this earlier), I am again posting my complete list of temples that have had or may potentially have a new president announced. If any of you have any questions on that list, please feel free to let me know.

Before I share that list below, I also wanted to briefly mention an item of business in relation to this blog. As some of you may have noticed, I recently added to this blog an option for those who are interested to subscribe to this blog and have new content sent to you as it is published here. While I know many of you regularly check this blog for new content, there will be from now on a standing invitation to anyone who wants to subscribe to do so. And if none of you are interested in doing so, that is perfectly all right as well.

That said, I will paste the list below. So as not to disturb its' narrative flow, I will end here 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.

New presidents have been called for the following temples:

1.      Manaus Brazil

2.      Boise Idaho

3.      Denver Colorado

4.      The Hague Netherlands

5.      Oquirrh Mountain Utah

6.      Helsinki Finland

7.      The Gila Valley Arizona

8.      Brigham City Utah

9.      Stockholm Sweden

10.  Palmyra New York

11.  Accra Ghana

12.  Papeete Tahiti

13.  Sao Paulo Brazil

14.  San Jose Costa Rica

15.  Albuquerque New Mexico

16.  Provo City Center

17.  Recife Brazil

18.  Cardston Alberta

19.  Payson Utah

20.  Porto Alegre Brazil

21.  Brisbane Australia

22.  Kansas City Missouri

23.  Oaxaca Mexico

24.  Regina Saskatchewan

25.  Cebu City Philippines

26.  Boston Massachusetts

27.  Colonia Juarez Chihuahua Mexico

28.  Billings Montana

29.  Houston Texas

30.  Sydney Australia

31.  Guatemala City Guatemala

32.  Hermosillo Sonora Mexico

33.  Montevideo Uruguay

34.  Indianapolis Indiana

35.  Laie Hawaii Temple (the new president of this temple is the older brother of General Authority Seventy Elder Donald L. Hallstrom)

36.  Las Vegas Nevada

37.  Atlanta Georgia

38.  Buenos Aires Argentina

39.  Redlands California

40.  Draper Utah

41.  Tijuana Mexico

42.  Sacramento California

43.  Monticello Utah

44.  Bountiful Utah

45.  Freiberg Germany

46.  Oakland California

47.  Villahermosa Mexico

48.  Manti Utah

49.  Suva Fiji

50.  Vancouver British Columbia

51.  Tegucigalpa Honduras

52.  Fukuoka Japan

53.  St. Louis Missouri

54.  Trujillo Peru

55.  Asuncion Paraguay (not anticipated)

56.  Cordoba Argentina

57.  Taipei Taiwan

58.  Kinshasa DR Congo (first president)

59.  Concepcion Chile (first president)

The first presidents will likely be announced for the following new temples:

1.      Barranquilla Colombia

2.      Rome Italy

3.      Fortaleza Brazil

4.      Port-au-Prince Haiti

New presidents may also be announced for the following temples:

1.      Veracruz Mexico

2.      Washington D. C. Temple (Note: The Church may opt to wait on calling a new president for this temple until 2020 when it is rededicated)