Further Developments Noted in Assignments for General Authority Seventies and General Officers of the Church

Hello again, everyone! As I have previously mentioned, I have been monitoring the Church website for any updates in the membership of the Presidency of the Seventy and the assignments listed for those 7 men. I have also monitored the Church magazines section of the Church website. Those double-checks paid off just now as I found updated information on a few different fronts. So let's dive right into a discussion of those changes.

First of all, although the September 2018 PDF version of the Liahona magazine shows no change in the editor or advisers of the Church magazines, and although it appears that the Church has not yet made available the PDF version of the Ensign, in the Friend and New Era magazines, I found the following lists:

September 2018 New Era & Friend

Editor: Hugo E. Martinez

Advisers: Brian K. Ashton, Randall K. Bennett, Becky Craven, Sharon Eubank, Cristina B. Franco, Randy D. Funk, Donald L. Hallstrom, Erich W. Kopischke, Lynn G. Robbins

As some of you may recall, a couple of months ago, I had mentioned that Randall K. Bennett and Becky Craven had been listed as Assistant Editors of the Church magazines. The list above indicates a few things: First, that there will no longer be anyone designated as assistant editor(s), and second, that the following changes have occurred in the advisers of the magazines:

Released as advisers: LeGrand R. Curtis, Edward Dube, Douglas D. Holmes
Called as advisers: Randy D. Funk, Erich W. Kopischke, Lynn G. Robbins.

Elders Curtis and Dube, as mentioned previously, are now serving in area presidencies outside the US. I am not sure at present why Brother Holmes was released from his position as an adviser, but I assume there is a good reason. In addition to Elder Bennett and Sister Craven being added as advisers, it appears that Elder Kopischke returns to his assignment as an adviser following the conclusion of his temporary assignment to help plan the June 1 Priesthood Revelation Commemoration Broadcast. And Elders Funk and Robbins, who are now serving in area presidencies at Church headquarters, will fill assignments as advisers as well.

Having noted those changes, I wanted to talk for a few minutes about the Presidency of the Seventy. It appears that the Church has finally begun the process of updating the information about the seven who have served together since August 1.

It appears that the main assignments for which President Ballard mentioned that the members of that Presidency were freed up for were to provide greater assistance to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as they minister to members of the Church around the world and as they administer the business of the Church in each of the 21 geographical areas of the Church.

Elder Clayton continues to assist Elder Holland with the Middle East/Africa North Area and Elder Cook with the Mexico Area. And Elder Kearon will also continue his present assignment to assist Elder Uchtdorf in supervising the Europe and Europe East Area, and will also have a role in the North America Northwest/West Area (which his biography still lists as two separate areas).

While I have not been able to find any assignments for Elder Carl B. Cook, Elder Gay's biography shows he is assisting Elder Stevenson in supervising the Asia and Asia North Areas (which may contradict the earlier information that Elder Gong has responsibility for those areas) and he also will apparently help oversee the North America Northeast Area.

Elder Vinson, as noted in his farewell message to the Saints in the Africa West Area, is assisting 3 different apostles in their roles of supervising the North America Southeast, Africa Southeast, and Africa West Areas. Elder Teixeira (whose name was recently updated to exclude the middle initial of "A.") is only listed as assisting with the Idaho/North America Central Area. And an update on Elder Godoy's biography is apparently pending. I will keep an eye on those developments

In the meantime, two other developments have been reported in the Church News. President Dallin H. Oaks has recently addressed young married couples from 11 stakes in the Los Angeles California area. In addition to covering important topics such as Church history, LGBT issues and mental illness, he shared insight demonstrating how the leaders of the Church inform themselves (and by extension, the discussions at Church headquarters) on important issues that affect members of the Church worldwide.

Then he said something very interesting: "We have spent many hours talking about how we can simplify our Church programs to perform their essential function for a wide variety of family circumstances. Now, I am pleased to tell you that some help is on the way and more is under discussion.” I am intrigued to find out what that means, which I assume we may hear more about in the upcoming General Conference.

The other noteworthy development is that RootsTech, which holds a Family History-centered gathering each year in Salt Lake, has announced that they will hold an international RootsTech gathering in London England between October 24-26 of next year, which is big news as well. More details can be found here.

I continue to monitor all of these developments, and any other general Church news or specifc temple updates, and will do my level best to pass word of those along as I become aware of such things. 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.

Updates Provided on Several Temples Around the World

Hello again, everyone! There has been a large number of updates provided on temples around the world within the last 4-8 hours, so I am posting to share those updates. Due to the volume of the information I need to pass along, I will be sharing the latest copy of my temple construction progress report. As always, new content input since the last report is highlighted in red text.

That updated report follows below. I continue to monitor all such developments and will do my best to bring word of those to you all here as I receive it.So as not to disturb the flow of the information which will be presented, 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. 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 (current as of 8/27/18)

Note about future temple construction: I have previously referenced the statement made by Elder Larry Y. Wilson, who serves as the Temple Department Executive Director, to the effect that 80 temples were on a list of locations that would be considered for an official announcement within the 15 years following that statement. And although we may not know whether or not those 80 locations have been announced by late April 2032, it seems reasonable to believe that the Church could (and likely will) have 200 operating temples by or before Saturday April 6, 2030 (which will mark the Church’s bicentennial anniversary). In order to do so, the Church would just need to complete the 30 temples in various phases, and announce and complete 11 others in the 11.61 years between now and then, which could be done if 3.53 temples are dedicated each year. Although this year will see only 2 temple dedications, there are 5 or 6 anticipated in 2019, and at least 3 that we know of so far the following year. So I am confident the Church will have at least 200 in operation by that time, whether or not an official goal is made to do so.

                        

Current temple status: The Church has 189 temples in various phases. There are 159 in operation, with 3 others that have a dedication scheduled, and an additional 8 that are in various phases of construction. In terms of temples undergoing renovations, 10 temples are currently closed for renovation (5 or 6 of which are anticipated to be rededicated next year), and 1 other, which closed for renovation in late 2017, is currently stalled in its’ renovation process. The remaining 19 are announced, with at least 2 that are anticipated to have a groundbreaking by the end of 2018, while several others are likely to have a groundbreaking in 2019 and the years following that.

Dedication Scheduled:                                                                                         

160. Concepcion Chile Temple: VIP/Media tours begin in around two weeks; temple public tours begin in just under three weeks; dedication scheduled to occur on Sunday October 28, 2018.

161.  Barranquilla Colombia Temple: Exterior work completed; temple open house begins in roughly 11 weeks; dedication scheduled to occur on Sunday December 9, 2018.

162. Rome Italy Temple: Landscaping continues on temple grounds; dedication scheduled to occur from Sunday March 10-Sunday March 17, 2019.

Under construction, completion estimated during 2019:

163. Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple: Installation of walkways continues; completion estimated sometime during early-to-mid 2019.

Note: Having recently been reminded that this temple (for the moment, at least) will not include an angel Moroni statue, it is my feeling that we could see a dedication held in mid-April, unless it is scheduled to occur prior to the already-scheduled dedication of the Rome Italy Temple.

164. Fortaleza Brazil Temple: New aerial photographs posted on Facebook on August 15, 2018; completion estimated sometime during early-to-mid 2019.

Note: Given the recent massive number of updates which we have seen provided for this temple, as long as it continues to steadily progress towards its’ completion, a rededication could be set for mid-to-late May, following Mother’s Day.

165. Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple: Completion estimated sometime during mid-2019.

Note: Although I have not found any updates for this temple in the recent past, if it has progressed at a steady rate, the dedication could be held for it in early-to-mid June. If I see information that leads me to conclude that will happen sooner, I will alter this estimate.

166. Lisbon Portugal Temple: New photograph posted to Facebook on August 17, 2018 shows white exterior of meetinghouse adjacent to the temple; completion estimated sometime during mid-2019.

Note: Given the recent massive number of developments reported for this temple on the LDS Church Temples page, if construction continues at a steady rate, this temple could potentially be dedicated in mid-to-late August. I will alter this estimate as needed once more information is available.

167. Durban South Africa Temple: Multiple updates reported on Facebook on August 27, 2018; completion estimated sometime during mid-to-late 2019.

Note: As previously mentioned, on July 19, 2019, the Church News identified the first president for this temple. Since we have not yet heard about the first presidents for the Fortaleza or Lisbon temples, there may be a possibility that this temple could be dedicated sooner than many (myself included) have anticipated. Until more is known in that regard, I am adjusting my previously-offered estimate to mid-October.

Temples estimated to be completed sometime during 2020:

168. Arequipa Peru Temple: New photograph posted on Facebook on August 27, 2018 shows details of the exterior façade; completion estimated sometime during early 2020.

Note: While this temple and the temples in Rio de Janeiro and Winnipeg may, in some ways, be interchangeable in terms of their future likely completion order, since this one seems to remain ahead for the moment, it could be dedicated sometime between January and March, but perhaps earlier, if progress continues at a steady rate.

169. Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple: Exterior cladding underway; article from a local newspaper shared on Facebook on July 30, 2018; completion estimated sometime during early 2020.

Note: While I have not found a recent update on this temple, if progress has continued steadily, a dedication could potentially occur between February and April, but certainly earlier depending on what is reported between now and then.

170. Winnipeg Manitoba Temple: Speculative video of revised design for temple shared on Facebook on August 27, 2018; completion estimated sometime during early-to-mid 2020.

Note: Since there has been no change to the 20-month estimate in which this temple is anticipated to be completed, full-scale construction could conclude in February or March, in which case a dedication could follow between April and June. I will be keeping my eyes open for anything that would necessitate a change in that estimate.

Undergoing Renovation (rededication estimated sometime during 2019):

41. Frankfurt Germany Temple: Closed for renovation; updated photograph posted to Facebook on July 24, 2018; completion estimated sometime during early-to-mid 2019.

Note: Given the update noted above, I stand by my estimate that this temple could either be rededicated in February (prior to the already-scheduled dedication of the Rome Italy Temple) or in mid-to-late April. As more is known, if I need to adjust my thinking on this estimate, I will do so.

95. Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temple: Closed for renovation; stone cladding underway on tower; rededication estimated sometime during mid-2019.

Note: If the article about this temple’s renovation process, which was posted on the LDS Church Temples Facebook site on the date noted above, is any indication, then renovation efforts will conclude in April or May, which means that a rededication could potentially occur in either June or early-to-mid August, following the annual July recess for the General Authorities.

80. Memphis Tennessee Temple: Closed for renovation; photograph posted on Facebook on July 24, 2018 shows progress on tower cladding; rededication estimated sometime during mid-2019.

Note: Although this temple has not progressed as consistently as the Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temple, it has continued at a steady pace. With that in mind, this temple could be rededicated in mid-September.

94. Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple: Closed for renovation; photograph posted on Facebook on July 24, 2018 shows reshaped exterior of temple; rededication estimated sometime during mid-to-late 2019.

Note: Given the recent steady progress made on this temple, and the comparatively less progress we have seen reported for the Raleigh North Carolina Temple, I am making a bold new prediction that this temple will be rededicated before that one, and that this could occur in mid-to-late October.

68. Raleigh North Carolina Temple: Closed for renovation; steel framing being added to tower; rededication estimated sometime during mid-to-late 2019.

Note: Given the lack of a report showing that this temple is making steady progress in its’ renovation, and the relatively more substantial progress that has been noted on the Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple, as noted above, I moved this one down on July 24, 2018. That said, this temple could be rededicated in either mid-November or mid-December, assuming all goes well.

Undergoing Renovation (rededication estimated sometime during late 2019-early 2020)

13. Oakland California Temple: Closed for renovation; progress on exterior renovation shown in new photograph posted on Facebook on August 27, 2018; rededication estimated sometime during late 2019-early 2020.

Note: As I have previously noted, this temple is older, and is having its’ first renovation. With that in mind, depending on how consistently we hear updates on its’ progress, a rededication could occur anytime during December 2019-March or April 2020.

Undergoing Renovation (rededication estimated sometime during 2020):

18. Tokyo Japan Temple: Closed for renovation; construction of new annex building and interior renovations are underway; rededication estimated sometime during early-to-mid 2020.

Note: If this temple continues to make consistent progress, then we could see a rededication occur sometime during April-June, though that may be pushed back to August if delays occur.

7. Mesa Arizona Temple: Closed for renovation; information center now open on temple grounds; rededication may take place sometime during mid-to-late 2020.

Note: On May 10, 2018, the Church released details of the renovation plans for this temple. Exactly three weeks later, the Church released additional details of plans to redevelop the area around the temple. Bearing in mind that this temple has been renovated before, and that it is a somewhat older and larger temple, its’ rededication could occur sometime between mid-August and late September.

16. Washington D. C. Temple: Closed for renovation; picture update posted to Facebook on July 5, 2018; rededication may take place sometime during mid-to-late 2020.

Note: Since this is an older and larger temple undergoing its’ first renovation, a rededication could take place sometime between early October and mid-December. Once more is known about this temple’s progress (or the lack thereof), I will provide any adjustments to this estimate that may be needed.

Undergoing Renovation (rededication estimated sometime during 2021):

11. Hamilton New Zealand Temple: Closed for renovation; photograph shared on Facebook on August 27, 2018 shows massive attendance at the temple the day before its’ renovation closure began; rededication may take place sometime during early-to-mid 2021.

Note: On July 24, 2018, the LDS Church Temples Facebook page confirmed that this temple had closed for renovation. While the extent of the renovation plans currently remain unknown (or at least uncertain), the temple may be subject to a complete exterior and interior overhaul, which may involve an expansion. Unless something occurs that delays this process, this temple could potentially be dedicated in mid-to-late April 2021. As more is known, any adjustments that are needed in terms of this estimate will be made.

Renovation process stalled; full-scale work pending:

112. Asuncion Paraguay Temple: Closed for renovation; full-scale renovation pending.

Note: Until formal renovation efforts are underway for this temple, it will be difficult (if not impossible) to pinpoint both a general and more specific completion estimate. Consequently, on July 24, 2018, I removed any estimates from this temple. If I hear renovation efforts are underway in the near future, I will then again add a general completion estimate, and offer a more specific estimate as well. Either way, it does not appear likely at this point that this temple will be rededicated in 2019, as was originally announced.

Note on announced temples: Although I have previously indicated that I was no longer comfortable or confident enough to venture general or even more specific time-frames for the groundbreakings of these temples, recent developments have made it easier to surmise how soon such events might happen, so, on May 31, 2018, I again added those estimates. As part of that process, I have once again altered, where new information necessitated, the order in which these temples are listed. That said, the timing of such events has always been up to the Lord, who reveals His will in that regard to His prophets. Whether or not the groundbreakings occur within the windows indicated here, I will embrace those whenever they actually take place.

Announced temples:

171. Bangkok Thailand Temple: Planning and approvals; artist’s rendering released on March 19, 2018; groundbreaking may take place sometime during mid-to-late 2018.

Note: With the site identified and the release of the artist’s rendering, a groundbreaking for this temple may just be a matter of time. And since this November marks the 52^nd anniversary of Thailand’s being dedicated for the preaching of the gospel, November may just be the month in which this groundbreaking occurs.

172. Urdaneta Philippines Temple: Site clearing activities underway; artist’s rendering anticipated to be released in the near future; groundbreaking may take place sometime during mid-to-late 2018.

Note: On July 6, 2018, the LDS Church Temples Facebook page reported the developments noted above, and with that in mind, an artist’s rendering may be released and a groundbreaking ceremony may be set at some point in the very near future. What is unclear for the moment is how soon that might occur. While I would anticipate that the Bangkok Thailand Temple, which is further along in the process for now, might have a groundbreaking first, I am certain a groundbreaking ceremony will be held for this temple by the end of this year. As more is known, I will be able to offer a more precise estimate.

173. Saratoga Springs Utah Temple: Planning and approval; designs underway; picture of presumed location shared on Facebook on August 27, 2018; groundbreaking may take place sometime during late 2018-early 2019.

Note: Although a site confirmation is pending for this temple, because designs are currently underway, and because this is a Utah County temple (since temples in Utah always progress more swiftly than other temples elsewhere within the US), on May 31, 2018, I moved this temple up on this list. Then, on July 6, 2018, as a result of the developments relating to the Urdaneta Philippines temple, I moved this one down and adjusted my general estimate for its’ groundbreaking. I am not ruling out the prospect that the Church could hold a groundbreaking for this temple before the end of 2018, so if I feel a need to move this temple again in the near future, I will do so.

174. Lima Peru Los Olivos Temple: Planning and preliminary construction phase; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking may take place sometime during early 2019.

Note: In March 2017, the contractor for this temple indicated that a year of pre-planning would be needed for this temple site before a groundbreaking could be held. While it is unclear when that year began (or if that year has already passed), it seems safe to assume that the groundbreaking for this temple could occur within the next year, if not sooner.

175. Pocatello Idaho Temple: Planning and approval; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking may take place sometime during early-to-mid 2019.

Note: Although the citizens of Pocatello have speculated about two or more potential locations for this temple, one of those locations has emerged as being the most likely prospect. If the Church confirms that at any point in the near future, since this temple is going to be built within the “Mormon corridor”, a groundbreaking could occur sooner rather than later.

176. Harare Zimbabwe Temple: Planning and approval; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking may take place sometime during mid-2019.

Note: Although an official site confirmation is pending, President Nelson visited a probable location during his world tour in April 2018. If that site location is officially confirmed in the near future, then a groundbreaking could easily follow within the next 15 months or less.

177. Nairobi Kenya Temple: Planning and approval; awaiting official site announcement; media event held June 14, 2017; groundbreaking may take place sometime during mid-2019.

Note: During President Nelson’s recent visit to Kenya, a national newspaper noted that the site for this temple had been selected, and that because this temple was anticipated to be a smaller one, its’ dedication might occur sometime during 2021. With that in mind, it is not hard to believe that an official site announcement and groundbreaking could occur within the next 15-18 months.

178. Brasilia Brazil Temple: Planning and approval; site inspected by Church engineers on June 21, 2017; groundbreaking may take place sometime during mid-to-late 2019.

Note: Although a site inspection occurred one year ago for this temple, the prospective groundbreaking timeframes offered for the temples above necessitates a change in my previously-offered thoughts about the imminence of that groundbreaking. While I would hope that the Brazilian Saints would not have to wait another 1.5 years for this temple’s groundbreaking, until more is known, it seems wiser to be conservative in this estimate.

179. Greater Manila Philippines Temple: Planning and approval; awaiting official name announcement; groundbreaking may take place sometime during mid-to-late 2019.

Note: Although this temple may also be further along in its’ progress towards a groundbreaking than other temples above it, in view of the factors noted on the others above this one, it has seemed wiser to be more conservative in my estimate for this temple’s future groundbreaking. Additionally, since getting the Urdaneta Philippines Temple underway may be more of a priority for the Church, this one may only have a groundbreaking within the next 16-19 months.

180. Layton Utah Temple: Announced April 1, 2018; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking may take place sometime during late 2019-early 2020.

Note: While I would anticipate that, for this temple in Utah, its’ construction will likely get underway sooner than other temples on this list, and while that could happen sooner than indicated above if the Church confirms that the land that was bought in Layton two days before the temple was announced in that city will serve as the site for that temple, it has seemed wiser to be more conservative in my estimate for this temple’s potential groundbreaking. I will be delighted to move it up on this list if I see a good enough reason to do so.

181. Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple: Planning and approval; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking may take place sometime during early 2020.

Note: This is the last of the three temples announced in April 2015 that may have a groundbreaking. The Church in the Ivory Coast has seen sufficient enough growth that a second (and perhaps even a third) temple may be announced to serve the Saints in this nation, but that may not occur until this temple makes further progress. We have seen recent developments on other temples in Africa, which gives me hope that this temple could have a groundbreaking ceremony around the estimated time noted above, but time will tell how accurate that might prove to be.

182. Quito Ecuador Temple: Planning and approval; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking may take place sometime during early-to-mid 2020.

Note: While the first Ecuadoran temple had a 14-year wait between its’ announcement and groundbreaking, with the progress the Church has made in South America within the last two decades, this temple (to be built in the Ecuadoran capital city) will likely not see a wait nearly that long. I personally hope that this groundbreaking will occur sooner than indicated above, but until more information is available, I have felt a need to be more conservative.

183. Richmond Virginia Temple: Announced April 1, 2018; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking may take place sometime during early-to-mid 2020.

Note: Although an official site confirmation is pending for this temple, a Virginia newspaper noted in mid-April 2018 that the Church had procured several acres of land in Richmond sometime during 2015. If the Church confirms in the near future that one of those plots will be the official temple site, then a groundbreaking could easily occur within the next two years, but possibly less, since temples in the US generally have construction begin well in advance of their international counterparts.

184. Belem Brazil Temple: Planning and approval; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking may take place sometime during early-to-mid 2020.

Note: Although this temple was announced one year before the Brasilia Brazil Temple, that temple is further along in the approval process and will likely therefore have its’ groundbreaking before that occurs for this temple. In preparing these updated thoughts, it occurred to me that the Church may opt to hold off on beginning construction of this temple until both the Fortaleza and Rio de Janeiro Temples are dedicated. With that in mind, I have felt that the groundbreaking could occur at around this time, but I will alter this estimate as needed once more is known.

185. Managua Nicaragua Temple: Announced April 1, 2018; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking may take place sometime during mid-2020.

Note: Since then-Elder Nelson had publicly proposed this temple in 2012, and President Nelson himself made the announcement, I would imagine the Lord will allow him to be very much involved in the process of this temple’s construction and eventual dedication. With that in mind, I could see a groundbreaking occur within the next 24-27 months, but hopefully sooner if all goes well.

186. Salta Argentina Temple: Announced April 1, 2018; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking may take place sometime during mid-2020.

Note: While the time-frames offered for the temples above this one has resulted in this temple’s estimate being delayed as well, it would not surprise me if a groundbreaking for this temple happens sooner than estimated here.

187. Cagayan de Oro Philippines Temple: Announced April 1, 2018; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking may take place sometime during mid-to-late 2020.

Note: While I would anticipate that this temple will likely not have a groundbreaking until significant progress has been made on both the Urdaneta and greater Manila area temples, it is not impossible to believe that a groundbreaking could occur for this newest Filipino temple within the next 2.5-2.75 years, but perhaps sooner if all goes well.

188. Bengaluru India Temple: Announced April 1, 2018; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking may take place sometime during early-to-mid 2021.

Note: As previously noted, President Nelson had not originally intended to announce a temple for India during the April 2018 General Conference, but was inspired to do so the night before that conference began. Although India may have some political obstacles that would need to be cleared before this temple has a groundbreaking, I fully anticipate that the Lord could enable a groundbreaking to occur within the next three years, but possibly sooner, especially since President Nelson has also urged the members to hurry and prepare so it can be built.

189. Russia: Announced April 1, 2018; awaiting official location and site announcement; groundbreaking may take place sometime during mid-to-late 2021.

Note: Although both a specific city and a site location for this temple have yet to be identified, President Nelson did have supervisory responsibility for Eastern Europe for the last several years he was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. With that in mind, he may have connections that would enable an acceleration of the process to get this temple built, which is why I am being conservative in my offered estimate above, but will not in any way be surprised if the Lord clears all obstacles to allow that to occur sooner than indicated here.

Final note: If recent statements from Church leaders (regarding how President Nelson’s legacy as a temple-building Church president will outpace and overshadow the previous legacy set by President Hinckley) are any indication, we may soon enter an era where the volume of temple-related developments will be multiplied. As more is known in that regard, I will add any needed elements to this report.

Key:

Bolded numbers and text denote temples whose numbers already exists (for renovations), or is certain due to a scheduled dedication, as well as information that is certain, such as dedication or groundbreaking dates.

Italicized numbers and text denote temples whose numbers may change based on the order in which future dedications and groundbreakings are scheduled.

Underlined numbers and text denote temples whose numbers may change based on progress towards planning, approval, and groundbreaking.

Changes since last report are highlighted in red.

LDS Church Growth Reddit Created; Several New Developments Reported on the LDS Church Growth Blog

Hello again, everyone! In a recent post on the LDS Church Growth Blog, Matthew Martinich announced the creation of an LDS Church Growth reddit to more fully discuss matters relating to Church growth. This will not replace the discussion threads on the blog; rather, it will give us all an opportunity to have more deep discussions on specific Church growth matters than the threads of that blog might otherwise allow.

I have started a subject covering President Nelson's temple-building plans. In the comments of that discussion, it was noted by someone (Matt himself, unless I am mistaken) that he had talked to a stake president who recently spoke to President Oaks. According to what President Oaks shared with that stake president (who relayed it to Matt), part of that plan will indeed involve an acceleration of the process of constructing temples, which will include some way in which the current backlog of 19 announced temples will begin construction fairly quickly.

The extent of those plans is unknown, but it is nice to have that at least confirmed. If that turns out to be the case, then I have no doubts whatsoever that new temples will be announced during General Conference in around a month. That said, I am still evaluating which of the four lists I referenced in this post should be the one I use for the upcoming General Conference.

In the meantime, I also wanted to share that Matt has published a number of to other new posts within the last week, all of which may be of interest to some of you here. You can find those newly-published posts here. I continue to monitor the discussions on the new reddit and new content on the LDS Church Growth Blog and will pass new developments and insights along to you which may be of interest to you all.

That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. 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 Provided on Winnipeg Manitoba Temple/Additional Church News Reported

Hello again, everyone! A report of an update on the construction of the Winnipeg Manitoba Temple reached me earlier today (August 24), so I wanted to pass that update along to you all, in addition to a few Church news updates. Let's get right into all of that.

First, as I mentioned previously, the Church is focusing on building the meetinghouse adjacent to that temple first, since it will need to be used prior to the temple's dedication. The report of which I became aware earlier today indicated that work on the foundation has made steady progress. I continue to monitor all temple developments and will be sure to pass word of those along to you all as I receive it.

In the meantime, turning now to the news updates that have been provided, the Church News has created this page to share additional highlights from BYU-Provo's recent Campus Education Week. I have felt it would be best to let those articles speak for themselves rather than trying to summarize them here.

In other news, the Church's Primary organization (for children ages 3-11) has marked 140 years since its' inception, and this article shares some thoughts from members of the Primary General Presidency (Sisters Joy D. Jones, Lisa S. Harkness and Christina B. Franco) about what has changed and what has remained the same during the years since the organization was first established.

And the Church News also shared two articles dealing with self-reliance and the role the Church's Welfare Program has in facilitating that: this one (highlighting how that program facilitates temporal and spiritual change and this one highlighting a post on the LDS.org blog that was written by Sister Sharon Eubank, who, as you may recall, is both the First Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency and the head of LDS Charities. You can find the blog post here.

Google Maps has created an interactive list showing many of the Church's temples on a world map. I say "many" because as I looked at the page for it, I found a few locations missing. But I assume that will be fixed given time. You can find more coverage on this development here. Also a  new book covering insights on controversial topics from Church history has been published. Additionally, in recognition of the fact that many people may find family history work to be boring, the Church News has shared summaries of 7 stories to pique the interest of the general public.

There was an additional Church News story which highlighted specific insights from Elder Neil L. Andersen about what he had learned each day earlier this month as he and his wife traveled with President and Sister Nelson to three Canadian cities. I had hoped to post a link to that story, but it appears to have been removed (at least temporarily) from the Church News website.

I continue to monitor ongoing news reported by the Church's official outlets and will be sure to pass word of those along to you all as I receive it. That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. 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.

President Nelson Bears "Special Witness" of Jesus Christ from Jerusalem

Hello again, everyone! I am pleased to report today an update to the ongoing series of videos entitled "Special Witnesses of Christ." As most of you are probably aware, in the year 2000, in conjunction with the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles releasing "The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles", a video series was published featuring each apostle speaking on a special subject relating to their personal witnesses of Jesus Christ.

While President Nelson was in Jerusalem as part of his "World Ministry Tour", he recorded an updated version of his personal testimony that the Church will now include in that video series. You can read more about that here (from the Church News website) and here (on the Newsroom subpage of the official Church website).

I am grateful that all our apostles unitedly and frequently share their witness of the Savior. For any who would like to review the series of videos as a whole, you can find those here. It should be noted that Elders Gong and Soares have not yet had videos of their own added to the series, but those may be forthcoming.

In the meantime, on an unrelated personal note, I wanted to reiterate here something I have said previously which bears repeating. When I post new content to this blog, I hope no one will take that as any signal from me that conversations on previous threads should end.

To the contrary, I am always willing to accept feedback on anything I have posted at any time for any reason, as long as the content of the  offered comments remains within the guidelines I have set. I hope all who read what is posted on this blog understands how much I appreciate your readership and feedback, just as I hope my thoughts and analysis of ongoing developments is helpful to you all.

As we continue to exchange thoughts and dialogue about the ongoing developments in the Lord's Church, I hope that all can be edified. That does it for this post. As noted earlier, any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time.

If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of updated 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.