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Saturday, May 28, 2016

Important Temple Developments

Hello, all! Posting today with the latest temple news, and it is exciting! Apparently the government-imposed delays preventing the construction of the Fortaleza Brazil temple from going forward have been utterly eliminated. What that means is that full-scale construction is anticipated to start any day now. The temple is anticipated to be completed in 2019.

Additionally, the Church has apparently decided not to commence construction on the Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple until after the conclusion of the Summer Olympic games. It makes sense that the Church wouldn't want to upstage the games. But I wouldn't be surprised if the groundbreaking date for that temple is announced soon and set for after the Olympics. I also anticipate perhaps two or three other groundbreakings will be announced before too long, but it's anyone's guess as to when that will happen. I am hoping that the Church will soon identify a site for those temples for whom a site exists. I have updated my personal temple progress report to reflect these developments. I will be sure to keep my eye on all temple-related news and events and post about them here as soon as I can. Thanks to you all for your readership and interest. You are the reason that I blog. And I promise, the personal update is coming...just as soon as there's no more Church news to report. This blog has become a place where I can share news about the Church I love, and it means everything in the world to me that you guys take time to read (and sometimes share) my posts. Best wishes to you all.

Friday, May 27, 2016

Mutipurpose Church News Post

This will be a multipurpose Church News Post.

First, mission boundaries will be realigned in Idaho. For details of what that will entail, please see this link.

Next, the Church News ran an article about Elder Massimo De Feo, who is the first General Authority Seventy from Italy. You can read that article at the link above.

Finally, more temples have had a new president named. Here's an updated list, Please note that there was one temple that I overlooked in drawing up a list of temples that might get a new president this year.

Temples getting a new president in 2016:
1.      Nashville Tennessee
2.      Fort Collins Colorado
3.      Star Valley Wyoming
4.      Hartford Connecticut
5.      Philadelphia Pennsylvania
6.      Columbia River Washington
7.      Chicago Illinois
8.      Mexico City Mexico
9.      Hong Kong China
10.  London England
11.  Manhattan New York
12.  Medford Oregon
13.  Dallas Texas
14.  Birmingham Alabama
15.  Seattle Washington
16.  Hamilton New Zealand
17.  Cochabamba Bolivia
18.  Gilbert Arizona
19.  Anchorage Alaska
20.  Curitiba Brazil
21.  Kyiv Ukraine
22.  Panama City Panama
23.  Fresno California
24.  Memphis Tennessee
25.  Winter Quarters Nebraska
26.  Lima Peru
27.  Nauvoo Illinois
28.  Portland Oregon
29.  Merida Mexico
30.  Reno Nevada

Temples that may still get a new president this year:
1.      Aba Nigeria
2.      Campinas Brazil
3.      Ciudad Juarez Mexico
4.      Columbus Ohio
5.      Copenhagen Denmark
6.      Detroit Michigan
7.      Frankfurt Germany
8.      Guadalajara Mexico
9.      Halifax Nova Scotia
10.  Johannesburg South Africa
11.  Melbourne Australia
12.  Monterey Mexico
13.  Montreal Quebec
14.  Nukualofa Tonga
15.  Perth Australia
16.  Provo Utah
17.  Quetzaltenango Guatemala
18.  Raleigh North Carolina
19.  Rexburg Idaho
20.  St. George Utah Temple
21.  St. Paul Minnesota
22.  Santiago Chile
23.  Santo Domingo Dominican Republic
24.  Sapporo Japan (will be dedicated on August 21)
25.  Seoul Korea
26.  Spokane Washington
27.  Tampico Mexico
28.  Tuxtla Gutierrez Mexico Temple

29.  Twin Falls Idaho

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Changes in the way temples are listed

LDS Church Temples has changed the way temples are listed: for those that will be dedicated next year, a time of year is listed, while for all other temples, only a completion year is listed. Also, some temples originally listed as being complete in 2018 have now had added that they may be completed in 2019. The temples have accordingly been reordered. Here's what the current temple status looks like:

Temple Construction Progress (current as of 5/24/16)
Current Temple Status: 150 operating, 16 under construction (5 scheduled for dedication, 1 had groundbreaking several years ago and construction is pending), 11 announced (2 groundbreakings anticipated to be announced soon), 4 undergoing renovation (1 scheduled for rededication).

Dedication scheduled:
151. Sapporo Japan Temple: Furniture being delivered; preparing for open house; scheduled to be dedicated Sunday August 21, 2016.
152. Philadelphia Pennsylvania Temple: Accepting free reservations for the public open house; scheduled to be dedicated Sunday September 18, 2016.
153. Fort Collins Colorado Temple: Lampposts installed on the grounds; installing art glass; painting, and laying floor inside; scheduled to be dedicated Sunday October 16, 2016.
154. Star Valley Wyoming Temple: Angel Moroni placed on April 25, 2016; steeple lighting tests underway; scheduled to be dedicated Sunday October 30, 2016.
155. Hartford Connecticut Temple: Exterior cladding nearing completion; concrete poured for monument sign; interior painting and flooring underway; scheduled to be dedicated Sunday November 20, 2016.

Under Construction:
156. Paris France Temple: Attachment of exterior stone cladding nearing completion; interior work progressing; completion anticipated sometime in early 2017.
157. Meridian Idaho Temple: Stained glass windows installed; pouring parking lot curbing; completion anticipated sometime during late 2017.
158. Cedar City Utah Temple: Steeple framework attached; completion anticipated sometime during late 2017.
159. Tucson Arizona Temple: Exterior panels attached; completion anticipated sometime between late 2017 and early 2018.
160. Rome Italy Temple: Interior work underway including some material replacement and rework; completion anticipated sometime during 2018.
161. Concepcion Chile Temple: Second floor exterior walls poured; completion anticipated sometime during 2018.
163. Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple: Clearing, grading site; completion anticipated sometime during 2018-2019.
161. Durban South Africa Temple: Ground broken on Saturday April 9, 2016; completion anticipated sometime during 2018-2019.
164. Lisbon Portugal Temple: Ground broken on Saturday December 5, 2015; completion anticipated sometime during 2019.
165. Barranquilla Colombia Temple: Ground broken on Saturday February 20, 2016; completion anticipated sometime during 2019.
168. Fortaleza Brazil Temple: Full-scale construction pending due to government-imposed delays; completion date TBD (To be determined).

Rededication scheduled:
33. Freiberg Germany Temple: Closed for renovation; adding extension; steeple covered; scheduled to be rededicated Sunday September 4, 2016.

Undergoing Renovation:
8. Idaho Falls Idaho Temple: Closed for renovation; reroofing underway; rededication anticipated sometime between late 2016 and early 2017.
41. Frankfurt Germany Temple: Closed for renovation; rededication anticipated sometime during mid-2017.
20. Jordan River Utah Temple: Closed for renovation; construction trailers on site; rededication anticipated sometime during late 2017.

Announced:
166. Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple: Construction preparation phase; plans approved by local government; groundbreaking date anticipated to be announced soon.
167. Arequipa Peru Temple: Construction preparation phase; temple site rezoned; acquiring building permits; groundbreaking date anticipated to be announced soon.
169. Urdaneta Philippines Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.
170. Winnipeg Manitoba Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.
171. Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.
172. Bangkok Thailand Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.
173. Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple: Planning phase; awaiting official site announcement.
174. Quito Ecuador Temple: Planning phase; awaiting official site announcement.
175. Harare Zimbabwe Temple: Planning phase; awaiting official site announcement.
176. Belem Brazil Temple: Planning phase; awaiting official site announcement.
177. Lima Peru Los Olivos Temple: Planning phase; awaiting official site announcement.

Key:
Bolded numbers and text denote temples whose number 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 number may change based on the order in which future dedications and groundbreakings are scheduled.
Underlined numbers and text denote temples whose number may change based on the order in which their future groundbreakings are announced.


Thoughts?

Monday, May 23, 2016

June Ensign Feature Article on Elder Stevenson

Hello, all! An exciting bit of news crossed my radar this weekend, but for some reason, I haven't posted about it yet. The PDF of the June Ensign is up, and included therein is an article by Elder Robert D. Hales introducing Elder Gary E. Stevenson. It didn't surprise me that it was Elder Hales who wrote about Elder Stevenson. Both of them had been members of the Seventy and were serving as Presiding Bishop of the Church at the time of their calls. It was very exciting to read that article. You can find it by following this link. Enjoy! Have a good week.

Sunday, May 22, 2016

Lightning Strikes Bountiful Utah Temple's Angel Moroni

Hello, readers! Just posting to let you know that lightning today struck the Angel Moroni statue of the Bountiful Utah Temple of the Church.  It appears there are holes in part of the head and the back of the statue. No word yet about when the Church might replace it, but such replacements due to upheavals of nature are not uncommon, so it should happen shortly. For more details, please see this link. Thanks,

Updated Temple Progress Report

A little later than promised, here is an updated temple status report:

Temple Construction Progress (current as of 5/22/16)
Current Temple Status: 150 operating, 16 under construction (5 scheduled for dedication, 1 had groundbreaking several years ago and construction is pending), 11 announced (2 groundbreakings anticipated to be announced soon), 4 undergoing renovation (1 scheduled for rededication).

Dedication scheduled:
151. Sapporo Japan Temple: Furniture being delivered; preparing for open house; scheduled to be dedicated Sunday August 21, 2016.
152. Philadelphia Pennsylvania Temple: Interior work complete; furniture being placed; outdoor plaza progressing; scheduled to be dedicated Sunday September 18, 2016.
153. Fort Collins Colorado Temple: Lampposts installed on the grounds; installing art glass; painting, and laying floor inside; scheduled to be dedicated Sunday October 16, 2016.
154. Star Valley Wyoming Temple: Angel Moroni placed on April 25, 2016; steeple lighting tests underway; scheduled to be dedicated Sunday October 30, 2016.
155. Hartford Connecticut Temple: Exterior cladding nearing completion; concrete poured for monument sign; interior painting and flooring underway; scheduled to be dedicated Sunday November 20, 2016.

Under Construction:
156. Paris France Temple: Attachment of exterior stone cladding nearing completion; interior work progressing; completion anticipated sometime in early 2017.
157. Meridian Idaho Temple: Stained glass windows installed; pouring parking lot curbing; completion anticipated sometime during late 2017.
158. Cedar City Utah Temple: Steeple framework attached; completion anticipated sometime during late 2017.
159. Tucson Arizona Temple: Exterior panels attached; completion anticipated sometime between late 2017 and early 2018.
160. Rome Italy Temple: Interior work underway including some material replacement and rework; completion anticipated sometime during early 2018.
161. Durban South Africa Temple: Ground broken on Saturday April 9, 2016; completion anticipated sometime during early 2018.
162. Concepcion Chile Temple: Second floor exterior walls poured; completion anticipated sometime during late 2018.
163. Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple: Clearing, grading site; completion anticipated sometime during late 2018.
164. Lisbon Portugal Temple: Ground broken on Saturday December 5, 2015; completion anticipated sometime between late 2018 and early 2019.
165. Barranquilla Colombia Temple: Ground broken on Saturday February 20, 2016; completion anticipated sometime between early-and-mid 2019.
168. Fortaleza Brazil Temple: Full-scale construction pending due to government-imposed delays; completion date TBD (To be determined).

Rededication scheduled:
33. Freiberg Germany Temple: Closed for renovation; adding extension; steeple covered; scheduled to be rededicated Sunday September 4, 2016.

Undergoing Renovation:
8. Idaho Falls Idaho Temple: Closed for renovation; reroofing underway; rededication anticipated sometime between late 2016 and early 2017.
41. Frankfurt Germany Temple: Closed for renovation; rededication anticipated sometime during mid-2017.
20. Jordan River Utah Temple: Closed for renovation; construction trailers on site; rededication anticipated sometime during late 2017.

Announced:
166. Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple: Construction preparation phase; plans approved by local government; groundbreaking date anticipated to be announced soon.
167. Arequipa Peru Temple: Construction preparation phase; temple site rezoned; acquiring building permits; groundbreaking date anticipated to be announced soon.
169. Urdaneta Philippines Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.
170. Winnipeg Manitoba Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.
171. Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.
172. Bangkok Thailand Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.
173. Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple: Planning phase; awaiting official site announcement.
174. Quito Ecuador Temple: Planning phase; awaiting official site announcement.
175. Harare Zimbabwe Temple: Planning phase; awaiting official site announcement.
176. Belem Brazil Temple: Planning phase; awaiting official site announcement.
177. Lima Peru Los Olivos Temple: Planning phase; awaiting official site announcement.

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

Underlined numbers and text denote temples whose number may change based on the order in which their future groundbreakings are announced.

Multipurpose Church News post

This post will highlight some of the major news items related to Church growth. Hang on to your hats! This will be a wild ride!

First, the Church has further updated the dress and grooming standards for missionaries. In mosquito-infested area where the Zika virus may be contracted, sister missionaries are now being allowed to wear slacks instead of skirts. Contrary to popular interpretation, these changes will not affect the fact that sister missionaries still need to wear skirts and dresses to Church, the temple, and during seasons when mosquitoes are not out in the air. That information can be found by clicking on this link, which will also list Elder Gregory A. Schwitzer of the Seventy's assignment as Assistant Executive Director of the Church Missionary Department, which I did not know before.

Second, Matthew Martinich has posted a major update on stakes and districts that have been created or discontinued within the past month. You can find that post by clicking on this link. Among those created are the first stakes in Benin and the Czech Republic, and additional stakes created in Argentina, Arizona, Australia, Bolivia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Tennessee, Utah. A district has been reinstated in Ukraine, and a stake has been discontinued in Idaho, while a district has been discontinued in Papua New Guinea.

Third, more temples have had a new president announced, and I have analyzed how recently each temple has had a change in presidents. I have drawn up an improved list of temples that have received a new president and temples that may yet have a new president announced this year. Here's the list:

Temples getting a new president in 2016:
1.      Nashville Tennessee
2.      Fort Collins Colorado
3.      Star Valley Wyoming
4.      Hartford Connecticut
5.      Philadelphia Pennsylvania
6.      Columbia River Washington
7.      Chicago Illinois
8.      Mexico City Mexico
9.      Hong Kong China
10.  London England
11.  Manhattan New York
12.  Medford Oregon
13.  Dallas Texas
14.  Birmingham Alabama
15.  Seattle Washington
16.  Hamilton New Zealand
17.  Cochabamba Bolivia
18.  Gilbert Arizona
19.  Anchorage Alaska
20.  Curitiba Brazil
21.  Kyiv Ukraine
22.  Panama City Panama

Temples that may still get a new president this year:
1.      Aba Nigeria
2.      Campinas Brazil
3.      Ciudad Juarez Mexico
4.      Columbus Ohio
5.      Copenhagen Denmark
6.      Detroit Michigan
7.      Frankfurt Germany
8.      Fresno California
9.      Guadalajara Mexico
10.  Halifax Nova Scotia
11.  Johannesburg South Africa
12.  Lima Peru
13.  Melbourne Australia
14.  Memphis Tennessee
15.  Merida Mexico
16.  Monterey Mexico
17.  Montreal Quebec
18.  Nauvoo Illinois
19.  Nukualofa Tonga
20.  Perth Australia
21.  Provo Utah
22.  Quetzaltenango Guatemala
23.  Raleigh North Carolina
24.  Reno Nevada
25.  Rexburg Idaho
26.  St. George Utah Temple
27.  St. Paul Minnesota
28.  Santiago Chile
29.  Santo Domingo Dominican Republic
30.  Sapporo Japan (will be dedicated on August 21)
31.  Seoul Korea
32.  Spokane Washington
33.  Tampico Mexico
34.  Tuxtla Gutierrez Mexico Temple
35.  Twin Falls Idaho
36.  Winter Quarters Nebraska

Please let me know if I am in error on anything in this post. Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thanks to you all for your friendship and readership.

Thursday, May 19, 2016

KSL Story: LDS Church condemns sexual assault; BYU Student Response Council Announced

KSL has been closely following developments related to the reported cases of sexual assault at BYU. The Church has been unequivocal about its condemnation of these heinous acts. In order to better deal with cases of sexual assault at BYU, a council has been formed from among the BYU leadership that will handle all facets of investigating such instances. I was happy to see the Church's response to this matter. Sexual assault is never okay, and my heart bleeds for those who have been affected by such things. I try to think how I would feel if I found out that someone I knew had that happen to them. I'd want to find those responsible and tear them apart with my bare hands. Some people are inclined to blame the victims, saying that they "brought those things upon themselves." It is far better for all concerned when this issue can be publicized and when steps can be taken to ensure this behavior does not go unpunished in anyone. You can find out more about this public response to this epidemic by following this link. Thanks for your readership and interest.

Missionary Dress Code updated to allow sun-protected gear

This just in: The Church has announced that, in an effort to ensure missionaries can be protected from the hot sun, especially during the summer, "simple and conservative sunglasses" and :wide-brimmed hats" may now be worn. This is the first time in Church history that I know of that has seen protective sunwear has been added to the missionary dress code. If I am in error on that point, please let me know. How wonderful it is to know that the Church is so concerned about protecting our missionaries from the elements. Have a great night!

Major Church News Items

Hello, dear readers! Several items of import relating to Church News have crossed my radar, and I wanted to share some of this wonderful news with you.

First of all, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, returned to his homeland in the Czech Republic this last weekend to create the first stake in that nation. This is a monumental achievement for the Church. He was accompanied by some members of the Europe Area Presidency and several Area Seventies. You can read more about this here.

New temple presidents have been announced for the Cochabamba Bolivia, Gilbert Arizona, Anchorage Alaska, Curitiba Brazil, Kyiv Ukraine, and Panama City Panama temples. I am not at home at the moment and will post an updated list of new temple presidents later on today, as time and circumstances allow.

A Church News article featured a biography of Joaquin Esteban Costa, which you can find by clicking on the link above. I can't find a source to prove it, but I believe that the new Elder Costa may be somehow related to Claudio R. M, Costa, who was called to the Seventy in the '90's.

Finally, the biggest change: With a newly-published list of temple-related developments, it will be noted that many temples that fornerly had a potential site announced, with the exception of the two nearest to having a groundbreaking announced, have been updated to say that a site announcement is still pending/ As I am still at work, I will not be able to post an updated list to show you what temple progress looks like now. Instead, I will direct you to this link, where temple progress can be viewed.

There is a lot going on on the Church News front. I will keep my eyes and ears peeled for such news and will let you know, as time and circumstances allow, what the latest is. In the meantime, I haven't forgotten my promise to post a much-needed personal update--that has just been put on hold indefinitely until I have more time to write it. As always, any news of the Church will trump personal updates for me every time. Thanks yo much to you all for your readership and interest.