Additional Progress Noted on various temples

Hello again, everyone! I wanted to post at this time to report some late-breaking temple-related developments which I found out about a few minutes ago, and which relate to the progress on the Barranquilla Colombia Temple. The new development noted is that, while the tower of that temple continues to receive its cladding, and while progress continues on the ornamental cornice for the temple, palm trees have been planted on the grounds of the temple. This to me suggests that the completion estimate I suggested for that temple (in mid-November or mid-December 2018) may indeed be more likely than the dedication taking place in early 2019. And that is great to think about because there are so many new temples and those that are or will be undergoing the renovation process that are anticipated to be completed during 2019. It has been interesting, to say the least, 
to see how temples have progressed, especially lately. That said, I did want to note that there has not been any  progress noted on the Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple. What we do know is that both the Memphis Tennessee and Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temples are currently being dismantled.

From all of this we see that there has been a wide variety of reported developments in terms of temple progress. That does it for this post. Any 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 all that you do.

Some Thoughts About the Outreach Efforts of Church Leaders to Minority Groups

Hello again, everyone! Earlier today, I posted a comment to the LDS Church Growth Blog about the ongoing conversation regarding what the Church could or should do better or differently in their outreach to those various groups of individuals who may constitute somewhat of a minority in the Church. I have felt a need to duplicate that comment here as a post for the benefit of those who may read it in both places. A copy of that comment follows. That does it for this post. Any 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 all that you do.

If I may, I would like to comment here about something that has been on my mind a lot lately, and which relates to some of the things that have been discussed here on this thread in recent comments. I would ask that you all bear with me as I try to say what I have felt a need to in this comment.

I know that it is easy for me to wonder at times why certain individuals have been called to certain positions, especially when something they have done or are not doing makes it harder for me to do what the Lord needs me to do. And I think that would be amplified even further regarding problems we see that appear to any of us as though they are not being properly addressed by anyone on any level of Church leadership. It may be easy for us to try and solve these problems, or to suggest that more should be done in certain ways about certain things.

But in such cases, I have found it useful to remember, where I know of it, the background of the individuals involved in such decisions. In my study of our current group of apostles, I have discovered some interesting things. For example, President Eyring was one who was not able to get married until he was 29. Because of that, he is no stranger to how YSAs, and by extension, older Single Adults in the Church, feel about the programs and practices of the Church that affect the outreach to them.

Also, among the 14 apostles, we have at least two of which I know that are fluent in more than one foreign language, and as such, have served in leadership among several minority groups of the Church. So the problem of outreach to such individuals is not a foreign issue to the general leadership of the Church.

Additionally, just recently, we have seen modern revelation at work in terms of how General Conference will be simplified, how missionary safety has been evaluated (including how the number of missions will be adjusted to enable greater missionary safety by providing greater strength in numbers for problematic area, and by cutting the number of missionaries needed in areas where the safety and security is too problematic to safely allow missionary work to continue), how the Church will be embracing modern technology on a greater scale to move the missionary program into more of an effort to find religiously-minded individuals worldwide.

So I for one do not spend time pontificating about what the Church could or should do differently in terms of areas I might otherwise consider a problem. The Brethren, like all of us, are not perfect, but because of their background and experience, to say nothing of their worldwide ministry to Church members, have a unique understanding of all such issues, including factors of which we, as individual members considering such things, may not be fully aware. I instead choose to trust that, in the Lord's way and time, He will reveal the answers needed to those who have the authority to receive such direction, and that those solutions will be what is needed at that time, if not necessarily what any one or all of us think it should be. That is one of many reasons why the Lord has directed the calls of each of these Brethren at the times those calls have come to them. And that is also why the Brethren have in turn directed and approved the calls of those serving in area presidencies, as general and area seventies, as mission, stake, and district presidencies, as bishopric and branch presidency members, and on down to the home teachers and Aaronic Priesthood leaders of each congregation. None of us are perfect, and we won't ever be during our mortal sojourn, but we don't have to be. As long as we keep trying and continue in patience until we are perfected, the Lord will compensate for whatever we (or He) feels we lack. Just wanted to share these thoughts, for what they may be worth to any of you.

Progress Made on Temples Undergoing Renovation

Hello, everyone! Just a few short moments ago, I was notified that progress has been reported on the renovation process for the Memphis and Oklahoma City temples. The new information I have indicates that these temples have started to be dismantled. It was wonderful to hear of that progress. As with everything else, I am doing my best to keep tabs on temple-related developments, and I will pass more information along as I become aware of it. That does it for this post. Any 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 all that you do.

Additional update reported on Kinshasa DR Congo Temple

Hello, everyone! I am posting again to note that, in addition to what I reported in terms of the progress on the newest Chilean temple, progress has also been noted recently on the Kinshasa DR Congo Temple. At that temple site, entrance walls are being plastered, the steeple is receiving a white paint coating, and roof eaves are being framed. Based on that update, it would appear that my estimate that this temple could be dedicated in mid-to-late September is warranted.

As always, I am keeping an eye out for any and all developments in this regard, and I will be sure to pass along any additional updates as I learn of them. That does it for this post. Any 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 all that you do.

Progress noted on the Concepcion Chile Temple

Hello again, everyone! As many of you are aware, I had announced a while ago my intention to focus a series of posts on temple site prospects for the future. While I will be getting back to that either later this week or early next week, there have been numerous developments relating to Church and temple news. Because of this, I am taking a temporary step back from that series.

My reason for this new post is that, while not much has changed in terms of reported progress on most new temples and those existing ones being renovated, reports have come in about new milestones for the Concepcion Chile Temple. It was wonderful to hear about those.

So, what has that progress entailed? The reports state that cladding has progressed along the east wall, that a water feature for the temple grounds is being installed, and that walkways are being poured. Additionally, it appears that the Church has put a temporary 2D model of the Angel Moroni Temple in their efforts to ensure that when the actual 3D version is placed, it is positioned correctly.

This progress, such as it is, would appear to lend support to the theory I shared late last night that this temple's dedication could occur in June of next year. After all, the Concepcion Chile Temple is one that has progressed very consistently. It is wonderful indeed to have heard of this progress.

That does it for this post. Any comments are 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 the Lord's blessings upon you all.

Further alterations made to estimates for future-temple related events

Hello again, everyone! I am posting in the early-morning hours of the second day in November to share my updated estimates for future temple-related events. Most of these changes have been motivated by further study on my part regarding the climates in the world areas in which these temples are being built or renovated. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on these revisions. The list follows. 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's blessings will be upon you all.

Altered estimates for temple-related events that are anticipated to take place during 2018-2020

2018:

January: Raleigh North Carolina Temple Renovation Closure (already announced; confirmation of exact date pending)

February: Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple Renovation Closure (already announced; confirmation of exact date pending)

February 19: Oakland California Temple Renovation Closure (already confirmed)

March 4: Washington DC Temple Renovation Closure (already confirmed)

May: Mesa Arizona Temple Renovation Closure (already announced; confirmation of exact date pending)

May 20: Jordan River Utah Temple Rededication (already announced)

June 3 or 10: Concepcion Chile Temple Dedication (160^th operating temple)

August 12 or 19: Frankfurt Germany Temple Rededication

September 23 or 30: Kinshasa DR Congo Temple Dedication (161^st operating temple)

November 11 or 18: Barranquilla Colombia Temple Dedication (162^nd operating temple)

2019:

March 3 or 10: Rome Italy Temple Dedication (163^rd operated temple)

March 17 or 24: Memphis Tennessee Temple Rededication

April 14 or 21: Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temple Rededication

April 28 or May 5: Durban South Africa Temple Dedication (164^th operating temple)

May 19 or 26: Asuncion Paraguay Temple Rededication

June 9 or 16: Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple Dedication (165^th operating temple)

August 4 or 11: Fortaleza Brazil Temple Dedication (166^th operating temple)

August 18 or 25: Raleigh North Carolina Temple Rededication

September 8 or 15: Rio de Janeiro Temple Dedication (167^th operating temple)

September 22 or 29: Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple Rededication

October 20 or 27: Lisbon Portugal Temple Dedication (168^th operating temple)

November 10 or 17: Arequipa Peru Temple Dedication (169^th operating temple)

December 8 or 15: Oakland California Rededication

2020:

February 23 or March 1: Winnipeg Manitoba Temple Dedication (170^th operating temple)

May 10 or 17: Tokyo Japan Temple Rededication

September 13 or 20: Mesa Arizona Temple Rededication

November 8 or 15: Washington DC Temple Rededication

NOTE: Hopefully during 2018 and 2019, several temple groundbreakings will also occur, which will result in additional temple dedications in the years following. I am keeping my eye out for any news and will pass that along as I hear of it.

Update: Asuncion Paraguay Temple Closure Confirmed/Changes may be made to estimates for temple-related events for 2019

Hello, everyone! After reaching out to the Church and to some of my contacts for temple-related developments, I have been able to confirm for certain that the Asuncion Paraguay Temple has closed for renovation, as previously stated.

Aside from that, I also wanted to note that I may be rethinking the potential sequence of temple-related events for 2019. I have been reminded that, because work has not yet begun in full for the Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple, it is more likely than not that both the Rome Italy and Durban South Africa Temples will likely be dedicated prior to the dedication for Haiti's first temple.

As with everything else, I am keeping my eyes open for any and all temple related developments, and I will post any updates ASAP after receiving them. That does it for this post. Any 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 the Lord's blessings upon you all.

Slight Update to my thoughts on the Winnipeg Manitoba Temple Construction Process

Hello again, everyone! I wanted to post some updated thoughts about the process of construction for the Winnipeg Manitoba Temple. While many sources available to me have offered a general estimate that full-scale construction may begin at some point during the first half of 2018, I have done some further study about the climate in Winnipeg. That study has led me to conclude that full-scale construction will begin once the winter season ends. Since spring comes near the end of March, it is my new feeling that earnest work can begin on that temple somewhere around the beginning of April. If that happens, and if the redesign of that temple does not change the estimate we have been given of 20 months for that process, then the construction of that temple will be wrapped up as 2019 ends. That being the case, the dedication would likely follow in February or March 2020. If weather conditions cooperate enough to allow construction to begin a month or two earlier, then the dedication could take place before the end of 2019. It will be interesting to see what happens in that regard.

That does it for this post. Any comments are 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 the Lord's blessings will be upon each of you in all that you do.

Changing my original thoughts about the potential name for the second temple in Manila

Hello again, everyone, as we mark the beginning of the month of November. As some of you may remember, at one point a month or two ago, I had expressed my opinion that the second temple to be built in Manila Philippines might be named the Alabang Manila Temple. Since that time, I have not published any update on that, and when I published a full version of that report earlier this week, I had removed any unofficial name for that temple. It is anticipated that the Church may announce the official name at any point in the future, whether prior to the groundbreaking for that temple, or at very least during that ceremony, whenever that might happen.

So then the question arises, what might that temple be named. I have heard a few possibilities floating around, and any one of them could be possible. I list those here, in no particular order, with the exception of the last one, which seems to be the most likely possibility.

Manila Philippines Temple (the idea behind that one seems to be that, since the temple currently known by that name is actually located in the area known as Quezon City in Metro-Manila, that temple would be renamed the Quezon City Philippines Temple)
Manila Philippines Muntinlupa Temple
Manila Philippines Muntinlupa City Temple
Muntinlupa Philippines Temple
Muntinlupa City Philippines Temple
Manila Philippines Alabang Temple

That is the complete list of possibilities I have heard floating around. That said, I want to hear your thoughts on these possibilities. Have I overlooked anything? Which do you feel are most likely? That does it for this post. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray the Lord's blessings will be upon all of you.

Update: Church unit changes since September 14 of this year

Hello again, everyone! Since I last posted some thoughts about Church unit developments almost seven weeks ago, there have been significant changes. With only 9 of the 53 Sundays left in this year, so much has happened. As previous noted, on New Year's Day of this year, the Church had 3,266 stakes, 556 districts, and 30,304 congregations.

Noting that the Church now has 3,319 stakes, there has been a net increase of 53 stakes. With the 44 Sundays that have come and gone this year, that averages out to 1.2 new stakes per week. If that continues for the remaining 9 Sundays of this year, a minimum increase of 11 stakes is possible. Matthew Martinich, who keeps us all informed about Church growth on his blog devoted to that subject, has noted that the Church may have as many as 66 new stakes by the end of this year. Given that 5 stakes have also been discontinued thus far this year, that would be a net increase of 61 new stakes for the year, which means a net increase of 8 stakes, which is slightly lower than the 11 I referenced above.

Additionally, there are currently 545 districts, which is a net decrease of 11 districts. That said, when I have posted previously about Church growth that has happened or may yet happen, some have inquired how many of those 11 might have been upgraded to a stake. While that is a great question, that is not something I am comfortable answering. Posts like this represent my own thoughts on the growth of the Church that has or may yet occur, and the answers to such questions are well documented by others whom I respect as experts in the field of Church growth developments. With that in mind, those kinds of questions I would defer to those experts to answer. That said, I am grateful to those who have asked about that in the past, because it demonstrates that you are paying attention to things I have said in these posts. It will be interesting to see what the year-end number of districts is.

Next, I wanted to note that the number of congregations Church-wide has risen to 30,385. That means that, during these 42 Sundays that have come and gone, there has been a net increase of 81 congregations, or roughly 1.93 new congregations established each week. If that rate continues in the remaining 9 Sundays of this year, we could see 18 additional congregations established, at minimum. If a larger increase in the number of stakes occurs than what I have suggested here, many more congregations could be created. The one thing that is not as certain is how many congregations, if any, might be created during the final two Sundays of this year, when the world observes Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.

Finally, I just wanted to note as well that, based on the Church''s announcement last week about how missionaries would be using technology more, and that missions would begin to be consolidated, we could see a change in the number of missions in the Church by the end of this year. There is also a possibility that the Church could wait to start that consolidation process until next year, when the assignment of new mission presidents will be announced.

Whatever might happen in regards to Church growth, you can depend on the LDS Church Growth blog (and, to a lesser extent, this one) to bring you the latest. That does it for this post. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Any comments are welcome and appreciated. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord's blessings upon each of you in all you do.