Major Developments Reported on Temples Undergoing Renovation

Hello again, everyone! Earlier today, some game-changing information was reported on the temples undergoing renovation. This post will share the highlights of these changes. Let's get right into all of that. First, given the relatively extensive progress seen on the Hinckley-era temples currently undergoing renovation (Oklahoma City Oklahoma, Memphis Tennessee, Raleigh North Carolina, and Baton Rouge Louisiana) when compared with the older and larger temples currently undergoing renovation (Frankfurt Germany and Oakland California), the former four have been moved ahead of the latter two.

Therefore, the general estimates for these temples has been altered, and there have been a few new developments reported. The estimates for OKC and Memphis have been changed to mid-2019. For the former, it has been reported that stone cladding and art glass installation are nearing completion. In relation to the latter, it has been noted that stone cladding is nearing completion.

In relation to the Raleigh and Baton Rouge Temples, the general estimate has been changed to mid-to-late 2019. Aside from that estimate change, nothing new has been reported for either temple, as stone cladding for the exterior walls continues on the former, and a waterproofing membrane has been attached to the exterior of the latter in preparation for its' stone cladding process.

For the Frankfurt Germany and Oakland California Temples, more information will apparently be needed before a more general estimate is offered. For now, it has been noted that both temples are anticipated to be rededicated at some point next year. And an update on the Frankfurt Temple shows that curbing is being poured now for the expanded parking lot, while the exterior walls of the on-site villa are being renovated.

Because these unexpected developments were reported earlier today, I have not yet had a chance to analyze how the information will alter the more specific estimates I have previously offered for the future rededication of these temples. Look for that at some point this week as I have time to put that together. I do continue to monitor any and all Church news and temple developments and will do my level best to keep passing word of such news on to you all as I receive it.

That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time. 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.

Additional Information on Possible Consolidation of North America Areas

Hello again, everyone! As many of you are aware, shortly after the April 2018 General Conference, the First Presidency had announced the area leadership assignments which became effective as of August 1. Among those changes, it was announced that areas in North America would once again be overseen by a presidency of three General Authority Seventies. Six such presidencies were announced for what had been 10 areas to serve the Saints in the United States and Canada.

As at least some of you also might recall, I have posted previously with evidence I found that seemed to further indicate the number of those areas had been consolidated from 10 to 6. But given the fact that some sources (particularly many of the biographies of the 18 men who have been assigned to oversee those areas) were somewhat ambiguous, I had not been able to definitively settle the question of what was actually the case.

Accordingly, a day or two ago, as I did one of my usual checks on the Church's official website for word of any new developments in terms of Church news, I found a recent address given by President M. Russell Ballard, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The address, given one week ago today (on the same day the dedication of the Concepcion Chile Temple took place), was one of four given during a regional conference for the Utah North Area.

Given that fact, it appears that any ambiguity on this point has been cleared up once and for all, and that the original source (which announced these changes) was in error in reporting that there are only 21 areas of the Church now. The number of areas within North America instead remain at 10, which means there are a total of 25 areas still within the Church.

Having noted this new information, hopefully that settles any additional questions on this point. It looks as though I will need to again rework my list of area seventies (including the demographic information I put together) in accordance with that clarification. I do continue to monitor any and all Church news and temple updates, and will do my level best to keep passing 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.

Temple Updates Noted

Hello again, everyone! Several temple updates have recently been reported, so I wanted to pass those along to you all now. Let's jump right into our discussion of those developments. First of all, I wanted to follow up on something I have noted repeatedly in the recent past. The Church is well on track to have 200 operating temples by (but perhaps even before) the 200th anniversary of its' reestablishment, which will, as noted, occur on Saturday April 6, 2030.

With 160 temples operating, only 40 others will need to be dedicated during the 11.42 years between today and that day, which could easily be done if 3.5 temples are dedicated each year between now and then. Since 5 or 6 temples are anticipated to be dedicated within the next year (with one more dedication planned by the end of this year, and two already set for early next year), I have no doubts the Church will have at least that many temples by that date, but certainly more if all goes well.

In the meantime, yesterday marked the beginning of the public open house for the Barranquilla Colombia Temple. The public will be able to tour that temple every day between now and November 24, with the exception of today and the additional Sundays of November 11 and 18. Following the open house, there will be a two-week period of final preparations for the temple, and a youth devotional will be held on Saturday December 8, with the temple dedication following the next day.

We now turn our attention briefly to the Lisbon Portugal Temple, where the work of stone cladding the temple's exterior walls is nearly complete, and where the Holiness to the Lord inscription stone is now in place. And as the renovation process continues for the Mesa Arizona Temple, scaffolding is going up around the temple's exterior, while windows are being removed, and landscaping efforts to regrade the grounds of the temple are also underway.

To conclude this update, new information received today indicates that, with the Church office building having been completely vacated in Bangkok Thailand, the process of demolishing that building is now underway, and once that occurs, the Church will be that much closer to being able to have a groundbreaking for that temple. It will be interesting to see how soon that occurs. As a result of that new information, I estimate that a groundbreaking could occur for that temple within the next 4-8 months, but certainly sooner if all goes well.

And of course, we are now just 4 days away from the November 8 groundbreaking ceremony which has been scheduled for the Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple. So look for a report on that ceremony once it is provided later this week. In the meantime, on a note unrelated to temple progress, Elder Uchtdorf's birthday will occur on Tuesday, with Elder Renlund's birthday exactly one week later. So posts will be provided on those days in honor of those milestones. And any other Church news and temple developments will be passed along as they are reported as well. I am also involved in an ongoing process of getting my predictions for next General Conference put together, and will pass a copy of those along as soon as I finish doing so.

That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time. 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.

Additional Church News Reported

Hello again, everyone! I wanted to post again right now about some additional news stories which have recently crossed my radar. So let's get right into those. First, from the Church's official Newsroom website, we have a look at the second Colombian Temple (built in Barranquilla) for which the open house began today, and is set to be held for the next three weeks, ending on the 24th. The Newsroom also covered a luncheon which the Church hosted for the NCAA Common Ground Executive Committee.

Church representatives in attendance included Elders Craig C. Christensen (president of the the Utah Area) and Allen D. Haynie (who serves as Second Counselor in the North America Northeast Area Presidency), both of whom are General Authority Seventies, Sisters Jean B. Bingham (Relief Society General President) and Bonnie H. Cordon (Young Women General President).

Common Ground, for those not aware, is an organization built to serve as a liaison between athletic administrators in institutes of higher education and those advocating for LGBTQ rights. As the leaders of the Church explained, the Church always has and always will support measures, programs, and practices that provide fairness for all, so this meeting was right in line with the continued commitment of the Church to that ideal.

In the meantime, Sister Lisa S. Harkness, First Counselor in the Primary General Presidency, recently spoke out to clear up confusion on the Church's stance regarding medical marijuana, and how the ballot initiative is interconnected to the legislative action which will be taken by the members of the Utah Senate and House regardless of the initiative's outcome. That story came from KSL, which is owned and operated by Bonneville Communications, a subsidiary organization of the Church.

We now conclude by catching up on some articles from the Church News website. One big story highlighted the remarkable way an apostolic prophecy about the destiny of the Church throughout the South American continent (including Brazil and the countries comprising the South America Northwest and South America South Areas) is being fulfilled.

As President Nelson recently observed, when he was born in 1924, there was no Church presence whatsoever in that continent. Since that time. numerous faithful South American Saints have served in general Church leadership positions, and last April, we saw one such faithful man, Elder Ulisses Soares, called to be the first Latin American apostle in the Church.

If that is not a testament to how much the Lord values the faithful Saints in South America, then consider this: The only two temples which have been or will yet be dedicated this year are located in South America. 3 others are currently under construction throughout that continent, while 1 previously-dedicated temple is currently closed for renovations and upgrades. And of the 31 temples currently announced, 7 (roughly 25%) of them will be built in South American countries. And that is amazing to consider.

Next, Boyd Matheson, who heads up the Sutherland Institute and who writes for the Deseret News, recently reported on a conversation he had with Church President Russell M. Nelson about the power of not looking back, or, in other words, leaving the past in the past, and going through another door when the first one closes.

Also, in the latest edition of "This Week on Social", posts shared included thoughts from President Henry B. Eyring, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, on how to endure the many trials of life; in addition to thoughts from the following members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles: Elders David A. Bednar, who highlighted the importance of faith; Neil L. Andersen, on what life's trials can teach us if we let them; Ronald A. Rasband on recognizing and utilizing our many God-given talents; and Dale G. Renlund on the similarities between a master violin maker and our Master, Jesus Christ (which, of course, reminded me personally of the poem "The Touch of the Master's Hand").

Other leaders featured in that article were Sister Sharon Eubank, First Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency, who posted some thoughts highlighting the importance of repentance and the Sabbath Day; Sister Cordon, who shared a special message for and about the Young Women of the Church; and finally, from her first counselor, Sister Michelle D. Craig, who shared her thoughts about how following President Nelson's invitation to read the Book of Mormon by the end of this year has blessed her and the members of her family.

We additionally got some good news about how Saints in Mexico have successfully weathered the recent Hurricane Willa. Also, the Church News provided highlights of favorite moments from the first South American leg of his ongoing Global Ministry Tour. In the meantime, Latter-day Saints in Great Britain recently commemorated the 100th anniversary of the ending of WWII. And finally, two former BYU athletes recently donned the yellow "Helping Hands" vests to help their fellow Saints living in the southeastern United States in their ongoing efforts to recover from Hurricane Florence.

I do continue to monitor any and all Church news and temple developments and will keep doing my level best to pass word of those developments along to you all as I receive word of them. That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time. 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.

Latest Apostolic Statistics: Part Two--Updated Ages & Other Important Information

Hello again, everyone! Having set the stage in the first part of this apostolic age update (posted just a few moments ago), we now move on to talk specifics regarding the long-form and decimal ages of our current apostles, which will also include updated information on the average ages of the First Presidency, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and the 15 apostles as a group, and current and future nonagenarians. So let’s get right into all of that. Again, all data is current as of today (Sunday November 4, 2018).

First, I thought it might be appropriate to share an overview of the apostolic birthdays that are coming up in the near future, particularly those which will be observed by the end of this year. We have four apostolic birthdays coming up. The first will be the 78^th birthday of Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf (which will occur on November 6). Exactly one week later, Elder Dale G. Renlund is set to observe his 66^th birthday.

Interestingly enough, that event will be the first of the last three apostolic birthdays this year, which each happen to be 20 days apart. Elder Renlund’s birthday on November 13 will be followed by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s 78^th on December 3, and Elder Gerrit W. Gong is the final apostle to have his birthday, as he will mark his 65^th birthday on December 23, a mere two days before Christmas. Interestingly enough, Elder Gong was born on the same day as the Prophet Joseph Smith.

With that noted, we now move on to some exact figures about the ages (and average ages) of the First Presidency, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and all 15 apostles as a group. We start, as always, with the three Presiding High Priests of the Church. President Nelson is, as noted towards the end of my previous post, 94 years, 1 month, and 26 days old, with a resulting decimal age of 94.15 years. His apostolic seatmate and right-hand man, President Oaks, who is less than 8 years younger, is now 86 years, 2 months, and 23 days old, which makes him 86.23 in decimal years.  And President Eyring, who remains 0.8 years younger than President Oaks, has a long-form age of 85 years, 5 months, and 4 days. He therefore now is 85.43 in decimal years.

These combined figures bring the total life experience of the three men to 265.81 years, which results in an average age of 88.6 years for each man. President Oaks remains closest to that average, still being 2.37 years below it. Obviously, Presidents Nelson and Eyring are still respectively above and below the average. And, as a recent Salt Lake Tribune article notes, our current First Presidency has the highest average age in the history of the Church.

Although some who don’t understand how the system of succession works might find that alarming, to me, it is a comfort to know that we have men in this leading Quorum of the Church who know the will of the Savior for the Saints and who will not go beyond the word of the Lord. While many other religions adapt their basic name, message, and purpose, the message of the Lord to the people of His Church has always been clear, consistent, and unyielding in terms of the purity of the doctrine. And that is reassuring indeed.

We move on now to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Since my last update, President Ballard has observed his 90^th birthday. He therefore has a long-form age of 90 years, 0 months, and 27 days, which puts his decimal age at 90.07. Elder Holland, now less than a month from his 78^th birthday, is 77 years, 11 months, and 1 day old, with a resulting 77.92 decimal years. Elder Uchtdorf, who will observe his 78^th birthday in just two days, is 77 years, 11 months, and 29 days old, and comes in at 77.99 years.

Elder Bednar has now reached the exact age of 66 years, 4 months, and 20 days, which puts him at a decimal age of 66.39 years.  Elder Cook, meanwhile, is 78 years, 1 months, and 27 days old, working out to 78.16 years. Elder Christofferson (who will mark his birthday just over a month after that of Elder Gong) is now 73 years, 9 months, and 11 days old, which gives him a decimal age of 73.78 years.

Elder Andersen now has a long-form age of 67 years, 2 month, and 26 days, with a resulting 67.24 decimal years. Elder Rasband, who is roughly six months older than Elder Andersen, has now reached 67 years, 8 months, and 29 days, making his decimal age 67.74 years. Elder Gary E. Stevenson, who is exactly 4.5 years younger than Elder Rasband (to the day) has now reached the age of 63 years, 2 months, and 29 days old, with a resulting decimal age of 63.25 years.

We now come to the final three apostles. With Elder Renlund’s birthday approaching, he now comes in at 65 years, 11 months, and 22 days old, or 65.98 in decimal years. Elder Gong, whose birthday comes 40 days after Elder Renlund’s and 20 days after Elder Holland’s, has a long-form age of 64 years, 10 months, and 12 days old, which converts to 64.87 years.  And our youngest and most junior apostle, Elder Soares, as of today, is 60 years, 1 month, and 2 days old, putting his decimal age at 60.09 years.

                                                                                               

With this data noted, the current members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles now have a combined 853.48 years of life experience, or an average of 71.12 years per Quorum member. As I noted previously, the ages of Elders Christofferson and Rasband put them above and below that average respectively. Elder Christofferson, who has been 2.65 years older than that average, is now 2.66 years above it. Not much of a difference, I know, but I certainly felt it was worth noting. And Elder Rasband remains 3.38 years below that average.

Based on the information I provided earlier about the members of the First Presidency, the entire body of apostles now have a combined 1,119.29 years of life experience, or an average 74.62 years for each of those 15. Elders Holland and Christofferson stand closest to that average, and their margins from that have likewise changed somewhat, with Elder Holland now being 3.3 years older, and Elder Christofferson still 0.84 years younger.

We now move on to the nonagenarians. President Nelson remains the 7^th oldest apostle in Church history, and is set to move up to the 6^th spot in 8 months and 1 day (on July 5 of next year). In the meantime, with his 90^th birthday having been observed on October 8, President Ballard has joined the list of nonagenarians. 9 days from now, he will move up on that list, when his lifespan will have become longer than that of J. Reuben Clark Jr. By the time President Nelson moves up to the next spot on this list, President Ballard will have moved up 3 more himself, and he will have one additional milestone on that list later in July of 2019 as well. More on those specifics will, of course, be provided in future reports.

I continue to track all of this information, and will do my level best to pass updates on to you regularly, with my hope being to post the next such update roughly 6 weeks from now, which I hope to continue to do for the foreseeable future. That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time. 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.

Latest Apostolic Statistics: Part One--Updated Data for President Oaks, President Nelson, and Longest-Serving Apostolic Groups

Hello again, everyone! While I hope you all will feel free to continue to comment on any previous posts, another 6 weeks have come and gone since I last posted updated information on the latest apostolic statistics. (The last time I did so was Sunday September 23, 2018.) Since there have been an impressive number of changes in that information within that period of time, and in view of a previously-given promise that I would do so, I wanted to focus two other posts on that subject today.

While I hope most of you will find this information interesting and enlightening, there may be some of you who are not interested in the data I will present. Consequently, I will not in any way be offended if any of you skip over this data. The information I will be presenting is current as of today (Sunday November 4, 2018), and the data will again be presented in the same order.

After updates on the tenure of President Dallin H. Oaks as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and on the tenure and age of Church President Russell M. Nelson, there will be some observations about the tenures of our First Presidency, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and all currently-living ordained apostles as a group. At that point, I will end this post, and publish another a few minutes later to cover updates on upcoming apostolic birthdays, the long-form and decimal ages of our apostles, and a discussion on apostolic nonagenarians.

So let’s begin with some information on President Oaks’ current tenure length as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, which will include exploring how soon he will move up on this list. The length of his service has currently spanned 9 months and 21 days. Two weeks ago today, the length of President Oaks’ tenure as such became equal to that of President Gordon B. Hinckley, and the former officially served longer than the latter by the following day. President Oaks is now the 25^th longest-serving Quorum President. There will be a roughly 5-month hiatus before President Oaks observes his next milestone (which will occur in April 2019). He will then observe two additional milestones two days apart in July, followed by one each in November and December of next year. More specific details on those milestones will be forthcoming closer to the time. 

President Oaks appears, by all accounts, to be in good health. So I have no doubt he will at least be around to observe the next 10 milestones which are upcoming for his tenure as Quorum President. But as previously observed, the length of his tenure will not just depend on how long he lives, but also on how long President Nelson lives. Since the prophet is in very good health, as he appears to be 20-30 years younger than he is when speaking to Church congregations around the world), he will likely be around for a while. So the health of Presidents Oaks and Nelson will be something to keep an eye on for sure.

And speaking of President Nelson, since he was ordained and set apart as Church president on the same day he set apart President Oaks as Quorum President, his tenure has spanned 9 months and 21 days as well. He is now 94 years, 1 month, and 26 days old. President Nelson observed the first tenure length milestone of his presidency on Wednesday October 10, 2018, at which time he had served longer than President Howard W. Hunter. He will observe both another tenure-related and his first age-related milestone two days apart in July of 2019, with subsequent milestones more spread out in the years following that. And again, I will be detailing those more specifically closer to the time when they will be reached.

In the meantime, as also noted previously, the current First Presidency will only be joining the list of longest continuously serving First Presidencies in Church history on Saturday April 20, 2024, so I will be outlining their future milestones on that list closer to the time. I am also not aware of any other current apostles having health issues, so I have no doubt the current members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will continue to serve together for a while.

Those 12 men (who have served together since March 31 of this year), will mark 3 years together on March 31, 2021, at which point they will join the list of the longest-serving Quorums of the Twelve Apostles in Church history. I will likewise be providing updates on those future milestones in the near future. And interestingly enough, less than two months prior to that, the 15 apostles will make the list of the longest-serving such group (the exact date is February 8, 2021).

With that said, I want to conclude this portion of the update. That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on this or any other post at any time. 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 (which should be the second one on this subject and will be published here within the next few minutes), I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

Changes Made Yet Again to Announced Temples Section of My Temple Construction Progress Report

Hello again, everyone! I took some time tonight to go over the information I had available on announced temples. Based on my ongoing analysis of those developments, and on new information which has come to light in recent days, I have once again reworked the section of my temple construction progress report for announced temples. One of the most significant changes I have made is splitting that section into two separate parts.

The first part contains temples for which, in my opinion, there is sufficient information to allow me to make an educated estimate about the general time-frames within which those temples could have a groundbreaking. The second part of that section now contains those temples for which more information will be needed before I move them up to the first section and make an estimate for the groundbreaking process.

That said, I am anticipating that something big will be occurring within the next 2 years or so to clear the current backlog to some degree, and to prepare for any additional temples that may be announced. With a backlog of 31 announced temples in various phases currently, something significant will need to be done to clear it.

But I have a feeling that the Lord would not have prompted President Nelson to announce 19 temples this year alone (with 12 other previously-announced temples in various phases working towards construction) if there was not a plan to deal with the resulting backlog.

I have a similar feeling that temple announcements will not slow at all. If anything, we will enter an era when temple developments are reported with greater frequency, and where announced temples will move more quickly from announcement to groundbreaking to construction. It will certainly be interesting to see it all unfold. That said, my updated list of announced temples, complete with the changes I mentioned, follows below.

So as to not disturb the flow of that information, I will end here and now as I always do. That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time. 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 eveyrthing you do.

 Note on announced temples: On October 30, 2018, I reviewed the information I had available, and I accordingly reordered the temples in this section splitting them into two sub-categories. The first contains those for which there is sufficient information, based on which I have provided a rough groundbreaking estimate, which will, of course, be subject to alteration in the future as more information is available. The second section contains those temples which are ordered based on the information currently available, but for which more information will be needed before they can join the first list. And for that second list, I do not feel comfortable offering any groundbreaking estimate until more information is available.

Announced Temples (for which sufficient information has me confident enough to venture a general groundbreaking estimate):

172. Urdaneta Philippines Temple: Site preparation phase; construction barrier in place; groundbreaking could occur in late 2018-early 2019.

Note: The Church of Jesus Christ Temples site notes that preliminary site work is underway to prepare for construction. Depending on how long that process takes, a groundbreaking could occur by the end of this year or during the first part of next year.

173. Pocatello Idaho Temple: Government approval process; streets around temple site opened; groundbreaking anticipated in early 2019.

Note: When the artist’s rendering was released for this temple (which occurred on September 7, 2018), that announcement noted that construction was anticipated to begin at some point in 2019. I am anticipating that will occur within the first quarter of the year.

174. Saratoga Springs Utah Temple: Government approval phase; probable site identified; awaiting official confirmation and artist’s rendering; groundbreaking could occur in early-to-mid 2019.

Note: Although no official site confirmation has occurred, a probable site has been identified, and a zoning variance has been approved for a special project. If official confirmation occurs and an artist’s rendering is soon released, I could see a groundbreaking occur in the time-frame noted above, if not sooner.

175. Nairobi Kenya Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement; media event held June 14, 2017; groundbreaking could occur in mid-2019.

Note: Although an official site confirmation is pending for this temple, a public affairs representative for the Church in Kenya noted that one has been selected, and that this temple, which will be on the smaller side, is anticipated to be dedicated in 2021. So it is not hard to believe that a groundbreaking could occur during the time-frame noted above.

176. Bangkok Thailand Temple: Artist’s rendering and site announcement released on March 19, 2018; groundbreaking could occur in mid-2019.

Note: Although President Nelson noted in March that he foresaw no delays in getting construction of this temple underway, it was not until October 14 that the Church of Jesus Christ Temples reported that the final building would be vacated. Until that building is razed (which could take another month or two) a groundbreaking may potentially be delayed. Until more is known, I prefer to be more conservative in the estimates I offer. But I would not be shocked if a groundbreaking were held in the time-frame indicated above, but certainly sooner than that if all goes well.

177. Lima Peru Los Olivos Temple: Planning and preliminary construction phase; awaiting official site announcement; President Nelson visited probable site on October 20, 2018; groundbreaking could occur in mid-2019.

Note: Although an official confirmation of the site location is still pending, if the site visited by President Nelson is confirmed as being the temple location, then given the fact that preliminary work has been underway since March of 2017, I would hope a groundbreaking could occur within the window noted above, but certainly sooner if all goes well.

178. Harare Zimbabwe Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement; President Nelson visited potential site on April 17, 2018; groundbreaking could occur in late 2019-early 2020.

Note: If the potential site President Nelson visited last April is confirmed as the location where the temple will be built, a groundbreaking could occur within the noted window of time above.

179. Brasilia Brazil Temple: Planning and approval phase; site inspected by Church engineers on June 21, 2017; groundbreaking could occur in mid-to-late 2019.

Note: With a site having been confirmed for this temple not long after its’ announcement in April 2017, it is my hope that a groundbreaking could occur as indicated above, but certainly sooner if all goes well.

180. Greater Manila Philippines Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official name announcement; groundbreaking could occur in mid-to-late 2019.

Note: As noted on the Brasilia Brazil Temple, a site was confirmed for this temple not long after its’ announcement. With that in mind, an official name could be announced in the near future, and a groundbreaking could easily occur in the time-frame noted above.

181. Layton Utah Temple: Planning and approval phase; announced April 1, 2018; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking could occur in early 2020.

Note: The Church of Jesus Christ Temples site notes that the Church purchased land in Layton two days before the temple was announced. If confirmation is provided in the near future that that land will be used for the temple, then a groundbreaking could easily occur as specified above.

182. Richmond Virginia Temple: Planning and approval phase; announced April 1, 2018; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking could occur in early-to-mid 2020.

Note: Not long after this temple was announced, an article published in a Richmond newspaper noted that the Church had procured several acres of land in that city sometime during 2015. If that purchased land is confirmed as the location of that temple, then a groundbreaking could occur within the above time-frame, but certainly sooner, if all goes well.

183. Managua Nicaragua Temple: Announced April 1, 2018; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking could occur in early-to-mid 2020.

Note: For several years before this temple was announced, land had been held in reserve for such an edifice when the time was right. If at any point the Church confirms that will be the location of the temple, then a groundbreaking could easily be held within the window specified above, if not sooner.

184. Salta Argentina Temple: Planning and approval phase; announced April 1, 2018; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking could occur in mid-2020.

Note: The Church of Jesus Christ Temples site has reported that the Church acquired land that may be used for this temple in the recent past. If that land is confirmed as the location where the temple will be built, then a groundbreaking could easily take place in the time-frame suggested above, though I could see that occurring sooner depending on what happens between now and then.

185. Bengaluru India Temple: Planning and approval phase; announced April 1, 2018; awaiting official site announcement; President Nelson toured potential locations on April 19, 2018; groundbreaking could occur in mid-2020.

Note: During his initial Global Ministry Tour in April, President Nelson made a visit to Bengaluru, where he explained to the Saints that the Lord had told him to announce a temple there the night before General Conference began. During that tour, he took the time to visit and consider several locations where the temple could be built. If all goes well, this temple could easily begin construction within the noted time-frame specified above.

186. Phnom Penh Cambodia Temple: Planning and approval phase; announced October 7, 2018; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking could occur in ­mid-2020.

Note: In late October 2018, the Church of Jesus Christ Temples site noted that land had been acquired a short distance from the Phnom Penh North Stake Center. If the Church confirms at any point that this will be the location for the temple in that city, then it is not hard to believe that a groundbreaking could be held within the next 1.25-1.75 years, depending on what happens between now and then.  

187. Auckland New Zealand Temple: Planning and approval phase; announced October 7, 2018; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking could occur in mid-to-late 2020.

Note: Although confirmation of the official site location is pending, many speculate that the temple will be built on the same hill on which the city’s MTC and the New Zealand Redoubt Stake Center is located. This information was indirectly and unofficially confirmed by someone who regularly comments on my blog. If the Church confirms that location, then a groundbreaking could easily occur within the next 2 years, but certainly sooner if all goes well.

Announced Temples (for which more information is needed before I provide an estimated groundbreaking time-frame):

188. Quito Ecuador Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

189. Belem Brazil Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

190. Cagayan de Oro Philippines Temple: Planning and approval phase; announced April 1, 2018; awaiting official site announcement

191. Russia Temple: Planning and approval phase; announced April 1, 2018; awaiting official location and site announcement.

192. Mendoza Argentina Temple: Planning and approval phase; announced October 7, 2018; awaiting official site announcement

193. Salvador Brazil Temple: Planning and approval phase; announced October 7, 2018; awaiting official site announcement

194. Yuba City, California Temple: Planning and approval phase; announced October 7, 2018; awaiting official site announcement

195. Praia Cape Verde Temple: Planning and approval phase; announced October 7, 2018; awaiting official site announcement

196. Yigo Guam Temple: Planning and approval phase; announced October 7, 2018; awaiting official site announcement

197. Puebla Mexico Temple: Planning and approval phase; announced October 7, 2018; awaiting official site announcement

198. Lagos Nigeria Temple: Planning and approval phase; announced October 7, 2018; awaiting official site announcement

199. Davao Philippines Temple: Planning and approval phase; announced October 7, 2018; awaiting official site announcement

200. San Juan Puerto Rico Temple: Planning and approval phase; announced October 7, 2018; awaiting official site announcement

201. Washington County Utah Temple: Planning and approval phase; Announced October 7, 2018; awaiting official location and site announcement.

Additional Church News Reported

Hello again, everyone! There have been some additional Church news stories reported, and all of them are well worthy of your attention, so I am pleased to both present them for your consideration, and to endorse each one of them without reservation or hesitation as deserving of your time. Let's jump right in to our discussion of those things.

We begin with an article published on the Church News website just around an hour ago. The article talks about the Hill Cumorah Pageant taking a "final bow" in 2020, and provides some context in terms of what has been determined for that and other productions.

We next shift our focus to the Church's Newsroom website, where it has been reported that President Oaks spoke at this week's BYU-Idaho Devotional. He discussed the interlinking roles of love and law, how they are related, how they differ, and how the Lord and His Church have tried to strike a careful balance between showing love for those of a differing viewpoint while still upholding the commitment to the laws and commandments of the Lord.

And interestingly enough, the Newsroom also provided a link to the full transcript of those remarks, which were also featured on the Newsroom. I have previously mentioned before how I can usually relate very well to what President Oaks says in such addresses, and that I like him approaching such topics in the same way he wrote legal briefs prior to his apostolic call, clearly differentiating when he moves on to the next point he wants to cover. I particularly appreciated how he explained the balance between loving everyone, while at the same time not condoning behaviors or practices which are displeasing to the Lord.

In the meantime, following the three dedicatory sessions for the Concepcion Chile Temple, President Nelson and Elder Stevenson sat down together for one interview, and Sister Nelson was featured in another interview. The Church provided both some written context and video highlights of that interview.

Since an earlier Church News article shared the portion of the interview with President Nelson and Elder Stevenson (including the remarkable statements by the prophet which I referenced in an earlier post on this blog), I wanted to focus my commentary in this post on some things Sister Nelson said during her interview. She talked about him de-aging as he speaks to Church congregations, and talked about his vim, vigor, and energy, and she provided more context into what she has observed day-to-day with her husband in the 9 months since he became President of the Church.

She particularly spoke more about her personal strong witness she has gained through first-hand observation of her husband day-to-day, and how she would be perfectly comfortable taking any witness stand in the world to attest to her husband's prophetic calling. She also mentioned that in many ways, he has been unleashed, meaning he is free now to do something about things which have concerned him for a while.

I want to interject some context here before going any further. From watching the video of Sister Nelson's interview, I don't think she meant to imply that he was unilaterally changing things. To the contrary, in remarks he has given, he has talked about things he has announced having been "under study/consideration for several months." It appears that she was referring to the fact that, at times, as an apostle, he felt impressions about things that needed to be done, but if any of those things were not within the scope of his assignment, he could not and would not act on or present them, since he did not yet have the authority to bring those things forward for consideration.

If he had done so, that may have been considered "going beyond the word of the Lord", which is something that would have been contrary to his nature. But particularly, if the declining health of his prophetic predecessor was such that the items which caused President Nelson concern could not be properly presented, encouraged, discussed, and decided upon, he would not have wanted to rock the boat or go beyond the authority he had.

Now that he is the prophet, with the authority to act on such impressions, he is free to take such action, with the full approval of his fellow apostles behind him. And I think that is what Sister Nelson meant: not that he was being previously hindered from doing what he felt impressed should be done, but that he wasn't comfortable doing so until he had the authority to ensure that such courses of action were in harmony with the Lord's will for His Church.

Sister Nelson also talked about how President Nelson's focus is on how best to prepare the Saints and the world for the Second Coming of the Savior, and that part of that process will involve a continuation of efforts to reduce and simplify the programs and practices of the Church to allow us as individual members to more fully focus on that as well in our personal lives.

She also talks about his consideration of how any decision will impact the Church on a global scale, and the impact such decisions will have on the way the world sees the Church. She also mentioned that he is most anxious to be out among the people as frequently as he can for as long as he can. President Nelson has talked about knowing that if he feels comfortable at home, he knows he is not doing what the Lord wants done. And she reiterated the idea that he will be doing much more traveling in the future.

I am grateful for prophets, seers, and revelators who are willing to put personal agendas and preconceived ideas aside to bring themselves into conformity with the Lord's will, and particularly for a prophet that recognizes a need for people everywhere in the world to be near him, who acts decisively and fearlessly in proclaiming what the Lord needs us to hear, even when that may not be what we want to hear, and for the wonderful wives of our apostles who fully and unequivocally support these "special witnesses of Christ" in their responsibility to minister to the Church and the whole world.

I do continue to monitor any and all Church news and temple developments and will, to the best of my ability, do all I can to keep bringing word of those developments to you all as I receive word of them. That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time.

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.

VIP/Media Tours Underway for Barranquilla Colombia Temple; Open House Set to Begin on Saturday

Hello again, everyone! With the Barranquilla Colombia Temple open house set to begin this Saturday, today marked the beginning of the VIP/Media Tours for that temple. The Newsroom subpage on the Church's official website shared an overview of that event, and highlighted some of the temple's features and details about what people can expect during the open house.

Having noted that, I wanted to mention here a minor item of personal business. I have continued to make additional tweaks/adjustments to the layout, look and feel of this blog. The latest adjustments have involved my expanding the margins of the blog itself. Hopefully everything is easy for you all to find, but if any of you have any questions regarding what you are looking for, or if you have any feedback on the new look and feel of this blog, please don't hesitate to let me know.

I continue to monitor any and all Church news and temple developments and will do my level best to bring word of those 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.

Additional Church News Reported (Including Official Statement on Pittsburgh Tragedy)

Hello again, everyone! Some additional Church news has been reported within the last 12 hours or less, which I wanted to pass along today. Most notably, an official statement has been released by the Church in response to this weekend's shooting at the Pittsburgh Tree of Life Jewish mosque. Though only two paragraphs in length, the strongly-worded statement expresses prayers and support for those impacted by the tragedy, addresses the violation of the sanctity of houses of worship (which is what happened here), provided a strong and unequivocal condemnation of anti-Semitic attitudes and actions, and spelled out our mutual obligation to protect the rights of people of all faiths to worship as they choose.

This statement appears to me to be the most strongly- and forcefully-worded reaction to such a situation I have seen in any of the wide coverage on this tragic event. The idea that anyone would interfere with another's God-given and (in the United States) constitutionally-protected right to worship as they choose rightly ought to be repulsive to people of all religions or no religion.

We have also seen a sharp increase in politically- and religiously-motivated attacks, and I appreciate the First Presidency issuing this statement, which makes the Church's position on this matter clear. President Nelson has echoed the invitation previously issued by President Hinckley: "Bring all the good you have, and let us see if we can add to it."  That invitation still stands, but it is coupled with the doctrine found in the 11th article of faith (which is the only one that does not begin with "We believe"),

That article states the following: "We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may." As the statement capably observed, a threat to the rights of anyone to practice their religion is a threat to the rights of all those who practice any or no religion. The Church's statement is yet another in the series of recent examples demonstrating just how much our apostles and prophets are aware of what's happening in the world, and are thus able to appropriately and unequivocally condemn such behavior.

Moving on to other Church news that has come in, a couple more articles have been released in relation to yesterday's dedication of the Concepcion Chile Temple. President Nelson spoke to media representatives following that event, and he made some very interesting observations about how he views the Church, his recent South American trip, and regarding what's ahead for him. Among the things he said was that the Church is still in the process of being restored, and that "there is much more to come."

After sharing the history of the Church in Chile (including that of the Concepcion Chile Temple), the article goes on to talk about how rapidly the Church has expanded in South America since his birth in 1924. There were also insights shared from members whose families were among the first to join the Church as Chilean natives. It was also observed that the Concepcion Chile Temple was built with the view to protecting it from future natural disasters, and the article noted that, in the temple, an earthquake ranking at 10 on the Richter scale would, within the temple walls, only have an impact of 2 on that same scale.

President Nelson then made another remarkable statement. After reiterating the idea that prophets and apostles are called to serve the world, and not just to be special witnesses of Christ to the members of the Church, he said that the 5 countries he visited on this trip were just a "drop in the bucket", or, in other terms, he has barely scratched the surface. He announced his intention to do another leg of his Global Ministry Tour in the near future, and said that, while he may not get a chance to visit each of the over 200 nations in the world, he will get to as many as he can.

Noting that, I ran some calculations, and with President Nelson having visited Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Central America, Europe, South America, and various areas of the United States and Canada, about the only regions he hasn't visited as Church president yet are the Pacific Islands (which, by extension, may include the Philippines) and Brazil. If I have any of that information incorrect, please feel free to let me know.

In the meantime, the man who wrote a recent biography for Pope Francis had the opportunity to sit down with and interview President Nelson during this leg of his South American trip, and noted some insights he gained through both scenarios about why leaders need to get close to the people they serve. And a photographer has provided some insight into what it is like to travel with the prophet. All of these news stories are well worthy of your time and attention, and I can recommend them to you all without reservation. I do continue to monitor any and all Church news stories and temple developments and will keep doing my level best to pass those along to you all as I receive word of it.

That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time. 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.