July 14, 2019 Marks Two Significant Milestones for the Church

Hello again, everyone! Tomorrow will mark two milestones in the Church. First, the Tabernacle Choir broadcast that airs will be focused on the 90th anniversary of "Music and the Spoken Word". With the first brodcast thereof having aired on July 15, 1929, this Sunday will mark the closest broadcast date to that anniversary. Over the course of the last 9 decades, the Choir and its' associated personnel have very aptly and capably filled their roles as emissaries for the Church. The Spoken Word which will be provided tomorrow in conjunction with that anniversary will pay tribute to all those who made the milestone possible, from those on camera or microphone to those behind the scenes, to the music directors and the organist, to the many people who have offered the "Spoken Word" messages.

But it will also allow those currently involved in the brodcast to pay tribute to the many who have listened to or watched the brodacast over the years. The Church News has shared the Spoken Word message that will be offered tomorrow. And from the Tabernacle Choir's website, a page sharing the highlights of the broadcast, including the musical selections which will be featued in tomorrow's broadcast, has been provided. Additionally, from time-to-time, the Tabernacle Choir has made a live stream of the Choir broadcast available each Sunday, which remains available for a few hours following the broadcast's original airing.

That will be the case for the live stream of the broadcast tomorrow, for any of you who may not have TV or radio access to it. If this milestone broadcast is not reason enough for us to rejoice, tomorrow also marks the day on which President Nelson will be observing 1.5 years as Church President. Within that time alone, the Church as we know it now has been transformed in all sorts of significant ways, from the many temple milestones which have been observed, to the calling of the first Asian-American and Latin American apostles, to changing the status quo of tradition in programs, policies, procedures and practice as they have been observed for decades, to extensive travel, to so many "firsts", including one yet-to-be observed in September, when President Nelson's first milestone birthday as Church President will be his 95th.

And such developments show no sign of stopping. President Nelson has observed that we, as Church members, have gotten used to things being done in a certain way, where tradition has become more observed than intent. So much of what has been done during this time has been with a view to both reduce and simplify the work of the Church, and to unfy and streamline Church practices, programs, and resources on a more global scale. When we look at where the Church was at at the time of President Thomas S. Monson's passing on January 2, 2018 in comparision to where things are now, the Church has been indelibly and most postively changed in the last 1.5 years alone. If the words of President Nelson, his wife, and all of his apostolic colleagues is to be believed, such developments will continue to shake up the status quo and defy prior traditions and expectations.

Although all prophets have been as clear as they are able to be regarding how much their actions have been inspired and directed by the Lord, President Nelson is making that far more plain, transparent, and clear than it ever has been. What may be coming in the next 1.5 years remains to be seen, but if there will be an accelerated pace for everything in the Church now, then the unprecedented territory which has been marked from January 14, 2018 to now will almost definitely be overshadowed and outpaced by what will come in the next 1.5 years between tomorrow and the third anniversary of his prophetic administration (which will occur on January 14, 2021). President Nelson clearly wasn't kidding when he offered his physician's presription: "Eat your vitamin pills. Get your rest. It's going to be exciting."

For my part, I am grateful to have been able to acknowledge both of the significant milestones covered herein. I do continue to monitor all Church news and temple updates and will keep doing my level best to bring you word of such things as I become aware of them. That does it for now. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such feedback is in compliance with the established guidelines. 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.

Church Releases New Curriculum Information for 2020; New Resource Available

Hello again, everyone! Not sure how I missed this, but two days ago, the Church released information and instructions for curriculum that will be used Church-wide next year in our block meetings. This continues the second year of the "Come Follow Me" curriculum, which will focus our study on the Book of Mormon. There will be, as there was this year, a manul for individuals and families, a manual specifically for Primary-aged children (3-11 years old) with the nursery manual "Behold Your Little Ones" to be used for those 18 months-3 years old.

The adults and youth will use the same Sunday School manual, and in youth quorums and classes, there willl be a "Come Follow Me" manual for Aaronic Priesthood holders, and another for young women. With the seminary curriculum fully aligning with the Come Follow Me course of study, there will be separate manuals for seminary instructors and students. But there will also be a minor change in the available resources for Elders' Quorums and Relief Society members, who will continue to study General Conference addresses on the second and fourth Sundays of the month.

That particular change was made in part with the release of the May 2019 Ensign. In 2018, the relevant sections of the Ensgin had provided summaries and suggestions for those teaching from the talks given by the First Presidency, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and general officers of the Church. But in the May 2019 Ensign, a two-page section was used to offer more general suggestions and guidelines, placing the emphasis on the inspiration of the instructors, and on the preparation of members of Quorums and Relief Societies to be prepared to discuss what they learned from the addresses.

It appears that section will become the new standard which will be shared in each subsequent May and November General Conference Ensign, and the instructions for curriculum include a separate link to that particular resource.  With the timing of the release of these particular instructions, we again see a prime example of how President Nelson is ahead of the curve. In years past, it was not uncommon for those instructions to be released in August or September, with the expectation that each Church unit would order the needed curriculum before the end of October.

The comparatively earlier release of these instructions which we have seen under President Nelson's administration appears to be an acknowledgement by the Brethren that more time may be needed for individual congregations to figure out what materials to order. And that is wonderful to see. For my part, I am grateful to have been able to find and share this news here. I also continue to monitor any and all Church news and temple updates and will bring word of those to you all here as I become aware of such things.

That does it for now. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such feedback is in compliance with the established guidelines. Thank you for the privilege of your time. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly added content, please feel free to subscribe. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

Temple Construction Progress During the Second Quarter of 2019: Part Five—Announced Temples

Hello again, everyone! I am back again with my fifth and final post in this mini-series which has shared the temple progress made during this second quarter of 2019. This post, which serves as a capstone to that coverage, will share the two different versions of the "Announced Temples" section of my report, the first one as it was on April 1, and the second as it is today. The information, which speaks for itself, follows below. In order to not disturb the flow of that information, I will end here as I always do:

That does it for now. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such feedback is in compliance with the established guidelines. 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.

April 1, 2019.

Note on announced temples: During 2019, I again reevaluated the information I had available, and made further adjustments to this section following the completion of the revision process for the “Groundbreaking anticipated” section. The following estimates represent my best efforts to predict the timing for the future groundbreaking of each of these temples based on what I currently know about them.

Announced Temples (for which more information is needed before I provide a groundbreaking estimate):

189. Layton Utah Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

Note: A potential site has already been identified (though not yet confirmed) for this temple.

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

Note: On March 7, 2019, based on the unexpected timing whereby groundbreakings were announced for the Quito Ecuador and Lima Peru Los Olivos Temples, and given the anticipated timing for the groundbreaking of the Harare Zimbabwe Temple, the Belem Brazil Temple is the only other one announced in April 2016 that is not yet close to a groundbreaking. And since President Nelson has given some priority to the “oldest” among the announced temples, I am hoping the Lord will similarly surprise us with word on this temple’s site and groundbreaking in the not-too-distant future.

191. Managua Nicaragua Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

Note: I found out several years ago that the Church had held land in reserve for a temple in this city for a while now, so I hope that means a site confirmation will occur sooner rather than later.

192. Bengaluru India Temple: Planning and approval phase; announced April 1, 2018; awaiting official site announcement; President Nelson toured potential locations on April 19, 2018.

193. Auckland New Zealand Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

Note: I found out several years ago that the Church had held land in reserve for a temple in this city for a while now (with that fact confirmed by a Church member living in that area), so I hope that means a site confirmation will occur sooner rather than later.

194. Phnom Penh Cambodia Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking could occur in mid-2020.

Note: A potential site has been identified (though not yet confirmed) for this temple.

195. Yuba City, California Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

Note: A potential site has been identified (though not yet confirmed) for this temple.

196. Washington County Utah Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official city (and site) announcement.

197. Salvador Brazil Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

198. Lagos Nigeria Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

199. Cagayan de Oro Philippines Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

200. Davao Philippines Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

201. Russia Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official city (and site) announcement.

June 30, 2019:

Note on announced temples: During 2019, I had reasons to repeatedly reevaluate the information I had available, and made further adjustments to this section following the completion of the revision process for the “Groundbreaking anticipated” section. I have felt that more information is needed on each of these temples before I offer any kind of estimate for their groundbreaking ceremonies. But as such information is made available, I will be sure to make further alterations to this section as needed.

Announced Temples (for which more information is needed before I provide a groundbreaking estimate):

190. Salta Argentina Temple: Planning and approval phase; site location confirmed.

191. Mendoza Argentina Temple: Planning and approval phase; site has been confirmed.

192. Managua Nicaragua Temple: Planning and approval phase; potential site acquired; awaiting official confirmation.

193. Phnom Penh Cambodia Temple: Planning and approval phase; potential site acquired; awaiting official confirmation.

194. Feather River California Temple: Planning and approval phase; potential site identified; awaiting official confirmation.

Note: A potential site has been identified (though not yet confirmed) for this temple.

195. Layton Utah Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement; some prospective site locations identified.

Note: A potential site has been identified (though not yet confirmed) for this temple.

196. Antofagasta Chile Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

Note: A potential site has been identified (though not yet confirmed) for this temple.

197. Washington County Utah Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official city (and site) announcement.

198. Salvador Brazil Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

199. Lagos Nigeria Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

200. Cagayan de Oro Philippines Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

201. Davao Philippines Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

202. Pago Pago American Samoa Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

203. Okinawa City Okinawa (Japan) Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

204. Neiafu Tonga Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

205. Tooele Valley Utah Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement

206. Moses Lake Washington Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

207. San Pedro Sula Honduras Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

208. Budapest Hungary Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

209. Russia Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official city (and site) announcement.

Temple Construction Progress During the Second Quarter of 2019: Part Four—Temples Which Are Undergoing or Are Scheduled to Undergo Renovation

Hello again, everyone! I am back with the fourth of five posts in this mini-series, during which I have been providing and will continue to provide a comparative look at temple construction progress during the second quarter of 2019. In this post, we will look back on what has changed for temples undergoing renovation or which are scheduled to undergo renovation. So let's get right into that. The sections that follow will be the separate ones from April 1 and June 30 respectively. I will list all the data for the former together, followed by all the corresponding data for the latter. All of that follows below.

In order to not disturb the flow of that information, I will end here as I always do: That does it for now. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such feedback is in compliance with the established guidelines. 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. 

April 1, 2019.

Undergoing Renovation (rededication scheduled):

80. Memphis Tennessee Temple: Entrance doors installed; open house reservations available through Saturday April 20, 2019; private rededication scheduled to occur on Sunday May 5, 2019.

95. Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temple: Installing entrance sconces; exterior lighting fully operational; planting shrubs; open house reservations available through Wednesday May 1, 2019; private rededication scheduled to occur on Sunday May 19, 2019.

13. Oakland California Temple: Open house reservations available through Saturday June 1, 2019; rededication scheduled to occur on Sunday June 16, 2019.

41. Frankfurt Germany Temple: Building accessibility ramp; installing irrigation lines; planting trees and shrubs; rededication scheduled to occur on Sunday October 20, 2019.

Undergoing Renovation (rededication estimated sometime during 2019):

68. Raleigh North Carolina Temple: Installing decorative fencing; planting trees and shrubs; pouring walkways; completion estimated sometime during mid-to-late 2019.

94. Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple: Angel Moroni installed on February 13, 2019; cladding of exterior walls continues; rededication estimated sometime during mid-to-late 2019.

Undergoing Renovation (rededication estimated sometime during 2019-2020):

112. Asuncion Paraguay Temple: Interior and exterior work underway; rededication estimated sometime during late 2019-early 2020.

                                                                                                                                  

Undergoing Renovation (rededication estimated sometime during 2020):

18. Tokyo Japan Temple: Interior and exterior renovations underway; rededication estimated sometime during early-to-mid 2020.

16. Washington D. C. Temple: Exterior wall grout and stained-glass window repair continues; rededication may take place sometime during mid-to-late 2020.

8. Mesa Arizona Temple: 104 new trees planted on north lawn; landscaping elements being installed; replacing sections of roof; rededication may take place sometime during mid-to-late 2020.

Undergoing Renovation (rededication estimated sometime during 2021):

11. Hamilton New Zealand Temple: Patron accommodation facilities demolished; preparing ground for replacement facilities; rededication may take place sometime during early-to-mid 2021.

Renovation scheduled (rededication estimated sometime during 2022):

48. Hong Kong China Temple: Scheduled to close for renovation on Monday July 8, 2019; rededication anticipated in mid-to-late 2022.

1. St. George Utah Temple: Scheduled to close for renovation on Monday November 4, 2019; completion anticipated in mid-to-late 2022.

June 30, 2019.

Undergoing Renovation (rededication scheduled):

68. Raleigh North Carolina Temple: Construction barrier removed; stained-glass windows installed; driveway asphalt laid; landscaping nearing completion; rededication scheduled to occur on Sunday October 13, 2019.

41. Frankfurt Germany Temple: Furniture being delivered; laying sod; rededication scheduled to occur on Sunday October 20, 2019.

112. Asuncion Paraguay Temple: Interior finish work underway; rededication scheduled to occur on Sunday November 3, 2019.

94. Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple: Stained glass windows and entrance doors installed; landscaping progressing; rededication scheduled to occur on Sunday November 17, 2019.

Undergoing Renovation (rededication anticipated within the next several years):

18. Tokyo Japan Temple: Angel Moroni installed atop spire on April 17, 2019; rededication estimated sometime during mid-2020.

16. Washington D. C. Temple: East parking lot demolition underway; interior and exterior renovations continue; rededication may take place sometime during mid-to-late 2020.

7. Mesa Arizona Temple: Pouring retaining wall around temple; setting forms for west reflecting pool slab; slab poured for north reflecting pool; rededication may take place sometime during late 2020-early 2021.

11. Hamilton New Zealand Temple: Exterior refurbishment underway; rededication may take place sometime during mid-2021.

Renovation scheduled:

48. Hong Kong China Temple: Scheduled to close for renovation on Monday July 8, 2019; rededication estimated in mid-2022.

1. St. George Utah Temple: Scheduled to close for renovation on Monday November 4, 2019; completion estimated in late 2022-early 2023.

4. Salt Lake Temple: Scheduled to close for renovation on Sunday December 29, 2019; rededication estimated in early-to-mid 2024.

Temple Construction Progress During the Second Quarter of 2019: Part Three—Temples With a Groundbreaking Scheduled or Anticipated

Hello again, everyone! I am back with the third of five posts I am publishing to share a comparative look at temple construction progress during this second quarter of 2019, which is ever more rapidly drawing to its' close. This post will focus on temples with a groundbreaking scheduled or anticipated. And again, I am going to first provide that content as it was at the beginning of this quarter, and follow that up with the same content in the same order as it is on this last day of this second quarter. Those respective sections follow below,.

In order to not disturb the flow of that information, I will end here as I always do: That does it for now. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such feedback is in compliance with the established guidelines. Thank you for the privilege of your time. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly added contnet, please feel fee 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.

April 1, 2019.

Groundbreaking scheduled:

175. Yigo Guam Temple: Preparing Yigo chapel for demolition; groundbreaking scheduled for Saturday May 4, 2019; completion estimated sometime during early-to-mid 2021.

176. Praia Cabo Verde Temple: Preparing for groundbreaking, which is scheduled for Saturday May 4, 2019; completion estimated sometime during early-to-mid-2021.

177. San Juan Puerto Rico Temple: Demolition of the Trujillo Alto Ward chapel underway; groundbreaking scheduled for Saturday May 4, 2019; completion estimated sometime during early-to-mid 2021.

178. Quito Ecuador Temple: Official rendering released; preparing for groundbreaking, which is scheduled for Saturday May 11, 2019; completion estimated sometime during mid-2021.

179. Lima Peru Los Olivos Temple: Official rendering released; existing institute building and meetinghouse closed on January 27, 2019 in preparation for demolition; groundbreaking scheduled for Saturday June 8, 2019; completion estimated sometime during mid-2022.

Groundbreaking anticipated:

180. Saratoga Springs Utah Temple: Government approval phase; awaiting official site confirmation and release of artist’s rendering; groundbreaking could occur in mid-2019.

181. Brasilia Brazil Temple: Planning and approval phase; property fence installed around temple site; groundbreaking could occur in mid-2019.

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

183. Richmond Virginia Temple: Preliminary plans submitted to local government; groundbreaking could occur in mid-to-late 2019.

Note: On March 27, 2019, new information on this temple indicated that plans had been submitted, but also the location where the plans will be utilized, which appears to be the location held in reserve for that prospect around 3-4 years before the temple was announced. If the First Presidency confirms this information, it is not hard to believe that a groundbreaking could be held at around the time indicated.

184. Nairobi Kenya Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site confirmation; groundbreaking could occur in mid-to-late 2019.

Note: The Church of Jesus Christ Temples site noted in mid-February 2019 that a site had been procured for this temple. But during President Nelson’s visit to Nairobi in April 2018, a public affairs representative had noted that this temple would be smaller, and that a dedication for it was anticipated to occur sometime in 2021. So it seems reasonable to assume that a groundbreaking could occur within the next 12 months, but hopefully sooner, if all goes well.

185. Harare Zimbabwe Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement; President Nelson visited potential site on April 17, 2018; groundbreaking anticipated in late 2019.

Note: Although the site visited by President Nelson in April 2018 has not been confirmed as the official location for the temple, Elder Andersen, in a November meeting with Zimbabwe’s Vice President, noted that the Church hoped to break ground for that temple in the late months of 2019. So I have no doubt that will be able to occur.

186. Salta Argentina Temple: Planning and approval phase; groundbreaking could occur in late 2019.

Note: The site has already been confirmed for this temple.

187. Mendoza Argentina Temple: Planning and approval phase; groundbreaking could occur in late 2019-early 2020.

Note: The site has already been confirmed for this temple.

188. Puebla Mexico Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking could occur in early 2020.

Note: A Church member living in Mexico reports that the area presidency is scouting that city for temple locations, and that construction could begin in the early months of 2020.

June 30, 2019.

Groundbreaking scheduled:

180. Belém Brazil Temple: Planning and approval phase; site location confirmed and groundbreaking announced on June 17, 2019; groundbreaking scheduled to occur on Saturday August 17, 2019.

Groundbreaking anticipated:

181. Brasilia Brazil Temple: Planning and approval phase; property fence installed around temple site; groundbreaking could occur in mid-2019.

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

183. Richmond Virginia Temple: Preliminary plans submitted to local government on March 22, 2019; groundbreaking could occur in mid-to-late 2019.

184. Nairobi Kenya Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site confirmation; groundbreaking could occur in mid-to-late 2019.

185. Harare Zimbabwe Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement; President Nelson visited potential site on April 17, 2018; groundbreaking anticipated in late 2019.

186. Saratoga Springs Utah Temple: Preliminary plans submitted to local government on May 7, 2019; groundbreaking could occur in late 2019-early 2020.

187. Bengaluru India Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking could occur in late 2019-early 2020.

188. Auckland New Zealand Temple: Planning and approval phase; site location confirmed on May 21, 2019; groundbreaking could occur in late 2019-early 2020.

189. Puebla Mexico Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking could occur in early 2020.

Temple Construction Progress During the Second Quarter of 2019: Part Two—Temples Under Construction or Which Have Full-Scale Construction Pending

Hello again, everyone! I am back with the second post in this mini-series. In this post, I will focus on temples under construction or those for which full-scale construction is pending. Again, I will first list the information as it was at the beginning of this quarter (April 1), followed by those same sections in terms of where they are today. That information follows belwo. In order to not disturb the flow thereof, I will end here as I always do:

That does it for now. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made in accordance with the established guidelines. 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.

April 1, 2019.

Under construction; completion anticipated during 2019:

167. Arequipa Peru Temple: Installing lamp-posts; planting trees and shrubs; preparing to lay sod; completion estimated sometime during late 2019.

168. Durban South Africa Temple: Poles for security cameras installed; sandstone cladding of entrance walls and fountain continues; millwork, tiling, painting, plumbing, data, electrical, and fire suppression installation continues; completion estimated sometime during late 2019.

Under construction; completion anticipated during 2019-2020:

169. Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple: Scaffolding removed from tower; majority of exterior cladding completed; interior work progressing; completion estimated sometime during late 2019-early 2020.

Under construction; completion anticipated during 2020:

170. Winnipeg Manitoba Temple: Pouring main floor slab for temple; framing continues for meetinghouse; completion estimated sometime during mid-2020.

Under construction; completion anticipated during 2020-2021:

171. Abidjan Côte d'Ivoire Temple: Foundation nearing completion; completion estimated sometime during late 2020-early 2021.

Under construction; completion anticipated during 2021-2022:

172. Pocatello Idaho Temple: Excavation for foundation underway; rough grading continues; construction trailers on site; completion estimated sometime during late 2021-early 2022.

173. Urdaneta Philippines Temple: Installing electrical substation and underground lines to temple site; completion estimated sometime during late 2021-early 2022.

Full-scale construction pending:

174. Bangkok Thailand Temple: Groundbreaking held on January 26, 2019; full-scale construction pending; completion estimated sometime during mid-to-late 2022.

June 30, 2019.

Under construction; completion anticipated within the next year or two:

169. Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple: Construction barrier replaced by decorative fencing; landscaping underway; scaffolding being removed from temple tower; completion estimated sometime during early 2020.

170. Winnipeg Manitoba Temple: Temple exterior walls being installed; steeple added to meetinghouse; trees delivered for later planting; completion estimated sometime during mid-2020.

171. Abidjan Côte d'Ivoire Temple: Foundation completed; pouring main floor exterior walls; completion estimated sometime during late 2020-early 2021.

Under construction; completion estimated within the next 2-4 years:

172. Quito Ecuador Temple: Construction equipment on site; temple outline marked; excavations underway; completion estimated sometime during late 2021.

173. Pocatello Idaho Temple: Pouring footings and foundation walls; completion estimated sometime during late 2021-early 2022.

174. Urdaneta Philippines Temple: Footing and foundation work underway; completion estimated sometime during late 2021-early 2022.

175. Bangkok Thailand Temple: Heavy equipment arriving on site; completion estimated sometime during mid-to-late 2022.

Full-scale construction pending:

176. Yigo Guam Temple: Groundbreaking held on Saturday May 4, 2019; full-scale construction pending.

177. Praia Cabo Verde Temple: Groundbreaking held on Saturday May 4, 2019; full-scale construction pending.

178. San Juan Puerto Rico Temple: Groundbreaking held on Saturday May 4, 2019; Groundbreaking held on Saturday May 4, 2019; full-scale construction pending.

179. Lima Peru Los Olivos Temple: Groundbreaking held on Saturday June 8, 2019; full-scale construction pending.

Temple Construction Progress During the Second Quarter of 2019: Part One—Overview, Preliminary Notes & Scheduled Dedications

Hello again, everyone! I am back with another mini-series of posts for this blog. Over the course of this post and the 4 subsequent posts which will comprise this latest series, I will be providing a look at the temple construction progress which has been made in the second quarter of 2019 (which ran from April 1-June 30). In this post, I will provide a copy of my preliminary notes, along with a list of those temples for which a dedication was or has been scheduled. In order to ensure the proper flow of that comparative information, I will first share the sections of my report from the beginning of the quarter, and follow that with the same sections in the same order from my report at the end of this second quarter.

There will be a lot of information herein, so in order to keep from disturbing the flow thereof, I will end here as I always do: That does it for now. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made in accordance with the established guidelines. Thank you for the privilege of your time. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly-added content, please feel free to subscribe. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

Temple Construction Progress Report (current as of 4/1/19)

Note about future temple construction: In late April 2017, Elder Larry Y. Wilson, who serves as the Executive Director of the Church’s Temple Department noted in an interview that the Church had a list of 80 potential temple locations which were being considered for an official announcement within the next 15 years (by late April 2032). In 2018 alone, President Nelson announced 19 new temples. And Elder Quentin L. Cook has been quoted recently as saying in effect that a ten-fold increase in the total number of temples would be part of that process.

With that in mind (as confirmed by the Church News recently), the Church is on track to have a minimum of 200 operating temples by or before Saturday April 6, 2030, which will mark the Church’s bicentennial anniversary. The Church would just need to complete 38 of the temples in various phases in the 11.01 years between now and then, which could be done if 3.45 temples are dedicated each year. And within the next year alone, the Church is anticipated to have 7 new temples dedicated, so there will be at least that many temples by that date, if not several more than that.

Current temple status: The Church has 201 temples in various phases, which include: 162 currently operating, 1 being prepared for its’ dedication; 1 being prepared for its’ public open house; and 2 more for which a dedication has been scheduled. There are additionally 7 others in various phases of construction, as well as 1 which has construction pending following its’ groundbreaking.

The Church has scheduled the groundbreaking for 5 other temples (which are all set to occur before the end of June), and there is enough information on 9 additional temples to consider them as being in a “Groundbreaking anticipated” status.

11 previously-dedicated temples are currently closed for renovation (4 of which have a rededication scheduled). The Church has also announced that 2 other temples will close for renovation later this year. During the October 2018 General Conference, President Nelson also announced that several temples (especially those from the “pioneer-era” will be closing for renovation as well.       

The final 13 temples are announced, most, if not all, of which could see construction begin within the next few years, but certainly sooner if all goes well.

                               

Preparing for dedication:

163. Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple: Preparing for dedication, which is scheduled to occur on Sunday April 14, 2019.

Preparing for public open house:

164. Fortaleza Brazil Temple: Preparing for public open house; dedication scheduled to occur on Sunday June 2, 2019.

Dedication scheduled:

165. Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple: Temple exterior completed; decorative fencing installed; dedication scheduled to occur on Sunday September 1, 2019.

166. Lisbon Portugal Temple: Scaffolding removed; soft landscaping largely completed around meetinghouse and parking area; dedication scheduled to occur on Sunday September 15, 2019.

Temple Construction Progress Report (current as of 6/30/19)

Note about future temple construction: President Nelson has announced 27 new temples during his prophetic administration thus far. Recent statements from apostles (including and especially President Nelson himself) have implied that the goal is a ten-fold increase in the total number of temples. With no signs of slowing down, the Church is well on track to have a minimum of 200 operating temples by or before the Church’s bicentennial anniversary (which will be observed on Saturday April 6, 2030). Between today and that day, there are 10.77 years remaining within which to dedicate the remaining 36 temples, which could be done if an average of 3.34 temples were dedicated each year. And within the next year alone, 5 or 6 new temples are anticipated to be dedicated.

Current temple status: The Church has 209 temples in various phases, among which 164 are currently operating; while 4 more have had a dedication scheduled. There are additionally another 7 which are in various phases of construction, as well as 4 for which construction is pending following their groundbreaking ceremonies. 1 more temple has had a groundbreaking scheduled, and there is enough information on 9 additional temples to consider them as being in a “Groundbreaking anticipated” status.

8 previously-dedicated temples are currently closed for renovation, including 4 for which a rededication has been scheduled. The Church has also announced the renovation closures for 3 other temples (including the Salt Lake Temple).

The final 20 temples are announced, most, if not all, of which could see construction begin within the next few years, but certainly sooner if all goes well.

Dedication scheduled:

165. Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple: Receiving furniture shipments; decorative bars installed over windows; landscaping continues; meetinghouse extension nearing completion; dedication scheduled to occur on Sunday September 1, 2019.

166. Lisbon Portugal Temple: Construction phase wrapping up; temple being furnished; dedication scheduled to occur on Sunday September 15, 2019.

167. Arequipa Peru Temple: Landscaping nearing completion; art glass windows installed; interior finish work progressing; dedication scheduled to occur on Sunday December 15, 2019.

168. Durban South Africa Temple: Tower cladding completed; monument sign slab poured; stonework, millwork, tiling, electrical, plumbing, fire suppression, and data systems installation continues; more landscaping added; dedication scheduled to occur on Sunday February 16, 2020.

An Overview of Upcoming Apostolic Milestones (and One Temple Development) Which Will Occur in July

Hello again, everyone! Although I am still planning on posting later this evening or tonight a series of comparative posts to share the temple construction progress which has been made between the beginning of this second quarter of 2019 (April 1) and its' end, which will occur today, I wanted to now share an overview of upcoming developments which will occur in the Church over the next week or two. First of all, with today being the last day in June, and with it being a Sunday, I am reasonably certain that the Brethren will begin their annual July recess starting tomorrow or within the next week.

But while that recess is in effect, there will be many significant developments which will take effect. On Wednesday of this week, Church President Russell M. Nelson will be observing his first (and only) 2019 prophetic tenure milestone. On that day, he will have served as Church President for as long as Harold B. Lee, the 11th President of the Church. As a result, on that date, President Nelson will replace President Lee as the 15th longest-serving Church President. Just two days later, President Nelson will observe his first (and only) 2019 prophetic age milestone. On that date, his lifespan will match that of 13th Church President Ezra Taft Benson, and he (President Nelson) will thus become the 4th oldest prophet in Church history.

Then, on the first Sunday in July, President Dallin H. Oaks, who is simultaneously serving as both the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and as First Counselor to President Nelson, will be observing his second 2019 Quorum Presidential tenure milestone, at which point his tenure as such will match that of President Spencer W. Kimball. As a side note on President Kimball, prior to his service as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, he had served during the prophetic administration of 10th Church President Joseph Fiielding Smith as Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve, due to President Harold B. Lee then serving in the same dual roles which President Oaks now fills.

Getting back on topic, when President Oaks' tenure as Quorum President exceeds that of President Kimball, he (President Oaks) will then be the 23rd longest-serving Quorum President in Church history. Although he will be observing his next Quorum Presidential tenure milestone two days later, I wanted to interject a reminder here that the Hong Kong China Temple is scheduled to close for its' 3-year renovation process on Monday July 8. I am assuming that the rededication of that temple may occur in mid-2022, though that estimate could possibly be pushed back to mid-to-late 2022, depending on what the renovation involves. But I am hoping that everything related to that process will go smoothly, and might even proceed ahead of schedule, which would be wonderful.

Having noted that, as I mentioned above, the day following the renovation closure for the Hong Kong China Temple, President Oaks will be observing his third Quorum Presidential milestone. On that date, his tenure as such will match that of the second (and shortest) tenure of the current 22nd longest-serving Quorum President, Brigham Young Jr. In another post on this blog or a previous thread thereof, I had mentioned the unique circumstances relating to why Brigham Young Jr. had served two nonconsecutive terms as Quorum President, but let me provide that context again.

In the early days of the Church, the matter of how to determine apostolic seniority was not as clearly established as it is today. For the first 75 years of Church history (spanning roughly from 1830 to 1905), the understanding of apostolic seniority evolved as Church Presidents sought guidance on that subject. At the time the Quorum of the Twelve was first constituted, seniority was determined by age rather than ordination date, and excommunications or disfellowshipments were factored into seniority after the fact. Beginning in 1875, Brigham Young determined that the date when an apostle first joined the Quorum of the Twelve and continuous service were the more important factors. As a result, the seniority of Brigham Young Jr., who was ordained an apostle before Joseph F. Smith, but joined the Quorum of the Twelve after Joseph F., were reversed.

Additionally, if one or more senior apostles were serving in the First Presidency, the most senior apostle not serving in the First Presidency was set apart as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, rather than as Acting President. When Lorenzo Snow became the 5th President of the Church in September 1898, Franklin D. Richards, as the next most senior apostle, was designated Quorum President, and the next two in apostolic seniority (George Q. Cannon and Joseph F. Smith) were serving as First and Second Counselors respectively to President Snow. After serving as Quorum President for almost 15 months, President Richards passed away, and, as a result, Presidents Cannon and Smith became the second and third in apostolic seniority.

But since both were still serving in the First Presidency, and the designation of Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve had not yet been established, that left Brigham Young Jr. as the most senior apostle not serving in the First Presidency, and he thus was designated as the Quorum President. President Cannon then passed away in April of 1901, and Joseph F. Smith thus became the second in apostolic seniority, with Brigham Young Jr. still serving as Quorum President. President Snow then passed away himself in October of 1901. As a result of his death, his First and Second Counselors (Joseph F. Smith and Rudger Clawson, who had been appointed as such 4 days prior to the death of President Snow, and who were thus never formally set apart in those capacities) returned to their places in the Quorum of the Twelve.

With President Smith's return to the Quorum, since he was the more senior apostle to Brigham Young Jr., he (President Smith) assumed the assignment of Quorum President for the week between the death of President Snow and his (President Smith's) ordination as Church President. Once that ordination took place, Brigham Young Jr. then reassumed the assignment as Quorum President. Interestingly enough, it was President Joseph F. Smith's prophetic successor, President Heber J. Grant, who would establish the formal position of Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and, coincidentally, the first person to ever formally serve in that assignment was Rudger Clawson, the only man who served in the First Presidency for less than a week.

I apologize for that long-winded explanation, which was more lengthy than I meant it to be. But I hope it serves as sufficient explanation regarding why Brigham Young Jr. was the only apostle of the Church to serve two nonconsecutive terms as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. With that lengthy tangent taken care of (and again, my apologies for it),  I wanted to mention that, since I am providing this overview today, rather than doing a post following the observance of these 4 apostolic milestones and the renovation closure for the Hong Kong China Temple, I will likely opt to just note these milestones in comments on existing threads of this blog as they occur.

The one other July apostolic milestone will be marked on the last day of that month, at which time, President M. Russell Ballard will be observing his fourth (and final) 2019 apostolic nonagenarian milestone. As of that date, President Ballard's lifespan will match that of President Boyd K. Packer, and he (President Ballard) will thus become the 14th oldest apostle in Church history. The following Sunday will, of course, be August 4, on which date I will have my next apostolic milestone update published on this blog, which will be the fifth such update I have done during 2019. As part of that update, I will be providing an overview of the 3 apostolic birthdays which will be observed in August.

As you can see, just in terms of the milestones I mentioned here, a lot is happening during the 2019 recess for the General Authorities, which I imagine may include the other general authorities conducting the transfer of assignments that will go into effect on August 1. I also have little or no doubt that there will surely be other Church news and temple updates to report on as well. That coverage will likely include articles about Utah's Pioneer Day observations (which will be marked on July 24). It has been somewhat traditional for a member of the First Presidency to serve as grand marshal of the annual KSL "Days of '47 Parade", but there has been a time or two within the last decade when then-Elder/now-President Ballard has been asked to do so, in view of his familial ties to early Latter-day Saint pioneers.

For my part, I will do my level best to stay on top of all of these developments and to pass them along to you all in either new posts or the comment threads of existing posts. That does it for now. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made in accordance with the established guidelines. 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.