Change to Open House Dates for Philadelphia Pennsylvania/Significant Posts about Church Growth from Matthew Martinich

Interesting developments on the temple news front. The Church has announced a change in the dates during which the Philadelphia Temple open house will occur, though the reason for it remains to be seen or officially made known. The good news is that this change in open house dates will in no way impact the dates of either the cultural celebration or temple dedication, which are still set for September 17 and 18 respectively. Originally slated to run from Friday August 5-Saturday September 3, the open house will now run from Wednesday August 10 (five days later than previously announced)-Friday September 9 (six days later than previously announced), so the open house will actually pick up 1 additional day in the process, allowing for additional visitors to the temple. I also wanted to let you know that I am keeping a careful eye on developments as articles are written about new General Authorities which will identify their quorum affiliation. I also wanted to remind my readers that an excellent article in the April 2016 Ensign by Elder M. Russell Ballard introducing Elder Ronald A. Rasband to the world.

Additionally, Matthew Martinich, whose interesting posts I frequently share, has done a number of noteworthy posts. He posted yesterday to let his readers know that the first stake in Benin is set to be created in 8 days. He has also posted about congregational growth by country for 2015 (devoting two posts to that very subject), the most populous countries without an LDS mission, the districts that are most likely to become stakes in the not-too-distant future, and a Church-growth related analysis of the temples that were announced in General Conference earlier this month. All of these posts are very interesting and well worth the read. Check out his blog by following this link. Hope you all are enjoying my posts! 

Temple News

As those following my temple news posts will remember, the Durban South Africa temple was scheduled for groundbreaking last Saturday. It did take place. Elder Carl B. Cook, president of the Africa Southeast Area, presided over the groundbreaking. It took the Church, and Rick Satterfield, the webmaster of ldschurchtemples.com, until Sunday to get news of the groundbreaking  up. Apparently at the groundbreaking, they announced that construction of the temple was anticipated to only take two years, finishing in early 2018, ahead of several temples which had their groundbreaking earlier this year or late last year.  In talking to my mother, a South African native, I learned that sometimes those who work in South Africa aren't as diligent in their labor as they might be if they lived elsewhere. So, it'll be interesting to see if that completion date is accurate. Also on the temple news front, it was revealed that governmental red-tape has been responsible for the delay of construction progress on the Fortaleza Brazil temple. So I would urge all my readers to pray that temple work might go forward.

If we add to the previous count of temples those that were announced during General Conference (for Harare Zimbabwe, Quito Ecuador, Belem Brazil, and a second for Lima Peru), we will have 177 temples by the time all announced ones are completed. This also means that we have only 23 more that need to be announced before we reach the 200 temple mark of which I have frequently mentioned. I think the Church can do it no problem. Time will tell.

That being said, I thought it fitting to end this blog post by sharing my lists of upcoming temple-related events and current temple progress, which I have just updated today based on the latest information available on ldschurchtemples.com, my go-to site for all temple-related news. Here are the lists. Enjoy!

Upcoming Temple Events:

1.      Sunday August 21—Sapporo Japan Temple Dedication (151 operating, 15 under construction, 11 announced, 4 undergoing renovation)

NOTE: Since President Uchtdorf, being a native German, is the most likely person to preside at the rededication of the Frankfurt Germany temple, the next temple to be dedicated or rededicated, President Eyring will likely preside at this dedication. It would also not surprise me if Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles accompanied whoever is presiding, since he as a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy was serving as president of the Asia North Area, presided at the groundbreaking.

2.      Sunday September 4—Freiberg Germany Temple Rededication (151 operating, 15 under construction, 11 announced, 3 undergoing renovation)

NOTE: Since President Uchtdorf is a native German, and since President Eyring may preside at the previous dedication, it would make sense if he (President Uchtdorf) presides at this rededication.

3.      Sunday September 18—Philadelphia Pennsylvania Temple Dedication (152 operating, 14 under construction, 11 announced, 3 undergoing renovation)

NOTE: If President Uchtdorf presides at the previous rededication, and since President Eyring was the one who broke ground for this temple, it would make sense if he (President Eyring) presides at this dedication.

4.      Sunday October 16—Fort Collins Colorado Temple Dedication (153 operating, 13 under construction, 11 announced, 3 undergoing renovation)

NOTE: If President Eyring presides at the previous dedication, it would make sense if President Uchtdorf is asked to preside at this dedication. It is also not unreasonable to believe that Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will accompany whoever the presiding authority is, as Elder Rasband originally presided over the groundbreaking for this temple.

5.      Sunday October 30—Star Valley Wyoming Temple Dedication (154 operating, 12 under construction, 11 announced, 3 undergoing renovation)

NOTE: If President Uchtdorf presides at the previous dedication, it would make sense if President Eyring is asked to preside at this dedication. It would also not surprise me if Elder Craig C. Christensen of the Presidency of the Seventy was one of the participants in the dedication. When this temple was originally announced, President Monson joked that he thought he’d dedicate that one because there’s good fishing up there, but as he hasn’t presided over a temple dedication in two years and as he may not be in the best of health, it is more likely that President Eyring will preside.

6.      Sunday November 20—Hartford Connecticut Temple Dedication (155 operating, 11 under construction, 11 announced, 3 undergoing renovation)

NOTE: If President Eyring presides at the previous temple dedication, the odds are very good that President Uchtdorf will preside at this temple dedication. President Monson was the one who presided at the groundbreaking, but as he is reportedly not in very good health, President Uchtdorf is more than likely the one who will be asked to preside.

Temple Construction Progress (current as of 4/13/16)

Current Temple Status: 150 operating, 16 under construction (5 scheduled for dedication), 11 announced (2 groundbreakings anticipated to be announced soon), 4 undergoing renovation (1 scheduled for rededication).

Dedication scheduled:

151. Sapporo Japan Temple: Finalizing construction in preparation for open house; scheduled to be dedicated Sunday August 21, 2016.

152. Philadelphia Pennsylvania Temple: Interior and exterior nearly complete; grounds work underway; scheduled to be dedicated Sunday September 18, 2016.

153. Fort Collins Colorado Temple: Lampposts installed on the grounds; installing art glass; painting, and laying floor inside; scheduled to be dedicated Sunday October 16, 2016.

154. Star Valley Wyoming Temple: Angel Moroni to be placed on Monday April 25, 2016 at 11:00 am; hanging sheet rock, painting, and installing millwork inside; scheduled to be dedicated Sunday October 30, 2016.

155. Hartford Connecticut Temple: Exterior cladding nearing completion; concrete poured for monument sign; interior painting and flooring underway; scheduled to be dedicated Sunday November 20, 2016.

Under Construction:

156. Paris France Temple: Attachment of exterior stone cladding nearing completion; interior work progressing; completion anticipated sometime between late 2016 and early 2017.

157. Rome Italy Temple: Interior work progressing; completion anticipated sometime during late 2017.

158. Meridian Idaho Temple: Curbing poured for parking lot; sheetrock nearing completion; completion anticipated sometime during late 2017.

159. Cedar City Utah Temple: Attachment of exterior panels and interior framing underway; retaining walls being installed; completion anticipated sometime during late 2017.

160. Tucson Arizona Temple: Exterior panels attached; completion anticipated sometime between late 2017 and early 2018.

161. Durban South Africa Temple: Ground broken on Saturday April 9, 2016; completion anticipated sometime during early 2018.

162. Concepcion Chile Temple: Main floor exterior walls rising; completion anticipated sometime during late 2018.

163. Lisbon Portugal Temple: Ground broken on Saturday December 5, 2015; completion anticipated sometime during late 2018.

164. Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple: Ground broken on Friday, February 12, 2016; completion anticipated sometime during late 2018.

165. Barranquilla Colombia Temple: Ground broken on Saturday February 20, 2016; completion anticipated sometime between early-and-mid 2019.

168. Fortaleza Brazil Temple: Full-scale construction pending due to government-imposed delays; completion date TBD (To be determined).

Rededication scheduled:

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

Undergoing Renovation:

8. Idaho Falls Idaho Temple: Closed for renovation; utility trenching underway; kitchen appliances arriving; rededication anticipated sometime between late 2016 and early 2017.

41. Frankfurt Germany Temple: Closed for renovation; rededication anticipated sometime during mid-2017.

20. Jordan River Utah Temple: Closed for renovation; construction trailers on site; rededication anticipated sometime during late 2017.

Announced:

166. Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple: Construction preparation phase; plans approved by local government; groundbreaking date anticipated to be announced soon.

167. Arequipa Peru Temple: Construction preparation phase; temple site rezoned; acquiring building permits; groundbreaking date anticipated to be announced soon.

169. Winnipeg Manitoba Temple: Planning and approval phase; groundbreaking pending.

170. Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple: Planning phase.

171. Bangkok Thailand Temple: Planning phase.

172. Urdaneta Philippines Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

173. Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple: Planning phase; awaiting official site announcement.

174. Quito Ecuador Temple: Planning phase; awaiting official site announcement.

175. Harare Zimbabwe Temple: Planning phase; awaiting official site announcement.

176. Belem Brazil Temple: Planning phase; awaiting official site announcement.

177. Lima Peru (Second) Temple: Planning phase; awaiting official site announcement.

Key:

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

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

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

Thoughts? Any and all comments are welcome.

General Conference Predictions Results

Hi, guys! I know I've been off the grid for a couple of weeks now for a very good reason. Amy and I have been laid up with...(drumroll please)....the flu! Yep, I was officially diagnosed with it on Friday after dealing with the symptoms for several days prior. The doctor recommended Tamiflu for both of us, twice daily for five days for me, and once daily for five days for Amy. I have been on it and am still feeling like death warmed over. We were unable to get it for Amy because her stupid insurance won't cover it, and they won't give her something else unless she's seen in clinic, neither of which we can afford at the moment. I have been really worried about Amy because she has had some general symptoms, and we've both been ill for a couple of weeks. At least we know what it is now.

On to more pleasant subjects. General Conference was amazing.  The next  few posts I do will highlight the results of my predictions. Before I post my predictions along with what actually transpired, just a few comments. As some of you may have noticed, the 11 General Authority Seventies sustained in the Saturday Afternoon Session were not listed as belonging to a specific quorum. I spoke to my team leader, John Thomas, about this unusual occurrence. Being the amazing person that he is, he stated that most people won't care about this and that, in his mind, it was done to prevent people from putting the First Quorum on a higher plane than the Second Quorum. His explanation made sense, and his rebuke had a positive impact on me. However, as a Wikipedian and avid Church History fan, I was curious. So I e-mailed the Church website about this. They said that they weren't sure why there was no differentiation,  but that it could have been that there just wasn't any time when sustaining them to make the distinction. They did say that the Church News would run articles about the new Church leaders, and that these articles would likely disclose the Quorum assignments. In the meantime, as far as Wikipedia is concerned, until the quorum affiliation is known, the new leaders have been put into a new category called "General Authority Seventies".

That being said, there were some surprises. I didn't anticipate President Monson's talks would be so brief. His total remark length is less than 10 minutes. It's hard to see him get old. Also, I was delighted to see that I nailed the apostolic speaking order more closely than ever before. Those following my original predictions will note that I had Elder Renlund and President Nelson flip-flopped, and that I was better than ever before about the order in which apostles and seventies spoke. I also had the auxiliary speakers nailed pretty well. I had hoped that Mary R. Durham would have some future role in a new Primary General Presidency, but I'm not by any means dismayed by those who were called. As always, I sustain them with all my heart. I think it's sad that the last few conferences, there have been people who vocally voiced their opposition in what is usually a silent vote of sustaining support for those we sustain as prophets, seers, and revelators. I did a blog post about sustaining the prophet and accepting the revelation that comes from him. It is tragic when people find fault with our leaders, who, though imperfect, nevertheless act with inspiration from on high/ And the saddest part is, if they took the effort to do so, they could learn for themselves that what comes from the Brethren is in harmony with the Lord's will.

Who can forget the announcement of four temples. I had two of the four locations nailed exactly and the wrong city for the Brazil temple. And I was pleased to hear of the second temple for Lima Peru. I am ecstatic about the temple news, which I will focus a special blog post on.

Finally, before giving my predictions results, I wanted to note that among those sustained as new General Authorities is the brother of Elder L. Whitney Clayton, who currently serves as Senior President of the Seventy. A majority of those called as General Authority have been or were currently Area Seventies at the time of their call. I am working on updating my various lists of area seventies and will, if you like, post the fruits of my labor here once it is completed. I also wanted to note that the Church has finally put out an updated list of Area Seventies, but for some reason, it does not include those sustained last year, even though the information regarding those called this conference is accurate.

With that glowing introduction, you may find my predictions disappointing. I hope not. Let me know what you think.

April 2016 General Conference Predictions

Speaking Order (Text in brackets indicated what actually happened.)

Session	Conducting	Speaker
General Women’s	Rosemary M. Wixom	Linda K. Burton [Cheryl A. Esplin]
		Cheryl A. Esplin [Neill F. Marriott]
		Neill F. Marriott [Linda K. Burton]
		President Henry B. Eyring
Saturday Morning	President Dieter F. Uchtdorf	President Henry B. Eyring
		President Russell M. Nelson [Mary R. Durham]
		Elder Gerrit W. Gong [Elder Donald L. Hallstrom]
		Mary R. Durham [Elder Gary E. Stevenson]
		Elder Yoon Hwan Choi [Elder Kevin R. Duncan]
		Elder Per G. Malm [Elder Steven E. Snow]
		Elder Gary E. Stevenson [Elder Dale G. Renlund]
Saturday Afternoon	President Henry B. Eyring	President Dieter F. Uchtdorf (Sustaining of Church Officers)
	Church Auditing Department Report, 2015	Kevin R. Jergensen
	Statistical Report, 2015	Brook P. Hales
		Elder Ronald A. Rasband
		Elder M. Russell Ballard [Elder Neil L. Andersen]
		Elder Patrick Kearon [Elder Mervyn B. Arnold]
		Elder Mervyn B. Arnold [Elder Jairo Mazzagardi]
		Elder Neil L. Andersen [Elder David A. Bednar]
		Elder David A. Bednar [Elder M. Russell Ballard]
Saturday Priesthood	President Dieter F. Uchtdorf	Elder Dale G. Renlund [President Russell M. Nelson]
		Bishop Gerald Causse [No one]
		Stephen W. Owen
		President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
		President Henry B. Eyring
		President Thomas S. Monson
Sunday Morning	President Henry B. Eyring	President Thomas S. Monson
		Elder Quentin L. Cook [Bonnie L. Oscarson]
		Elder Donald L. Hallstrom [Bishop W. Christopher Waddell]
		Bonnie L. Oscarson [Elder D. Todd Christofferson]
		Elder Jairo Mazzagardi [Elder Quentin L. Cook]
		Elder D. Todd Christofferson [No one]
		President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Sunday Afternoon	President Dieter F. Uchtdorf	Elder Robert D. Hales
		Elder Jeffrey R. Holland [Elder Gerrit W. Gong]
		Elder Juan A. Uceda [Elder Patrick Kearon]
		Elder Kent F. Richards [Elder Dallin H. Oaks]
		Elder Benjamin De Hoyos [Elder Kent F. Richards]
		Elder Steven E. Snow [Elder Paul V. Johnson]
		Elder Dallin H. Oaks [Elder Jeffrey R. Holland]

Changes in General Church Leadership

Presidency of the Seventy: Elder Gerrit W. Gong sustained as a new member to replace Elder Ronald A. Rasband, who became a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in October 2015. NOTE: Elder Rasband’s call to the apostleship in October 2015 left a vacancy in the Presidency of the Seventy that was not filled during General Conference but a couple of days later. Elder L. Whitney Clayton was named the new senior president of the Seventy (a position previously held by Elder Rasband), and Elder Gong was called to fill the vacancy. It makes sense that Elder Gong’s call will be ratified by sustaining vote during this conference. RESULT: Elder Gong’s call was not ratified by sustaining vote. It appears that an official announcement by the Church constitutes a sustaining vote being taken.

First Quorum of the Seventy: Elder W. Christopher Waddell released in view of his new calling as Second Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric; new members sustained from the Second Quorum of the Seventy, Area Seventies, or the Church at large. NOTE: Elder Waddell’s call as the new Second Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric had been announced in October 2015, shortly after General Conference. It makes sense that this change, along with any sustainings, will be ratified by sustaining vote during this conference. RESULT: No new members were sustained to the First Quorum of the Seventy. Instead, the new General Authorities were merely sustained as General Authority Seventies, signaling a new direction in Church policy.

Second Quorum of the Seventy: New members sustained from Area Seventies or Church at large. NOTE: Members of the Second Quorum of the Seventy are usually sustained in April and released in October, so it makes sense that any sustainings would be presented in April. RESULT: No new members were sustained to the First Quorum of the Seventy. Instead, the new General Authorities were merely sustained as General Authority Seventies, signaling a new direction in Church policy.

NOT PREDICTED: The new General Authority Seventies were not sustained to a specific quorum and were simply sustained as General Authority Seventies. There were 11 men called this time, namely: W. Mark Bassett, Mark A. Bragg, Weatherford T. Clayton, Valeri V. Cordon, Joaquin E. Costa, Massimo De Feo, Peter F. Meurs, K. Brett Nattress, S. Mark Palmer, Gary B. Sabin, Evan A. Schmutz.

Presiding Bishopric: Bishop Gary E. Stevenson released as Presiding Bishop in view of his call to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; Bishop Gerald Causse released as First Counselor and sustained as the new Presiding Bishop; Bishop Dean M. Davies released as Second Counselor and sustained as the new First Counselor; Bishop W. Christopher Waddell sustained as the new Second Counselor. NOTE: When Bishop Stevenson was called to the Twelve in October 2015, he retained the calling of Presiding Bishop until the changes noted above took place a few days after the conference, so these changes will need to be ratified by sustaining vote during this conference. RESULT: These changes were not ratified by sustaining vote. It appears that an official announcement by the Church constitutes a sustaining vote being taken.

Area Seventies: Releases and sustainings for several Area Seventies. NOTE: It seems to be a common practice for most releases and/or sustainings of Area Seventies to happen in April, when President Dieter F. Uchtdorf leads out in the sustaining of Church officers, while only a few releases and sustainings of Area Seventies happen in October, when President Henry B. Eyring leads out in the sustaining. ADDITIONAL NOTE: We know that, at the very least, the following currently-serving Area Seventies, who have been called to be mission presidents, will be released: Kent J. Allen, Jeffrey D. Cummings, Hernán D. Ferreira, Brent J. Hillier, Alfred Kyungu, D. Zackary Smith, Wenceslao H. Svec, and Fabian I. Vallejo. RESULT: The above-named brethren, along with 43 others, were released, and 62 new Area Seventies were sustained.

Primary General Presidency: Rosemary M. Wixom released as President, Cheryl A. Esplin released as First Counselor, and Mary R. Durham released as Second Counselor. New Primary General Presidency sustained, perhaps with Mary R. Durham being sustained as the new Primary General President or one of the counselors. NOTE: Rosemary M. Wixom, the Primary General President, and her First Counselor Cheryl A. Esplin, have served since April 2010, a period spanning 6 years. In the earlier days of the Church, tenures of general auxiliary presidencies were not set to any specific length of time. But for at least the last 20 years, tenure lengths for general auxiliary presidencies are generally set at 5 years (with a minimum of 6 years if new presidency members are sustained without a total reorganization of the presidency). It makes sense that Sisters Wixom and Esplin would be released. It has been a relatively common practice for members of General Presidencies who have been in a year, as Mary R. Durham has, to be retained in a newly called presidency. So it would make sense if the changes above take place. RESULT: The Primary General Presidency was released. A new Primary General Presidency was sustained: Joy D. Jones, President; Jean B. Bingham, First Counselor; and Bonnie H. Cordon, Second Counselor.

Church Statistics at the end of 2015 [Text in brackets denote actual numbers]

Stakes	3,174
Missions	417 [418]
Districts	580 [558]
Wards and Branches	30,061 [30,016]
Total Church Membership	15,683,533 [15,634,199]
Children of Record Increase	114,655 [114,550]
Convert Baptisms	307,541 [257,402]
Full-Time Missionaries	84,091 [74,079]
Church Service Missionaries	32,102 [31,779]
Temples Dedicated	5 (Cordoba Argentina, Payson Utah, Trujillo Peru, Indianapolis Indiana, Tijuana Mexico)
Temples Rededicated	2 (Mexico City Mexico, Montreal Quebec Canada) [
Temples Operating	149

New Temple Announcements: 3+ temples announced around the world, with the most likely candidates being American Samoa (Pago Pago); Arkansas (Bentonville or Rogers); Paraguay (Ciudad del Este); Utah (Layton or Lehi); Brazil (Belo Horizonte); Venezuela (Maracaibo; temple proposed by President Hinckley); Philippines (Davao); Bolivia (La Paz); Texas (Fort Worth); Colorado (Colorado Springs); Austria (Vienna); Arizona (Chandler); Mexico (Guadalajara); Guatemala (Villa Nueva); Ecuador (Quito); New Zealand (Auckland); Texas (Katy); Idaho (Pocatello); Zimbabwe (Harare); Uganda; Kenya (Nairobi (proposed by President Hinckley); Nevada (Henderson); Peru (Iquitos);  California (Long Beach); Philippines (Quezon City); Mongolia (Ulaanbaatar) and Mexico (Cuernavaca).

NOTE: The following 4 new temples were announced: Quito, Ecuador; Harare Zimbabwe; Belem, Brazil; Lima Peru.

151/219 points possible=71.9% accuracy on these predictions

As you can see, I fell smack dab between my usual accuracy rate of 60-80%, which, considering all the new predictions I made, is not bad. Btw, I  don't know how many of you are reading the comments here on my blog, but one of my newer readers said he found the fact that my predictions are jammed together in one post to be confusing and cumbersome. He certainly has a right to his own opinion. I happen to like having them all together. What do you guys think? Feel free to leave a comment below. Thanks.