First Temple Construction Progress Update for 2017

While I have only made some very minor changes to my personal temple construction progress report up to today, the progress has not in my mind been sufficient enough to post any update. That is, until today. There have been some major project milestones in the construction of the Fortaleza Brazil and Lisbon Portugal temples.

In addition, according to the latest information on Rick Satterfield most excellent LDS Church Temples website, new information that has come to his attention has led him to indicate that the Urdaneta Philippines temple is stalled in the planning and approval phase. That temple, announced over six years ago in October 2010, is the temple that is the oldest announced that has yet to have a groundbreaking. It is frustrating to contemplate the way that this temple has been delayed from construction commencement repeatedly. No reason has been provided for the continuing delay, but I gather it may be due to governmental regulations and local opposition. It's just a gut instinct based on past observation of similar delays.

But when contemplating the other exciting developments which I read about today, I couldn't think of a better topic to continue with in view of this new year. Here goes! Comments are always most welcome and appreciated. Thank you so much for your readership and support.

Temple Construction Progress Report (current as of 1/3/17)
Current Temple Status: 155 operating; 1 scheduled for dedication; 11 under construction; 1 scheduled for rededication; 2 undergoing renovation; 10 announced; (NOTE: Up to 3 additional temples may soon have a groundbreaking announced).

Dedication scheduled:

156. Paris France Temple: Exterior lighting system operating; interior work underway; scheduled to be dedicated on Sunday May 21, 2017.

Under Construction:

157. Meridian Idaho Temple: Light fixtures hung; interior trim underway; completion anticipated sometime in late 2017.

158. Cedar City Utah Temple: Fencing progressing; entrance plaza created; landscaping areas defined; hanging drywall; completion anticipated sometime in late 2017.

159. Tucson Arizona Temple: Pouring walkways; erecting fencing; installing art glass windows; hanging drywall; completion anticipated sometime in late 2017.

160. Rome Italy Temple: Interior work progressing; completion anticipated sometime in early-to-mid 2018.

161. Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple: Building the exterior walls; completion anticipated sometime in early-to-mid 2018.

162. Concepcion Chile Temple: Attaching building wrap to exterior walls; adding landscaping structures; completion anticipated sometime in mid-2018.

163. Durban South Africa Temple: Pouring temple foundation; setting rebar for missionary housing walls; palm trees planted along entrance road; completion anticipated sometime in mid-2018.

164. Barranquilla Colombia Temple: Pouring walls for steeple base; completion anticipated sometime between late 2018 and early 2019.

165. Winnipeg Manitoba Temple: Groundbreaking held Saturday December 3, 2016; completion anticipated sometime between late 2018 and early 2019.

166. Fortaleza Brazil Temple: Second floor exterior walls poured; completion anticipated sometime in 2019.

167. Lisbon Portugal Temple: Excavation underway for temple and utility building; structural framing going up for meetinghouse; completion anticipated sometime in 2019.

Scheduled for rededication:

8. Idaho Falls Idaho Temple: Closed for renovation; finish work underway; rededication scheduled for Sunday June 4, 2017.

Undergoing Renovation:

20. Jordan River Utah Temple: Closed for renovation; rededication anticipated sometime between late 2017 and early 2018.

41. Frankfurt Germany Temple: Closed for renovation; some exterior stone removed; foundation exposed; old meetinghouse razed; rededication anticipated sometime between early and mid 2018.

Announced:

168. Harare Zimbabwe Temple: Approval and construction preparation phase; official site announcement anticipated in early 2017, with the groundbreaking anticipated to take place shortly following the site announcement.

169.  Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple: Governmental approval phase; preliminary environmental license issued in November 2016; groundbreaking pending.

170. Arequipa Peru Temple: General contractor selected; groundbreaking pending.

171. Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

172. Bangkok Thailand Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

173. Urdaneta Philippines Temple: Stalled in planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.
174. Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple: Planning phase; awaiting official site announcement.

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

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

177. Lima Peru Los Olivos Temple: Planning phase; awaiting official site announcement.

Key:

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

Underlined numbers and text denote temples whose numbers may change based on progress towards planning, approval, and groundbreaking.

Red text denotes changes from the last posted temple progress update.

Second post of the new year: The latest Apostolic Statistics

For my second post of 2017 (which, though I didn't know it until now, is actually my first), I thought I would share the latest apostolic statistics. This post will serve as an update on President Nelson's tenure length as the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, where President Monson stands among the other prophets of the restoration in terms of age and tenure length, and what the latest apotolic age statistics are. With that introduction, let's dive right in!

This week, as I mentioned last Sunday, President Nelson jumped two slots in terms of his tenure length. He passed President Spencer W. Kimball and the second and shortest tenure for Brigham Young Jr. He is now the 21st longest serving President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in Church history, having served as of today for a period spanning 1 year, 5 months, and 29 days. He will become the 20th longest serving Quorum President in just four months and four days from now. However, for the last 2-3 years, we have been advised that President Monson is feeling the effects of advanced age. While he still summons up enough strength to speak twice every general conference, in 2016, each conference saw him speak for a combined total of quite a bit less than 20 minutes. It is anyone's guess, therefore, as to how much longer President Monson may be with us. Even though President Nelson is now 92, being a little less than three years older than President Monson, he seems to be a lot more healthy. I therefore think it very likely that President Nelson will outlive President Monson to become the 17th President of the Church, even if his tenure as such is only a few years. I also have every confidence that President Nelson will live to become the oldest living apostle in Church history. He will achieve that milestone on Monday August 8, 2022. Stay tuned for additional updates on all of that.

In the meantime, let's talk for a moment or two about President Monson's current standing in terms of tenure length and age among the 15 other Church Presidents that have gone before. As of today, President Monson has served as Church President for 8 years, 10 months, and 29 days. He currently stands as the 9th longest serving Church President. If he lives long enough, he will assume the 8th longest serving spot later this year, on Friday June 30. In doing so, he will pass Wilford Woodruff.

In terms of age, he now stands as the 7th oldest prophet. He is 89 years, 4 months, and 11 days old. He will become the 6th oldest prophet on Friday March 30 next year (2018. I am still trying to get used to the idea that we have now entered 2017.), taking the spot currently held by Spencer W. Kimball.

In terms of the age statistics for the 15 currently serving apostles, nothing has changed in terms of who is closest to those average ages. However, within the seven days that have passed since I last posted on this subject, the averages have gone up slightly. The average age of the members of the First Presidency is 83.03 years, while the average age of the members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is 74.58 years, and the average age of the 15 apostles as a group is 76.27 years.

Well, I hope that this was an informative post for my second one for 2017. I have been keeping track of this information for several years, and I have found only a select few seem to have a genuine appreciation for and interest in such things. I have gradually built up the amount of information I am tracking of this sort, and I always appreciate hearing from those who share my interest in tracking such data.

Thanks so much for your readership, interest, and support. I couldn't do this blog without it. Stay tuned for more information as it become available. I will be particularly intrigued to find out about how the Europe East Area Presidency has been reorganized in light of Elder Porter's death, and there are temple developments about which I am waiting to hear. Additionally, Matthew Martinich has reported on his blog that any new missions, along with the assignments for those mission presidents who will start serving next year, will be announced very early this year. Also, we can't forget that a big temple-related development will be announced shortly: the site announcement and imminent groundbreaking date for the Harare Zimbabwe Temple. And who knows how many other developments might be announced within the short period of the first few months of 2017? You can depend on finding the latest information on all of these developments as soon as I can write about them on this blog after that information comes to light.

Thanks for your continued readership, comments, and expressions of support. I appreciate you all very much. Until next time, may the Lord be with you all.

Happy New Year 2017!

Hello, all! This is my first blog post of 2017 (which, through circumstances beyond my control, was written early enough to technically be viewed as my last post for 2016). As I commemorate the start of yet another year, my heat swells with gratitude to realize just how far I've come as a blogger since this time last year. 2016 was a big year for me in terms of blogging. I covered a variety of topics, including personal news and updates, some political and world developments, and so many milestone posts about Church growth and development, with special emphasis on various temple-related posts. There have been unnumbered temple construction progress reports, lots of posts regarding possible future temple sites, and even a few related to when future temple events might be announced and scheduled. It was during 2016 that I was advised, much to my great astonishment, that my blog was one of the top Google search results in terms of such future developments. That is gratifying, humbling, and more than a little terrifying. As I have explained many times in the past, I have been instructed in my patriarchal blessing that my life's purpose is to lift and encourage others, and I feel that my best way to do that is to keep the world informed about developments and news about the Church I have loved since I was old enough to know I could gain my own testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel. Through my extensive gospel study, I have come to know for myself, with unshakable certainty, that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord's Church, and that the work done within, by and through the Church is the Lord's work. He is in full control of all facets of this great work, and miracles have not ceased to happen. Thoughout my life, I have been the very unworthy recipient of far more miracles than I can count, and because of that, I know that there is a purpose behind everything we experience in our lives, and there are few if any so-called coincidences. While we all do have the absolute freedom to determine how we will live our lives, whe we turn ourselves and the events of our lives over to the capabale hands of the Lord, He can sanctify any experiences we may have for our good. Since the Savior willingly paid the price to redeem us from the effects of our transgressions, and since He has borne all of our trials, we do not walk alone in our lives. The greatest miracle of all is the softening and changing of the human heart. I have had that change of heart in many ways. My experiences, such as they have been, have served to bring me closer to the Lord. And because of my closeness to Him, I feel a solemn obligation to bear the witness and testimony I have and to share that with the world. The Ensign article I was able to write and which I had published in 2015 was one such opportunity to do so. And, especially lately, this blog has become another outlet to continue doing so. I am humbled and very grateful for the success which I have achieved. I am also continually touched by people who have told me they take time to regularly read my blog. And when I think that some who have read my blog take time to comment on almost everything I post, especially when added to those who have requested my friendship on Facebook as a result of simply getting to know me here.

And so, it is with that sense of gratitude and sense of obligation that I feel to share my witness with the world, even in this small way, that I look forward to continuing in the traditions which I have recently established here as a blogger.  I anxiously await word of the developments with the Church that will no doubt happen in terms of general Church news and events and also everything we will see in terms of temple construction progress and events. You can depend on hearing about these developments as soon as I hear word of them, provided there are no obstacles preventing me from doing so. Thank you so much. Happy New Year! Stay tuned for much more in the not-too-distant future.