Hello again, everyone! While I may or may not be able to post my thoughts tonight about temple prospects for the next area of the Church (it's the Europe Area, which is another big one, and it will definitely take some work to get that put up, since I will be dividing that into two posts, as I did previously with the Asia Area), there is something more pressing that deserves attention on this blog.
As many of you who follow this blog regularly are no doubt aware, I have tried to bring the latest temple-related developments to you as soon as I am able to do so after I find out about them. In view of that, I wanted to report that the completion estimate for the first two new temples anticipated to be dedicated during 2018.
Both of those temples (the Concepcion Chile and Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temples), which as recently as earlier today were anticipated to be dedicated in mid-to-late 2018, are now only anticipated to be completed in late So I will need to alter my completion estimates for those events yet again.
Also, if I didn't mention it before, barring anything unexpected, the Barranquilla Colombia Temple is anticipated to be completed for sure prior to the end of 2018, rather than in early 2019. Also, the Frankfurt Germany Temple is still anticipated to be rededicated in mid-to-late 2018.
Based on this new information, I now believe that the sequence of temple-related events in 2018 could occur as follows:
January: Raleigh North Carolina Temple Renovation Closure (already announced; confirmation of exact date pending)
February: Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple Renovation Closure (already announced; confirmation of exact date pending)
February 19: Oakland California Temple Renovation Closure (date confirmed)
March 4: Washington D. C. Temple Renovation Closure (date confirmed)
May: Mesa Arizona Temple Renovation Closure (date confirmed)
May 20: Jordan River Utah Temple Rededication (confirmed by official announcement)
August 12 or 19: Frankfurt Germany Temple Rededication
October 14 or 21: Concepcion Chile Temple Dedication (161st operating temple)
November 11 or 18: Kinshasa DR Congo Temple Dedication (162nd operating temple)
December 9 or 16: Barranquilla Colombia Temple Dedication (163rd operating temple)
A couple of notes on the dates I ventured above. I did some climate study on the four cities above, and that study shows that August would be the best time for the Frankfurt rededication. . As for the others, these three temples in the southern hemisphere have their spring when fall comes to the northern hemisphere. Because of that, each of these new temples will see the height of their rainy seasons if the dedications occur as suggested above. I also wanted to note that, if these events are pushed back further, that in turn would potentially push back other temple-related events.
For example, until the Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple has full-scale construction begin, we might not know how likely that temple is to be dedicated in early-to-mid 2019. Until I know more, I hope for the best. And with the Oakland California Temple, a rededication is anticipated in late 2019. If that gets pushed back for any reason, then the rededication could take place sometime in 2020. I am also not ruling out the possibility that we could see temples that are progressing more quickly than others pushed ahead in their completion estimate. It has happened before and could easily do so again. Just wanted to mention that, for what it's worth.
That does it for this post. Any comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.
Tuesday, November 28, 2017
Yet Another Estimate Change for Completion of New Temples in 2018
I have had a lifelong love for Church history, which has extended to ongoing reports of the ministry of our apostles and prophets, General Conference, and all temple developments. This blog enables me to share that love with all who read my thoughts on these developments, which are sometimes reported multiple times per day as needed.
Update Provided on Construction of the Durban South Africa Temple
Hello again, everyone! I was gratified to check my blog just now and see the many comments that have come in since my last post 12 hours ago. It is obvious that the subject of future temple prospects is a popular one. I will be reading (and, when I feel it is appropriate, responding) to those comments. But first, I wanted to share an exciting update on the Durban South Africa Temple.
According to the information I became aware of about an hour ago,, framing is going up, drywall is being hung, and windwo frames are being fitted. Additionally, bricks are being laid around pillars, and at the missionary housing facility, concrete is being poured for the veranda.
That said, having done the research, I can confirm that this is the third updated status for this temple this month alone. With that in mind, it is almost certain that the Durban temple will be the second one dedicated in 2019, and, as previously noted, I am projecting that might happen in either late May or early June of that year. I am sure that as the next year passes, we will find out more about how reasonable that estimate is, and I will do my best to pass along any adjustments to that as I make them.
That does it for this post. Any comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.
According to the information I became aware of about an hour ago,, framing is going up, drywall is being hung, and windwo frames are being fitted. Additionally, bricks are being laid around pillars, and at the missionary housing facility, concrete is being poured for the veranda.
That said, having done the research, I can confirm that this is the third updated status for this temple this month alone. With that in mind, it is almost certain that the Durban temple will be the second one dedicated in 2019, and, as previously noted, I am projecting that might happen in either late May or early June of that year. I am sure that as the next year passes, we will find out more about how reasonable that estimate is, and I will do my best to pass along any adjustments to that as I make them.
That does it for this post. Any comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.
I have had a lifelong love for Church history, which has extended to ongoing reports of the ministry of our apostles and prophets, General Conference, and all temple developments. This blog enables me to share that love with all who read my thoughts on these developments, which are sometimes reported multiple times per day as needed.
Temple Site Possibilities: Central America Area
Hello again, everyone! I am back in the early morning hours of November 28 with my next post in the series exploring potential future temple sites. This post will discuss the current temples in the Central America Area and which locations in that area might have a temple announced in the near future. Let's dive right in to that.
The Central America Area of the Church covers the nations of Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama. There are 6 temples in that area, 2 in Guatemala (Quetzeltenango & Guatemala City), 1 in El Salvador (San Salvador), 1 in Honduras (Tegucigalpa) 1 in Costa Rica (in San Jose), and 1 in Panama City Panama.
Let's get into specifics for each of these countries. Belize has 2 districts (with a total of 12 branches), so it seems unlikely that the Church will build a temple in that nation in the next little while. Costa Rica, in addition to having the aforementioned temple, also has two missions (both of which are headquartered in San Jose). There are also 10 stakes and 23 districts, which are further subdivided into 56 wards and 23 branches, making a grand total of 79 congregations.
Since the dedication of the temple in June 2000, the second mission in that country was established, and 4 of those 10 stakes have been created. Many have seen the case for a second temple there, and I explored two of those at one point. But lately Costa Rica has had a very negative political climate, which does not lend itself to the progress of the Church. It's possible, but not likely, in my opinion, that we will see a second temple in that nation in the near future.
In El Salvador, the three missions are all located in San Salvador, the capital city, although one of them also serves Belize. There are 21 stakes that further break down into 133 wards and 31 branches, for a total of 164 congregations. That nation may be set for now with just the one temple, but if and when I find a good potential candidate for a second one, I will be sure to pass that along.
Next we come to Guatemala, where there are two temples in operation: in Guatemala City and Quetzeltenango. There are six missions of the Church in Guatemala. There are also 48 stakes and 15 districts, which break down further into 285 wards and 156 branches, bringing the total number of Guatemalan congregations to 441.
But what of the current temple districts? The temple in Guatemala City has a district containing 31 stakes and 10 districts. And Quetzeltenango;s temple district only serves 17 stakes and 7 districts.
In relation to Guatemala, for a while now, I have believed that Guatemala City could get a second temple, based on the precedent set with the second temples in Lima Peru and Manila Philippines. And that could still happen in a big way. But I looked into things further, and a city called Villa Nueva is 3,582 miles from Guatemala City. And while Villa Nueva may be closer to Quetzeltenango (by around 2,00 miles), it is still in the Guatemala City district). Either way, that is around 10 times further than President Monson's goal, so a temple in Villa Nueva makes sense. I could also see the merits of having a second temple in Guatemala City as well.
Now we turn our attention to Honduras. Its only temple is in Tegucigalpa. The nation has four missions (1 in Tegucigalpa, 1 in Comayaguela, and the final two in San Pedro Sula). There are also 31 stakes and 5 districts, which are further divided into 176 wards and 60 branches, making a grand total of 236 congregations, which is a lot for one temple. Many have said that a second temple in San Pedro Sula would be a great idea, and I couldn't agree more. So it is on my list.
Next on the list, I wanted to note that Nicaragua has no temples yet. That nation has two missions, both of which are headquartered in Managua. Nicaraguan members are currently assigned to the Tegucigalpa Honduras Temple district, and to get there, they have to travel a distance of 233.4 miles. That is not much further than the 200 mile goal President Monson set for each member's distance from a temple, but is still far enough to qualify for its own temple.
There are also 12 stakes and 4 districts, which are subdivided into 72 wards and 39 branches, for a total of 111 congregations. As I have previously noted, in 2012, then-Elder Nelson publicly proposed a temple for Managua, and my research indicates land has been held in reserve for that purpose, which means an announcement is only a matter of time. Additionally, Nicaragua ranks #1 of the top ten countries with the most members that does not have a temple in any phase. So it is sure to happen sooner rather than later.
We conclude the discussion of this area by reviewing where the Church is at in Panama. That nation's sole mission is located in Panama City, where the only temple is also located.There are 7 stakes and 4 districts in that nation, which further break down into 45 wards and 28 branches, for a total of 73 congregations. I don't see the Church announcing a second temple in that nation until more units are created.
That does it for this post. Thanks for wading through it. Any comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.
The Central America Area of the Church covers the nations of Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama. There are 6 temples in that area, 2 in Guatemala (Quetzeltenango & Guatemala City), 1 in El Salvador (San Salvador), 1 in Honduras (Tegucigalpa) 1 in Costa Rica (in San Jose), and 1 in Panama City Panama.
Let's get into specifics for each of these countries. Belize has 2 districts (with a total of 12 branches), so it seems unlikely that the Church will build a temple in that nation in the next little while. Costa Rica, in addition to having the aforementioned temple, also has two missions (both of which are headquartered in San Jose). There are also 10 stakes and 23 districts, which are further subdivided into 56 wards and 23 branches, making a grand total of 79 congregations.
Since the dedication of the temple in June 2000, the second mission in that country was established, and 4 of those 10 stakes have been created. Many have seen the case for a second temple there, and I explored two of those at one point. But lately Costa Rica has had a very negative political climate, which does not lend itself to the progress of the Church. It's possible, but not likely, in my opinion, that we will see a second temple in that nation in the near future.
In El Salvador, the three missions are all located in San Salvador, the capital city, although one of them also serves Belize. There are 21 stakes that further break down into 133 wards and 31 branches, for a total of 164 congregations. That nation may be set for now with just the one temple, but if and when I find a good potential candidate for a second one, I will be sure to pass that along.
Next we come to Guatemala, where there are two temples in operation: in Guatemala City and Quetzeltenango. There are six missions of the Church in Guatemala. There are also 48 stakes and 15 districts, which break down further into 285 wards and 156 branches, bringing the total number of Guatemalan congregations to 441.
But what of the current temple districts? The temple in Guatemala City has a district containing 31 stakes and 10 districts. And Quetzeltenango;s temple district only serves 17 stakes and 7 districts.
In relation to Guatemala, for a while now, I have believed that Guatemala City could get a second temple, based on the precedent set with the second temples in Lima Peru and Manila Philippines. And that could still happen in a big way. But I looked into things further, and a city called Villa Nueva is 3,582 miles from Guatemala City. And while Villa Nueva may be closer to Quetzeltenango (by around 2,00 miles), it is still in the Guatemala City district). Either way, that is around 10 times further than President Monson's goal, so a temple in Villa Nueva makes sense. I could also see the merits of having a second temple in Guatemala City as well.
Now we turn our attention to Honduras. Its only temple is in Tegucigalpa. The nation has four missions (1 in Tegucigalpa, 1 in Comayaguela, and the final two in San Pedro Sula). There are also 31 stakes and 5 districts, which are further divided into 176 wards and 60 branches, making a grand total of 236 congregations, which is a lot for one temple. Many have said that a second temple in San Pedro Sula would be a great idea, and I couldn't agree more. So it is on my list.
Next on the list, I wanted to note that Nicaragua has no temples yet. That nation has two missions, both of which are headquartered in Managua. Nicaraguan members are currently assigned to the Tegucigalpa Honduras Temple district, and to get there, they have to travel a distance of 233.4 miles. That is not much further than the 200 mile goal President Monson set for each member's distance from a temple, but is still far enough to qualify for its own temple.
There are also 12 stakes and 4 districts, which are subdivided into 72 wards and 39 branches, for a total of 111 congregations. As I have previously noted, in 2012, then-Elder Nelson publicly proposed a temple for Managua, and my research indicates land has been held in reserve for that purpose, which means an announcement is only a matter of time. Additionally, Nicaragua ranks #1 of the top ten countries with the most members that does not have a temple in any phase. So it is sure to happen sooner rather than later.
We conclude the discussion of this area by reviewing where the Church is at in Panama. That nation's sole mission is located in Panama City, where the only temple is also located.There are 7 stakes and 4 districts in that nation, which further break down into 45 wards and 28 branches, for a total of 73 congregations. I don't see the Church announcing a second temple in that nation until more units are created.
That does it for this post. Thanks for wading through it. Any comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.
I have had a lifelong love for Church history, which has extended to ongoing reports of the ministry of our apostles and prophets, General Conference, and all temple developments. This blog enables me to share that love with all who read my thoughts on these developments, which are sometimes reported multiple times per day as needed.
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