Temple Updates Provided

Hello again, everyone! Some additional temple updates have been brought to my attention which I wanted to pass along today. So let's get right into those. I first wanted to provide an update on where the Church stands in terms of having 200 operating temples by Saturday April 6, 2030. Between today and that date, there are now 11.79 years remaining. With only 11 other temples needing to be announced for the Church to have 200 in any stage, and the 30 temples currently in various stages of construction, that will be possible as long as the Church dedicates roughly 3.48 temples per year.

Just to reiterate, the 2 temples that will be dedicated later this year will be below that average. But, as I also have previously noted, there are a total of 6 temples that will likely be dedicated next year (1 of which already has a dedication announced), which will be above that average.

And although it is rare to get through the first half of any year without a temple groundbreaking occurring, I would anticipate that the Church will announce the groundbreaking for at least the Bangkok Thailand Temple prior to the end of this year, and I have offered my opinion that it could occur in November. The Lord has also been known to surprise us with temple groundbreaking announcements that were not anticipated, so I am not ruling that out as a possibility either.

That said, let's officially get to the updates. The Facebook page for the LDS Church Temples site posted some photographs earlier today showing progress on the Rome Italy Temple, which can be found here.

The other two updates I wanted to note in this post relate to temples undergoing renovations. A report has come in noting that scaffolding is now in place around the exterior of the Oakland California Temple. In the meantime, the renovation process for the Mesa Arizona Temple has progressed as well, with demolition activities officially underway.

I continue to monitor all temple developments and will, to the best of my ability, pass word of those along to you all as I receive them. That does it for this post. Any and all 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.

First Presidency Announces New Guidelines for Youth Interviews

Hello again, everyone! In this report released by Mormon Newsroom around half an hour ago, the First Presidency announced revised guidelines for youth interviews. As some of you may recall, in an earlier news release, the Brethren noted that these updated guidelines would shortly be published. And with the news release today, we got a look at what has changed.

Hopefully these revisions will enable the youth of the Church to be more comfortable and confident when such interviews are conducted. The guidelines also emphasize the importance of greater preparation on the part of youth, their parents, and the leaders who are conducting these interviews. There is also a specific paragraph advising all Church leaders to avoid circumstances that might be misunderstood.

I continue to monitor all Church news and temple updates and will continue to bring those to you all ASAP after I learn of them. That does it for this post. Any and all 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.

Church Issues Statement on Families Separated at the Border; Tabernacle Choir Embarks on "Classic Coast Tour"

Hello again, everyone! The Church News reported just a short while ago that the Church has issued an official statement on the separation of families at the US border. The full text of that statement can be found here. It is my fervent hope that the leaders of all governments, especially here in the US, will heed the petition for reason and fairness in this matter.

While Church leaders are typically neutral on political matters, they are justified in expressing their view that the separation of families at the border should not be occurring. It is my personal and fervent hope that both major parties in the US and their leaders will unitedly work to correct a situation that should never have arisen. It seems that the current approach, at least here in the US, is for both sides to shift blame onto the other side, while neither takes responsibility for affecting real change. And that is certainly not an ideal situation when families are needlessly separated from each other.

I would invite all my readers to join with me in praying for those who are making the decisions in this regard, that reason and compassion will prevail, and that efforts will be made by all concerned to cooperate rather than continuing to squabble and play the blame game.

In happier news, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir embarked today on their 2018 "Classic Coast Tour", and the initial report on that can be found here. I continue to monitor all Church news and will do my level best to pass word of developments along as I receive it.

That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray thaat the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.