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do.
Announced temples:
171. Bangkok
Thailand Temple: Planning and approvals; artist’s rendering released on March
19, 2018; groundbreaking may take place sometime during mid-to-late
2018.
Note: With the site identified and the release of the artist’s
rendering, a groundbreaking for this temple may just be a matter of time. And
since this November marks the 52nd anniversary of Thailand’s
being dedicated for the preaching of the gospel, November may just be the month
in which this groundbreaking occurs.
172. Urdaneta
Philippines Temple: Site clearing activities underway; artist’s rendering
anticipated to be released in the near future; groundbreaking may take place
sometime during mid-to-late 2018.
Note: On July 6, 2018, the LDS Church Temples Facebook page
reported the developments noted above, and with that in mind, an artist’s
rendering may be released and a groundbreaking ceremony may be set at some
point in the very near future. What is unclear for the moment is how soon that
might occur. While I would anticipate that the Bangkok Thailand Temple, which
is further along in the process for now, might have a groundbreaking first, I
am certain a groundbreaking ceremony will be held for this temple by the end of
this year. As more is known, I will be able to offer a more precise estimate.
173. Saratoga
Springs Utah Temple: Planning and approval; designs underway; awaiting official
site announcement; groundbreaking may take place sometime during late 2018-early 2019.
Note: Although a site confirmation is pending for this temple,
because designs are currently underway, and because this is a Utah County
temple (since temples in Utah always progress more swiftly than other temples
elsewhere within the US), on May 31, 2018, I moved this temple up on this list.
Then, on July 6, 2018, as a result of the developments relating to the Urdaneta
Philippines temple, I moved this one down and adjusted my general estimate for
its’ groundbreaking. I am not ruling out the prospect that the Church could
hold a groundbreaking for this temple before the end of 2018, so if I feel a
need to move this temple again in the near future, I will do so.
174. Lima
Peru Los Olivos Temple: Planning and preliminary construction phase; awaiting
official site announcement; groundbreaking may take place sometime during early 2019.
Note: In March 2017, the contractor for this temple indicated that
a year of pre-planning would be needed for this temple site before a
groundbreaking could be held. While it is unclear when that year began (or if
that year has already passed), it seems safe to assume that the groundbreaking
for this temple could occur within the next year, if not sooner.
175. Pocatello
Idaho Temple: Planning and approval; awaiting official site announcement;
groundbreaking may take place sometime during early-to-mid 2019.
Note: Although the citizens of Pocatello have speculated about two
or more potential locations for this temple, one of those locations has emerged
as being the most likely prospect. If the Church confirms that at any point in
the near future, since this temple is going to be built within the “Mormon
corridor”, a groundbreaking could occur sooner rather than later.
176. Harare
Zimbabwe Temple: Planning and approval; awaiting official site announcement;
groundbreaking may take place sometime during mid-2019.
Note: Although an official site confirmation is pending, President
Nelson visited a probable location during his world tour in April 2018. If that
site location is officially confirmed in the near future, then a groundbreaking
could easily follow within the next 15 months or less.
177. Nairobi
Kenya Temple: Planning and approval; awaiting official site announcement; media
event held June 14, 2017; groundbreaking may take place sometime during mid-2019.
Note: During President Nelson’s recent visit to Kenya, a national
newspaper noted that the site for this temple had been selected, and that
because this temple was anticipated to be a smaller one, its’ dedication might
occur sometime during 2021. With that in mind, it is not hard to believe that
an official site announcement and groundbreaking could occur within the next
15-18 months.
178. Brasilia
Brazil Temple: Planning and approval; site inspected by Church engineers on
June 21, 2017; groundbreaking may take place sometime during mid-to-late
2019.
Note: Although a site inspection occurred one year ago for this
temple, the prospective groundbreaking timeframes offered for the temples above
necessitates a change in my previously-offered thoughts about the imminence of
that groundbreaking. While I would hope that the Brazilian Saints would not
have to wait another 1.5 years for this temple’s groundbreaking, until more is
known, it seems wiser to be conservative in this estimate.
179. Greater
Manila Philippines Temple: Planning and approval; awaiting official name
announcement; groundbreaking may take place sometime during mid-to-late
2019.
Note: Although this temple may also be further along in its’
progress towards a groundbreaking than other temples above it, in view of the
factors noted on the others above this one, it has seemed wiser to be more
conservative in my estimate for this temple’s future groundbreaking.
Additionally, since getting the Urdaneta Philippines Temple underway may be
more of a priority for the Church, this one may only have a groundbreaking
within the next 16-19 months.
180. Layton
Utah Temple: Announced April 1, 2018; awaiting official site announcement;
groundbreaking may take place sometime during late 2019-early 2020.
Note: While I would anticipate that, for this temple in Utah, its’
construction will likely get underway sooner than other temples on this list,
and while that could happen sooner than indicated above if the Church confirms
that the land that was bought in Layton two days before the temple was
announced in that city will
serve as the site for that temple, it has seemed wiser to be more conservative in my estimate
for this temple’s potential groundbreaking. I will be delighted to move it up
on this list if I see a good enough reason to do so.
181. Abidjan
Ivory Coast Temple: Planning and approval; awaiting official site announcement;
groundbreaking may take place sometime during early 2020.
Note: This is the last of the three temples announced in April
2015 that may have a groundbreaking. The Church in the Ivory Coast has seen sufficient
enough growth that a second (and perhaps even a third) temple may be announced
to serve the Saints in this nation, but that may not occur until this temple
makes further progress. We have seen recent developments on other temples in
Africa, which gives me hope that this temple could have a groundbreaking
ceremony around the estimated time noted above, but time will tell how accurate
that might prove to be.
182. Quito
Ecuador Temple: Planning and approval; awaiting official site announcement;
groundbreaking may take place sometime during early-to-mid 2020.
Note: While the first Ecuadoran temple had a 14-year wait between
its’ announcement and groundbreaking, with the progress the Church has made in
South America within the last two decades, this temple (to be built in the
Ecuadoran capital city) will likely not see a wait nearly that long. I
personally hope that this groundbreaking will occur sooner than indicated
above, but until more information is available, I have felt a need to be more
conservative.
183. Richmond
Virginia Temple: Announced April 1, 2018; awaiting official site announcement;
groundbreaking may take place sometime during early-to-mid 2020.
Note: Although an official site confirmation is pending for this
temple, a Virginia newspaper noted in mid-April 2018 that the Church had
procured several acres of land in Richmond sometime during 2015. If the Church
confirms in the near future that one of those plots will be the official temple
site, then a groundbreaking could easily occur within the next two years, but
possibly less, since temples in the US generally have construction begin well
in advance of their international counterparts.
184. Belem
Brazil Temple: Planning and approval; awaiting official site announcement;
groundbreaking may take place sometime during early-to-mid 2020.
Note: Although this temple was announced one year before the
Brasilia Brazil Temple, that temple is further along in the approval process
and will likely therefore have its’ groundbreaking before that occurs for this
temple. In preparing these updated thoughts, it occurred to me that the Church
may opt to hold off on beginning construction of this temple until both the
Fortaleza and Rio de Janeiro Temples are dedicated. With that in mind, I have
felt that the groundbreaking could occur at around this time, but I will alter
this estimate as needed once more is known.
185. Managua
Nicaragua Temple: Announced April 1, 2018; awaiting official site announcement;
groundbreaking may take place sometime during mid-2020.
Note: Since then-Elder Nelson had publicly proposed this temple in
2012, and President Nelson himself made the announcement, I would imagine the
Lord will allow him to be very much involved in the process of this temple’s
construction and eventual dedication. With that in mind, I could see a
groundbreaking occur within the next 24-27 months, but hopefully sooner if all
goes well.
186. Salta
Argentina Temple: Announced April 1, 2018; awaiting official site announcement;
groundbreaking may take place sometime during mid-2020.
Note: While the time-frames offered for the temples above this one
has resulted in this temple’s estimate being delayed as well, it would not
surprise me if a groundbreaking for this temple happens sooner than estimated
here.
187. Cagayan
de Oro Philippines Temple: Announced April 1, 2018; awaiting official site
announcement; groundbreaking may take place sometime during mid-to-late
2020.
Note: While I would anticipate that this temple will likely not
have a groundbreaking until significant progress has been made on both the
Urdaneta and greater Manila area temples, it is not impossible to believe that
a groundbreaking could occur for this newest Filipino temple within the next
2.5-2.75 years, but perhaps sooner if all goes well.
188. Bengaluru
India Temple: Announced April 1, 2018; awaiting official site announcement;
groundbreaking may take place sometime during early-to-mid 2021.
Note: As previously noted, President Nelson had not originally
intended to announce a temple for India during the April 2018 General
Conference, but was inspired to do so the night before that conference began.
Although India may have some political obstacles that would need to be cleared
before this temple has a groundbreaking, I fully anticipate that the Lord could
enable a groundbreaking to occur within the next three years, but possibly
sooner, especially since
President Nelson has also urged the members to hurry and prepare so it can be
built.
189. Russia:
Announced April 1, 2018; awaiting official location and site announcement;
groundbreaking may take place sometime during mid-to-late 2021.
Note: Although both a specific city and a site location for this
temple have yet to be identified, President Nelson did have supervisory
responsibility for Eastern Europe for the last several years he was a member of
the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. With that in mind, he may have connections
that would enable an acceleration of the process to get this temple built,
which is why I am being conservative in my offered estimate above, but will not
in any way be surprised if the Lord clears all obstacles to allow that to occur
sooner than indicated here.
Final note: If recent statements from Church leaders are any
indication, we may soon enter an era where the volume of temple-related
developments will be multiplied. If, as has been suggested, President Nelson's
legacy as a temple-building prophet outshines and outpaces what we previously
saw under President Hinckley's smaller temple plan, we may be in for a season
where temple events are held on a more consistent and much wider scale. It will
be interesting to see.
