Hello again, everyone! I have two pieces of news to report which has me musing about temples again. So let's talk about that. The LDS Church Temples Facebook page noted today that work continues on the meetinghouse that is the first part of the Winnipeg Manitoba Temple project. It appears that the Church may be placing top priority on the meetinghouse because that is anticipated to be used while the temple proper is under construction.
But I also wanted to pass along new information of which I became aware a week or two ago, which indicated that, unless something unexpected occurs, the construction of that temple is not anticipated to take any longer than the 20-month estimate originally provided by the Church. With that in mind, if all goes well, construction may end in February or March 2020, with a dedication sometime between April and June.
The other development on which I wanted to report is this release from the Canadian Mormon Newsroom, in which it has been reported that President and Sister Nelson will be visiting Winnipeg Manitoba, Montreal Quebec, and Hamilton Ontario. Sister Nelson was born in Alberta, so this will be a homecoming of sorts for her. They will be accompanied by Elder Neil L. and Sister Kathy W. Andersen, and the stops will occur from August 17-19, 2018.
As some of you may recall, when the stops of the Global Ministry Tour taken by the Nelsons and the Hollands in April were announced, many commented that all of the stops but Bengaluru India and Jerusalem were home to announced temples of the Church. During the April General Conference, President Nelson announced a temple for Bengaluru, which no one (least of all he himself) had planned on occurring, though some had speculated about that prospect. The leaders spent some of their time in India scouting for a site for the future temple, which President Nelson indicated he hoped to return to dedicate.
As we also know, there are already temples in Winnipeg & Montreal, but not one in Hamilton Ontario. So I have two takeaway thoughts about this: First, what are the odds that President Nelson could (and possibly will) announce a temple for Hamilton Ontario? Even if they may not have the Church presence there, members in Hamilton currently travel just over 40 miles to attend the temple in Toronto, which may or may not be an arduous or challenging journey.
My reason for broaching that question is, given recent conversations on this blog about President Nelson's ambitious temple-building plans, he may be working towards having every member within 40 miles of a temple, which would be game-changing. It could be no more than coincidence, however.
My second thought is this: President Nelson seems to also want to do more about being out among the people. We saw that occur with his worldwide tour in April, and since he shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon, I am sure that he will be traveling extensively as long as he is able to do so.
And if I may also offer a third thought: As some of you may have realized, between the two lists of most likely prospects for a temple in the near future which I am considering merging for the October General Conference, there were no locations listed in Canada. I had wondered if any Canadian cities were likely to get a temple, but I didn't find any immediate prospects. So I put it to you, my readers: Are there any prospective temple locations in Canada which I should be considering? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below, as your feedback is always most welcome and appreciated.
That does it for this post. Thank you for the privilege of your time. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of new content (either posts or comments), please feel free to subscribe to receive e-mail updates. 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.
Monday, July 23, 2018
Additional Temple Musings
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.
Additional Church News Reported
Hello again, everyone! I wanted to pass along two additional Church news stories, and unfortunately, it is not all good news. Let's dive right in. First, the bad news: Yesterday, during a Sacrament Meeting in Fallon, Nevada (after the administration of the sacrament and as the first speaker began his address), a gunman opened fire on the congregation, killing one man and injuring another. All three men were members of that congregation.
The gunman surrendered to police late yesterday, but the motive for the shooting is unclear. A Church spokesman issued a statement indicating that the general Church leadership is mindful of the situation and will be praying for this congregation in the days ahead, and noted that local leaders have made themselves available to talk to anyone affected by this incident. You can find more details on this story here.
The Church News also reported that another LDS missionary has died while serving. Gavin Paul Zimmerman, who hails from West Haven, Utah, was 19, and had been serving in the Australia Sydney Mission since August 2017. He was with a group that was sightseeing and fell from a cliff. A Church spokesman delivered a statement about Elder Zimmerman's passing, and the parents of Elder Zimmerman did as well.
While it is heartbreaking to hear of a missionary dying in the field, he did so while doing what the Lord wanted him to do, and I have no doubt he is continuing his mission on the other side of the veil. You can read more about this development here.
On the good news front, more information has been released regarding the NAACP's partnership with the Church, which has included additional contextual statements from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, in addition to the NAACP reaching out to The Debra Bonner Unity Gospel Choir, who performed at the Church's Priesthood Revelation Commemorative Broadcast on June 1. The NAACP requested that the Choir perform at a gathering that recently clarified the extent of that initiative. You can find more details on that story here.
I continue to monitor all Church news and temple developments and will do my level best to bring word of those to you as 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. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly-added content, please feel free to subscribe. 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 gunman surrendered to police late yesterday, but the motive for the shooting is unclear. A Church spokesman issued a statement indicating that the general Church leadership is mindful of the situation and will be praying for this congregation in the days ahead, and noted that local leaders have made themselves available to talk to anyone affected by this incident. You can find more details on this story here.
The Church News also reported that another LDS missionary has died while serving. Gavin Paul Zimmerman, who hails from West Haven, Utah, was 19, and had been serving in the Australia Sydney Mission since August 2017. He was with a group that was sightseeing and fell from a cliff. A Church spokesman delivered a statement about Elder Zimmerman's passing, and the parents of Elder Zimmerman did as well.
While it is heartbreaking to hear of a missionary dying in the field, he did so while doing what the Lord wanted him to do, and I have no doubt he is continuing his mission on the other side of the veil. You can read more about this development here.
On the good news front, more information has been released regarding the NAACP's partnership with the Church, which has included additional contextual statements from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, in addition to the NAACP reaching out to The Debra Bonner Unity Gospel Choir, who performed at the Church's Priesthood Revelation Commemorative Broadcast on June 1. The NAACP requested that the Choir perform at a gathering that recently clarified the extent of that initiative. You can find more details on that story here.
I continue to monitor all Church news and temple developments and will do my level best to bring word of those to you as 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. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly-added content, please feel free to subscribe. 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.
Sunday, July 22, 2018
Pioneer Day Concert Held; Other Church News Stories Reported
Hello again, everyone! It took me most of the day today to feel up to doing so, but I am finally ready to share some thoughts about the remarkable Pioneer Day Concert which the Mormon Tabernacle Choir held last night and the night before. The concert last night was carried live via both the Church and BYU TV website. Featuring guest artists and famed Broadway performers Matthew Morrison and Laura Michelle Kelly, with contextual narration by Oscar Hammerstein III, grandson of the famous Oscar Hammerstein II, who had partnered with Richard Rogers on many Broadway shows that are still famous today, the concert was a total success.
As the guest artists performed the songs for which the context was set by Hammerstein's narration, the chemistry of the three guests was obvious. The Choir and Orchestra provided both a background and a backdrop to these landmark numbers. The Choir opened with famous pioneer anthems "They, the Builders of the Nation" and Mack Wilberg's arrangement of "Come, Come, Ye Saints", the words for which, as some of you may know, were penned by William Clayton while he was trekking with the Saints here to Utah.
At that time, his wife, who was pregnant with their next child, was not able to come with the main company of the Saints, so, with both his wife's situation and the trials of the pioneer company in mind, he penned that hymn that is so revered as a pioneer anthem, for the purpose of providing the Saints reassurance.
Reportedly, when he first presented the song to a body of Saints, Brigham Young, who was present, directed him to make copies of it and distribute it among the Saints, and encouraged the Saints to learn the song and to sing it to one another as they continued their journey.
Following the pioneer anthems, the Broadway theme of the night started, with selections from such musicals as "The King and I", "South Pacific".. "Oklahoma!", "Carousel", and others. Morrison, Kelly, and Hammerstein all mentioned that they have friends who are members of the Church, and that they were therefore excited to join a world-renowned event. Morrison reported that he was somewhat familiar with Pioneer Day, while Kelly said that though she was not, she was looking forward to learning more about it in the days ahead.
The guests took time to honor each other's talents. And Kelly, who had had an unfortunately failed marriage previously, took the opportunity to announce on that stage that she was engaged, and as such, felt a personal connection with "I'm in Love with a Wonderful Guy", "People Will Say We're in Love", and "Mister Snow". All in all, it was a remarkable event, which culminated in all three guests also being featured on this morning's "Music and the Spoken Word" broadcast. For more information, you can see reports from the following sources: Mormon Newsroom, the Church website's other News & Events page, and the Church News website.
In other reported Church news, Gerry Avant continued her series of articles taking a retrospective look back on her storied career. She recently reminisced about a prophetic promise fuliflled when she accompanied President Gordon B. Hinckley to visit a small branch of the Church whose membership has since been transferred to a larger ward. And, as Pioneer Day approaches, the Church News continues its' series of pioneer-themed articles, with an article highlighting the unwavering faith of 8 pioneer women whose stories are not widely known.
The Church continues to report inspiring news through a variety of resources. For my part, I will keep monitoring these developments and will do my level best to pass word of those along to you as I become aware 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. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly-added content, please feel free to subscribe. 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.
As the guest artists performed the songs for which the context was set by Hammerstein's narration, the chemistry of the three guests was obvious. The Choir and Orchestra provided both a background and a backdrop to these landmark numbers. The Choir opened with famous pioneer anthems "They, the Builders of the Nation" and Mack Wilberg's arrangement of "Come, Come, Ye Saints", the words for which, as some of you may know, were penned by William Clayton while he was trekking with the Saints here to Utah.
At that time, his wife, who was pregnant with their next child, was not able to come with the main company of the Saints, so, with both his wife's situation and the trials of the pioneer company in mind, he penned that hymn that is so revered as a pioneer anthem, for the purpose of providing the Saints reassurance.
Reportedly, when he first presented the song to a body of Saints, Brigham Young, who was present, directed him to make copies of it and distribute it among the Saints, and encouraged the Saints to learn the song and to sing it to one another as they continued their journey.
Following the pioneer anthems, the Broadway theme of the night started, with selections from such musicals as "The King and I", "South Pacific".. "Oklahoma!", "Carousel", and others. Morrison, Kelly, and Hammerstein all mentioned that they have friends who are members of the Church, and that they were therefore excited to join a world-renowned event. Morrison reported that he was somewhat familiar with Pioneer Day, while Kelly said that though she was not, she was looking forward to learning more about it in the days ahead.
The guests took time to honor each other's talents. And Kelly, who had had an unfortunately failed marriage previously, took the opportunity to announce on that stage that she was engaged, and as such, felt a personal connection with "I'm in Love with a Wonderful Guy", "People Will Say We're in Love", and "Mister Snow". All in all, it was a remarkable event, which culminated in all three guests also being featured on this morning's "Music and the Spoken Word" broadcast. For more information, you can see reports from the following sources: Mormon Newsroom, the Church website's other News & Events page, and the Church News website.
In other reported Church news, Gerry Avant continued her series of articles taking a retrospective look back on her storied career. She recently reminisced about a prophetic promise fuliflled when she accompanied President Gordon B. Hinckley to visit a small branch of the Church whose membership has since been transferred to a larger ward. And, as Pioneer Day approaches, the Church News continues its' series of pioneer-themed articles, with an article highlighting the unwavering faith of 8 pioneer women whose stories are not widely known.
The Church continues to report inspiring news through a variety of resources. For my part, I will keep monitoring these developments and will do my level best to pass word of those along to you as I become aware 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. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly-added content, please feel free to subscribe. 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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