But before I end this post by sharing that report, I also wanted to mention one additional item of Church news: the latest article in the ongoing Church news series: "This Week on Social". In this week's edition, posts from Church President Russell M. Nelson, Elders Dieter F. Uchtdorf, David A. Bednar, Ronald A. Rasband, Dale G. Renlund, and Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and Sister Jean B. Bingham, Relief Society General President, covered the topics of the Rome Italy Temple open house, President Nelson's visit with those affected by the Paradise Campfire in California, trials and tribulations, the new curriculum, gospel study in general, among other highlights.
We live in a remarkable time where Church leaders can share inspirational messages and encouragement on various platforms of social media. In a day of frigid, contentious, and possibly unethical political environments around the world, when integrity and moral strength are held in derision, and where integrity is compromised as a lack of these values cause the very foundation of stable, wise, and just governments to plummet, it is wonderful that some platforms used by others to perpetuate half-truths or blatant falsehoods, to deny the very existence of truth, or to justify, cover up, or conceal misconduct that ought to be illegal, or to bully, threaten, or criticize others, can be used by others to uplift, inspire, encourage, and express love and support.
Sorry for that run-on sentence. I am grateful to have been able to share the latest Church news with you and look forward to your reactions to the latest version of my report. There may be changes coming to that report in the near or more distant future. I have one or two developments on which I am doing more research before making such changes, so stay tuned for that.
The updated report follows below. So as not to disturb the flow of that information, I will end here and now as I always do. That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made in accordance with the established guidelines. 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.
Temple Construction Progress Report
(current as of 1/23/19)
Note about future temple construction: I have previously
referenced the statement made by Elder Larry Y. Wilson, who serves as the
Temple Department Executive Director, to the effect that 80 temples were on a
list of locations that would be considered for an official announcement within
the 15 years following that statement. And although we may not know whether or
not those 80 locations have been announced by late April 2032, it seems reasonable
to believe that the Church could (and likely will) have at least 200 operating
temples by or before Saturday April 6, 2030 (which will mark the Church’s
bicentennial anniversary).
With the 12 temples
announced during the October 2018 General Conference, the Church now has a
total of 201 temples in any phase. With that and plans to accelerate the temple
construction process in mind, it is more likely than not that there will be 200
operating temples by or before Saturday April 6, 2030 (which will mark the
Church’s bicentennial anniversary), whether or not an official goal is made to
do so. The Church would just need to complete 39 of the temples in various
phases in the 11.20 years between now and then,
which could be done if 3.48 temples are dedicated each year. Since 6 new
temples will be dedicated within the next year, I can easily see the Church
having 200 temples in operation by that date, and would anticipate there being
more than that. Time will tell, but it seems to be a safe bet.
Current temple status: The Church
has 201 temples in various
phases. There are 161 in
operation; while 3 others have a
dedication scheduled; 7 more
are currently in various phases of construction; 1 temple has construction pending following its’ groundbreaking;
and 2 others has a groundbreaking scheduled.
Also, 11 temples are currently
closed for renovation (3 of which have
a rededication announced, with 3 or 4 others
that are also anticipated to be rededicated next year). The remaining 27 are announced, several
of which are likely to have a groundbreaking in 2019 and the years following
that.
During the October
General Conference, President Nelson also announced that many more operating temples
will be renovated in the near future, including several pioneer-era temples (most
significantly the Salt Lake Temple), and that more information will be released
in the coming months about which temples are closing, and what the renovations
will involve and entail.
VIP/Media Tours Underway:
162. Rome
Italy Temple: VIP/Media tours underway; accepting reservations for open house
(through Saturday February 16); dedication scheduled for Sunday March 10-Tuesday March 12, 2019.
Dedication scheduled:
163. Kinshasa
Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple: Construction completed; preparing
temple for public open house; painting and refreshing other buildings on site; dedication
scheduled for Sunday April 14, 2019.
164.
Fortaleza Brazil Temple: Construction completed; furnishing and preparing
buildings for public open house; dedication scheduled for Sunday June 2, 2019.
165. Port-au-Prince
Haiti Temple: Interior drywall finished; stone installation underway in
baptistry; door frames and crown moldings being installed; pouring concrete for
parking lots; dedication scheduled for Sunday
September 1, 2019.
Under
construction; completion anticipated during 2019:
166. Durban South
Africa Temple: Drywalling, painting, tiling, plumbing, and installing HVAC,
electrical, and fire suppression equipment; adding more trees and plants; completion
estimated sometime during mid-to-late 2019.
167. Lisbon Portugal
Temple: Concrete slab poured for monument sign; adding hard landscaping
structure on north side of temple; completion estimated sometime during late
2019.
Under construction; completion anticipated during 2019-2020:
168. Arequipa Peru
Temple: Installing and testing exterior lighting; fencing being installed
around perimeter; interior work progressing; completion estimated sometime
during late 2019-early 2020.
Under construction; completion anticipated during 2020:
169. Rio de Janeiro
Brazil Temple: Stone cladding exterior walls and tower; stained-glass windows
installed; completion estimated sometime during early 2020.
170. Winnipeg Manitoba
Temple: Building the temple foundation; wood framing and sheathing going up for
meetinghouse; completion estimated sometime during mid-2020.
Under construction; completion
anticipated sometime during 2020-2021:
171. Abidjan Côte
d'Ivoire Temple: Setting poles for construction barrier; completion estimated
sometime during late 2020-early 2021.
Construction pending (completion
anticipated sometime during 2021):
172. Urdaneta
Philippines Temple: Groundbreaking held on January 16, 2019; full-scale
construction pending; completion estimated sometime during early-to-mid 2021.
Groundbreaking scheduled:
173. Bangkok
Thailand Temple: Old Church office building demolished; preparing for
groundbreaking, which is scheduled for Saturday
January 26, 2019 @ 10:00 AM; completion estimated sometime during mid-2022.
Note:
Bangkok time is 14 hours ahead of Utah time, so the groundbreaking for this
temple will take place @ 8:00 PM Friday January 25, 2019 Utah time.
174. San Juan Puerto Rico Temple: Trujillo Alto Ward chapel to close on
January 19, 2019 in preparation for demolition; groundbreaking scheduled for Saturday
May 4, 2019; completion estimated sometime during early-to-mid 2021.
Note: The groundbreaking information for this temple
was confirmed by a First Presidency announcement on January 17, 2019. Walter F.
Gonzalez, President of the Caribbean Area of the Church, will preside at this
ceremony.
Groundbreaking anticipated (official
confirmation of timing pending)
175. Pocatello Idaho Temple: Government approval process; streets
around temple site opened; groundbreaking anticipated in spring 2019.
Note: Although nothing has been confirmed in terms of the timing for
this temple’s groundbreaking, since it is anticipated in spring 2019, I am
estimating a more specific time-frame of mid-to-late April (which means it
would occur prior to the already-announced groundbreaking for the San Juan
Puerto Rico Temple), or some point in May. It may even be possible that the
Church could set it for May 4 (to coincide with the Puerto Rico Temple’s
groundbreaking).
Undergoing Renovation (rededication scheduled)
80. Memphis Tennessee Temple: Closed for renovation; stone
cladding completed; installing stained-glass windows; private rededication
scheduled for Sunday May 5, 2019.
95. Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temple: Closed for renovation; stone
cladding entrance; landscaping underway; private rededication scheduled for Sunday May 19, 2019.
13. Oakland California Temple: Closed for renovation; interior
work progressing; rededication scheduled for Sunday June 16, 2019.
Undergoing Renovation (rededication estimated sometime during 2019):
68. Raleigh North Carolina Temple: Closed for renovation;
stone cladding exterior walls; temporary glass installed; rededication
estimated sometime during mid-to-late
2019.
94. Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple: Closed for renovation; exterior
walls waterproofed; installing hanging brackets for exterior stone; stone
cladding progressing on rear side of temple; installing lamp-posts; rededication
estimated sometime during mid-to-late 2019.
41. Frankfurt Germany Temple: Closed for renovation; installing
landscaping irrigation; planting trees and shrubs; completion estimated
sometime during mid-to-late 2019.
Undergoing Renovation (rededication estimated sometime during
2019-2020):
112. Asuncion Paraguay Temple: Closed for renovation; interior
and exterior work underway; rededication estimated sometime during late 2019-early 2020.
Undergoing Renovation (rededication estimated sometime during 2020):
18. Tokyo Japan Temple: Closed for renovation; exterior and
interior renovations underway; rededication estimated sometime during early-to-mid
2020.
16. Washington D. C. Temple: Closed for renovation; interior
completely dismantled; Christmas lights on display as renovation work
continues; rededication may take place sometime during mid-to-late 2020.
8. Mesa Arizona Temple: Closed for renovation; installing water
retention and irrigation systems; excavating for underground parking at Family
Discovery Center; rededication may take place sometime during mid-to-late 2020.
Undergoing Renovation (rededication estimated sometime during 2021):
11. Hamilton New Zealand Temple: Closed for renovation; dismantling
interior; rededication may take place sometime during early-to-mid 2021.
Note on announced temples: As noted
previously, this section is split into two sub-categories. The first contains
those for which there is sufficient information for me to estimate a rough
window for a subsequent groundbreaking, which will, of course, be subject to
alteration in the future as more information is available. The second section
contains those temples which are ordered based on the information currently
available, but for which more information will be needed before they can join
the first list. And for that second list, I do not feel comfortable offering
any groundbreaking estimate until more information is available. I reordered
the list yet again on January 6-7, 2019.
Announced Temples (for which
sufficient information has me confident enough to venture a general
groundbreaking estimate):
176. Saratoga
Springs Utah Temple: Government approval phase; probable site identified;
awaiting official confirmation and artist’s rendering; groundbreaking could
occur in mid-2019.
177. Lima
Peru Los Olivos Temple: Planning and preliminary construction phase; awaiting
official site announcement; President Nelson visited probable site on October
20, 2018; groundbreaking could occur in mid-to-late
2019.
178. Brasilia
Brazil Temple: Planning and approval phase; property fence installed around
temple site; groundbreaking could
occur in mid-to-late 2019.
179. Harare
Zimbabwe Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site
announcement; President Nelson visited potential site on April 17, 2018;
groundbreaking anticipated in late 2019.
180. Nairobi
Kenya Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement;
media event held June 14, 2017; groundbreaking could occur in late 2019-early 2020.
181. Greater
Manila Philippines Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official name
announcement; groundbreaking could occur in late
2019-early 2020.
182. Salta
Argentina Temple: Planning and approval phase; announced April 1, 2018;
groundbreaking could occur in early 2020.
183. Mendoza
Argentina Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement;
groundbreaking could occur in early 2020.
184. Puebla
Mexico Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site
announcement; groundbreaking could occur in early-to-mid
2020.
185. Auckland
New Zealand Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site
announcement; groundbreaking could occur in early-to-mid
2020.
186. Managua
Nicaragua Temple: Announced April 1, 2018; awaiting official site announcement;
groundbreaking could occur in mid-2020.
187. Layton
Utah Temple: Planning and approval phase; announced April 1, 2018; awaiting
official site announcement; groundbreaking could occur in mid-2020.
188. Richmond
Virginia Temple: Planning and approval phase; announced April 1, 2018; awaiting
official site announcement; groundbreaking could occur in mid-2020.
189. Bengaluru
India Temple: Planning and approval phase; announced April 1, 2018; awaiting
official site announcement; President Nelson toured potential locations on
April 19, 2018; groundbreaking could occur in mid-to-late 2020.
190. Phnom
Penh Cambodia Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site
announcement; groundbreaking could occur in late
2020.
Announced Temples (for which more
information is needed before I provide an estimated groundbreaking time-frame):
191. Quito
Ecuador Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site
announcement.
192. Belem
Brazil Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site
announcement.
193. Cagayan
de Oro Philippines Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site
announcement.
194. Salvador
Brazil Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.
195. Yuba
City, California Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site
announcement.
196. Praia
Cape Verde Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site
announcement.
197. Yigo Guam
Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.
198. Lagos
Nigeria Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site
announcement.
199. Davao
Philippines Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site
announcement.
200. Russia Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official city and
site announcement.
201.
Washington County Utah Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official
city and 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.
Changes since last report are
highlighted in red.
