Hello again, everyone! I have taken time as I promised to do in order to update the specific estimates I am tracking for known temple events. A lot has changed since I last posted this. While I don't know whether or not these estimates are anywhere close to the time periods whereby they will actually take place, I have taken what I know and analyzed that against what I don't know at present, and the results may speak for themselves in the future as to whether or not I am correct in such theories.
A disclaimer here, whether it goes without saying or not: I do not in any way, shape or form have access to the kind of special information which would enable me to state point-blank that the sequence of these events will transpire as I have suggested they will or not. My estimates are only my best-researched efforts to analyze what's available, account for anything unexpected, and adjust as more information is made available. Only a First Presidency announcement will confirm whether or not any or all of these estimates are inspired, or anywhere close.
And I should also mention that I am anticipating some more temple news being announced at any point between now and General Conference. If the information I have is correct, the renovation process on the Raleigh North Carolina Temple may be wrapping up before the end of June, which means a rededication (which I am assuming will be a private one, similar to what was announced in mid-January for the Memphis Tennessee and Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temples.
Additionally, I am likewise anticipating that the First Presidency could (and likely will) announce at least one more temple groundbreaking that will be set to occur prior to the July 2019 month-long recess for Church leadership. The main ones on which I am keeping my eyes for information in the near future are the Saratoga Springs Utah, Lima Peru Los Olivos, or Brasilia Brazil Temples. And I am not ruling out surprise groundbreaking announcements in the near future either.
After all, if anyone had told me around 4 months ago (in early November 2018) that the Church would be scheduling the groundbreaking ceremonies for 6 of the announced temples to occur before the first Sunday in May, and that 3 of those would be for temples announced during the October 2018 General Conference, I would have dismissed that as impossible. I honestly don't know at this point whether or not any other temples will have their groundbreakings
occur within the roughly 16.5 weeks remaining between now and the end of June, but surely at least one or two of these three will have the
announcement of the groundbreaking plans made by or before June 30.
My revised and updated specific estimates for known temple events 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.
Specific Estimates
for Known Temple Events in the Near Future
2019:
Sunday March
10-Tuesday March 12: Dedication of the Rome Italy Temple (162nd
operating temple; confirmed)
Note: The First Presidency announced the amended
dedication dates for this temple on November 8, 2018. When the dedication
information for this temple was first announced, it was set to be held over an
8-day period. Now that that has been shortened to 3 days, I don’t know what
that might mean in terms of the number of apostles participating. But I do
anticipate that President Nelson may likely preside over at least the first one
or two sessions, if not others, and that there may be more apostolic and
general leadership participation for this event than has been typical for recent
temple dedications.
Saturday March 16:
Groundbreaking for the Pocatello Idaho Temple (confirmed)
Note: On February 1, 2019, the First Presidency
announced the groundbreaking information for this temple. Given that it will be
similar in size to The Gila Valley Arizona temple, I am venturing a general
completion estimate of mid-to-late 2022. As more is known about that process, I
will make any necessary alterations to that estimate as they are needed.
Saturday &
Sunday April 6 & 7: 189th General Conference
Note: Because 19 temples were announced in 2018
(which may have been President Nelson’s way of starting slowly), and because
one of his major focuses during his first year as Church President has been
highlighting the importance of temples, I’m sure we will see several new
temples announced during this General Conference.
Sunday April 14:
Dedication of the Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple (163rd
operating temple; confirmed)
Note: In view of the facts that the dedication of
this temple will occur after the April General Conference, and that following
the April 2018 General Conference, President Nelson began his Global Ministry
Tour, I could see President Nelson doing another leg of his tour in conjunction
with this temple’s dedication, whether that tour starts or ends with this
dedication, or whether this dedication is held sometime in the mid-point of
that tour.
Saturday May 4:
Groundbreakings for the Yigo Guam, Praia Cabo Verde, and San Juan Puerto Rico
Temples
Note: On January 12, 2019, the
First Presidency released the artist’s rendering for the San Juan Puerto Rico
Temple. Five days later (on January 17), the groundbreaking for that temple was
set to be held on May 4, with Elder Walter F. Gonzalez, President of the
Church's Caribbean Area, presiding at that ceremony. Then on Febuary 1, 2019,
the First Presidency released the artist’s rendering for the Yigo Guam Temple
and announced that its’ groundbreaking ceremony would also occur on May 4, and
that Elder Yoon Hwan Choi, President of the Church's Asia Area, would preside
at that event. On February 8, 2019, the artist’s rendering for the Praia Cabo
Verde Temple was released, and its’ groundbreaking was set to occur on May 4 as
well, under the direction of Elder Paul V. Johnson, who serves as President of
the Church's Europe Area. The time in Guam is ahead of that in Cabo Verde,
which is ahead of the time in Puerto Rico, so I am listing them in that order.
Since the construction for each of those temples is anticipated to take 2
years, I am estimating that all of them will be dedicated in early-to-mid 2021.
Sunday May 5:
Private rededication of the Memphis Tennessee Temple (confirmed)
Note: On January 16, 2019, the First Presidency
announced the private rededication of this temple would take place in a single
session on this date, that Elder Jeffrey R. Holland would preside at the
rededication, and that no open house or youth devotional would be held prior to
this event.
Sunday May 19: Private
rededication of the Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temple (confirmed)
Note: On January 16, 2019, the private
rededication for the Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temple was also announced.
President Henry B. Eyring will preside at the single-session rededication,
which will not be preceded by an open house or youth devotional.
Sunday June 2:
Dedication of the Fortaleza Brazil Temple (165th operating temple;
confirmed)
Note: On January 10, 2018, the First Presidency
announced this temple’s dedication. In an unusual (but not unexpected) move,
that dedication has been scheduled to occur two weeks prior to the rededication
of the Oakland California Temple. To the best of my knowledge, this is the
first time a dedication has been set to occur prior to a rededication which has
previously been announced. Usually, a temple’s rededication has been set to
occur prior to a previously-announced temple dedication. As noted on other temples,
President Nelson could preside at this event himself, or he could delegate one
of his counselors or a senior member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to do
so.
Sunday June 16: Rededication
of the Oakland California Temple (confirmed)
Note: This temple’s rededication was announced on
December 18, 2018. As noted above, the dedication of the Fortaleza Brazil
Temple, announced almost a month later, has been set to occur before this
temple’s rededication.
Monday July 8:
Hong Kong China Temple Renovation Closure
Note: On January 30, 2019, the First Presidency
announced the renovation closure for this temple, with the plans to be detailed
more fully at a later time. I am anticipating that that process will take
between 2-4 years.
August: Private
rededication for the Raleigh North Carolina Temple
Note: While I once felt certain that both this
temple and the Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple could take place during this time,
new information received in late February led me to rethink that, and I now
believe that this temple’s renovation may wrap up during early summer, with a
rededication taking place sometime during the early-to-middle part of this
month.
Sunday September 1:
Dedication of the Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple (165th operating
temple; confirmed)
Note: On November 14, 2018, the First Presidency
announced the open house and dedication information for this temple. Then, on
January 18, 2019, the dedication was pushed back to this date in view of delays
in the construction process.
Sunday September
15: Dedication of the Lisbon Portugal Temple (166th operating
temple; confirmed)
Note: On February 22, 2019, I received new
information which indicated that the Lisbon Portugal Temple, which has
continued to progress ahead of schedule, would likely be dedicated sooner than
anticipated. As a result, in late February-early March, I moved this temple
ahead of the Durban South Africa Temple on my temple construction progress
report. Then, on March 4, 2019, the First Presidency announced the open house
and dedication information for this temple.
Saturday &
Sunday October 5 & 6: 189th Semiannual General Conference:
Note: Depending on what is done by this time to
clear the existing backlog of announced temples, it seems more likely than not
that several new temples will be announced during this weekend.
Sunday October 20: Rededication of the Frankfurt Germany Temple
(confirmed)
Note: New information received on February 22,
2019 indicated that the Frankfurt Germany Temple was anticipated to be
dedicated in October. Then, on March 5, 2019, the First Presidency officially
announced that this temple would be rededicated on this date. I am anticipating
that the First Presidency will ask Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, the third
most-senior member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the sixth most
senior apostle overall, to represent them in rededicating this temple.
Monday November 4:
St. George Utah Temple Renovation Closure (confirmed)
Note: This temple’s renovation was announced on
January 25, 2019. Given the fact that seismic and systemic updates are
anticipated to occur, I have set a preliminary general completion estimate of
mid-to-late 2022.
Early-to-mid
November: Rededication of the Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple
Note: On February 22, 2019, I also learned that
the Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple could be rededicated at some point in October.
But in view of the March 5, 2019 announcement of the rededication for the
Frankfurt Germany Temple, I have pushed my estimate for this temple’s
rededication (which will likely be done privately) to this period of time.
Mid-to-late November: Dedication of the Arequipa Peru Temple (167th
operating temple)
Note: The Arequipa
Peru Temple has been ahead of schedule for a while now, and a Church member
living in Peru spotted the cornerstone engraving, which reads: “Erected 2019”.
With that in mind, I feel reasonably confident that this temple will be
dedicated at around this time, and that this temple could thus likely be
dedicated before the Durban South Africa Temple dedication occurs.
December:
Dedication of the Durban South Africa Temple (168th operating
temple)
Note: On February 22, 2019, I received information
which indicated that, due to a current blackout in South Africa, depending on
how long that lasts, the temple in Durban might experience a delay towards its’
completion. Until I know one way or another whether or not that is true, I have
moved my estimate to this point. If I find evidence in the future that no such
delays will occur, I can and will move this temple up on this list again.
Final note on 2019: Given what I have heard about 2019, it seems
more likely than not that several temples will have a groundbreaking at some
point during that year. With groundbreakings held in January for both the
Urdaneta Philippines and Bangkok Thailand Temples, groundbreakings have also been
confirmed for the Pocatello Idaho, Yigo Guam, Praia Cabo Verde, and San Juan
Puerto Rico Temples. I am also anticipating that groundbreakings may be held for
the Saratoga Springs Utah, Lima Peru Los Olivos, Brasilia Brazil, the Nairobi
Kenya, Harare Zimbabwe, and Greater Manila Philippines Temples, most (if not
all) of which could have a groundbreaking this year. But in view of the
unexpected announcement of the groundbreakings for 3 of the temples President
Nelson announced last year, we could also see other temples have a groundbreaking
by that time as well.
2020:
Mid-January: Dedication
of the Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple (169th operating temple)
Mid-March:
Rededication of the Asuncion Paraguay Temple
Saturday &
Sunday April 4 & 5: 190th Annual General Conference
Note: Barring anything unexpected, I would
anticipate several new temples being announced during this weekend.
June: Rededication
of the Tokyo Japan Temple
Early-to-mid
August: Dedication of the Winnipeg Manitoba Temple (170th operating
temple)
Saturday &
Sunday October 3 & 4: 190th Semiannual General Conference
Note: Temple announcements are always possible, so
it is not hard to believe that a few could be announced during this General
Conference.
Mid-September:
Rededication of the Mesa Arizona Temple
Mid-November:
Dedication of the Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple (171st operating
temple)
Note: At the groundbreaking for this temple (which
occurred on November 8, 2018), Elder Neil L. Andersen, who presided at this
event and gave his remarks in French, noted that construction of the temple was
anticipated to take around two years. For that reason, I am moving my previous
estimate for this temple’s dedication up to this point.
Mid-December:
Rededication of the Washington DC Temple
Final note on
2020: Some of the announced temples that will have a groundbreaking between
now and the end of 2019 could potentially be dedicated during this year. And
several other announced temples (I currently have 7 on my radar) could have a
groundbreaking during 2020 as well.
2021:
Saturday &
Sunday April 3 & 4: 191st Annual General Conference
Note: Depending on what happens between now (early
December 2018) and the dates for this General Conference, I could easily see
several new temples announced.
Mid-March:
Dedication of the Yigo Guam Temple (172nd operating temple
Mid-to-late April:
Dedication of the Praia Cabo Verde Temple (173rd operating temple)
Late April-early
May: Dedication of the San Juan Puerto Rico Temple (174th operating
temple)
Mid-to-late May: Rededication
of the Hamilton New Zealand Temple
June: Dedication
of the Urdaneta Philippines Temple (175th operating temple)
Saturday &
Sunday October 2 & 3: 191st Semiannual General Conference
Note: I am hoping that by the time this particular
General Conference weekend rolls around, the temple construction program of the
Church will have progressed to the point where some temples will continue to be
announced every six months.
Mid-November:
Rededication of the Hong Kong China Temple
Note: This is just a projected estimate, based on
what is currently known. As more information is revealed, this estimate could
be pushed forward or back as needed.
Mid-December:
Rededication of the St. George Utah Temple
Note: What I shared above about the probable
timing of the rededication for the Hong Kong China Temple also applies here: As
more information is made available, and as the renovation process proceeds, I
will be sure to make any adjustments to this estimate that might be needed.
Final note on
2021: If, as anticipated, several more temples are announced in 2019 and
2020, and any which have not yet had a groundbreaking have that occur within
that same time period, that in turn will multiply the number of known temple
events which will likely occur in 2021 and the years beyond. As more is learned
about future temple renovations, that will also have an impact on the number of
future events.
2022:
Saturday &
Sunday April 2 & 3: 192nd Annual General Conference
Note: Since the face of the Church’s temple
construction program will likely look entirely different by this time, I would
anticipate the announcement of several new temples.
Mid-August: Dedication
of the Pocatello Idaho Temple (176th operating temple)
Saturday &
Sunday October 1 & 2: 192nd Semiannual General Conference
Note: As
noted above (for the 2022 April General Conference), by this time, it is more
likely than not that the face of the Church’s temple construction program will
be looking entirely different. With that in mind, it seems more likely than not
that other temples could be announced during this General Conference.
Mid-November:
Dedication of the Bangkok Thailand Temple (177th operating temple)
Note: Because this temple is significantly larger
than temples which have been built in recent years, delays in that construction
process are more likely than not. It is also worth noting that the official
number for this temple is almost certain to change as other temples have a
groundbreaking and construction and are potentially completed before this one
is.
Final note: As
noted a few different times here, within the 3.82 years or so between now and
the end of 2022, the face of the Church’s temple construction program will
likely look very different. We currently have a Church President who has
clearly prioritized bringing the temples to the people, and the fact that he
announced 19 new temples within his first year as such verifies that beyond
doubt. I also am equally certain he will do all he can to clear the existing
backlog of announced temples. With that in mind, there will likely be many more
temple events to add to this list in the future. I am committed to bringing
updates in that regard to you all as I receive them.
