BREAKING NEWS: President Nelson Announces 8 New Temples

Hello again, everyone! Breaking temple news was just shared by President Russell M. Nelson during his concluding remarks. He mentioned that the details of plans to renovete the Salt Lake Temple and revitalixe Temple Square in various areas will be announced on Friday April 19, with plans for the renovations of the Logan and Manti Utah Temples to be announced as they are developed. I believe it is also fair to mention that since the "pioneer-generation" is a different period of time for every nation in which the Church has been established, temples that fit that definition in such lands will likely also be renovated in the coming years.

Additionally, before announcing 8 new temples, President Nelson emphasized correct protocol for such announcements as outlined in a couple of recent Church News articles. He mentioned that the excitement about each new temple should not detract from the reverential spirit that should prevail as the conference concluded. The 8 new temples were announced for the following locations: Pago Pago American Samoa, Okinawa City Okinawa, Neiafu Tonga, Tooele Valley Utah, Moses Lake Washington, San Pedro Sula Honduras, Antofagasta Chile, and Budapest Hungary.

Of those 8 temples, I had the exact location correct for 6, while the other two caught me by surprise. President Nelson may not have felt the timing was right to outline the extent and timing of his plans, but this brings the total number of temples in any phase to 209. There are now 35 temples with either a site announcement or groundbreaking pending.

Within the next 2 months, that will be trimmed down to 30, and I have a strong feeling more will be done during the remainder of this year to clear the current backlog of announced temples. And some of the locations for which temples were announced today could be candidates for smaller temples that would be easily approved and able to begin and complete construction within a 2-year period.

It is also worth noting that only 1 of those 8 locations this go-round was on the list of the top ten nations with the strongest Church presence that do not have a temple in any phase. American Samoa was ranked fourth on that list. I should also mention that another article released about temples by the Church News recently has me thinking that we may be seeing other new temples announced between now and the October General Conference. Time will tell,, but it is possible.

Having posted about this, I need to get back to updating my temple constrcution progress report, but I will be back later today with my thoughts on this General Conference weekend. In the meantime, 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 contet, 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.

Some Thoughts About Historic Developments Which Occurred Prior to General Conference Weekend

Hello again, everyone! After taking time to deal with some personal health and computer issues, I wanted to post some thoughts about the General Conference weekend thus far. First, in yet another unprecedented move, the First Presidency authoried the release of reports about teachings which were delivred by Church leaders during the Global Leadership Training, which was held within the two days preceeding this General Conference weekend.

Such meetings have long been held, but releasing reports on them is unprecedented. Counsel was provided by the First Presidency and other leaders (including each of the apostles, and many other general authorities, in addition to general officers of the Church). But it is regarding the First Presidency's remarks that another unanticipated change occurred. It was announced that same-sex marriage, while still being considered a serious transgression of God's laws relating to morality, would no longer be considered an act of apostasy.

Also, the policy instititued in 2015, which prohibited the naming and blessing of infants whose parents were in a same-sex relationshp, and postponed the eligibility of such children into the Church until they were 18 years old, has been lifted, replaced instead by guidelines that same-sex couples could ask any worthy Melchizedek Priesthood holder to give their baby or child a name and a blessing, and that such couples could decide with their children who are 8 or older on the subject of baptism, with the understanding that once on the records of the Church, children and youth of all ages would periodically be contacted by leaders and members of their local congregations.

I had a couple of observations about this policy update: Some may see this as President Nelson contiuning to undo things that have been standard for a long time, but the announcement was not made by President Nelson himself. Instead, it was made by President Oaks, who mentioned as part of that announcement that there had been full accord among all of the apostles that this change was in harmony with the Lord's will. And it was fitting to me that President Oaks made this announcement himself, since he has been one of the foremost apostles in recent years who has been unapologetic about the Church's stance on same-sex marriage and issues relating thereunto.

By saying that, I do not mean to imply in any way that he should be apologetic for the statements he has made defending the doctrine of the Church in relation to this subject. The Lord reminds us that he "cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance." But Church leaders throughout the ages have also made it clear that while one can hate the sin, the sinner should be loved, as should those who, through no fault of their own, are impacted by such transgressions of the Lord's laws.

And that aligns with what Christ said to the woman taken in adultery: "Neither do I condemn thee. Go thy way, and sin no more." With that example in mind, I want to clarify that He didn't condone or justify the sin: in this instance, He was saying in essence: "What you have done is wrong, but the old laws are outdated. Do your best to not repeat this error." In modern times, with the knowledge that the Law of Moses is fulfilled, and that the Lord now only requires a broken heart, a contrite spirit, and real intent to not repeat the error, His atonement makes up the difference for both the sinner and those affected by the sin.

With all of this in mind, we have yet another example of President Nelson earnestly seeking to know the will of the Lord, and his Brethren supporting the nature of these changes. which are perfectly aligned with the doctrine of the Lord and of His Church as those doctrines have been established in ancient and modern times. It is good to see that the Brethren recognize that the earlier policies took away from individual and familial choice, while the changes place more responsibility on the parents and the children affected by and through such changes.

I should also add that, after seeing reactions from those within the LGBTQ community to these adjustments, there seems to be a general impression that this may be the first of many efforts whereby the Church will continue to embrace and reach out in understanding to those in their community. I believe this to be a correct impression, but barring a complete paradigm shift in the Church's Bible-based doctrine about marriage (which, as supported by the Family Proclamation, teaches that marriage as sanctioned by the Lord consists of the union between a man and a woman), there are some aspects relating to the subject of same-sex attraction on which the Church cannot and will not change.

That said, I want to make my own position on one aspect very clear: the Church has supported measures that provide constitionally-based rights and privileges to those who are in same-sex relationships, and that is something with which I am also fully on-board. I have had a long-held belief that any two or more people or groups can disagree without becoming disagreeable. Differences of opinion are natural. What is unnatural is when such differences, disputes, or contentions lead to persecution, violence, or illegal conduct/

Even at times when any of us may not see eye-to-eye with each other, kindness, politeness, civility, respect, and common courtesy can, should, and must prevail in our discourse with one another. In the early days of the Church's establishment at various times and in various areas of the world, those who have joined the Church, and many missionaries for the Church have been subjected to violent persecution, mistreatment, and other conduct that would, in relation to similar treatement of other groups, be highly illegal. With such a history in mind, Church leaders have made clear how Church members need to act towards those with whom they disagree on any major issues. Our failure to follow that counsel will be something for which all of us will someday be held responsible.

Having shared my take thus far, I have some additional observations relating to the General Conference sessions held today, which I will share in another post later tonight, in addition to covering breaking news (if any) that will come from the Priesthood Session which starts in less than 15 minutes. 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 During the First Quarter of 2019

Hello again, everyone! Now that it is past midnight on April 1, 2019, I am back to share a look at progress the Church has made with temple construction during the recently-completed first quarter of 2019. In order to do so, I will be posting the first temple construction progress report for this year below, followed by an updated copy of that report which is current as of the last day of March (which ended just prior to

I wanted to note that, since very few, if any, items of information between these two reports is identical, the second report constitutes a complete alteration to just about everything from the first one. I won't highlight the differences in red this time, but will instead let the differences speak for themselves. So as to not 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.

First Temple Construction Progress Report for 2019:

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 11.26 years between now and then, which could be done if 3.46 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; and 2 additional temples for which a groundbreaking has been scheduled. Also, 11 temples are currently closed for renovation (1 of which has a rededication announced, with 5 or 6 others that are also anticipated to be rededicated next year). The remaining 28 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.

Dedication Scheduled:                                                                                                                     

162. Rome Italy Temple: Construction completed; furnishing and preparing temple for open house; accepting reservations for open house; dedication scheduled for Sunday March 10-Tuesday March 12, 2019.

163. Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple: Construction completed; furnishing and preparing temple for open house; dedication scheduled for Sunday April 14, 2019.

164. Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple: Stone cladding the front exterior walls and tower; dedication scheduled for Sunday May 19, 2019.

Under construction, completion anticipated during 2019:

165. Fortaleza Brazil Temple: Finalizing construction and landscaping; completion estimated sometime during mid-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: Angel Moroni installed; stone cladding nearing completion; installation of stained glass windows underway; meetinghouse gardens being planted; completion estimated sometime during late 2019.

Temples anticipated to be completed sometime during 2020:

168. Arequipa Peru Temple: Monument sign installed; guardhouse constructed; plaza landscaping well underway; completion estimated sometime during early 2020.

169. Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple: Scaffolding placed around tower; stone cladding of exterior walls continues; installation of stained glass windows underway; 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.

Temples anticipated to be completed sometime during 2020 or 2021:

171. Abidjan Côte d'Ivoire Temple: Setting poles for construction barrier; completion estimated sometime during late 2020-early 2021.

Groundbreaking scheduled:

172. Urdaneta Philippines Temple: Official rendering released; preparing for groundbreaking, which is scheduled for Wednesday January 16, 2019; completion estimated sometime during early-to-mid 2021.

173. Bangkok Thailand Temple: Demolishing the old Church office building; preparing for groundbreaking, which is scheduled for Saturday January 26, 2019; completion estimated sometime during mid-2022.

Undergoing Renovation (rededication scheduled)

13. Oakland California Temple: Closed for renovation; new water feature operating; Christmas lights on display as work progresses on interior; rededication scheduled for Sunday June 16, 2019.

Undergoing Renovation (rededication estimated sometime during 2019):

95. Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temple: Closed for renovation; pouring driveways and walkways; stone cladding nearing completion; rededication estimated sometime during mid-2019.

80. Memphis Tennessee Temple: Closed for renovation; stone cladding completed; installing stained-glass windows; rededication estimated sometime during mid-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; 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: On October 30, 2018, I reviewed the information I had available, and I accordingly reordered the temples in this section splitting them into two sub-categories. The first contains those for which there is sufficient information, based on which I have provided a rough groundbreaking estimate, 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.

Announced Temples (for which sufficient information has me confident enough to venture a general groundbreaking estimate):

174. Pocatello Idaho Temple: Government approval process; streets around temple site opened; groundbreaking anticipated in mid-2019.

175. Saratoga Springs Utah Temple: Government approval phase; probable site identified; awaiting official confirmation and artist’s rendering; groundbreaking could occur in mid-to-late 2019.

176. 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.

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 late 2019-early 2020.

178. 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.

179. Brasilia Brazil Temple: Planning and approval phase; site inspected by Church engineers on June 21, 2017; groundbreaking could occur in early 2020.

180. Greater Manila Philippines Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official name announcement; groundbreaking could occur in early-to-mid 2020.

181. Layton Utah Temple: Planning and approval phase; announced April 1, 2018; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking could occur in early-to-mid 2020.

182. Richmond Virginia Temple: Planning and approval phase; announced April 1, 2018; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking could occur in mid-2020.

183. Managua Nicaragua Temple: Announced April 1, 2018; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking could occur in mid-2020.

184. Salta Argentina Temple: Planning and approval phase; announced April 1, 2018; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking could occur in mid-2020.

185. 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.

186. Auckland New Zealand Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking could occur in mid-to-late 2020.

187. Phnom Penh Cambodia Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking could occur in ­mid-to-late 2020.

188. Mendoza Argentina Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking could occur in late 2020-early 2021.

Announced Temples (for which more information is needed before I provide an estimated groundbreaking time-frame):

189. Quito Ecuador Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

190. Belem Brazil Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

191. Cagayan de Oro Philippines Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

192. Salvador Brazil Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

193. Yuba City, California Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

194. Praia Cape Verde Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

195. Yigo Guam Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

196. Puebla Mexico Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

197. Lagos Nigeria Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

198. Davao Philippines Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

199. San Juan Puerto Rico Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

200. Russia Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official location 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.

Second 2019 Temple Construction Progress Report

Note about future temple construction: In late April 2017, Elder Larry Y. Wilson, who serves as the Executive Director of the Church’s Temple Department noted in an interview that the Church had a list of 80 potential temple locations which were being considered for an official announcement within the next 15 years (by late April 2032). In 2018 alone, President Nelson announced 19 new temples. And Elder Quentin L. Cook has been quoted recently as saying in effect that a ten-fold increase in the total number of temples would be part of that process.

With that in mind (as confirmed by the Church News recently), the Church is on track to have a minimum of 200 operating temples by or before Saturday April 6, 2030, which will mark the Church’s bicentennial anniversary. The Church would just need to complete 38 of the temples in various phases in the 11.02 years between now and then, which could be done if 3.45 temples are dedicated each year. And within the next year alone, the Church is anticipated to have 7 new temples dedicated, so there will be at least that many temples by that date, if not several more than that.

Current temple status: The Church has 201 temples in various phases, which include: 162 currently operating, 1 being prepared for its’ dedication; 1 being prepared for its’ public open house; and 2 more for which a dedication has been scheduled. There are additionally 7 others in various phases of construction, as well as 1 which has construction pending following its’ groundbreaking.

The Church has scheduled the groundbreaking for 5 other temples (which are all set to occur before the end of June), and there is enough information on 9 additional temples to consider them as being in a “Groundbreaking anticipated” status.

                                11 previously-dedicated temples are currently closed for renovation (4 of which have a rededication scheduled). The Church has also announced that 2 other temples will close for renovation later this year. During the October 2018 General Conference, President Nelson also announced that several temples (especially those from the “pioneer-era” will be closing for renovation as well.

                                The final 13 temples are announced, most, if not all, of which could see construction begin within the next few years, but certainly sooner if all goes well.

                               

Preparing for dedication:

163. Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple: Preparing for dedication, which is scheduled to occur on Sunday April 14, 2019.

Preparing for public open house:

164. Fortaleza Brazil Temple: Preparing for public open house; dedication scheduled to occur on Sunday June 2, 2019.

Dedication scheduled:

165. Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple: Temple exterior completed; decorative fencing installed; dedication scheduled to occur on Sunday September 1, 2019.

166. Lisbon Portugal Temple: Scaffolding removed; soft landscaping largely completed around meetinghouse and parking area; dedication scheduled to occur on Sunday September 15, 2019.

Under construction; completion anticipated during 2019:

167. Arequipa Peru Temple: Installing lamp-posts; planting trees and shrubs; preparing to lay sod; completion estimated sometime during late 2019.

168. Durban South Africa Temple: Poles for security cameras installed; sandstone cladding of entrance walls and fountain continues; millwork, tiling, painting, plumbing, data, electrical, and fire suppression installation continues; completion estimated sometime during late 2019.

Under construction; completion anticipated during 2019-2020:

169. Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple: Scaffolding removed from tower; majority of exterior cladding completed; interior work progressing; completion estimated sometime during late 2019-early 2020.

Under construction; completion anticipated during 2020:

170. Winnipeg Manitoba Temple: Pouring main floor slab for temple; framing continues for meetinghouse; completion estimated sometime during mid-2020.

Under construction; completion anticipated during 2020-2021:

171. Abidjan Côte d'Ivoire Temple: Foundation nearing completion; completion estimated sometime during late 2020-early 2021.

Under construction; completion anticipated during 2021-2022:

172. Pocatello Idaho Temple: Excavation for foundation underway; rough grading continues; construction trailers on site; completion estimated sometime during late 2021-early 2022.

173. Urdaneta Philippines Temple: Installing electrical substation and underground lines to temple site; completion estimated sometime during late 2021-early 2022.

Full-scale construction pending:

174. Bangkok Thailand Temple: Groundbreaking held on January 26, 2019; full-scale construction pending; completion estimated sometime during mid-to-late 2022.

Groundbreaking scheduled:

175. Yigo Guam Temple: Preparing Yigo chapel for demolition; groundbreaking scheduled for Saturday May 4, 2019; completion estimated sometime during early-to-mid 2021.

176. Praia Cabo Verde Temple: Preparing for groundbreaking, which is scheduled for Saturday May 4, 2019; completion estimated sometime during early-to-mid-2021.

177. San Juan Puerto Rico Temple: Demolition of the Trujillo Alto Ward chapel underway; groundbreaking scheduled for Saturday May 4, 2019; completion estimated sometime during early-to-mid 2021.

178. Quito Ecuador Temple: Official rendering released; preparing for groundbreaking, which is scheduled for Saturday May 11, 2019; completion estimated sometime during mid-2021.

179. Lima Peru Los Olivos Temple: Official rendering released; existing institute building and meetinghouse closed on January 27, 2019 in preparation for demolition; groundbreaking scheduled for Saturday June 8, 2019; completion estimated sometime during mid-2022.

Groundbreaking anticipated:

180. Saratoga Springs Utah Temple: Government approval phase; awaiting official site confirmation and release of artist’s rendering; groundbreaking could occur in mid-2019.

181. Brasilia Brazil Temple: Planning and approval phase; property fence installed around temple site; groundbreaking could occur in mid-2019.

182. Greater Manila Philippines Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official name announcement; groundbreaking could occur in mid-2019.

183. Richmond Virginia Temple: Preliminary plans submitted to local government; groundbreaking could occur in mid-to-late 2019.

Note: On March 27, 2019, new information on this temple indicated that plans had been submitted, but also the location where the plans will be utilized, which appears to be the location held in reserve for that prospect around 3-4 years before the temple was announced. If the First Presidency confirms this information, it is not hard to believe that a groundbreaking could be held at around the time indicated.

184. Nairobi Kenya Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site confirmation; groundbreaking could occur in mid-to-late 2019.

Note: The Church of Jesus Christ Temples site noted in mid-February 2019 that a site had been procured for this temple. But during President Nelson’s visit to Nairobi in April 2018, a public affairs representative had noted that this temple would be smaller, and that a dedication for it was anticipated to occur sometime in 2021. So it seems reasonable to assume that a groundbreaking could occur within the next 12 months, but hopefully sooner, if all goes well.

185. 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.

Note: Although the site visited by President Nelson in April 2018 has not been confirmed as the official location for the temple, Elder Andersen, in a November meeting with Zimbabwe’s Vice President, noted that the Church hoped to break ground for that temple in the late months of 2019. So I have no doubt that will be able to occur.

186. Salta Argentina Temple: Planning and approval phase; groundbreaking could occur in late 2019.

Note: The site has already been confirmed for this temple.

187. Mendoza Argentina Temple: Planning and approval phase; groundbreaking could occur in late 2019-early 2020.

Note: The site has already been confirmed for this temple.

188. Puebla Mexico Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking could occur in early 2020.

Note: A Church member living in Mexico reports that the area presidency is scouting that city for temple locations, and that construction could begin in the early months of 2020.

Undergoing Renovation (rededication scheduled):

80. Memphis Tennessee Temple: Entrance doors installed; open house reservations available through Saturday April 20, 2019; private rededication scheduled to occur on Sunday May 5, 2019.

95. Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temple: Installing entrance sconces; exterior lighting fully operational; planting shrubs; open house reservations available through Wednesday May 1, 2019; private rededication scheduled to occur on Sunday May 19, 2019.

13. Oakland California Temple: Open house reservations available through Saturday June 1, 2019; rededication scheduled to occur on Sunday June 16, 2019.

41. Frankfurt Germany Temple: Building accessibility ramp; installing irrigation lines; planting trees and shrubs; rededication scheduled to occur on Sunday October 20, 2019.

Undergoing Renovation (rededication estimated sometime during 2019):

68. Raleigh North Carolina Temple: Installing decorative fencing; planting trees and shrubs; pouring walkways; completion estimated sometime during mid-to-late 2019.

94. Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple: Angel Moroni installed on February 13, 2019; cladding of exterior walls continues; rededication estimated sometime during mid-to-late 2019.

Undergoing Renovation (rededication estimated sometime during 2019-2020):

112. Asuncion Paraguay Temple: Interior and exterior work underway; rededication estimated sometime during late 2019-early 2020.

                                                                                                                                  

Undergoing Renovation (rededication estimated sometime during 2020):

18. Tokyo Japan Temple: Interior and exterior renovations underway; rededication estimated sometime during early-to-mid 2020.

16. Washington D. C. Temple: Exterior wall grout and stained-glass window repair continues; rededication may take place sometime during mid-to-late 2020.

8. Mesa Arizona Temple: 104 new trees planted on north lawn; landscaping elements being installed; replacing sections of roof; rededication may take place sometime during mid-to-late 2020.

Undergoing Renovation (rededication estimated sometime during 2021):

11. Hamilton New Zealand Temple: Patron accommodation facilities demolished; preparing ground for replacement facilities; rededication may take place sometime during early-to-mid 2021.

Renovation scheduled (rededication estimated sometime during 2022):

48. Hong Kong China Temple: Scheduled to close for renovation on Monday July 8, 2019; rededication anticipated in mid-to-late 2022.

1. St. George Utah Temple: Scheduled to close for renovation on Monday November 4, 2019; completion anticipated in mid-to-late 2022.

Note on announced temples: During 2019, I again reevaluated the information I had available, and made further adjustments to this section following the completion of the revision process for the “Groundbreaking anticipated” section. The following estimates represent my best efforts to predict the timing for the future groundbreaking of each of these temples based on what I currently know about them.

Announced Temples (for which more information is needed before I provide a groundbreaking estimate):

189. Layton Utah Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

Note: A potential site has already been identified (though not yet confirmed) for this temple.

190. Belem Brazil Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

Note: On March 7, 2019, based on the unexpected timing whereby groundbreakings were announced for the Quito Ecuador and Lima Peru Los Olivos Temples, and given the anticipated timing for the groundbreaking of the Harare Zimbabwe Temple, the Belem Brazil Temple is the only other one announced in April 2016 that is not yet close to a groundbreaking. And since President Nelson has given some priority to the “oldest” among the announced temples, I am hoping the Lord will similarly surprise us with word on this temple’s site and groundbreaking in the not-too-distant future.

191. Managua Nicaragua Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

Note: I found out several years ago that the Church had held land in reserve for a temple in this city for a while now, so I hope that means a site confirmation will occur sooner rather than later.

192. Bengaluru India Temple: Planning and approval phase; announced April 1, 2018; awaiting official site announcement; President Nelson toured potential locations on April 19, 2018.

193. Auckland New Zealand Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

Note: I found out several years ago that the Church had held land in reserve for a temple in this city for a while now (with that fact confirmed by a Church member living in that area), so I hope that means a site confirmation will occur sooner rather than later.

194. Phnom Penh Cambodia Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking could occur in mid-2020.

Note: A potential site has been identified (though not yet confirmed) for this temple.

195. Yuba City, California Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

Note: A potential site has been identified (though not yet confirmed) for this temple.

196. Washington County Utah Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official city (and site) announcement.

197. Salvador Brazil Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

198. Lagos Nigeria Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

199. Cagayan de Oro Philippines Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

200. Davao Philippines Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

201. Russia 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.