BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Phased Reopening of Temples to Continue Through August and September

Note: An initial version of this post was published on this blog at 10:12 AM. Following the addition of specific details, the updates were published between 1:00-1:30 PM.

Hello again, everyone! Another week has come and gone, and it is time once again for me to provide analysis on the latest temple reopening updates from the Church. Those updates have been (or soon will be) released through the Newsroom, the Church News, and the temple status tracker which lists the temples in each of the Church's 22 areas). 

I hope to be able to post a more complete analysis on these changes later today, but I have another commmitment this morning that will delay my analysis on the latest updates. Stay tuned for a more complete report later this afternoon. This post will be updated. In the meantime, my thanks once again to you all.

I am back just under 3 hours from when this post was originally published to provide further analysis and information about the latest temple reopening adjustments which were announced this morning. Two temples in Mexico (Ciudad Juarez and Colonia Juarez Chihuahua Mexico) are expected to transition to phase 3, allowing all proxy ordinances in priority order, with limited proxy work available as scheduled for those temples. 

Although the Church has not yet specified how soon it might occur, the updates released today also noted that the Medford Oregon Temple will also transition to phase 3 by the end of this month. Since that shift was not noted as part of today's update, I'm assuming that the phase 3 designation will be effective for Medford either later this week, or by either of the two remaining Tuesdays of this month (August 24 and 31 respectively).

There are now 10 temples which have not been granted any phase designations that would allow any form of proxy work (phases 2-B and 3). Of those temples, 2 are closed for renovation: Tokyo Japan (which is completed but awaiting announced reopening arrangements) and Hong Kong China (which is anticipated to be rededicated in the mid-to-latter part of that year (probably sometime around August, September or October). 

For the remaining 8 not yet able to offer proxy work, 1 (San Jose Costa Rica) is in phase 1, with 1 other (Buenos Aires Argentina) which was in phase 2 but had to pause in its' reopening process). The final 6 temples (Barranquilla and Bogota Colombia; Arequipa Peru, Kyiv Ukraine, Montevideo Uruguay, and Seoul Korea) are in phase 2.

As of next Monday (August 23), 8 temples will remain closed for renovation (all but two of which, Hong Kong China and Tokyo Japan) have been granted phase 3 designations, which allows the patrons residing in the districts of those temples to schedule limited proxy work at nearby temples which are also in phase 3). 7 other temples remain "paused" in their reopenings (of which 5 were in phase 3, with 1 each in phases 2-B and 2).

Only 1 temple is currently in phase 1, with 6 remaining in phase 2, 19 others offering living ordinances and proxy baptisms in phase 2-B; and the remaining 127 have been given phase 3 status, allowing living ordinances and all proxy work by appointment, with limitations and protocols in place. As I read about and pass along these reports on this blog, I'm continually blown away by how well the Church is monitoring COVID-19 conditions around the world and making weekly adjustments as necessary.

Of course, to a certain extent, it's not surprising at all that a Church guided by heavenly inspiration through a living prophet has been better equipped than many secular, governmental, or educational entities at rolling with the changing circumstances that the fluctuating COVID-19 situation requires. While not surprising, it is impressive. And I hope that each of you, my readers and followers, have found similar inspiration and comfort in observing that process as well.

With my having added some new reports from the Newsroom and the Church News that were provided between the release of the temple reopening information and now, I continue to monitor all major updates in that regard, in addition to the latest developments and milestones. I also continue to work as I can on my predictions for the upcoming October General Conference and will publish those here ASAP once I have those completed.

That does it for now. 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.

In Honor of President Dallin H. Oaks on His 89th Birthday

Hello again, everyone! I am back in the early-morning hours of August 12 to pay tribute to the third (and last) apostle who has his birthday this month. President Dallin H. Oaks is observing his 89th birthday today. Dallin Harris Oaks was born on this day in 1932 to Dr. Lloyd E. and Stella Harris Oaks in Provo, Utah. Included in his mother's ancestry is Martin Harris, who, as we know, was one of the three witnesses of the Book of Mormon. 

President Oaks' first name was given in honor of the last name of an artist with whom his mother had worked (as the model) for a statue in Springville Utah. His father was an ophthalmologist, and he died when young Dallin was age 7 from complications of tuberculosis. Being the oldest child of his family, the death of his father gave young Dallin some unique opportunities to help his mother and to be an example to his younger siblings, which was one thing of which he has frequently spoken.

After his father died, his mother was able to earn a graduate degree at Columbia University and support her family by working to provide adult education opportunities for those who needed it. She also went to be the first woman elected to Provo's City Council, and she also served for a time as assistant mayor. In the meantime, young Dallin attended Brigham Young High School, where he played football and became a certified radio engineer.

Once he started attending BYU, he took many opportunities to be the radio announcer at high school games. At one of those games, he was introduced to June Dixon, whom he would later date and subsequently marry. He was unable to serve as a full-time missionary because he was a member of the National Guard, and there was a possibility he could have been called up to serve during the Korean War. Dallin and June were married in 1952, and he graduated from BYU two years later with a degree in accounting. 

He went on to study law at the University of Chicago, graduating with his degree 3 years later. He spent the early part of his professional career clerking for Chief Justice Earl Warren of the US Supreme Court. After that, he practiced law at Kirkland and Ellis. He left that job in 1961 to become a professor at Chicago Law, While in that capacity, he served as interim dean. During that same period of time, the University of Chicago was desperate to get Dr. Russell M. Nelson, a renowned heart surgeon, on their staff, and Professor Oaks was asked to represent the university in trying to convince Dr. Nelson to accept the offer. 

Although those efforts proved unsuccessful, that encounter resulted in lifelong friendships for the Nelsons and the Oaks. He also served on the foundational board of a Mormon thought periodical. He was also chairman of the university's disciplinary committee. He took a leave of absence from the University while serving as legal counsel to the Bill of Rights Committee of the Illinois Constitutional Convention. He left the law school for good in 1971 when he was appointed the new president of BYU (for which many candidates, including Brother Nelson, were considered), a position he held for nine years. 

He then went on to serve for five years as chairman of the board of directors for PBS, and eight years as chairman of the board of directors of the Polynesian Cultural Center. In 1980, he was appointed a justice of the Utah Supreme Court, an office he held for the next four years. He was rumored to have been considered by two US Presidents (Gerald Ford and later Ronald Regan) for a nomination to the US Supreme Court. He had made plans with his wife, June, to serve a mission after he had served on the Utah Supreme Court for a decade.

However, a surprise change in direction for him came in 1984. He was at a law conference fulfilling several judicial obligations when President Gordon B. Hinckley, then a counselor to the ailing Church President, Spencer W. Kimball, tracked him down via phone call. The purpose of the call was to notify him that he'd been selected to become an apostle and member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. 

At the time, there were two vacancies in the Quorum due to the deaths of Elders LeGrand Richards on January 11, 1983, and Mark E. Petersen exactly one year to the day later. Due to the ill health of President Spencer W. Kimball, neither vacancy had been filled prior to that General Conference. April 1984. Elder Oaks became the junior apostle to Elder Russell M. Nelson, though the two were sustained in the same General Conference. Although both were called at the same time, Elder Oaks was unable to be present at the General Conference at which the two were sustained.

President Hinckley, in leading that sustaining, offered the following explanation: "With reference to Dallin Oaks, I should like to say that while we nominate and sustain him today, he will not be ordained to the apostleship, nor will he be set apart as a member of the Council of the Twelve, nor will he begin his apostolic service, until after he completes his present judicial commitments, which may require several weeks. He is absent from the city, and necessarily absent from the conference. We excuse him."

Elder Oaks was ordained an apostle just short of four weeks after being sustained, having been sustained on April 7 and being subsequently ordained to the apostleship on May 3. He had his first opportunity to respond to his apostolic call six months later, speaking on the importance of witnesses, within the context of his new assignment to be a special witness of Jesus Christ. He has now been an apostle for over 34 years, during which time he has filled a wide variety of assignments, and has had many opportunities to meet with and speak to Church members in various parts of the world. In addition to losing his father early on in his life, Elder Oaks also experienced the death of his wife June, who passed away in 1998.

Just over two years later, Elder Oaks married Kristen M. McMain, who has been by his side ever since. In 2002, he and Elder Holland were asked to be the first apostles in around 100 years to live on-location in two of the Church's geographical areas, with then-Elder Oaks being based in the Philippines, and Elder Holland being assigned to preside in Chile. With the death of President Thomas S. Monson in January 2018, Elder Oaks became the second most-senior apostle.;

President Nelson, in becoming the new Church president, felt impressed to call his apostolic seat-mate, Elder Oaks, to serve as First Counselor in the First Presidency. He was set apart in both that capacity and as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on January 14, 2018. President Oaks has given a total of 87 addresses in General Conference, the first of which was given during his service as BYU-Provo President. Interestingly enough, that address from the early 1970s is somehow not listed in the Church's repository webpage of his General Conference addresses). He gave 68 additional addresses in General Conference as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and the remaining 18 (so far) as a member of the First Presidency. He currently ranks as both the second most senior member and the second oldest member of the First Presidency, while he is the second in overall apostolic seniority, and the third oldest apostle who is currently serving.

I am grateful to have been able to take the opportunity to share more about President Dallin H. Oaks on this, his 87th birthday. I testify that his apostolic call, along with the calls of all other apostles, have indeed been divinely directed and inspired, as has how and when they have each moved up in the ranks thereof.

That does it for now. 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.

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Additional Temple Reopenings Announced for August and September

Preliminary note: An initial version of this post was preset to publish on this blog at 10:35 AM MDT this morning, which coincided with the exact time at which the latest temple reopening developments were reported by the Church News and the Newsroom. Due to personal circumstances today, I was unable to complete the process of updating the post with today's announced adjustments until 5:00 PM-6:00 PM MDT. The post still shows the original timestamp.

Hello again, everyone! I am back to share the latest temple reopening updates, which were released by the Church this morning. This post will highlight those updates, as they in are found in the updated official release from the Newsroom, with coverage also provided through the Church News update and the updated temple reopening status tracker. 

Let's get into what these changes are, when they will go into effect, and the updated data about how many temples will be open in each operational phase as of next Monday (August 16). According to today's report,  barring any unexpected readjustments, by the end of August, all but 11 of the Church's temples worldwide are anticipated to be able to offer some proxy ordinances (through phases 2-B and 3).Of the 157 temples which have seen phased reopenings, 6 of the 8 temples closed for renovation have had phase designations given to their temple districts, which allows patrons in those districts to schedule phase 2-B or 3 ordinances at the nearest temples offering those phases.

The only two temples closed for renovation which have not yet been given a desiganted reopening phase are Hong Kong China and Tokyo Japan. The remaining 9 temples not yet open in a phase which would allow proxy ordinances are the Barranquilla and Bogota Colombia, Arequipa Peru, Kyiv Ukraine, Montevideo Uruguay, and Seoul Korea Temples (which are each in phase 2); the Porto Alegre Brazil Temple (which is in phase 2 until one week from today); the Buenos Aires Argentina Temple (which had reached phase 2 before being currently paused in its' reopening); and the San Jose Costa Rica Temple (currently in phase 1). 

Today's update also notes that the Kyiv Ukraine Temple moved to phase 2 operations effective yesterday. Additionally, the Sao Paulo Brazil Temple transitioned to phase 2-B as of Saturday August 7, with the Campinas, Curitiba, and Recife Brazil Temples doing the same, effective today. The Porto Alegre Brazil Temple might also transition to that phase, as soon as next Tuesday (August 17). The Cordoba Argentina and Port-au-Prince Haiti Temples unpaused their operations, with the former resuming phase 2-B, and the latter resuming phase 3. Additionally, the Spokane Washington Temple will move to phase 3 as early as next Monday (August 16), with the Medford Oregon Temple following at a yet-to-be-determined date in August as well.

In view of today's reported updates, as of next week, 8 temples remain closed for renovation (6 of which have had their districts designated into a reopening phase), with 7 more "paused" in their reopenings. Of those 7, 5 had been in phase 3 when they were paused, with 1 each in phases 2-B and 2. Of the remaining temples in various phases of reopening, the Church has just 1 in phase 1, 7 in phase 2, 20 in phase 2-B, and the reamining 125 in phase 3. 

I am grateful for the measured approach and week-to-week adaptability the First Presidency has shown in their efforts towards reopening temples as quickly and as safely as possible. I remain committed to bringing you all the latest in Church news and temple developments (relative to temple reopenings, temple construction, and temple milestones).

That does it for now. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such omments 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.