UPDATE: October 2022 General Conference Predictions (Final Version)

Hello again, everyone! Now that the October 2022 General Conference is only 24 hours away, and with the deadline for comments on my predictions for this weekend having lapsed 12 hours ago, I am pleased to present the final version of those predictions. As a refresher, the initial version of those predictions was published here in mid-May, with an updated version following in early August. Then at the beginning of this month, the confirmation of official parameters for the conference led to further adjustments.

So what I would like to present as the final version of these predictions is the revised projected lineup for the speakers this weekend, the list of anticipated changes in general Church leadership, and my master list of all possible locations in which a temple is likely to be announced this weekend. It's also worth noting that I have prepared a list of 18 more specific locations, which seem particularly likely to be announced this weekend, and those are featured at the bottom of a different document tracking an area-by-area history of temples announced by President Nelson in each General Conference.

Just by way of clarification, anyone seeing these predictions that takes them as gospel will be sadly disappointed. My best analysis and reasoning always and forever pale in comparison to the inspiration of the Lord through His prophet, President Nelson. I am just as likely to be wrong about any or all of these projections as I am to be right. But I am grateful for the opportunity I take every six months to provide my best projections regarding what could happen.

As we move into this General Conference weekend, I have no doubt there will be new temples announced but don't have any solid idea regarding anything else that could occur. Whatever might happen, I will be sure to pass my analysis thereof along here as I can put that together. I am also pleased to announce that I will be providing my traditional end-of-third-quarter report on temple progress here before midnight tonight.

I continue to monitor all Church news updates and temple developments and remain committed to bringing word of those reports to you all here as I find out about them. In the meantime, that does it for now. Thank you for the privilege of your time. All comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as the offered feedback is made per the established guidelines. 

I hope any of you who would like to share anything will take your opportunity to “sound off” in the comments below. 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: Site Location, Rendering, and Groundbreaking Arrangements Released for Heber Valley Utah Temple; Site Location Confirmed for the Teton River Idaho Temple

Hello again, everyone! A short time ago, the First Presidency provided updates on two temples in the United States. In a single announcement, the location, exterior rendering, and groundbreaking arrangements were confirmed for the Heber Valley Utah Temple and the site location has been confirmed for the Teton River Idaho Temple. There's a lot to get into, so let's jump right in.

The three-story 88,000-square-foot Heber Valley Utah Temple will be built southeast of 1400 East Center Street in Heber City on a 17.9-acre site. The groundbreaking for that temple has been set to occur on October 8, 3 weeks before the previously-announced groundbreaking for the Willamette Valley Oregon Temple, and Elder Kevin R. Duncan, the executive director of the Church's Temple Department, will preside at that event. 

Turning now to the Teton River Idaho Temple, the three-story130,000 square-foot temple will be built northwest of Second East 2000 North in Rexburg Idaho on a 16.6-acre site. Although no exterior rendering has been released for that temple yet, since the Church has already cleared the site, hopefully, confirmation of that rendering and the groundbreaking arrangements will be announced in the coming weeks. 

The Heber Valley Utah and Teton River Idaho Temples were 2 of the 4 US temples announced last October, so it's nice to see these official announcements. And it gives me hope that additional announcements about US temples may also come soon. Likewise, I hope for other official announcements about temples outside the United States. And this is the second Monday in a row in which major temple announcements have been made in the afternoon, so it could be the start of a new trend.

I continue to monitor all such updates and will be sure to pass those along as they cross my radar. In the meantime, that does it for now. Thank you for the privilege of your time. All comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as the offered feedback is made per the established guidelines. 

I hope any of you who would like to share anything will take your opportunity to “sound off” in the comments below. 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: Opening Arrangements Announced for San Juan Puerto Rico Temple; Renovation Plans Announced for Stockholm Sweden Temple

Hello again, everyone! This afternoon, the First Presidency made a major announcement regarding two temples of the Church: opening arrangements for the San Juan Puerto Rico Temple, and a planned renovation for the Stockholm Sweden Temple. Let's break down the details: A media day on Monday, November 28 will be followed by invited guest tours on Tuesday and Wednesday, November 29 and 30. 

The public open house for the San Juan Puerto Rico Temple will be held from Thursday, December 1-Saturday, December 17, 2022. Although a youth devotional is not mentioned, I assume that will occur on Saturday, January 14, followed the next day by the dedication of that temple in three sessions at 9:00 AM, 12:00 PM, and 3:00 PM Puerto Rican time, which is 7:00 AM, 10:00 AM, and 1:00 PM the same day here in Utah. 

Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will preside at the dedication. I had recently shared my theory that since August has come and gone without the announcement of temple dedications or rededications, any that were set would occur next year, and that appears to be the case. The one exception might be the Columbus Ohio Temple, which is nearing completion and could probably have an open house and rededication prior to the end of this year.

That being said, let's move on to the Stockholm Sweden Temple. That temple will close sometime next year for an extensive renovation that will nearly double the size of that temple from 16,366 square feet to approximately 31,000 square feet. That will increase the capacity of the temple, which will now have two rooms for the endowment that will include 40 seats apiece. 

A rendering of the redesign was also released in conjunction with this announcement. Due to the extensive work planned, the temple will remain closed for approximately three years, reopening sometime in 2026 or 2027. So we now have three temples that are set to close for extensive renovations next year: Kona Hawaii, Provo Utah, and Stockholm Sweden. Each of those renovations involves an overhauled exterior look and expansions.

I am grateful to have learned about this and to have passed it along to you all. I continue to monitor all such updates and will be sure to pass them along here as I become aware thereof. In the meantime, that does it for now. Thank you for the privilege of your time. All comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as the offered feedback is made per the established guidelines. 

I hope any of you who would like to share anything will take your opportunity to “sound off” in the comments below. 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.