Church News Updates include article about New GA Seventy Elder Taniela B. Wakolo

Hello! I am here again to report some Church news. This article shares the text of the dedicatory prayer for the Paris France Temple. The facts relating to the Paris France Temple are laid out in this article, although it should be noted that the groundbreaking date for this temple refers to the day when work formally started, as an actual groundbreaking did not take place. In this article, Elder Ballard shares a timely message with the young adults of the Church. This article introduces us to Elder Taniela B. Wakolo, who was sustained as a new General Authority Seventy last April. And then, from the Mormon Newsroom, we have this article, which details how Mormon History Day was observed recently in California.

That is all I have for now. Thanks for your readership and support.

Updated List of Temple Presidents that have been or might be called during 2017

Hello, all! With the callings of new temple presidents that were announced today, it has become necessary to post an updated list of those who have been or may yet be called. Enjoy! Let me know what you think.

New Temples whose presidents will begin serving later this year:

1.      Paris France (President announced in 2016; will begin formal service on May 21)

2.      Cedar City Utah (President  announced in March; will begin service on December 10)

3.      Tucson Arizona (President announced in March; will begin formal service on August 13)

4.      Meridian Idaho (President announced in April; will begin formal service in November 19)

Operating Temples whose president was changed earlier this year:

1.      Calgary Alberta (president changed sometime during March for an undisclosed reason, likely because the previous president died or became incapacitated)

General Note #1: The president of the Tokyo Japan Temple died during his active service in late April of this year. The Church has no doubt called one of his counselors as the new president so that the work of the temple can go on uninterrupted. Once I learn of that information, I will add that temple to one of the lists above.

General Note #2: Other operating temples, as has already been announced, will be getting a new president later this year as well, and if those changes take place as they did during my six-year service in the Mount Timpanogos Utah Temple, the new presidents will start their service on the first Monday or Tuesday of November, which fall this year on the 6^th and 7^th. Those temples that will have a new president this year include the following:

1.      Apia Samoa

2.      Logan Utah

3.      Vernal Utah

4.      Toronto Ontario

5.      Snowflake Arizona

6.      Phoenix Arizona

7.      Salt Lake

8.      Bern Switzerland

9.      Quetzaltenango Guatemala

10.  Louisville Kentucky

11.  San Diego California

12.  Mount Timpanogos Utah

13.  Madrid Spain

14.  Bogota Colombia

15.  Edmonton Alberta

16.  Newport Beach California

17.  Adelaide Australia

18.  Kona Hawaii

19.  Caracas Venezuela

20.  Bismarck North Dakota

21.  Mesa Arizona

22.  Columbia South Carolina

23.  Ogden Utah

24.  Lubbock Texas

25.  Guayaquil Ecuador

26.  Fort Lauderdale Florida

27.  Los Angeles California

28.  San Salvador El Salvador

29.  Manila Philippines

30.  San Antonio Texas

General Note #3: Temple presidents generally serve for around three years. With that in mind, I feel confident in predicting that the following temples may also have a new president announced:

1.      Baton Rouge Louisiana

2.      Buenos Aires Argentina

NOTE: The current president has been serving since this temple’s rededication in 2012. As that is well beyond the standard 3 years of service, it seems reasonable to assume that there will be such a change this year.

General Note #4: The presidents of the following temples would be marking their third year of service had they not closed previously for renovations. A new president may or may not be called this year for those temples.

1.      Freiberg Germany (Closed for renovation in 2014 and rededicated last year)

2.      Idaho Falls Idaho (Closed for renovation in 2015 and will be rededicated in less than a month)

General Note #5: The presidents of the following temples would be marking three years of service later this year if those temples were not closing for renovations within the next ten months. Therefore, there may or may not be a change.

1.      Asuncion Paraguay

NOTE: The current president has served since 2014, which means that this year would mark time for a charge. But this temple will close for renovation in October, one month before usual changes are made. As a subsequent rededication of this temple is anticipated sometime in 2019, it is more than likely that the Church will hold off on naming a new president until that time.

2.      Washington DC

NOTE: Though this temple president will have marked three years of service later this year, the temple will close for renovation next March. With that in mind, I could see the Church calling a new president this year for a few months prior to that renovation, or holding off on calling anyone until after the renovation is completed sometime during 2020.

General Note #6: The following two temples closed for renovations in the middle of their current president’s active service. Were it not for that, we would likely be seeing changes there as well.

1.      Jordan River (president has served since 2014; temple closed in 2015 and will be rededicated sometime next year, so a new president may not be called until sometime during 2020)

2.      Frankfurt Germany (president has served since 2013; temple closed in 2015 and will be rededicated sometime next year, so the president could be changed sometime within the next two years)

General Note #7: Temples that will most likely be dedicated during the early or middle part of next year and might therefore have their first presidents announced at some point during the fall of this year (since the first president of the Paris France Temple had its’ first: president called during the summer of 2016):

1.      Rome Italy

2.      Kinshasa DR Congo

3.      Barranquilla Colombia

Church News Update

The News and Events section of the Church website has recently undergone a massive update within the last couple of days. While I don't currently have time to post an analysis of all that news, I did want to post a link to where people can read about it themselves. Perhaps the most significant development, aside from the post about President Monson's recent decision to not take as much of an active role in Church leadership, is the scheduling of the first regional Face-to-Face event for the youth in the two geographic areas of Africa. The broadcast, which will feature Elder and Sister Renlund, will give them a chance to go back to the areas they grew to love so well as a result of their time in one of the Africa Area Presidencies. I also love Elder Renlund's self-effacing statement: "People usually like me more if they meet Ruth first." I have loved following how extensively the apostles have been traveling and talking lately, and that applies even more so with the increased role they will have in Church decisions in President Monson's stepping back. I have noticed particularly that even our newest apostles are hard at work filling a variety of assignments, and that speaks to how inspired their callings have truly been. More analysis will follow in the coming days on some stories. In the meantime, you will find the latest news here. Thanks. Comments are always welcome and appreciated.