BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Groundbreakings Set for the Farmington New Mexico and Lindon Utah Temples

Hello again, everyone! A short time ago, the Newsroom and the Church News shared an exciting announcement:The second and third temple groundbreakings have been set for 2022. First up will be the Lindon Utah Temple. Elder Kevin W. Pearson, Utah Area President, will preside over that event, which will take place on Saturday April 23. The Lindon Utah Temple was one of six originally announced in October 2020, with a site announcement following two months later, with a rendering added to that announcement roughly six months later, As we also know, it has been previously confirmed that the Lindon Utah Temple will feature two baptistries.

The Farmington New Mexico Temple groundbreaking will occur on Saturday April 30, under the direction of Elder Anthony D. Perkins, who currently serves as the President of the Middle East/Africa North Area, but is a native of the region of Colorado that will also apparently be served by that temple. The temple, originially announced in April 2021, with a site confirmation following in mid-June of that same year, and the release of an exterior rendering following 4 months after that.

I received information late yesterday indicating that the Farming temple might have a groundbreaking sooner than I expected, but I was not able to confirm the details at that time. That being said, I do think this marks the beginning of a string of temple groundbreakings which could soon be announced. Among the next to have a groundbreaking are likely the Elko Nevada and Belo Horizonte Brazil Temples, along with several other temples in the United States, and perhaps also the Bahia Blanca Argentina Temple.

Whenever those announcements are made, I will be sure to pass word of those along to you all here. I am also monitoring all Church news updates and any other temple construction developments, and will likewise be sure to pass those along as I become aware thereof. In the meantime, 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: First Presidency Extends Washington D..C. Temple Open House; Pushes Back Rededication

 Hello again, everyone! Breaking news has been reported in a statement from the Temple Department, which was also shared by the Church News. Due to widespread interest in the reopening of the Washington D.C. Temple, the open house will still begin on Thursday April 28, but rather than concluding on Saturday June 4, it will be extended as needed to allow all who want to see it the opportunity to do so. The determination about the end date of the open house will be made later.

As a result of this adjustment, the temple's rededication, originally set for Sunday June 19, has been reschuedled to Sunday August 14. I am grateful for this inspired change. It means that some of the smaller temples, like Quito Ecuador, Praia Cabo Verde, Belem Brazil, and perhaps even Helena Montana, could be dedicated prior to this new rededication date for the Washington D.C. Temple. 

It will be interesting to see how all of that turns out. I continue to monitor all Church news updates and temple developments, and will be sure to pass those along to you all here as i become aware thereof. In the meantime, 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: 98.2% of All Operating Temples Will Offer Living & Proxy Ordinances in Phase 3

Hello again, everyone! Several weeks after the December 28 on temple reopenings, one major update has been announced today. In addition to the updated Church News article, the Newsroom has also shared the updates, which are likewise reflected in the temple reopening status tracker. This post will explore that update and what that means for temples worldwide.

This week's major update is that the San Jose Costa Rica Temple, which moved to phase 2-B earlier this month, will transition to phase 3 as soon as next Tuesday (February 1). As a result of this change, 167 of the Church's 170 temples will be in phase 3, which allows those temples to provide living ordinances in priority order and limited proxy work as scheduled. 

The Church News incorrectly notes that 166 of the 170 temples are open, but that article failed to take the situation of the Medford Oregon Temple into account. That requires some additional context: The Church News incorrectly lists the Medford Oregon Temple in phase 2-B, but that is not technically correct. That temple, originally announced to transition to phase 3 in August, closed not long after its' anticipated phase 3 transition for what the Church News incorrectly terms "extended maintenance", while the Newsroom and the Church's official page for that temple indicate it is closed for renovation. 

As recently mentioned, the temple's renovation may be minor, with the labor carried out by Church members rather than a construction crew including friends of other faiths, so there may be no need for the Church to publicly or privately rededicate that temple. That being said, the page for Medford also indicates that the temple has been granted a phase 3 designation, which allows those in the Medford temple district to schedule living ordinances and proxy work at the nearest temples open in phase 3. 

That's an update we haven't had before. As a result, while the Church News asserts that 97.6% of temples are in phase 3, the correct percentage should be 98.2%.No temples have currently transitioned to phase 4 (a full return to regular operations). But the good news is that, as COVID-19 conditions inprove in various parts of the world, the number of appointments scheduled for proxy work is gradually going to be able to increase. 

As a result of this transition for the San Jose Costa Rica Temple, that leaves 2 temples in phase 2-B, which allows living ordinances in priority order and proxy baptisms. So that means that, with all but 1 temple (Suva Fiji) offering limited proxy work, 99.4% of those 170 temples are now in phase 2-B or phase 3. So while the Church News incorrectly notes that 3 temples are in phase 2-B, there are only 2 temples still in phase 2-B: Barranquilla Colombia and Seoul Korea (neither of which have been announced for a phase 3 reopening in the near term). 

So this means that 9 temples are closed for renovation, with all 9 granted phase 3 status. 1 has been "paused" in phase 3, with 1 more in phase 1, and 0 in phase 2. With 2 temples in phase 2-B, the remaining 158 are in phase 3. I continue to be impressed by the inspired way in which the Church cautiously coordinates temple reopenings. The announcements on that, which may now come more sporadically than they have in the past, are wonderful to hear, and I'm grateful to have passed this news on to you all here.

For my part, I continue to monitor all other major Church news updates and temple developments and will do my best to pass word of those along to you all as I become aware 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.

Elder D. Todd Christofferson Observes His 77th Birthday

Hello again, everyone! I am back this morning for the purpose of posting a birthday tribute to Elder D. Todd Christofferson, who is today observing his 77th. As with the posts I have written for every other apostle, I will be sharing a biography herein with highlights about his life. Let's get right into all of that. David Todd Christofferson was born on this day in 1945 in American Fork, Utah (a place I proudly claim as my hometown) to Paul Vickery and Jeanne Swenson Christofferson . He spent his formative years in Pleasant Grove and Lindon, and his family subsequently relocated to Somerset New Jersey.

While there, he participated in the annual Hill Cumorah Pageant, and, having been urged by his bishop to do so, he earnestly sought a personal testimony of the gospel. Although he felt for a while that his prayer at that time had not been answered, the witness he was seeking came about a month later. At around this same time, his mother was diagnosed with cancer and underwent surgery for it. While his father learned later that he had gathered his brothers to pray for their mom, it would be years later before Elder Christofferson learned about his father's personal sacrifices to supply what his wife needed to help her with the housework.

Young Todd Christofferson also stepped in to help his mom by making homemade bread for his family, after being taught how to do so by his grandmother. After graduating from high school, he studied for a year at BYU prior to serving full-time in the Argentina North Mission, where he had two mission presidents, Ronald V. Stone, and his future colleague in the Quorum of the Twelve, Richard G. Scott. Following the conclusion of his missionary service, Elder Christofferson returned to BYU, and there he met Kathy Jacob, whom he married in May 1968.

He earned his bachelor's degree from BYU, and went on to get a doctor of law degree from the School of Law at Duke University. During his years as a young attorney, he clerked for Judge John J. Sirica at the time the Watergate hearings were occurring. When his clerkship ended, he took active duty with the US Army for a year, after which he served in the Army reserves for 8 years, by which time, he had achieved the rank of Captain. His professional career took his family to Washington DC, Nashville Tennesee, and Charlotte North Carolina.

During that same period of time, he would serve as a bishop, stake president, and in the now-defunct calling of regional representative to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. After being called as a general authority in April 1993 (at the same time as Elder Neil L. Andersen, alongside whom he now serves in the apostleship), he served in a variety of capacities (including as a member of area presidencies outside the US) until his call to the Presidency of the Seventy in August 1998. During his service in that presidency, he first served as the executive director for the Church's Family and Church History Department (which have since been split into two departments), where he worked to negotiate with Jewish religious leaders on the matter of performing temple ordinances for Holocaust victims, which in turn shaped the policy of Church members only being allowed to perform such ordinances for direct-line family members.

In 2004, the First Presidency announced that the Presidency of the Seventy would be relieved of responsibility for the Church Departments and would instead oversee areas in the United States and Canada. Elder Christofferson was given responsibility for the North America Southeast Area of the Church from August 2004-August 2007, at which time he was reassigned to oversee the North America Northwest and North America West Areas. He continued that assignment for 8 months, then, as we know, he was the first apostle called by President Thomas S. Monson in April 2008. At the time of his release from the Presidency of the Seventy, which came in conjunction with his call as an apostle, he had become the second-most senior member thereof.

During his first seven years as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, as noted, Elder Christofferson served alongside his former mission president, Richard G. Scott. Since his ordination as an apostle, Elder Christofferson has filled a wide variety of assignments, and he was serving as the senior member of the Quorum of the Twelve assigned to oversee the Church Public Affairs Committee when he was asked by President Nelson to introduce the new First Presidency in a worldwide broadcast on January 16, 2018. He has given 34 addresses in General Conference so far, 1 of which was given in the conference following his call as a General Authority, with 5 others given during his near decade in the Presidency of the Seventy.

Elder Christofferson currently ranks as the fifth most senior member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and he is also the fifth oldest. He remains the ninth in overall apostolic seniority and the seventh oldest among all of the apostles.

I am grateful for the life and ministry of Elder Christofferson. I had a couple of choice opportunities to meet him. His niece and her family lived in my parent's ward, so when their newest baby was blessed, Elder Christofferson presided at our Sacrament Meeting. A few years later, our paths crossed again while I was a temple worker, and he was the speaker at our yearly devotional. As one who has had the opportunity to chat informally with him on these two occasions, I testify that his call as one of the Savior's special witnesses is divinely inspired.

I greatly appreciate the chance to share these thoughts with you. 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.

Church President Russell M. Nelson Marks 4th Anniversary of His Ordination and Setting Apart as Prophet

Hello again, everyone! With today being January 14, it has been 4 years to the day since President Nelson became the Church President and prophet. In view of this milestone, I wanted to provide a look back and a look ahead at where the Church has been and where it could be as his ministry continues. I need not rehash the circumstances surrounding the death of Church Presidennt Thomas S. Monson or the introduction of the new First Presidency members in the Salt Lake Temple prior to the usual press conference. 

But I was touched by the account we heard just recently outlining the inspired process whereby the new prophet selected his counselors. I know a lot of people, myself included, who were not necessarily surprised to see President Nelson had appointed his longtime apostolic seatmate, President Oaks, as his First Counselor, but plenty of people appeared to be surprised that Elder Uchtdorf had not been retained in the new First Presiency. 

We remember, of course, Elder Uchtdorf's response to the new First Presidency, and it has been a thrill to hear of the ways in which he has contributed to the furthering of the work. Under the dynamic leadership of President Nelson, so much has changed in so many positive ways. After promising in that first press connference that there would someday be "more flavors in the mix" President Nelson kept that promise by appointing the first Asian-American and Latin American apostles. 

And although it was generally believed that President Nelson would not change too much in terms of Church organizations, programs, or policies, what we have seen in the last 4 years has been a brilliant transformation of the Church that focuses more on doctrine and less on tradition or habit. As mentioned yesterday in the Church News article about the anniversary, he has issued numerous invitations, coupled with prophetic promises. 

Of course we know that he himself has only dedicated two temples personally (Concepcion Chile and Rome Italy) and would have dedicated a third (Arequipa Peru) if he had not been dealing with a mild illness. The remaining nine were dedicated by his apostolic colleagues. And all 10 of the temples rededicated during the past 4 years have been handled by other apostles. I am wondering if President Nelson might opt to preside at the rededications for the Washington D.C. and Salt Lake Temples.

In his first four years he has announced 83 temples, all but 1 of which were announced in General Conference. Yesterday, we were privileged to see that one of those had its' dedication announced. Since the Church News published the article about the status of those 83 temples, a groundbreaking was held in December 2021 for the Bacolod Philippines Temple, while the groundbreaking for the Freetown Sierra Leone Temple.

Providing a full list of the wonderful things the Church has accomplished in the last four years under his inspired direction is a nearly-impossible task. But one thing is certain: The prophetic mantle continues with him, and, as the scriptures put it, he has been "sanctified by the Spirit to the renewal of [his body]." I vividly remember in hiis first General Conference as Church President that Elder Andersen expressed hope that President Nelson will be around for the next decade or two. 

There have been numerous statements by his fellow apostles and his wife indicating that he is hard to keep up with, and that he has the physical and mental stamina of a man 30-40 years younger than he actually is. So barring a major shift in the status of his health, it could be that "the next decade or two" could be an underestimate of how long he might be around.

As he's observed, the work is moving forward at a very accelerated pace. We have seen that verified fully by the increase in the number of breaking news developments I've provided on this blog since January 2018. And I have no doubt there will be even more to report in the coming years. To the best of my ability, I am committed to monitoring all of that and bringing word of that to you ASAP.

In the meantime, 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.