BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Church Confirms Location and Preliminary Information for the Bercelona Spain Temple

Hello again, everyone! True to form, on this Monday at this 2:00 PM hour in Utah, the First Presidency has made the first major temple announcement of 2023. The location and preliminary details have been provided for the Barcelona Spain Temple, which, as we know, was originally announced in April of last year. Here are the details: 

A 5.4-acre site at the intersection of Avinguda de la Vía Augusta and Avinguda de la Clota, Sant Cugat del Vallès in Barcelona will serve as the location of the two-story 27,500 square foot temple, along with a 13,600 square foot ancillary building, which will include arrival and distribution centers and patron housing. 

This now brings the total number of temples with sites announced to 25, most (if not all) of which will likely have groundbreakings this year. To be perfectly honest, I was hoping we might get an announcement on opening arrangements for either the Bentonville Arkansas or Okinawa Japan Temples, if not for both of them. But I'm not in any way disappointed by this news. 

With 2 temples originally announced in April 2018, 1 each the following October and April, 3 from April 2020, 5 and 8 from April and October of 2021, respectively, and 6 and 14 respectively from April and October of last year (still weird to say that at this point), the Church has not yet announced any information on 40 of the 68 announced temples.

What does that mean for the future? Well, bearing in mind that there are 8 temples in the queue that might have opening arrangements announced in the next 4-6 months or so, and 25 temples with sites announced (with exterior renderings released for 11 of those), we are unlikely to be short on temple announcements. 

I seem to recall that, during the pandemic, since the Church could not hold General Conference leadership meetings as usual in 2020, over the course of two days, two significant announcements were made relating to temple construction instead. 

So I have a theory that, while Monday could be a day for some major updates like site announcements or exterior renderings, maybe Thursday, which has been a standard day for other major Church announcements, or another day of the week could be used to announce other major temple news. 

Since President Nelson said a couple of years ago that things were going to move forward at an accelerated pace, it would make sense that, to keep up with a rapidly-progressing queue, some weeks going forward may include 2 temple-related announcements.For my part, I will continue to monitor all such updates and will do my best to bring you word of those (along with any Church news updates) to the best of my ability.

In the meantime, that does it for now. 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. 

Please subscribe if you liked what you read here and would like to be informed of newly-added posts and comments. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

2022 Year-End Review of Developments Covered On This Blog

 Hello again, everyone! Although the Newsroom and the Church News have already provided multiple reports to cap off the year, and although more of those have come through today, I would be remiss as we close out the year if I did not look back myself at the major highlights covered on this blog this year. Either this year or last year, someone in the comments of this blog said that the content I provide was comparable to "the Church News on steroids". While I don't know if that's an accurate assessment of my work, there has been a lot going on this year. Let's take a look back at key highlights from 2022.

Temple updates, as noted in my last post, were outstanding and significant. Numerous reports covered the day-to-day ministry of our apostles and General Officers of the Church, including birthday tributes to the apostles and female general officers. Breaking news often came down the pike, not all of which was related to temple construction. I hit the outstanding milestone of 2,200 posts earlier this year. And of course, there were the unique projects and milestones of which I took note.

So many of the major announcements were developments I wasn't necessarily anticipating. But with the Church finding ways to hasten temple construction, and with the ongoing ministry of general leaders, updates were never in short supply. And I continued my personal tradition of praying in advance of every maojr announcement. As those developments were reported, I felt they were exactl;y what the Church needed for this period of time.

In the midst of global disasters, the Church stepped up in big ways to help in any way possible. Numerous Church leaders met with dignitaries and major representatives of governments around the world. The Church expanded its' golobal reach, and missionaries continued to find innovative ways to expand their reach as well. If there is one hting I hope my readers take away from coverage of these developments here in 2022, I hope it is that the Lord is very much at the helm of His work, that prophets and apostles continue to provide inspired direction, and that all is well in the Lord's kingdom here on Earth because of that.

And so, as I close out this look back, I also want to look ahead to the future. As I mentioned in my last post, I will not be shocked if 2023 is another big year for temple developments. The Church is on track to dedicate 20-30 temples in 2023 alone, and around the same number of groundbreakings appear to be anticiapted. I also expect the Church will announce a minimum of 35 temples again this year.

As far as content unique to this blog, I have complied a list of anticipated projects for the upcoming year. And the day-to-day updates from the Church News, the Newsroom, the Church Temples site, and the Church Growth Blog will also be shared here as time and circumsstances allow. 2022 has also been a big year for feedback from all of you, my readers, in the way of corrections, clarifications, or additional observations.

I could not do what I do here to the extent that I do it were it not for the extensive intinerest and support provided by those of you who follow along here, who often share feedback and thoughts, and who continue to encourage me in those ongoing updates. So as we look back at 2022 and ahead to 2023, "thank you" seems woefully inadequate, but it will have to do.

For my part, I continue to monitor all Church news and temple construction updates and will be sure to pawss word of the latest developments to you all here as time and circumstancs allow going forward. In the meantime, that does it for now. 

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. 

Please subscribe if you liked what you read here and would like to be informed of newly-added posts and comments. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

2022 Year-End Review of Temple Construction

Hello again, everyone! In these closing minutes of 2022, I would be remiss if I failed to pass along a look back at temple construction progress during this year. First, it's worth referring back to the three-part summary of temple construction developments published by the Church News. 

The first part highlighted temple dedications and rededications, when they occurred, and who presided at each one. A total of 4 temple rededications and 5 new temple dedications took place in 2022, and the Church has already set the first three temple dedications for next year.

The second part summarized key information about the 16 temple groundbreakingss held this year, which outpaced the 12 temples that had groundbreakings last year. The Church has already set the first temple groundbreaking for 2023, and a minimum of 27 others could also have groundbreakings next year.  

The second part also highlighted the fact that there are 37 other temples worldwide that are currently under construction (5 in Utah; 8 elsewhere in the United States, 3 in Central America, 6 in South America, 3 in Africa, 8 in Asia, and the final 3 in Oceania). The article also highlighted the 3 temples currently undergoing renovation and 3 others for which renovations have been scheduled.

The final article, published earlier today, highlighted information about the announced temples. With 35 new temples announced this year, that is a new record. Of all the announced temples, 1 has a  groundbreaking scheduled, and 27 others could also have a groundbreaking in 2023. 

That includes a total of 6 temples that had sites revealed and exterior renderings released prior to this year, and a whopping 17 others that had sites revealed this year alone, with 1 of those having an exterior rendering released at the same time as the site confirmation, and 4 others having exterior renderings released after the site confirmation.

Interestingly enough, two of those closest to a groundbreaking (the Montpelier and Teton River Idaho Temples) have had sites confirmed and cleared for likely groundbreakings, but neither of them have had exterior renderings released. I anticipate those two temples, along with the other 14 temples that have had sites confirmed, might soon have exterior renderings released in 2023 as well.

Regarding the the remaining 41 temples in the planning and design phase, the final 6 in the United States (which were announced in October of last year or April or October of this year) could soon have sites announced..4 others outside the United States could have official details announced soon after the first of the year, and the remaining 31 are announced. And I have another document showing information about the 41 temples for which no official details have been announced yet.

Having shared that information, by way of review, I wanted to look back at where temple construction stood as 2023 began, one day before the April 2022 General Conference at the mid-point of 2022, on the first morning of the October 2022 General Conference, and where things stand as 2022 concludes. I appreciated this chance to review temple construction progress for 2022. I will be back shortly with a final post for the year, looking back at the major developments in the Church in 2022.

In the meantime, that does it for now. 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. Please subscribe if you liked what you read here and would like to be informed of newly-added posts and comments. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

Initial Predictions for the April 2023 General Conference:, Part Two: Changes in General Church Leadership, Statistical Report 2022, and Potential Locations in Which a Temple Could Be Announced

Hello again, everyone! I am back as promised with a look at the initial version of my predictions for the April 2023 General Conference. This post will discuss the potential changes in general Church leadership, the estimated numbers for the Statistical Report 2022, and the potential locations in which the Church could announce new temples. So let's get right into it:

As I mentioned in my last post, any changes in the Presidency of the Seventy that would be effective in August 2023 are likely to be sustained in advance. And April has traditionally been the General Conference each year in which new General Authority Seventies and Area Seventies are sustained.  As I also mentioned in my previous post, I anticipate that the Church will release the current Young Women General Presidency and announce a new one, effective August 1. 

If the new Young Women General President is a current counselor in the Primary or Relief Society General Presidency, the subsequent changes will be sustained in advance. There may be changes to the Sunday School or Young Men General Presidency if any members are sustained as GA Seventies. I can't and won't give any more specific predictions there.

So we now turn to the statistical report. All numbers are essentially fairly speculative, with the numbers for the total stakes, districts, wards, and branches based on a guesstimate from the Church Temple site's statistical page and from Fuller Consideration. Aside from the total number of temples, the estimates for other elements typically found in the statistical report are based on complex algorithms that are difficult to describe.

So we now turn to the temple list. I was able to find at least a few new prospects, but most of them are carried over from my corresponding predictions for new temples from October of this year. I have also taken the liberty of adding a general note about which major metropolitan areas might be the next ones to have multiple temples announced simultaneously.  

While it is possible that any such announcements could relate to regions in the United States, it seems more likely that, at least initially, the Church will focus on those regions found outside the US. I also think that, because the Church will dedicate four temples here in Utah next year (Layton, Orem, Taylorsville, and Red Cliffs), and since all other new Utah temples are now under construction, the Church could and potentially will announce one or two temples in Utah this go-round. 

As we also know, the last new Utah temple was announced in October 2021, and there are several locations within both the Utah area and the state of Utah where new temples would make sense. So although there was a precedent set this year for no Utah temples to e announced, I think we can safely assume that at least one but possibly two new Utah temples are imminently likely.

Since President Nelson is reportedly hoping to announce a minimum of 35 temples per year every year for the time being, I think we could see anywhere between 15-20 new temples being announced in the upcoming General Conference. Whatever may happen in terms of that conference, I will be sure to pass anything along once I hear about it. 

It probably goes without saying, but I will, of course, update these predictions once the details of the Saturday Evening Session are outlined. Having said all of that, the commenting period for these predictions is now officially open and will remain open until Thursday March 30 of next year (just over 3 months from now) at 10:00 PM, which will give me 36 hours to make any final adjustments to these predictions if needed. 

In the meantime, I continue to monitor all major Church news and temple construction updates and will bring word of those to you as I learn about those developments.That does it for now. 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. Please subscribe if you liked what you read here and would like to be informed of newly-added posts and comments. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

Initial Predictions for the April 2023 General Conference, Part One: Speaker Lineup Predictions

 Hello again, everyone! With just a few days of 2022 remaining, I do plan to provide my traditional year-end temple construction progress review and a look back at major developments covered there this year, and a look ahead to those projects I have planned for next year. But in the interim, I wanted to provide my initial predictions for the April 2023 General Conference. 

Since we likely won't get an announcement on the plans for the Saturday Evening Session until February, the predictions for the potential speaker lineup includes a projection that the third session of General Conference will be another general one for all members and friends of the Church. I have also allowed for the possibility that President Nelson could either be the first or last speaker in the first session. 

Additionally, it's worth noting that the Church has continued to ask more of the female General Officers of the Church to speak. The two counselors in the Relief Society General Presidency spoke in October, meaning that Sister Camille N. Johnson might be the only one from that presidency to speak this time around. 

Sister Tracy Y. Browing spoke in October, and Amy A. Wright spoke six months earlier alongside Sister Susan B. Porter when Sisters Porter and Wright were serving as counselors to Sister Johnson. It seems more likely to me that Sister Porter will again speak this time around since she has not spoken since her call as Primary General President. 

So if one member apiece speaks from the Primary and Relief Society General Presidencies, it is more likely that two representatives from the Young Women General Presidency will speak this time around. That is especially true since the current Young Women General Presidency are anticipated to be released in the upcoming General Conference. 

So because Sister Michelle D. Craig spoke during the October 2022 General Conference, I think the other two outgoing members of the Young Women General Presidency will speak. I also believe that, since the Young Men General President spoke in October and the Sunday School General President spoke in April of this year, that the First Counselor in the Sunday School General Presidency, Brother Milton Camargo, will represent the male General Officers.

It's also worth noting that in the April General Conferences of 2021 and 2022, there were no speakers from the Presiding Bishopric. While that trend could continue, I have felt impressed that Bishop W. Christopher Waddell might speak this go-round, and if he does, he is likely to do so in the final session of General Conference. 

As far as the Presidency of the Seventy is concerned, regarding the current 7 members, Elder Carl B. Cook was the one who spoke least recently (he did so in April 2019). Due to subsequent changes to the Presidency of the Seventy, the next least-recent speaker was Elder Carlos A. Godoy, who spoke in October 2020. So I see three possible scenarios for the Presidency of the Seventy: 

First, it is possible that changes that will take effect in August of 2023 in conjunction with area leadership changes may be presented in advance for a sustaining vote. If that happens, one of the incoming members could speak. If no changes are presented, either Elder Cook could speak this time around, or the Church could skip the Presidency of the Seventy until October 2023. 

It's also worth noting that, with the exception of Elder David S. Baxter (who is still reportedly on medical leave from his Church assignments and who last spoke in April of 2012), all of the General Authority Seventies who last spoke in the 5 General Conferences before the one in October 2015 have spoken again recently. 

So, as reflected in my predictions for General Authority Seventies who will speak this time around, I have the 3 remaining GA Seventies who last spoke in October 2015, the 1 remaining who last spoke in April 2016, and the 7 who last spoke in October 2016. 

The only other element of the speaker lineup I haven't mentioned relates to my predictions for the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. I am assuming that, barring anything unexpected, President Nelson will speak 3 times, President Oaks will do so twice (when taking the Sustaining of General Authorities, Area Seventies, and General OFficers into account) and President Eyring will speak once.

And for the members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, this document may illustrate how I came to the conclusion of which Quorum members would speak in each session. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them here. I will be back shortly to share my predictions for changes in general Church leadership, the numbers I calculated for the statistical report, and the updated list of locations where a temple could be announced.

In the meantime, that does it for now. 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. 

Please subscribe if you liked what you read here and would like to be informed of newly-added posts and comments. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.