Refined projection for when temple-related events will be announced and scheduled

Surprise! Much sooner than I ever could have anticipated, I am posting now with my promised update to what I feel will be the most likely timeline prevailing in regards to when future temple-related events will be announced and scheduled. Based on information found on Rick Satterfield’s excellent LDS Church Temples website, I have taken yet another look at temples whose construction has progressed so rapidly recently, especially just within the last 48 hours.

As so many of you know, Rick made mention on his site recently that the announcement for the site of the Harare Zimbabwe Temple was likely to occur soon after the new year, with a groundbreaking to follow shortly thereafter. It is my belief that the site announcement will take place in early January, and that the groundbreaking will take place within the 4-6 weeks following the site announcement. However, it would not surprise me in the least if the groundbreaking took place sooner than that. I was amazed at what is sure to be known for the duration as the fastest interval between a groundbreaking announcement in Winnipeg and the groundbreaking itself: a mere 2½ weeks. And Harare holds the distinction in Church history of being the first temple outside the United States to have a groundbreaking within less than a year after the temple announcement.

And of course, in terms of imminent temple events, we cannot forget the already-scheduled dedication in Paris France on May 20 and the rededication on June 4 for the Idaho Falls Idaho Temple. Rick indicates to me that, as an Idaho resident who resides in Pocatello, he is pleased with the announced rededication and the prospect of a dedication in Meridian shortly thereafter, to say nothing of my listing Pocatello as the city I believe will be the site of the next temple in Idaho.

Speaking of the Meridian Idaho temple, light fixtures are being hung, and they are installing the interior trim. This strengthens my prediction that a dedication date for the Meridian Idaho Temple is likely to be announced within the next 3 or 4 months, and the dedication itself will likely happen in early August.

In Cedar City, fencing is progressing, an entrance plaza has been created, landscaping areas are being defined, and they are busy hanging drywall. Because of this, the dedication could be announced within the next six months, if not sooner, and might take place in late August or early September.

As I stated last time, Tucson is so close to Cedar City’s level of completion that they are neck-and-neck in terms of a future completion date. In Tucson, walkways are being poured, fencing and art glass windows are being installed, and, as with Cedar City, drywall is being hung. Again, it wouldn’t be surprising to me to see the Tucson and Cedar City dedications scheduled for around the same time, with an announcement of these events within 6 months and the actual events in late August or early September.

While progress has slowed enough in the renovation of the Jordan River Utah Temple to the point that Rick is now estimating that the rededication could happen either in late 2017 or early 2018, I am still holding out hope that the renovation could be completed around August, with the rededication being announced about a month later and scheduled for either late November or early December 2017. I would welcome any comments from anyone disagreeing with that idea, but I can’t shake the feeling that this is likely to happen then.

Regardless of my personal opinion on the possible continuing delays in getting the temple in Rome Italy completed, Rick’s estimation is that, even with no recent significant progress reported in the construction of that temple, it will be the first one completed in 2018, during either the early or middle part of that year. I wouldn’t be surprised if a dedication was announced during the spring of 2018, with the actual dedication to follow, perhaps sometime in May or June. I can see a similar timetable prevailing for the rededication of the Frankfurt Germany Temple (where some exterior stone has lately been removed, the foundation exposed, and the nearby meeting house razed) and the Kinshasa DR Congo Temple, which has its exterior walls built and has progressed to potentially be completed ahead of the Concepcion Chile Temple).

Concepcion, where building wrap has been attached to the exterior walls, and where landscaping structures are being added, will likely have a dedication announcement within the first half of 2018, with the dedication itself to follow sometime in either August or September, after the traditional yearly July recess for the general authorities has taken place.

The temple in Durban South Africa is having its foundation poured, while construction site workers are setting rebar for the walls of the on-site missionary housing, and palm trees are being planted along the roads to the entrance of the temple complex. Even with the delays I always anticipated in view of my mother’s report of the work ethic that prevails in South Africa, Rick seems to feel confident that the temple will be completed within a similar time frame to that which is almost certain for Concepcion. I am therefore predicting that the announcement for the dedication will be made around the same time as that for Concepcion, within the first half of 2018, with the dedication actually scheduled for August or September as well.

The temple in Winnipeg, by virtue of its being a smaller building that, at present, is being built to serve one stake only, is expected to be constructed within 20 months from the time of its groundbreaking, which took place on the first Saturday of this month, which was also, coincidentally enough, the day Elder Holland was celebrating his 76^th birthday. In adding 20 months to that date, we arrive at a completion month of August 2018. It appears that temple dedication announcements precede actual events by a few months. I would therefore expect and am predicting that the Winnipeg dedication will take place in either late November or else early December 2018. It wouldn’t surprise me if a similar timeline held true for the temple in Barranquilla Colombia, which is further along in terms of construction, but will be a much larger edifice.

So, it seems most likely that the Church will add 4 new operating temples by the end of 2017, and have a booming year for dedications (with a possibility of at least the six above being completed) during 2018. This would almost completely reduce and eliminate any semblance of a backlog in temple progress, and makes it extraordinarily more likely that many more temples could be announced within the next two years. The exact number of those announcements remains to be seen, though I have given my feelings on what I feel are the most likely and most imminent picks.

Future groundbreakings may be more unpredictable to anticipate than I originally thought. I look at the groundbreaking in Winnipeg, and it happened much faster than usual. The commencement of the construction of the temple in Zimbabwe will mark the first time in Church history that I know of in which three temples will simultaneously be in the construction phase at once on the African continent.

After the groundbreaking in Zimbabwe, since I have followed temple developments very closely lately, I see the next groundbreaking taking place for the first Haitian temple in Port-au-Prince. I have no reason to back this up. It’s just how I feel, and we could have the site announcement and the groundbreaking by spring of next year. This seems especially likely given the delays I have noted in the construction beginning in Rio de Janeiro Brazil and Arequipa Peru. However, I could see those delays being cleared up and a groundbreaking for both being announced and taking place within the first six months of next year. As for Bangkok and Urdaneta, those could happen by the end of 2017 or the beginning of 2018. But with there being one year (for Bangkok) and over six years (for Urdaneta) since their announcements, I don’t feel safe making any definite predictions about when those events might take place.

Thanks, as always, for taking time to read and (if you feel so inclined) respond to this post. It is your feedback that allows me to fine-tune my predictions. And I will always try to keep an eye on temple-related progress and will do my best to report that news and any updates just as soon as I become aware of them, though obviously my ability to do so will depend entirely on how soon I can hear of such developments as I adjust to the rigors of my new employment. Thanks again.

And, I can confirm with reasonable certainty: barring anything unexpected cropping up within the next 24 hours, this will likely be my last chance to post before Christmas Day on Sunday. To all of you who read (and comment on) my posts, thank you so much for your interest, feedback, and support. If I have achieved any degree of success in this, my own personal labor of love, it is only because of the magnificent interest taken in things I feel a need to “sound off” about. I have been told as recently as within the last 15 days that this blog, such as it is, has become one of the top Google search results for temple-related updates, especially those related to possible future event timelines and potential new temple sites.

And I never could have conceived of that being even in a small way possible without the excellent people who have read and commented on whatever I am musing about as often as I have been able to do so. The interest expressed in my thoughts, such as they are, has been amazing, humbling, and awe-inspiring. While I appreciate those who have told me they love to read my blog for just the personal updates, I am even more humbled by and grateful for those who read almost every post.

I know that the focus on Church news, information, and updates, especially in terms of temple-related current and future events, has been the means of driving away many readers I might have had if I had chosen to focus on just the personal stuff. But I have been instructed in my patriarchal blessing to lift and encourage wherever the opportunity arises, and I feel that I can best accomplish that mission of a lifetime by primarily focusing on all the wonderful things that are transpiring in terms of Church and temple developments of any kind. And it is a sacred obligation I hold dear to share my witness and testimony of the validity and veracity of the gospel that has been dear to my heart since I grew up with it. I never once lived on borrowed light. I was always encouraged to develop my own witness and testimony of the things I have learned by being a Church member, and I have always seen that as a most sacred obligation. I will try harder to reach out to people who only come here for the personal stuff, but I have no qualms about continuing to make this blog one of the best outlets possible to keep people informed about the faith I love and the teachings I hold sacred. And I hope to continue in this vein as long as I am physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually able to do so.

Thanks again to you all for making my labor of love, such as it is, the success it has become. I would never have the courage to continue if I lacked sufficient support. When I can, I do like to include information about what is going on personally for me and my wife. But Church news and developments, particularly those related to the sacred temples of the Church, will always and forever take precedence in this.

Wishing you all a very happy and Merry Christmas. May the true spirit of the season fill all of our hearts as we remember that without Christ, there would be no Christmas. He is the reason for the season. And it is in his name I close. I leave this post with you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Mammoth Temple Construction Developments Reported/Future Post Now Necessary

After no notable progress in terms of temple construction had been reported in the last week since my birthday, I have been checking the LDS Church Temples website hoping for some news regularly, but not being surprised that nothing seemed to be happening around this holiday season. So it was that with not much hope for word of any progress in the two days left before Christmas that I checked again. Much to my surprise, there have been a great many temple construction developments that have crossed Rick Satterfield's radar since I last checked his website last night. I am overjoyed at these developments, and couldn't wait to share them with you, my readers.

Perhaps among the most notable changes to report are these: where Rick has not previously felt comfortable enough to venture an approximate completion time frame for those temples to be completed any time in 2018 or in the first little bit of 2019, the new information he has been given seems to have led him to be able to add that information within the last 24 hours.

As if that were not enough reason for me to post today, not only have important strides been reported in a majority of the temples now under construction, but also, Rick has felt confident enough to switch his listed completion order of the Kinshasa DR Congo and Concepcion Chile temples.

With the milestones reported and the changes made just within the last 12 hours or so, obviously, I will need to be rethinking my previous post regarding the possible timeline for temple-related events to be announced and scheduled for all of those temples that are slated to be within a now more specific period of time. That post will come as soon as I can make it happen. It may not be for a few days. In just about an hour or so, I will be having a holiday get-together with my family. And this weekend will be a flurry of activity as Christmas Day brings a gathering with Amy's family. And of course, I start my new job on Monday. So while I cannot commit to how soon I might have such a post written and published, I am determined to make it happen ASAP.

With that extensive introduction out of the way, I end this post by sharing my latest version of my personal temple construction progress report. As with anything I have done or will yet do on this blog, I welcome and appreciate any and all feedback. Thanks to you all, my readers, for your input, support, and concern. Have a Merry Christmas, and, if I cannot post anything else before that time, a Happy New Year as well.

Temple Construction Progress Report (current as of 12/23/16)

Current Temple Status: 155 operating; 1 scheduled for dedication; 11 under construction; 1 scheduled for rededication; 2 undergoing renovation; 10 announced; (NOTE: Up to 3 additional temples may soon have a groundbreaking announced).

Dedication scheduled:

156. Paris France Temple: Interior work underway; open house and dedication dates announced; scheduled to be dedicated on Sunday May 21, 2017.

Under Construction:

157. Meridian Idaho Temple: Light fixtures hung; interior trim underway; completion anticipated sometime in late 2017.

158. Cedar City Utah Temple: Fencing progressing; entrance plaza created; landscaping areas defined; hanging drywall; completion anticipated sometime in late 2017.

159. Tucson Arizona Temple: Pouring walkways; erecting fencing; installing art glass windows; hanging drywall; completion anticipated sometime in late 2017.

160. Rome Italy Temple: Interior work progressing; completion anticipated sometime in early-to-mid 2018.

161. Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple: Building the exterior walls; completion anticipated sometime in early-to-mid 2018.

162. Concepcion Chile Temple: Attaching building wrap to exterior walls; adding landscaping structures; completion anticipated sometime in mid-2018.

163. Durban South Africa Temple: Pouring temple foundation; setting rebar for missionary housing walls; palm trees planted along entrance road; completion anticipated sometime in mid-2018.

164. Barranquilla Colombia Temple: Exterior walls poured; preparing for steeple walls and framework; completion anticipated sometime between late 2018 and early 2019.

165. Winnipeg Manitoba Temple: Groundbreaking held Saturday December 3, 2016; completion anticipated sometime between late 2018 and early 2019.

166. Fortaleza Brazil Temple: Pouring the second floor exterior walls; completion anticipated sometime in 2019.

167. Lisbon Portugal Temple: Laying meetinghouse footings and foundation; excavating for maintenance building; temple site cleared; completion anticipated sometime in 2019.

Scheduled for rededication:

8. Idaho Falls Idaho Temple: Closed for renovation; finish work underway; rededication scheduled for Sunday June 4, 2017.

Undergoing Renovation:

20. Jordan River Utah Temple: Closed for renovation; rededication anticipated sometime between late 2017 and early 2018.

41. Frankfurt Germany Temple: Closed for renovation; some exterior stone removed; foundation exposed; old meetinghouse razed; rededication anticipated sometime between early and mid 2018.

Announced:

168. Harare Zimbabwe Temple: Approval and construction preparation phase; official site announcement anticipated in early 2017, with the groundbreaking anticipated to take place shortly following the site announcement.

169.  Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple: Governmental approval phase; preliminary environmental license issued in November 2016; groundbreaking pending.

170. Arequipa Peru Temple: General contractor selected; groundbreaking pending.

171. Urdaneta Philippines Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

172. Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

173. Bangkok Thailand Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

174. Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple: Planning phase; awaiting official site announcement.

175. Quito Ecuador Temple: Planning phase; awaiting official site announcement.

176. Belem Brazil Temple: Planning phase; awaiting official site announcement.

177. Lima Peru Los Olivos Temple: Planning phase; awaiting official site announcement.

Key:

Bolded numbers and text denote temples whose numbers already exists (for renovations), or is certain due to a scheduled dedication, as well as information that is certain, such as dedication or groundbreaking dates.

Italicized numbers and text denote temples whose numbers may change based on the order in which future dedications and groundbreakings are scheduled.

Underlined numbers and text denote temples whose numbers may change based on progress towards planning, approval, and groundbreaking.

Red text denotes changes from the last posted temple progress update.

The Tabernacle Choir Will Sing at President Trump's Inauguration

I wanted to do this post tonight to focus on two things. First, a personal note. I had my meeting as anticipated today with Trent Ginnett, my former TL at the American Fork ROI branch who is now a project manager at the Cedar Hills ROI branch. As he indicated yesterday when we spoke on the phone, the interview and filling out the paperwork was merely a formality. He said he was glad to have me on his campaign, and said he had no doubt I would do well there. He also reiterated his intention to do whatever he could to make this work for me.

I was also privileged to run into several of my former coworkers from American Fork who had moved to Cedar Hills with the various campaigns which Trent oversees. They all expressed their absolute excitement for my being able to rejoin them, and they all said to let them know if they could do anything to help me during this transition period. I was overwhelmed by their expressions of support.

And, happily enough for me, the woman who helps Trent oversee the campaign for which I will be working was formerly a TL for the Young Living project, and she was the one who initially greeted me upon my arrival today, indicating that they were having a team meeting at the moment and that Trent would be with me soon. It was overwhelming to me. I am absolutely overjoyed at the way this all happened, and even though I do wish that this had all happened when I originally lost my job in American Fork, I recognize that I needed this time to recommit to the excellent work ethic I had displayed when I started the original job, and recommit to doing what it takes to make this new opportunity work for all concerned now. The timing of it all cannot be called anything other than miraculous, and I am the most unworthy recipient of this miracle that we so desperately need.

Now to the main reason for this post. I wanted to voice my opinion on an announcement from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir today. The announcement, which was made by the choir president, was that, after several more popular and secular entertainment personalities had declared their intention to reject the invitation to perform at the inauguration of US President-Elect Donald Trump, the Choir had, as has been their tradition in the past, accepted such an invitation. The announcement was met with mixed reaction from the members of the Church.

Most, like I am now doing, expressed their admiration to the Choir for putting aside any political motivations and for accepting the invitation, as they have in years past. But not more than a few have come out in protest against this announcement. They said that the Choir's acceptance of this invitation is politically-motivated, and that in a Church that professes to practice political neutrality as an institution, it was the wrong move. Some are saying that the Choir should have distanced themselves from a candidate who has been in many ways so unsavory, so controversial, and even highly critical of the Church, its members, its doctrine, and its practices.

I couldn't disagree more. The Choir's acceptance of this invitation is not in any way unprecedented. They have marched in inaugural parades plenty of times in the past, and have accepted numerous invitations from past presidents to sing at the inaugural ceremony.

As for being politically motivated, I could perhaps see more merit in the argument had the Church come out in voicing a full-scale opposition for such a controversial candidate. But, true to form, and, as should not be surprising to anyone, they stayed out of voicing an opinion of any kind, regardless of how that might have influenced or impacted the results of the election.

Speaking personally for myself, I am honored that Donald Trump has had the sense and graciousness to extend an invitation to a world-famous religious choir. And that honored feeling is only heightened by the Choir's gracious acceptance of the invitation, especially in light of the refusal of personalities with equal secular popularity to have anything to do with this event.

To any of my readers who might be feeling that this was a wrong move on the Choir's part, I would implore you with all the energy of my soul to consider what an honor this is for the Choir to be recognized and chosen in spite of Donald Trump's expressed ambivalence towards most of what the Church stands for. Regardless of your personal feelings on this issue, political candidates have, regardless of party affiliation, expressed their admiration for and appreciation of the Choir. In fact, it was Republican President Ronald Reagan who first dubbed the Choir as "America's Choir."

Clearly, in spite of any hard feelings Trump may still harbor about the Church, he at least has the sense and decency to recognize that the Choir is an important icon in America's musical history, and that speaks volumes of his actions, whatever personal feelings might exist about his political motivations and moral character.

I think I have made it abundantly evident that I fear for America's safety and well-being under President Donald Trump, and, even with that in mind, this gesture gives me hope that Trump may yet prove to be, even in the smallest part possible, the great president he has the potential to become. For me, I am always willing to give people the benefit of the doubt. In this one respect, I may have been too harsh on Trump's ability to be sensible.

While I still worry how America will fare under the leadership of a man who, until today, seemed to have no sense of morality, common decency, or sensibility, I am hopeful that there is still a chance he could grow into this opportunity.

I mean, look at me. I'm the one who lost the one job I was able to get after two solid years of looking because I didn't take it seriously. And it wasn't until I was in a position to have a change of attitude and perspective that the right opportunity fell into my lap, coincidentally with another branch of the company which had originally hired me. If that says nothing of the Lord's ability to soften and change the human heart, which I have often said is the greatest miracle of all, I don't know what does. And I cannot share the feeling that the Choir did wrong. This decision can only be good for the image of the Church in the eyes of the president-elect of the United States, and I am proud to belong to a Church that professes political neutrality and seizes opportunities to improve its image in the public eye. In so many ways, I have never been more proud to belong to this Church.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. If any of you do comment on what I have said here, I would caution you that, in this matter, any politically or religiously controversial comments will be promptly deleted upon their being made. With that in mind, please let me know your thoughts.

I have a job, which I start on Monday!

It has been a most amazing and overwhelming evening. Because I was not able to get the job with Ancestry.com through Kelly Services, I spent most of the day after my talk with the Kelly Services representative being very hard on myself, and taking myself to task for blowing another opportunity. In my despair and frustration, I happened to post on Facebook about what happened and explained that I was really in a bad place and was not handling the situation very well. Instantly, I was flooded with comments of support, compassion, and understanding.

One of the first responses came from Trent Ginnett, who had been my first TL at my former job with ROI. I knew he was managing a new campaign somewhere, but I hadn't heard from him a lot lately. So his comment surprised me. He indicated to me that he was now an account manager at the Lindon branch of ROI and that he could hire me on the spot if I wanted a job. He requested that I call him if I was interested. I sent him a message explaining more about what I was dealing with and letting him know that, if he felt I would still be a good bet with all I was dealing with, as I had lost his number, he could call mine. Less than two minutes later, my phone rang.

Trent let me know about what was involved with the project he had in mind for me. In making further inquiries, I was able to find out about the dress code, when training would be, and more about what the job would entail. He again reiterated the fact that he had the power to hire me on the spot if I wanted the job, and that he would always work with whatever my situation involved. The starting pay was exactly what I was earning in my previous job at the American Fork branch. And he said the nature of the job was such that it was very low stress and that he felt it would be a good fit for me.

I asked if he would mind if I consulted with my wife before making a decision. He said I could take whatever time I might need, and could call him whenever I had reached my decision. It took me less than 10 minutes to explain everything to Amy, to pray about it with her, and for me to determine it would be an ideal opportunity. So I called him back and told him I'd take the job. He let me know that he was looking forward to the opportunity to work with me again, and he restated his intention to do whatever he could to make this work for me. He said I could meet with him anytime before 3 pm tomorrow at the ROI building in Lindon, and mentioned that the paperwork was just a formality. The job is as good as mine.

I am beyond overwhelmed and very grateful for this unexpected turn of events. I will be thanking the Lord for quite a while that He put this opportunity in my path. To top it all off, it is a job I know I will be able to handle, and I have no doubt I can make this work.

Once again, the Lord has proven to me that He is mindful of me. He has shown me that He is a God of miracles. And He, in His infinite wisdom, has placed into my path the very thing I need right when I had all but given up faith and hope that anything would be resolved in this regard anytime soon.

I feel so unworthy of this miraculous turn of events. And it cannot be called anything but that. The Lord must love me very much. I have never considered myself deserving of the lifetime of events that have rolled forward in the form of one miracle after another. It just goes to show that when you least expect it, that which you need most often comes to you in ways that, to the rational mind, cannot be explained.

I honestly don't know what the regulations may be as far as what activities might be allowed during work hours, or when I might have my lunch break or any other breaks during the day. But I know that this will be a most wonderful opportunity for me, especially in being able to work under someone who fully appreciates and understands my situation and will do whatever it takes to make this work for me. And because of the way it has come about so quickly within ten hours of finding out about not getting the other opportunity, it must be right for me to do this right now.

And so, no matter what may happen in regards to this, I know I can make it work. And I am beyond grateful for how well everything came together when the moment was right.

Once again, I feel I can say and mean this with all sincerity: God is in His heaven; All is right with the world.

I wasn't able to get the job

Sad news today. I had another bad night last night and wasn't able to get much sleep  at all. The one upside to that was that I was able to get to the long list of phone calls I needed to make today sooner than I had planned. My very first call was to Kelly Services. I followed up on the job offer.

The Kelly Services representative that had left me the message about the job opportunity with Ancestry.com told me that, unfortunately, given what I had explained about time I would need off for the Stokes family Christmas get-together in a few days (as my sister's family will only be in town for about a week longer), the upcoming medical appointments I had (though I would have been happy to reschedule any over which I had control, there was one, my January appointment with Dr. Weinstein, where I was at the mercy of when she could see me at her one day a month clinic at PCMC and over which I therefore had no control and would need time off), and the ever-present possibility of not being able to work at times due to not being able to control my symptoms, to say nothing of the temporary period of time the initial opportunity entailed, they felt it wouldn't be a good fit for me. They told me they weren't able to offer me this position, given everything.

It is a delicate situation, and while I am devastated, Amy is feeling much worse. Thanks to my stupidity at various times during the last six years, our marriage is not in the very best of places right now. I am hoping we can weather this storm. Before I found out about the possibility of this position, Amy expressed some concerns she had about how fragile our relationship has become over the course of our marriage, and she also let me know she has been wondering with alarming frequency lately if we did the right thing getting married. I appreciate knowing of her worries in this matter, but now I am worried too. The very last thing I want to do is lose her because I have been stupid and careless during our marriage.

My one consolation is that after I had my conversation with my home teachers and Amy last night, I am resolved to take any position of which I am physicially capable that would fit the unique situation I am facing. And I know now that, if it comes right down to it, I can put how I am feeling aside in favor of providing for my family. It's just that, in this case, there was nothing I could have done about it.

I seek an interest in your continued prayers in our behalf. Thanks to my selfishness during our marriage up to now, I have jeopardized our relationship over and over. Thankfully, Amy has always been so willing to forgive my carelessness and self-centeredness and let go of her hurt feelings in favor of continuing our relationship. She has taken the covenants she made in the temple with much great seriousness and sincerity than I have ever done. At least now I know that, if I can find a good fit that would be willing to make allowances for my unique situation, I am determined to do everything I can to make it work. I only hope it is not too little, too late.

Thanks to you all for your continued interest, support, and sympathy. Any comments are welcome and appreciated.