The Jordan River Utah Temple Will Not Be Rededicated This Year

Hello. This is just a brief temple construction progress update. I have before mentioned on this blog and at other times that I was glad to hear of the three additional temple dedications that were recently announced, but that I had also hoped the Jordan River Utah Temple renovation would be completed by the end of this year. A kind comment pointed out that rededications can be scheduled to be held between already-scheduled dedications, and that there was still a chance that we could see such an event for Jordan River before the end of the year. That being said, I had thus been convinced it could still happen until I read the latest on the LDS Church Temples website. The information there indicates that the Jordan River renovation will likely not be finished until the early or middle part of next year, around the same time as the renovations are expected to be completed on the Frankfurt Germany temple. So. the question that has been a topic of discussion for quite a while now has been settled. Aside from any other groundbreakings that may be announced, there will be no other temple-related events this year. There is a possibility that we might see the announcement of several temples this year, but that will be a topic for another post. For now, we do have the confirmation that we've been waiting for. That does it for this post. Comments continue to be welcome and appreciated.

Updated Temple Construction Progress Report and List of Upcoming Temple-related Events

The announcement made less than 12 hours or so ago has made it necessary, as stated in the previous post, to update both my temple construction progress report and list of upcoming temple-related events. In regards to the latter, I will venture my best and most educated guess as to who might be asked to preside at such events, and who might also be in attendance. As always, feedback of any and all kinds is welcome and appreciated. That said, here goes!

Temple Construction Progress Report (current as of 1/26/17)

Current Temple Status: 155 operating; 4 scheduled for dedication; 8 under construction; 1 groundbreaking scheduled; 1 scheduled for rededication; 2 undergoing renovation; 9 announced. NOTE: With one groundbreaking announced already this year, two more have the potential to be announced and scheduled very soon, and there may be several more groundbreakings than that in the year ahead.

Dedication scheduled:

156. Paris France Temple: Inscription gilded over baptistery; finish work underway on interior; dedication scheduled for Sunday May 21, 2017.

157. Tucson Arizona Temple: Exterior lighting tests underway; installation of interior art glass and millwork nearing completion; president’s home undergoing renovation; dedication scheduled for Sunday August 13, 2017.

158. Meridian Idaho Temple: Interior painting and millwork underway; dedication scheduled for Sunday November 19, 2017.

159. Cedar City Utah Temple: Installing art glass windows; hanging drywall on interior; dedication scheduled for Sunday December 10, 2017.

Under Construction:

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

161. Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple: Building concrete block exterior walls; roughing in plumbing; completion anticipated sometime between early and mid-2018.

162. Concepcion Chile Temple: Exterior cladding going up on north wall; framing the interior walls; completion anticipated sometime during mid-2018.

163. Durban South Africa Temple: Applying waterproof mastic to temple foundation; setting concrete forms for missionary housing exterior walls; completion anticipated sometime during mid-2018.

164. Barranquilla Colombia Temple: Exterior concrete walls completed; 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: Second floor exterior walls poured; completion anticipated sometime during 2019.

167. Lisbon Portugal Temple: Excavation underway for temple; structural framing going up for meetinghouse; completion anticipated sometime during 2019.

Groundbreaking Scheduled:

168. Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple: Preparing for groundbreaking; environmental license issued in November 2016; groundbreaking scheduled for Saturday March 4, 2017.

Rededication Scheduled:

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:

169. Arequipa Peru Temple: Erecting construction barrier; clearing and leveling site; awaiting groundbreaking announcement; groundbreaking anticipated in early 2017.

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

171. Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement. NOTE: The LDS Church Temple website indicates that a potential site has been identified, though it has yet to be officially verified.

172. Bangkok Thailand Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement. NOTE: As the above-mentioned website indicates for this temple, while no official temple site has been announced, there may be a possibility that a Church office building may be repurposed to function as a temple, meetinghouse, and office building under one roof, in a similar fashion to those temples in Hong Kong China and Manhattan New York. This is most likely to be confirmed sooner rather than later.

173. Urdaneta Philippines Temple: Stalled in 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 report.

Upcoming Temple Events (Text in parentheses indicates what the status of temples will be following the event listed):

2017

1.   Saturday March 4—Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple Groundbreaking (155 operating; 1 scheduled for dedication; 12 under construction; 1 rededication scheduled; 2 undergoing renovation; 9 announced. NOTE: Several other groundbreakings may take place soon.)

NOTE: According to the LDS Church Temples website, Elder Claudio R. M. Costa, who serves as President of the Brazil Area of the Church, has been asked to preside at this groundbreaking. It is a pretty safe bet that his counselors in the area presidency, Elder Marcos A. Aidukaitis and Elder W. Mark Bassett, will also be in attendance along with Elder Larry Y. Wilson, who serves as Executive Director of the Church’s Temple Department. However, assignments to preside at groundbreakings have been known to change as needed.

2.   Sunday May 21—Paris France Temple Dedication (156 operating; 3 scheduled for dedication; 8 under construction; 1 rededication scheduled; 2 undergoing renovation; 9 announced. NOTE: Several other groundbreakings may be possible soon.)

NOTE: As to who might be asked to preside at this dedication, previous precedent indicates it may be any member of the First Presidency (with my vote going to President Uchtdorf, as he is a European native) or any of the apostles.

3.   Sunday June 4—Idaho Falls Idaho Temple Rededication (156 operating; 10 under construction; 2 undergoing renovation; 10 announced. NOTE: Several other groundbreakings may be possible soon.)

NOTE: Since the health of the brethren remains unclear, it is anyone’s guess who might be asked to preside at this dedication. I could see three possibilities at this point: President Henry B. Eyring, a former Ricks College president; Elder David A. Bednar, a former BYU-Idaho president; or Elder Neil L. Andersen, who is an Idaho native that has personal ties to the area.

4.   Sunday August 13—Tucson Arizona Temple Dedication (157 operating; 2 scheduled for dedication; 8 under construction; 2 undergoing renovation; 9 announced. NOTE: Several other groundbreakings may be possible soon.)

      NOTE: The question of who might preside at this dedication may not be easy to resolve. Both President Henry B. Eyring and President Dieter F. Uchtdorf have accompanied President Monson to previous dedications in Arizona, with the question of who may have actually presided at the most recent one in Gilbert still being largely unresolved. Technically, since President Monson was present for at least one of the sessions, and since all three were under his direction, he presided there. However, with that said, it appears that President Eyring was the one who read the dedicatory prayer in the first session, opening the argument that he was the one to preside. For a similar anomalous situation, I cite the dedication of the Provo City Center Temple, where Elder Dallin H. Oaks was listed as presiding even though President Russell M. Nelson was present at the final session, which made him the presiding authority. If President Eyring does preside at the previous dedication, it is not unlikely that President Uchtdorf will be asked to represent the Church at this dedication, especially considering that President Eyring, an Idaho native, will most likely be the one to preside at the next dedication in Meridian. Also, the choice of President Uchtdorf makes even more sense when remembering that he was the one who presided at the groundbreaking in 2015. It is also not impossible to believe that Elder Lynn G. Robbins of the Presidency of the Seventy, who oversees the North America Southwest Area of the Church, under which Arizona falls.

5.   Sunday November 19—Meridian Idaho Temple Dedication (158 operating; 1 scheduled for dedication; 8 under construction; 2 undergoing renovation; 9 announced. NOTE: Several other groundbreakings may be possible soon.)

      NOTE: If President Uchtdorf is asked to preside at the previous dedication, and given the fact that President Eyring is an Idaho native, it would make sense if he (President Eyring) is asked to preside at this one. Another choice could be Elder David A. Bednar, who presided at the groundbreaking for the temple and was asked to preside at the dedication of the Star Valley Wyoming Temple, due to his wife’s personal connection to the area. Yet another option would be Elder Neil L. Andersen, who is an Idaho native. But the Church has never tapped such a junior apostle to preside at a temple dedication. It is not out of the question, however. It is also reasonable to believe that Elder Ulisses Soares of the Presidency of the Seventy, who oversees the Church’s Idaho Area, will be in attendance as well.

6.   Sunday December 10—Cedar City Utah Temple Dedication (159 operating; 8 under construction; 2 undergoing renovation; 9 announced. NOTE: Several other groundbreakings may be possible soon.)

      NOTE: If President Eyring is asked to preside at the previous dedication, it would make sense if President Uchtdorf is asked to preside at this one. That said, it would not surprise me either in any way if Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, a St. George native, is assigned to officiate at this dedication. After all, for all intents and purposes, the two are essentially neighboring cities, and it is not at all unprecedented for a senior member of the Quorum of the Twelve to officiate at a temple dedication. Whoever does preside, it is a near certainty that multiple apostles may be in attendance, as has been the usual custom for temple dedications in Utah. It is not unreasonable to also believe that Elder L. Whitney Clayton, who is the Senior President of the Seventy and who presided at this dedication, will be in attendance, along with Elder Craig C. Christensen, another member of the Presidency of the Seventy, who currently has supervisory responsibilities for the Utah South Area, within which the temple has been built.

NOTE: A groundbreaking announcement is expected for the Arequipa Peru temple sometime early this year. Also anticipated is a site announcement for the Harare Zimbabwe Temple, with a groundbreaking to follow at the temple site within 4-6 weeks afterward. Additionally, there is a possibility that we may have any number of additional temple groundbreakings sometime during 2017.  1 more rededication may also be announced before the end of the year. I will keep an eye out for the announcements for such events and add them to this list as soon as I learn of them.

Open House and Dedication Dates Announced for 3 Temples

Since the rules and regulations regarding any down time at my job have tightened up, I was not able to do my daily check of the Church websites I love to visit until I got home from work tonight. When I accessed the LDS Church News website, I was overjoyed to discover the announcement of the open houses and dedication dates for three temples. This post is meant to focus on those details. I will follow up this post with another that will provide any updated version of my temple construction progress report and list of upcoming temple-related events.

First is the Tucson Arizona Temple. The open house for that temple is scheduled for the three week period between the Saturdays of June 3 and 24, with the exception of the Sundays on the 4th, 11th, and 18th. For the first time in several years (if it has ever happened at any time in the past), the end of the open house and the dedication will be separated by just under two months. That is understandable, given the fact that the annual July recess of the General Authorities will take start about a week after the end of the open house. The temple will be dedicated in three sessions on Sunday August 13., following the cultural celebration the day before. On that day, Church services will be cancelled for all units in Arizona. That dedication will bring the number of operating temples in Arizona to six. The temple, announced in October 2012, has been under construction since its groundbreaking in October 2015 by President Uchtdorf. This holds true to the pattern of temples within the United States going up within two years.

Next will be the dedication in Meridian Idaho. The open house is scheduled to last for the four weeks between the Saturdays of October 21 and November 11, except for the Sundays of October 22 and 29 and November 5. After the cultural celebration is held just a week after the open house ends, the temple will be dedicated in three sessions on Sunday November 19, which, if my calculations are correct, will be the Sunday before Thanskgiving. The Saints in Idaho will have much to be thankfful for this year. Announced in April 2011, the temple has been under construction since its groundbreaking in August of 2014 by Elder David A. Bednar, who has ties to the area. Construction spanned slightly more than three years. But given the magnificent edifice that that temple is, that is not surprising. This will be the fifth temple in Idaho.

The final dedication announced will be for the Cedar City Utah Temple. The open house will take place in the four weeks and one day between Friday October 27 and Saturday November 18. After a cultural celebration the day before, the dedication will take place on December 10, exactly one week following Elder Jeffrey R. Holland's 77th birthday. In a move not uncommon anymore for Utah temple dedications, it was announced that dedicatory services will only be broadcast to those that will be within the area that the new temple district will cover, rather than the whole state. Like I said, not uncommon. But I for one was looking forward to being able to attend the next Utah temple dedication, especially as my wife and I missed the landmark dedication of the Provo City Center Temple. The Cedar City Utah Temple will be the 17th in Utah.

For the official news releases covering the dedication information, please click here (Church News) and here (Mormon Newsroom).

These dedications will bring the number of operating temples to 159. It also means that, despite any earlier statements I may have made, I must now admit that I was most likely wrong about the possibility that the Jordan River Utah Temple will be rededicated before the end of this year. That is not by any means a deal-breaker. And it still could happen. But there will only be 2 Sundays after the Cedar City Utah dedication, and one of those will be Christmas Eve. This makes it very unlikely.

I am overjoyed about this wonderful news. It totally made my day. Thanks for reading this. Stay tuned for more. Any comments are always welcome and appreciated.

Latest Church Infographic on Temple Construction Progress/Sister Renlund Addresses Lawyers

In terms of the latest Church news and developments, two other interesting stories were recently posted on mormonnewsroom.org. The first is an infographic that focuses on the latest temple construction developments. Even though that infographic was only posted yesterday, given how things have progressed recently, it may already be slightly outdated on many informational points. That said, for what it's worth, you can look at the infographic here.

The other interesting development reported was that Sister Ruth Renlund, wife of Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, a self-described "recovering lawyer" recently spoke to a group of lawyers. The lessons she learned during her years practing law are illustrative. Click here for more on that.

Thanks for continuing to read, and, if you feel so inclined, comment. I appreciate the feedback.

Important Church News Updates: New Media App/More Flexibility Announced for Missionaries' Daily Schedule

This will be an important Church News update for two reasons. First, the Church announced a new app that will help Church members to plan, teach, and share from Church-related media clips more easily. For details on that, click here. It will be exciting to see how that will be helpful to Church members going forward.

As if that news weren't wonderful enough, the Church announced today that the standard missionary schedule will now be more flexible going forward. These changes have been made with the approval of the 15 apostles that comprise the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve. Schedules can now be customized by missionaries, in counsel with their mission presidents, in view of different factors relating to safety, local culture and customs, health considerations, productivity, and any other considerations. To read more about the changes, including direct quotes from  Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Sister Bonnie L. Oscarson, Young Women General President, and Elder Brent H. Nielsen, who currently serves as the Executive Director of the Church Missionary Department (While the article is not specific or explicit on this point, it seems safe to say that all three of them are serving on the Missionary Executive Council. Let me know if you disagree.), click here. Again, this is meant to improve the health and productivity of missionaries worldwide.

I am excited about both of these developments. So I couldn't wait to share them with you. Please feel free to share any comments you might have on either development. I continue to welcome and greatly appreciate the feedback. Thanks for your attention.