Tiucson Arizona Temple Dedication is just one week away

Hello, all! The Tucson Arizona Temple dedication will take place one week from today. As I have previously noted, I am anticipating President Uchtdorf, who broke ground for this temple, will return to dedicate it. If not, it may be a senior member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, but who that would be I just don't know. Some have suggested I consider the possibility of President Eyring, who has ties to Arizona, being the one to preside at this event, but as he presided at both of the two previous events (the dedication of the Paris France Temple and the rededication of the Idaho Falls Idaho Temple), and as the Church likes to rotate attendance at temple dedications, I find it hard to believe that President Eyring would be at this temple dedication too. I can't rule it out entirely. What I'm saying is that I think it is unlikely. Time will tell.

So who else  from the general Church leadership might be at this event? I have looked but have not been able to find any apostles (aside from President Eyring) who has any kind of ties to Arizona in general or Tucson in particular. Accompanying President Eyring at the Paris France dedication were Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Elder Larry Y. Wilson, Temple Department Executive Director, Elder Paul V. Johnson, President of the Church's Europe Area, and our French-born Presiding Bishop Gerald Causse.

Two weeks later, accompanying President Eyring at the rededication of the Idaho Falls Idaho Temple were Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Elder Richard J. Maynes of the Presidency of the Seventy, Bishop Dean M. Davies, First Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, and Elders Wilford W. Andersen, Bradley D. Foster, and K. Brett Nattress of the Seventy.

In a few short days, we will likely have a better idea about who might potentially be in attendance at the Tucson Arizona Temple dedication. And by this time next week, we will have 157 operating temples.

On the first Sunday in June, when the Idaho Falls Idaho Temple was rededicated, the dedication of the Tucson Arizona Temple seemed so far away. And now it is practically upon us. I am so excited that it is now just a week away. The Saints in Tucson will be greatly benefitted by this temple. And for my part, I cannot wait to see what the week between now and the day of that dedication will bring in regards to Church and temple news and developments.

Whatever else may happen, you can count for sure on my continuing to keep an eye out for news and developments and that I will pass those along as I become aware of them. Thanks to you all for your ongoing interest and support. Hope you had a wonderful Sabbath day. Any comments are weolce and appreciated. Until I return with another new post, I wish you all the best.

Update Containing the Latest Apostolic Statistics

It has been seven weeks (just short of two months) since I last posted here on the blog about apostolic age and tenure milestones. In view of how much has changed within that time, I think I am beyond overdue to cover this topic again, including updating you all on the latest milestones that our apostles have reached. This is a subject that is near and dear to my heart. I am grateful to the Lord for giving me such a profound and deep appreciation for such things. And it is my hope that some few of you may find all of this as interesting as I do. For those not interested, I don’t mind at all if you bypass or overlook the remainder of this post. Before getting started, I should like to note that the figures contained within this post are current as of today (Sunday August 6).

For those that are sticking with me through this, we will start this time as we have always done: by talking about President Russell M. Nelson’s tenure as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Last month, a day before Independence Day (on July 3), President Nelson marked exactly two years of service in the Quorum Presidency. As of today, he has served for It is awesome to see how vigorously he continues to ensure the work of the Quorum is up-to-date. In President Nelson, I see clearly a fulfillment of the promise given in the oath and covenant of the priesthood, and I testify that he has truly been “sanctified by the Spirit unto the renewal of [his body].” I still say it would not surprise me if he lives long enough to become the oldest living apostle in Church history. Last month (on July 9), he became the 18^th longest-serving Quorum President. Assuming no change in the presidency of either the Quorum of the Twelve or the Church itself between now and then (which may be possible, if not perhaps very likely), on Wednesday October 11 he will become the 17^th longest serving Quorum President, a distinction currently held by Anthon H. Lund.

His final Quorum Presidency tenure milestone this year will happen on Monday December 18, when he will become the 16^th longest serving Quorum President, having served longer than Harold B. Lee. The tenure milestones he will observe after that are more spread out, but I will report on his progress towards those milestones in later updates. And as is true with any other details, however many additional milestones President Nelson observes during his tenure (however long that turns out to be) will be completely in the Lord’s hands.

For now, let’s turn our attention to President Monson. In view of the announcement made on May 23, he will no doubt be making less public appearances and may or may not deliver any other prepared remarks during however much longer he will be alive. His 90^th birthday is now a mere 15 days away. When that day rolls around, he will become the 7^th nonagenarian Church President. Just over one month ago, on June 30, he observed a milestone related to his tenure length as well, becoming the 8^th longest serving prophet and taking the spot that was previously held by President Wilford Woodruff. Until more is known about President Monson’s health and situation, it will be difficult to project how many other milestones he might reach as our prophet. He could live for several more years, or, if the Lord wills it, could pass away in the near or more distant future.

As I noted in my last update, our current First Presidency was the 5^th of the top 5 longest serving unchanged First Presidencies in the history of the Church. On June 28, they became the 4^th longest serving First Presidency, and just last Monday, July 31, they became the 3^rd longest serving First Presidency. If there have been no changes to our current First Presidency by September 12 of next year, they will become the second-longest serving First Presidency. And if, through God’s will, nothing changes by July 3, 2020, they will have become the longest-serving First Presidency in Church history. All that will depend entirely on whether or not each member of our current First Presidency. I am hoping they will reach all of these milestones, but that is in the Lord’s hands. Whatever happens there, rest assured that I will be reporting on any developments as I become aware of them.

I should also note that, in order to be among the longest continuous serving Quorums of the Twelve Apostles, the current group would need to serve until Thursday January 17, 2019. That may or may not happen. As I have previously observed, one or two of our current 12 apostles is having health issues, and President Nelson is the oldest of the current 12 apostles, so it could very well be that our current Quorum of the Twelve will not reach even that first milestone. It is almost equally certain that all of our 15 apostles as a group will not meet either of the two longest periods without a change being made. To reach the second-longest milestone, our 15 apostles would need to continue serving until April 3, 2022. The Lord has been known to surprise us, though, so it could happen. Once more is known in this regard, I will pass that along.

For now, let’s turn our attention to apostolic age developments. Since President Monson’s 90^th birthday is just 15 days away, that puts his exact age at 89 years, 11 months, and 16 days, with his decimal age being 89.96 years. President Eyring now stands at 84 years, 2 months, 6 days, which is 84.18 years. Rounding out the First Presidency is President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, who has now reached the age of 76 years, 9 months exactly, which works out to 76.75 years. As of today, the First Presidency has a combined 250.89 years of life experience, which works out to an average of 83.63 years for each of them.

                                                                                                                          

As you can imagine, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has aged up a bit since my last report. President Nelson’s 93^rd birthday is now just over a month away. He is now 92 years, 10 months, and 28 days old (which puts him at 92.91 decimal years). Elder Oaks, whose birthday is in just six days, stands at 84 years, 11 months, and 25 days old (with a decimal age of 84.98 years). His birthday is coming up in August. Elder Ballard today has reached the age of 88 years, 9 months, and 29 days old (which is 88.83 decimal years).

Elder Hales, who is 12 days younger than Elder Oaks and another apostle with an August birthday, now stands at 84 years, 11 months, and 13 days old (84.95 decimal years). Elder Holland is 76 years, 8 months, and 3 days old (being 76.67 in decimal years). Elder Bednar now stands at 65 years, 1 month, and 22 days, having a decimal age of 65.14 years. Elder Cook, who is older than both President Uchtdorf and Elder Holland, marked 76 years, 10 months, and 29 days old, which makes his decimal age 76.91 decimal years. As for Elder Christofferson, his actual age is 72 years, 7 months, and 13 days, while his decimal age has now reached 72.53 years.

Rounding out the junior third of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, the most senior is Elder Andersen, whose birthday is three days from now. He has reached the age of 65 years, 11 months, and 28 days old, putting him at 65.99 years. Elder Rasband, just over six months older than his seatmate, has now reached the age of 66 years, 6 months even (which works out to exactly 66.50 decimal years) today. Elder Stevenson celebrated his 62^nd birthday today, which is no different expressed in long or decimal form. Elder Renlund, the least senior but second youngest apostle, has now reached 64 years, 8 months, and 24 days old, putting his decimal age at 64.73 years.

With that information noted, I wanted to mention that the combined amount of life experience for the current Quorum of the Twelve Apostles now stands at 902.14 years, which averages out to around 75.18 years. In adding the years of life experience of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, we arrive at a grand total of 1153.03 years of life experience for the 15 apostles. And the average age of all of these 15 apostles now stands at 76.87 years. Again, I am honestly not sure about how that compares with apostolic averages of the past. If anyone knows, they can be sure to let me know. But as I have observed previously, I am sure it is both older than some and younger than others.

Now, if I may, I would like to share a few thoughts about present and future nonagenarian apostles. President Nelson’s lifespan outlasted that of Elder L. Tom Perry when he (Presdient Nelson) became the 9^th oldest apostle on Wednesday July 5 (just over a month ago), taking the spot now held by Elder L. Tom Perry. While not necessarily a notable milestone, as mentioned earlier, President Nelson will mark his 93^rd birthday 1 month and 3 days from today. President Nelson will reach other nonagenarian milestones this year as well, becoming the 8^th oldest living apostle on Wednesday October 18, when he will have lived longer than did Elder Richard R. Lyman. And just over two months after that (on Friday December 22), he will become the 7^th oldest apostle, having lived longer than Charles W. Penrose. His next nonagenarian milestone will not be observed until 2019.

As already noted, President Monson will join the ranks of apostolic nonagenarians on Monday August 21, 2017. The only other nonagenarian milestone that President Monson will observe this month will happen on Wednesday September 27, when he will have lived longer than J. Reuben Clark. He will observe a few more milestones next year if he is still alive by then. As always, once anything more is known, I will pass that along. Until that time, I wanted to at least note these things.

Our other apostles will take varying lengths of time to join the list of nonagenarians, from Elder Ballard (who will do so in 1 year, 2 months, and 2 days, to Elder Stevenson’s 28 years even. I am keeping an eye on all tenure and age developments relating to our apostles and will pass that information along as I am able to do so in the future.

For now, this is the latest information I have. It will be interesting to see what happens with our apostles over the next several years. Some will pass, and others will take their place. I hope you all enjoyed this update. Thanks for the privilege of your time. Let me know any thoughts you might have, if you are willing to do so. Until I post again, I wish you all the best.

Pageant Celebrating the Sacrifice of Early British Converts and Pioneers Held Again in Great Britain

Hello, all! Not sure how I missed this, but the Deseret News ran an article on August 4 regarding this year's revival of a pageant in the UK celebrating the sacrifice of early British Converts and Pioneers. The pageant was first held in 2013 and was meant to be a one-time thing. In fact, all props and background had been disposed of and no one expected it to come back. But in view of the celebrations commemorating the 180th anniversary of the Church being established in Great Britain, leaders and members of the Church in Great Britain and surrounding nations found a way to bring it back.

Elder M. Russell Ballard, whose grandfather Henry joined the Church in England, and who, as noted in earlier posts, served his mission in Great Britain, represented the other 14 apostles there. He was accompanied to the pageant by Elder Patrick Kearon, who wrapped up his service last week as president of the Europe Area and is now serving in the Presidency of the Seventy, and Elder Paul V. Johnson, who will be replacing Elder Kearon as Area President. Click here to read that article.

Thanks, as always, for the privilege of your time. I continue to welcome and very much appreciate comments on things I post. Until I post again in the not-too-distant future, I wish you all the best.

Inspirational and Thought-Provoking Church News Stories

Hello again, all! I am back sooner than expected with yet another post. The Church News posted a few inspirational and thought-provoking articles, and I have felt impressed to pass those along.

First, this story highlights how a Church member searched for two years for some information on one of her ancestors with no success. Through what can only be termed a miracle, she found the information from a man who, though not a Church member, was distantly related to the husband of the woman she was looking for. As a result of that connection formed with that woman, the man wound up volunteering at the Family History Library. Whether or not that man will end up joining the Church at some point is not yet known.

Next, during the annual FairMormon Conference held at BYU, Keith Erekson, director of the Church History Library, spoke on the subject of how history skills can strengthen the study of the 11 Witnesses of the Book of Mormon. You can read his remarks here.

This article gives insight into the important role mercy has, not just in terms of Christ's atonement covering the sins of all who will ever live on this and the other worlds our Heavenly Father has created, but also in how we see, interact with, and react and respond to our fellowman.

And lastly, the Church published this article about the sesquicentennial (150 year) anniversary of the establishment of Cove Fort. This Church History landmark, established and initially maintained by Ira Hinckley in accordance with a call to do so from the First Presidency of the Church, was owned and kept up by the Hinckley family until it was deeded over to the Church during the presidency of Ezra Taft Benson. Since my dad was born and has family in St. George Utah, I have had the privilege of visiting the Cover Fort landmark many times. And in doing so, I have felt the spirit of the Lord.

I am grateful to have had this opportunity to share this Church news update with all of you. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Any comments are always welcome. Until my next post, I wish you all the best.

Regional Face-to-Face Event (featuring Elder Dale G. and Sister Ruth L. Renlund) originates from West Africa

Hello again, everyone! The Church News and Mormon Newsroom posted a report on the regional Face-to-Face event for youth, which featured Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Sister Ruth L. Renlund. The event originated from the MTC in Accra Ghana. Youth from the Africa Southeast and Africa West Areas participated, asking Elder and Sister Renlund the questions that were on their minds.

It was good to read the reports of this event. Face-to-Face events have been held for the youth by the Church for the last several years. Such events were established as an opportunity for the youth to receive answers to their questions from either Church leaders or prominent Church members. The Church established such events for the purpose of allowing the youth to ask questions and address concerns about how they can live their faith and prepare for the future in the midst of peer and societal pressures that are part of the last days.

I am grateful to belong to a Church that cares so much about the youth in their congregations. The work is expanding at a miraculous rate all over the world, and we are blessed to be part of that process.

That wraps up this post. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Comments continue to be welcome and appreciated. Until my next post, I wish you all the best.

First Apostolic Birthday in August: Elder Gary E. Stevenson turns 62

Hello, all! Though one of my first blog posts this month discussed the dates in August on which 5 of our apostles (33% or 1/3 of all 15) would mark their birthdays, where possible, I will also be doing posts for each of these 5 on the day of. Therefore, the first apostolic birthday this month is for our youngest apostle, Elder Gary E. Stevenson, who celebrates his 62nd birthday today. As most, if not all, of you are no doubt aware, Elder Stevenson is right now the second most junior member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and also of the 15 apostles overall.

I thought I would present a brief biography of Elder Stevenson, including important highlights of his time as a general authority. Born in Ogden, Utah in 1955, Elder Stevenson served in the Japan Fukuoka Mission. He obtained his secondary education at Utah State University (where he majored in business). During his time at USU, he met his wife, Lesa Jean Higley, whom he married in the Idaho Falls Idaho Temple and with whom he raised four sons. Fun fact: Elder Stevenson's mother and wife share the middle name of Jean. I found that intriguing.

Elder Stevenson worked for ICON Health and Fitness, eventually getting promoted to Chief Operating Officer. He additionally served on both the USU Foundation Board and the Marriott School of Management National Advisory Council.

Prior to his call as a general authority, he served in a variety of callings, including as a bishop, a counselor in a stake presidency, and returned to Japan to serve as president of the Church's mission headquartered in the city of Nagoya. He filled that assignment from 2004-2007.

Approximately one year after returning from that assignment, Elder Stevenson was among the first General Authorities called by President Monson in April 2008. In the almost four years that followed, Elder Stevenson was assigned to live in Japan again, this time as a counselor and then as the president of the Church's Asia North Area.

During the April 2012 General Conference, the Presiding Bishopric that had been serving together since late December 1995 was released, and Elder Stevenson was called as the new Presiding Bishop. Part of his duties included involvement with temples. And one of the temples that went from announcement to groundbreaking to construction during that time was the Sapporo Japan Temple, for which he, as the Asia Area President, had broken ground in 2011.

About 2.5 years into his service as Presiding Bishop (just prior to the October 2015 General Conference), he was called to the apostleship, becoming the youngest apostle called since Elder David A. Bednar (who was 52 years old at the time of his call in October 2004).

Since his call as a general authority, Elder Stevenson has given 7 amazing and inspirational talks during General Conference, one as a General Authority Seventy, 2 during his time as Presiding Bishop, and the other 4 as a special witness of Jesus Christ. To review any of these talks (which have covered some significant and important topics), click here.

As a brief aside, one thing that really impresses me about his talks (and likewise those of President Eyring) is that the covered subject matter is so important to both of them that they have teared up almost every time they give their prepared remarks. I know that may bother some people, but it doesn't bother me. In fact, when something like that does happen, if anything, it strengthens the Spirit I have felt in such situations.

But getting back to Elder Stevenson, I was gratified to see that the Church has been using him for a wide variety of assignments as he comes closer to marking two years in the apostleship. Together with Elders Rasband and Renlund (who were called to the apostleship the same day), Elder Stevenson has made very valuable contributions to the furthering of the work of the Lord. I look forward to seeing him continue his apostolic ministry.

This concludes my post paying a birthday tribute to Elder Stevenson. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Any comments are welcome and appreciated. I am anticipating that this next week will be another big one for new posts, as there is no shortage of Church and temple-related news. And among those planned posts (barring anything unexpected) will be birthday tributes like this one for Elder Andersen (who will be 65 on Wednesday) and Elder Oaks (who will celebrate his 85th birthday on Saturday). Until I post again, I wish each of you all the best.

Unit Growth Thoughts

Hello, all! I am posting with some thoughts and estimates about the potential for unit growth during this year. I will not offer analysis of this information, just my thoughts on what the Church might be looking at numbers-wise by the end of this year. Here's what I know: By the end of 2017, 53 Sundays will have been observed. Tomorrow marks the 32nd Sunday of this year. Within the 31 Sundays thus far, the Church has seen a net increase of 35 stakes (or just over 1.13 new stakes established each week). The Church has also seen a net decrease of 12 districts (although quite a few of those districts were upgraded to stakes, as noted by many of you who regularly read and comment on my blog posts. The number of wards and branches has seen a net increase of 36 (with many created and several discontinued). And with the merge of the two Russian missions (which the Church announced several months ago), the number of current missions stands at a worldwide count of 420.

So what does this mean in terms of what may happen by the end of the year? Well, with the 1.13 stakes created per week thus far (which, as noted, is a net increase of 35 stakes), if that continues for the remaining 22 Sundays of this month, a net increase of 25 stakes could happen. If it does, that means the Church would have seen an overall net increase of 60 stakes.

My research on this matter demonstrates that within the last 4 months of last year, 37 of the 100 new stakes from last year were created. Since around 3 stakes were discontinued during that time (if my research is correct), then the Church last year had a next increase of around 34 stakes from August-December of last year.

With all that in mind, I am venturing a prediction that the Church could see an overall net gain of around 57 stakes, which, in the 53 Sundays of the year, would mean that roughly 1.07 stakes would then have been created during each week of 2017.

Whatever the case, we can be sure that the LDS Church Growth Blog and the unit page of the LDS Church Temples site will continue to contain the latest updates in that regard. And I will continue to do my best to keep track of all of that as well, and to pass along anything I find out.

For now, hope you enjoyed this post. Thanks for the privilege of your time. Any comments are welcome. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best.

Birthday Celebration to mark President Monson's 90th Birthday Not Likely

Hello, all! While I am still waiting to find out more about some questions that some of you have asked about relating to some of my latest posts, I was able to find out one thing: Barring something unexpected, and in view of the fact that President Monson's 90th birthday is now just over two weeks away, it is not likely that a formal celebration will be held to mark this milestone. I can understand that completely. President Monson has said he is a very private person. And depending on what his condition is, it may be hard for him to muster strength to attend such a celebration. That information did not come as a surprise to me. Generally for milestone birthdays of Church presidents, an announcement is made about such a celebration several weeks (if not a month or two) in advance. So I am sure this year, between his desire for privacy and whatever his condition is, President Monson will have a low-key, low-profile, quiet celebration with just his family and Church colleagues. Either way, I am grateful for the life and ministry of our dear prophet, and I wish him all the best, however he chooses to mark this milestone. May the Lord continue to bless and inspire him to the fullest extent possible is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Changes made to numbering of temples that may be completed during 2019

Hello, all! Although no significant developments have been reported on any temples within the last 24 hours, I have changed my thinking on the numbering of temples under construction that may be completed during 2019. The Winnipeg Manitoba Temple (which may be completed sometime during mid-to-late 2019) is now listed as 167, the Lisbon Portugal Temple (which may be completed sometime during late 2019) is now listed as 168, and the Arequipa Peru Temple (which may be completed sometime during late 2019 or early 2020) is listed as 169.

Depending on what happens during the remaining 4 months of this year (including how soon construction begins on the Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple after its October 28 groundbreaking), that may change again. For now, I wanted to pass that along. As today has been comparatively more quiet in terms of Church and temple news, this post may be my only one today. Thanks for the privilege of your time. Any comments are welcome and appreciated. All the best to all of you until my next post.

More temple-related developments noted

Hello, all! I was making what I intended to be my last check of Church websites for the day, and in doing so, I discovered that more temple-related developments have been reported. I am posting right here right now with those updates. Enjoy, and let me know your thoughts. Thank you for the privilege of your time.

Temple Construction Progress Update (current as of 8/3/17)

NOTE: There will be a total of 182 operating temples once all of those under construction or announced are dedicated. Of those, we currently have 156 temples in operation; 1 other will be dedicated next month (after the traditional July recess for the General Authorities); 2 more have construction concluding and a dedication scheduled for later this year; 9 are in various stages of construction; 1 other has construction pending (groundbreaking was last year), and earnest work will hopefully start on that within the next month or so); 1 has a groundbreaking scheduled (set for later this year); 1 temple has a rededication scheduled; 1 other is undergoing renovation (with completion anticipated next year); another 4 have a renovation closure date set for later this year, with 5 others set to close early next year (the actual dates will be set closer to the time); the remaining 12 are announced (with either a site announcement or groundbreaking pending).

NOTE ON FUTURE TEMPLES: Elder Larry Y. Wilson, who serves as the Executive Director of the Temple Department, indicated in a recent interview that the Church has around 80 temple sites that are under active consideration for an announcement within the next 15 years or so. If that is true, then that would take the number of temples in any phase to just over 260 by 2032. And if that is true, then whether or not the Church makes it an official goal to do so, it is more than likely that there could be a minimum of 200 temples dedicated by or before the Church’s 200^th anniversary on April 6, 2030. All it would take to do so is 18 more being announced, and each of them, along with the 26 either under construction or announced, to be completed within the next 12 years and 9 months, which is doable if 3 or 4 are dedicated per year between now and then. As there are 3 others scheduled for dedication before the end of this year, with 5 set for next year, and up to 5 the year following, the Church seems to be on track for that. This is especially possible in light of the fact that, within the last 2.5 years or so, 12 new temples have been announced, which works out to roughly 5 temples announced each year. If that average continues for the next 15 years, 75 new temples will be announced in that time, which is very close to the 80 referenced by Elder Wilson. Subsequent versions of this report will continue to share developments as they occur.

Preparing for dedication:

157. Tucson Arizona Temple: Preparing for dedication, which is scheduled for Sunday August 13, 2017.

Construction nearing completion; dedication scheduled:

158. Meridian Idaho Temple: Interior finish work underway; sod laid and trees planted; dedication scheduled for Sunday November 19, 2017.

159. Cedar City Utah Temple: Hanging interior light fixtures; installing art glass; landscaping progressing; dedication scheduled for Sunday December 10, 2017.

                                                      

Under Construction (completion anticipated within the next 1-2 years):

160. Rome Italy Temple: Interior and exterior work progressing; construction office trailers donated to community organizations; office space relocated to patron housing; completion anticipated sometime during mid-2018.

161. Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple: Exterior walls completed; preparing to attach plywood to roof trusses and to pour baptismal font support; completion anticipated sometime during mid-to-late 2018.

162. Concepcion Chile Temple: Cladding progressing on the east wall; decorative fence installation underway; completion anticipated sometime during mid-to-late 2018.

NOTE: Within the few short hours that transpired between the evening and late night of August 3, this temple was moved up to this spot while other temples have been moved down. I am working on what this means for next year’s temple events, and will pass that along once I learn anything.

163.  Barranquilla Colombia Temple: Stone cladding completed on exterior walls; completion anticipated sometime during late 2018.

NOTE: Late tonight, this temple was moved down, signifying that my thinking on the timeline for next year’s temple-related events need to be revised yet again.

164. Durban South Africa Temple: East soffit temple wall poured; brick laying continues for temple and missionary housing; utility work continues; completion anticipated sometime during late 2018-early 2019.

Under construction, completion anticipated within the next 2-3 years:  

165. Fortaleza Brazil Temple: Interior and roof framing underway for temple and patron housing; structural framing rising for meetinghouse; completion anticipated sometime during early-to-mid 2019.

166. Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple: Construction underway on temple substructure; completion anticipated sometime during mid-2019.

167.  Lisbon Portugal Temple: Foundation walls and columns nearing completion; cladding the meetinghouse; completion anticipated sometime during late 2019.

168. Arequipa Peru Temple: Setting rebar for main floor structural walls; completion anticipated sometime during late 2019-early 2020.

Construction pending (anticipated to start anytime):

169. Winnipeg Manitoba Temple: Groundbreaking held Saturday December 3, 2016; awaiting full-scale operations; acquiring building permits; completion anticipated sometime during mid-to-late 2019.

NOTE: Progress on this temple has been stalled repeatedly, first by a bad Canadian winter (until April or May of this year), and since that time by a delay in getting the necessary permits. If construction begins within the next couple of months, I can see this temple dedicated sooner than indicated above. In the meantime, until construction begins, I have felt it wise to adjust my estimate. This is just my own thinking here, and not verifiable by any source available to me. I will be sure to pass along any updates as I receive them.

Groundbreaking scheduled:

170. Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple: Ground being cleared; preparing for groundbreaking ceremony, which is scheduled for Saturday October 28, 2017; completion anticipated sometime during mid-to-late 2020.

NOTE: In addition to knowing that this temple will be much smaller than its other Caribbean counterpart, I found out in late July that this temple will be comparable in size (and perhaps design) to the one in Kinshasa. All of this points to the notion that this temple’s dedication could easily happen during the specified time-frame estimated above. Once work is actually underway (which is anticipated to happen on Monday October 30, barring any delays), I will pass along any changes to that thinking.

Scheduled for rededication:

20. Jordan River Utah Temple: Closed for renovation; rededication scheduled for Sunday May 20, 2018.

Undergoing Renovation (rededication anticipated within the next year or so):

41. Frankfurt Germany Temple: Closed for renovation; baptismal font support walls poured in basement addition; rededication anticipated sometime during mid-2018.

Renovations Scheduled (official closure dates announced):

80. Memphis Tennessee Temple: Scheduled to close for renovation on September 29, 2017; rededication may take place sometime during early-to-mid 2019.

NOTE: While this temple is a comparatively smaller one (from the Hinckley era), I also learned on July 5 that this renovation will be altering both the exterior and interior appearance of the temple. Those plans may or may not involve an expansion. The opinions on what will happen in that regard are so different that it will take time to settle the question. Once more is known, I will pass that along. In the meantime, my study on the subject is ongoing.

18. Tokyo Japan Temple: Scheduled to close for renovation on September 29, 2017; rededication may take place sometime during early-to-mid 2020.

NOTE: This temple, constructed as part of President Kimball’s smaller temple design, is anticipated to be rededicated sometime in 2020. If the news release about this renovation is any indication, no expansion is in the works. Adjustments will be made as the process gets underway. For now, I wanted to also note that the stated purpose for this renovation is primarily to upgrade electrical and mechanical systems and bring the temple up-to-code. With that in mind, I also learned in early July that the completion of this temple will most likely be sooner than I originally thought, as it is comparatively smaller.

95. Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temple: Scheduled to close for renovation on October 14, 2017; rededication may take place sometime during early-to-mid 2019.

NOTE: In an earlier version of this report, I had indicated that an expansion of this temple didn’t seem likely, as information available to me at that time pointed to the current temple taking up the entire area of the lot. On July 18, I learned I might be getting this temple and Memphis confused. I am trying to iron all of that out, and will pass along whatever I find out. Until more is known, I will not be altering my completion estimate. If an expansion is planned, that will change the estimate.

112. Asuncion Paraguay Temple: Scheduled to close for renovation on October 29, 2017; rededication may take place sometime during early-to-mid 2019.

NOTE: As noted in previous versions of this report, I had the closure date for this temple off by a month. I regret that misinformation. In the meantime, I did some study on whether or not this temple might be expanded. On July 16, I found that this temple may have room to expand. Whether or not expansion will happen, until more is known, I have felt it wiser to stick to my completion estimate.

Temples that have a renovation closure announced, but no official date made known yet:

68. Raleigh North Carolina Temple: Scheduled to close for renovation in January 2018; rededication may take place sometime during mid-to-late 2019.

NOTE: On July 16, while studying scheduled renovations, I learned two things: this temple is on a large enough plot of land that expansion may be possible and even feasible. That said, the Saints in North Carolina (according to one of my contacts) were told that an expansion is not in the renovation plans for this temple. It is possible but perhaps unlikely. More to come once more is known, including any change of the completion estimate.

94. Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple: Scheduled to close for renovation in February 2018; rededication may take place sometime during mid-to-late 2019.

NOTE: My study on this temple (which I conducted on July 16) indicates that there may be room on this temple lot to expand the edifice. The question is whether or not the Church will choose to do so. I will keep an eye on developments and pass things along as I learn of them. For now, the question cannot be settled.

13. Oakland California Temple: Scheduled to close for renovation in February 2018; rededication may take place sometime during mid-to-late 2019.

NOTE: This renovation and the one below were announced in February of 2017. In the interim, the Church has scheduled 7 other renovations around those two. This temple is older, so the renovation will likely take longer. But I am not ruling out other possibilities. We also know that the primary purpose of this renovation is to upgrade mechanical and electrical systems and bring them up to code. So I don’t think expansion is in the plans for this temple.

16. Washington D. C. Temple: Scheduled to close for renovation in March 2018; rededication may take place sometime during mid-to-late 2020.

NOTE: This is another older temple where the purpose of the renovation is to upgrade electrical and mechanical systems and bring them up to code. An expansion doesn’t seem likely. It is a larger temple, so the renovation will likely take longer. That reinforces the idea that the completion timeframe above will be spot on.

7. Mesa Arizona Temple: Scheduled to close for renovation in May 2018; rededication may take place sometime during mid-to-late 2020.

NOTE: The purpose of this renovation is to upgrade electrical and mechanical systems and bring them up to code. This temple has been renovated before, which reinforces the idea that there may be less to update here than for Washington DC. Until more is known, it is my feeling that this temple will likely be rededicated first.

NOTE ON FUTURE GROUNDBREAKINGS: During the month of July, I revised the order in which temples in this section were listed. About a week after doing so, I found out that I needed to revise and rethink that order again. The current order reflects the latest information I have (as of the late night hours of July 18). I should also note that the timing of any temple event is up to the Lord (based on conditions in each area), so these estimates should not in any way be taken as gospel or official until they are confirmed or denied by those who have the authorization to do so.

Announced:

171. Lima Peru Los Olivos Temple: Planning and preliminary construction phase; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking could take place sometime during early-to-mid 2018.

NOTE: With the recent news that preconstruction for this temple began in March 2017, it is not hard to believe that a groundbreaking could take place in short order once 2018 starts. But as we also know that the Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple had its groundbreaking unexpected announced in mid-July (being set for the end of October), that opens up the possibility that this temple could be another that could either have its groundbreaking just before that for Port-au-Prince (as there is a precedent for such things) or within the remaining two months of 2017. If that doesn’t happen, then this temple will likely be the first to have a groundbreaking during 2018.

172. Harare Zimbabwe Temple: Planning phase; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking could take place during early-to-mid 2018.

NOTE: Though nothing has happened with this temple since Elder Hamilton stated that a site announcement and groundbreaking would take place in short order at some point prior to the end of 2017, and though that seemed to provide a sufficient reason to downgrade this temple to sometime in 2018 or 2019, in reevaluating things in mid-July, I determined that it would be wiser to move this temple back to this spot. There is an outside chance that this temple could have a groundbreaking at some point during the 4 months or so left in 2017, but that doesn’t seem probable. Anything is possible, though. I will keep an eye out for developments and pass those along as I find out more, along with any other adjustments.

173. Urdaneta Philippines Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting government approval and official site announcement; groundbreaking could take place sometime during mid-2018.

NOTE: While previous versions of this report had downgraded this temple to being among the last of the current bunch to have a groundbreaking, the end of delays preventing progress on this temple’s construction mean that a site announcement and groundbreaking may be simply a matter of time. That being the case, as noted in so many previous versions of this report, some have speculated a groundbreaking for this temple may take place prior to the end of 2017. But it seems more likely that it may wait until around this time. As always, with these being no more than my own thoughts based on the facts I have right now, they are subject to change as things develop. I will make any further changes that might be needed as that becomes necessary.

174. Saratoga Springs Utah: Planning phase; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking may take place sometime during mid-2018.

NOTE: On July 18, 2017, I learned some things that convinced me to take another look at the order in which these announced temples are listed. That more extensive research led me to conclude that this temple may get started closer to the average time in which Utah temples have gone from an announcement to a groundbreaking. So I ran those numbers, which now has me convinced that this temple’s groundbreaking may be sooner than I had originally projected. This change will be reflected on my timeline for future temple-related events.

175. Brasilia Brazil Temple: Planning phase; site inspected by Church engineers on June 21, 2017; groundbreaking may take place sometime during mid-to-late 2018.

NOTE: As noted above, new information received on July 18, 2017 led to my rethinking this entire section. Particularly, I found out that the site inspection is not indicative of an imminent groundbreaking like I thought it might be. While it is still likely that this temple will have a groundbreaking prior to the end of 2018, it will likely be more towards the end of the year than the beginning, contrary to what I had thought and reported. This seems like a safe change for the moment. If the Lord surprises us and sets a groundbreaking for this temple sooner than estimated here, I will move it up on this list at that time.

176. Greater Manila Philippines Temple: Planning phase; site confirmed; awaiting official name announcement; groundbreaking may take place sometime during mid-to-late 2018.

NOTE: This is another temple that has already had a site confirmed, but that will likely not have a groundbreaking as soon as I had thought and asserted that would happen. Having been advised that temples announced in April 2017 might have at least a year between the site announcement and the groundbreaking, this seems to be a safe and sound adjustment.  As always, once the Lord or the leaders of His Church reveal more about any temple, that new information will be reflected on future reports. For now, that is an update from what I have previously reported. And we are also still waiting to see if and when a more official name might be announced for this temple. I will report on all developments as I become aware of them.

177. Pocatello Idaho: Planning phase; awaiting site confirmation; groundbreaking may take place sometime during early 2019.

NOTE: While it is true that temples in the “Mormon corridor” of Idaho, Utah and Arizona generally get started well in advance of their international counterparts, I learned on July 18, 2017 that some temples on this list needed to be moved (some up, and some down). I also learned that Idaho temples have kept to a general average time-frame from announcement to groundbreaking, and by changing the estimate for this temple, it corresponds more fully to that average.

178. Nairobi Kenya Temple: Planning phase; awaiting official site announcement; media event held June 14, 2017; groundbreaking may take place sometime during early 2019.

NOTE: As I have considered the media event held last month, I have determined it wiser to assume that a groundbreaking for this temple will happen sooner rather than later. It seems apparent now that this temple will not be the last of those currently announced to have a groundbreaking, as I had originally thought and stated. So it seems wise to make that adjustment. As always, once more information is available, I will go from there.

179. Bangkok Thailand Temple: Planning phase; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking may take place during mid-2019.

NOTE: If member speculation is confirmed within the next year or so (that a building housing Church offices will be reconstructed and repurposed into an edifice housing not just those offices, but also a meetinghouse and the temple as well), then formal construction efforts could begin sooner than indicated here. Until more is known, I am trying to be conservative in my estimates. I would not be surprised in the least if this temple’s groundbreaking happens sooner or later than indicated here.

180. Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple: Planning phase; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking may take place sometime during mid-to-late 2019.

NOTE: With the massive growth that the Church has experienced in the Ivory Coast, some have speculated that the Ivory Coast could get one or two additional temples within the next 15 years. For this first one, this adjustment feels appropriate. Further adjustments will be made once more is known.

181. Quito Ecuador Temple: Planning phase; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking may take place during mid-to-late 2019.

NOTE: Despite the 14-year wait between the announcement and groundbreaking for Ecuador’s first temple, this one for the Ecuadoran capital is not anticipated to have nearly as long a wait. With other adjustments that have been made, this seems appropriate. Further adjustments will be made once more is known.

182. Belem Brazil Temple: Planning phase; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking may take place during late 2019-early 2020.

NOTE: Since we have a site essentially confirmed for the other Brazilian temple above, even though this one was announced a year prior to that one, it is more than likely that we will not see a groundbreaking for this Belem temple until a year or so after the one for Brasilia. If the estimates for all other temples are anywhere close (which they may or may not be), that would make this temple the last of the current bunch to be dedicated. But this is 2 or 3 years out, so changes are always possible within that time depending on what develops between now and then.

ADDITIONAL GENERAL NOTE: Temple announcements within the last three years have come during the April General Conference. They may happen at any time the First Presidency feels inspired to make them, but that has been the pattern since 2015. Also, as noted above, Elder Larry Y. Wilson said in an interview recently that 85 or more temple sites are under consideration for an announcement within the next 15 years. So we could be entering another unprecedented era of temple announcements and construction. That is one big reason why I have expanded my list of temples that may potentially be announced. I also know that sites have been procured for future temples in Managua Nicaragua (which seems most likely, as it is the first of the top ten countries with the strongest LDS presence that does not yet have a temple, and such a temple was proposed by Elder Nelson in 2012), Auckland New Zealand, Port Moresby Papua New Guinea, Bentonville Arkansas, and Missoula Montana (which was proposed by Elder Bednar sometime in 2014). I have been told by many that an official announcement will happen once unit growth and activity in temples within such areas warrants those announcements. If there have been any other sites purchased elsewhere, they have not yet been made known. We also know that several potential temples have been proposed in several locations around the world by many of our prophets and apostles. The Lord will continue to inspire such temple announcements as they are needed, and all developments will continue to be included on subsequent versions of this report.

                                                                                                           

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 highlights changes from the last posted temple progress report.