Hello again, everyone! After taking some personal time to see my PCP and to deal with personal illness yesterday (November 30), I became aware just a few hours ago about some potentially game-changing information regarding temples that are under construction. I will do another post right after this one is published to discuss what those changes are, and what they might mean for the future, but I feel I would be doing all of you a disservice if I did not first focus on the third and final part of my posts about the Mexico Area. This post will cover future temple prospects that I have on my radar, some of which were not on my list before I began studying the Mexico Area.
First, I wanted to note that I began with three potential sites for that area: Puebla, Queretaro, and perhaps a second for Mexico City as well. But I subsequently learned that the Mexico City Temple has some issues with attendance numbers (that information was provided by one of my readers who lives in Mexico). So I eliminated a second temple for Mexico City, at least for now. So that left me with Puebla and Queretaro. As i did further study, I found two other potential locations: San Luis Potosi, and Acapulco (in the state of Guerrero). Each of these is currently within the Mexico City Mexico Temple District. Let's talk about my reasons for including each one
I have heard from many that Mexico's next temple will be built in Puebla. Though that city is only 81.7 miles from its assigned temple, a temple in Puebla would help cover the units currently served by the Mexico City Mexico Temple. And such a temple in that city makes sense because, at minimum, it would serve the 2 missions, 13 stakes and 1 district, which in turn have 89 wards and 27 branches, for a total of 116 congregations. I could definitely see why the Church would opt for a temple there.
The case for a temple in Queretaro is likewise strong. That state is 135.9 miles away from Mexico City, and would be almost twice that far (207.9 miles) from the Puebla Temple, meaning that if a Puebla Temple drew away from the Mexico City Temple, Queretaro would stay within that district until that state had a temple of its own. That state qualifies for a temple mainly for convenience, as the Church only has 1 mission and 3 stakes in its boundaries, which are divided into 20 wards and 3 branches.
For the next location I see getting a temple, we move to the state of Guerrero, and I am thinking that any temple built there would be in the city of Acapulco, which is one of Mexico's prominent cities. While the state has no missions, there are 4 stakes and 1 district within it, and 2 of those stakes are in Acapulco. The stakes and districts further branch off into 26 wards and 12 branches, for a total of 38 congregations. Additionally, Acapulco is also 235.3 miles.away from Mexico City, would be 278.8 miles away from a temple in Puebla, and would be 366.9 miles from a temple in Queretaro. So Acapulco has a strong case for a temple as well.
I added San Luis Potosi for a few reasons. Though that city has only 3 stakes, there are 21 wards and 8 branches (a total of 29 congregations), Saints in that city have to travel 259.1 miles to the Mexico City Mexico Temple. It is also 329.9 miles away from Puebla, but it would likely fall within the temple district in Queretaro, at least initially, since the two are 131.1 miles apart. And Acapulco is 491 miles from San Luis Potosi.
Even with those locations above that I had on my list, and with those I have added, I am sure there are several locations in Mexico that are deserving of a temple. If I have missed any likely possibilities, or if any of you see a good reason I should eliminate any of them, let me know.
That does it for this post. Thank you for the privilege of your time. I will be back in a few minutes to share the temple updates I talked about at the beginning of this post. Until then, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.
Friday, December 1, 2017
Temple Site Possibilities: Mexico Area, Part Three--Potential Future Temples
I have had a lifelong love for Church history, which has extended to ongoing reports of the ministry of our apostles and prophets, General Conference, and all temple developments. This blog enables me to share that love with all who read my thoughts on these developments, which are sometimes reported multiple times per day as needed.
Thursday, November 30, 2017
Temple Site Possibilities: Mexico Area, Part Two--Composition of Current Temple Districts
Hello again, everyone! To continue with the second of the three posts I have planned to cover the Mexico Area, we now turn our attention to the composition of the current temple districts. Again, I am going to be approaching this topic by chronology rather than alphabetically. Let's dive right in to that.
The Mexico City Mexico Temple District, as it now stands, contains 88 stakes and 4 districts from Estado de Mexico, Distrito Federal, Puebla, Hidalgo, Morelos, Guerrero, Michoacan, Queretaro, San Luis Potosi, Tlaxcala, and Guanajuato. That is, in my opinion, a huge district that could be split, perhaps several ways. I will share more of my thoughts on how that might happen in my next post.
The Colonial Juarez Chihuahua Mexico Temple District covers two stakes in Western Chihuahua and Northeastern Sonora. Not much need for additional temples there, at least not for the moment. The same can be said for the Ciudad Juarez Mexico Temple District, which covers 12 stakes and 2 districts in Chihuahua Mexico and Far West Texas (stakes in El Paso).
The Hermosillo Sonora Mexico Temple District is slightly larger than the previous two, covering the Sonora and Sinaloa regions, including the 10 stakes and 6 districts in those regions. The Oaxaca Temple District covers Oaxaca and Southeastern Puebla, with a total of 6 stakes and 5 districts.
The Tuxtla Guitierrez Temple District takes in 7 stakes and 6 districts in Chiapas and Southeastern Oaxaca. The Tampico Mexico Temple District, which covers the 13 stakes and 2 districts located in Southern Tamaulipas, Northern Veracruz, Eastern San Luis Potosi and Eastern Hidalgo.
The Villahermosa Temple District is made up of the 9 stakes and 1 district within Southeastern Veracruz, Tabasco, and Southwestern Campeche. The Merida Temple District is comprised of 13 stakes and 2 districts located in Yucatan, Quintana Roo and Northern Campeche.
The Veracruz Temple District takes in the 12 stakes and 1 district in Veracruz, Northeastern Oaxaca, and Northeastern Puebla. The Guadalajara Temple District covers 20 stakes and 5 districts located throughout Jalisco, Aguascalientes, Durango, Guanajuato, Michoacan, Zacatecas, Colima, Nayarit, and Sinaloa.
The Monterrey Temple District contains 28 stakes and 6 districts, headquartered in Nuevo Leon, Coahuila, Northern Tamaulipas, and Northeastern Durango. And the newest Mexican Temple, in Tijuana, covers the 12 stakes within Baja California, Baja California Sur, and Northwestern Sonora.
As you can see from this information, the Church has tried to spread most of these temples so that the districts are smaller than they would otherwise be. I have some thoughts about future temple candidates, and I will pass those along later today. In the meantime, I hope this information is interesting to some of you..
That does it for this post. Any comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.
The Mexico City Mexico Temple District, as it now stands, contains 88 stakes and 4 districts from Estado de Mexico, Distrito Federal, Puebla, Hidalgo, Morelos, Guerrero, Michoacan, Queretaro, San Luis Potosi, Tlaxcala, and Guanajuato. That is, in my opinion, a huge district that could be split, perhaps several ways. I will share more of my thoughts on how that might happen in my next post.
The Colonial Juarez Chihuahua Mexico Temple District covers two stakes in Western Chihuahua and Northeastern Sonora. Not much need for additional temples there, at least not for the moment. The same can be said for the Ciudad Juarez Mexico Temple District, which covers 12 stakes and 2 districts in Chihuahua Mexico and Far West Texas (stakes in El Paso).
The Hermosillo Sonora Mexico Temple District is slightly larger than the previous two, covering the Sonora and Sinaloa regions, including the 10 stakes and 6 districts in those regions. The Oaxaca Temple District covers Oaxaca and Southeastern Puebla, with a total of 6 stakes and 5 districts.
The Tuxtla Guitierrez Temple District takes in 7 stakes and 6 districts in Chiapas and Southeastern Oaxaca. The Tampico Mexico Temple District, which covers the 13 stakes and 2 districts located in Southern Tamaulipas, Northern Veracruz, Eastern San Luis Potosi and Eastern Hidalgo.
The Villahermosa Temple District is made up of the 9 stakes and 1 district within Southeastern Veracruz, Tabasco, and Southwestern Campeche. The Merida Temple District is comprised of 13 stakes and 2 districts located in Yucatan, Quintana Roo and Northern Campeche.
The Veracruz Temple District takes in the 12 stakes and 1 district in Veracruz, Northeastern Oaxaca, and Northeastern Puebla. The Guadalajara Temple District covers 20 stakes and 5 districts located throughout Jalisco, Aguascalientes, Durango, Guanajuato, Michoacan, Zacatecas, Colima, Nayarit, and Sinaloa.
The Monterrey Temple District contains 28 stakes and 6 districts, headquartered in Nuevo Leon, Coahuila, Northern Tamaulipas, and Northeastern Durango. And the newest Mexican Temple, in Tijuana, covers the 12 stakes within Baja California, Baja California Sur, and Northwestern Sonora.
As you can see from this information, the Church has tried to spread most of these temples so that the districts are smaller than they would otherwise be. I have some thoughts about future temple candidates, and I will pass those along later today. In the meantime, I hope this information is interesting to some of you..
That does it for this post. Any comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.
I have had a lifelong love for Church history, which has extended to ongoing reports of the ministry of our apostles and prophets, General Conference, and all temple developments. This blog enables me to share that love with all who read my thoughts on these developments, which are sometimes reported multiple times per day as needed.
Temple Site Possibilities: Mexico Area, Part One--Area Unit Statistics and Temple Histories
Hello again, everyone! I am back yet again with my next post in the series exploring future temple prospects. This post will discuss the statistical data for the Mexico Area of the Church, and provide a history of the events that have culminated in the 13 temples now in operation there. I will follow that up with a second post for this area discussing the current temple districts in that area, and conclude with a third post detailing the possibilities I see for sites that could be announced in the near future. Let's dive right in to all of that.
Within the Mexico Area of the Church, there are 13 temples, 34 missions 229 stakes, and 42 districts. Those stakes and districts break down into substantially large numbers, with the 1,506 wards and 481 branches totaling 1,987 congregations. If we divide that total equally between the 13 temples, that averages out to an average of 152 or 153 congregations for each temple district. That is huge by any definition.
Let us now turn our attention to the actual size of each of the 13 temple districts within the Mexico Area. Some may suggest that the best way to do that is to discuss them in alphabetical order. But I have felt a better approach is to discuss them chronologically by their dedication dates. After I do so, I will discuss the areas each temple district covers. First, I wanted to note that there are 4 sets of two Mexican Temples that were dedicated on consecutive days, and one other set of two that were dedicated just about a year apart.
The Mexico City Mexico Temple became the 26th operating temple of the Church when it was dedicated during December 2-4, 1983 as the first temple in Mexico by President Gordon B. Hinckley, the only functioning member of the First Presidency at the time. Following its first renovation, it was rededicated on November 16, 2008 by President Thomas S. Monson, who had not yet been President of the Church for a year at the time. After another renovation was completed, its' second rededication was held on September 13, 2015, and President Henry B. Eyring officiated at that event.
The Saints in Mexico saw their second temple built in the Colonial Juarez Chihuahua area, becoming the 55th operating temple of the Church.It was dedicated more than 15 years after Mexico City. The dedication of that temple was held on March 6-7, 1999 and President Hinckley presided at that dedication as Church President.
Less than a year later, Mexico's third and fourth temples were dedicated on consecutive days, the Ciudad Juarez Temple on February 26, 2000, and the Hermosillo Sonora Temple on February 27, 2000. They became the 71st and 72nd operating temples of the Church. The remarkable thing to me is that President Hinckley presided over both temple dedications. I find that remarkable because the two cities are 465.5 miles apart.
Less than two weeks after those dedications, the fifth and sixth temples were dedicated on consecutive days as well. The Oaxaca Temple was dedicated on March 11, 2000, becoming the 74th operating temple. The following day (March 12), the Tuxtla Guitierrez Temple was dedicated as the 75th operating temple. President James E. Faust, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, dedicated both temples. As with the previous two temples, I find that remarkable as the two cities are 334.8 miles apart.
About two months later, Mexico saw the dedications of its seventh and eighth temples, again on consecutive days. On May 20, 2000, the Tampico Mexico Temple was dedicated as the Church's 83rd operating temple The next day, the Villahermosa Mexico Temple was dedicated, becoming the 84th operating temple. President Thomas S. Monson, President Hinckley's First Counselor, presided at both dedications, Again, I was amazed to find that the two Mexican cities are a substantial distance apart, 580.9 miles, to be exact.
The next Mexican temples were both dedicated just under 6 weeks after that, also back to back, making the ninth and tenth temples in that nation. The Merida Temple was dedicated as the 92nd operating temple on July 8, 2000, and the next day, the 93rd temple was dedicated in Veracruz. President Monson again presided at both. The two are rare examples of times when a temple dedication was held during the traditional July recess for Church leaders.
Less than a year later, on April 29, 2001, the Guadalajara Mexico Temple became the 105th in operation, and the 11th in Mexico. President Hinckley presided at that event. And one day short of a full year after that, the Monterrey Mexico Temple became the 110th in the Church and Mexico's 12th, with President Hinckley presiding over that event.
The most recent Mexican temple was dedicated in Tijuana That happened on December 13, 2015, and President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor to President Monson, presided at that event. With that overview of the history of the temples in Mexico, we see that the Church members in Mexico had two temples in 1999, and subsequently saw a 500% increase in the number of temples in operation just over three years later.
I hope this sets the background for what I am looking at in terms of this area's current and future temples. I will be back shortly with a look at the current composition of these 13 temple districts. That does it for this post. Any comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.
Within the Mexico Area of the Church, there are 13 temples, 34 missions 229 stakes, and 42 districts. Those stakes and districts break down into substantially large numbers, with the 1,506 wards and 481 branches totaling 1,987 congregations. If we divide that total equally between the 13 temples, that averages out to an average of 152 or 153 congregations for each temple district. That is huge by any definition.
Let us now turn our attention to the actual size of each of the 13 temple districts within the Mexico Area. Some may suggest that the best way to do that is to discuss them in alphabetical order. But I have felt a better approach is to discuss them chronologically by their dedication dates. After I do so, I will discuss the areas each temple district covers. First, I wanted to note that there are 4 sets of two Mexican Temples that were dedicated on consecutive days, and one other set of two that were dedicated just about a year apart.
The Mexico City Mexico Temple became the 26th operating temple of the Church when it was dedicated during December 2-4, 1983 as the first temple in Mexico by President Gordon B. Hinckley, the only functioning member of the First Presidency at the time. Following its first renovation, it was rededicated on November 16, 2008 by President Thomas S. Monson, who had not yet been President of the Church for a year at the time. After another renovation was completed, its' second rededication was held on September 13, 2015, and President Henry B. Eyring officiated at that event.
The Saints in Mexico saw their second temple built in the Colonial Juarez Chihuahua area, becoming the 55th operating temple of the Church.It was dedicated more than 15 years after Mexico City. The dedication of that temple was held on March 6-7, 1999 and President Hinckley presided at that dedication as Church President.
Less than a year later, Mexico's third and fourth temples were dedicated on consecutive days, the Ciudad Juarez Temple on February 26, 2000, and the Hermosillo Sonora Temple on February 27, 2000. They became the 71st and 72nd operating temples of the Church. The remarkable thing to me is that President Hinckley presided over both temple dedications. I find that remarkable because the two cities are 465.5 miles apart.
Less than two weeks after those dedications, the fifth and sixth temples were dedicated on consecutive days as well. The Oaxaca Temple was dedicated on March 11, 2000, becoming the 74th operating temple. The following day (March 12), the Tuxtla Guitierrez Temple was dedicated as the 75th operating temple. President James E. Faust, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, dedicated both temples. As with the previous two temples, I find that remarkable as the two cities are 334.8 miles apart.
About two months later, Mexico saw the dedications of its seventh and eighth temples, again on consecutive days. On May 20, 2000, the Tampico Mexico Temple was dedicated as the Church's 83rd operating temple The next day, the Villahermosa Mexico Temple was dedicated, becoming the 84th operating temple. President Thomas S. Monson, President Hinckley's First Counselor, presided at both dedications, Again, I was amazed to find that the two Mexican cities are a substantial distance apart, 580.9 miles, to be exact.
The next Mexican temples were both dedicated just under 6 weeks after that, also back to back, making the ninth and tenth temples in that nation. The Merida Temple was dedicated as the 92nd operating temple on July 8, 2000, and the next day, the 93rd temple was dedicated in Veracruz. President Monson again presided at both. The two are rare examples of times when a temple dedication was held during the traditional July recess for Church leaders.
Less than a year later, on April 29, 2001, the Guadalajara Mexico Temple became the 105th in operation, and the 11th in Mexico. President Hinckley presided at that event. And one day short of a full year after that, the Monterrey Mexico Temple became the 110th in the Church and Mexico's 12th, with President Hinckley presiding over that event.
The most recent Mexican temple was dedicated in Tijuana That happened on December 13, 2015, and President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor to President Monson, presided at that event. With that overview of the history of the temples in Mexico, we see that the Church members in Mexico had two temples in 1999, and subsequently saw a 500% increase in the number of temples in operation just over three years later.
I hope this sets the background for what I am looking at in terms of this area's current and future temples. I will be back shortly with a look at the current composition of these 13 temple districts. That does it for this post. Any comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.
I have had a lifelong love for Church history, which has extended to ongoing reports of the ministry of our apostles and prophets, General Conference, and all temple developments. This blog enables me to share that love with all who read my thoughts on these developments, which are sometimes reported multiple times per day as needed.
Wednesday, November 29, 2017
Temple Site Possibilities: Europe East Area
Hello again, everyone! I am continuing my series of posts on potential future temple prospects, and this post will discuss the current and potential future temples in the Europe East Area of the Church. Again, I have no desire whatsoever to cut off or end the discussion of possibilities in previous areas; I very much hope that will continue. But I wanted to open up for discussion my thoughts on this area as well.
The Europe East Area contains the following countries: Armenia, Azerbajan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. The Church does not yet have a significant presence in Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
Additionally, while the members of the Church living in Belarus are very steadfast, the Church has not seen much growth in that region. In Bulgaria, the Church only has one mission, and 9 branches that are administered by that mission. There is only 1 district (comprised of 4 branches) in Estonia. The Church in the Eastern European country of Georgia only has 2 congregations, both branches, and there are also just 2 branches of the Church in Kazakhstan.
The Church's presence is slightly stronger in Latvia, where 5 branches operate. There are also 5 branches in Lithuania, and the Church is strong enough there that those units are organized into the Vilnius Lithuania district. The interesting thing about Vilnius is that Elder Ballard proposed a temple there in May 1993. Obviously, that will not happen until the Church is more established there, but that is something to look forward to perhaps within the next 30-50 years, if not sooner. And finally, Turkey has 1 mission (called the Central Eurasian Mission), and 8 branches.
Having summarized the situation of the countries in this area with a small or nonexistent Church presence, I can now move on to discuss the one temple in the Europe East Area. That is the Kyiv Ukraine Temple, and its district covers the 3 stakes and 16 districts scattered throughout Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Moldova, and Romania. Since the dedication of the Kyiv Temple in 2010, only 6 districts have been established. That said, the Moscow Russia district was upgraded to a stake in June 2011, and the Saratov Russia district was upgraded to a stake just 2 years ago this month.
With all of that in mind, I wanted to note that, as recently as the beginning of this week, I did not have any potential candidate cities from this area for a future temple. But as I did more research on all of that, I added one very likely possibility to my list: Moscow Russia.
I added that location for a few reasons. First, there are 6 missions in Russia, along with 3 stakes and 9 districts, which further break down into 17 wards and 83 branches. Anywhere the Church has a minimum of 100 congregations (which is the exact number in Russia), there is reason to look at a temple.
Next, with Moscow being located more than twice the 200 mile goal President Monson has set for Church membership worldwide (it is 536.5 miles exactly from Kyiv), Russia qualifies by that metric. But perhaps most significantly, Russia ranks as the 4th of the top ten nations in the world with the strongest Church presence that does not yet have a temple in any phase. For all of these reasons, I think a Moscow temple may be announced very soon.
Having shared these thoughts, I want to hear from you. How did I do? Did I overlook any other possibilities in this area? What are your feelings on Moscow's chances of getting a temple? It's your turn to sound off in the comments below.
That does it for this post. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.
The Europe East Area contains the following countries: Armenia, Azerbajan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. The Church does not yet have a significant presence in Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
Additionally, while the members of the Church living in Belarus are very steadfast, the Church has not seen much growth in that region. In Bulgaria, the Church only has one mission, and 9 branches that are administered by that mission. There is only 1 district (comprised of 4 branches) in Estonia. The Church in the Eastern European country of Georgia only has 2 congregations, both branches, and there are also just 2 branches of the Church in Kazakhstan.
The Church's presence is slightly stronger in Latvia, where 5 branches operate. There are also 5 branches in Lithuania, and the Church is strong enough there that those units are organized into the Vilnius Lithuania district. The interesting thing about Vilnius is that Elder Ballard proposed a temple there in May 1993. Obviously, that will not happen until the Church is more established there, but that is something to look forward to perhaps within the next 30-50 years, if not sooner. And finally, Turkey has 1 mission (called the Central Eurasian Mission), and 8 branches.
Having summarized the situation of the countries in this area with a small or nonexistent Church presence, I can now move on to discuss the one temple in the Europe East Area. That is the Kyiv Ukraine Temple, and its district covers the 3 stakes and 16 districts scattered throughout Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Moldova, and Romania. Since the dedication of the Kyiv Temple in 2010, only 6 districts have been established. That said, the Moscow Russia district was upgraded to a stake in June 2011, and the Saratov Russia district was upgraded to a stake just 2 years ago this month.
With all of that in mind, I wanted to note that, as recently as the beginning of this week, I did not have any potential candidate cities from this area for a future temple. But as I did more research on all of that, I added one very likely possibility to my list: Moscow Russia.
I added that location for a few reasons. First, there are 6 missions in Russia, along with 3 stakes and 9 districts, which further break down into 17 wards and 83 branches. Anywhere the Church has a minimum of 100 congregations (which is the exact number in Russia), there is reason to look at a temple.
Next, with Moscow being located more than twice the 200 mile goal President Monson has set for Church membership worldwide (it is 536.5 miles exactly from Kyiv), Russia qualifies by that metric. But perhaps most significantly, Russia ranks as the 4th of the top ten nations in the world with the strongest Church presence that does not yet have a temple in any phase. For all of these reasons, I think a Moscow temple may be announced very soon.
Having shared these thoughts, I want to hear from you. How did I do? Did I overlook any other possibilities in this area? What are your feelings on Moscow's chances of getting a temple? It's your turn to sound off in the comments below.
That does it for this post. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.
I have had a lifelong love for Church history, which has extended to ongoing reports of the ministry of our apostles and prophets, General Conference, and all temple developments. This blog enables me to share that love with all who read my thoughts on these developments, which are sometimes reported multiple times per day as needed.
Temple Site Possibilities, Europe Area--Part Two: Potential Future Temple Locations
Hello again, everyone! I am back with my list of possible future temple sites that may be announced in the near future within the Europe Area. I have four on my radar at the moment, and they are as follows: Praia Cape Verde, Budapest Hungary, Vienna Austria, and Edinburgh Scotland. Let me now detail my reasons for including these locations.
First, I wanted to talk about the potential I see for a temple in Praia Cape Verde. The Saints in Cape Verde currently fall under the Madrid Spain Temple district, and have to travel 2,125 miles to get to it. Once the Lisbon Portugal Temple is dedicated, the Cape Verde Saints will have a journey of 1,861 miles to travel. Even then, that is more than 9 times the distance goal of 200 miles that has been set by President Monson. Additionally, Cape Verde ranks as the 10th of the top 10 nations with the strongest LDS presence that does not have a temple. So I feel a temple there will happen sooner rather than later.
Next, as I have previously mentioned, I was told by a few people that the next European temple would be built in Budapest Hungary. The case for a temple in Cape Verde seemed more compelling, but I think we will see a Hungarian temple sooner rather than later. The Church units in Hungary currently fall under the Freiberg Germany Temple district, and Hungarian Church members currently travel 436.6 miles to get to that temple. So Budapest qualifies for a temple just based on the distance involved in allowing Saints of that nation to worship.
The third temple on my list is Vienna Austria. My wife served her mission there and I hope someday to be able to take her back for a visit. I am more than slightly biased in my choice of this location. The Saints in Austria currently travel a distance of 324.1 miles to get to their assigned temple in Frnakfurt. So again, we have another site that makes sense, at least in that regard.
Finally, I have Edinburgh Scotland as a possibility. When I first put Scotland on my list of future possibilities, I was torn in regards to whether that nation or Ireland might better serve the people in both nations. But my research shows that Scotland is more likely. Scotland currently falls under the Preston England Temple district, and the Scottish Saints have to travel a distance of 185.4 miles to get to their assigned temple. Perhaps that is not as arduous a journey as the Saints in other countries in this area might have, but it seems a bit too close to President Monson's 200 mile goal, so I could see it happen.
There you have it. Hope you enjoyed reading my thoughts on the potential new temples that could be constructed in the Europe Area. Do I have any on this list that might be more unlikely than I think? Have I overlooked any other locations that could use a temple within this area? It is now your turn to "sound off" in the comments below.
That does it for this post. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.
First, I wanted to talk about the potential I see for a temple in Praia Cape Verde. The Saints in Cape Verde currently fall under the Madrid Spain Temple district, and have to travel 2,125 miles to get to it. Once the Lisbon Portugal Temple is dedicated, the Cape Verde Saints will have a journey of 1,861 miles to travel. Even then, that is more than 9 times the distance goal of 200 miles that has been set by President Monson. Additionally, Cape Verde ranks as the 10th of the top 10 nations with the strongest LDS presence that does not have a temple. So I feel a temple there will happen sooner rather than later.
Next, as I have previously mentioned, I was told by a few people that the next European temple would be built in Budapest Hungary. The case for a temple in Cape Verde seemed more compelling, but I think we will see a Hungarian temple sooner rather than later. The Church units in Hungary currently fall under the Freiberg Germany Temple district, and Hungarian Church members currently travel 436.6 miles to get to that temple. So Budapest qualifies for a temple just based on the distance involved in allowing Saints of that nation to worship.
The third temple on my list is Vienna Austria. My wife served her mission there and I hope someday to be able to take her back for a visit. I am more than slightly biased in my choice of this location. The Saints in Austria currently travel a distance of 324.1 miles to get to their assigned temple in Frnakfurt. So again, we have another site that makes sense, at least in that regard.
Finally, I have Edinburgh Scotland as a possibility. When I first put Scotland on my list of future possibilities, I was torn in regards to whether that nation or Ireland might better serve the people in both nations. But my research shows that Scotland is more likely. Scotland currently falls under the Preston England Temple district, and the Scottish Saints have to travel a distance of 185.4 miles to get to their assigned temple. Perhaps that is not as arduous a journey as the Saints in other countries in this area might have, but it seems a bit too close to President Monson's 200 mile goal, so I could see it happen.
There you have it. Hope you enjoyed reading my thoughts on the potential new temples that could be constructed in the Europe Area. Do I have any on this list that might be more unlikely than I think? Have I overlooked any other locations that could use a temple within this area? It is now your turn to "sound off" in the comments below.
That does it for this post. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.
I have had a lifelong love for Church history, which has extended to ongoing reports of the ministry of our apostles and prophets, General Conference, and all temple developments. This blog enables me to share that love with all who read my thoughts on these developments, which are sometimes reported multiple times per day as needed.
900th Blog Post: Temple Site Possibilities: Europe Area, Part One--Current Temples
Hello again, everyone! While I have no desire whatsoever to halt the ongoing discussion of future temple locations in the areas of the Church I have already covered (I actually hope those will continue), I have felt inclined to get the next post in the series up on this blog. If the numbers I'm seeing are any indication, this series of posts has wide interest. The previous posts in this series, even those that have been up less than 48 hours, have double-digit readership already. That means a lot to me.
That said, I want to now turn our attention to the Europe Area. Because there is so much to cover in terms of this area (which, unless I am mistaken, is the second largest in the Church), I am dividing this area into two posts, the first to discuss the current breakdown of nations in this area, and the second to discuss the possibilities for future temples that I see for this area in the near future.
The Church defines the Europe Area as covering a whopping 44 countries or territories, and the Church has a presence in all but two of those, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Vatican City, headquarters of the Catholic Church and the Pope's residence. Because there are that many countries and territories, I will not be covering each one individually. It would just be too time-consuming. What I can and will do is focus on the 13 current temples in that area, and the number of Church units that are covered in each of those temple districts..
That will include the Bern Switzerland, Copenhagen Denmark, Frankfurt Germany, Freiberg Germany, Helsinki Finland, London England, London England, Madrid Spain, Paris France, Preston England, Stockholm Sweden, and The Hague Netherlands Temples. The Lisbon Portugal and Rome Italy Temples are under construction. Let's talk about each of these temple districts.
The Bern Switzerland Temple district covers 19 stakes and 1 district in Italy, Switzerland, France, Albania and the Jerusalem district in Israel. Once the Rome Italy Temple is dedicated (in early 2019), that temple district will likely take in the 10 stakes in Italy, which would leave the Bern temple with 9 stakes and 1 district.
The Copenhagen Denmark Temple district takes in the 2 stakes in Denmark, 1 in Southern Sweden, and the 2 branches in Iceland.And while the Frankfurt Germany Temple is being renovated, ordinance workers from the Hamburg German & Neuminister Germany stakes have been reassigned to this temple. That information is not relevant to the general subject of current temples, but I thought it was an interesting tidbit.
The Frankfurt Germany Temple district is comprised of 16 stakes and 5 districts located in Western Germany, Austria, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Croatia, Cypress, Serbia, and Slovenia, making it another relatively small district. The Freiberg Germany Temple district covers 5 stakes and 7 districts in Eastern Germany, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia, meaning it is also a small district.
The Helsinki Finland Temple district covers 3 stake and 4 districts located in Finland, Northwestern Russia, Estonia, and Lithuania. The London England Temple district takes in 22 stakes and 2 districts located in the regions of Southern England and the English Midlands, Wales, Ireland and Jordan. The Madrid Spain Temple district covers the 23 stakes and 10 districts in Spain, Portugal, and Cape Verde. That district will shrink somewhat in 2019 when the Lisbon Portugal Temple is dedicated.
The Paris France Temple, dedicated last May, Its district covers 7 stakes. The Preston England Temple district covers Northern England and the English Midlands, Scotland, Ireland, and Northern Ireland. The Stockholm Sweden Temple district covers Sweden, Norway and Latvia, and contains 5 stakes and 2 districts that have been organized within those nations.
Finally, the Hague Netherlands Temple serves the 5 stakes located in the Netherlands and Belgium. As you can see from this data, for the most part, because there are so many temples in this area, the temple districts are very small. The main consideration that has led to a new temple being announced and built within this area is proximity, but other factors include the sheer breadth of each of the nations and the arduous distances the saints within that area have had to travel
That said, I do see a few very viable and likely candidate cities for future temples in this area, and I will be detailing those in the next post. That does it for this post. Any comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.
That said, I want to now turn our attention to the Europe Area. Because there is so much to cover in terms of this area (which, unless I am mistaken, is the second largest in the Church), I am dividing this area into two posts, the first to discuss the current breakdown of nations in this area, and the second to discuss the possibilities for future temples that I see for this area in the near future.
The Church defines the Europe Area as covering a whopping 44 countries or territories, and the Church has a presence in all but two of those, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Vatican City, headquarters of the Catholic Church and the Pope's residence. Because there are that many countries and territories, I will not be covering each one individually. It would just be too time-consuming. What I can and will do is focus on the 13 current temples in that area, and the number of Church units that are covered in each of those temple districts..
That will include the Bern Switzerland, Copenhagen Denmark, Frankfurt Germany, Freiberg Germany, Helsinki Finland, London England, London England, Madrid Spain, Paris France, Preston England, Stockholm Sweden, and The Hague Netherlands Temples. The Lisbon Portugal and Rome Italy Temples are under construction. Let's talk about each of these temple districts.
The Bern Switzerland Temple district covers 19 stakes and 1 district in Italy, Switzerland, France, Albania and the Jerusalem district in Israel. Once the Rome Italy Temple is dedicated (in early 2019), that temple district will likely take in the 10 stakes in Italy, which would leave the Bern temple with 9 stakes and 1 district.
The Copenhagen Denmark Temple district takes in the 2 stakes in Denmark, 1 in Southern Sweden, and the 2 branches in Iceland.And while the Frankfurt Germany Temple is being renovated, ordinance workers from the Hamburg German & Neuminister Germany stakes have been reassigned to this temple. That information is not relevant to the general subject of current temples, but I thought it was an interesting tidbit.
The Frankfurt Germany Temple district is comprised of 16 stakes and 5 districts located in Western Germany, Austria, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Croatia, Cypress, Serbia, and Slovenia, making it another relatively small district. The Freiberg Germany Temple district covers 5 stakes and 7 districts in Eastern Germany, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia, meaning it is also a small district.
The Helsinki Finland Temple district covers 3 stake and 4 districts located in Finland, Northwestern Russia, Estonia, and Lithuania. The London England Temple district takes in 22 stakes and 2 districts located in the regions of Southern England and the English Midlands, Wales, Ireland and Jordan. The Madrid Spain Temple district covers the 23 stakes and 10 districts in Spain, Portugal, and Cape Verde. That district will shrink somewhat in 2019 when the Lisbon Portugal Temple is dedicated.
The Paris France Temple, dedicated last May, Its district covers 7 stakes. The Preston England Temple district covers Northern England and the English Midlands, Scotland, Ireland, and Northern Ireland. The Stockholm Sweden Temple district covers Sweden, Norway and Latvia, and contains 5 stakes and 2 districts that have been organized within those nations.
Finally, the Hague Netherlands Temple serves the 5 stakes located in the Netherlands and Belgium. As you can see from this data, for the most part, because there are so many temples in this area, the temple districts are very small. The main consideration that has led to a new temple being announced and built within this area is proximity, but other factors include the sheer breadth of each of the nations and the arduous distances the saints within that area have had to travel
That said, I do see a few very viable and likely candidate cities for future temples in this area, and I will be detailing those in the next post. That does it for this post. Any comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.
I have had a lifelong love for Church history, which has extended to ongoing reports of the ministry of our apostles and prophets, General Conference, and all temple developments. This blog enables me to share that love with all who read my thoughts on these developments, which are sometimes reported multiple times per day as needed.
Tuesday, November 28, 2017
Yet Another Estimate Change for Completion of New Temples in 2018
Hello again, everyone! While I may or may not be able to post my thoughts tonight about temple prospects for the next area of the Church (it's the Europe Area, which is another big one, and it will definitely take some work to get that put up, since I will be dividing that into two posts, as I did previously with the Asia Area), there is something more pressing that deserves attention on this blog.
As many of you who follow this blog regularly are no doubt aware, I have tried to bring the latest temple-related developments to you as soon as I am able to do so after I find out about them. In view of that, I wanted to report that the completion estimate for the first two new temples anticipated to be dedicated during 2018.
Both of those temples (the Concepcion Chile and Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temples), which as recently as earlier today were anticipated to be dedicated in mid-to-late 2018, are now only anticipated to be completed in late So I will need to alter my completion estimates for those events yet again.
Also, if I didn't mention it before, barring anything unexpected, the Barranquilla Colombia Temple is anticipated to be completed for sure prior to the end of 2018, rather than in early 2019. Also, the Frankfurt Germany Temple is still anticipated to be rededicated in mid-to-late 2018.
Based on this new information, I now believe that the sequence of temple-related events in 2018 could occur as follows:
January: Raleigh North Carolina Temple Renovation Closure (already announced; confirmation of exact date pending)
February: Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple Renovation Closure (already announced; confirmation of exact date pending)
February 19: Oakland California Temple Renovation Closure (date confirmed)
March 4: Washington D. C. Temple Renovation Closure (date confirmed)
May: Mesa Arizona Temple Renovation Closure (date confirmed)
May 20: Jordan River Utah Temple Rededication (confirmed by official announcement)
August 12 or 19: Frankfurt Germany Temple Rededication
October 14 or 21: Concepcion Chile Temple Dedication (161st operating temple)
November 11 or 18: Kinshasa DR Congo Temple Dedication (162nd operating temple)
December 9 or 16: Barranquilla Colombia Temple Dedication (163rd operating temple)
A couple of notes on the dates I ventured above. I did some climate study on the four cities above, and that study shows that August would be the best time for the Frankfurt rededication. . As for the others, these three temples in the southern hemisphere have their spring when fall comes to the northern hemisphere. Because of that, each of these new temples will see the height of their rainy seasons if the dedications occur as suggested above. I also wanted to note that, if these events are pushed back further, that in turn would potentially push back other temple-related events.
For example, until the Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple has full-scale construction begin, we might not know how likely that temple is to be dedicated in early-to-mid 2019. Until I know more, I hope for the best. And with the Oakland California Temple, a rededication is anticipated in late 2019. If that gets pushed back for any reason, then the rededication could take place sometime in 2020. I am also not ruling out the possibility that we could see temples that are progressing more quickly than others pushed ahead in their completion estimate. It has happened before and could easily do so again. Just wanted to mention that, for what it's worth.
That does it for this post. Any comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.
As many of you who follow this blog regularly are no doubt aware, I have tried to bring the latest temple-related developments to you as soon as I am able to do so after I find out about them. In view of that, I wanted to report that the completion estimate for the first two new temples anticipated to be dedicated during 2018.
Both of those temples (the Concepcion Chile and Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temples), which as recently as earlier today were anticipated to be dedicated in mid-to-late 2018, are now only anticipated to be completed in late So I will need to alter my completion estimates for those events yet again.
Also, if I didn't mention it before, barring anything unexpected, the Barranquilla Colombia Temple is anticipated to be completed for sure prior to the end of 2018, rather than in early 2019. Also, the Frankfurt Germany Temple is still anticipated to be rededicated in mid-to-late 2018.
Based on this new information, I now believe that the sequence of temple-related events in 2018 could occur as follows:
January: Raleigh North Carolina Temple Renovation Closure (already announced; confirmation of exact date pending)
February: Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple Renovation Closure (already announced; confirmation of exact date pending)
February 19: Oakland California Temple Renovation Closure (date confirmed)
March 4: Washington D. C. Temple Renovation Closure (date confirmed)
May: Mesa Arizona Temple Renovation Closure (date confirmed)
May 20: Jordan River Utah Temple Rededication (confirmed by official announcement)
August 12 or 19: Frankfurt Germany Temple Rededication
October 14 or 21: Concepcion Chile Temple Dedication (161st operating temple)
November 11 or 18: Kinshasa DR Congo Temple Dedication (162nd operating temple)
December 9 or 16: Barranquilla Colombia Temple Dedication (163rd operating temple)
A couple of notes on the dates I ventured above. I did some climate study on the four cities above, and that study shows that August would be the best time for the Frankfurt rededication. . As for the others, these three temples in the southern hemisphere have their spring when fall comes to the northern hemisphere. Because of that, each of these new temples will see the height of their rainy seasons if the dedications occur as suggested above. I also wanted to note that, if these events are pushed back further, that in turn would potentially push back other temple-related events.
For example, until the Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple has full-scale construction begin, we might not know how likely that temple is to be dedicated in early-to-mid 2019. Until I know more, I hope for the best. And with the Oakland California Temple, a rededication is anticipated in late 2019. If that gets pushed back for any reason, then the rededication could take place sometime in 2020. I am also not ruling out the possibility that we could see temples that are progressing more quickly than others pushed ahead in their completion estimate. It has happened before and could easily do so again. Just wanted to mention that, for what it's worth.
That does it for this post. Any comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.
I have had a lifelong love for Church history, which has extended to ongoing reports of the ministry of our apostles and prophets, General Conference, and all temple developments. This blog enables me to share that love with all who read my thoughts on these developments, which are sometimes reported multiple times per day as needed.
Update Provided on Construction of the Durban South Africa Temple
Hello again, everyone! I was gratified to check my blog just now and see the many comments that have come in since my last post 12 hours ago. It is obvious that the subject of future temple prospects is a popular one. I will be reading (and, when I feel it is appropriate, responding) to those comments. But first, I wanted to share an exciting update on the Durban South Africa Temple.
According to the information I became aware of about an hour ago,, framing is going up, drywall is being hung, and windwo frames are being fitted. Additionally, bricks are being laid around pillars, and at the missionary housing facility, concrete is being poured for the veranda.
That said, having done the research, I can confirm that this is the third updated status for this temple this month alone. With that in mind, it is almost certain that the Durban temple will be the second one dedicated in 2019, and, as previously noted, I am projecting that might happen in either late May or early June of that year. I am sure that as the next year passes, we will find out more about how reasonable that estimate is, and I will do my best to pass along any adjustments to that as I make them.
That does it for this post. Any comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.
According to the information I became aware of about an hour ago,, framing is going up, drywall is being hung, and windwo frames are being fitted. Additionally, bricks are being laid around pillars, and at the missionary housing facility, concrete is being poured for the veranda.
That said, having done the research, I can confirm that this is the third updated status for this temple this month alone. With that in mind, it is almost certain that the Durban temple will be the second one dedicated in 2019, and, as previously noted, I am projecting that might happen in either late May or early June of that year. I am sure that as the next year passes, we will find out more about how reasonable that estimate is, and I will do my best to pass along any adjustments to that as I make them.
That does it for this post. Any comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.
I have had a lifelong love for Church history, which has extended to ongoing reports of the ministry of our apostles and prophets, General Conference, and all temple developments. This blog enables me to share that love with all who read my thoughts on these developments, which are sometimes reported multiple times per day as needed.
Temple Site Possibilities: Central America Area
Hello again, everyone! I am back in the early morning hours of November 28 with my next post in the series exploring potential future temple sites. This post will discuss the current temples in the Central America Area and which locations in that area might have a temple announced in the near future. Let's dive right in to that.
The Central America Area of the Church covers the nations of Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama. There are 6 temples in that area, 2 in Guatemala (Quetzeltenango & Guatemala City), 1 in El Salvador (San Salvador), 1 in Honduras (Tegucigalpa) 1 in Costa Rica (in San Jose), and 1 in Panama City Panama.
Let's get into specifics for each of these countries. Belize has 2 districts (with a total of 12 branches), so it seems unlikely that the Church will build a temple in that nation in the next little while. Costa Rica, in addition to having the aforementioned temple, also has two missions (both of which are headquartered in San Jose). There are also 10 stakes and 23 districts, which are further subdivided into 56 wards and 23 branches, making a grand total of 79 congregations.
Since the dedication of the temple in June 2000, the second mission in that country was established, and 4 of those 10 stakes have been created. Many have seen the case for a second temple there, and I explored two of those at one point. But lately Costa Rica has had a very negative political climate, which does not lend itself to the progress of the Church. It's possible, but not likely, in my opinion, that we will see a second temple in that nation in the near future.
In El Salvador, the three missions are all located in San Salvador, the capital city, although one of them also serves Belize. There are 21 stakes that further break down into 133 wards and 31 branches, for a total of 164 congregations. That nation may be set for now with just the one temple, but if and when I find a good potential candidate for a second one, I will be sure to pass that along.
Next we come to Guatemala, where there are two temples in operation: in Guatemala City and Quetzeltenango. There are six missions of the Church in Guatemala. There are also 48 stakes and 15 districts, which break down further into 285 wards and 156 branches, bringing the total number of Guatemalan congregations to 441.
But what of the current temple districts? The temple in Guatemala City has a district containing 31 stakes and 10 districts. And Quetzeltenango;s temple district only serves 17 stakes and 7 districts.
In relation to Guatemala, for a while now, I have believed that Guatemala City could get a second temple, based on the precedent set with the second temples in Lima Peru and Manila Philippines. And that could still happen in a big way. But I looked into things further, and a city called Villa Nueva is 3,582 miles from Guatemala City. And while Villa Nueva may be closer to Quetzeltenango (by around 2,00 miles), it is still in the Guatemala City district). Either way, that is around 10 times further than President Monson's goal, so a temple in Villa Nueva makes sense. I could also see the merits of having a second temple in Guatemala City as well.
Now we turn our attention to Honduras. Its only temple is in Tegucigalpa. The nation has four missions (1 in Tegucigalpa, 1 in Comayaguela, and the final two in San Pedro Sula). There are also 31 stakes and 5 districts, which are further divided into 176 wards and 60 branches, making a grand total of 236 congregations, which is a lot for one temple. Many have said that a second temple in San Pedro Sula would be a great idea, and I couldn't agree more. So it is on my list.
Next on the list, I wanted to note that Nicaragua has no temples yet. That nation has two missions, both of which are headquartered in Managua. Nicaraguan members are currently assigned to the Tegucigalpa Honduras Temple district, and to get there, they have to travel a distance of 233.4 miles. That is not much further than the 200 mile goal President Monson set for each member's distance from a temple, but is still far enough to qualify for its own temple.
There are also 12 stakes and 4 districts, which are subdivided into 72 wards and 39 branches, for a total of 111 congregations. As I have previously noted, in 2012, then-Elder Nelson publicly proposed a temple for Managua, and my research indicates land has been held in reserve for that purpose, which means an announcement is only a matter of time. Additionally, Nicaragua ranks #1 of the top ten countries with the most members that does not have a temple in any phase. So it is sure to happen sooner rather than later.
We conclude the discussion of this area by reviewing where the Church is at in Panama. That nation's sole mission is located in Panama City, where the only temple is also located.There are 7 stakes and 4 districts in that nation, which further break down into 45 wards and 28 branches, for a total of 73 congregations. I don't see the Church announcing a second temple in that nation until more units are created.
That does it for this post. Thanks for wading through it. Any comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.
The Central America Area of the Church covers the nations of Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama. There are 6 temples in that area, 2 in Guatemala (Quetzeltenango & Guatemala City), 1 in El Salvador (San Salvador), 1 in Honduras (Tegucigalpa) 1 in Costa Rica (in San Jose), and 1 in Panama City Panama.
Let's get into specifics for each of these countries. Belize has 2 districts (with a total of 12 branches), so it seems unlikely that the Church will build a temple in that nation in the next little while. Costa Rica, in addition to having the aforementioned temple, also has two missions (both of which are headquartered in San Jose). There are also 10 stakes and 23 districts, which are further subdivided into 56 wards and 23 branches, making a grand total of 79 congregations.
Since the dedication of the temple in June 2000, the second mission in that country was established, and 4 of those 10 stakes have been created. Many have seen the case for a second temple there, and I explored two of those at one point. But lately Costa Rica has had a very negative political climate, which does not lend itself to the progress of the Church. It's possible, but not likely, in my opinion, that we will see a second temple in that nation in the near future.
In El Salvador, the three missions are all located in San Salvador, the capital city, although one of them also serves Belize. There are 21 stakes that further break down into 133 wards and 31 branches, for a total of 164 congregations. That nation may be set for now with just the one temple, but if and when I find a good potential candidate for a second one, I will be sure to pass that along.
Next we come to Guatemala, where there are two temples in operation: in Guatemala City and Quetzeltenango. There are six missions of the Church in Guatemala. There are also 48 stakes and 15 districts, which break down further into 285 wards and 156 branches, bringing the total number of Guatemalan congregations to 441.
But what of the current temple districts? The temple in Guatemala City has a district containing 31 stakes and 10 districts. And Quetzeltenango;s temple district only serves 17 stakes and 7 districts.
In relation to Guatemala, for a while now, I have believed that Guatemala City could get a second temple, based on the precedent set with the second temples in Lima Peru and Manila Philippines. And that could still happen in a big way. But I looked into things further, and a city called Villa Nueva is 3,582 miles from Guatemala City. And while Villa Nueva may be closer to Quetzeltenango (by around 2,00 miles), it is still in the Guatemala City district). Either way, that is around 10 times further than President Monson's goal, so a temple in Villa Nueva makes sense. I could also see the merits of having a second temple in Guatemala City as well.
Now we turn our attention to Honduras. Its only temple is in Tegucigalpa. The nation has four missions (1 in Tegucigalpa, 1 in Comayaguela, and the final two in San Pedro Sula). There are also 31 stakes and 5 districts, which are further divided into 176 wards and 60 branches, making a grand total of 236 congregations, which is a lot for one temple. Many have said that a second temple in San Pedro Sula would be a great idea, and I couldn't agree more. So it is on my list.
Next on the list, I wanted to note that Nicaragua has no temples yet. That nation has two missions, both of which are headquartered in Managua. Nicaraguan members are currently assigned to the Tegucigalpa Honduras Temple district, and to get there, they have to travel a distance of 233.4 miles. That is not much further than the 200 mile goal President Monson set for each member's distance from a temple, but is still far enough to qualify for its own temple.
There are also 12 stakes and 4 districts, which are subdivided into 72 wards and 39 branches, for a total of 111 congregations. As I have previously noted, in 2012, then-Elder Nelson publicly proposed a temple for Managua, and my research indicates land has been held in reserve for that purpose, which means an announcement is only a matter of time. Additionally, Nicaragua ranks #1 of the top ten countries with the most members that does not have a temple in any phase. So it is sure to happen sooner rather than later.
We conclude the discussion of this area by reviewing where the Church is at in Panama. That nation's sole mission is located in Panama City, where the only temple is also located.There are 7 stakes and 4 districts in that nation, which further break down into 45 wards and 28 branches, for a total of 73 congregations. I don't see the Church announcing a second temple in that nation until more units are created.
That does it for this post. Thanks for wading through it. Any comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.
I have had a lifelong love for Church history, which has extended to ongoing reports of the ministry of our apostles and prophets, General Conference, and all temple developments. This blog enables me to share that love with all who read my thoughts on these developments, which are sometimes reported multiple times per day as needed.
Temple Site Possibilities: Brazil Area
Hello again, everyone! In the midst of my series of posts about the potential likelihood temple sites I see in each of the Church's geographical areas, I have only done two such posts in one day one other time, with the Asia Area two days ago. The fact that I am now doing a post to cover the Brazil Area after the previous post covered areas in which I felt no new temples would be announced is significant for me. That said, let's dive right into the discussion of the Brazil Area.
Brazil, as some of you may be aware, consists of 26 states, and within those states, there are 10 temples, 34 missions, 268 stakes and 40 districts, which in turn break down into 1,645 wards and 436 branches, or a grand total of 2,081 congregations. In terms of the 10 temples, let's talk some specifics. As I have thought about it, I have put three potential temples in my predictions for the Brazil area: Salvador, Belo Horizonte, and a potential second temple to serve the Sao Paulo Saints.
The Sao Paulo Temple, dedicated between October 30 and November 2, 1978, covers 45 stakes.Two-thirds of those stakes (30) are located in Sao Paulo. Based on that, I can certainly see why the Church might give those 30 stakes a second temple.
As recently as last year, when I started sharing my thoughts on future temple prospects, if someone had told me that less than two years later, second temples would be announced in Lima Peru and Manila Philippines, I would have dismissed that as impossible. But now that the Church has a precedent of doing so, it seems entirely possible that a second temple could be built to serve the Brazilian Saints in Sao Paulo. So I wanted to mention that possibility. A second temple in Sao Paulo would be the third built to accomodate Saints in that area, following the dedications of the Sao Paulo and Campinas
After that first temple was dedicated in Sao Paulo, it would be more ore than 22 years later before the next temples were dedicated. In 2000, President Hinckley dedicated the Recife Temple on December 15, and dedicated the Porto Alegre Brazil Temple two days after that. So the number of temples more than doubled in roughly a 72 hour period.
The Recife Brazil Temple currently serves 76 stakes and 9 districts, although that number will be cut somewhat when the Fortaleza Brazil Temple is dedicated (which will, barring any unexpected delays, take place in mid-to-late 2019).
If I have my facts straight, then, at minimum, the Fortaleza Temple district will be comprised of stakes in the the Ceara region, and there are 18 stakes there, which would trim down the Recife District to 58 stakes and 9 districts.
The stakes that are anticipated to be covered by the temple in Belem fall under that temple district as well, and, as we know, that temple was announced last year, though it has not had a site announcement or a groundbreaking as of yet. When that temple is dedicated, it will serve the Saints in the Para region, and will, at minimum, include the 6 stakes and 2 districts based in that region, which would then leave Recife with 52 stakes and 7 districts.
In addition to that, another city, Salvador, is the number one candidate I see for the next temple in Brazil. Salvador falls under the Bahia region, which contains 10 stakes and 2 districts. A temple there would trim the Recife district down to a a still respectable 42 stakes and 5 districts.
Turning our attention now to the Porrto Alegre Brazil Temple, it serves 25 stakes and 8 districts. None of the temples currently under construction or announced fall under that temple district. Some may be theorizing that a second temple could be built in that region of Brazil, but I don't see a compelling enough case supporting that idea.
Less than two years following the dedications of their second and third temples, the Brazilian Saints celebrated the May 2002 dedication of the temple in Campinas. That temple district has a total of 80 stakes and 19 districts. Once the Rio de Janeiro Temple, currently under construction, is dedicated (which is anticipated to include, at minimum, the 15 stakes and 2 districts in that region of Brazil, that will leave the Campinas district with 65 stakes and 17 districts.
That district will further be trimmed down once the Brasilia Brazil Temple is dedicated. That temple will, at minimum serve 5 stakes and 1 district located in the Distrito Federal region of Brazil, which would then leave the Campinas Temple district with 60 stakes and 16 districts.
But that district could be trimmed even more if, as I am projecting, a temple is announced for Belo Horizonte Brazil. Falling under the Minas Gerais region of Brazil, a temple in Belo Horizonte would take in the 13 stakes and 6 districts within that region, which would then leave the Campinas temple district with 47 stakes and 10 districts.
The Saints in Brazil had to wait 6.5 year wait before the next temple was dedicated, this one in Curitiba. That district contains 28 stakes and 3 districts, so it seems small enough that it will not split, at least not anytime soon.
Then in June 2012, Brazilians celebrated the dedication of the temple in Manaus. That temple district covers 13 stakes and 1 district currently, so I don't see any other temples being announced to split that district, at least not for the foreseeable future.
With all of this in mind, I hope it is apparent why I favor Salvador and Belo Horizonte, and why I have thought and felt that there could easily be an argument in favor of a second temple in Sao Paulo.
That said, are there any locations I did not consider, or are there any that should be eliminated? I look forward to the discussion. That does it for this post. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.
Brazil, as some of you may be aware, consists of 26 states, and within those states, there are 10 temples, 34 missions, 268 stakes and 40 districts, which in turn break down into 1,645 wards and 436 branches, or a grand total of 2,081 congregations. In terms of the 10 temples, let's talk some specifics. As I have thought about it, I have put three potential temples in my predictions for the Brazil area: Salvador, Belo Horizonte, and a potential second temple to serve the Sao Paulo Saints.
The Sao Paulo Temple, dedicated between October 30 and November 2, 1978, covers 45 stakes.Two-thirds of those stakes (30) are located in Sao Paulo. Based on that, I can certainly see why the Church might give those 30 stakes a second temple.
As recently as last year, when I started sharing my thoughts on future temple prospects, if someone had told me that less than two years later, second temples would be announced in Lima Peru and Manila Philippines, I would have dismissed that as impossible. But now that the Church has a precedent of doing so, it seems entirely possible that a second temple could be built to serve the Brazilian Saints in Sao Paulo. So I wanted to mention that possibility. A second temple in Sao Paulo would be the third built to accomodate Saints in that area, following the dedications of the Sao Paulo and Campinas
After that first temple was dedicated in Sao Paulo, it would be more ore than 22 years later before the next temples were dedicated. In 2000, President Hinckley dedicated the Recife Temple on December 15, and dedicated the Porto Alegre Brazil Temple two days after that. So the number of temples more than doubled in roughly a 72 hour period.
The Recife Brazil Temple currently serves 76 stakes and 9 districts, although that number will be cut somewhat when the Fortaleza Brazil Temple is dedicated (which will, barring any unexpected delays, take place in mid-to-late 2019).
If I have my facts straight, then, at minimum, the Fortaleza Temple district will be comprised of stakes in the the Ceara region, and there are 18 stakes there, which would trim down the Recife District to 58 stakes and 9 districts.
The stakes that are anticipated to be covered by the temple in Belem fall under that temple district as well, and, as we know, that temple was announced last year, though it has not had a site announcement or a groundbreaking as of yet. When that temple is dedicated, it will serve the Saints in the Para region, and will, at minimum, include the 6 stakes and 2 districts based in that region, which would then leave Recife with 52 stakes and 7 districts.
In addition to that, another city, Salvador, is the number one candidate I see for the next temple in Brazil. Salvador falls under the Bahia region, which contains 10 stakes and 2 districts. A temple there would trim the Recife district down to a a still respectable 42 stakes and 5 districts.
Turning our attention now to the Porrto Alegre Brazil Temple, it serves 25 stakes and 8 districts. None of the temples currently under construction or announced fall under that temple district. Some may be theorizing that a second temple could be built in that region of Brazil, but I don't see a compelling enough case supporting that idea.
Less than two years following the dedications of their second and third temples, the Brazilian Saints celebrated the May 2002 dedication of the temple in Campinas. That temple district has a total of 80 stakes and 19 districts. Once the Rio de Janeiro Temple, currently under construction, is dedicated (which is anticipated to include, at minimum, the 15 stakes and 2 districts in that region of Brazil, that will leave the Campinas district with 65 stakes and 17 districts.
That district will further be trimmed down once the Brasilia Brazil Temple is dedicated. That temple will, at minimum serve 5 stakes and 1 district located in the Distrito Federal region of Brazil, which would then leave the Campinas Temple district with 60 stakes and 16 districts.
But that district could be trimmed even more if, as I am projecting, a temple is announced for Belo Horizonte Brazil. Falling under the Minas Gerais region of Brazil, a temple in Belo Horizonte would take in the 13 stakes and 6 districts within that region, which would then leave the Campinas temple district with 47 stakes and 10 districts.
The Saints in Brazil had to wait 6.5 year wait before the next temple was dedicated, this one in Curitiba. That district contains 28 stakes and 3 districts, so it seems small enough that it will not split, at least not anytime soon.
Then in June 2012, Brazilians celebrated the dedication of the temple in Manaus. That temple district covers 13 stakes and 1 district currently, so I don't see any other temples being announced to split that district, at least not for the foreseeable future.
With all of this in mind, I hope it is apparent why I favor Salvador and Belo Horizonte, and why I have thought and felt that there could easily be an argument in favor of a second temple in Sao Paulo.
That said, are there any locations I did not consider, or are there any that should be eliminated? I look forward to the discussion. That does it for this post. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.
I have had a lifelong love for Church history, which has extended to ongoing reports of the ministry of our apostles and prophets, General Conference, and all temple developments. This blog enables me to share that love with all who read my thoughts on these developments, which are sometimes reported multiple times per day as needed.
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