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Monday, December 11, 2017

Further Updates Reported on Temples Worldwide

Hello again, everyone! I found out earlier today about some pretty significant temple progress that has been reported in several locations worldwide. This is the first chance I have had to post about those developments, however, as I have spent the better part of my day today resting and recuperating from my ongoing battle with a cold. I apologize for that delay. But I am grateful to be able to pass those developments along right now. Let's dive right in to all of that.

While the cladding process is still ongoing for the Concepcion Chile Temple, it has made progress, and is getting closer to being completed. Interior millwork continues to be installed, while light fixtures are being hung throughout the temple. The dedication of that temple is still only anticipated to occur sometime during the fourth quarter of next year, but the progress is encouraging.

We next turn our attention to the Fortaleza Brazil Temple. As I mentioned a few days ago, this temple has made tremendous progress since full-scale construction began last year. The recent progress for that temple has been that the cupola framework has been installed atop the temple. We may have at least 18 months to wait until that temple is dedicated.

As for the Rio de Janeiro Temple, the upper walls of the temple are in the process of being poured. In the meantime, the Lisbon Portugal Temple is the final one for which I wanted to report progress. At that temple site, while preparations are still underway to pour the steeple base, the construction team also is preparing to pour the base of the steeple as well.

I am so grateful for these small but significant developments. The Lord, as I always say, is clearly controlling those factors dependent on Him that enable such progress to occur, and we have often seen multiple developments occurring very quickly in these processes.

That does it for this post. Any and all 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.

Sunday, December 10, 2017

Additional Temple Update: Progress Reported in Fortaleza Brazil

Hello again, everyone! Though the Cedar City Utah Temple dedication was the big temple-related development this weekend, I found an update on the construction status for the Fortaleza Brazil Temple. The framing for the tower has been installed atop that temple. It is amazing to see how quickly things have progressed for this temple, especially since it was stalled for just under five years after its groundbreaking before work began in earnest. That said, we may not see that temple dedicated for the next 20 months minimum. I continue to track any and all developments and will be sure to pass those along as i become aware of 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.

Cedar City Utah Temple Dedication Held Today

Hello again, everyone! I waited until now to report on the Cedar City Utah Temple dedication because I was waiting for all the news stories I could find on the event. First of all, I wanted to note that the report cited in an earlier post was in error. There were not 9 apostles in attendance at this dedication after all. It appears that President Eyring was only accompanied by Elder Holland from the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. You can find articles about the events of the dedication (as published by the Church News) herehere, and here, and the Mormon Newsroom coverage of the dedicatory events here.

It was amazing to read the reports of this dedication. And this marks the last temple dedication of the current group under construction that is within the US, as well as the fact that, aside from the rededications of the Jordan River Utah Temple (already confirmed for May 20) and the Frankfurt Germany Temple (which is yet to be announced), there will likely not be any new temples dedicated until the 4th quarter of next year.

That does it for this post. Any and all 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.

Saturday, December 9, 2017

Minor Update Reported on the Lisbon Portugal Temple

Hello again, everyone! While the cultural celebration that was held tonight and the dedication that will take place tomorrow are the big temple news items for the next 15-18 hours, I found out just a few moments ago about an update, albeit minor, to the status of the Lisbon Portugal Temple. At that temple site, preparations are being made to pour the base of the steeple, while work continues on the cladding of the adjacent meetinghouse. It is great to see such small and simple strides taking place for temples all around the world, and it amazes me that we hear of such developments as regularly as we do. The Lord is at work in the process of how, when, and in what manner temples progress. I will continue to do my best to bring updates to you all as I become aware of them. That does it for this post, Any and all 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.

Temple Updates

Hello again, everyone! My wife Amy and I have spent most of the last week not feeling well (which in my case has involved a cold that has hung on for a couple of weeks). Our ability to get things done normally has ebbed and flowed each day based on how we have been feeling. So the posts I have done within the last week or so have come when I have had the strength to get them done. We are doing all right, just dealing with a lot, but we will get through it. We have been through worse.

In the absence of new content in recent days, I have been touched by how widely read the posts I have been able to do in the first week of this month, particularly those sharing my thoughts about temple prospects for the near or far distant future.

That said, I did want to send out a reminder: If any of you want to comment on a post I have previously done, I hope you know you can feel free to do so. When I turn my attention to temple possibilities within an area of the Church I have not covered, that is not intended to dissuade any of you who may have additional insights on such possibilities in areas I have already posted. In the last week, the new posts have been written for the purpose of extending and expanding the discussion.

If I have overlooked any possibilities in any area that I should be considering, I want to know about that. Likewise, if I have any possibilities that do not seem to be as likely, I want to know about that as well so I can make any additions or corrections to my list prior to next April's General Conference.

With those preliminaries out of the way, I would like now to turn to the purpose for this post: to provide some updated information of which I have become aware relating to the progress of temples.

In that regard, I wanted to first mention that, in order for the Church to have 200 operating temples by Saturday April 6, 2030, which will coincide with the 200th anniversary of the Church, there are now 12.32 years in which to announce and complete 18 other temples, in addition to the 25 others currently in various stages. That means that if 3-4 new temples are dedicated every full year between now and then, it could easily be done.

That is especially true in light of Elder Wilson's statement about the 80 potential locations for which the Church could announce a temple between now and late April 2032. Even if some of those possibilities are taken off or replaced by others, we may, as I have previously stated, be entering into a time when the Church could opt to announce a few temples every six months in General Conference, and have a few announced here and there between each conference. Whatever does happen in that regard, I will do my best to keep you posted on all of that.

In the meantime, I found out a little more about the Cedar City Utah Temple dedication attendees. As some of you may have seen, the Church News ran this article about how Elder Holland, a Southern Utah boy, would be returning home for the temple's dedication. That same article explains that President Eyring will preside at the dedication. As we also know from a previously published article, 7 other apostles will be participating as well.

We know as well that President Monson will not be in attendance, and we also know (from a comment on this blog) that Elder Renlund is on assignment in New Mexico and will not be in attendance either. So that leaves 10 other possibilities from which those 7 have been selected. I am keeping my eyes out for information about this weekend's events for the Cedar City Utah temple and I will pass anything new on to you all as soon as I can after learning about it.

That said, we now turn our attention to the Barranquilla Colombia Temple, where the roofing for the temple and missionary housing is nearing completion. As previously noted, the monument sign has been installed, and I also learned that scaffolding has been removed from the temple tower and that the installation of decorative fencing is underway on the temple grounds. I can see now more clearly why this temple will likely be dedicated prior to the dedication of the Kinshasa Temple.

Aside from these developments, there has been no other progress reported on temples. That does it for this post. Any and all 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.