Hello again, everyone! I wanted to post right now to note a couple of developments, minor though they may be, relating to temples worldwide. First, I wanted to reiterate what I have previously stated: that whether or not the Church makes an official goal to do so, it is more likely than not that we could see a minimum of 200 temples in operation by or before the Church's bicentennial anniversary is marked on Saturday April 6, 2030.
Because there are currently 23 temples in various stages of construction, the Church would just need to dedicate each of those and announce, complete, and dedicate 18 others (for a total of 41) in the 12.3 years between now and then, which would be an average of 3.3 per year, or 10 every 3 years.
If the Church stays on track with its current temple projects, there will be 3 or 4 dedicated next year, 5-7 during 2019, and at least 1 (that we know of so far) during 2020. And if, as anticipated, several other temples have a groundbreaking in 2018 and 2019, then the Church could maintain (and perhaps even exceed) that average within 2020 and the 2 or 3 years following that.
In the meantime, after not seeing any progress reported on the Kinshasa DR Congo Temple for the last week or so, it has been reported today that the exterior walls are being plastered and that a moisture barrier had been attached to the roof eaves, which have recently completed the framing process.
Aside from these developments, there is nothing new to report in terms of temple construction progress. So 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 16, 2017
Temple Updates
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: North America Southwest Area, Part Five--Area Wrap-Up and Potential Future Temples
Hello again, everyone! After devoting a good chunk of my day to posting the previous four parts of my analysis of current and potential future temples, I just wanted to post again briefly and wrap up this "series within the series" by discussing those potential future temple locations which I have on my personal list for this area.
Here are the possibilities I see, in order of likelihood within that area: Fort Worth Texas (which, as noted in Part Three of the series of posts I have done today on this area, is the most likely location for the next temple in Texas); Flagstaff Arizona (which, as mentioned in Part Two of this series, seems to be the most likely prospect for Arizona's next temple, and which would serve many of the Saints in that region of Arizona who, as noted, travel almost 120 miles to get to their currently assigned temple in Snowflake.
Finally, aside from the discussion about anything I have missed, the last few possibilities I see in terms of future temples for this area are three specific locations in Nevada, namely: Elko, Winnemucca, and Henderson.
A Henderson temple would help split the current Las Vegas temple district, just as Winnemucca would do for the current Reno temple district. As far as Elko, the interesting thing there is that the two stakes of the Church in that city fall under the Salt Lake temple district, which is currently a drive of 229.6 miles for the Saints in Elko.
Another city in Nevada which I will be watching (but which I do not presently have on my list) is Ely, which is assigned to the Cedar City Utah Temple district at the moment, and which makes it necessary for the Ely Saints to travel 201.1 miles to get to that temple. So I have the first three I mentioned among the list of potential prospects I have kept, and I will be keeping Ely in mind and watching for anything that might warrant my adding it to the official list. For now, it's among some other temples that are more distant possibilities than for the immediate future.
This concludes my coverage of the North America Southwest Area, and also the bulk of my coverage of the areas of the Church within the North American continent, with the exception of the three areas of the Church that cover Utah and small portions and fragments of surrounding regions. That also does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, especially those that would let me know if I have not considered something in the analysis I have provided here. 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.
Here are the possibilities I see, in order of likelihood within that area: Fort Worth Texas (which, as noted in Part Three of the series of posts I have done today on this area, is the most likely location for the next temple in Texas); Flagstaff Arizona (which, as mentioned in Part Two of this series, seems to be the most likely prospect for Arizona's next temple, and which would serve many of the Saints in that region of Arizona who, as noted, travel almost 120 miles to get to their currently assigned temple in Snowflake.
Finally, aside from the discussion about anything I have missed, the last few possibilities I see in terms of future temples for this area are three specific locations in Nevada, namely: Elko, Winnemucca, and Henderson.
A Henderson temple would help split the current Las Vegas temple district, just as Winnemucca would do for the current Reno temple district. As far as Elko, the interesting thing there is that the two stakes of the Church in that city fall under the Salt Lake temple district, which is currently a drive of 229.6 miles for the Saints in Elko.
Another city in Nevada which I will be watching (but which I do not presently have on my list) is Ely, which is assigned to the Cedar City Utah Temple district at the moment, and which makes it necessary for the Ely Saints to travel 201.1 miles to get to that temple. So I have the first three I mentioned among the list of potential prospects I have kept, and I will be keeping Ely in mind and watching for anything that might warrant my adding it to the official list. For now, it's among some other temples that are more distant possibilities than for the immediate future.
This concludes my coverage of the North America Southwest Area, and also the bulk of my coverage of the areas of the Church within the North American continent, with the exception of the three areas of the Church that cover Utah and small portions and fragments of surrounding regions. That also does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, especially those that would let me know if I have not considered something in the analysis I have provided here. 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: North America Southwest Area, Part Four--Other Operating Temples Within This Area
Hello again, everyone! I am back with a look at the final five temples which I have not covered yet in my discussion of those that are within the North America Southwest Area. Those five temples are those the Church identifies as Las Vegas and Reno Nevada, Albuquerque New Mexico, Monticello Utah, and Oklahoma City Oklahoma. Let's talk now about each of these temples.
First, a word about Nevada as a whole. There are 3 missions in the state, two in Las Vegas and the third in Reno. The Church in Nevada also has 42 stakes, which in turn break down into 310 wards and 27 branches, for a grand total of 337 congregations. If we divide those equally between the two temples, that means the average number of congregations for the two is right between 168 and 169.
That said, let's talk briefly about the history of the two temples. The first will be marking the 28th anniversary of its dedication tomorrow, as it was dedicated between December 16-18, 1989. President Gordon B. Hinckley officiated at the dedication of that temple. Meanwhile, the second Nevada temple was dedicated in Reno on April 23, 2000, by President Thomas S. Monson, who was serving as First Counselor in the First Presidency to President Hinckley.
As far as their districts, that of the Las Vegas Nevada Temple is comprised of 28 stakes in southern Nevada and 2 others (the Kingman and Lake Havasu City stakes) from northwestern Arizona, which includes 7 stakes in Henderson. As the city of Henderson is 435.4 miles from Las Vegas, I feel certain that the Church will announce a temple in Henderson at some point. The only question is how soon that might happen. I welcome thoughts on that subject in the comments below.
In the meantime, the Reno Nevada temple district is comprised of those 9 stakes in western Nevada and 1 other (the Quincy stake) from northeastern California. One of those stakes, located in Winnemucca, is 166.1 miles from Reno. For that reason, I am thinking that a temple might be possible in that city as well.
We now move on to Albuquerque New Mexico. That temple was dedicated on March 5, 2000 by President Gordon B. Hinckley. Its current district takes in 14 stakes, 12 of which are in New Mexico, and the other 2 (Alamosa and Manassa) are found in the San Luis Valley in Colorado state. Again, not a substantially sized district.
Turning our attention now to the only Utah temple that falls within this area instead of one of the three areas with the Utah name, the Monticello Utah Temple was dedicated on July 26 and 27, 1998 (yet another temple dedicated during the traditional July recess for the General Authorities), by President Gordon B. Hinckley, who came back to rededicate that same temple on November 17, 2002 following the completion of its renovation process.
The stakes within this temple's district total 7, 4 of which are in Western Colorado, with the final 3 based in Southeastern Utah. Again, with so few stakes right now, that district is not likely to split any time soon.
And the last temple within this area that I want to discuss in this post is the one located in Oklahoma City Oklahoma, which closed in mid-October for extensive renovation. Originally dedicated on the second-to-last day of July by President James E. Faust, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, its exterior is being altered to match other temples originally dedicated between 1998 and 2002 or so that have undergone an overhaul of their exterior look. During the closure, patrons assigned to this temple are being rerouted to other operating temples near them, one of which is the Dallas Texas Temple. When the temple is rededicated in 2019 following the renovation's conclusion, it will continue to serve the 14 stakes within its boundaries, which currently include 8 stakes in Oklahoma, 4 others from Northwest Arkansas, and the Derby and Wichita Stakes from South Central Kansas.
That brings me to my next point. Since I have relatives on my dad's side of the family that live (or lived) in Oklahoma, I have often heard them reference not only Oklahoma City, but also Norman and Tulsa as well. Norman is exactly 20 miles from the capital Oklahoma City, and Tulsa is 106.5 miles away from Oklahoma City. I could therefore perhaps see a reason for a second temple in Oklahoma that would be built in Tulsa. But I do have one reason to suppose and believe that might be a more distant prospect than the near future.
That reason is because, as I mentioned in my post(s) about the prospects for temples in the North America Southeast Area, I believe that a temple will be announced to serve the Saints in Arkansas, and that it will be located in Bentonville. If that does happen, the three stakes in Arkansas that now fall under the Oklahoma City Oklahoma temple district will no longer be a part of that district, leaving it with 10 stakes. But if the Church sees that the Bentonville temple is not sufficient on its own to divide the Oklahoma City temple district, I could see the merits of the Church announcing a temple for the city of Tulsa.
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.
First, a word about Nevada as a whole. There are 3 missions in the state, two in Las Vegas and the third in Reno. The Church in Nevada also has 42 stakes, which in turn break down into 310 wards and 27 branches, for a grand total of 337 congregations. If we divide those equally between the two temples, that means the average number of congregations for the two is right between 168 and 169.
That said, let's talk briefly about the history of the two temples. The first will be marking the 28th anniversary of its dedication tomorrow, as it was dedicated between December 16-18, 1989. President Gordon B. Hinckley officiated at the dedication of that temple. Meanwhile, the second Nevada temple was dedicated in Reno on April 23, 2000, by President Thomas S. Monson, who was serving as First Counselor in the First Presidency to President Hinckley.
As far as their districts, that of the Las Vegas Nevada Temple is comprised of 28 stakes in southern Nevada and 2 others (the Kingman and Lake Havasu City stakes) from northwestern Arizona, which includes 7 stakes in Henderson. As the city of Henderson is 435.4 miles from Las Vegas, I feel certain that the Church will announce a temple in Henderson at some point. The only question is how soon that might happen. I welcome thoughts on that subject in the comments below.
In the meantime, the Reno Nevada temple district is comprised of those 9 stakes in western Nevada and 1 other (the Quincy stake) from northeastern California. One of those stakes, located in Winnemucca, is 166.1 miles from Reno. For that reason, I am thinking that a temple might be possible in that city as well.
We now move on to Albuquerque New Mexico. That temple was dedicated on March 5, 2000 by President Gordon B. Hinckley. Its current district takes in 14 stakes, 12 of which are in New Mexico, and the other 2 (Alamosa and Manassa) are found in the San Luis Valley in Colorado state. Again, not a substantially sized district.
Turning our attention now to the only Utah temple that falls within this area instead of one of the three areas with the Utah name, the Monticello Utah Temple was dedicated on July 26 and 27, 1998 (yet another temple dedicated during the traditional July recess for the General Authorities), by President Gordon B. Hinckley, who came back to rededicate that same temple on November 17, 2002 following the completion of its renovation process.
The stakes within this temple's district total 7, 4 of which are in Western Colorado, with the final 3 based in Southeastern Utah. Again, with so few stakes right now, that district is not likely to split any time soon.
And the last temple within this area that I want to discuss in this post is the one located in Oklahoma City Oklahoma, which closed in mid-October for extensive renovation. Originally dedicated on the second-to-last day of July by President James E. Faust, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, its exterior is being altered to match other temples originally dedicated between 1998 and 2002 or so that have undergone an overhaul of their exterior look. During the closure, patrons assigned to this temple are being rerouted to other operating temples near them, one of which is the Dallas Texas Temple. When the temple is rededicated in 2019 following the renovation's conclusion, it will continue to serve the 14 stakes within its boundaries, which currently include 8 stakes in Oklahoma, 4 others from Northwest Arkansas, and the Derby and Wichita Stakes from South Central Kansas.
That brings me to my next point. Since I have relatives on my dad's side of the family that live (or lived) in Oklahoma, I have often heard them reference not only Oklahoma City, but also Norman and Tulsa as well. Norman is exactly 20 miles from the capital Oklahoma City, and Tulsa is 106.5 miles away from Oklahoma City. I could therefore perhaps see a reason for a second temple in Oklahoma that would be built in Tulsa. But I do have one reason to suppose and believe that might be a more distant prospect than the near future.
That reason is because, as I mentioned in my post(s) about the prospects for temples in the North America Southeast Area, I believe that a temple will be announced to serve the Saints in Arkansas, and that it will be located in Bentonville. If that does happen, the three stakes in Arkansas that now fall under the Oklahoma City Oklahoma temple district will no longer be a part of that district, leaving it with 10 stakes. But if the Church sees that the Bentonville temple is not sufficient on its own to divide the Oklahoma City temple district, I could see the merits of the Church announcing a temple for the city of Tulsa.
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.
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.
Friday, December 15, 2017
Temple Site Possibilities: North America Southwest Area, Part Three--Current Temple Districts in Texas
Hello again, everyone! Before moving on to the subject of this post (which will be the four temple districts that serve the Saints in Texas), I wanted to issue an apology. I had posted a couple of hours ago regarding the current and potential future temples in Arizona, but I didn't check for errors or omissions, and I found that I had neglected to discuss one of the six districts.
Rather than keeping the post up and adding the relevant information, I opted to revert the original version of the post back into its' draft form so I could edit what I needed to and post the corrected version. If any of you made comments on the original post that were lost when I took that action, I hope you will forgive me and post such comments again. I continue to appreciate the dialogue we have been able to have take place regarding my thoughts on future temples, and I hope that comes across in what I say in these posts and in any replies I offer to your shared insightful comments. That said, let's talk about Texas.
Before talking about the 4 temple districts that serve the Saints in Texas, I wanted to note a couple of indirect personal connections which I have to that state. My mom, a South African native who came to the US on a "short vacation" in the late 70's, had prior to that time asked the Lord if she should serve a mission. The answer she received at the time was what she perceived as "no", but turned out to be "not just yet".
After she had been in Utah for a while visiting with friends she had in the area, through an unusual set of circumstances, she was stunned to find out that the Lord wanted her on a mission at that time. She served in Texas, where she had experiences in Austin, Dallas, and Houston.
Additionally, I had a friend in my graduating class in high school who served in the Fort Worth mission. Through the experiences both my mom and this friend have shared with me regarding their service, and from what I have observed in the Church News about the state, the Saints there are faithful, and the Lord's work is moving along well there.
That is even more evident because of the four temples within that state. I will discuss them chronologically, which is also their alphabetical order. I will devote a paragraph each to the history of those 4, which are as follows:
The first one dedicated was Dallas. That occurred between October 19-24, 1984 and was done by President Hinckley, who was then Second Counselor in the First Presidency to Spencer W. Kimball; following a process that added on to that temple, President Hinckley dedicated just that added portion on March 5, 1989).
The next one to be dedicated was Houston, with that dedication taking place on August 26 & 27, 2000 and with President Hinckley presiding at that dedication as well. As we know, that temple sustained weather-related damage earlier this year and was closed to allow what began as a restoration process that the First Presidency subsequently announced would be a renovation. Following a private rededication sometime during mid-2018, the temple will reopen.
Texas's third operating temple was dedicated in the city of Lubbock, which occurred on April 21, 2002, and President Hinckley presided at that event as well. The final and most recent temple to be dedicated in Texas was built in San Antonio, and its dedication occurred on May 22, 2005. Once again, President Hinckley presided at that event.
So, having discussed the history of the current temples in Texas, it is time now for us to turn our attention to the composition of each of those districts and those future locations that may get a temple in the near future. Let's dive right in to all of that.
Following the dedication of the other temples, the Dallas temple district now covers 26 stakes in Northern Texas, and also the Shreveport stake in northern Louisiana. There may be a reason to split that district. How could that be done? Following the brief discussion of my temple picks on the now-defunct LDS Growth Forum, in which the most likely location for Texas's next temple was discussed, I heard some feedback from someone who lives within the Dallas Texas Temple district.
This individual confirmed an idea I had already considered, that the most likely location for a temple that would divide the Dallas district is Fort Worth, which is exact 32 miles from Dallas. I am glad to have the possibility of a Fort Worth Texas Temple confirmed as being very likely. Others might not feel the same way, but for me, I would defer to the opinion of someone who is familiar with the current district.
As for the Houston temple district, it covers 22 stakes in the southeastern portion of Texas. Among them is the Beaumont stake, whose members are 84.9 miles from the Houston temple. I welcome any thoughts about if and when Beaumont might potentially get a temple.
We now move on to the Lubbock Texas Temple, which has 5 stakes and 1 district from West Texas, and also the Roswell Stake from the southeastern part of New Mexico. And finally, the San Antonio Texas temple district is comprised of the 18 stakes and two districts within the south and central portions of Texas that include not only the 7 stakes based in San Antonio, but also the two stakes each that are based in Austin, McAllen, and Round Rock.
It may be possible for Austin to get its own temple at some point (since the Saints in that city have 79.7 miles to travel to get to San Antonio), but I have no idea how imminent that possibility might be. Let me know your thoughts in that regard in the comments below.
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.
Rather than keeping the post up and adding the relevant information, I opted to revert the original version of the post back into its' draft form so I could edit what I needed to and post the corrected version. If any of you made comments on the original post that were lost when I took that action, I hope you will forgive me and post such comments again. I continue to appreciate the dialogue we have been able to have take place regarding my thoughts on future temples, and I hope that comes across in what I say in these posts and in any replies I offer to your shared insightful comments. That said, let's talk about Texas.
Before talking about the 4 temple districts that serve the Saints in Texas, I wanted to note a couple of indirect personal connections which I have to that state. My mom, a South African native who came to the US on a "short vacation" in the late 70's, had prior to that time asked the Lord if she should serve a mission. The answer she received at the time was what she perceived as "no", but turned out to be "not just yet".
After she had been in Utah for a while visiting with friends she had in the area, through an unusual set of circumstances, she was stunned to find out that the Lord wanted her on a mission at that time. She served in Texas, where she had experiences in Austin, Dallas, and Houston.
Additionally, I had a friend in my graduating class in high school who served in the Fort Worth mission. Through the experiences both my mom and this friend have shared with me regarding their service, and from what I have observed in the Church News about the state, the Saints there are faithful, and the Lord's work is moving along well there.
That is even more evident because of the four temples within that state. I will discuss them chronologically, which is also their alphabetical order. I will devote a paragraph each to the history of those 4, which are as follows:
The first one dedicated was Dallas. That occurred between October 19-24, 1984 and was done by President Hinckley, who was then Second Counselor in the First Presidency to Spencer W. Kimball; following a process that added on to that temple, President Hinckley dedicated just that added portion on March 5, 1989).
The next one to be dedicated was Houston, with that dedication taking place on August 26 & 27, 2000 and with President Hinckley presiding at that dedication as well. As we know, that temple sustained weather-related damage earlier this year and was closed to allow what began as a restoration process that the First Presidency subsequently announced would be a renovation. Following a private rededication sometime during mid-2018, the temple will reopen.
Texas's third operating temple was dedicated in the city of Lubbock, which occurred on April 21, 2002, and President Hinckley presided at that event as well. The final and most recent temple to be dedicated in Texas was built in San Antonio, and its dedication occurred on May 22, 2005. Once again, President Hinckley presided at that event.
So, having discussed the history of the current temples in Texas, it is time now for us to turn our attention to the composition of each of those districts and those future locations that may get a temple in the near future. Let's dive right in to all of that.
Following the dedication of the other temples, the Dallas temple district now covers 26 stakes in Northern Texas, and also the Shreveport stake in northern Louisiana. There may be a reason to split that district. How could that be done? Following the brief discussion of my temple picks on the now-defunct LDS Growth Forum, in which the most likely location for Texas's next temple was discussed, I heard some feedback from someone who lives within the Dallas Texas Temple district.
This individual confirmed an idea I had already considered, that the most likely location for a temple that would divide the Dallas district is Fort Worth, which is exact 32 miles from Dallas. I am glad to have the possibility of a Fort Worth Texas Temple confirmed as being very likely. Others might not feel the same way, but for me, I would defer to the opinion of someone who is familiar with the current district.
As for the Houston temple district, it covers 22 stakes in the southeastern portion of Texas. Among them is the Beaumont stake, whose members are 84.9 miles from the Houston temple. I welcome any thoughts about if and when Beaumont might potentially get a temple.
We now move on to the Lubbock Texas Temple, which has 5 stakes and 1 district from West Texas, and also the Roswell Stake from the southeastern part of New Mexico. And finally, the San Antonio Texas temple district is comprised of the 18 stakes and two districts within the south and central portions of Texas that include not only the 7 stakes based in San Antonio, but also the two stakes each that are based in Austin, McAllen, and Round Rock.
It may be possible for Austin to get its own temple at some point (since the Saints in that city have 79.7 miles to travel to get to San Antonio), but I have no idea how imminent that possibility might be. Let me know your thoughts in that regard in the comments below.
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.
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: North America Southwest Area, Part Two--Current Temples in Arizona
Hello again, everyone! I am back as I promised, with the second part of my series of posts about the North America Southwest Area, which in itself is part of my larger series of posts about such possibilities and prospects worldwide by Church area. In continuing our discussion of current temples within the North America Southwest Area of the Church, we first turn our focus in this post to the subject of the six temple that serve the Saints in Arizona and the surrounding areas.
As most, if not all, of you are probably aware, the Tucson Arizona Temple became the sixth temple in the state about four months ago. Additionally, the state's first temple, which was built in Mesa, is set to close for its second renovation on Sunday May 20, which will also be the day that the Jordan River Utah Temple is rededicated. The Church in Arizona has a rich history, with 6 missions currently serving the state. There have also been 114 stakes established in Arizona, which breaks down further into 810 wards and 85 branches, for a grand total of 895 congregations within the state. With six temples, the congregational average for each is right between 149 and 150.
With that background in place, let's talk about each temple. I will be addressing the breakdown of each district in the chronological order in which they have been dedicated, which will be as follows: Mesa (for which dedicatory sessions were held between October 23-26, 1927, and were presided over by 7th Church President Heber Grant; the temple was rededicated following its' first renovation on April 15-16, 1975 by 12th Church President Spencer W. Kimball); Snowflake (dedicated on March 3, 2002 by President Gordon B. Hinckley); The Gila Valley (dedicated on May 23, 2010 by President Thomas S. Monson) Gilbert (dedicated on March 2, 2014 with a prayer that was written by President Monson and read (at his request) by his First Counselor President Eyring in the first session); Phoenix (dedicated on November 16, 2014 by President Thomas S. Monson); and, most recently, the Tucson Arizona Temple (dedicated on August 13, 2017, by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency).
Now that we have discussed the history of temple dedications in Arizona, let us turn our attention to the discussion of the current districts of each temple. Following the dedication of the other 5 temples in the state, the Mesa Arizona Temple district covers 29 stakes from the Northeastern Phoenix Metro Area and Arizona's Rim Country.
While there are several of those stakes that do not fall within a well recognized area of Arizona, the major regions that this temple district covers are as follows: 21 stakes from Mesa, 1 from Phoenix, and two each in the Scottsdale and Tempe areas.
There may or may not be a strong case to have another temple that would break up this district somewhat, and I have considered the merits of suggesting one for the city of Payson, Arizona (which is 76.2 miles from Mesa, Scottsdale or Tempe might be other good locations, but the former is located 12.9 miles from Mesa, and the latter is 6.8 miles from Mesa. Let me know your thoughts on all of that
We turn next to the district of the Snowflake Arizona Temple, which is comprised of 13 stakes. The most notable thing about that district is that it covers two stakes in the city of Flagstaff, which is the one potential location in Arizona that I have on my list for the near future. The Saints in Flagstaff currently travel a distance of 118 miles, and even though that is somewhat below the 200 mile goal President Monson has set, I still think a temple in Flagstaff would serve the patrons in that part of Arizona very well.
Additionally, temples have been built in areas where only one or two stakes are established, so I don't see Flagstaff's two stakes as being a potential deterring factor in whether or not a temple is built in the region. I could see a temple there sooner rather than later. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
Next, let's talk about The Gila Valley Arizona Temple (for which, as most of you know, the inclusion of "The", which is deliberately capitalized in the name of the temple, mirroring the way the locals see that part of Arizona). The temple that was dedicated there now serves 6 stakes, 5 from Eastern Arizona (including President Kimball's beloved city of Thatcher), and 1 from Southwestern New Mexico. That seems to be a very manageable district size.
Now we will talk about the Gilbert Arizona Temple district. Its current composition has it covering 34 stakes in the Southern Phoenix Metro and Cobra Valley areas of Arizona, which includes the Casa Grande stake, 4 stakes in Chandler, 12 in Gilbert, the Globe and Maricopa stakes, 4 stakes in the Mesa area, 7 more from the Queen Creek region, and two others each from San Tan and Tempe.
I could see that district being potentially split into one or two others, and in the long run, several others. Although I only have the one temple possibility for Arizona (in Flagstaff), I wanted to mention that I see the potential merits of another temple being announced for either the San Tan Valley (13.9 miles from Gilbert), Tempe (13.8 miles from Gilbert), or Queen Creek (16.2 miles from Gilbert). It wouldn't surprise me to have temples in each of these Arizona cities at some point. I also briefly considered Chandler, but that is 6.2 miles from Gilbert, so there might be one built there someday, but perhaps not for the near future. If any of you have any thoughts about where a temple could be built that would split the Gilbert district, let me know.
Moving on now to the Phoenix Arizona Temple, I wanted to note one very significant thing about it before I talk about the size and composition of its district. The dedication of this temple was the last one over which President Monson personally presided. In his current situation, having stepped back from active service due to age- and health-related challenges, we likely will not see him participate in any other dedications, barring a miracle.
That said, let's get into the specifics on the Phoenix Arizona Temple District. The temple serves those Saints from 20 stakes in the Northwest Phoenix Metro and Yavapai County regions of Arizona, which includes two stakes each in Glendale, Peoria, the Prescott Valley and Surprise, in addition to the Buckeye, Cottonwood, and Goodyear stakes and 8 other stakes based in Phoenix. That is a good size district, so there may or may not be a good reason for a second temple somewhere in the region to break it up somewhat. Let me know your thoughts on that.
And rounding out the Arizona temples is the one in Tucson Arizona, which was just dedicated four months ago. That temple serves 9 stakes from Southern Arizona, 6 of which are within the city of Tucson.
That does it for this post, which has discussed the current temple districts covering Arizona, and has advanced the notion of a few possible future locations for temples in Arizona. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, especially in terms of if I have missed or overlooked anything or if there are some things I should reconsider. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post (which should be put up later today), I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.
As most, if not all, of you are probably aware, the Tucson Arizona Temple became the sixth temple in the state about four months ago. Additionally, the state's first temple, which was built in Mesa, is set to close for its second renovation on Sunday May 20, which will also be the day that the Jordan River Utah Temple is rededicated. The Church in Arizona has a rich history, with 6 missions currently serving the state. There have also been 114 stakes established in Arizona, which breaks down further into 810 wards and 85 branches, for a grand total of 895 congregations within the state. With six temples, the congregational average for each is right between 149 and 150.
With that background in place, let's talk about each temple. I will be addressing the breakdown of each district in the chronological order in which they have been dedicated, which will be as follows: Mesa (for which dedicatory sessions were held between October 23-26, 1927, and were presided over by 7th Church President Heber Grant; the temple was rededicated following its' first renovation on April 15-16, 1975 by 12th Church President Spencer W. Kimball); Snowflake (dedicated on March 3, 2002 by President Gordon B. Hinckley); The Gila Valley (dedicated on May 23, 2010 by President Thomas S. Monson) Gilbert (dedicated on March 2, 2014 with a prayer that was written by President Monson and read (at his request) by his First Counselor President Eyring in the first session); Phoenix (dedicated on November 16, 2014 by President Thomas S. Monson); and, most recently, the Tucson Arizona Temple (dedicated on August 13, 2017, by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency).
Now that we have discussed the history of temple dedications in Arizona, let us turn our attention to the discussion of the current districts of each temple. Following the dedication of the other 5 temples in the state, the Mesa Arizona Temple district covers 29 stakes from the Northeastern Phoenix Metro Area and Arizona's Rim Country.
While there are several of those stakes that do not fall within a well recognized area of Arizona, the major regions that this temple district covers are as follows: 21 stakes from Mesa, 1 from Phoenix, and two each in the Scottsdale and Tempe areas.
There may or may not be a strong case to have another temple that would break up this district somewhat, and I have considered the merits of suggesting one for the city of Payson, Arizona (which is 76.2 miles from Mesa, Scottsdale or Tempe might be other good locations, but the former is located 12.9 miles from Mesa, and the latter is 6.8 miles from Mesa. Let me know your thoughts on all of that
We turn next to the district of the Snowflake Arizona Temple, which is comprised of 13 stakes. The most notable thing about that district is that it covers two stakes in the city of Flagstaff, which is the one potential location in Arizona that I have on my list for the near future. The Saints in Flagstaff currently travel a distance of 118 miles, and even though that is somewhat below the 200 mile goal President Monson has set, I still think a temple in Flagstaff would serve the patrons in that part of Arizona very well.
Additionally, temples have been built in areas where only one or two stakes are established, so I don't see Flagstaff's two stakes as being a potential deterring factor in whether or not a temple is built in the region. I could see a temple there sooner rather than later. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
Next, let's talk about The Gila Valley Arizona Temple (for which, as most of you know, the inclusion of "The", which is deliberately capitalized in the name of the temple, mirroring the way the locals see that part of Arizona). The temple that was dedicated there now serves 6 stakes, 5 from Eastern Arizona (including President Kimball's beloved city of Thatcher), and 1 from Southwestern New Mexico. That seems to be a very manageable district size.
Now we will talk about the Gilbert Arizona Temple district. Its current composition has it covering 34 stakes in the Southern Phoenix Metro and Cobra Valley areas of Arizona, which includes the Casa Grande stake, 4 stakes in Chandler, 12 in Gilbert, the Globe and Maricopa stakes, 4 stakes in the Mesa area, 7 more from the Queen Creek region, and two others each from San Tan and Tempe.
I could see that district being potentially split into one or two others, and in the long run, several others. Although I only have the one temple possibility for Arizona (in Flagstaff), I wanted to mention that I see the potential merits of another temple being announced for either the San Tan Valley (13.9 miles from Gilbert), Tempe (13.8 miles from Gilbert), or Queen Creek (16.2 miles from Gilbert). It wouldn't surprise me to have temples in each of these Arizona cities at some point. I also briefly considered Chandler, but that is 6.2 miles from Gilbert, so there might be one built there someday, but perhaps not for the near future. If any of you have any thoughts about where a temple could be built that would split the Gilbert district, let me know.
Moving on now to the Phoenix Arizona Temple, I wanted to note one very significant thing about it before I talk about the size and composition of its district. The dedication of this temple was the last one over which President Monson personally presided. In his current situation, having stepped back from active service due to age- and health-related challenges, we likely will not see him participate in any other dedications, barring a miracle.
That said, let's get into the specifics on the Phoenix Arizona Temple District. The temple serves those Saints from 20 stakes in the Northwest Phoenix Metro and Yavapai County regions of Arizona, which includes two stakes each in Glendale, Peoria, the Prescott Valley and Surprise, in addition to the Buckeye, Cottonwood, and Goodyear stakes and 8 other stakes based in Phoenix. That is a good size district, so there may or may not be a good reason for a second temple somewhere in the region to break it up somewhat. Let me know your thoughts on that.
And rounding out the Arizona temples is the one in Tucson Arizona, which was just dedicated four months ago. That temple serves 9 stakes from Southern Arizona, 6 of which are within the city of Tucson.
That does it for this post, which has discussed the current temple districts covering Arizona, and has advanced the notion of a few possible future locations for temples in Arizona. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, especially in terms of if I have missed or overlooked anything or if there are some things I should reconsider. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post (which should be put up later today), 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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)