Minor Update Noted on the Fortaleza Brazil Temple

Hello again, everyone! I just noticed a few minutes ago that a change has been reported on the construction status of the Fortaleza Brazil Temple. While it is still noted that the cupola framework has been installed atop the temple, the additional update is that palm trees are being planted around the parking area of that temple. As I have previously stated, given the fact that full-scale work on this temple began just last year following an almost-5-year delay after its groundbreaking, this temple has made tremendous progress. If it stays on track, it's almost guaranteed that a dedication could follow in mid-to-late 2019. 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.

Summary of Sources Relating to the Church's decision to expand youth service opportunities in the temple

Hello again, everyone! Though I have already done a post covering the Church's announcement about how the youth would be given more opportunities to serve in the temple, today the Church News provided specifics, including links to the official letter and quotations from Church leaders regarding these changes.

You can click here to read the Church News article, here to access a copy of the letter read worldwide in Church services today, and here for an article from the Church's official website that shares more of an interview that was quoted in the first article I cited above in which Elder Quentin L. Cook, who chairs the Temple and Family History Executive Committee, along with the response of auxiliary leaders to these changes.

What a great opportunity the youth now have to expand the ways they serve in the temple. 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! 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.

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.

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.