Hello again, everyone! I am here with some late-breaking news. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has confirmed a report that President Thomas S. Monson has passed away. With his passing, the First Presidency is now dissolved, and President Nelson and the remaining 12 apostles take over Church leadership, which will more than likely involve a reorganization of the First Presidency, probably within the next week.
Since this is a very late-breaking development, more information about the circumstances of President Monson's passing will be forthcoming. For now, I pass along this article, published by KSL. It appears his passing occurred at 10:01 PM, though the announcement came just barely over the airwaves, and I had just by chance pulled up KSL's website. I am sure more developments will be made known tomorrow, once the Church has a chance to process this news . And we will look for President Nelson to be sustained as the new Church President in General Conference next April. But he will have to act to fill two apostolic vacancies now.
With President Monson's passing, our most senior apostles are those three appointed during President Kimball's administration. How blessed it must be for this wonderful man to be free of his mortal mission to lead the Church, from which he stepped back less than one year ago today. He did not have to suffer long.
I could go on to share my feelings about our beloved prophet's passing, but I want to get this posted. So that does it for now. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, but I would ask that we all remain respectful of this man's wonderful life and those Brethren who will now have to carry on without him. May God bless the memory of our prophet dear, and prosper those left to carry on without him, I humbly pray in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Wednesday, January 3, 2018
BREAKING NEWS: President Thomas S. Monson Passes Away
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, January 2, 2018
Estimated 2017 Year-End Church Statistics
Hello again, everyone! On this second day of 2018, and at a time when Church and temple news has slowed somewhat in view of the Christmas and New Year holidays we have recently observed (though there are two meaningful articles from the Church News that were published earlier today, which I will cover in a post later on tonight), I am pleased to bring you my estimates for the 2017 year-end statistics of the Church.
There is some information among these estimates that will likely be spot on, since the figures were pulled from sources in the public domain. Others, by the same token, are more guesstimates which I have ventured based on both observed trends and averages from the statistical reports of previous years during President Monson's presidency.
As a quick sidenote, he and his counselors will be marking a full decade of service together in just 3.5 weeks (which is exactly 32 days from today), and they will thus become only the third First Presidency in the history of the Church to serve together for 10 years. While it will be 32 days until they reach that decade mark for their service together, they have already become the third longest continuously-serving First Presidency, having marked that milestone less than six months ago, on Monday July 31, 2017.
But in getting back to the statistics, I hope you enjoy reading what I have put together in terms of how the 2017 Statistical Report might look. You can find those statistics in the table below. I look forward to any feedback you might have, which is always welcome and appreciated.
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.
There is some information among these estimates that will likely be spot on, since the figures were pulled from sources in the public domain. Others, by the same token, are more guesstimates which I have ventured based on both observed trends and averages from the statistical reports of previous years during President Monson's presidency.
As a quick sidenote, he and his counselors will be marking a full decade of service together in just 3.5 weeks (which is exactly 32 days from today), and they will thus become only the third First Presidency in the history of the Church to serve together for 10 years. While it will be 32 days until they reach that decade mark for their service together, they have already become the third longest continuously-serving First Presidency, having marked that milestone less than six months ago, on Monday July 31, 2017.
But in getting back to the statistics, I hope you enjoy reading what I have put together in terms of how the 2017 Statistical Report might look. You can find those statistics in the table below. I look forward to any feedback you might have, which is always welcome and appreciated.
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.
2017 Statistical Report (some figures projected)
|
Stakes
|
3,341
|
|
Missions
|
421
|
|
Districts
|
540
|
|
Wards and
Branches
|
30,510
|
|
Total Church
Membership
|
16,149,214
|
|
Increase in
Children of Record
|
107,166
|
|
Converts
Baptized
|
225,859
|
|
Full-Time
Missionaries
|
56,745
|
|
Church Service
Missionaries
|
35,974
|
|
Temples
Dedicated during 2017 (Paris France, Tucson Arizona, Meridian Idaho, Cedar
City Utah)
|
4
|
|
Temples
Rededicated during 2017 (Idaho Falls Idaho)
|
1
|
|
Temples in
Operation by the end of 2016
|
159
|
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.
Monday, January 1, 2018
Some Additional Thoughts Regarding the Location of the Southwest Salt Lake Valley Temple Referenced by President Hinckley
Hello again, everyone! As I have waited for other comments to come in this weekend on my coverage of potential temple locations, I wound up doing some additional research about a few locations I have referenced in passing. One of the most intriguing ones that required a fair amount of research was the location of the temple for which President Hinckley had stated in 2005 that land was being held in reserve to serve the Saints of the Salt Lake Valley.
As some of you may know from following the thread of comments on the post I did about the Salt Lake Valley particularly, one comment pointed to the idea that this land could be located in Bluffdale or Riverton. On the basis of that general location, I dug a little deeper and found this article, which stated that the location of the land was within the boundaries of Bluffdale city.
While the Church has yet to issue a statement on that identification, in digging a little more deeply into the history of the site referenced in that article, it appears that the land in question, which was part of Bluffdale, was the subject of an ownership dispute between Bluffdale and nearby Herriman (as the distance between the two is a mere 6.5 miles). Although the door remains open for Bluffdale to challenge that decision, the result has been that the land in question is now part of Herriman city.
So that means that, if my research is correct, the land referenced in 2005 is now part of Herriman. A temple there does make a lot of sense. Friends of my family relocated to Herriman when the land on which their home in Alpine sat was sold to make room for a housing development. And while I don't know whether or not this was the case in between the years when Herriman was incorporated and when these friends moved there, I do know that in the years since they made the move, Herriman has experienced a boom in its' growth.
With that said, I want to make one thing absolutely clear: In all the research I did to try and figure out the probable location for that temple site that was referenced by President Hinckley almost 13 years ago, even after I discovered the information pointing to Herriman as the likely location of that site, I never once found information from the Church that officially confirms that the site in question is in Herriman, or that such a site is the one President Hinckley referenced. In every article I have found on the subject, the Church has declined to comment on this issue.
So while the site may indeed be in Herriman, until the intent of the Brethren to build a temple in that city is officially announced, the confirmation of the site is only as good as can logically be concluded, and based on information on which the Church has declined to comment in the 11 or so years since the publication of the sources I have explored for this information. With all of that said, I will be watching the Herriman/Bluffdale/Riverton area with great interest, and I will try to pass along anything I discover further that may substantiate this.
In the meantime, this new information does raise some important questions: Is there enough to go on from sources not sanctioned or verified by the Church to put a potential temple for Herriman in the section I have for the Salt Lake Valley? And if the Church confirms at any point that the site in Herriman is the one referenced by President Hinckley 12 years ago and an announcement is made for a temple there, will that in turn impact the likelihood that Tooele will get a temple? It appears the two cities are roughly 38.7 miles apart, so I cannot rule out both getting a temple at some point. Of the two, which might be a more imminent possibility? Let me know your thoughts 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.
As some of you may know from following the thread of comments on the post I did about the Salt Lake Valley particularly, one comment pointed to the idea that this land could be located in Bluffdale or Riverton. On the basis of that general location, I dug a little deeper and found this article, which stated that the location of the land was within the boundaries of Bluffdale city.
While the Church has yet to issue a statement on that identification, in digging a little more deeply into the history of the site referenced in that article, it appears that the land in question, which was part of Bluffdale, was the subject of an ownership dispute between Bluffdale and nearby Herriman (as the distance between the two is a mere 6.5 miles). Although the door remains open for Bluffdale to challenge that decision, the result has been that the land in question is now part of Herriman city.
So that means that, if my research is correct, the land referenced in 2005 is now part of Herriman. A temple there does make a lot of sense. Friends of my family relocated to Herriman when the land on which their home in Alpine sat was sold to make room for a housing development. And while I don't know whether or not this was the case in between the years when Herriman was incorporated and when these friends moved there, I do know that in the years since they made the move, Herriman has experienced a boom in its' growth.
With that said, I want to make one thing absolutely clear: In all the research I did to try and figure out the probable location for that temple site that was referenced by President Hinckley almost 13 years ago, even after I discovered the information pointing to Herriman as the likely location of that site, I never once found information from the Church that officially confirms that the site in question is in Herriman, or that such a site is the one President Hinckley referenced. In every article I have found on the subject, the Church has declined to comment on this issue.
So while the site may indeed be in Herriman, until the intent of the Brethren to build a temple in that city is officially announced, the confirmation of the site is only as good as can logically be concluded, and based on information on which the Church has declined to comment in the 11 or so years since the publication of the sources I have explored for this information. With all of that said, I will be watching the Herriman/Bluffdale/Riverton area with great interest, and I will try to pass along anything I discover further that may substantiate this.
In the meantime, this new information does raise some important questions: Is there enough to go on from sources not sanctioned or verified by the Church to put a potential temple for Herriman in the section I have for the Salt Lake Valley? And if the Church confirms at any point that the site in Herriman is the one referenced by President Hinckley 12 years ago and an announcement is made for a temple there, will that in turn impact the likelihood that Tooele will get a temple? It appears the two cities are roughly 38.7 miles apart, so I cannot rule out both getting a temple at some point. Of the two, which might be a more imminent possibility? Let me know your thoughts 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.
Yet Another Update Reported on Construction of Arequipa Peru Temple
Hello again, everyone! While I last reported a status update for the Arequipa Peru Temple just last Friday, when I was double-checking for any additional progress on temples anywhere in the world, I found yet another update had been reported for that temple. So it would appear that things are moving along very well indeed for that temple's construction.
The update shows that temporary windows have been installed to enclose the structure, which will allow for interior work to make progress. Additionally, that temple's steeple framework is currently being assembled as well. With all of this progress that this temple has seen in such a short time, I feel more confident than ever that we will see a dedication for it take place before the end of 2019.
Since there are no other temple updates to report at this time, 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.
The update shows that temporary windows have been installed to enclose the structure, which will allow for interior work to make progress. Additionally, that temple's steeple framework is currently being assembled as well. With all of this progress that this temple has seen in such a short time, I feel more confident than ever that we will see a dedication for it take place before the end of 2019.
Since there are no other temple updates to report at this time, 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.
Happy New Year 2018
Hello again, everyone, and Happy New Year as we welcome the start of another year (though technically speaking, the time zone off of which my blog operates appears to be an hour behind Utah time). As a Latter-day Saint, one of the things I love about the gospel of Jesus Christ is the opportunity each of us has to repent of those things we have done which are wrong, and to make a resolution that we will do better in the future. All of us are given the regular opportunity to be made worthy again, and to declare anew our resolve to do and to become better to the best of our abilities. So we have as many opportunities as we might need to declare anew our commitment to the process of repenting an changing for the better.
For that reason, each of us who accept the validity of Christ's atonement can, in a very real sense, make goals and commitments which, by the world's definition of them, can be seen as "New Year's resolutions", or as we might more effectively term them, "Renewed Us Resolutions". And while it is up to each of us as individuals and in our families to determine what those changes we need to make should be, the gospel gives us a solid basis upon which each of us are able to effectively go through that process to become the best we can be.
In that regard, I hope that all of us will be able to determine what that process will involve for each of us and our families, and that whether on these New Year's Days or at any other time, we will always find ourselves willing to continue to do so.
That said, with 2017 having ended, I wanted to renew my commitment to all of you that one of my New Year's resolutions which I don't see myself failing to keep is that for my part, I will continue to do my level best to bring you the latest Church news and developments as they occur this year, just as I will be counting on all of you to keep your great comments coming with your responses to the information I share.
With 2017 having been my biggest year for blogging since I started to do so, and with no chance whatsoever that Church or temple news will be slowing down at all during this new year, I will do my level best to continue to stay on top of it all, and to bring you the latest ASAP after I hear about it.
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.
For that reason, each of us who accept the validity of Christ's atonement can, in a very real sense, make goals and commitments which, by the world's definition of them, can be seen as "New Year's resolutions", or as we might more effectively term them, "Renewed Us Resolutions". And while it is up to each of us as individuals and in our families to determine what those changes we need to make should be, the gospel gives us a solid basis upon which each of us are able to effectively go through that process to become the best we can be.
In that regard, I hope that all of us will be able to determine what that process will involve for each of us and our families, and that whether on these New Year's Days or at any other time, we will always find ourselves willing to continue to do so.
That said, with 2017 having ended, I wanted to renew my commitment to all of you that one of my New Year's resolutions which I don't see myself failing to keep is that for my part, I will continue to do my level best to bring you the latest Church news and developments as they occur this year, just as I will be counting on all of you to keep your great comments coming with your responses to the information I share.
With 2017 having been my biggest year for blogging since I started to do so, and with no chance whatsoever that Church or temple news will be slowing down at all during this new year, I will do my level best to continue to stay on top of it all, and to bring you the latest ASAP after I hear about it.
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.
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