Hello again, everyone! One of the main roles of the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is to assign the members of that Quorum to preside at various stake conferences throughout the year. At some point or other, President Nelson indicated he would preside at the Stake Conference that was scheduled to be held today for the Salt Lake Granger Stake. As we know, President Nelson became the President of the Church three weeks ago today, and he elected to keep that assignment, which marked the first Stake Conference over which he presided as Church president. The report of the remarks he and his wife made during that conference can be found in this article.
Another interesting tidit that I found in that article was the fact that President Nelson's personal secretary was in attendance as well. Brother Don H. Staheli is no stranger to secretarial work. Some of you may know that he was President Hinckley's personal secretary. Following the death of the 15th Church president, Brother Staheli went on to serve a mission with his wife, and, following their return, he served as the Secretary to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and he was still in that position at the time that President Nelson became Church president. It seems very fitting that President Nelson would want to have Brother Staheli as his personal secretary now, since he has been proven through years of devoted service to the leading Brethren of the Church.
This all seemed significant to me, and I am grateful to have been able to pass it on to you. 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, February 4, 2018
President Nelson Presides Over His First Stake Conference As Church President
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 Updates
Hello again, everyone! I wanted to post again now to share some updates on various temples worldwide. So let's dive right in and discuss those latest developments. First, I wanted to note that, as of today, there are 12.17 years between now and April 6, 2030, which will mark the Church's 200th anniversary. As I have previously noted, whether or not the Church makes an official goal to do so, because of Elder Wilson's statement about the list of 80 temples that are being considered for an announcement between now and late April 2032, the Church would just need to announce 18 other new temple locations, and complete each of those, along with the 23 others in various phases. If that can be done within those 12,17 years, the Church will have 200 temples operating by that bicentennial anniversary. That could very easily be accomplished.
Next, I wanted to pass along the news that, on Friday, the Church noted in this article from the Ghana Mormon Newsroom that the statue of the angel Moroni on the temple in Accra had been replaced. Plans to replace that statue were originally made in 2011, but for a variety of reasons, that was not able to occur until now.
Towards the end of last month, this article about the progress on the Rome Italy Temple quoted some of those men working on that project as saying that that temple was anticipated to be turned back over to the Church by May of this year at earliest.
With that in mind, it seems clear that any finish work the Church needs to complete on it after that happens could easily be completed as the fourth quarter of this year begins, which in turn would enable a dedication of that temple before the end of this year. I am keeping an eye on this temple and will post any updates as I receive them.
In the meantime, while we know that the dedications for the Concepcion Chile and Barranquilla Colombia Temples are likely to occur at some point prior to that of the Rome Italy Temple, new information that was the result of further study on my part seems to point to the idea that the Kinshasa DR Congo Temple may have its' construction conclude before the end of this year, but that its' dedication may not occur until the early months of next year. I will also be monitoring that.
And, as I reported late last week, new information received about the Fortaleza Brazil Temple indicates that its' completion is more likely during early-to-mid 2019 than mid-to-late 2019 as was thought as recently as a few days before that.
Aside from these things, the only other temple-related developments that have occurred in the last few days relate to those temples undergoing renovation. I noted a couple of days ago as well that the rededication estimate for the Frankfurt Germany Temple has been pushed back yet again, and is now anticipated to be delayed until the early months of 2019.
In the meantime, a minor update on the status of the Memphis Tennessee renovation shows that structural framing for the steeple has been completed. And in a major update on the status of the renovation process in Oklahoma City, it has been noted that structural framing has gone up for the steeple base, that exterior walls are being sheathed, and that the process of roughing in the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems is making progress.
And while we have yet to see any additional progress on the Raleigh North Carolina renovation, and are also waiting for updates on the renovation process underway in Asuncion Paraguay and Baton Rouge Louisiana, some additional study on my part indicates that, depending on what occurs in the next two weeks, the Baton Rouge renovation could be underway at any point before that process begins in Asuncion. I am also monitoring these developments and will be sure to post updates when I receive 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.
Next, I wanted to pass along the news that, on Friday, the Church noted in this article from the Ghana Mormon Newsroom that the statue of the angel Moroni on the temple in Accra had been replaced. Plans to replace that statue were originally made in 2011, but for a variety of reasons, that was not able to occur until now.
Towards the end of last month, this article about the progress on the Rome Italy Temple quoted some of those men working on that project as saying that that temple was anticipated to be turned back over to the Church by May of this year at earliest.
With that in mind, it seems clear that any finish work the Church needs to complete on it after that happens could easily be completed as the fourth quarter of this year begins, which in turn would enable a dedication of that temple before the end of this year. I am keeping an eye on this temple and will post any updates as I receive them.
In the meantime, while we know that the dedications for the Concepcion Chile and Barranquilla Colombia Temples are likely to occur at some point prior to that of the Rome Italy Temple, new information that was the result of further study on my part seems to point to the idea that the Kinshasa DR Congo Temple may have its' construction conclude before the end of this year, but that its' dedication may not occur until the early months of next year. I will also be monitoring that.
And, as I reported late last week, new information received about the Fortaleza Brazil Temple indicates that its' completion is more likely during early-to-mid 2019 than mid-to-late 2019 as was thought as recently as a few days before that.
Aside from these things, the only other temple-related developments that have occurred in the last few days relate to those temples undergoing renovation. I noted a couple of days ago as well that the rededication estimate for the Frankfurt Germany Temple has been pushed back yet again, and is now anticipated to be delayed until the early months of 2019.
In the meantime, a minor update on the status of the Memphis Tennessee renovation shows that structural framing for the steeple has been completed. And in a major update on the status of the renovation process in Oklahoma City, it has been noted that structural framing has gone up for the steeple base, that exterior walls are being sheathed, and that the process of roughing in the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems is making progress.
And while we have yet to see any additional progress on the Raleigh North Carolina renovation, and are also waiting for updates on the renovation process underway in Asuncion Paraguay and Baton Rouge Louisiana, some additional study on my part indicates that, depending on what occurs in the next two weeks, the Baton Rouge renovation could be underway at any point before that process begins in Asuncion. I am also monitoring these developments and will be sure to post updates when I receive 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.
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.
Miscellaneous Church News Articles
Hello again, everyone! There has been a lot of Church news stories in the last week or so which, because I was covering other subjects here, I was not able to pass along. It is time to remedy that right now. There's a lot to discuss, so let's dive right in.
First of all, the Church has continued its' cooperative efforts with friends of other faiths. This article describes how, in Central America, members of the Church joined with Muslim representatives in a gathering to discuss the importance of religious freedom. It was neat to read about that.
Next, descendants of Mormon pioneers that participated in the 1846 Exodus of the Church from Nauvoo Illinois (which, as we know, culminated in the Saints entering the Salt Lake Valley here in Utah on July 24, 1847), put on a program commemorating the sacrifice made by those early Saints in order to escape persecution. You can read more about that here.
The Church News also reported a couple of devotional addresses at Church-owned institutions, including this one given on the campus of BYU-Provo regarding the subject of sexual assault, this one highlighting the importance of lifelong learning (which was given on the BYU-Hawaii campus), and this one from the campus of the LDS Business College, which focused on how we can become people of substance and worth.
The Church News also shared an article about new features in the Friend magazine during 2018, which can be found here. It has been interesting and gratifying to see how Church magazines have changed over the years to more effectively meet the needs of a growing and more diverse Church.
Another article noted the 60+ years in which the Church has had a presence in Taiwan, including highlights of important Church milestones that occurred in that nation, and a look at what the Taiwanese members of the Church hope for in the future.
Then, just within the last few days, the Church News published this article by Sister Neill F. Marriott, Second Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency, who highlighted the importance of adult leaders engaging their youth groups in meaningful discussions on lesson topics.
As I may have previously noted, I was blessed in my years of being in various Aaronic Priesthood quorums to have adult leaders that were already very much following most (if not all) of the suggestions that are now being given more focus in these Church news articles by the General Presidencies of the Young Men and Young Women, and it is wonderful to hear the confirmation from these brothers and sisters of the high importance of such principles.
As the "Meet the Mormons" Church campaign is preparing to mark its' fourth year running, the Church News ran this article to pass along the news that this campaign will culminate in one last video later this year, and those vignettes will continue to run in Visitor's Centers around the world following the end of the campaign.
Continuing the series of articles about the new Church leadership, the Church News shared this article that reintroduced President Eyring to the Church membership. As some of you may know, he is the only man to have served in the Presiding Bishopric, as a General Authority Seventy, as an apostle and member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and in the First Presidency. So it was really neat to read that article and to be reminded of how well President Eyring has been prepared for the callings that have come to him throughout his life.
And the final article I wanted to focus on for this post covered the funeral services for Elder Von G. Keetch. As some of you may know, President Nelson's first wife passed away in 2005, and he remarried around a year later. From what I read in this article, it appears that when funeral arrangements were being planned and when the Keetch family expressed their desire to have the Church leadership represented at this funeral, President Nelson, as one who lost a spouse himself, elected to represent the leading Brethren in presiding at and speaking during this service.
Also in attendance were Elders Bednar, Cook, Christofferson, and Andersen, all members of the Presidency of the Seventy and the Presiding Bishopric, other currently-serving and emeritus Church leaders, and several auxiliary presidency members. And Elder L. Whitney Clayton, as the Senior President of the Seventy, was asked to conduct the service. In addition to President Nelson and the children of Elder Keetch, Elder Lance B. Wickman, who serves as the Church's general counsel as an emeritus General Authority, and who knew Elder Keetch well, spoke during the service.
It was awesome to read about all of this wonderful Church news, and I am pleased to have been able to bring a report of it to you today. 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 of all, the Church has continued its' cooperative efforts with friends of other faiths. This article describes how, in Central America, members of the Church joined with Muslim representatives in a gathering to discuss the importance of religious freedom. It was neat to read about that.
Next, descendants of Mormon pioneers that participated in the 1846 Exodus of the Church from Nauvoo Illinois (which, as we know, culminated in the Saints entering the Salt Lake Valley here in Utah on July 24, 1847), put on a program commemorating the sacrifice made by those early Saints in order to escape persecution. You can read more about that here.
The Church News also reported a couple of devotional addresses at Church-owned institutions, including this one given on the campus of BYU-Provo regarding the subject of sexual assault, this one highlighting the importance of lifelong learning (which was given on the BYU-Hawaii campus), and this one from the campus of the LDS Business College, which focused on how we can become people of substance and worth.
The Church News also shared an article about new features in the Friend magazine during 2018, which can be found here. It has been interesting and gratifying to see how Church magazines have changed over the years to more effectively meet the needs of a growing and more diverse Church.
Another article noted the 60+ years in which the Church has had a presence in Taiwan, including highlights of important Church milestones that occurred in that nation, and a look at what the Taiwanese members of the Church hope for in the future.
Then, just within the last few days, the Church News published this article by Sister Neill F. Marriott, Second Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency, who highlighted the importance of adult leaders engaging their youth groups in meaningful discussions on lesson topics.
As I may have previously noted, I was blessed in my years of being in various Aaronic Priesthood quorums to have adult leaders that were already very much following most (if not all) of the suggestions that are now being given more focus in these Church news articles by the General Presidencies of the Young Men and Young Women, and it is wonderful to hear the confirmation from these brothers and sisters of the high importance of such principles.
As the "Meet the Mormons" Church campaign is preparing to mark its' fourth year running, the Church News ran this article to pass along the news that this campaign will culminate in one last video later this year, and those vignettes will continue to run in Visitor's Centers around the world following the end of the campaign.
Continuing the series of articles about the new Church leadership, the Church News shared this article that reintroduced President Eyring to the Church membership. As some of you may know, he is the only man to have served in the Presiding Bishopric, as a General Authority Seventy, as an apostle and member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and in the First Presidency. So it was really neat to read that article and to be reminded of how well President Eyring has been prepared for the callings that have come to him throughout his life.
And the final article I wanted to focus on for this post covered the funeral services for Elder Von G. Keetch. As some of you may know, President Nelson's first wife passed away in 2005, and he remarried around a year later. From what I read in this article, it appears that when funeral arrangements were being planned and when the Keetch family expressed their desire to have the Church leadership represented at this funeral, President Nelson, as one who lost a spouse himself, elected to represent the leading Brethren in presiding at and speaking during this service.
Also in attendance were Elders Bednar, Cook, Christofferson, and Andersen, all members of the Presidency of the Seventy and the Presiding Bishopric, other currently-serving and emeritus Church leaders, and several auxiliary presidency members. And Elder L. Whitney Clayton, as the Senior President of the Seventy, was asked to conduct the service. In addition to President Nelson and the children of Elder Keetch, Elder Lance B. Wickman, who serves as the Church's general counsel as an emeritus General Authority, and who knew Elder Keetch well, spoke during the service.
It was awesome to read about all of this wonderful Church news, and I am pleased to have been able to bring a report of it to you today. 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, February 2, 2018
Updated Estimates For Known Temple-related Events During the Next 3-4 Years
Hello again, everyone! As I promised to do, I did some additional research into factors that may affect the timing of temple-related events, and I updated my estimates for those events based on my findings. This process involved considering what was known about the status of the temples involved, the best information I could find on climate and weather issues that may affect the timing of these events, and anything else I was able to ascertain regarding how feasible such estimates might be.
The updated estimates follow below. Since so much has changed in this regard just within the last 24 hours or less, I have no doubt that there will be plenty of other changes as this month progresses. The only constant in such estimates is that they continuously change. Those updates follow 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.
The updated estimates follow below. Since so much has changed in this regard just within the last 24 hours or less, I have no doubt that there will be plenty of other changes as this month progresses. The only constant in such estimates is that they continuously change. Those updates follow 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.
Future estimates for known temple-related events
2018:
Monday February 19: Oakland California temple Renovation
Closure (date has been confirmed)
Sunday March 4: Washington DC Temple Renovation Closure (date
has been confirmed)
Sunday April 15 or 22: Houston Texas Temple Rededication
(private)
April or May: Full-scale construction anticipated to
begin on the Winnipeg Manitoba Temple
Sunday May 20: Jordan River Utah Temple Rededication/Mesa
Arizona Temple Renovation Closure (both have been confirmed)
July: Hamilton New Zealand Temple Renovation Closure
(confirmation of official closure date is pending)
Sunday August 12 or 19: Concepcion Chile Temple
Dedication (160th operating temple)
Sunday October 14 or 21: Barranquilla Colombia Temple
Dedication (161st operating temple)
Sunday December 9 or 16: Rome Italy Temple Dedication
(162nd operating temple)
2019:
Mid-January: Kinshasa DR Congo Temple Dedication (163rd
operating temple)
Mid-February: Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple Dedication (164th
operating temple)
Mid-March: Memphis Tennessee Temple Rededication
Mid-to-late April: Fortaleza Brazil Temple Dedication
(165th operating temple)
Early-to-mid May: Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temple
Rededication
Mid-to-late May: Lisbon Portugal Temple Dedication (166th
operating temple)
Early-to-mid June: Raleigh North Carolina Temple
Rededication
Early-to-mid August: Durban South Africa Temple
Dedication (167th operating temple)
Mid-to-late August: Asuncion Paraguay Temple Rededication
Mid-to-late October: Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple
Rededication
Mid-November: Arequipa Peru Temple Dedication (168th
operating temple)
Mid-December: Oakland California Temple Rededication
NOTE: While the Church has indicated that this temple’s
rededication is anticipated during 2019, it is one of the older ones, and, as
such, if the renovation process is delayed for any reason whatsoever, its
rededication could be pushed back into 2020.
2020:
Mid-February: Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple Dedication
(169th operating temple)
Mid-to-late April: Tokyo Japan
Temple Rededication
Early-to-mid June: Winnipeg
Manitoba Temple Dedication (170th operating temple)
Early-to-mid September: Mesa
Arizona Temple Rededication
Mid-November: Washington DC Temple Rededication
2021:
Mid-May: Hamilton New Zealand Temple Rededication
NOTE: I heard that 2018 and 2019 could be big years for
temple groundbreakings. If that proves correct, then many other temples could
also be dedicated during 2020 and 2021. It also seems safe to assume that other
temple renovations will be announced, which will in turn necessitate subsequent
rededications. As the next two years unfold, I will have a better idea of when
such events may occur, and they can then be added to the other estimates above.
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, February 1, 2018
Completion estimate changed for Frankfurt Germany Temple Rededication
Hello again, everyone! I didn't realize this until now, but I just internalized that the estimate for the rededication of the Frankfurt Germany Temple has been pushed back into early 2019. So that will be something else for me to take into account as I make alterations to my previously altered estimate. Hopefully I can post those updates within the next little while. 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.
Further Temple Updates Provided
Hello again, everyone! I wanted to post with some additional updates provided on the construction status of several other temples. Let's dive right in to those. An update has finally been provided on the Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple. While the last update I noted indicated that the site was being graded and the foundation excavation was underway, it has now been noted that the main floor concrete slab is being poured.
And the Fortaleza Brazil Temple has had another update to its' status as well. While exterior cladding continues, the interior is being painted, and ceilings and millwork are being installed. It was great to have these additional updates.
That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. I am continuing to work on the estimate updates I promised in my last post, and will be back with those as soon as I can make it happen. 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.
And the Fortaleza Brazil Temple has had another update to its' status as well. While exterior cladding continues, the interior is being painted, and ceilings and millwork are being installed. It was great to have these additional updates.
That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. I am continuing to work on the estimate updates I promised in my last post, and will be back with those as soon as I can make it happen. 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 Updates (Including Altered Completion Estimate for Fortaleza Brazil Temple_)
Hello again, everyone! In addition to the information the Church released earlier today about new missions and those that will be consolidated, some very significant updates (including an altered completion estimate for the Fortaleza Brazil Temple) have been provided. There is a lot to talk about in that regard, so let's get right to it.
First, the Concepcion Chile Temple has made progress yet again. It has now been reported that while perimeter gardens continue to be planted, and while interior work continues to progress, more exterior lighting tests are being conducted.
Next, we turn out attention to the Fortaleza Brazil Temple. As I have previously noted, that temple had a groundbreaking in 2011, but full-scale efforts did not begin on that temple until 2016. And in the 1.5-2 years or so since that time, it has made significant progress. Even so, it has also seen many shifts in its completion estimate.
Today another shift for that estimate was identified. While as recently as yesterday, this temple was anticipated to be completed in mid-to-late 2019, sufficient progress has been noted to such a degree that that general completion estimate has been revised to early-to-mid 2019. And that move puts its' completion estimate after that of the Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple, meaning the Fortaleza Temple is now anticipated to be the 165th operating one dedicated in this dispensation.
Because this development was not expected, I am still analyzing how this might change the sequence of temple-related events during 2019, and I will post the revision I will make ASAP. Just wanted to note that is in progress.
Additionally, the status of that temple has been updated to note that the exterior is being cladded, that scaffolding has gone up around the tower of the temple, and that trees have been planted around the parking area of the temple.
I also wanted to note that the change in Fortaleza's completion estimate is not anticipated to have much (if any) impact on the completion estimates for either the Lisbon Portugal or Durban South Africa Temples, which are still anticipated to have their dedications during mid-2019.
For the Durban South Africa Temple, its' status has been updated with the note that window openings have been boarded, that insulation snd drywall is going in, and that the roof decking is being waterproofed. Even with those updates, the dedication of the Durban temple is only anticipated after that of the temple in Lisbon.
That brings us to the Arequipa Peru Temple, where structural framing is being installed for the temple tower. Since this temple has progressed so consistently, I am still convinced that its' dedication will be held in late 2019, rather than being pushed back to early 2020.
I continue to keep an eye out for all such developments, and I will be posting further updates 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.
First, the Concepcion Chile Temple has made progress yet again. It has now been reported that while perimeter gardens continue to be planted, and while interior work continues to progress, more exterior lighting tests are being conducted.
Next, we turn out attention to the Fortaleza Brazil Temple. As I have previously noted, that temple had a groundbreaking in 2011, but full-scale efforts did not begin on that temple until 2016. And in the 1.5-2 years or so since that time, it has made significant progress. Even so, it has also seen many shifts in its completion estimate.
Today another shift for that estimate was identified. While as recently as yesterday, this temple was anticipated to be completed in mid-to-late 2019, sufficient progress has been noted to such a degree that that general completion estimate has been revised to early-to-mid 2019. And that move puts its' completion estimate after that of the Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple, meaning the Fortaleza Temple is now anticipated to be the 165th operating one dedicated in this dispensation.
Because this development was not expected, I am still analyzing how this might change the sequence of temple-related events during 2019, and I will post the revision I will make ASAP. Just wanted to note that is in progress.
Additionally, the status of that temple has been updated to note that the exterior is being cladded, that scaffolding has gone up around the tower of the temple, and that trees have been planted around the parking area of the temple.
I also wanted to note that the change in Fortaleza's completion estimate is not anticipated to have much (if any) impact on the completion estimates for either the Lisbon Portugal or Durban South Africa Temples, which are still anticipated to have their dedications during mid-2019.
For the Durban South Africa Temple, its' status has been updated with the note that window openings have been boarded, that insulation snd drywall is going in, and that the roof decking is being waterproofed. Even with those updates, the dedication of the Durban temple is only anticipated after that of the temple in Lisbon.
That brings us to the Arequipa Peru Temple, where structural framing is being installed for the temple tower. Since this temple has progressed so consistently, I am still convinced that its' dedication will be held in late 2019, rather than being pushed back to early 2020.
I continue to keep an eye out for all such developments, and I will be posting further updates 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.
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.
Some Observations About the New & Consolidated Missions and Their Presidents
Hello again, everyone! Since it is heading towards the evening here in Utah, many of you may have already seen or heard about the news of Church mission changes. The Church is establishing 5 new missions (Brazil Rio de Janeiro South, Cote D'Ivoire Yamousoukro, Nigeria Ibadan, Philippines Cabanatuan, and Zimbabwe Bulawayo). Along with that, the number of missions will be going down from 421 to 407 as the following 19 missions have their boundaries realigned (which will result in a merge with adjoining missions):
Australia Sydney North, Bulgaria Sofia, California
Modesto, California San Fernando, England London South, Greece Athens, Illinois
Chicago West, México Ciudad Obregón, México Reynosa, Mississippi Jackson, New
York New York South, Ohio Cleveland, Portugal Porto, România/Moldova, Russia
Samara, Spain Málaga, Ukraine L’viv, Utah Logan, and Washington Federal Way.
First, I wanted to note that you can be sure Matthew Martinich, a Church growth expert who always provides such great analysis of such developments, will (if he has not done so already) be putting these changes into context, which you can look for here.
In the meantime, as I have done for the last couple of years, I wanted to post my reaction to some of the things I found interesting about the newly announced mission presidents. First of all, the Church has confirmed today that Matthew S. Holland, the son of Elder Jeffrey R. Holland and the current president of UVU, is being assigned to preside over the North Carolina mission based in Raleigh.
Above and beyond that, the Church has continued the recent tradition of assigning a current General Authority Seventy to serve as a mission president. Elder Taylor G. Godoy, called in General Conference last April, will preside over the Nevada Reno Mission.
Additionally, many of those called as mission presidents are current or former area seventies. Last year, the Church began a somewhat unusual tradition of allowing area seventies called as mission presidents to continue serving as area seventies while assuming their new responsibilities.
Based on that occurring, I present the following observations I have put together regarding a few of those current area seventies that may continue to serve as such while taking on the added role of mission president:
Tasara Makasi’s assignment (to preside over the Zimbabwe Harare mission) will likely allow him to continue his as an
Area Seventy in the Africa Southeast Area.
Fred A. Parker, currently serving as an Area Seventy in the
Sixth Quorum (within the North America Southeast Area) will, if he continues
his service as an Area Seventy, be reassigned to the Fourth Quorum (serving in
the Caribbean) while he presides over the Jamaica Kingston Mission.
Miguel A. Reyes, currently serving in the Mexico Area, will
likely continue his service as an Area Sveventy in that same area while he presides over the Mexico Guadalajara Mission.
Just wanted to note all of this, which I hope will be of interest to some of you. 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.
Tuesday, January 30, 2018
Closure of 2 Church Visitor's Centers and Changes in the Operation of 1 Other Announced
Hello again, everyone! A spokesman for the First Presidency has been interviewed in response to the announcement from the First Presidency that 2 temple visitor's centers would close, and that 1 other would see some operational changes. So what are the details there? Let's talk about that.
With the previously-announced closure of the Hamilton New Zealand Temple, the visitor's center will be closing simultaneously, also for extensive renovation. And the Church is closing the Park City Family Tree Center here in Utah, which was originally opened to accommodate the crowds that came to Utah in 2002 for the Salt Lake Olympics. No renovation is involved for that center; it is just closing, since other centers have since been established in the Church's Utah Salt Lake City area since that time to serve the Saints and friends of other faiths curious about their family history.
As for the changes in operation for the one other visitor's center, effective December 31 of last year, the London England Visitor's Center is not functioning as a typical Visitor's Center, but instead operates as a waiting area for guests who are not patrons of the London England Temple. The Church's Hyde Park Chapel Visitor's Centre (note the British spelling there) serves those in that area wanting to learn more about the Church and about what is done in temples and in the Church's family history efforts.
This article, which features quoted statements from that Church spokesman, Daniel Woodruff, more or less lays out the details I have shared here. It is awesome to have heard of this news, and I was grateful to have been able to pass it along to you all.
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.
With the previously-announced closure of the Hamilton New Zealand Temple, the visitor's center will be closing simultaneously, also for extensive renovation. And the Church is closing the Park City Family Tree Center here in Utah, which was originally opened to accommodate the crowds that came to Utah in 2002 for the Salt Lake Olympics. No renovation is involved for that center; it is just closing, since other centers have since been established in the Church's Utah Salt Lake City area since that time to serve the Saints and friends of other faiths curious about their family history.
As for the changes in operation for the one other visitor's center, effective December 31 of last year, the London England Visitor's Center is not functioning as a typical Visitor's Center, but instead operates as a waiting area for guests who are not patrons of the London England Temple. The Church's Hyde Park Chapel Visitor's Centre (note the British spelling there) serves those in that area wanting to learn more about the Church and about what is done in temples and in the Church's family history efforts.
This article, which features quoted statements from that Church spokesman, Daniel Woodruff, more or less lays out the details I have shared here. It is awesome to have heard of this news, and I was grateful to have been able to pass it along to you all.
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.
April 2018 General Conference Predictions Alterations: Part Seven--Exploring What the Statistical Report of the Church Might Potentially Look Like
Hello again, everyone! I am back with the seventh part of my series of posts exploring how the statistical report of the Church that will likely be presented during its' traditional spot in the Saturday Afternoon Session of General Conference might look. Hope you enjoy seeing what I have put together. Those figures follow 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. I intend to cap off this series in a day or two by publishing the updated version of my list of temple site possibilities. Until my next post (whenever that might be), I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.
That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time. I intend to cap off this series in a day or two by publishing the updated version of my list of temple site possibilities. Until my next post (whenever that might be), 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.
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