Newest Revised Estimates for Future Temple Events

Hello again, everyone! Based on newly reported temple developments, further research into the relevant climate factors, and some rudimentary deductive reasoning, I have made further alterations to my estimates for future temple-related events. Those updated estimates 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 (official closure date confirmation is pending)

Sunday August 12 or 19: Concepcion Chile Temple Dedication (160^th operating temple)

Sunday September 16 or 23: Barranquilla Colombia Temple Dedication (161^st operating temple)

Sunday October 14 or 21: Rome Italy Temple Dedication (162^nd operating temple)

Sunday December 9 or 16: Kinshasa DR Congo Temple Dedication (163^rd operating temple)

NOTE: If the completion of the Kinshasa Temple is delayed for any reason whatsoever, that would obviously delay its’ dedication until the early months of 2019. With that said, further research on my part seems to point to mid-December as the best time for this event. I will keep my eyes open for more information and will post updates as further information is provided.

2019:

Mid-February: Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple Dedication (164^th operating temple)

Mid-to-late April: Frankfurt Germany Temple Rededication

Early-to-mid May: Fortaleza Brazil Temple Dedication (165^th operating temple)

Mid-to-late May: Memphis Tennessee Temple Rededication

Early-to-mid June: Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temple Rededication

Mid-August: Raleigh North Carolina Temple Rededication

Early-to-mid September: Lisbon Portugal Temple Dedication (166^th operating temple)

Mid-to-late September: Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple Rededication

Mid-to-late October: Asuncion Paraguay Temple Rededication

Mid-November: Durban South Africa Temple Dedication (167^th operating temple)

Mid-December: Arequipa Peru Temple Dedication (168^th operating temple)

                       

2020:

Mid-February: Oakland California Temple Rededication

NOTE: Although the First Presidency has indicated that this temple would be rededicated prior to the end of 2019, the fact that it is a considerably older temple leads me to believe that will not take place until early 2020 at earliest, but I could see that being pushed back further as well.

Mid-to-late March: Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple Dedication (169^th operating temple)

Mid-May: Tokyo Japan Temple Rededication

Early-to-mid June Mesa Arizona Temple Rededication

Mid-August: Winnipeg Manitoba Temple Dedication (170^th operating temple)

Mid-November: Washington DC Temple Rededication

2021:

Mid-to-late April: 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 new 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.

Elder Ronald A. Rasband Celebrates His 67th Birthday Today

Hello again, everyone! Due to the volume of Church & temple news I have covered lately and in view of some health issues I have had to deal with in recent days, it almost slipped my mind that Elder Ronald A. Rasband's birthday was today. So as he has marked his 67th birthday, it is time to share some information about his life here on this blog in commemoration. Let's dive right in to all of that.

Ronald Anderson Rasband was born to Rulon Hawkins Rasband and Verda Anderson in Salt Lake City, Utah, on February 6, 1951. He served as a full-time missionary in the Eastern States Mission, which was headquartered in New York City and encompassed the whole New York Metro area, while also stretching into western New York and Pennsylvania. 


He married Melanie Twitchell in 1973, and together they raised five children. He studied at the University of Utah, and would later receive an honorary doctorate degree in business and commerce from Utah Valley State College (now Utah Valley University) in 1995. Joining the Huntsman Container Company as a Sales Representative in 1976, he was appointed president and chief operating officer of Huntsman Chemical Corporation 11 years later, working closely with Jon Huntsman Sr. and later serving on the board of directors of that company. 


He has been a bishop, Temple Square missionary guide, member of the Church’s Sesquicentennial Committee, and, from 1996-1999, president of the New York New York North Mission. On April 1, 2000, he was sustained a general authority and member of the First Quorum of the Seventy. His assignments have taken him all over the world. He served as First Counselor in the Europe North Area from 2000-2001; as First Counselor in the Europe Central Area from 2001-2003; as President of the Utah Salt Lake City Area from 2003-2004. He served from 2004-2005 as Executive Director of the Temple Department. 


On August 15, 2005, he was called to serve in the Presidency of the Seventy. As a member of the Presidency of the Seventy, he had supervisory responsibility for the North America Northwest and North America West Areas (from 2005-2007), and the Utah North, Utah Salt Lake City, and Utah South Areas (from 2007-2009). When Elder Neil L. Andersen was called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in April 2009, Elder Rasband became the Senior President of the Seventy, and, as such, was assigned a role to assist in all areas in the United States and Canada.

In October 2015, he was called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. With Elders Gary E. Stevenson and Dale G. Renlund called at the same time, he became the 13th in apostolic seniority. Within the last 4 months, the deaths of Elder Robert D. Hales and President Thomas S. Monson have resulted in his becoming the 11th most senior apostle. He is also the 8th most senior member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, the 6th oldest member of that Quorum, and the 9th oldest overall of the currently 13 apostles.

Depending on the ages of the two new apostles that will be called in April, the standings above could change. In the meantime, I also wanted to note that Elder Rasband has had 11 opportunities to address us in General Conference, 5 as an apostle, 5 more while in the Presidency of the Seventy, and 1 following his April 2000 call as a General Authority Seventy. You can review any of those here.

As soon as Elder Rasband's call to the apostleship was announced, I had confirmation from the Lord that He had approved and directed that call. I always appreciate hearing what Elder Rasband has to say, and it has been my privilege to put together this post in tribute to his birthday.

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.

Mesa Arizona Temple Visitor's Center To Close Indefinitely

Hello again, everyone! I learned just a short while ago that Daniel Woodruff, the Church spokesman that commented on the closures of the Visitor's Centers that I mentioned on this blog a few days ago, also released information that the Mesa Arizona Temple Visitor's Center will close in conjunction with the previously-announced closure of the temple on May 20 of this year.

The interesting thing about that is that, according to the statement released by Brother Woodruff, this closure will be for an indefinite period, since the Church will be evaluating the need for its' continued operation and will plan accordingly. This article provides more detail on all of that.

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.

Full-Scale Renovation Efforts Begin on the Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple

Hello again, everyone! A week or two ago, after once again adjusting my thoughts on the probable time-frame for future temple-related events, I noted that, depending on whether or not the renovation efforts for the Asuncion Paraguay Temple were reported as being underway prior to that occurring for the Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple, I might have to switch my thoughts again. I found out just a short while ago that full-scale efforts have begun on the Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple, while nothing has been reported as changed on the status for the renovation of the Asuncion Paraguay Temple.

The update of which I have become aware is that the construction fence has gone up and that the equipment for the renovation process is on the site of the temple. While the general time-frame for the completion of both the Baton Rouge Louisiana & Asuncion Paraguay Temples both remain at mid-2019, I may need to adjust the more specific time-frames I have offered.

Those estimates were mid-to-late August for the Asuncion Paraguay Temple and mid-to-late October for the Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple. I will do some additional study as I am able to do so, and will post adjustments once I have 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,

President Nelson Presides Over His First Stake Conference As Church President

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.