Temple News & Developments Include Time-frame Alterations

Hello again, everyone! I am pleased to be able to report that, in addition to the rededication of the Houston Texas Temple, the status of the Arequipa Peru Temple has been updated, as the cupola for the temple has been installed atop the tower walls.

Additionally, several time-frames for the completion of temples have been slightly tweaked. There is now apparently sufficient reason to believe that the Fortaleza Brazil Temple will be completed prior to the Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple. In the meantime, while they have not shifted in their order, there is also reason to believe that the Lisbon Portugal and Durban South Africa Temples may have their dedications more towards the final half of 2019 than in the middle 4 or 5 months of next year.

I am evaluating how these developments will change my estimates for next year's sequence of events, and I will post those updated estimates ASAP. 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.

BREAKING NEWS: First Presidency Announces Houston Texas Temple Rededication

Hello again, everyone! When I did my initial check of the Church websites today, I was pleased to discover that the First Presidency announced the day on which the Houston Texas Temple would be privately rededicated. According to this article, that will occur on Sunday April 22, and the First Presidency has asked President M. Russell Ballard to preside at that event. Since it is a private dedication, attendance will be by invitation only, and no Church block meetings will be impacted.

I am grateful to have learned about this, and to have been able to share this information with you. I am likewise gratified to have found out that my estimate for this event was right on. I will keep my eyes open for more temple-related information and pass that along as I am able to.

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.

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.