Hello again, everyone! I became aware earlier today of a report that Elder Rasband, while on assignment in the Church's Philippines Area, has visited the site locations for the planned temples in the cities of Urdaneta and Alabang. What that means is that we now have confirmation of the official location for the Urdaneta temple site, which is just off the MacArthur Highway, to the south of the city of Urdaneta.
I have not been able to confirm this through official sources, but it seems safe to surmise that part of Elder Rasband's assignment may have been to look over both sites and to try to determine how close they might be to being ready for a groundbreaking. I am keeping my eyes open for more information on this, and will post any updates in that regard as I become aware of them. That said, it is great to have heard of this news, and I am grateful for the chance to pass it along 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 25, 2018
Elder Rasband's Philippines Tour Includes Visits to Temple Sites
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.
Saturday, February 24, 2018
Progress Continues on the Rome Italy Temple
Hello again, everyone! I am pleased to be able to post today to pass along some significant news about the progress on the construction efforts for the Rome Italy Temple. In a previous post or two, I have referenced the article in that Italian newspaper which quoted one of the construction workers assigned to the project as saying that the Church may be able to dedicate that temple in or around October of this year, if all goes according to schedule.
In light of that assertion, I was gratified to learn just a few moments ago that, while landscaping and interior work continues, the art glass installation for the Rome Italy Temple has now been completed. Since I have followed temple-related events and news so extensively, I can say with great confidence that the completion of the art glass installation generally signifies that any temple is that much closer to completion.
Let me be clear on this point: I do not in any way claim to have any special knowledge regarding how temple construction works. I base the assertions in progress reports such as these purely on observation and (when available) information I can gather from either experts on the subject of temple construction or from the available news sources that might give some indication of whether or not such assertions are accurate and justifiable.
It is also worth noting that the Rome Italy Temple has been subjected to numerous delays. On President Monson's birthday (August 21, 2013), the Italian Mormon Newsroom put out a release with a statement from Elder Massimo De Feo, then an Area Seventy living in Italy, who would be called as a General Authority Seventy less than three years after that, which clarified the point that no dates put out by unofficial sources should be taken as accurate, and that only an official announcement from the First Presidency would serve as justifiable verification that any dates are accurate.
So for the next little while, we continue to wait patiently for official word on when this temple will be dedicated. And I hope it is clearly understood that the more specific estimates I provide for temple events anticipated in the near future are based on my own thoughts and study, and the progress (or lack thereof) which I see on such temples everywhere in the world.
I will continue to provide updates to those estimates as I feel I can, but until those time-frames are confirmed or denied by an official announcement from the Church, they are merely my own thoughts and musings on the subject.
With that said, I did want to note one other piece of information which may be of interest to some of you. I have previously taken many opportunities to reference my opinion that the Church could (and likely will) have at least 200 operating temples by the 200th anniversary of the Church, which will occur on Saturday April 6, 2030.
Because there are 159 temples that have been dedicated so far, the Church would just need to dedicate 41 others (which includes the 23 in various phases of construction currently, and 18 others that would also need to be announced, constructed and dedicated by that time).
Between today's date (February 24, 2018) and April 6, 2030, there are 12.11 years remaining for the Church to do all that. And that could easily be done if the Church dedicates an average of 3.39 temples each year during that time.
We also know that the Church will be dedicating at least 2 temples this year (and perhaps as many as 4), and that any temples that could be dedicated this year and are not will likely have that occur in the early months of next year. Aside from those, there are at least 4 (and possibly 1 or 2 others) that may be dedicated next year as well.
And right now, it looks like there may be 2 others (so far) that could be dedicated in 2020. I have likewise heard that this year and the next will be significant ones in terms of potential groundbreakings for temples currently announced. If that proves true, then 2020 and the year or two after that will also be full of such dedications.
Whatever might occur in terms of all of that, you can be sure I will be keeping my eyes open for such updates and will be doing my best to pass them along to you all here. I also wanted to note personally that, despite dealing with flu symptoms for the last little while, as I have been able to do so, I have worked on fine-tuning my list of temple site possibilities that I will be including for the next General Conference, and I hope to be able to post that either later today, tomorrow, or Monday. It all depends on how quickly I am able to get that done.
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.
In light of that assertion, I was gratified to learn just a few moments ago that, while landscaping and interior work continues, the art glass installation for the Rome Italy Temple has now been completed. Since I have followed temple-related events and news so extensively, I can say with great confidence that the completion of the art glass installation generally signifies that any temple is that much closer to completion.
Let me be clear on this point: I do not in any way claim to have any special knowledge regarding how temple construction works. I base the assertions in progress reports such as these purely on observation and (when available) information I can gather from either experts on the subject of temple construction or from the available news sources that might give some indication of whether or not such assertions are accurate and justifiable.
It is also worth noting that the Rome Italy Temple has been subjected to numerous delays. On President Monson's birthday (August 21, 2013), the Italian Mormon Newsroom put out a release with a statement from Elder Massimo De Feo, then an Area Seventy living in Italy, who would be called as a General Authority Seventy less than three years after that, which clarified the point that no dates put out by unofficial sources should be taken as accurate, and that only an official announcement from the First Presidency would serve as justifiable verification that any dates are accurate.
So for the next little while, we continue to wait patiently for official word on when this temple will be dedicated. And I hope it is clearly understood that the more specific estimates I provide for temple events anticipated in the near future are based on my own thoughts and study, and the progress (or lack thereof) which I see on such temples everywhere in the world.
I will continue to provide updates to those estimates as I feel I can, but until those time-frames are confirmed or denied by an official announcement from the Church, they are merely my own thoughts and musings on the subject.
With that said, I did want to note one other piece of information which may be of interest to some of you. I have previously taken many opportunities to reference my opinion that the Church could (and likely will) have at least 200 operating temples by the 200th anniversary of the Church, which will occur on Saturday April 6, 2030.
Because there are 159 temples that have been dedicated so far, the Church would just need to dedicate 41 others (which includes the 23 in various phases of construction currently, and 18 others that would also need to be announced, constructed and dedicated by that time).
Between today's date (February 24, 2018) and April 6, 2030, there are 12.11 years remaining for the Church to do all that. And that could easily be done if the Church dedicates an average of 3.39 temples each year during that time.
We also know that the Church will be dedicating at least 2 temples this year (and perhaps as many as 4), and that any temples that could be dedicated this year and are not will likely have that occur in the early months of next year. Aside from those, there are at least 4 (and possibly 1 or 2 others) that may be dedicated next year as well.
And right now, it looks like there may be 2 others (so far) that could be dedicated in 2020. I have likewise heard that this year and the next will be significant ones in terms of potential groundbreakings for temples currently announced. If that proves true, then 2020 and the year or two after that will also be full of such dedications.
Whatever might occur in terms of all of that, you can be sure I will be keeping my eyes open for such updates and will be doing my best to pass them along to you all here. I also wanted to note personally that, despite dealing with flu symptoms for the last little while, as I have been able to do so, I have worked on fine-tuning my list of temple site possibilities that I will be including for the next General Conference, and I hope to be able to post that either later today, tomorrow, or Monday. It all depends on how quickly I am able to get that done.
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.
Thursday, February 22, 2018
Additional Update Provided on the Renovation of the Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temple
Hello again, everyone! In my efforts to continue to monitor temple-related developments, I have today come across yet another update on the renovation process for the Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temple. The last time there was an update on that process, the new entrance lobby was being framed. It was reported today that that lobby is now being sheathed. I have said this before and I will likely keep repeating it, because it does bear repeating: It is amazing and inspiring to see the progress that occurs, often on a daily basis, for temples worldwide.
It is additionally worth repeating, as I have previously done so, that the new design that has been used on other renovations for temples originally dedicated during President Hinckley's smaller temple building impetus in the late 1990s-early 2000s seem to be getting the same new exterior look.
That is certainly true for the Memphis Tennessee, Oklahoma City Oklahoma, and Raleigh North Carolina Temples, and may also be the case (though that has yet to be confirmed) for both the Baton Rouge Louisiana and Asuncion Paraguay Temples. Stay tuned for more information on that point in the days ahead. I will be continuing to monitor temple-related events in the near future and will do my best to pass news of those along as I hear 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.
It is additionally worth repeating, as I have previously done so, that the new design that has been used on other renovations for temples originally dedicated during President Hinckley's smaller temple building impetus in the late 1990s-early 2000s seem to be getting the same new exterior look.
That is certainly true for the Memphis Tennessee, Oklahoma City Oklahoma, and Raleigh North Carolina Temples, and may also be the case (though that has yet to be confirmed) for both the Baton Rouge Louisiana and Asuncion Paraguay Temples. Stay tuned for more information on that point in the days ahead. I will be continuing to monitor temple-related events in the near future and will do my best to pass news of those along as I hear 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 Thoughts Regarding How the Layout of the Women's Session Might Change Starting This October
Hello again, everyone! I am back to pass along some thoughts about how the Church's announcement on October 27 of last year (regarding how the Priesthood Session would now be held each April, and the Women's Session each October as the third sessions of those conferences and would be held two hours following the Saturday Afternoon Session) might change the layout of the Women's Session compared to what it has typically been.
In that regard, I wanted to note first of all that, in doing the research, I figured out that the Women's Session has typically been roughly 15 minutes shorter than the Priesthood Session. But I would anticipate that, since the two sessions will occupy the same time slot every six months, the Church may opt to extend the length of the Women's Session by 15 minutes. I will be addressing how that time might be filled a little later on.
Next, while each member of the First Presidency has generally spoken during the Priesthood Session, and while that will likely still be the case, if we were to hear from the full First Presidency during every Women's Session, there would likely not be time for more than a couple of speakers from the female auxiliaries of the Church, which would be counter to the typical patterns of that session. For that reason, it seems logical to conclude that every October, the Women's Session will continue to feature the First Presidency members speaking in rotation as has been the case up to now.
So, if only one member of the First Presidency does speak during the Women's Session, then I see two potential options: First, the session could remain at its' current length of time and the member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles that would have otherwise spoken during the Priesthood Session will do so during one of the other four sessions.
The second option, in my opinion, is far more likely. If the Church does opt to extend the Women's Session by 15 minutes, then that time could be filled by the member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles that would have otherwise spoken during the Priesthood Session.
There have been times in the past (particularly during the administration of President Kimball) when one member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke during what was then the General Women's Meeting, so that kind of thing is by no means unheard of.
And, in my opinion, that would likely be the easiest course of action. But if that occurs, then that likely means that the two First Presidency members who are not speaking during the Women's Session each October will also have one less address each, unless a revision of the typical patterns for the other four sessions enable them to give that address during one of the other four sessions.
It is interesting to think about all of this, and to consider what might happen. Of course, we could also find 8 months from now that none of these ideas I am suggesting have been proven accurate. But whatever does happen in that regard, you can count on my tracking those developments and bringing them to you here on this blog.
That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, especially those sharing your thoughts on the ideas I have presented 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.
In that regard, I wanted to note first of all that, in doing the research, I figured out that the Women's Session has typically been roughly 15 minutes shorter than the Priesthood Session. But I would anticipate that, since the two sessions will occupy the same time slot every six months, the Church may opt to extend the length of the Women's Session by 15 minutes. I will be addressing how that time might be filled a little later on.
Next, while each member of the First Presidency has generally spoken during the Priesthood Session, and while that will likely still be the case, if we were to hear from the full First Presidency during every Women's Session, there would likely not be time for more than a couple of speakers from the female auxiliaries of the Church, which would be counter to the typical patterns of that session. For that reason, it seems logical to conclude that every October, the Women's Session will continue to feature the First Presidency members speaking in rotation as has been the case up to now.
So, if only one member of the First Presidency does speak during the Women's Session, then I see two potential options: First, the session could remain at its' current length of time and the member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles that would have otherwise spoken during the Priesthood Session will do so during one of the other four sessions.
The second option, in my opinion, is far more likely. If the Church does opt to extend the Women's Session by 15 minutes, then that time could be filled by the member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles that would have otherwise spoken during the Priesthood Session.
There have been times in the past (particularly during the administration of President Kimball) when one member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke during what was then the General Women's Meeting, so that kind of thing is by no means unheard of.
And, in my opinion, that would likely be the easiest course of action. But if that occurs, then that likely means that the two First Presidency members who are not speaking during the Women's Session each October will also have one less address each, unless a revision of the typical patterns for the other four sessions enable them to give that address during one of the other four sessions.
It is interesting to think about all of this, and to consider what might happen. Of course, we could also find 8 months from now that none of these ideas I am suggesting have been proven accurate. But whatever does happen in that regard, you can count on my tracking those developments and bringing them to you here on this blog.
That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, especially those sharing your thoughts on the ideas I have presented 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.
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 Eight--Slight Update to Speaking Order Projections
Hello again, everyone! I am back to add another part to the series of posts I published last month on how the announced and likely future changes in Church leadership would alter my April 2018 General Conference predictions. I wanted to note that I have done more research on the speaking history for general officers of the Church.
Based on what I found there (and also on what I believe the layout of the October 2018 Women's Session might look like, which I will be addressing in another post after publishing this one), my reasoning behind making these changes and what those changes entail follow below.
As some of you may recall, I previously noted we could potentially see the Reyna I. Aburto, Second Counselor in the Relief Society Presidency, and Cristina B. Franco, who holds the same position but in the Primary General Presidency speak to us.
The additional study I have done since that time has led me to now believe that we will instead hear from the First Counselors in those two presidencies, with Sharon Eubank potentially speaking during the Saturday .Morning Session, and Bonnie H. Cordon speaking during the Sunday Afternoon Session.
This change has seemed to be a common-sense choice because of what I believe will occur during the first Women's Session held following the announcement last October that that session would only be held every October.
That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, especially any addressing your thoughts on this subject. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my net post, which will, barring anything unexpected, address my thoughts on how these changes to General Conference might affect the layout of the Women's Session every October, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.
Based on what I found there (and also on what I believe the layout of the October 2018 Women's Session might look like, which I will be addressing in another post after publishing this one), my reasoning behind making these changes and what those changes entail follow below.
As some of you may recall, I previously noted we could potentially see the Reyna I. Aburto, Second Counselor in the Relief Society Presidency, and Cristina B. Franco, who holds the same position but in the Primary General Presidency speak to us.
The additional study I have done since that time has led me to now believe that we will instead hear from the First Counselors in those two presidencies, with Sharon Eubank potentially speaking during the Saturday .Morning Session, and Bonnie H. Cordon speaking during the Sunday Afternoon Session.
This change has seemed to be a common-sense choice because of what I believe will occur during the first Women's Session held following the announcement last October that that session would only be held every October.
That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, especially any addressing your thoughts on this subject. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my net post, which will, barring anything unexpected, address my thoughts on how these changes to General Conference might affect the layout of the Women's Session every October, 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.
Wednesday, February 21, 2018
Another Update Provided for the Kinshasa DR Congo Temple
Hello again, everyone! I am pleased to be able to report today that another update has been provided for the Kinshasa DR Congo Temple. The latest reports on those construction efforts indicate that scaffolding has been removed from the steeple, and that while roof shingling continues, the driveway and parking area have been outlined.
This update gives me hope that we might see this temple dedicated by the end of this year (rather than the beginning of next year), especially since it seems to be making fairly steady process. With that said, if my memory serves me correctly, other temples have been a bit farther along in their progress when their dedications were anticipated within 8-10 months, so I will be keeping an eye on this temple and its' ongoing progress (or lack thereof), and I will be posting updates on that progress as I am able to do 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.
This update gives me hope that we might see this temple dedicated by the end of this year (rather than the beginning of next year), especially since it seems to be making fairly steady process. With that said, if my memory serves me correctly, other temples have been a bit farther along in their progress when their dedications were anticipated within 8-10 months, so I will be keeping an eye on this temple and its' ongoing progress (or lack thereof), and I will be posting updates on that progress as I am able to do 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.
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, February 20, 2018
BREAKING NEWS: President Nelson & Elder Holland to Tour Europe, Africa and Asia in April
Hello again, everyone! Not sure when this was posted on the Church's official website, but my local news ran a story about half an hour ago sharing that President Nelson and his wife, accompanied by Elder Holland and his wife, would be touring Europe, Africa, and Asia in April.
According to this news release from the Church website, the tour will go from April 10-23, and will allow these Brethren to visit Church sites in these nations, which will almost certainly involve looking over temples under construction in Africa and also perhaps scouting out potential future locations for future temples in all three continents, in addition to holding gatherings for members and missionaries in these areas.
This is exciting news, primarily because it has been a while since a Church president has been able to travel extensively like this. I have not verified this through personal research, but I seem to recall that President Monson began gradually scaling back his duties in 2014 or so, which included limiting his travel and the number and length of his addresses in General Conference. So it may have been a couple of years prior to that that President Monson traveled to such an extent.
And this is the first time since 2006 or so that I can recall an older Church president doing such extensive traveling. This suggests that, in accordance with what he said in the press conference for him and his counselors on January 16, he is earnest in his desire to be out among the people as long as he can be, and to understand the local issues members throughout the world are dealing with.
I observed this on Facebook, but it is worth mentioning here as well: The fact that President Nelson is intent on serving and being out among the people for as long as he can has been perfectly verified by how fully he and his counselors have gotten right to work to get things done.
And that is no more evident than in the fact that he has done quite a bit since his ordination. He has spoken at the funerals of the longest-serving Area Seventy of the Church (Jon M. Huntsman) and of Elder Von G. Keetch, who unexpectedly passed away from a brief, sudden, and fatal illness. He and his counselors have also announced the rededication for the Houston Texas Temple and the renovation that is scheduled to occur for the temple in Hamilton New Zealand.
I never got around to mentioning this before now, but just a couple of days ago, Mormon Newsroom shared this report about how President Nelson and his wife spoke to a group of young adults in Las Vegas.
So it is plain that President Nelson is very committed to ministering to Church members. And it is interesting that this tour will begin about 1.5 weeks following his first General Conference as Church President. Mormon Newsroom indicated in the release about the tour plans that articles about that tour would be published as the tour progresses. So you can be sure to find coverage there.
Additionally, you can be sure I will be keeping my eyes open for more information on that tour, and on any and all other Church and temple news and updates and I will continue to do my best to pass those updates along to you 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.
According to this news release from the Church website, the tour will go from April 10-23, and will allow these Brethren to visit Church sites in these nations, which will almost certainly involve looking over temples under construction in Africa and also perhaps scouting out potential future locations for future temples in all three continents, in addition to holding gatherings for members and missionaries in these areas.
This is exciting news, primarily because it has been a while since a Church president has been able to travel extensively like this. I have not verified this through personal research, but I seem to recall that President Monson began gradually scaling back his duties in 2014 or so, which included limiting his travel and the number and length of his addresses in General Conference. So it may have been a couple of years prior to that that President Monson traveled to such an extent.
And this is the first time since 2006 or so that I can recall an older Church president doing such extensive traveling. This suggests that, in accordance with what he said in the press conference for him and his counselors on January 16, he is earnest in his desire to be out among the people as long as he can be, and to understand the local issues members throughout the world are dealing with.
I observed this on Facebook, but it is worth mentioning here as well: The fact that President Nelson is intent on serving and being out among the people for as long as he can has been perfectly verified by how fully he and his counselors have gotten right to work to get things done.
And that is no more evident than in the fact that he has done quite a bit since his ordination. He has spoken at the funerals of the longest-serving Area Seventy of the Church (Jon M. Huntsman) and of Elder Von G. Keetch, who unexpectedly passed away from a brief, sudden, and fatal illness. He and his counselors have also announced the rededication for the Houston Texas Temple and the renovation that is scheduled to occur for the temple in Hamilton New Zealand.
I never got around to mentioning this before now, but just a couple of days ago, Mormon Newsroom shared this report about how President Nelson and his wife spoke to a group of young adults in Las Vegas.
So it is plain that President Nelson is very committed to ministering to Church members. And it is interesting that this tour will begin about 1.5 weeks following his first General Conference as Church President. Mormon Newsroom indicated in the release about the tour plans that articles about that tour would be published as the tour progresses. So you can be sure to find coverage there.
Additionally, you can be sure I will be keeping my eyes open for more information on that tour, and on any and all other Church and temple news and updates and I will continue to do my best to pass those updates along to you 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.
Monday, February 19, 2018
Additional Temple Updates
Hello again, everyone! I am pleased to post today to share some updates on the status of several temples, both new ones that are undergoing the construction process and one temple undergoing renovation as well. So let's get right into all of that.
We start first with the Rome Italy Temple, which had a slight but still significant update on its' status. The latest information I have found shows that landscaping and interior work continues. The new part of that temple's updated status shows that part of that interior work is the installation of more art glass.
Based on that update, I feel confident that those construction workers on this project were not far off in their assertion that this temple could be finished in enough time to be dedicated in October. But I will keep my eyes open for news in that regard, and will pass along any updates to that prospect as I find out about them.
Moving on now to the Lisbon Portugal Temple, mid-section steeple walls have reportedly been poured, and a netting for the scaffolding of the temple has been attached. This update gives me hope that perhaps this temple could (and likely will) be completed more towards the earlier side than the later side of its' completion estimate (mid-2019 rather than late 2019).
The final update I wanted to pass along relates to the renovation process for the Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temple that is making steady progress. The newest information I have found shows that construction efforts have turned to the entrance lobby, which is being framed.
As I have repeatedly observed in other posts on this blog, it is great to see the day-to-day updates that are provided for temples everywhere. The subject of that progress is close to my heart, not just because of my time serving as a temple worker, but because the construction of temples is a very important part of Church history. And I will continue to keep my eyes open for all developments in that regard and will post them here as soon as I can after learning 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.
We start first with the Rome Italy Temple, which had a slight but still significant update on its' status. The latest information I have found shows that landscaping and interior work continues. The new part of that temple's updated status shows that part of that interior work is the installation of more art glass.
Based on that update, I feel confident that those construction workers on this project were not far off in their assertion that this temple could be finished in enough time to be dedicated in October. But I will keep my eyes open for news in that regard, and will pass along any updates to that prospect as I find out about them.
Moving on now to the Lisbon Portugal Temple, mid-section steeple walls have reportedly been poured, and a netting for the scaffolding of the temple has been attached. This update gives me hope that perhaps this temple could (and likely will) be completed more towards the earlier side than the later side of its' completion estimate (mid-2019 rather than late 2019).
The final update I wanted to pass along relates to the renovation process for the Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temple that is making steady progress. The newest information I have found shows that construction efforts have turned to the entrance lobby, which is being framed.
As I have repeatedly observed in other posts on this blog, it is great to see the day-to-day updates that are provided for temples everywhere. The subject of that progress is close to my heart, not just because of my time serving as a temple worker, but because the construction of temples is a very important part of Church history. And I will continue to keep my eyes open for all developments in that regard and will post them here as soon as I can after learning 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.
Sunday, February 18, 2018
Oakland California Temple Closes for Renovation
Hello again, everyone! For those who are not aware of this fact, I wanted to note that, while all temples worldwide are closed on Sunday, most (if not all) of the temples within the United States are also closed on Monday as well. My purpose in mentioning this is to note that, while the closure for the Oakland California Temple was officially set to begin tomorrow, because that temple traditionally is closed on Sunday and Monday, the closure has essentially gone into effect.
As we also know, when this temple's closure was announced roughly a year ago this month, the stated purpose for the renovation is to upgrade electrical and mechanical systems upgraded and for its' finishes and furnishings to be refreshed. According to that news release, the temple is anticipated to be rededicated before the end of the next year. But because this is the first time this temple is being renovated, and because the first renovations for older temples have had a history of taking longer than anticipated, it has, as I have observed, been my feeling that this temple's rededication may only occur during early-to-mid 2020. I will keep my eyes open for more information on this process as it unfolds and will do my best to pass it along as I learn of 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.
As we also know, when this temple's closure was announced roughly a year ago this month, the stated purpose for the renovation is to upgrade electrical and mechanical systems upgraded and for its' finishes and furnishings to be refreshed. According to that news release, the temple is anticipated to be rededicated before the end of the next year. But because this is the first time this temple is being renovated, and because the first renovations for older temples have had a history of taking longer than anticipated, it has, as I have observed, been my feeling that this temple's rededication may only occur during early-to-mid 2020. I will keep my eyes open for more information on this process as it unfolds and will do my best to pass it along as I learn of 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.
A Word About the First Presidency Message in the March 2018 Ensign
Hello again, everyone! With the fact that an Ensign Supplement accompanied in February 2018 Ensign, I had felt that the March 2018 edition of that magazine might contain articles about the reorganization of the First Presidency. With an HTML version of the magazine now available, I can confirm that did not happen. Those articles may be printed with the April edition of the magazine.
In the meantime, it has been somewhat customary for the new Church president to write the first First Presidency message published following his ordination. That was the case for President Monson (whose first First Presidency message was published in the April 2008 Ensign), President Hinckley (whose first First Presidency message was published in the July 1995 Ensign, as the April 1995 Ensign covered President Hunter's funeral, the May 1995 edition was a report of President Hinckley's first General Conference as Church President, and since the June edition had an article about President Hinckley written by Elder Holland in lieu of a First President message), and President Hunter (the July 1994 Ensign was a tribute to President Benson, the August 1994 edition had a feature article on President Hunter written by then-Elder James E. Faust, and the September 1994 Ensign contained President Hunter's first First Presidency message as Church president).
Looking further back into the history of the first First Presidency message following the ordination of a new Church president, the first First Presidency message published following President Benson's ordination as Church president in November 1985 (which appeared in the December 1985 Ensign, directly following the tribute articles (including addresses given during the funeral) written in honor of President Spencer W. Kimball. Since President Hinckley had previously been asked by President Kimball to write the First Presidency message for that edition of the Ensign, President Hinckley was given permission to follow through on that assignment, and the message was published under his former title of Second Counselor in the First Presidency.
My purpose in mentioning all of this is to set the background for what occurred for the March 2018 First Presidency message. Apparently, with the usual rotation kept during President Monson's presidency, it was then-President Uchtdorf's turn in that rotation to pen a message for that Ensign. With President Nelson's approval, President Uchtdorf's prepared message has been published with the March 2018 Ensign, and can be found here.
For that reason, I imagine that President Nelson's first First Presidency message will be published in the April 2018 Ensign. It will likewise be interesting to see if the traditional report of the new First Presidency is included in April as well, and how soon an Ensign supplement is published to reintroduce President Nelson to the Church membership.
I hope this information is helpful to at least 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.
In the meantime, it has been somewhat customary for the new Church president to write the first First Presidency message published following his ordination. That was the case for President Monson (whose first First Presidency message was published in the April 2008 Ensign), President Hinckley (whose first First Presidency message was published in the July 1995 Ensign, as the April 1995 Ensign covered President Hunter's funeral, the May 1995 edition was a report of President Hinckley's first General Conference as Church President, and since the June edition had an article about President Hinckley written by Elder Holland in lieu of a First President message), and President Hunter (the July 1994 Ensign was a tribute to President Benson, the August 1994 edition had a feature article on President Hunter written by then-Elder James E. Faust, and the September 1994 Ensign contained President Hunter's first First Presidency message as Church president).
Looking further back into the history of the first First Presidency message following the ordination of a new Church president, the first First Presidency message published following President Benson's ordination as Church president in November 1985 (which appeared in the December 1985 Ensign, directly following the tribute articles (including addresses given during the funeral) written in honor of President Spencer W. Kimball. Since President Hinckley had previously been asked by President Kimball to write the First Presidency message for that edition of the Ensign, President Hinckley was given permission to follow through on that assignment, and the message was published under his former title of Second Counselor in the First Presidency.
My purpose in mentioning all of this is to set the background for what occurred for the March 2018 First Presidency message. Apparently, with the usual rotation kept during President Monson's presidency, it was then-President Uchtdorf's turn in that rotation to pen a message for that Ensign. With President Nelson's approval, President Uchtdorf's prepared message has been published with the March 2018 Ensign, and can be found here.
For that reason, I imagine that President Nelson's first First Presidency message will be published in the April 2018 Ensign. It will likewise be interesting to see if the traditional report of the new First Presidency is included in April as well, and how soon an Ensign supplement is published to reintroduce President Nelson to the Church membership.
I hope this information is helpful to at least 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.
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