Updated Estimates for Known Temple Events

Hello again, everyone! Based on the progress (or the lack thereof) which I have observed for temples worldwide in recent days, I have taken another look at my estimates for known temple events and have made those adjustment that I have felt would be appropriate. Those updated estimates follow below.

So as not to disturb the flow of the information, I will end my post here as I always 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. 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 events

2018:

Anytime between now and the end of June: Full-scale construction anticipated to begin for the Winnipeg Manitoba Temple

Note: According to a Church member living in Canada, full-scale construction was anticipated to begin on this temple (which had a groundbreaking in early December 2016) at some point during April 2018. With the month almost being over, a few sources I have available have noted that full-scale efforts are likely to begin within the next two months, but hopefully sooner rather than later.

Anytime in the near future: Full-scale renovation anticipated to begin for the Asuncion Paraguay Temple

Note: This temple closed for renovation on October 29, 2017. Within the six months that have followed, the process was delayed while building permits were being acquired. In mid-to-late April 2018, many sources which I consult for temple information removed any completion estimate. While I hope that the Church’s announced intention to rededicate this temple next year will be able to occur, only time will tell if that will be possible.

Sunday May 20: Jordan River Utah Temple Rededication/Mesa Arizona Temple Renovation Closure (both have been confirmed)

Note: Since the rededication Jordan River Utah Temple is the first public temple event of President Nelson’s administration, it seems to be a given conclusion that he will preside at this event, if only the first one or two sessions. Since this temple is in the Salt Lake Valley, it seems entirely likely that several Church leaders will be in attendance at this event as well. This rededication will also mark the last time (for now) that the Church will have a cultural celebration the night before, as it seems to be the new tradition to have a devotional for youth at that time instead. And although the closure for the Mesa Arizona Temple will likely go into effect at the end of the day on the Friday or Saturday prior to this, this is the official date given by the Church for that closure.

Monday July 23: Hamilton New Zealand Temple Renovation Closure (confirmed)

Sunday October 28: Concepcion Chile Temple Dedication (160th operating temple; confirmed)

Sunday December 9: Barranquilla Colombia Temple Dedication (161st operating temple; confirmed)

Final note on 2018: I have heard that we will likely see many groundbreakings for temples that have currently not progressed beyond their announcements. The main ones I am watching in that regard are the Bangkok Thailand, Urdaneta Philippines, Lima Peru Los Olivos, Saratoga Springs Utah, and Harare Zimbabwe Temples. Each of those temples could have a groundbreaking by the end of 2018, and I am not ruling out any of the 14 other announced temples, although the 7 announced in General Conference at the beginning of this month will likely have a bit more of a wait. The Lord could also surprise us by moving ahead any other announced temples. I will be anxious to see what occurs in that regard.

Preliminary note for 2019: The Church has already announced that the dedication of the Rome Italy Temple will occur in mid-March. So the big question in my mind, which I attempt to answer below, is whether any of the two new temples next in line (Kinshasa DR Congo or Fortaleza Brazil) or any of the first three temples undergoing renovation (Frankfurt Germany, Oklahoma City Oklahoma, and Memphis Tennessee) might have a rededication prior to the already-scheduled dedication of the Rome Italy Temple. I will not be surprised whether that does or does not occur.

2019:

Mid-February: Frankfurt Germany Temple Rededication

Note: While this has yet-to-be confirmed, it would make sense if this temple was rededicated at this time. And, since the Church has periodically assigned senior members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to preside at such events, the First Presidency may opt to ask Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, a native German who has presided at previous dedications and rededications as a member of the First Presidency from 2008-2018, to preside at this event in his homeland.

Sunday March 10-Sunday March 17: Rome Italy Temple Dedication (162nd operating temple; confirmed)

Note: While the Church officially announced that this temple’s dedication will be held over an 8-day period (one of the longest, if not the very longest, in recent years), the exact number of dedicatory sessions that will be held has not yet been made public. I am assuming that the Church could potentially have 3-6 per day, with one every 2-3 hours, but time will tell. Since the dedicatory sessions will be held for longer than a week, it would make sense if the Church rotates attendance among several different Church leaders, which will likely include all members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve.

Mid-April: Fortaleza Brazil Temple Dedication (163rd operating temple)

Note: Some elements of this temple’s status (as of April 26, 2018) are similar, if not identical, to some elements of the three temples scheduled for dedication before April 2019, so I have no qualms about suggesting that we could see the dedication for this temple within the next year, and that it will likely occur prior to the dedication of the Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple, which, by comparison, has progressed slightly less consistently.

Mid-to-late April: Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temple Rededication

Note: This temple has progressed very consistently, making it likely that a rededication could occur within the year or so between now and then. If anything occurs to delay that process, an adjustment would need to be made.

Mid-May: Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple Dedication (164th operating temple)

Note: Although this temple is currently anticipated to be the next one that will have a dedication scheduled, as I noted above, the Fortaleza Brazil Temple has comparatively progressed more consistently. For that reason, it feels to me like it will be at least a year from now before its dedication. Depending on what happens within the next 6-12 months, it is possible that this estimate could change. For now, I stand by it.

Late May-early June: Memphis Tennessee Temple Rededication

Note: Although this temple was the first one to close for renovation in 2017, it has progressed slightly behind the Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temple. With that in mind, it seems reasonable to estimate that it could have a rededication at around this time. If something happens to change my mind on that, I will be more than happy to alter it.

Mid-June: Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple Dedication (165th operating temple)

Note: The Port-au-Prince temple, which is going to be on the smaller side, is only anticipated to take 15-18 months for construction. Based on that, it seems more than likely that it will be dedicated before the annual July recess for the General Authorities. If anything occurs to change my feelings on this estimate, I will revise it.

Mid-August: Raleigh North Carolina Temple Rededication

Note: This temple’s renovation will only likely be completed by this time if it continues its’ current rate of progress. If anything delays that process for any reason, an adjustment to that estimate will likely be necessary.

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

Note: Since I last posted these estimates, this temple has made some encouraging progress, which leads me to believe that moving my estimate for its’ completion up is warranted. Depending on what happens within the next year, any adjustments will be made as they are needed.

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

Note: This temple, which closed for renovation on January 28, 2018, has not had much progress reported since that time. It therefore feels wise to be more conservative in my estimate for its’ future rededication.

Mid-to-late October: Durban South Africa Temple Dedication (167th operating temple)

Note: This temple will only be dedicated at around this time if its’ construction progresses at a steady rate. Depending on whether or not that occurs, this estimate may need to be pushed back further, if not completely readjusted.

Mid-November: Oakland California Temple Rededication

Note: Although this temple is comparatively older than many currently undergoing renovation, about 1.5 weeks after its’ closure went into effect, the renovation process had begun. With that in mind, and because US temples (whether new or undergoing renovation) generally are completed more speedily than their international counterparts, it seems safe to assume that this temple will be reopening before the end of 2019, as anticipated. But if anything delays that renovation process, the completion estimate could change.

Mid-December: Asuncion Paraguay Temple Rededication

Note: This temple, which closed on October 2, 2017, has not seen its’ renovation process formally begin, although nearly 5 months have passed since that time. Although I hope for the best for this temple, depending on whether or not the Church can resolve the issues that may be hindering this process, then either this temple’s rededication will be the last event in 2019, or one of the first in 2020. 

Final note on 2019: As with 2018, I have heard that 2019 could potentially be another big year for temple groundbreakings. If that proves to be the case, there will be other temple-related events to add to this list for subsequent years. A lot could change within the next year that will also change the likely prospects for temple groundbreakings in 2019. Closer to the time, I may venture some thoughts for temples likely to have a groundbreaking during 2019.                       

2020:

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

Note: This temple had originally been estimated to have its’ dedication occur in 2019, but new information indicates that it will likely happen in 2020, and that it may be the first new temple dedicated during that year. If anything happens to change that, its’ future dedication might either be delayed or pushed up.

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

Note: The main reason this temple’s completion estimate was pushed back to early 2020 is because many sources available to me noted that it is going to be bigger than originally believed. With that in mind, it is not hard to believe that a dedication could (and likely will) occur for this temple at around this time, before winter season hits the southern hemisphere.

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

Note: This estimate will only prove accurate if construction gets underway on this temple by the end of the first half of 2018, and also if this temple’s slight redesign does not alter the 20-month estimate which was originally given for that process. Depending on what does or does not happen in the next couple of months, an alteration of this estimate may be necessary.

Early-to-mid June: Tokyo Japan Temple Rededication

Note: This temple closed for renovation as October 2017 began. Since it is a smaller albeit older temple, this estimate seems to be reasonable. If anything happens to hinder that renovation process, then that would necessitate an adjustment to that estimate.

Mid-September: Mesa Arizona Temple Rededication

Note: This temple is older, but has been renovated previously, so the renovation process will likely be completed at around this time. If anything happens to delay that process, this estimate would need to be subsequently adjusted as a result.

Mid-December: Washington DC Temple Rededication

Note: This temple has, as of today (April 27, 2018), been closed for almost two months, but has not had any progress reported on that process as of yet. When we add to that the fact that this is an older temple having its’ first renovation, mid-December is a very conservative estimate. If anything delays that process, I would not be surprised to see this temple’s completion pushed back into 2021.

2021:

Mid-to-late April: Hamilton New Zealand Temple Rededication

Note: This temple’s July 2018 renovation closure was the first temple announcement of President Nelson’s prophetic administration. If, as is widely believed, that process involves an expansion of any kind for this temple, depending on how quickly or slowly progress is made, this estimate may need to be adjusted.               

Final Note: As noted above, if several temples have a groundbreaking in 2018 and the years that follow, their completion estimates will need to be added to the list above. I continue to monitor all temple-related developments and will pass news of them along as I become aware of them.

Church Announces 8 New Temple Presidents

Hello again, everyone! In an article posted earlier today, the Church News noted that 8 new temple presidents had been called to begin their service later this year. This brings the number of currently-operating temples getting a new president in 2018 to 24, and it slims down my list of those that might to 32 additional temples that are currently operating, and the 6 that may be dedicated within the next 15 months or so. An updated version of that list follows below.

So as not to disturb the flow of that list, I will end now as I always 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. 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.

New presidents have been called for the following temples:

1.      Manaus Brazil

2.      Boise Idaho

3.      Denver Colorado

4.      The Hague Netherlands

5.      Oquirrh Mountain Utah

6.      Helsinki Finland

7.      The Gila Valley Arizona

8.      Brigham City Utah

9.      Stockholm Sweden

10.  Palmyra New York

11.  Accra Ghana

12.  Papeete Tahiti

13.  Sao Paulo Brazil

14.  San Jose Costa Rica

15.  Albuquerque New Mexico

16.  Provo City Center

17.  Recife Brazil

18.  Cardston Alberta

19.  Payson Utah

20.  Porto Alegre Brazil

21.  Brisbane Australia

22.  Kansas City Missouri

23.  Oaxaca Mexico

24.  Regina Saskatchewan

The first presidents will likely be announced for the following new temples:

1.      Concepcion Chile

2.      Barranquilla Colombia

3.      Rome Italy

4.      Kinshasa DR Congo

5.      Fortaleza Brazil

6.      Port-au-Prince Haiti

New presidents may also be announced for the following temples:

1.      Atlanta Georgia

2.      Billings Montana

3.      Boston Massachusetts

4.      Bountiful Utah

5.      Buenos Aires Argentina

6.      Cebu City Philippines

7.      Colonia Juarez Chihuahua Mexico

8.      Cordoba Argentina

9.      Draper Utah

10.  Fukuoka Japan

11.  Guatemala City Guatemala

12.  Helsinki Finland

13.  Hermosillo Sonora Mexico

14.  Houston Texas

15.  Indianapolis Indiana

16.  Laie Hawaii

17.  Las Vegas Nevada

18.  Manti Utah

19.  Montevideo Uruguay

20.  Monticello Utah

21.  Redlands California

22.  Sacramento California

23.  St. Louis Missouri

24.  Sydney Australia

25.  Taipei Taiwan

26.  Tegucigalpa Honduras

27.  Tijuana Mexico

28.  Trujillo Peru

29.  Vancouver British Columbia

30.  Veracruz Mexico

31.  Villahermosa Mexico

32.  Washington D. C. Temple (Note: The Church may opt to wait on calling a new president for this temple until 2020 when it is rededicated)

Additional Temple Updates Reported

Hello again, everyone! Earlier today, I became aware of some updates that had been reported on two of the three temples that have a dedication scheduled, and one of the operating temples currently undergoing renovation, but for a variety of reasons, I was not able to pass those along before now. Let's get right to all of that.

We start first with the Concepcion Chile Temple, which has a dedication set to occur just over six months from today (on Sunday October 28 of this year). The latest information of which I have become aware is that the construction crew is busy finishing the work on the temple's tower, while art glass installation is underway. It has additionally been noted that work on the grounds of the temple is nearing completion.

The other temple set for dedication for which I have an update is the Rome Italy Temple. The dedication of that temple is set for around 10.5 months or so from now, and dedicatory services will last an 8-day period, occurring between Sunday March 10 and Sunday March 17, 2019. The latest update I have for that temple is that the concrete slab for the monument sign (which will feature the name of both the Church and this temple) is now in place, and that the gardens which will surround the monument sign are being planted. In the meantime, many sources available to me continue to list the note that driveway asphalt has been laid.

We conclude with a note on the renovation process for the Memphis Tennessee Temple. As I previously mentioned, since the renovation that is underway on the Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temple has progressed slightly ahead of that process for the Memphis temple, we will likely see temples rededicated in early-to-mid 2019 in the following order: Frankfurt Germany, Oklahoma City Oklahoma, and Memphis Tennessee. How they will fit in around the dedications of the Rome Italy, Kinshasa DR Congo, and Fortaleza Brazil Temples is still unknown, although I have felt bold enough to offer some thoughts at least in that regard.

That said, the latest update on the renovation process for the Memphis Tennessee Temple of which I have become aware is that the steeple and exterior walls are currently being sheathed. This is a great indicator that this temple is making good progress.

Ongoing temple developments continue to be inspiring and amazing to me, and I was grateful to have been able to bring you this update. I will do my best to keep track of future developments and bring those to you all 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.

Additional Church News Reported

Hello again, everyone! The Church News recently posted a few news items that I thought are worth sharing with you all. So let's get right into all of that. First, on January 26 of this year, I provided a link to a post which had been published one week prior to that on the Mormon Newsroom blog. That post had detailed the appointment of a fourth full-time Tabernacle organist, Dr. Brian Mathias. It has been somewhat of a tradition in recent years to only have three full-time appointees, so I found that surprising.

Then today, I learned more about all of this. It would appear that Brother Mathias's appointment was announced with a view to preparing for the day when another full-time organist, Brother Clay Christiansen, would retire. The Church News has published this article to announce that his retirement will soon be effective, which will then leave the standard three full-time male organists, and two female organists that both serve on a part-time basis. On a personal note, I remember being given a tour of the Tabernacle organ with my family, and if my memory is serving me correctly, Brother Christiansen was the one who led that tour for us. I was impressed with his warmth, love for his work, and vast knowledge of the history of that organ. So I certainly wish him well in his retirement.

The other two stories I wanted to pass along in this post relate to the ministry of our apostles. The Church News shared a text copy of the rededicatory prayer for the Houston Texas Temple offered by President M. Russell Ballard, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, last Sunday. It is very powerful, and it is fitting that now-President Ballard returned to rededicate this temple in an area that then-Elder Ballard had toured following the devastation of Hurricane Harvey.

And the final article I wanted to pass along serves as the Church News summary of President Nelson's global ministry tour, which concluded with his return to Church headquarters in Salt Lake City Utah at some point yesterday. That tour can, according to the article, be summed up in two words: "the temple."

My biggest takeaway from that article, which is well worth reading in its' entirety, was a first-hand dual witness from Sister Nelson. She stated first that she has, time and time again in the last three months, seen the mantle of Church president clearly on her husband, and that she could share her witness of that divinely-inspired call in any venue in the world.

Her second statement was that, while President Nelson had habitually been known to get up in the middle of the night as an apostle and later as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, primarily to jot down thoughts about some insights he wanted to share in his address for the next General Conference, those "rushes of revelation", as many people have described them, have come increasingly more frequently since President Nelson took the mantle of the Church presidency in mid-January.

She fervently shared her witness that President Nelson knows how to receive revelation, and that she has witness how diligent he has been at writing down the impressions he has received, a process that has only increased in its' frequency within the three months he has been Church President.

Now, while I don't know how much of what he writes down has been or might eventually be passed along to the Church, if the General Conference we experienced at the beginning of this month and all we have seen President Nelson do in the three months of his administration thus far is any indication, then not only is he going to be determined to be out among the people as long as he can, but I am equally as certain that he will regularly continue to encourage temple preparation, worthiness to enter there, and the importance of having a valid recommend, no matter how far away any of the Saints might be from their assigned temple.

But I am equally as certain that President Nelson will continue to do whatever he can to continue to bring temples to the people by announcing new locations where such temples will be built, and also by doing whatever he can on his end to hasten the process whereby announced temples are built. That is one of many reasons why the list of potential locations for future temples, which I posted on this blog yesterday, includes a number of long-shot possibilities, and perhaps even a few that seem like they have little to no chance of actually being announced anytime soon.

The list includes such locations primarily because, as the Lord reminded Isaiah in Old Testament times, His ways and thoughts are higher than our ways and thoughts. I therefore fully believe that the Lord will continue to surprise us with temples in locations that we cannot now anticipate. So even if a location on my list has a likelihood of slim-to-none that it might go on to be announced, if I have found a compelling reason to include it, it appears on that list.

And in case I did not emphasize this sufficiently, I will be just as overjoyed for any temples announced for any location I have not considered as I will be if I find that those that are announced are in the general or exact locations I have specified.

The Lord knows where He needs His temples to be built, and when the time is right to have such locations identified. I had shared my thoughts prior to General Conference at the start of this month that temples in Russia or India were likely possible, but perhaps not as imminent as many people thought. And I was overjoyed to find both nations had a temple announced this go-round.

To the best of my ability, I am committed to continuing to bring you the latest Church and temple developments, including, where possible, updates on construction efforts, and updated lists of potential locations. 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.

Update Provided for the Barranquilla Colombia Temple

Hello again, everyone! While I continue to request and invite comments on any previous posts (especially the three which I published in the early hours of this morning that cover my initial predictions for the October 2018 General Conference), and while I have no desire to pull focus away from that, I became aware a short while ago of an update that has been provided for the Barranquilla Colombia Temple,

I looked back at the history of my posts on this blog, and from that, it would appear that, while I mentioned that the Barranquilla Colombia Temple had had an update to its' construction status a while ago, I got distracted and failed to note what that update was before the end of the post in question. I apologize for that.

The update I should have provided for that temple on that occasion was that the interior work was progressing, that landscaping on the temple grounds was nearing completion, and that the exterior of the housing facility had been finished. That update was noted earlier this month.

So today, the latest information of which I have become aware is that the Holiness to the Lord inscription plaque is being gilded, while the inner gardens have been planted on the temple grounds, and that the interior work continues to make progress.

It is wonderful to see the day-to-day changes that occur in relation to temple construction developments all around the world. I will continue to monitor all such developments and will do my level best to pass them along to you as 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.