My Rebuttal Of A Story Shown on NBC Nightly News

Hello again, everyone! As some of you may know, I have always felt a fierce loyalty to the Church and to its' leaders, and I have repeatedly posted on this blog thoughts about common misconceptions presented in the public forums that do not make sense to me. I would request your indulgence as I do so again.

In my time zone, the NBC Nightly News program is winding down. They just ran this video about the Church's 40th anniversary of the Revelation on the Priesthood. While I respect and recognize that many people of color do have a harder time feeling accepted in the Church because of the previous restrictions, the NBC story takes things to an extreme that bugs me a lot.

Among the many complaints cited in that story were that blacks were not welcome in the Church prior to the Priesthood Revelation, and that the restriction policy was driven by racial prejudice. This could not be further from the truth. The Church invites all to participate in the blessings that the gospel affords. While the restrictions were in place for a while, no individual of color who had a testimony of the gospel was denied the opportunity to be baptized.

Additionally, although the reasons behind the restriction were not known, and although many previous apostles and Church presidents felt it would take a revelation from the Lord to reverse the policy, there were a few that may have felt (according to reports) that the timing was not right. I firmly believe that it took the right group of apostles asking the right question at the right time to enable the revelation to come.

But that is only the tip of the iceberg. In that story above, one or two "faithful" Church members were interviewed and stated that they could not feel fully accepted by the Church until someone of color was in its' leading councils.

I put the word "faithful" in quotation marks, because I think the argument is disingenuous at best, and blatantly ignorant of the ways of the Lord at worst. We have repeatedly heard that the apostles are not meant to be a representation or reflection of the Church's global diversity, though we have seen President Nelson fulfill his own promise that there would one day be "more flavors in the mix".

I am convinced that when apostolic vacancies exist, there are literally hundreds of men, both known and unknown to the Church, that could be called to fill those assignments, who would do so equally well. But more than that, if, as some "faithful members" stated in that report, they considered leaving the Church because their racial background was not reflected in the apostleship, that seems to be more of a personal problem.

In the Church, we believe in common consent, but we also believe that each of us can (and should) seek for and obtain our own testimonies about the process by which prophets and apostles are called. For any of us that have that witness, sustaining whomever is called should trump any feelings of resentment that those we would like to see called do not have that occur.

This may seem to be an unkind thing to say, but quite honestly, if the testimony of any Church member is based solely upon whether or not their racial or other backgrounds are represented in the leadership councils of the Church, then they may not have the testimony nor the faith that they claim to have, and the vocalization of their discontent puts them, spiritually, on dangerous ground.

Several current and previous Church presidents and apostles have spoken on this subject to back up these ideas. First, to set the context, due to financial hardship the Church experienced in Kirtland in the mid-1830s (including inability to pay debts and the fact that Church leadership were misled about the prospect of funds that would help the situation), many members of the Church, including some in the highest Church councils, voice disapproval of Joseph Smith. In one particular meeting to which the prophet was not invited, a suggestion was made that he should be replaced.

Brigham Young shared this recollection about that meeting: “I rose up, and in a plain and forcible manner told them that Joseph was a Prophet and I knew it, and that they might rail and slander him as much as they pleased, [but] they could not destroy the appointment of the Prophet of God; they could only destroy their own authority, cut the thread that bound them to the Prophet and to God, and sink themselves to hell. Many were highly enraged at my decided opposition to their measures. …

“This meeting was broken up without the apostates being able to unite on any decided measures of opposition. This was a crisis when earth and hell seemed leagued to overthrow the Prophet and Church of God. The knees of many of the strongest men in the Church faltered. During this siege of darkness I stood close by Joseph, and with all the wisdom and power God bestowed upon me, put forth my utmost energies to sustain the servant of God and unite the quorums of the Church.”

And Joseph Smith the Prophet has been quoted as follows: “I will give you one of the Keys of the mysteries of the Kingdom. It is an eternal principle, that has existed with God from all eternity: That man who rises up to condemn others, finding fault with the Church, saying that they are out of the way, while he himself is righteous, then know assuredly, that that man is in the high road to apostasy; and if he does not repent, will apostatize, as God lives.”

I understand to a point how any group not represented in leading Church councils may feel marginalized, forgotten by the Lord, unimportant, or slighted. But at the same time, every one of the apostles has spoken about the inadequacy they feel regarding their calls to serve. As then-President Uchtdorf reminded us during the April 2008 General Conference, "In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we do not seek, nor do we decline, callings that come from God through inspired priesthood channels."

Three months following his return to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Elder Uchtdorf made this statement to begin his remarks in the Sunday Afternoon Session: "Although I miss my dear friend President Thomas S. Monson, I love, sustain, and support our prophet and President, Russell M. Nelson, and his noble counselors. I am also thankful and honored to once again work more closely with my beloved fellow Brethren of the Quorum of the Twelve."

When the reorganization of the First Presidency originally occurred, many people correctly pointed out that Elder Uchtdorf is popular, and expressed dismay at his "demotion" and over him "not being brought back" into the First Presidency, My response to that is simple: President Nelson did not need to "bring him back" as he was not really gone. The members of the First Presidency have a long-standing tradition of delegating major responsibilities to the senior members of the Twelve.

When Elder Uchtdorf came in to the First Presidency in 2008, there were only 2 apostles junior to him. When he returned to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles earlier this year, he did so as the third most senior member of that Quorum. And the First Presidency and President Ballard have recognized his immense administrative talents, because, as I previously noted, the assignments he now has formerly belonged to President Nelson and then-Elders Oaks and Ballard prior to that reorganization.

If that is not a testament to how much the Brethren value Elder Uchtdorf, I don't know what is. By extension, that also applies to all those called to the apostleship. The lack of someone of a certain background not being called to the apostleship is not meant to slight those of any ethnicity or race, but should rather serve as a testament to the fact that the Lord needs the men who are called to come in to the apostolic circle for very specific reasons.

Some of those reasons may best be demonstrated by what Elder Dale G. Renlund said in the October 2015 General Conference in response to his apostolic call. He talked about being called as a bishop, and being given this timely advice from his brother, who, according to Elder Renlund, is "older and much wiser." His brother said: "You need to know that the Lord hasn’t called you because of anything you have done. In your case, it is probably in spite of what you have done. The Lord has called you for what He needs to do through you, and that will happen only if you do it His way.”

The idea that the call to the leading Church councils is not based on any kind of quota was further reiterated just recently by Elder Ulisses Soares, who acknowledged the honor he felt in being the first Brazilian apostle of the Church, but who rightly reiterated President Nelson's words spoken during the press conference for the new First Presidency, that the important factor is the testimony of Christ and the capacity to witness of Him worldwide.

So the suggestion that the lack of any specific racial background in the top councils of the Church is a slight to Church members of those backgrounds who do not feel represented is something that I feel widely misses the mark.

Anyone who has that witness could be called, but for those that have been called or will yet be, and for those of us who are called upon to sustain them every six months, the testimony of Christ and of the process by which such calls come should rightly be more important than whether or not the Church's diversity is appropriately reflected in its' top ranks of leadership. That said, I fully believe that when the time is right, even more "flavors" will be added to the "mix", including in ways we cannot now expect.

I hope that any readers of this blog will keep all this in mind when they come across news stories like this one. That does it for this post. If you enjoyed what you read and would like to keep informed of new content from this blog, please feel free to subscribe. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

First Presidency Calls First Presidents for Two New Temples

Hello again, everyone! On this beautiful Sabbath Day, I am pleased to bring you news that the First Presidency has called the first presidents for two new temples, namely, the Kinshasa DR Congo and Concepcion Chile Temples.

A few things stood out to me about this development. First and foremost, if the Brethren have called the first temple president for Kinshasa, then it may be closer to its' completion than many, myself included, may have thought. That said, it is also not uncommon for the Church to call temple presidents in advance. Earlier this year, we saw a new president called for the Asuncion Paraguay Temple, which is currently being renovated.

But above and beyond that, the first presidents of both of these temples actually served as mission presidents in both of those cities, so they would certainly be familiar with the regions in which they will serve, and I would also imagine that they will be welcomed back and embraced by the people of those nations.

With these new presidents announced, the number of new temple presidents called during this year now rises to 59. Additionally, there are 4 other temples that are or could be set for dedication in the near future for which we may also see the first presidents called (namely Barranquilla Colombia and Rome Italy, which have had a dedication announced, in addition to Fortaleza Brazil and Port-au-Prince Haiti, which are anticipated to be dedicated within the first 6-8 months of 2019).

There are also, as I have previously noted, two currently operating temples on my list that may additionally have a new president announced, with those two being Veracruz Mexico and Washington D. C. As I have previously observed, with the D. C. Temple being closed for renovation currently, the Church may opt to wait on calling a new president until its' renovation concludes in mid-to-late 2020.

That said, as I have also noted previously, the First Presidency did announce earlier this year that a new president has been called for the Asuncion Paraguay Temple, which, as most of you are likely aware, is currently stalled in its' renovation process, so I cannot safely rule out the prospect that the D. C. temple may have a new president announced this year.

For any who are interested (including new readers who may not have seen this earlier), I am again posting my complete list of temples that have had or may potentially have a new president announced. If any of you have any questions on that list, please feel free to let me know.

Before I share that list below, I also wanted to briefly mention an item of business in relation to this blog. As some of you may have noticed, I recently added to this blog an option for those who are interested to subscribe to this blog and have new content sent to you as it is published here. While I know many of you regularly check this blog for new content, there will be from now on a standing invitation to anyone who wants to subscribe to do so. And if none of you are interested in doing so, that is perfectly all right as well.

That said, I will paste the list below. So as not to disturb its' narrative flow, I will end 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.

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

25.  Cebu City Philippines

26.  Boston Massachusetts

27.  Colonia Juarez Chihuahua Mexico

28.  Billings Montana

29.  Houston Texas

30.  Sydney Australia

31.  Guatemala City Guatemala

32.  Hermosillo Sonora Mexico

33.  Montevideo Uruguay

34.  Indianapolis Indiana

35.  Laie Hawaii Temple (the new president of this temple is the older brother of General Authority Seventy Elder Donald L. Hallstrom)

36.  Las Vegas Nevada

37.  Atlanta Georgia

38.  Buenos Aires Argentina

39.  Redlands California

40.  Draper Utah

41.  Tijuana Mexico

42.  Sacramento California

43.  Monticello Utah

44.  Bountiful Utah

45.  Freiberg Germany

46.  Oakland California

47.  Villahermosa Mexico

48.  Manti Utah

49.  Suva Fiji

50.  Vancouver British Columbia

51.  Tegucigalpa Honduras

52.  Fukuoka Japan

53.  St. Louis Missouri

54.  Trujillo Peru

55.  Asuncion Paraguay (not anticipated)

56.  Cordoba Argentina

57.  Taipei Taiwan

58.  Kinshasa DR Congo (first president)

59.  Concepcion Chile (first president)

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

1.      Barranquilla Colombia

2.      Rome Italy

3.      Fortaleza Brazil

4.      Port-au-Prince Haiti

New presidents may also be announced for the following temples:

1.      Veracruz Mexico

2.      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

Hello again, everyone! I have again become aware of some additional updates that have been provided within the last 12 hours or so on the Winnipeg Manitoba Temple and the renovation process for the Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temple. For the former, a panoramic video posted to the Facebook page for the LDS Church Temples site. The work of clearing that site continues at a very steady pace.

Regarding the latter, that same Facebook page shares this article that was published in an Oklahoma City Newspaper. In that article, the Church's Public Affairs representative for that city noted the progress that has been made on that temple's renovation process, and she also said that renovation was anticipated to be completed by April of next year.

With that in mind, I feel fully confident that a rededication for this temple could (and likely will) take place in either June (prior to the annual July recess for the General Authorities) or else in early-to-mid August.

Whatever might occur in that regard, I am doing my level best to stay informed on all temple developments, and I will be sure to pass along any additional updates 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.

Guidelines Added for Comments on This Blog

Hello again, everyone! I wanted to mention a personal update here now. I have taken some time today to put together a form that will be available to view when comments are made to any of the posts on this blog. That form will, I hope, set the tone for and encourage the kind of feedback which will allow us all to more fully uplift and inspire one another as we exchange thoughts on the subjects covered on this blog. Let me know if you see anything in the wording of that form that may need to be tweaked.

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.

Apostolic Ministry Updates

Hello again, everyone! Among the Church news stories which I have recently referenced (all of which I hope to pass along in the near future) are several vital and significant updates on the ministry and travels of our apostles around the world. These updates come from both the Church News and courtesy of Mormon Newsroom. Let's dive right in and discuss those now.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland continues his ministry in Europe, and a report has come in that notes that, while he spent time in Scotland, he paid tribute to the life and ministry of a previous Church president, David O. McKay, who was inspired by and molded his ministry as an apostle and prophet on the phrase: "Whate'er thou art, act well thy part", which he had encountered on a building during his missionary service in Scotland. You can read more about that story here. Mormon Newsroom also published a release on that story, which you can find here.

In relation to that story, I had a thought occur to me. Following reports of many of the apostles visiting the Philippines within the last year, I did not find it accidental that we had both another temple announced in that nation for Cagayan de Oro, and heard today that a groundbreaking for the Urdaneta temple in that same nation was anticipated to be announced soon.

My point in mentioning this is that, because many times the visit of an apostle to a certain nation may involve "testing the water", as it were, to determine the feasibility of a temple. I have had a temple for Scotland on one of my three lists for just about as long as I have been offering my thoughts on future temples here on this blog. So with this report of Elder Holland visiting Scotland, does that strengthen the argument in favor of a temple being announced for that nation soon? Let me know your thoughts on that in the comments below.

In the meantime, Elder Holland's seatmate, Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, is also in Europe at the moment, where, among other things, he visited German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin, for the purpose of discussing many subjects, including important matters related to Germany, and to exchange thoughts on the refugee crisis currently existing in many nations, including the United States and Germany. You can read this report from Mormon Newsroom for more on that visit and the conversation that followed.

A few significant thoughts came to mind surrounding this meeting. First, Elder Uchtdorf was accompanied by Utah Senator Orrin Hatch, who arranged this meeting, which was the first of its' kind between the German chancellor and a senior leader of the Church. Second, with Elder Uchtdorf having been a longtime resident of that nation, in addition to being in the senior leadership ranks of the Church, he was in a very unique position to understand the issues that were discussed. As I understand it, he has dual citizenship in Germany and the US.

But the third thought is kind of more out there, and may or may not turn out to have merit. It did occur to me to wonder if the Church might be considering the prospect of building a third temple to serve the Saints in Germany, so if that turns out to be the case, would Berlin be a good candidate city for that honor? And if so, how imminently likely might such a prospect be? And on which of the three lists I am keeping would that prospect be appropriate to add, for the immediate or near future, or as more of a long-shot prospect? I would appreciate hearing your thoughts on these questions in the comments below as well.

I additionally thought it would interest some of you to know that the Church News has published another article in its' series: This Week on Social Media. In this week's article in that series, among comments from other Church leaders, Elders Holland and Uchtdorf shared highlights of their current assignments, and some thoughts and reflections that came to their minds as they filled them.

It has certainly been a big day in terms of breaking Church news and temple developments. I continue to monitor all of these developments and will post updates in that regard as I become aware of them.

That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, whether on the questions I posed in this post, or on any other topic. 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.

Updated Temple Construction Progress Report

Hello again, everyone! Having made the adjustments to my Temple Construction Progress Report which I referenced in my last post, this post will share that updated version. Again, in addition to the changes made to the section for the announced temples, there have been a number of other developments reported on many other temples, and due to the voluminous amount of those updates, this is one of the rare occasions where it is easier for me to post the entire report, rather than just briefly sharing those updates. The report follows 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.

Temple Construction Progress (current as of 7/6/18)

Note about future temple construction: I have previously referenced the statement made by Elder Larry Y. Wilson, who serves as the Temple Department Executive Director, to the effect that 80 temples were on a list of locations that would be considered for an official announcement within the 15 years following that statement. And although we may not know whether or not those 80 locations have been announced by late April 2032, it seems reasonable to believe that the Church could (and likely will) have 200 operating temples by or before Saturday April 6, 2030 (which will mark the Church’s bicentennial anniversary). In order to do so, the Church would just need to complete the 30 temples in various phases, and announce and complete 11 others in the 11.75 years between now and then, which could be done if 3.49 temples are dedicated each year. Although this year will see only 2 temple dedications, there are 5 or 6 anticipated in 2019, and at least 3 that we know of so far the following year. So I am confident the Church will have at least 200 in operation by that time, whether or not an official goal is made to do so.

Current temple status: The Church has 189 temples in various phases. There are 159 in operation, with 3 others that have a dedication scheduled, and an additional 8 that are in various phases of construction. In terms of temples undergoing renovations, 10 temples recently closed for renovation, and 1 more will close later this year. The remaining 19 are announced (with either a site announcement or groundbreaking pending).

Dedication Scheduled:                                                                                         

160. Concepcion Chile Temple: Picture updates posted on Facebook on June 27, 2018 (open house set to begin in just over two months); dedication scheduled to occur on Sunday October 28, 2018.

161.  Barranquilla Colombia Temple: Video showing panoramic footage shared on June 10, 2018; dedication scheduled to occur on Sunday December 9, 2018.

162. Rome Italy Temple: Updated picture posted on Facebook on July 5, 2018; dedication scheduled to occur from Sunday March 10-Sunday March 17, 2019.

Under construction, completion estimated during 2019:

163. Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple: Temple exterior nearing completion; white paint coat added to entry; completion estimated sometime during early-to-mid 2019.

Note: The status of this temple is similar (if not identical) to that of the Barranquilla Colombia Temple in late April 2018. And since that temple had had a dedication announced two months prior to that, it is not a stretch to believe that this temple could have a dedication announced within the next couple of months, with the dedication perhaps set to occur within the first six months of 2019. What will be interesting to see is whether or not that might be scheduled to occur just before the already-scheduled dedication for the Rome Italy Temple, or between April and June. I will keep an eye out for information in this regard and will be sure to pass updates along once I receive them.

164. Fortaleza Brazil Temple: Scaffolding removed from steeple on July 5, 2018; completion estimated sometime during early-to-mid 2019.

Note: Although I have not been able to find any updates on the status of this temple, the progress shown in the video mentioned above shows that progress continues at a very steady rate. It therefore seems likely that this temple could (and probably will) be dedicated sometime between April and June.

165. Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple: Completion estimated sometime during mid-2019.

Note: While I have not been able to find an update on the status of this temple in the recent past, I am assuming that progress has continued at a steady rate, and that this temple could be dedicated in either June or early-to-mid August.

166. Lisbon Portugal Temple: Photographic close-ups of meetinghouse and temple posted to Facebook on July 5, 2018 (including a look at the glazing window bars); completion estimated sometime during mid-2019.

Note: The video mentioned above shows significant progress made on this temple, although I do not know the specifics of to what extent that occurred. If all continues to go well with this temple’s construction progress, I could easily see a dedication occurring anywhere from September-November.

167. Durban South Africa Temple: Roof tiles being laid; completion estimated sometime during mid-to-late 2019.

Note: Although the extent of the progress on this temple is not currently known, if all goes well, I could see a dedication occurring anywhere from October-December.

                                          

Temples estimated to be completed sometime during 2020:

168. Arequipa Peru Temple: Picture of exterior façade posted to Facebook on July 5, 2018; completion estimated sometime during early 2020.

Note: Despite the fact that not much is known about this temple’s current status, I feel safe in projecting that the dedication for this temple could occur anywhere from January-April.

169. Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple: Completion estimated sometime during early 2020.

Note: Although it has been a while since we last had an update on the status of this temple, it seems entirely likely that we might see its’ dedication between February-May.

170. Winnipeg Manitoba Temple: Site work continues; completion estimated sometime during early-to-mid 2020.

Note: When this temple’s groundbreaking was announced in late 2016, the news release from the Church noted that the construction process was anticipated to span a 20-month period. If the redesign process has not changed that estimate in any way, then construction could conclude in February or March, with an open house and dedication following sometime around April or May. Depending on the progress (or the lack thereof) between now and then, this estimate will be adjusted as that becomes necessary.

Undergoing Renovation (rededication estimated sometime during 2019):

41. Frankfurt Germany Temple: Closed for renovation; completion estimated sometime during early-to-mid 2019.

Note: Although there has not been an update on this temple’s status for a while, it is entirely possible (if not highly likely) that it could be rededicated either in January or February of next year, or else in April, following the dedication of the Rome Italy Temple.

95. Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temple: Closed for renovation; updated picture posted to Facebook on July 5, 2018; rededication estimated sometime during mid-2019.

80. Memphis Tennessee Temple: Closed for renovation; exterior cladding underway; rededication estimated sometime during mid-2019.

Note: While the extent of the progress on this temple is unclear, I see no reason to doubt that its’ rededication could occur in either September or October. Once more information is available, I may adjust my thinking in this regard.

68. Raleigh North Carolina Temple: Closed for renovation; applying vapor barrier to exterior; rededication estimated sometime during mid-to-late 2019.

Note: If this temple continues to make steady progress, it feels logical to assume that it could be rededicated in either October or November. If any updates are needed to that assumption, I will make them as more information is obtained.

94. Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple: Closed for renovation; picture updates posted on Facebook on June 27, 2018; rededication estimated sometime during mid-to-late 2019.

Note: Although no new information has been provided for this temple in the recent past, it is not difficult to believe that it could be rededicated in either November or December.

Undergoing renovation (rededication estimated sometime during late 2019-early 2020)

13. Oakland California Temple: Closed for renovation; scaffolding in place around temple exterior; rededication estimated sometime during late 2019-early 2020.

Note: Since this temple is older and has not been renovated previously, I am estimating that it could be rededicated sometime during December 2019-February 2020.

Undergoing Renovation (rededication estimated sometime during 2020):

18. Tokyo Japan Temple: Closed for renovation; construction of new annex building and interior renovations are underway; rededication estimated sometime during early-to-mid 2020.

Note: If this temple continues to make consistent progress, then we could see a rededication occur sometime during April-June, though that may be pushed back to August if delays occur.

7. Mesa Arizona Temple: Closed for renovation; temple demolition progressing; rededication may take place sometime during mid-to-late 2020.

Note: On May 10, 2018, the Church released details of the renovation plans for this temple. Exactly three weeks later, the Church released additional details of plans to redevelop the area around the temple. Bearing in mind that this temple has been renovated before, and that it is a somewhat older temple, its’ rededication could occur sometime during either June, August, or September.

16. Washington D. C. Temple: Closed for renovation; picture update posted to Facebook on July 5, 2018; rededication may take place sometime during mid-to-late 2020.

Note: This temple is an older temple being renovated for the first time. With that in mind, it is not too difficult to believe that it could be rededicated at any point during October-December. If an update to that estimate is needed, I will reevaluate.

Renovation process stalled; full-scale work pending:

112. Asuncion Paraguay Temple: Closed for renovation; full-scale efforts pending; completion anticipated in mid-2020.

Note: Until full-scale renovation efforts are underway, it has felt wiser to be conservative in my estimate. With that in mind, this temple could be rededicated anytime during June-September. If new information indicates that this process has started, that would necessitate an adjustment to this estimate.

Renovation Scheduled (closure date confirmed):

11. Hamilton New Zealand Temple: Scheduled to close for renovation on Monday July 23, 2018; rededication may take place sometime during early-to-mid 2021.

Note on announced temples: Although I have previously indicated that I was no longer comfortable or confident enough to venture general or even more specific time-frames for the groundbreakings of these temples, recent developments have made it easier to surmise how soon such events might happen, so, on May 31, 2018, I again added those estimates. As part of that process, I have once again altered, where new information necessitated, the order in which these temples are listed. That said, the timing of such events has always been up to the Lord, who reveals His will in that regard to His prophets. Whether or not the groundbreakings occur within the windows indicated here, I will embrace those whenever they actually take place.

Announced temples:

171. Bangkok Thailand Temple: Planning and approvals; artist’s rendering released on March 19, 2018; groundbreaking may take place sometime during mid-to-late 2018.

Note: With the site identified and the release of the artist’s rendering, a groundbreaking for this temple may just be a matter of time. And since this November marks the 52^nd anniversary of Thailand’s being dedicated for the preaching of the gospel, November may just be the month in which this groundbreaking occurs.

172. Urdaneta Philippines Temple: Site clearing activities underway; artist’s rendering anticipated to be released in the near future; groundbreaking may take place sometime during mid-to-late 2018.

Note: On July 6, 2018, the LDS Church Temples Facebook page reported the developments noted above, and with that in mind, an artist’s rendering may be released and a groundbreaking ceremony may be set at some point in the very near future. What is unclear for the moment is how soon that might occur. While I would anticipate that the Bangkok Thailand Temple, which is further along in the process for now, might have a groundbreaking first, I am certain a groundbreaking ceremony will be held for this temple by the end of this year. As more is known, I will be able to offer a more precise estimate.

173. Saratoga Springs Utah Temple: Planning and approval; designs underway; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking may take place sometime during early-to-mid 2019.

Note: Although a site confirmation is pending for this temple, because designs are currently underway, and because this is a Utah County temple (since temples in Utah always progress more swiftly than other temples elsewhere within the US), on May 31, 2018, I moved this temple up on this list. Then, on July 6, 2018, as a result of the developments relating to the Urdaneta Philippines temple, I moved this one down and adjusted my general estimate for its’ groundbreaking. I am not ruling out the prospect that the Church could hold a groundbreaking for this temple before the end of 2018, so if I feel a need to move this temple again in the near future, I will do so.

174. Lima Peru Los Olivos Temple: Planning and preliminary construction phase; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking may take place sometime during early-to-mid 2019.

Note: In March 2017, the contractor for this temple indicated that a year of pre-planning would be needed for this temple site before a groundbreaking could be held. While it is unclear when that year began (or if that year has already passed), it seems safe to assume that the groundbreaking for this temple could occur within the next year, if not sooner.

175. Pocatello Idaho Temple: Planning and approval; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking may take place sometime during mid-2019.

Note: Although the citizens of Pocatello have speculated about two or more potential locations for this temple, one of those locations has emerged as being the most likely prospect. If the Church confirms that at any point in the near future, since this temple is going to be built within the “Mormon corridor”, a groundbreaking could occur sooner rather than later.

176. Harare Zimbabwe Temple: Planning and approval; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking may take place sometime during mid-2019.

Note: Although an official site confirmation is pending, President Nelson visited a probable location during his world tour in April 2018. If that site location is officially confirmed in the near future, then a groundbreaking could easily follow within the next 15 months or less.

177. Nairobi Kenya Temple: Planning and approval; awaiting official site announcement; media event held June 14, 2017; groundbreaking may take place sometime during mid-2019.

Note: During President Nelson’s recent visit to Kenya, a national newspaper noted that the site for this temple had been selected, and that because this temple was anticipated to be a smaller one, its’ dedication might occur sometime during 2021. With that in mind, it is not hard to believe that an official site announcement and groundbreaking could occur within the next 15-18 months.

178. Brasilia Brazil Temple: Planning and approval; site inspected by Church engineers on June 21, 2017; groundbreaking may take place sometime during mid-to-late 2019.

Note: Although a site inspection occurred one year ago for this temple, the prospective groundbreaking timeframes offered for the temples above necessitates a change in my previously-offered thoughts about the imminence of that groundbreaking. While I would hope that the Brazilian Saints would not have to wait another 1.5 years for this temple’s groundbreaking, until more is known, it seems wiser to be conservative in this estimate.

179. Greater Manila Philippines Temple: Planning and approval; awaiting official name announcement; groundbreaking may take place sometime during mid-to-late 2019.

Note: Although this temple may also be further along in its’ progress towards a groundbreaking than other temples above it, in view of the factors noted on the others above this one, it has seemed wiser to be more conservative in my estimate for this temple’s future groundbreaking. Additionally, since getting the Urdaneta Philippines Temple underway may be more of a priority for the Church, this one may only have a groundbreaking within the next 16-19 months.

180. Layton Utah Temple: Announced April 1, 2018; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking may take place sometime during late 2019-early 2020.

Note: While I would anticipate that, for this temple in Utah, its’ construction will likely get underway sooner than other temples on this list, and while that could happen sooner than indicated above if the Church confirms that the land that was bought in Layton two days before the temple was announced in that city, it has seemed wiser to be more conservative in my estimate for this temple’s potential groundbreaking. I will be delighted to move it up on this list if I see a good enough reason to do so.

181. Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple: Planning and approval; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking may take place sometime during early 2020.

Note: This is the last of the three temples announced in April 2015 that may have a groundbreaking. The Church in the Ivory Coast has seen sufficient enough growth that a second (and perhaps even a third) temple may be announced to serve the Saints in this nation, but that may not occur until this temple makes further progress. We have seen recent developments on other temples in Africa, which gives me hope that this temple could have a groundbreaking ceremony around the estimated time noted above, but time will tell how accurate that might prove to be.

182. Quito Ecuador Temple: Planning and approval; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking may take place sometime during early-to-mid 2020.

Note: While the first Ecuadoran temple had a 14-year wait between its’ announcement and groundbreaking, with the progress the Church has made in South America within the last two decades, this temple (to be built in the Ecuadoran capital city) will likely not see a wait nearly that long. I personally hope that this groundbreaking will occur sooner than indicated above, but until more information is available, I have felt a need to be more conservative.

183. Richmond Virginia Temple: Announced April 1, 2018; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking may take place sometime during early-to-mid 2020.

Note: Although an official site confirmation is pending for this temple, a Virginia newspaper noted in mid-April 2018 that the Church had procured several acres of land in Richmond sometime during 2015. If the Church confirms in the near future that one of those plots will be the official temple site, then a groundbreaking could easily occur within the next two years, but possibly less, since temples in the US generally have construction begin well in advance of their international counterparts.

184. Belem Brazil Temple: Planning and approval; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking may take place sometime during early-to-mid 2020.

Note: Although this temple was announced one year before the Brasilia Brazil Temple, that temple is further along in the approval process and will likely therefore have its’ groundbreaking before that occurs for this temple. In preparing these updated thoughts, it occurred to me that the Church may opt to hold off on beginning construction of this temple until both the Fortaleza and Rio de Janeiro Temples are dedicated. With that in mind, I have felt that the groundbreaking could occur at around this time, but I will alter this estimate as needed once more is known.

185. Managua Nicaragua Temple: Announced April 1, 2018; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking may take place sometime during mid-2020.

Note: Since then-Elder Nelson had publicly proposed this temple in 2012, and President Nelson himself made the announcement, I would imagine the Lord will allow him to be very much involved in the process of this temple’s construction and eventual dedication. With that in mind, I could see a groundbreaking occur within the next 24-27 months, but hopefully sooner if all goes well.

186. Salta Argentina Temple: Announced April 1, 2018; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking may take place sometime during mid-2020.

Note: While the time-frames offered for the temples above this one has resulted in this temple’s estimate being delayed as well, it would not surprise me if a groundbreaking for this temple happens sooner than estimated here.

187. Cagayan de Oro Philippines Temple: Announced April 1, 2018; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking may take place sometime during mid-to-late 2020.

Note: While I would anticipate that this temple will likely not have a groundbreaking until significant progress has been made on both the Urdaneta and greater Manila area temples, it is not impossible to believe that a groundbreaking could occur for this newest Filipino temple within the next 2.5-2.75 years, but perhaps sooner if all goes well.

188. Bengaluru India Temple: Announced April 1, 2018; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking may take place sometime during early-to-mid 2021.

Note: As previously noted, President Nelson had not originally intended to announce a temple for India during the April 2018 General Conference, but was inspired to do so the night before that conference began. Although India may have some political obstacles that would need to be cleared before this temple has a groundbreaking, I fully anticipate that the Lord could enable a groundbreaking to occur within the next three years, but possibly sooner.

189. Russia: Announced April 1, 2018; awaiting official location and site announcement; groundbreaking may take place sometime during mid-to-late 2021.

Note: Although both a specific city and a site location for this temple have yet to be identified, President Nelson did have supervisory responsibility for Eastern Europe for the last several years he was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. With that in mind, he may have connections that would enable an acceleration of the process to get this temple built, which is why I am being conservative in my offered estimate above, but will not in any way be surprised if the Lord clears all obstacles to allow that to occur sooner than indicated here.

Key:

Bolded numbers and text denote temples whose numbers already exists (for renovations), or is certain due to a scheduled dedication, as well as information that is certain, such as dedication or groundbreaking dates.

Italicized numbers and text denote temples whose numbers may change based on the order in which future dedications and groundbreakings are scheduled.

Underlined numbers and text denote temples whose numbers may change based on progress towards planning, approval, and groundbreaking.

Changes since last report are highlighted in red.

BREAKING NEWS: Urdaneta Philippines Temple Site Being Cleared; Artist's Rendering and Groundbreaking May Soon Be Announced

Hello again, everyone! I have some breaking temple news to report. The LDS Church Temples Facebook page reported at around 1:00 PM today that site clearing activities were underway for the Urdaneta Philippines Temple, and that an artist's rendering and groundbreaking date are anticipated to be officially released in the not-too-distant future. The Lord works in mysterious ways.

Apparently at some point within this last week, all hurdles that have continued to hold up construction on this temple since its' October 2010 announcement were unexpectedly cleared. This may be for a couple of reasons. As I recently reported on this blog, Elder Christofferson was in the Philippines Area recently conducting Church business, some of which may have been related to the issues that were preventing progress on this temple. I have also noticed that the Philippines Area has recently been visited by several other apostles as well, which makes me think that this development is as a result of their ongoing attention to this matter.

But above and beyond that, President Nelson has repeatedly emphasized his administration's focus on the temple, and also, as I reported on this blog late last month, Sister Joy D. Jones was late to a recent speaking assignment at a devotional on the grounds of the Manti Utah Temple because her meeting with the Temple and Family History Executive Council unexpectedly lasted 3 hours.

Now that this development has been announced, I intend to move the Urdaneta Philippines Temple to nearly the top of my list of recently announced temples. I say "nearly the top" because until a site rendering is released and a groundbreaking is announced, the groundbreaking for the Bangkok Thailand Temple may be announced first. Either way, it seems more than likely that both will have a groundbreaking at some point before the end of this year, even if they are the only two temples to have groundbreakings in 2018. But this surprising development means that we could still see one or two others in addition as well.

I continue to monitor all temple developments and will pass word of those along to you all as I receive 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 (which will come in the next half hour or so and will be sharing the latest edition of my temple construction progress report), I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

BREAKING NEWS: Church To Release Come Follow Me Curriculum for Adults, Children, and Home Study

Hello again, everyone! I am posting right now with a breaking news development. In an earlier post, I had referenced a visit made by members of the Sunday School and Young Men General Presidency to African nations, during which time, they referenced new curriculum that would be coming in 2019. Today, we got a look at what that will involve.

The Church announced today that it was replacing the typical Primary, adult Sunday School, and home curriculum resources with another "Come Follow Me" set of curriculum, which will place emphasis more on individual preparation and responsibility for learning than on sticking to a manual. You can read more about these developments here,

I also previously referenced that President Nelson, by virtue of his previous experience as a heart surgeon, has kept very much in touch with modern technology advances. We saw evidence of that when the August 2018 Area Leadership Assignments were announced several weeks in advance of when they typically had been, when we have seen the Church magazine content approved and published on the website much more quickly than they have been, and again today, when the Church released this document, which shows the 2019 Instructions for Curriculum. Those had typically not been released until mid-August or so each year.

This is an outstanding and welcome development. I continue to monitor all Church and temple updates and will do my best to bring those to you as I receive word of them. I should note that I became aware late last night of several new updates on temples, which I am anxious to pass along to you all, but because I have a doctor's appointment later today that will take most of the afternoon, the earliest I may be able to pass those along will be later this evening. Stay tuned for 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.

Report on Additional Addresses From the Seminar for New Mission Leadership

Hello again, everyone! After trying and failing to make the alterations I had in mind for this blog, we are back to the previous design. And I am back to report on two other addresses from the recent Seminar for New Mission Leadership. The addresses were given by two more members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, both of whom also serve on the Missionary Executive Council.

Elder D. Todd Christofferson gave an address with his wife, and they highlighted the importance of missionaries owning their personal and companionship gospel study. The Christoffersons also said that, in addition to applying to missionary companionships, married couples of the Church can benefit from studying the scriptures together. So mission presidents and their wives were urged on a personal level to set the example for their missionaries. You can read more of what the Christoffersons said here.

In the meantime, our Brazilian junior apostle, Elder Ulisses Soares, drew on the example of Brazil's winding Amazon river as an analogy for the membership of the Church. He explained that that river is created at the point where the Solimoes River, which starts in Peru, and the Negro River from the Amazon Basin, converge into a single body of water.

In similitude to the river, the membership of the Church is comprised of those who have been lifelong or multi-generational members who combine and converge in various ways and settings with those who may be newer to the Church. Just as the converged river could not succeed without its' two distinct bodies of water, so too do converts need the support of their lifelong member counterparts.

He also reemphasized what the Church has taught about what all converts need: A friend, a responsibility, and nourishing by the good word of God. As members work together to make converts feel welcome (which is an effort that, by extension, includes the vital role of missionaries), and as all members draw from the strengths of their fellow Saints, the Church will be strengthened as a complete body of our Heavenly Father's worldwide family. You can read more about what Elder Soares said in this article.

The reports of this year's seminar continue to come in, so I will be sure to keep passing those on to you as I receive word of them, and I also will be posting any other important Church and temple news as I become aware of those developments as well.

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.

Altered Blog Layout

Hello again, everyone! While I have no desire to detract from the focus of my readers in the United States (as today is the anniversary of our nation's independence from England), I wanted to just quickly post to note that I am testing another new blog layout. I have been working periodically on finding ways to make this blog more user-friendly, so I'd like to know if that is working better.

And in the interests of being fully transparent, part of the reason for these changes is because I have also been looking into ways to improve my earnings from this blog. This new layout was one of a few suggestions I have looked into that I am hoping will help in that process.

As always, I continue to monitor all news and developments relating to the Church, General Conference, and temples worldwide, and I do my best to continue to bring those to you as I receive word 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.