Additional Church News Reported

Hello again, everyone! This will be just a very quick post to pass along some additional Church news which has come to my attention within the last hour or two. Let's jump right into all of that. First, in my late-night post last night, I had noted that the article published to introduce Young Women General President Sister Bonnie H. Cordon on Monday was followed yesterday by an article introducing her First Counselor, Sister Michelle D. Craig.

Then today, this article was published to introduce her Second Counselor, Sister Becky Craven. Thus, in the last few days, the entire new Young Women General Presidency has been featured in Church News articles. As I noted in my last post late last night, we have never before (to my knowledge) seen more than one article published per week to introduce new leaders, so the fact that the entire Young Women General Presidency has been featured in articles since Monday is rather unprecedented.

Additionally, the Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC) has featured a "Rainbows of Paradise" Canoe Show every year. This year, the celebration title was altered to "Huki: One 'ohana sharing aloha". As anyone who has watched Disney's movie "Lilo and Stitch" knows, 'ohana is the Hawaiian word for family. Given the increasing importance the Church has placed on the family in the 23 years since President Hinckley introduced "The Family: A Proclamation to the World", this name change is not surprising. You can read more on that celebration here.

I continue to monitor all Church news and temple developments, and will do my level best to bring word of those to you as I become aware of such items. That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to do so, you are more than welcome to subscribe to stay informed of new content from this blog. 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 Items Reported

Hello again, everyone! I am back in the late-night hours when the 17th is leading into the 18th, and I will be sharing some additional Church news stories of which I have become aware within the last 12 hours or so. There's quite a bit to get to, so let's jump right into it.

We begin with articles about two different devotional addresses which were given at Church-owned universities. BYU-Provo's Benjamin Bikman, who is a professor of physiology and development biology focused his remarks on advice about how to interpret the Word of Wisdom, and what should not be read into it. In the meantime, on the campus of BYU-Idaho, Nels Hansen, who chairs the Applied Plant Science Department, discussed a science experiment he had conducted with the help of his students on the effects of ministering. Both of these articles were interesting reads.

Next, as many of you may be aware, in the early days of the Church, the pioneers trekked here to Utah to flee persecution. They entered this valley on July 24, 1847. Two years later, the tradition of having a parade on Utah Pioneer Day was born, and one has been held on that day ever since (unless it has fallen on a Sunday, in which case that is held on either the previous Saturday, or the following Monday).

As Utah prepares to celebrate that day this year, the Church News has released three articles, one of which highlighted three misconceptions that are commonly advanced by those who discuss pioneer history. At a devotional held on July 16 at the historic "This Is The Place Park", new apostle Elder Gerrit W. Gong reflected on how both he and his wife have pioneers in their ancestry. And in the final article, 6 Church members who live in the Philippines, the United States, India, Indonesia, Uruguay, and the Ukraine are lauded as pioneers who never pushed a handcart. It was good to read these stories as well.

In a somewhat unprecedented move, the Church News featured an article introducing Sister Michelle D. Craig, the new First Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency, just one day after they published the article introducing Young Women General President Bonnie H. Cordon. As far back as I can remember following articles on Church news, I don't ever recall seeing two articles published about two new leaders in such a short period of time. That was an interesting development.

There are other stories that have been covered on the News page on the Church's official website, which may or may not have all been covered on this blog, and for any that have not, they are well worthy of your attention. In the meantime, Mormon Newsroom published the latest edition in their series of articles highlighting important articles published on various editions of Mormon Newsroom which are maintained to highlight developments in other nations where the Church is established.

And as a final development, the HTML version of the August 2018 Ensign has been published. Included in that Ensign will be the 2018 Area Leadership Assignments, and as far as I can tell, there have been no changes whatsoever in those area assignments. Additionally, there may or may not be changes in the editors and advisers of the Ensign, which we will be able to find out once the PDF version is made available. But perhaps the most significant development is what is not included. Unless an Ensign supplement is published, it appears that there will not be articles in tribute to Presidents Oaks and Eyring and Elders Gong and Soares published in that Ensign either.

So what we may be seeing is a change in what has previously been somewhat of a standard tradition, unless either a supplement is published this month or unless such articles are included in either of the other two Ensigns that will be published before the next General Conference.

I continue to monitor all Church news and temple developments and will be sure to pass those along to you ASAP after I learn 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. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of new content, please feel free to subscribe. 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.

Updates Provided for Several Temples

Hello again, everyone. As many of you may be aware, the date set for the Hamilton New Zealand Temple's renovation closure is now just six days away, though this page does raise some confusion about whether or not it is still open now. In the meantime, I have been made aware of several temple updates that have been provided for both those new temples which are under construction, and also for some that are currently closed for renovation.

Based on the volume of those updates, it seemed easier for me to post my entire report than it might be for me to summarize the new developments. For that reason, an updated copy of that report follows below, with the relevant new information featured in red text.

So as not to disturb the flow of that information, I will end here as I always do. That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to, please feel free to subscribe for updates on new content. 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 7/17/18)

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 11.72 years between now and then, which could be done if 3.50 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: Article about temple published in a Chilean newspaper was featured on Facebook on July 17, 2018; 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: Governmental leader tours temple; new photograph posted on Facebook on July 17, 2018; installation of exterior lighting completed; 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: More plants added to temple grounds; 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: Art glass installation underway; 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: Work progressing on temple tower; 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: Work begins on meetinghouse adjacent to the temple; 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: Update provided on July 7, 2018; rededication estimated sometime during mid-2019.

Note: On the date mentioned above, the LDS Church Temples Facebook page shared an article about the renovation process, which featured comments from the director of Church public affairs in that area. She noted that the renovation was on track to be finished by April, which makes its’ rededication likely in either June or August. As more is known, I will update this estimate if that is necessary.

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; framing progress shown by picture posted to Facebook on July 10, 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; temple exterior being refreshed; 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; readying trees and plants to refresh temple grounds; 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.

Additional Church News Reported

Hello again, everyone! Although Church and temple news has slowed in recent days, there have been a few interesting stories published within the last 8-12 hours or so, which I am pleased to pass along to you now.

First, after a brief hiatus, the Church News resumed publishing articles about new Church leaders who were sustained in General Conference last April. The latest article in that series features an introduction to Bonnie H. Cordon, who, as you may recall, served as Second and First Counselor in the Primary General Presidency prior to being sustained as the new Young Women General President. The things that were highlighted about her experiences were interesting to read about.

Next, at some point yesterday, the Church News published this inspiring account of a man who has volunteered with the Church every week since his retirement 2-3 decades ago, which has constituted over 25,000 hours of service he has rendered. It is not uncommon in the Church for retired men to render service so extensively, and this latest account was certainly inspiring.

BYU-Provo has announced the theme of their 2018 Campus Education Week: "Doubt Not, Fear Not". It has been traditional for one of the leaders of the Church to be the featured speaker at the devotional held in conjunction with that annual event, and this year, that speaker will be Primary General President Joy D. Jones. This article provides more details on that.

Another natural disaster has struck the Asia and Asia North Areas of the Church, specifically through Japan, Taiwan, and eastern China. This article provides more specific details on how members, missionaries, and Church facilities were impacted by that natural upheaval.

And finally, the Deseret News reported today that the cooperative effort which began a month or two ago with the NAACP (which included a press conference with statements from President Nelson and the president of the NAACP) is continuing today, with the two organizations launching a joint initiative which will focus on education and employment.

Elder Jack N. Gerard, who was just sustained as a General Authority Seventy last April and who serves as Executive Director of the Church Public Affairs Committee, represented the Church in speaking at an NAACP gathering to introduce the initiative. Mormon Newsroom provides more details here.

I continue to monitor all Church news and temple developments and will do my best to pass word of those along to you 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, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

Updated General Estimates for Anticipated Temple Events

Hello again, everyone! In a recent comment on this blog, a question was asked about the potential timing for future temple events. Based on the information I have regarding what is currently known about these developments, here are those general estimates. Note that, while I am offering my estimates for the groundbreakings for the Bangkok Thailand and Urdaneta Philippines Temples, until more is known about which other temples are close to a groundbreaking, I will not be offering any estimates for other announced temples beyond what I shared here, which will be subject to change once more is known. Here are those estimates:

2018:
July 23: Hamilton New Zealand Temple will close for renovation (confirmed)
Mid-to-late 2018: Groundbreakings for Bangkok Thailand and Urdaneta Philippines Temples (Note: the two may be interchangeable in terms of which might be held first.)
Anytime in the near future: Full-scale renovation anticipated to begin for the Asuncion Paraguay Temple.
October 28: Concepcion Chile Temple Dedication (160th operating temple; already confirmed)
December 9: Barranquilla Colombia Temple Dedication (161st operating temple; already confirmed)
Final note on 2018: As has been pointed out recently on this blog, given President Nelson's reportedly ambitious temple-building plans, it is possible (and even very likely) that other announced temples might have a groundbreaking by the end of this year, but for the moment, only the two are anticipated.

2019:
March 10-17: Rome Italy Temple Dedication (162nd operating temple; already confirmed)
Early-to-mid 2019: Kinshasa DR Congo and Fortaleza Brazil Temple Dedications (163rd and 164th operating temples; may be interchangeable in terms of their dedication order); Frankfurt Germany Temple Rededication.
Mid-2019: Port-au-Prince Haiti and Lisbon Portugal Temple Dedications (165th and 166th operating temples; may be interchangeable in terms of their dedication order); Oklahoma City Oklahoma and Memphis Tennessee Temple Rededications (may be interchangeable in terms of their rededication order, although Oklahoma City is slightly further along for the moment).
Mid-to-late 2019: Durban South Africa Temple Dedication (167th operating temple); Raleigh North Carolina and Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple Rededications (all three temples listed here may be interchangeable in terms of their future dedication or rededications)
Late 2019-early 2020: Oakland California Temple Rededication (Note: Although the First Presidency indicated this temple would be rededicated sometime in 2019, since this is the first renovation for this temple, and since it is older, until there is concrete verification that this will be the case, I have felt inclined to be more conservative in this estimate.)
Final note on 2019: As noted above for 2018, I also heard that 2019 could potentially be a big year for temple groundbreakings. Depending on how & when President Nelson's ambitious temple-building plans are revealed, and to what extent they will be implemented, we may be in for a windfall of new temple announcements and groundbreakings.

2020:
Early 2020: Arequipa Peru and Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple Dedications (168th and 169th operating temples; may be interchangeable in terms of their future dedication, although Arequipa is further along)
Early-to-mid 2020: Winnipeg Manitoba Temple Dedication (170th operating temple; may potentially occur on the earlier side of that estimate if progress remains steady); Tokyo Japan Temple Rededication (Note that the two may be interchangeable in terms of their future likelihood)
Mid-2020: Asuncion Paraguay Temple Rededication (Note: Although the First Presidency indicated that this temple would be rededicated sometime during 2019, the timing of this event will depend on how soon renovation efforts can formally begin. Until that time, it has seemed wiser to be more conservative in this estimate.)
Mid-to-late 2020: Mesa Arizona and Washington DC Temple Rededications (Note: Since the Mesa temple has been renovated once before, and since the Washington DC Temple is a larger one, I would anticipate that Mesa will be rededicated first, perhaps several months in advance of the rededication for the temple in DC)
Note: Any temples that have a groundbreaking during the remainder of 2018 and in 2019 may potentially be dedicated during this year, depending on the design and construction process. It is also more likely than not that President Nelson will have announced several other temples by this time, which means we may be seeing many more temple events during this year.

2021:
Early-to-mid 2021: Hamilton New Zealand Temple Rededication (Note: When this temple's renovation was announced, the First Presidency noted that a rededication would occur during 2021. It has been widely noted that this renovation process may involve an expansion of the current temple's size. If that occurs, this event could potentially be pushed back further if needed).

I continue to monitor any and all temple developments and will bring word of those to you as I receive them, including any changes that may be needed for these estimates. That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to, please feel free to subscribe to stay informed of newly-posted content. 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.