Changes Made Yet Again to Announced Temples Section of My Temple Construction Progress Report

Hello again, everyone! I took some time tonight to go over the information I had available on announced temples. Based on my ongoing analysis of those developments, and on new information which has come to light in recent days, I have once again reworked the section of my temple construction progress report for announced temples. One of the most significant changes I have made is splitting that section into two separate parts.

The first part contains temples for which, in my opinion, there is sufficient information to allow me to make an educated estimate about the general time-frames within which those temples could have a groundbreaking. The second part of that section now contains those temples for which more information will be needed before I move them up to the first section and make an estimate for the groundbreaking process.

That said, I am anticipating that something big will be occurring within the next 2 years or so to clear the current backlog to some degree, and to prepare for any additional temples that may be announced. With a backlog of 31 announced temples in various phases currently, something significant will need to be done to clear it.

But I have a feeling that the Lord would not have prompted President Nelson to announce 19 temples this year alone (with 12 other previously-announced temples in various phases working towards construction) if there was not a plan to deal with the resulting backlog.

I have a similar feeling that temple announcements will not slow at all. If anything, we will enter an era when temple developments are reported with greater frequency, and where announced temples will move more quickly from announcement to groundbreaking to construction. It will certainly be interesting to see it all unfold. That said, my updated list of announced temples, complete with the changes I mentioned, follows below.

So as to not disturb the flow of that information, I will end here and now as I always do. That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time. Thank you for the privilege of your time. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly-added 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 eveyrthing you do.

 Note on announced temples: On October 30, 2018, I reviewed the information I had available, and I accordingly reordered the temples in this section splitting them into two sub-categories. The first contains those for which there is sufficient information, based on which I have provided a rough groundbreaking estimate, which will, of course, be subject to alteration in the future as more information is available. The second section contains those temples which are ordered based on the information currently available, but for which more information will be needed before they can join the first list. And for that second list, I do not feel comfortable offering any groundbreaking estimate until more information is available.

Announced Temples (for which sufficient information has me confident enough to venture a general groundbreaking estimate):

172. Urdaneta Philippines Temple: Site preparation phase; construction barrier in place; groundbreaking could occur in late 2018-early 2019.

Note: The Church of Jesus Christ Temples site notes that preliminary site work is underway to prepare for construction. Depending on how long that process takes, a groundbreaking could occur by the end of this year or during the first part of next year.

173. Pocatello Idaho Temple: Government approval process; streets around temple site opened; groundbreaking anticipated in early 2019.

Note: When the artist’s rendering was released for this temple (which occurred on September 7, 2018), that announcement noted that construction was anticipated to begin at some point in 2019. I am anticipating that will occur within the first quarter of the year.

174. Saratoga Springs Utah Temple: Government approval phase; probable site identified; awaiting official confirmation and artist’s rendering; groundbreaking could occur in early-to-mid 2019.

Note: Although no official site confirmation has occurred, a probable site has been identified, and a zoning variance has been approved for a special project. If official confirmation occurs and an artist’s rendering is soon released, I could see a groundbreaking occur in the time-frame noted above, if not sooner.

175. Nairobi Kenya Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement; media event held June 14, 2017; groundbreaking could occur in mid-2019.

Note: Although an official site confirmation is pending for this temple, a public affairs representative for the Church in Kenya noted that one has been selected, and that this temple, which will be on the smaller side, is anticipated to be dedicated in 2021. So it is not hard to believe that a groundbreaking could occur during the time-frame noted above.

176. Bangkok Thailand Temple: Artist’s rendering and site announcement released on March 19, 2018; groundbreaking could occur in mid-2019.

Note: Although President Nelson noted in March that he foresaw no delays in getting construction of this temple underway, it was not until October 14 that the Church of Jesus Christ Temples reported that the final building would be vacated. Until that building is razed (which could take another month or two) a groundbreaking may potentially be delayed. Until more is known, I prefer to be more conservative in the estimates I offer. But I would not be shocked if a groundbreaking were held in the time-frame indicated above, but certainly sooner than that if all goes well.

177. Lima Peru Los Olivos Temple: Planning and preliminary construction phase; awaiting official site announcement; President Nelson visited probable site on October 20, 2018; groundbreaking could occur in mid-2019.

Note: Although an official confirmation of the site location is still pending, if the site visited by President Nelson is confirmed as being the temple location, then given the fact that preliminary work has been underway since March of 2017, I would hope a groundbreaking could occur within the window noted above, but certainly sooner if all goes well.

178. Harare Zimbabwe Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement; President Nelson visited potential site on April 17, 2018; groundbreaking could occur in late 2019-early 2020.

Note: If the potential site President Nelson visited last April is confirmed as the location where the temple will be built, a groundbreaking could occur within the noted window of time above.

179. Brasilia Brazil Temple: Planning and approval phase; site inspected by Church engineers on June 21, 2017; groundbreaking could occur in mid-to-late 2019.

Note: With a site having been confirmed for this temple not long after its’ announcement in April 2017, it is my hope that a groundbreaking could occur as indicated above, but certainly sooner if all goes well.

180. Greater Manila Philippines Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official name announcement; groundbreaking could occur in mid-to-late 2019.

Note: As noted on the Brasilia Brazil Temple, a site was confirmed for this temple not long after its’ announcement. With that in mind, an official name could be announced in the near future, and a groundbreaking could easily occur in the time-frame noted above.

181. Layton Utah Temple: Planning and approval phase; announced April 1, 2018; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking could occur in early 2020.

Note: The Church of Jesus Christ Temples site notes that the Church purchased land in Layton two days before the temple was announced. If confirmation is provided in the near future that that land will be used for the temple, then a groundbreaking could easily occur as specified above.

182. Richmond Virginia Temple: Planning and approval phase; announced April 1, 2018; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking could occur in early-to-mid 2020.

Note: Not long after this temple was announced, an article published in a Richmond newspaper noted that the Church had procured several acres of land in that city sometime during 2015. If that purchased land is confirmed as the location of that temple, then a groundbreaking could occur within the above time-frame, but certainly sooner, if all goes well.

183. Managua Nicaragua Temple: Announced April 1, 2018; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking could occur in early-to-mid 2020.

Note: For several years before this temple was announced, land had been held in reserve for such an edifice when the time was right. If at any point the Church confirms that will be the location of the temple, then a groundbreaking could easily be held within the window specified above, if not sooner.

184. Salta Argentina Temple: Planning and approval phase; announced April 1, 2018; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking could occur in mid-2020.

Note: The Church of Jesus Christ Temples site has reported that the Church acquired land that may be used for this temple in the recent past. If that land is confirmed as the location where the temple will be built, then a groundbreaking could easily take place in the time-frame suggested above, though I could see that occurring sooner depending on what happens between now and then.

185. Bengaluru India Temple: Planning and approval phase; announced April 1, 2018; awaiting official site announcement; President Nelson toured potential locations on April 19, 2018; groundbreaking could occur in mid-2020.

Note: During his initial Global Ministry Tour in April, President Nelson made a visit to Bengaluru, where he explained to the Saints that the Lord had told him to announce a temple there the night before General Conference began. During that tour, he took the time to visit and consider several locations where the temple could be built. If all goes well, this temple could easily begin construction within the noted time-frame specified above.

186. Phnom Penh Cambodia Temple: Planning and approval phase; announced October 7, 2018; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking could occur in ­mid-2020.

Note: In late October 2018, the Church of Jesus Christ Temples site noted that land had been acquired a short distance from the Phnom Penh North Stake Center. If the Church confirms at any point that this will be the location for the temple in that city, then it is not hard to believe that a groundbreaking could be held within the next 1.25-1.75 years, depending on what happens between now and then.  

187. Auckland New Zealand Temple: Planning and approval phase; announced October 7, 2018; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking could occur in mid-to-late 2020.

Note: Although confirmation of the official site location is pending, many speculate that the temple will be built on the same hill on which the city’s MTC and the New Zealand Redoubt Stake Center is located. This information was indirectly and unofficially confirmed by someone who regularly comments on my blog. If the Church confirms that location, then a groundbreaking could easily occur within the next 2 years, but certainly sooner if all goes well.

Announced Temples (for which more information is needed before I provide an estimated groundbreaking time-frame):

188. Quito Ecuador Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

189. Belem Brazil Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

190. Cagayan de Oro Philippines Temple: Planning and approval phase; announced April 1, 2018; awaiting official site announcement

191. Russia Temple: Planning and approval phase; announced April 1, 2018; awaiting official location and site announcement.

192. Mendoza Argentina Temple: Planning and approval phase; announced October 7, 2018; awaiting official site announcement

193. Salvador Brazil Temple: Planning and approval phase; announced October 7, 2018; awaiting official site announcement

194. Yuba City, California Temple: Planning and approval phase; announced October 7, 2018; awaiting official site announcement

195. Praia Cape Verde Temple: Planning and approval phase; announced October 7, 2018; awaiting official site announcement

196. Yigo Guam Temple: Planning and approval phase; announced October 7, 2018; awaiting official site announcement

197. Puebla Mexico Temple: Planning and approval phase; announced October 7, 2018; awaiting official site announcement

198. Lagos Nigeria Temple: Planning and approval phase; announced October 7, 2018; awaiting official site announcement

199. Davao Philippines Temple: Planning and approval phase; announced October 7, 2018; awaiting official site announcement

200. San Juan Puerto Rico Temple: Planning and approval phase; announced October 7, 2018; awaiting official site announcement

201. Washington County Utah Temple: Planning and approval phase; Announced October 7, 2018; awaiting official location and site announcement.

Additional Church News Reported

Hello again, everyone! There have been some additional Church news stories reported, and all of them are well worthy of your attention, so I am pleased to both present them for your consideration, and to endorse each one of them without reservation or hesitation as deserving of your time. Let's jump right in to our discussion of those things.

We begin with an article published on the Church News website just around an hour ago. The article talks about the Hill Cumorah Pageant taking a "final bow" in 2020, and provides some context in terms of what has been determined for that and other productions.

We next shift our focus to the Church's Newsroom website, where it has been reported that President Oaks spoke at this week's BYU-Idaho Devotional. He discussed the interlinking roles of love and law, how they are related, how they differ, and how the Lord and His Church have tried to strike a careful balance between showing love for those of a differing viewpoint while still upholding the commitment to the laws and commandments of the Lord.

And interestingly enough, the Newsroom also provided a link to the full transcript of those remarks, which were also featured on the Newsroom. I have previously mentioned before how I can usually relate very well to what President Oaks says in such addresses, and that I like him approaching such topics in the same way he wrote legal briefs prior to his apostolic call, clearly differentiating when he moves on to the next point he wants to cover. I particularly appreciated how he explained the balance between loving everyone, while at the same time not condoning behaviors or practices which are displeasing to the Lord.

In the meantime, following the three dedicatory sessions for the Concepcion Chile Temple, President Nelson and Elder Stevenson sat down together for one interview, and Sister Nelson was featured in another interview. The Church provided both some written context and video highlights of that interview.

Since an earlier Church News article shared the portion of the interview with President Nelson and Elder Stevenson (including the remarkable statements by the prophet which I referenced in an earlier post on this blog), I wanted to focus my commentary in this post on some things Sister Nelson said during her interview. She talked about him de-aging as he speaks to Church congregations, and talked about his vim, vigor, and energy, and she provided more context into what she has observed day-to-day with her husband in the 9 months since he became President of the Church.

She particularly spoke more about her personal strong witness she has gained through first-hand observation of her husband day-to-day, and how she would be perfectly comfortable taking any witness stand in the world to attest to her husband's prophetic calling. She also mentioned that in many ways, he has been unleashed, meaning he is free now to do something about things which have concerned him for a while.

I want to interject some context here before going any further. From watching the video of Sister Nelson's interview, I don't think she meant to imply that he was unilaterally changing things. To the contrary, in remarks he has given, he has talked about things he has announced having been "under study/consideration for several months." It appears that she was referring to the fact that, at times, as an apostle, he felt impressions about things that needed to be done, but if any of those things were not within the scope of his assignment, he could not and would not act on or present them, since he did not yet have the authority to bring those things forward for consideration.

If he had done so, that may have been considered "going beyond the word of the Lord", which is something that would have been contrary to his nature. But particularly, if the declining health of his prophetic predecessor was such that the items which caused President Nelson concern could not be properly presented, encouraged, discussed, and decided upon, he would not have wanted to rock the boat or go beyond the authority he had.

Now that he is the prophet, with the authority to act on such impressions, he is free to take such action, with the full approval of his fellow apostles behind him. And I think that is what Sister Nelson meant: not that he was being previously hindered from doing what he felt impressed should be done, but that he wasn't comfortable doing so until he had the authority to ensure that such courses of action were in harmony with the Lord's will for His Church.

Sister Nelson also talked about how President Nelson's focus is on how best to prepare the Saints and the world for the Second Coming of the Savior, and that part of that process will involve a continuation of efforts to reduce and simplify the programs and practices of the Church to allow us as individual members to more fully focus on that as well in our personal lives.

She also talks about his consideration of how any decision will impact the Church on a global scale, and the impact such decisions will have on the way the world sees the Church. She also mentioned that he is most anxious to be out among the people as frequently as he can for as long as he can. President Nelson has talked about knowing that if he feels comfortable at home, he knows he is not doing what the Lord wants done. And she reiterated the idea that he will be doing much more traveling in the future.

I am grateful for prophets, seers, and revelators who are willing to put personal agendas and preconceived ideas aside to bring themselves into conformity with the Lord's will, and particularly for a prophet that recognizes a need for people everywhere in the world to be near him, who acts decisively and fearlessly in proclaiming what the Lord needs us to hear, even when that may not be what we want to hear, and for the wonderful wives of our apostles who fully and unequivocally support these "special witnesses of Christ" in their responsibility to minister to the Church and the whole world.

I do continue to monitor any and all Church news and temple developments and will, to the best of my ability, do all I can to keep bringing word of those developments to you all as I receive word of them. That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time.

Thank you for the privilege of your time. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly-added 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.

VIP/Media Tours Underway for Barranquilla Colombia Temple; Open House Set to Begin on Saturday

Hello again, everyone! With the Barranquilla Colombia Temple open house set to begin this Saturday, today marked the beginning of the VIP/Media Tours for that temple. The Newsroom subpage on the Church's official website shared an overview of that event, and highlighted some of the temple's features and details about what people can expect during the open house.

Having noted that, I wanted to mention here a minor item of personal business. I have continued to make additional tweaks/adjustments to the layout, look and feel of this blog. The latest adjustments have involved my expanding the margins of the blog itself. Hopefully everything is easy for you all to find, but if any of you have any questions regarding what you are looking for, or if you have any feedback on the new look and feel of this blog, please don't hesitate to let me know.

I continue to monitor any and all Church news and temple developments and will do my level best to bring word of those 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. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly-added 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.

Additional Church News Reported (Including Official Statement on Pittsburgh Tragedy)

Hello again, everyone! Some additional Church news has been reported within the last 12 hours or less, which I wanted to pass along today. Most notably, an official statement has been released by the Church in response to this weekend's shooting at the Pittsburgh Tree of Life Jewish mosque. Though only two paragraphs in length, the strongly-worded statement expresses prayers and support for those impacted by the tragedy, addresses the violation of the sanctity of houses of worship (which is what happened here), provided a strong and unequivocal condemnation of anti-Semitic attitudes and actions, and spelled out our mutual obligation to protect the rights of people of all faiths to worship as they choose.

This statement appears to me to be the most strongly- and forcefully-worded reaction to such a situation I have seen in any of the wide coverage on this tragic event. The idea that anyone would interfere with another's God-given and (in the United States) constitutionally-protected right to worship as they choose rightly ought to be repulsive to people of all religions or no religion.

We have also seen a sharp increase in politically- and religiously-motivated attacks, and I appreciate the First Presidency issuing this statement, which makes the Church's position on this matter clear. President Nelson has echoed the invitation previously issued by President Hinckley: "Bring all the good you have, and let us see if we can add to it."  That invitation still stands, but it is coupled with the doctrine found in the 11th article of faith (which is the only one that does not begin with "We believe"),

That article states the following: "We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may." As the statement capably observed, a threat to the rights of anyone to practice their religion is a threat to the rights of all those who practice any or no religion. The Church's statement is yet another in the series of recent examples demonstrating just how much our apostles and prophets are aware of what's happening in the world, and are thus able to appropriately and unequivocally condemn such behavior.

Moving on to other Church news that has come in, a couple more articles have been released in relation to yesterday's dedication of the Concepcion Chile Temple. President Nelson spoke to media representatives following that event, and he made some very interesting observations about how he views the Church, his recent South American trip, and regarding what's ahead for him. Among the things he said was that the Church is still in the process of being restored, and that "there is much more to come."

After sharing the history of the Church in Chile (including that of the Concepcion Chile Temple), the article goes on to talk about how rapidly the Church has expanded in South America since his birth in 1924. There were also insights shared from members whose families were among the first to join the Church as Chilean natives. It was also observed that the Concepcion Chile Temple was built with the view to protecting it from future natural disasters, and the article noted that, in the temple, an earthquake ranking at 10 on the Richter scale would, within the temple walls, only have an impact of 2 on that same scale.

President Nelson then made another remarkable statement. After reiterating the idea that prophets and apostles are called to serve the world, and not just to be special witnesses of Christ to the members of the Church, he said that the 5 countries he visited on this trip were just a "drop in the bucket", or, in other terms, he has barely scratched the surface. He announced his intention to do another leg of his Global Ministry Tour in the near future, and said that, while he may not get a chance to visit each of the over 200 nations in the world, he will get to as many as he can.

Noting that, I ran some calculations, and with President Nelson having visited Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Central America, Europe, South America, and various areas of the United States and Canada, about the only regions he hasn't visited as Church president yet are the Pacific Islands (which, by extension, may include the Philippines) and Brazil. If I have any of that information incorrect, please feel free to let me know.

In the meantime, the man who wrote a recent biography for Pope Francis had the opportunity to sit down with and interview President Nelson during this leg of his South American trip, and noted some insights he gained through both scenarios about why leaders need to get close to the people they serve. And a photographer has provided some insight into what it is like to travel with the prophet. All of these news stories are well worthy of your time and attention, and I can recommend them to you all without reservation. I do continue to monitor any and all Church news stories and temple developments and will keep doing my level best to pass those along to you all as I receive word of it.

That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time. Thank you for the privilege of your time. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly-added 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.

Further Changes On the Design and Layout of This Blog

Hello again, everyone! This will just be a quick post to note that I have continued to make periodic tweaks to the look, layout, and configuration of this blog. The layout as it now stands will hopefully provide a better experience for all of you who read it. A comment on content I posted several hours ago alerted me to some issues with some of the things I had tried to adjust, and hopefully I have fixed that issue, and no further tweaks will be necessary for the next little while.

That said, if any of you have any feedback for me on what is working and what isn't in relation to this new look and feel, I'd especially appreciate hearing from you. I am constantly gratified to know that my thoughts, such as they are, regarding things I feel impressed to "sound off" about are contributing, in some small way, to the ongoing discussion of Church news and temple developments.

I do continue to monitor all such things on an ongoing basis, and will, to the best of my ability, keep passing 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, on any post at any time. Thank you for the privilege of your time. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly-added 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.