Some Preliminary Observations About the Potential Speaking Order for General Conference

Hello again, everyone! I am back, as promised earlier this afternoon with some revised observations about the potential speaking order for General Conference. First, by way of review, you can find the speaking order on those predictions as they currently stand here. Turning to details of that order, since President Nelson only conducted 1 General Conference session last April (the Sunday Morning Session), and opted to have his counselors conduct the four general sessions in October (since the Women's Session continues to be conducted by one of the three female auxiliary General Presidents), I think the scenario that applied last April will again apply for this upcoming General Conference, with his counselors conducting two sessions each, and President Nelson conducting the Sunday Morning Session.

Second, since President Eyring will likely be the concluding speaker for the Saturday Morning Session (as President Oaks was last October), I feel confident that President Oaks will conduct that session. If he does, since President Eyring led the Sustaining of Church Officers in the Saturday Afternoon Session last October (while President Oaks conducted that session) and since that was reversed last April (with President Eyring conducting the session and President Oaks leading the sustaining), last April's scenario seems likely to be repeated.

Since President Eyring conducted the Priesthood Session last April, I think it is safe to assume that President Oaks will do so this go-round. President Nelson would then conduct the Sunday Morning Session, and President Eyring will likely conduct the Sunday Afternoon Session. Barring anything unexpected, I would anticipate President Nelson speaking at least 4 times (at the beginning of the Saturday Morning Session, and the ends of the Priesthood Session and the Sunday Morning and Afternoon Sessions, but he could speak more than that, if any other major announcements are coming down the pike.

I would also assume that the entire First Presidency will speak in the Priesthood Session. And if President Eyring does speak to conclude the Saturday Morning Session, President Oaks could do so at the top of either the Sunday Morning or Sunday Afternoon Sessions. Since Easter Sunday does not coincide with General Conference Sunday this year as it did last year, I am not anticipating that the entire First Presidency will speak to conclude the Sunday Morning Session.

As for the Quorum of the Twelve, I can see a minimum of 3 possible scenarios in terms of their speaking order. Each of those scenarios has 2 members speaking in both the Saturday Morning and Sunday Afternoon Sessions, with 4 more speaking on Saturday Afternoon. The first and second scenarios feature two different members of the Quorum speaking during the Priesthood Session, with 3 others speaking during the Sunday Morning Session. The third scenario features both of the apostles from the other two scenarios speaking in the Priesthood Session (which would allow for any unexpected announcements during that session), with the remaining two apostles speaking on Sunday Morning.

Other than that, the speaking order I am anticipating isn't changed at all in any of the three scenarios. Of course, depending on which of the three scenarios I use, some alterations might be necessary. I am anticipating that the member of the Presiding Bishopric who will speak to us will be Second Counselor Bishop W. Christopher Waddell. I am likewise anticipating two members of the Presidency of the Seventy will speak to us, and I believe those two will be Elders Terence M. Vinson and Elder Carlos A. Godoy in the Saturday and Sunday Morning Sessions respectively. Elder Vinson has only given 1 talk since his call as a General Authority (in October 2013) and Elder Godoy has only spoken twice since his call as a General Authority (in October 2008 following his call as a General Authority, and in October 2014).

It has been a little difficult in recent years to know how many general officers of the Church might speak during General Conference. When President Monson reduced his speaking load in April 2015, the general officers were tapped with extra speaking opportunities to fill the time. Given that the Women's Session will not be held this go-round, I am anticipating that Sister Lisa L. Harkness, First Counselor in the Primary General Presidency, will speak in the Saturday Morning Session, that Young Men General President Stephen W. Owen will do so in the Priesthood Session, that Sharon Eubank, First Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency, will do so in the Sunday Morning Session, and that Sunday School General President Tad R. Callister will speak during the Sunday Afternoon Session, following his likely release the previous afternoon.

It is even more difficult to know which General Authority Seventies might speak to us. After researching the matter, I have none speaking in the Saturday Morning Session, Elder Scott D. Whiting giving his second talk along with Elder Mathias Held's first in the Saturday Afternoon Session, and the first talk for Elder David P. Homer occurring during the Priesthood Session, Elders Marcus B. Nash and Anthony D. Perkins giving their third talks in the Sunday Morning and Afternoon Sessions respectively, with Elder Kyle S. McKay giving his first talk in the Sunday Afternoon Session.

I also have Elder David S. Baxter giving his third talk in the Sunday Afternoon Session after speaking previously in the April 2012 and October 2006 General Conferences. That said, I wanted to note that his biography on the Church website notes that he is currently on medical leave from his Salt Lake headquarters assignments, and unless I am mistaken, he is dealing with cancer, which, if that is still true, may prevent him from speaking during this General Conference. And in reference to these predicted speakers, I wanted to reach out to you, Scott Shipley, because I believe you had indicated that you were keeping a database on General Authority Seventies, and if I am missing anything in this paragraph about any of the GA Seventies who haven't spoken in a while (or at all) that may do so during this General Conference. Thanks in advance for the information.

In the meantime, that does it for this post. I will be posting again shortly to provide a more specific look at the three potential scenarios I see as possibilities in terms of apostolic speaking order. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made in accordance with the established guidelines. 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.

Some Additional Thoughts About the Future of the Temple Building Program of the Church

Hello again, everyone! Earlier this afternoon, I was on the Church Growth Blog, and a comment was made about the extent of President Nelson's temple-building plans which I wanted to address more fully here. The comment suggested that the recent statements by Elders Larry Y. Wilson and Quentin L. Cook might not mean what everyone seems to think they do. Another point was that, given Elder Wilson's statement (which he made in late April 2017 after President Monson made the final temple location announcement of his prophetic administration) mentioned 85 temples in 15 years, the number we would likely see within that time was closer to 66 or 190 rather than a ten-fold increase of the total number of temples. I attempted to post the following response, but when it became too lengthy, I opted to reproduce it here for more thorough discussion:

The argument that the statements of Elders Cook and Wilson may not have been indicative of as much of an increase in the number of temples may miss the mark. Elder Cook's recent statement was reportedly made in a stake conference held after the October General Conference, so none of the 19 temples announced last year "counted"  in that statement. Elder Wilson's statement, made in late April 2017 after President Monson made what would become the final set of new temple announcements during his administration, was actually 80 in 15 years, which would have been an average of 5 per year. It is almost impossible to tell which of the 19 locations was on that list, but what we do know is that President Nelson didn't plan on announcing a temple in India, and the announcement even caught those in the temple department by surprise, since it hadn't been discussed as a prospect beforehand. So at most, only 18 of the temples announced in 2018 could have been on that list.

Because no one outside of Church headquarters has seen the list of those locations, it is almost impossible to know whether any of the other 18 locations were actually on that list. Many of the locations did need a temple at some point, but for all we know, none of the 19 locations might have been on that list, or some might have been while others weren't. Another thing to consider is the fact that both Elder Wilson and Elder Cook (the former is serving as the Executive Director of the Temple Department, while the latter had served up until some point last year as the chairman of the Temple and Family History Executive Council) would be in-the-know about the details and extent of the plans because of their roles in those discussions.

So if we take Elder Cook at his word as one who has been in the know about that, there will be a tenfold increase. And since there was no qualifier added (as he did not say add a zero to the number of temples announced last year, or the number of temples currently announced), I assume that he meant add a zero to the current number, whether or not that relates to the number currently operating (161) or the grand total number (201), we are almost certainly going to see an unprecedented number of new temples announced, which is further evidenced by the fact that the Church is hiring a whole host of new employees for the temple department, for the express purpose of accommodating a surge in temple construction.

I think that the statements of both Elder Wilson and Elder Cook should be seen as equally meritorious, as both were privy to the discussions of that council. And don't forget, Elder Wilson's statement came before Elder Cook's did. So it is possible that President Monson set in motion the plan to announce 80 temples in 15 years, but was unable to act on it, and President Nelson not only opted to continue to act on that plan, but under the direction of the Lord, is expanding it in the ways apostles have described. If it were just one apostle mentioning this in one setting, I would have an easier time believing that the goal is closer to 85 or 190 temples.

But several members of the Quorum of the Twelve have spoken on this subject, and I take them at their word. I know that some of the reports of what those apostles have said have come from someone who heard it from someone who heard it from someone who asked the apostle about that. And if there's one thing I know in that regard, it is that the message can get confused or distorted the more it is passed from one person to another. But again, more than one apostle has reportedly mentioned things like this, including that President Nelson's status as the foremost building Church President will outpace and overshadow President Hinckley's previous legacy as such.

Another thing to consider here: Through his many decades in heart surgery, President Nelson has honed a sharp skill of attention to detail, getting to the heart of an issue (pun intended), and being ahead of the curve when it comes to decision-making. Perhaps President Monson had hoped to roll out some of the changes introduced in 2018 gradually, including an increase in the number of new temple announcements, but his declining health and ultimate decision in May 2017 to step back from an active role in leading the Church precluded and prevented that from happening. By contrast, President Nelson has had the health and vitality his predecessor lacked to move such priorities and the timing of them ahead of what was expected, and if he can do that, then I have no problem believing that he has set in motion and will continue to act on a plan to rapidly expand the number of temples and accelerate the process whereby they are built.

If the San Juan Puerto Rico Temple is any indication, then it will be easy for the Church to move temples announced in 2018 and beyond into construction far more swiftly than we have heretofore seen. Maybe for some temples it won't be as fast, but if most temples have construction underway within less than a year of their announcement and are on the smaller side, then it is not hard to envision the number of temples rapidly increasing beyond what anyone not privy to those conversations could expect. In fact, I have heard from a number of people around the world who are in a position to know about the temples in their nations of residence that land has been or will shortly be procured, that designs have been in the works for a while, or will be able to be drawn up and approved very quickly, and that building permits are also in the process of being acquired. Many of those temples may not only be on the smaller side, but may also more importantly be able to have a groundbreaking later this year, similarly to the Puerto Rico Temple.

Matt Martinich, who maintains the Church Growth Blog, has spoken to Church leaders or had contact with Church members who got word directly from the apostles, and has shared repeatedly on that blog that a surge is expected in temple announcements and construction. President Nelson stated in late October (as verified by the official Newsroom): "If you think this year [2018] was exciting, wait until next year, and the next year, and the next. Eat your vitamin pills. Get your rest. It's going to be exciting." I cannot say he was talking about temple construction, but given that that comment was made in an interview following the dedication of the Concepcion Chile Temple, he may have been talking about a whole host of things, and not just temple construction. But I also can't say he wasn't talking about temple construction at all.

President Nelson has done more in the first year of his prophetic administration than some Church Presidents of the past have done in twice or quadruple that amount of time, including setting a new record for the most temples announced in the first year of a prophet's administration. But more than that, 17 of the 19 locations had a specific city identified, so that adds to the record. New temple announcements are almost sure to continue, and things I have shared here indicate to me very strongly that a vast number of new temples are on the horizon for the years ahead, which will likewise set new records. On this blog, Elder Cook's statement was "take the current number, and add a zero to it." I don't think he was referring to the number of currently-announced temples or the number of those announced this year, or that would have been explicit in his statement.

As verified by numerous sources (including those endorsed by the Church), several apostles have directly addressed President Nelson's love for temples, and his desire to bring them closer to the people of the Church around the world who have to sacrifice so much to get to the nearest temple once. That said, it is also true that unless and until President Nelson spells out his plans through an official announcement or over the pulpit, we do have to rely almost solely on the statement of apostles, whether heard personally or through someone else. But 19 new temples in the first year of any prophet's administration is unheard of, and I have not seen anything anywhere that would indicate a slowing of new temples being announced. If anything, we are likely to see more temples like San Juan Puerto Rico, which can have approval granted, an artist's rendering released, and a groundbreaking held within 6-12 months following their announcements.

I am in the happy position of being able to share with you all that many of the temples announced last year have already had a site procured, preliminary plans drawn up and in various stages of approval, and are anticipated, like the San Juan temple, to have a groundbreaking later this year or in 2020. I have been able to find information that verifies this. So there will be a surge in the future, especially if temples announced this year and in the years following are planned to be on the smaller side, for which securing land and approval is much easier than it has been for other temples.

For what it's worth, these are the thoughts I had in response to the comment on the Church Growth Blog that the statement may have been misunderstood. I hope what I have shared here is helpful to all who read these observations. That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made in accordance with the established guidelines. 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.

Updated Specific Estimates for Known Temple Events

Hello again, everyone! Just a few moments ago, I finally finished the revision process for my more specific estimates for known temple events. The updates follow below. So as not to 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 everything you do.

2019:

Saturday January 26: Groundbreaking for the Bangkok Thailand Temple (confirmed)

Note: On November 27, 2018, just 8 days following the afore-mentioned announcement of the groundbreaking information for the Urdaneta Philippines Temple, the First Presidency also announced that the groundbreaking for this temple would be held 10 days after that one. Elder David F. Evans, who serves as President of the Asia Area, will preside at this event, which is set to be held at 10:00 AM Bangkok time (which is 8:00 PM on Friday January 26 MST). Since a general completion estimate of 3-4 years has been given for the construction of this temple, I have felt a more specific but still general completion estimate of mid-2022 would be appropriate.

Sunday March 10-Tuesday March 12: Dedication of the Rome Italy Temple (162^nd operating temple; confirmed)

Note: The First Presidency announced the amended dedication dates for this temple on November 8, 2018. Given that this dedication will now be held over three days rather than the previously-announced 8-day period, there may be only 2-3 of our 15 apostles participating in this event. That said, it would not surprise me in any way if this dedication was either the start or conclusion of another leg of President Nelson’s ongoing Global Ministry Tour.

Saturday & Sunday April 6 & 7: 189^th General Conference

Note: Because 19 temples were announced in 2018 (which may have been President Nelson’s way of starting slowly), and because one of his major focuses during his first year as Church President has been highlighting the importance of temples, I’m sure we will see several new temples announced during this General Conference.

Sunday April 14: Dedication of the Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple (163^rd operating temple; confirmed)

Note: In view of the facts that the dedication of this temple will occur after the April General Conference, and that following the April 2018 General Conference, President Nelson began his Global Ministry Tour, I could see President Nelson doing another leg of his tour in conjunction with this temple’s dedication, whether that tour starts or ends with this dedication, or whether this dedication is held sometime in the mid-point of that tour.

April or May: Groundbreaking for the Pocatello Idaho Temple

Note: In January 2019, many sources I had available noted that this temple would have a groundbreaking in the spring. That could occur at some point after General Conference (and thus be held before the already-scheduled groundbreaking for the San Juan Temple), or it could occur in May, either on the same day as that for the San Juan temple, or at any other time during the month. Although an apostle (particularly any with ties to Pocatello) could preside at this groundbreaking when it occurs, or that could be done by any of the 3 members of the Idaho Area Presidency (Elders Wilford W. Andersen, S. Gifford Nielsen, or Brian K. Taylor).

Saturday May 4: Groundbreaking for the San Juan Puerto Rico Temple

Note: On January 12, 2019, the First Presidency released the artist’s rendering for this temple (which was announced in October 2018). 5 days later (on January 17), the groundbreaking for this temple was announced to occur on this day in May. Elder Walter F. Gonzalez, president of the Church’s Caribbean Area, will preside at that ceremony.

Sunday May 5: Private rededication of the Memphis Tennessee Temple (confirmed)

Note: On January 16, 2019, the First Presidency announced the private rededication of this temple would take place in a single session on this date, that Elder Jeffrey R. Holland would preside at the rededication, and that no open house or youth devotional would be held prior to this event.

Sunday May 19: Private rededication of the Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temple (confirmed)

Note: On January 16, 2019, the private rededication for the Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temple was announced. President Henry B. Eyring will preside at the single-session rededication, which will not be preceded by an open house or youth devotional.

Sunday June 2: Dedication of the Fortaleza Brazil Temple (165^th operating temple; confirmed)

Note: On January 10, 2018, the First Presidency announced this temple’s dedication. In an unusual (but not unexpected) move, that dedication has been scheduled to occur two weeks prior to the rededication of the Oakland California Temple. To the best of my knowledge, this is the first time a dedication has been set to occur prior to a rededication which has previously been announced. Usually, a temple’s rededication has been set to occur prior to a previously-announced temple dedication. As noted on other temples, President Nelson could preside at this event himself, or he could delegate one of his counselors or a senior member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to do so.

Sunday June 16: Rededication of the Oakland California Temple (confirmed)

Note: This temple’s rededication was announced on December 18, 2018. As noted above, the dedication of the Fortaleza Brazil Temple, announced almost a month later, has been set to occur before this temple’s rededication.

August: Private rededications for the Raleigh North Carolina and Baton Rouge Louisiana Temples

Note: Given the unexpected announcement of the private rededications for the Memphis Tennessee and Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temples (and the fact that both will be operating again before the General Authorities take their annual July recess), it is not hard to believe that both of these temples, for which their renovation processes seem to be on track, could have a rededication within the month following that recess.

Sunday September 1: Dedication of the Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple (165^th operating temple; confirmed)

Note: On November 14, 2018, the First Presidency announced the open house and dedication information for this temple. Then, on January 18, 2019, the dedication was pushed back to this date in view of all that still needed to be done on the construction process.

Mid-to-late September: Dedication of the Durban South Africa Temple (166^th operating temple)

Note: If the construction of the Durban South Africa Temple continues on schedule, then it is not hard to believe that a dedication for it could occur before General Conference. And given the precedent set earlier this year relating to the Memphis Tennessee and Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temples (that both are going to have a one-session private rededication), it is not hard to believe that the Raleigh Temple could easily have a rededication at this point.

Saturday & Sunday October 5 & 6: 189^th Semiannual General Conference:

Note: Depending on what is done by this time to clear the existing backlog of announced temples, it seems more likely than not that several new temples will be announced during this weekend.

Mid-to-late October: Rededication of the Frankfurt Germany Temple

Mid-November: Dedication of the Lisbon Portugal Temple (167^th operating temple)

December: Dedication of the Arequipa Peru Temple (168^th operating temple)

Note: The Arequipa temple has progressed swiftly. Given the earlier timing that has been announced or is anticipated for the private rededications of Hinckley-era temples this year, that fact, combined with the fact that construction may be ahead of schedule, has me confident enough to conjecture that this temple could likely be dedicated during the last month of this year. But I could also see the Church waiting to dedicate this temple until after Christmas 2019 and New Year 2020.

Final note on 2019: Given what I have heard about 2019, it seems more likely than not that several temples will have a groundbreaking at some point during that year. As noted above, the groundbreakings have been scheduled for the Bangkok Thailand and San Juan Puerto Rico Temples, while the groundbreaking for the Pocatello Idaho is anticipated to occur within the second quarter of 2019. I am also anticipating that a groundbreaking for the Saratoga Springs Utah (and perhaps also) Brasilia Brazil Temples will be held in mid-2019. Additionally, based on what I know at the present time, I am keeping my eyes open for information on the Nairobi Kenya, Lima Peru Los Olivos, Harare Zimbabwe, and Greater Manila Philippines Temples, most (if not all) of which could have a groundbreaking by the end of 2019. But given the fact that we unexpectedly saw a groundbreaking set for the San Juan temple, then that opens the prospect that other temples announced by President Nelson in 2018 could also have a groundbreaking if their size expedites the approval process.

2020:

Mid-February: Rededication of the Asuncion Paraguay Temple

Saturday & Sunday April 4 & 5: 190^th Annual General Conference

Note: Barring anything unexpected, I would anticipate several new temples being announced during this weekend.

Mid-April: Dedication of the Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple (169^th operating temple)

Mid-to-late May: Rededication of the Tokyo Japan Temple

June or early-to-mid August: Dedication of the Winnipeg Manitoba Temple (170^th operating temple)

Saturday & Sunday October 3 & 4: 190^th Semiannual General Conference

Note: Temple announcements are always possible, so it is not hard to believe that a few could be announced during this General Conference.

Mid-October: Rededication of the Mesa Arizona Temple

Mid-November: Dedication of the Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple (171^st operating temple)

Note: At the groundbreaking for this temple (which occurred on November 8, 2018), Elder Neil L. Andersen, who presided at this event and gave his remarks in French, noted that construction of the temple was anticipated to take around two years. For that reason, I am moving my previous estimate for this temple’s dedication up to this point.

Mid-December: Rededication of the Washington DC Temple

Final note on 2020: Some of the announced temples that will have a groundbreaking between now and the end of 2019 could potentially be dedicated during this year. And several other announced temples (I currently have 7 on my radar) could have a groundbreaking during 2020 as well.

2021:

Saturday & Sunday April 3 & 4: 191^st Annual General Conference

Note: Depending on what happens between now (early December 2018) and the dates for this General Conference, I could easily see several new temples announced.

Mid-to-late April: Dedication of the Urdaneta Philippines Temple (172^nd operating temple)

Early-to-mid June: Rededication of the Hamilton New Zealand Temple

Mid-August: Dedication of the San Juan Puerto Rico Temple (173^rd operating temple)

Saturday & Sunday October 2 & 3: 191^st Semiannual General Conference

Note: I am hoping that by the time this particular General Conference weekend rolls around, the temple construction program of the Church will have progressed to the point where some temples will continue to be announced every six months.

Final note on 2021: If, as anticipated, several more temples are announced in 2019 and 2020, and any which have not yet had a groundbreaking have that occur within that same time period, that in turn will multiply the number of known temple events which will likely occur in 2021 and the years beyond. As more is learned about future temple renovations, that will also have an impact on the number of future events.

2022:

Saturday & Sunday April 2 & 3: 192^nd Annual General Conference

Note: Since the face of the Church’s temple construction program will likely look entirely different by this time, I would anticipate the announcement of several new temples.

Mid-August: Dedication of the Bangkok Thailand Temple (173^rd operating temple)

Note: Because this temple is significantly larger than temples which have been built in recent years, delays in that construction process are more likely than not. It is also worth noting that the official number for this temple is almost certain to change as other temples have a groundbreaking and construction and are potentially completed before this one is.

Saturday & Sunday October 1 & 2: 192^nd Semiannual General Conference

Note:  As noted above (for the 2022 April General Conference), by this time, it is more likely than not that the face of the Church’s temple construction program will be looking entirely different. With that in mind, it seems more likely than not that other temples could be announced during this General Conference.

Mid-to-late November: Dedication of the Pocatello Idaho Temple (174^th operating temple)

Final note: As noted a few different times here, within the 3.95 years or so between now and the end of 2022, the face of the Church’s temple construction program will likely look very different. We currently have a Church President who has clearly prioritized bringing the temples to the people, and the fact that he announced 19 new temples within his first year as such verifies that beyond doubt. I also am equally certain he will do all he can to clear the existing backlog of announced temples. With that in mind, there will likely be many more temple events to add to this list in the future. I am committed to bringing updates in that regard to you all as I receive them.

Temple Construction Updates Noted

Hello again, everyone! Due to an impressive number of temple updates which have been provided, along with the vast number of changes I have made to the section for announced temples on my temple construction progress report (in light of new information I found and my reanalysis thereof), I thought it would be most effective if I again posted the latest version of that report in its' entirety. The updated report follows below.

But before I end this post by sharing that report, I also wanted to mention one additional item of Church news: the latest article in the ongoing Church news series: "This Week on Social". In this week's edition, posts from Church President Russell M. Nelson, Elders Dieter F. Uchtdorf, David A. Bednar, Ronald A. Rasband, Dale G. Renlund, and Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and Sister Jean B. Bingham, Relief Society General President, covered the topics of the Rome Italy Temple open house, President Nelson's visit with those affected by the Paradise Campfire in California, trials and tribulations, the new curriculum, gospel study in general, among other highlights.

We live in a remarkable time where Church leaders can share inspirational messages and encouragement on various platforms of social media. In a day of frigid, contentious, and possibly unethical political environments around the world, when integrity and moral strength are held in derision, and where integrity is compromised as a lack of these values cause the very foundation of stable, wise, and just governments to plummet, it is wonderful that some platforms used by others to perpetuate half-truths or blatant falsehoods, to deny the very existence of truth, or to justify, cover up, or conceal misconduct that ought to be illegal, or to bully, threaten, or criticize others, can be used by others to uplift, inspire, encourage, and express love and support.

Sorry for that run-on sentence. I am grateful to have been able to share the latest Church news with you and look forward to your reactions to the latest version of my report. There may be changes coming to that report in the near or more distant future. I have one or two developments on which I am doing more research before making such changes, so stay tuned for that.

The updated report follows below. So as not to 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, as long as such comments are made in accordance with the established guidelines. 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.

Temple Construction Progress Report (current as of 1/23/19)

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 at least 200 operating temples by or before Saturday April 6, 2030 (which will mark the Church’s bicentennial anniversary).

With the 12 temples announced during the October 2018 General Conference, the Church now has a total of 201 temples in any phase. With that and plans to accelerate the temple construction process in mind, it is more likely than not that there will be 200 operating temples by or before Saturday April 6, 2030 (which will mark the Church’s bicentennial anniversary), whether or not an official goal is made to do so. The Church would just need to complete 39 of the temples in various phases in the 11.20 years between now and then, which could be done if 3.48 temples are dedicated each year. Since 6 new temples will be dedicated within the next year, I can easily see the Church having 200 temples in operation by that date, and would anticipate there being more than that. Time will tell, but it seems to be a safe bet.

Current temple status: The Church has 201 temples in various phases. There are 161 in operation; while 3 others have a dedication scheduled; 7 more are currently in various phases of construction; 1 temple has construction pending following its’ groundbreaking; and 2 others has a groundbreaking scheduled. Also, 11 temples are currently closed for renovation (3 of which have a rededication announced, with 3 or 4 others that are also anticipated to be rededicated next year). The remaining 27 are announced, several of which are likely to have a groundbreaking in 2019 and the years following that.

During the October General Conference, President Nelson also announced that many more operating temples will be renovated in the near future, including several pioneer-era temples (most significantly the Salt Lake Temple), and that more information will be released in the coming months about which temples are closing, and what the renovations will involve and entail.

VIP/Media Tours Underway:

162. Rome Italy Temple: VIP/Media tours underway; accepting reservations for open house (through Saturday February 16); dedication scheduled for Sunday March 10-Tuesday March 12, 2019.

Dedication scheduled:

163. Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple: Construction completed; preparing temple for public open house; painting and refreshing other buildings on site; dedication scheduled for Sunday April 14, 2019.

164. Fortaleza Brazil Temple: Construction completed; furnishing and preparing buildings for public open house; dedication scheduled for Sunday June 2, 2019.

165. Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple: Interior drywall finished; stone installation underway in baptistry; door frames and crown moldings being installed; pouring concrete for parking lots; dedication scheduled for Sunday September 1, 2019.

Under construction; completion anticipated during 2019:

166. Durban South Africa Temple: Drywalling, painting, tiling, plumbing, and installing HVAC, electrical, and fire suppression equipment; adding more trees and plants; completion estimated sometime during mid-to-late 2019.

167. Lisbon Portugal Temple: Concrete slab poured for monument sign; adding hard landscaping structure on north side of temple; completion estimated sometime during late 2019.

Under construction; completion anticipated during 2019-2020:

168. Arequipa Peru Temple: Installing and testing exterior lighting; fencing being installed around perimeter; interior work progressing; completion estimated sometime during late 2019-early 2020.

                                                                  

Under construction; completion anticipated during 2020:

169. Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple: Stone cladding exterior walls and tower; stained-glass windows installed; completion estimated sometime during early 2020.

170. Winnipeg Manitoba Temple: Building the temple foundation; wood framing and sheathing going up for meetinghouse; completion estimated sometime during mid-2020.

Under construction; completion anticipated sometime during 2020-2021:

171. Abidjan Côte d'Ivoire Temple: Setting poles for construction barrier; completion estimated sometime during late 2020-early 2021.

Construction pending (completion anticipated sometime during 2021):

172. Urdaneta Philippines Temple: Groundbreaking held on January 16, 2019; full-scale construction pending; completion estimated sometime during early-to-mid 2021.

Groundbreaking scheduled:

173. Bangkok Thailand Temple: Old Church office building demolished; preparing for groundbreaking, which is scheduled for Saturday January 26, 2019 @ 10:00 AM; completion estimated sometime during mid-2022.

Note: Bangkok time is 14 hours ahead of Utah time, so the groundbreaking for this temple will take place @ 8:00 PM Friday January 25, 2019 Utah time.

174. San Juan Puerto Rico Temple: Trujillo Alto Ward chapel to close on January 19, 2019 in preparation for demolition; groundbreaking scheduled for Saturday May 4, 2019; completion estimated sometime during early-to-mid 2021.

Note: The groundbreaking information for this temple was confirmed by a First Presidency announcement on January 17, 2019. Walter F. Gonzalez, President of the Caribbean Area of the Church, will preside at this ceremony.

Groundbreaking anticipated (official confirmation of timing pending)

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

Note: Although nothing has been confirmed in terms of the timing for this temple’s groundbreaking, since it is anticipated in spring 2019, I am estimating a more specific time-frame of mid-to-late April (which means it would occur prior to the already-announced groundbreaking for the San Juan Puerto Rico Temple), or some point in May. It may even be possible that the Church could set it for May 4 (to coincide with the Puerto Rico Temple’s groundbreaking).

Undergoing Renovation (rededication scheduled)

80. Memphis Tennessee Temple: Closed for renovation; stone cladding completed; installing stained-glass windows; private rededication scheduled for Sunday May 5, 2019.

95. Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temple: Closed for renovation; stone cladding entrance; landscaping underway; private rededication scheduled for Sunday May 19, 2019.

13. Oakland California Temple: Closed for renovation; interior work progressing; rededication scheduled for Sunday June 16, 2019.

Undergoing Renovation (rededication estimated sometime during 2019):

68. Raleigh North Carolina Temple: Closed for renovation; stone cladding exterior walls; temporary glass installed; rededication estimated sometime during mid-to-late 2019.

94. Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple: Closed for renovation; exterior walls waterproofed; installing hanging brackets for exterior stone; stone cladding progressing on rear side of temple; installing lamp-posts; rededication estimated sometime during mid-to-late 2019.

41. Frankfurt Germany Temple: Closed for renovation; installing landscaping irrigation; planting trees and shrubs; completion estimated sometime during mid-to-late 2019.

Undergoing Renovation (rededication estimated sometime during 2019-2020):

112. Asuncion Paraguay Temple: Closed for renovation; interior and exterior work underway; rededication estimated sometime during late 2019-early 2020.

                                                                                                                                  

Undergoing Renovation (rededication estimated sometime during 2020):

18. Tokyo Japan Temple: Closed for renovation; exterior and interior renovations underway; rededication estimated sometime during early-to-mid 2020.

16. Washington D. C. Temple: Closed for renovation; interior completely dismantled; Christmas lights on display as renovation work continues; rededication may take place sometime during mid-to-late 2020.

8. Mesa Arizona Temple: Closed for renovation; installing water retention and irrigation systems; excavating for underground parking at Family Discovery Center; rededication may take place sometime during mid-to-late 2020.

Undergoing Renovation (rededication estimated sometime during 2021):

11. Hamilton New Zealand Temple: Closed for renovation; dismantling interior; rededication may take place sometime during early-to-mid 2021.

Note on announced temples: As noted previously, this section is split into two sub-categories. The first contains those for which there is sufficient information for me to estimate a rough window for a subsequent groundbreaking, 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. I reordered the list yet again on January 6-7, 2019.

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

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

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-to-late 2019.

178. Brasilia Brazil Temple: Planning and approval phase; property fence installed around temple site; groundbreaking could occur in mid-to-late 2019.

179. Harare Zimbabwe Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement; President Nelson visited potential site on April 17, 2018; groundbreaking anticipated in late 2019.

180. Nairobi Kenya Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement; media event held June 14, 2017; groundbreaking could occur in late 2019-early 2020.

181. Greater Manila Philippines Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official name announcement; groundbreaking could occur in late 2019-early 2020.

182. Salta Argentina Temple: Planning and approval phase; announced April 1, 2018; groundbreaking could occur in early 2020.

183. Mendoza Argentina Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking could occur in early 2020.

184. Puebla Mexico Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking could occur in early-to-mid 2020.

185. Auckland New Zealand Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking could occur in early-to-mid 2020.

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

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

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

189. 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-to-late 2020.

190. Phnom Penh Cambodia Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking could occur in late 2020.

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

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

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

193. Cagayan de Oro Philippines Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

194. Salvador Brazil Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

195. Yuba City, California Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

196. Praia Cape Verde Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

197. Yigo Guam Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

198. Lagos Nigeria Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

199. Davao Philippines Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

200. Russia Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official city and site announcement.

201. Washington County Utah Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official city and site announcement.

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 TEMPLE NEWS: New Dates Announced for Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple Open House, Dedication

Hello again, everyone! Breaking temple news was reported today. As some of you may know, the Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple has been stalled in its' current status for a while (with stone cladding taking longer than anticipated). As a result, the First Presidency today announced an updated schedule for that temple. According to this release from the Newsroom, the open house will now take place from Saturday August 3 to Saturday August 17, with the exception of the Sundays of August 4 and 11. The youth devotional will then follow on the night of Saturday August 31, and the temple will be dedicated in 3 sessions on Sunday September 1.

So the June 2 dedication of the Fortaleza Brazil Temple will now be held prior to the dedication of the Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple, and the Haiti temple will either be the first or second one dedicated in the second half of the year. I say that because depending on how consistently progress is made on the Durban South Africa Temple, that temple could potentially be dedicated prior to the Haiti Temple as well. Right now, the timing of the Durban dedication may be hard to determine. I will keep my eyes open for more on this as I become aware of it, and pass that along to you all here.

That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made in accordance with the established guidelines. 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.

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Groundbreaking Set for San Juan Puerto Rico Temple

Hello again, everyone! Within the last week, the artist's rendering was released for the San Juan Puerto Rico Temple. Today, the First Presidency officially announced that the groundbreaking ceremony for this temple will occur on Saturday May 4. Elder Walter F. Gonzalez, Carribean Area President, will preside at this event. Given the fact that Elder Gonzalez has served away from Church headquarters since January 2013 (first as president of the South America South Area, becoming Caribbean Area President in August 2016), I would anticipate this being one of the last official acts in that capacity, at which point he might be returning to Church headquarters, whether to serve in an area presidency based in Salt Lake, or in other capacities. Barring any other temples having a groundbreaking before that time, this will be the third temple groundbreaking of 2019.

Since construction on this temple is anticipated to take roughly two years, I will be setting a preliminary completion estimate of early-to-mid 2021, but could see reason to move that up depending on how quickly construction progresses. I have mentioned this elsewhere, but it bears repeating here: For any temple to have a site confirmed, artist's rendering released, and a groundbreaking held within less than 8 months of its' announcement has not been a common occurrence since the Hinckley-era temple-building boom ended. And that is significant any way it is considered.

It is possible that this temple could potentially be dedicated before the Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple is in 2021. It will be interesting to see how quickly this temple makes progress. And I am sure that Puerto Rico's status as a US territory is helping and will continue to help to expedite that process. I will keep my eyes open for more news on this and other temples and am committed to passing word of those along to you all as I become aware of it.

That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made in accordance with the established guidelines. 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.

New Mission Presidents Announced

Hello again, everyone! The Church News has published a list of new mission leadership (presidents and companions) who will begin serving later this year. Counted among that list are 8 currently-serving area seventies; several former area seventies, Elder Valeri V. Cordon, General Authority Seventy; and Reid L. Neilson, who currently is serving as assistant Church historian and recorder.

The 8 area seventies may or may not be released this April, as area seventies called as mission presidents have been known to fill both assignments for 1-3 General Conferences following the commencement of their service as mission presidents. Elder Cordon, who was sustained as a General Authority Seventy in April 2015, will need to be released as a member of the Central America Area Presidency.

And for Brother Neilson, insofar as I have been able to ascertain, the Church did not formally present his name for sustaining vote in General Conference, so his release may not be done over the pulpit either. But Elder Steven E. Snow, who serves as Church Historian and Recorder, and whose call was presented for sustaining vote, will be 70 in November, so perhaps the Church will bring on both a new Church Historian and Recorder and a new assistant. That will be interesting to learn more about.

Getting back to the subject of new mission leadership, their biographies will be published in the Church News in the coming weeks, and I will pass those along either in new posts on this blog or on the comments of previously-published posts as I become aware of them. That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made in accordance with the established guidelines.

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.

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Private Rededications Scheduled for Memphis Tennessee and Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temples; Groundbreaing Held for Urdaneta Philippines Temple

Hello again, everyone! I am back with some breaking temple news. According to this release from the Church's official Newsroom, single-session (where attendance will be by invitation only) private rededications for the Memphis Tennessee and Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temples. No public open house or youth devotionals will be held.

The Memphis Tennessee Temple rededication will take place on May 5, and Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will preside at that rededication. In the meantime, two weeks later, on Sunday May 19 (the same day on which the Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple will be dedicated), President Henry B. Eyring, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, will preside at the rededication of the Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temple. Neither rededication will be broadcast to meetinghouses, so the Sunday block will continue as regularly scheduled.

I do wonder if private rededications will become the new normal for the Hinckley-era smaller temples. That would take less planning, and would allow several rededications to take place over a shorter period of time as required in the future. But perhaps the biggest thing that this announcement does is enables these two temples to be back open before the General Authorities observe their annual July recess.

My older sister and her family are living in the southeastern United States right now, and from what I hear from them, the Saints in the eastern states have had an unexpectedly long commute to the next closest temples. So it will be good to have both temples operating again by mid-May. In fact, the rededications of both temples will be held before the already-scheduled rededication for the Oakland California Temple in June.

Just by way of reminder, President James E. Faust, who was then serving as Second Counselor in the First Presidency, originally presided at the dedications for both temples, with the Memphis dedication occurring on April 23, 2000, and the Oklahoma City dedication being one of the rare ones which occurred during the annual July recess, on July 30, 2000.

The other big bit of temple news is the confirmation of the groundbreaking for the Urdaneta Philippines Temple. The Philippines Newsroom shared this article about that event, which was linked to on the Church's official English Newsroom. That article does not specify the anticipated length of construction for that temple, but other sources have provided sometime in 2021 as a general window until more is known.  And if the construction of this temple stays on track, I could see construction being completed in early-to-mid 2021, if not sooner. I will offer a more specific estimate for that temple when I next post my list of other estimates for known temple events, which I hope to do within the next week or less.

I do continue to monitor any and all Church news and temple events and will bring you all word of those here as I become aware of it. That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made in accordance with the established guidelines. 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.

Major Church News Reported; Temple Developments Clarified

Hello again, everyone! In the early hours of this morning, the Church News and the Newsroom on the Church's official website shared some images and insights about and a look at the process relating to the construction for the Rome Italy Temple, where VIP/Media tours are underway beginning today, with formal public tours set to begin in a couple of weeks.

So, I wanted to pass along this release (from the Newsroom) and this article (from the Church News) which share some stunning interior photographs and describe the workmanship of the temple. Both of those articles feature quotes from Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, but they incorrectly describe his role as "chairman of Temple and Family History Department", but the Temple and Family History departments are two separate divisions.

Therefore, it appears his role is actually chair of the Temple and Family History Executive Council. This time last year, Elder Quentin L. Cook was serving in that capacity, so it seems safe to conclude that within the last year, there has been some transferal or shuffling of assignments between members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, particularly as a result of the reorganization of the First Presidency, Elder Uchtdorf's return to that Quorum, and the appointments in late March of Elders Gerrit W. Gong and Ulisses Soares to that Quorum.

And that makes sense. I mentioned in a post at some point within the last couple of months that Elder Holland's assignment to oversee the Middle East/Africa North Area has since been transferred to Elder Bednar. And as I mentioned in a post (or the comments thereof) on this blog, Elder Cook is now the chairman of the Priesthood and Family Executive Council, so it makes sense that the assignment to chair the Temple and Family History Executive Council has now been transferred to Elder Bednar.

Sorry about that sidenote. Getting back to the subject at hand (which is the opening of the Rome Italy Temple for public tours), the Church News additionally published this article, highlighting the journey involved to get the Christus and apostles' statues to the Rome Italy Temple Visitor's Center, and this one, which focuses on the symbolism of those statues.

Turning to other Church news now, I am honestly not sure whether I shared these items yesterday or not. Reports of the Renlunds' address to young single adults last night can be found via the Church News and on the Church's official Newsroom. Likewise, reports of the visit President and Sister Nelson and Elder and Sister Duncan made to victims of the Paradise Campfire can be found in the Church News and from the Newsroom.

The final item of Church news I wanted to share was reported earlier today. Sister Kristen Oaks, wife of President Dallin H. Oaks (who serves as First Counselor in the First Presidency) addressed single adults in the Holladay Utah area, sharing her views on the questions single adults should and should not be asking themselves. As some of you may be aware, President Oaks' first wife died in 1998, and he married Sister Kristen Oaks around two years later. So she wasn't married until she was in her 50s, and because of that, she can relate all-too-well to the experience of older single adults.

And I also was able to clarify some temple developments as well. It appears that what was originally reported as a construction fence which has been installed around the Brasilia Brazil Temple site was actually only a boundary fence, which means that the groundbreaking for that temple might not be as imminent as I thought it was. Additionally, it appears that there might be more work that needs to be done to prepare the site where the San Juan Puerto Rico Temple will be built than I originally believed. As a result, the groundbreaking for that temple may also not be as imminent as I believed it to be.

This also means that I will again be needing to look at and revise my list of announced temples, and make adjustments on the general estimates I have offered for their groundbreaking ceremonies. And it appears likely that both the Pocatello Idaho and Saratoga Springs Utah Temples will be the next ones to have a groundbreaking. As I have mentioned quite a few times on this blog, the process of analyzing the likely time-frames and providing well-researched general estimates for future temple groundbreakings is an ongoing process.

I do continue to monitor all Church news and temple developments and will be sure to bring word of those to you as I receive it, whether through new posts or comments on recently-published posts. In the meantime, that does it for now. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made in accordance with the established guidelines. 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.

President Russell M. Nelson's Prophetic Administration Reaches the One-Year Mark

Hello again, everyone! In the early hours of January 14, 2019, I am pleased to be able to post here in honor of the one-year mark of President Nelson's prophetic administration. As many of you may recall, I had found out about the passing of President Monson on January 2 after being prompted to check KSL's website, which resulted in my being able to find out and pass along that news not long after it was reported. During the 12-day apostolic interregnum which followed, mission calls were sent out with President Nelson's signature, since he was the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and thus was the Acting President of the Church.

In my summary of the funeral services for President Monson (which were held on January 12), I had noted that President Nelson looked very worn out, unwell, and exhausted. Two days later, he was ordained and set apart as Church President, and two days after that, we had the inaugural broadcast of the announcement of the reorganization of the First Presidency, followed by the traditional press conference.

In both of those settings, President Nelson looked considerably better. I had remarked when covering the events of January 14, 2018 that the prophetic mantle had clearly been placed upon President Nelson, and ventured a guess that the reason he looked so unwell during the funeral was because he had not yet been ordained and set apart to lead the Church. Once that occurred in the temple, he was literally ready to go.

He selected as his counselors his apostolic seatmate and dear friend, President Dallin H. Oaks, and retained President Henry B. Eyring in the First Presidency, asking him to serve as Second Counselor for a second time. (President Eyring had served as President Gordon B. Hinckley's Second Counselor for roughly 4 months prior to President Hinckley's passing, and had been asked to serve as First Counselor to President Thomas S. Monson.)

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, who had served as President Monson's Second Counselor, was not retained by President Nelson, and resumed his place in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, where he has been given quite a few responsibilities based on his status as a skilled administrator. The responsibilities Elder Uchtdorf has been given were those overseen by Presidents Nelson, Oaks, and Ballard prior to their new assignments. President Nelson made it clear on at least two occasions that neither President Eyring nor Elder Uchtdorf were being demoted, and that each was willing to serve now where they were most needed.

Since President Oaks was then the next most senior apostle, he (President Oaks) was also set apart as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. But because his simultaneous service in the First Presidency wouldn't allow President Oaks to actively function as Quorum President, the next most senior apostle, President M. Russell Ballard, was set apart as Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

The new leaders literally hit the ground running. In the year that has followed, President Nelson has done so much to reshape the Church. Most of that process has involved reducing and simplifying programs and practices of the Church in a way that encourages more individual and familial responsibility, as well as greater Church-wide unity. But he has also done more to highlight and underscore the diversity which exists among the general leadership of the Church.

He had noted in the press conference that, although he and his counselors were all white and American, there would be a day when the Church would see "more flavors in the mix". He has fulfilled his own prophecy in that regard, as he felt impressed to call the Church's first Asian America and Latin American apostles. For the first time in a long time, 5 of the 15 apostles in the Church have come to the apostleship within the last 3.25 years. There may not be much turnover in the First Presidency or Quorum of the Twelve Apostles for the foreseeable future.

President Nelson and his counselors have focused on their worldwide ministry with great vigor and success. Perhaps the most impressive highlight of this first year of President Nelson's prophetic administration is the fact that 19 new temples have been announced within that time, and sites have been officially or unofficially confirmed for many of them. Sister Nelson shared some observations about her husband, saying that, as he speaks to Church members around the world, he looks 20-30 years younger than his 94 years of age. She also noted that President Nelson is serious and very earnest regarding his responsibility to prepare the Church and the world for the Second Coming of the Savior.

President Nelson has also traveled extensively, becoming the first Church president to deliver remarks in a language other than English during devotionals with members. He has observed the practice of only stopping long enough between trips to take care of necessary Church business, get some rest as needed, and grab a new apostolic companion before setting off again. It is anticipated that he will continue to travel extensive and expand the number of temples in various phases for as long as he can.

He has also taken action to make certain announcements, such as changes in area leadership, and new and consolidated missions, earlier than they have typically been announced in previous years. His career as a heart surgeon has honed his keen attention to detail in such a way that he is very much ahead of the curve in taking care of his ministerial responsibilities. He noted in an interview that if we thought 2018 was exciting, we should wait for this year, and the years that will follow. As a physician, he gave the Church membership a simple prescription: "Eat your vitamin pills. Get your rest. It's going to be exciting.

He has a very clear vision for the Church in the years ahead. I referenced previously a conversation someone overheard between Presidents Oaks and Eyring, in which President Nelson's two counselors marveled at the fact that President Nelson had just outlined the timing whereby future changes for the Church would be made over the following 2-3 years. President Nelson is clearly a man who takes seriously his responsibility to foresee what the Church will be facing in the days ahead, and what can be done to prepare the Church and its' members for what is to come.

It is all but certain that we are in for another historic year for the Church, and I look forward to finding out what is next in that regard. As I learn more, I will be sure to pass it along here. In the meantime, if his first year as Church President was any indication, 2019 is almost certain to be another big year that will change the Church as we know it currently. It will certainly be interesting to see all of that unfold.

This concludes my thoughts about the one-year anniversary of President Nelson's prophetic administration, so that does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made in accordance with the established guidelines. 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.