First Presidency Begins Announcing New Temple Presidents for 2019

Hello again, everyone! I have previously remarked on this blog about the fact that President Nelson seems to be very much ahead of the curve, which is in no small measure due to both his finely-honed skills developed as a surgeon that have enabled him to get to the heart of any matter (pun intended), and his extremely good health and administrative capabilities. We saw that last year when the announcement of new area leadership was made 4-6 weeks sooner than they had been in prior years, and we saw it again when the new mission presidents that will begin serving in July were announced, along with new and consolidated missions, not long after the beginning of January of this year. Yet another example occurred today, when the First Presidency announced new presidents for 8 of the Church's operating temples. This first group announcement is occurring around a month earlier than the first announcements of temple presidents have been made in previous years. So I have no doubt that other announcements of this nature will be made over the next several weeks. Among the 8 temple presidents announced today are two current area seventies (Victorino A. Babida and Milan F. Kunz), both of whom will either be released as such during the April or October General Conferences of this year.

Also included among those 8 are 2 former area seventies and 1 counselor in the current presidency of a temple who will become the new temple president in November. There was also an unexpected development in that a new president was called for the Manila Philippines Temple. I call that unexpected due to the fact that the current president of that temple has only served for 2 year, and it has been somewhat standard for temple presidents to serve for a roughly 3-year period.

Due to the announced calls of presidents for these 8 temples, I am publishing an updated version of my list of temples that have gotten or may yet get a new president. As I have mentioned previously, it is usually the case that the Church announces presidents for roughly 1/3 of all operating temples every year. And since there will be 168 or 169 operating temples by the end of this year, I am estimating that a minimum of 56 new temple presidents will be called to begin their service this year.

My personal list of potential temples which could get a new president include 3-4 of the new new temples anticipated to be completed within the next year, and I have an additional list of 56 other temples that could get a new president at some point this year, based on what my research on that subject demonstrated.

I do continue to keep my eyes open for any and all significant Church news and temple developments, and will be doing my level best to pass word of those along to you all as I become aware of such things. In the meantime, the updated list of temples that have had or may yet have a new president called for 2019 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, 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 presidents have been called for the following temples:

1.      Copenhagen Denmark

2.      Manila Philippines (not anticipated)

3.      Tampico Mexico

4.      Philadelphia Pennsylvania

5.      Spokane Washington

6.      Manhattan New York

7.      Columbia River Washington

8.      St. Paul Minnesota

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

1.      Arequipa Peru

2.      Rio de Janeiro Brazil

3.      Winnipeg Manitoba

4.      Abidjan Côte d'Ivoire

List of currently-operating temples which may be getting a new president in 2019:

1.      Aba Nigeria

2.      Anchorage Alaska

3.      Birmingham Alabama

4.      Campinas Brazil

5.      Chicago Illinois

6.      Ciudad Juarez Mexico

7.      Cochabamba Bolivia

8.      Columbus Ohio

9.      Curitiba Brazil

10.  Dallas Texas

11.  Detroit Michigan

12.  Fort Collins Colorado

13.  Fresno California

14.  Gilbert Arizona

15.  Guadalajara Mexico

16.  Halifax Nova Scotia

17.  Hamilton New Zealand (Note: It is possible that the Church could hold off on calling a new president for this temple until its’ rededication is held in 2021)

18.  Hartford Connecticut

19.  Hong Kong China (Note: It is possible that the Church could hold off on calling a new president for this temple until its’ rededication in 2021 or 2022)

20.  Idaho Falls Idaho (Note: Since the current president of this temple had his service interrupted by its’ renovation, the Church could hold off another year or two on replacing him.)

21.  Johannesburg South Africa

22.  Jordan River Utah (Note: Since the current president of this temple had his service interrupted by its’ renovation, the Church could hold off another year or two on replacing him.)

23.  Kyiv Ukraine

24.  Lima Peru

25.  London England

26.  Medford Oregon

27.  Melbourne Australia

28.  Memphis Tennessee (Note: Since the current president of this temple had his service interrupted by its’ renovation, the Church could hold off another year or two on replacing him.)

29.  Mexico City Mexico

30.  Monterrey Mexico

31.  Montreal Quebec

32.  Merida Mexico

33.  Nashville Tennessee

34.  Nauvoo Illinois

35.  Nuku’alofa Tonga

36.  Oklahoma City Oklahoma (Note: Since the current president of this temple had his service interrupted by its’ renovation, the Church could hold off another year or two on replacing him.)

37.  Orlando Florida

38.  Panama City Panama

39.  Perth Australia

40.  Portland Oregon

41.  Provo Utah

42.  Raleigh North Carolina (Note: Since the current president of this temple had his service interrupted by its’ renovation, the Church could hold off another year or two on replacing him.)

43.  Reno Nevada

44.  Rexburg Idaho

45.  Santiago Chile

46.  Santo Domingo Dominican Republic

47.  Sapporo Japan

48.  Seattle Washington

49.  Seoul Korea

50.  St. George Utah (Note: Since this temple is scheduled to close for renovation later this year, the Church could hold off on calling a new president until the renovation is complete)

51.  Star Valley Wyoming

52.  Tuxtla Gutierrez Mexico

53.  Twin Falls Idaho

54.  Veracruz Mexico

55.  Washington D.C. (Note: Since the current president of this temple had his service interrupted by its’ renovation, the Church could hold off another year or two on replacing him.)

56.  Winter Quarters Nebraska

Updated Specific Estimates for Known Temple Events in the Near Future

Hello again, everyone! I have completed the process of updating my specific estimates for known temple events in the near future, so I wanted to present those to you all now. Those estimates follow 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, 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.

Specific Estimates for Known Temple Events in the Near Future

2019:

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 of all that has been said in the last year about his plans to greatly expand the number of temples, I have a strong feeling that he will both be outlining the extent of those plans and the timing within which those will occur. But even if he does not do that, I have a feeling he will be announcing at least a dozen temples, but possibly more than that.

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

Note: Just prior to the April General Conference in 2018, the Church announced that President Nelson would be heading out on a Global Ministry Tour, and the following October, he did another leg of that tour that concluded with the dedication of the Concepcion Chile Temple. It is my belief, therefore, that he will be headed out on yet another leg of that ongoing tour not long after General Conference concludes, and that the dedication of this temple will occur at the beginning, or at some point in the middle of that tour.

Saturday May 4: Groundbreakings for the Yigo Guam, Praia Cabo Verde, and San Juan Puerto Rico Temples

Note: In mid-January the First Presidency released the artist’s rendering for the San Juan Puerto Rico Temple, and announced the groundbreaking for that temple less than a week later. Elder Walter F. Gonzalez, president of the Church's Caribbean Area, will preside at that ceremony. In early-to-mid February, the artist’s renderings for the Yigo Guam and Praia Cabo Verde Temples were also released, with their groundbreakings set to occur on May 4 as well. Elders Yoon Hwan Choi (the president of the Asia North Area) and Paul V. Johnson, (the president of the Europe Area) will preside at the groundbreakings in Yigo and Praia respectively. The time in Guam is ahead of that in Cabo Verde, which is ahead of the time in Puerto Rico, so I am listing them in that order. Since the construction for each of those temples is anticipated to take 2 years, I am estimating that all of them will be dedicated in early-to-mid 2021.

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, and that Elder Jeffrey R. Holland would preside at the rededication. Although it was originally announced that no open house tours would be offered, on February 28, 2019, the First Presidency subsequently announced that a one-week open house would be held for this temple in mid-April.

Saturday May 11: Groundbreaking for the Quito Ecuador Temple (confirmed)

Note: The First Presidency released the artist’s rendering and announced the groundbreaking arrangements for this temple on March 7, 2019. Elder Enrique R. Falabella, president of the South America Northwest Area, will preside at this event. Construction on this temple is anticipated to take between 2-3 years.

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 also announced. President Henry B. Eyring, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, will preside at the single-session rededication. On February 28, 2019, in conjunction with the aforementioned announcement of the one-week open house for the Memphis Tennessee Temple, an identical arrangement was set (with slightly different timing) for this temple.

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

Note: On January 10, 2019, 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.

Saturday June 8: Groundbreaking for the Lima Peru Los Olivos Temple

Note: On March 7, 2019, the groundbreaking for this temple was also announced. Since this temple is also being built within the South America Northwest Area, Elder Falabella will preside over this as well. And based on the fact that the design of this temple reminds me of the Mesa Arizona Temple, I am anticipating a 3-4 year construction period for that process.

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.

Monday July 8: Hong Kong China Temple Renovation Closure

Note: On January 30, 2019, the First Presidency announced the renovation closure for this temple, with the plans to be detailed more fully at a later time. I am anticipating that that process will take around 3 years, so I have set a preliminary estimate of mid-to-late 2022.

Early-to-mid August: Private rededication for the Raleigh North Carolina Temple

Note: While I once felt certain that the rededications for both this temple and the Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple could take place during this time, new information received in late February led me to rethink that, and I now believe that this temple’s renovation may wrap up during early summer, with a rededication taking place sometime during the early-to-middle part of this month. And I also believe this temple will have a one-week open house, and a private, one-session rededication, under the direction of any of the 7 most senior apostles (Presidents Nelson, Oaks, Eyring, or Ballard, or Elders Holland, Uchtdorf, or Bednar).

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 (with the latter originally set for mid-May). Then, on January 18, 2019, the dedication was pushed back to this date in view of delays in the construction process. It is possible that President Nelson could preside at this temple’s dedication, and that perhaps that would be done as part of a Global Ministry Tour, but time will tell whether he dedicates this temple, or delegates that task to either of his counselors, or any of the 4 most senior members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Sunday September 15: Dedication of the Lisbon Portugal Temple (166^th operating temple; confirmed)

Note: On February 22, 2019, I received new information which indicated that the Lisbon Portugal Temple, which has continued to progress ahead of schedule, would likely be dedicated sooner than anticipated. As a result, in late February-early March, I moved this temple ahead of the Durban South Africa Temple on my temple construction progress report. Then, on March 4, 2019, the First Presidency announced the open house and dedication information for this temple. What I noted above in terms of who might preside at this event (and under what circumstances that might occur) applies to this event as well.

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.

Sunday October 20: Rededication of the Frankfurt Germany Temple (confirmed)

Note: New information received on February 22, 2019 indicated that the Frankfurt Germany Temple was anticipated to be dedicated in October. Then, on March 5, 2019, the First Presidency officially announced that this temple would be rededicated on this date. I am anticipating that the First Presidency will ask Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, our native German apostle who is also the third most-senior member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the sixth most senior apostle overall, to represent them in rededicating this temple, both because it would be personal for him and because he has had experience dedicating other temples during his near-decade of service in the First Presidency.

Monday November 4: St. George Utah Temple Renovation Closure (confirmed)

Note: This temple’s renovation was announced on January 25, 2019. Given the fact that seismic and systemic updates are anticipated to occur, I have set a preliminary general completion estimate of mid-to-late 2022.

Early-to-mid November: Dedication of the Arequipa Peru Temple (167^th operating temple)

Note: The Arequipa Peru Temple has been ahead of schedule for a while now, and a Church member living in Peru spotted the cornerstone engraving, which reads: “Erected 2019”. With that in mind, I feel reasonably confident that this temple will be dedicated at around this time, and that this temple could thus likely be dedicated before the Durban South Africa Temple dedication occurs, due to the relatively consistent process on this temple vs. that one.

Mid-to-late November: Rededication of the Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple

Note: On February 22, 2019, I also learned that the Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple could be rededicated at some point in October. But in view of the March 5, 2019 announcement of the rededication for the Frankfurt Germany Temple, I have pushed my estimate for this temple’s rededication (which will likely be done privately) to this period of time.

December: Dedication of the Durban South Africa Temple (168^th operating temple)

Note: On February 22, 2019, I received information which indicated that, due to blackout conditions in South Africa, depending on how long that lasts, the temple in Durban might experience a delay towards its’ completion. Until I know one way or another whether or not that is true, I have moved my estimate to this point, and have pushed my estimate for the Arequipa Peru Temple dedication forward. If I find evidence in the future that no delays will prevail to this extent on the Durban temple, I will be sure to alter my estimate again as needed.

                                                                                                                                                           

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. With groundbreakings held so far for the Urdaneta Philippines, Bangkok Thailand, and Pocatello Idaho Temples, groundbreakings have also been confirmed for the Yigo Guam, Praia Cabo Verde, San Juan Puerto Rico, Quito Ecuador, and Lima Peru Los Olivos Temples. I am also anticipating that groundbreakings may be held for the Saratoga Springs Utah, Brasilia Brazil, Nairobi Kenya, Harare Zimbabwe, and Greater Manila Philippines Temples, most (if not all) of which could have a groundbreaking this year. But in view of the unexpected announcement of the groundbreakings for 3 of the temples President Nelson announced last year, we could also see other temples have a groundbreaking by that time as well.

2020:

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

Mid-March: 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.

June: Rededication of the Tokyo Japan Temple

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-September: Rededication of the Mesa Arizona Temple

Mid-November: Dedication of the Abidjan Côte d'Ivoire 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-March: Dedication of the Yigo Guam Temple (172^nd operating temple

Mid-to-late April: Dedication of the Praia Cabo Verde Temple (173^rd operating temple)

Late April-early May: Dedication of the San Juan Puerto Rico Temple (174^th operating temple)

Mid-to-late May: Rededication of the Hamilton New Zealand Temple

June: Dedication of the Quito Ecuador Temple (175^th 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.

Mid-to-late October: Rededication of the Hong Kong China Temple

Note: This is just a projected estimate, based on what is currently known. As more information is revealed, this estimate could be pushed forward or back as needed.

Mid-November: Dedication of the Pocatello Idaho Temple (176^th operating temple)

Mid-December: Rededication of the St. George Utah Temple

Note: What I shared above about the probable timing of the rededication for the Hong Kong China Temple also applies here: As more information is made available, and as the renovation process proceeds, I will be sure to make any adjustments to this estimate that might be needed.

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-to-late April: Dedication of the Urdaneta Philippines Temple (177^th operating temple)

Mid-August: Dedication of the Lima Peru Los Olivos Temple (178^th operating temple)

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-November: Dedication of the Bangkok Thailand Temple (179^th 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.

Final note: As noted a few different times here, within the 3.9 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.

Numerous Temple Updates Provided

Hello again, everyone! Given that a number of temple updates have been brought to my attention, I wanted to post again now to share them in sum and total. First of all, after not having an update on the Abidjan Côte d'Ivoire Temple since mid-November of last year, it has been reported that its' foundation is nearing completion. Next, as previously noted, work began in earnest on the Pocatello Idaho Temple today, as site clearing and rough grading is underway. So that temple was in a "Construction pending" status for only around 48 hours after its' groundbreaking.

Last week, surplus items from the Yigo chapel were being sold. With the completion of that surplus sale, that chapel is now being prepared for demolition. And the final two updates I have are on temples undergoing renovation. At the Memphis Tennessee Temple, entrance doors have been installed, and, as noted earlier, open house reservations are now available for that temple (with such reservations being accepted through Saturday April 20, which will mark the last day of that open house).

Meanwhile, on the Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temple, entrance sconces are being installed, while the exterior lighting is now operational. As noted elsewhere on this blog earlier today, reservations for that temple's open house will be available from today through Wednesday May 1, which will coincide with the last day of such tours. I do continue to monitor any and all Church news and temple developments, and will do my level best to pass word of those along to you all as I receive it.

That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, 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.

A Couple of Items of Blog Business

Hello again, everyone! I wanted to take an opportunity to briefly transact some blog business. First, after a lot more research and some experimentation, I have again made alterations to the layout of this blog. Based on the results I see with the latest alterations, or on the feedback any of you might choose to provide about them, further adjustments may be necessary over the next little while. So I'd like to thank you all for your ongoing patience while I continue to experiment in this regard.

In the meantime, I made the determination earlier today that I could be more effective in presenting the progress of temple construction during the year if I were to post my full report once every quarter-year. With that in mind, I will be posting a comparative look at temple progress as it was at the beginning of this year to what it will look like at the end of March, either in the late night hours of March 31, or at my first opportunity to do so on April 1. So stay tuned for the post on that at that time.

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. 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 Held for Pocatello Idaho Temple

Hello again, everyone! I am pleased to be able to bring you news that the groundbreaking for the Pocatello Idaho Temple took place this morning as planned. Elder Wilford W. Andersen, who serves as president of the Church's Idaho & North America Central Areas, presided at this groundbreaking, accompanied by his counselors, Elders S. Gifford Nielsen and Brian K. Taylor. The size of this temple has been compared in size to some other temples, including the Meridian Idaho Temple that was dedicated roughly 16 months ago.

Construction of this temple is anticipated to take between 2-3 years to complete. Having noted that, I wanted to pass along some other temple information as well. A few of the sources I have available for some of the things I have passed along on this blog have revisited their thoughts about the time-frames for the completion of each of the three temples that are now considered to be in a "Construction pending" status. Particularly, those sources list the completion estimates for both the Pocatello Idaho and Urdaneta Philippines Temples somewhere between late 2021 and early 2022, while pushing the estimated completion for the Bangkok Thailand Temple to sometime in 2022.

I mention these changes because, depending on other tidbits I can glean elsewhere, I may need to thoroughly revisit my recently-offered altered observations about the more specific time-frames for the completion of each of these temples. Stay tuned for more on that as I figure it all out. In the meantime, I do continue to monitor any and all Church news and temple developments, and will do my level best to bring word of those you to all as I become aware of such updates.

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.