Hello again, everyone! Breaking temple news was just shared by President Russell M. Nelson during his concluding remarks. He mentioned that the details of plans to renovete the Salt Lake Temple and revitalixe Temple Square in various areas will be announced on Friday April 19, with plans for the renovations of the Logan and Manti Utah Temples to be announced as they are developed. I believe it is also fair to mention that since the "pioneer-generation" is a different period of time for every nation in which the Church has been established, temples that fit that definition in such lands will likely also be renovated in the coming years.
Additionally, before announcing 8 new temples, President Nelson emphasized correct protocol for such announcements as outlined in a couple of recent Church News articles. He mentioned that the excitement about each new temple should not detract from the reverential spirit that should prevail as the conference concluded. The 8 new temples were announced for the following locations: Pago Pago American Samoa, Okinawa City Okinawa, Neiafu Tonga, Tooele Valley Utah, Moses Lake Washington, San Pedro Sula Honduras, Antofagasta Chile, and Budapest Hungary.
Of those 8 temples, I had the exact location correct for 6, while the other two caught me by surprise. President Nelson may not have felt the timing was right to outline the extent and timing of his plans, but this brings the total number of temples in any phase to 209. There are now 35 temples with either a site announcement or groundbreaking pending.
Within the next 2 months, that will be trimmed down to 30, and I have a strong feeling more will be done during the remainder of this year to clear the current backlog of announced temples. And some of the locations for which temples were announced today could be candidates for smaller temples that would be easily approved and able to begin and complete construction within a 2-year period.
It is also worth noting that only 1 of those 8 locations this go-round was on the list of the top ten nations with the strongest Church presence that do not have a temple in any phase. American Samoa was ranked fourth on that list. I should also mention that another article released about temples by the Church News recently has me thinking that we may be seeing other new temples announced between now and the October General Conference. Time will tell,, but it is possible.
Having posted about this, I need to get back to updating my temple constrcution progress report, but I will be back later today with my thoughts on this General Conference weekend. In the meantime, 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 contet, 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.
On this blog, I, James Stokes, share insights and analysis covering the latest news and developments reported about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. My specific emphasis and focus is on the ministry of our current apostles, General Conference, and up-to-date temple information. This site is neither officially owned, operated, or endorsed by the Church, and I, as the autthor thereof, am solely responsible for this content.
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Sunday, April 7, 2019
BREAKING NEWS: President Nelson Announces 8 New Temples
Labels:
Breaking News,
Church Policies and Major Announcements,
Church President,
General Conference,
Potential Future Temples,
Temple Construction Update,
Temples Undergoing Renovation
I have had a lifelong love for Church history, which has extended to ongoing reports of the ministry of our apostles and prophets, General Conference, and all temple developments. This blog enables me to share that love with all who read my thoughts on these developments, which are sometimes reported multiple times per day as needed.
Saturday, April 6, 2019
Some Thoughts About Historic Developments Which Occurred Prior to General Conference Weekend
Hello again, everyone! After taking time to deal with some personal health and computer issues, I wanted to post some thoughts about the General Conference weekend thus far. First, in yet another unprecedented move, the First Presidency authoried the release of reports about teachings which were delivred by Church leaders during the Global Leadership Training, which was held within the two days preceeding this General Conference weekend.
Such meetings have long been held, but releasing reports on them is unprecedented. Counsel was provided by the First Presidency and other leaders (including each of the apostles, and many other general authorities, in addition to general officers of the Church). But it is regarding the First Presidency's remarks that another unanticipated change occurred. It was announced that same-sex marriage, while still being considered a serious transgression of God's laws relating to morality, would no longer be considered an act of apostasy.
Also, the policy instititued in 2015, which prohibited the naming and blessing of infants whose parents were in a same-sex relationshp, and postponed the eligibility of such children into the Church until they were 18 years old, has been lifted, replaced instead by guidelines that same-sex couples could ask any worthy Melchizedek Priesthood holder to give their baby or child a name and a blessing, and that such couples could decide with their children who are 8 or older on the subject of baptism, with the understanding that once on the records of the Church, children and youth of all ages would periodically be contacted by leaders and members of their local congregations.
I had a couple of observations about this policy update: Some may see this as President Nelson contiuning to undo things that have been standard for a long time, but the announcement was not made by President Nelson himself. Instead, it was made by President Oaks, who mentioned as part of that announcement that there had been full accord among all of the apostles that this change was in harmony with the Lord's will. And it was fitting to me that President Oaks made this announcement himself, since he has been one of the foremost apostles in recent years who has been unapologetic about the Church's stance on same-sex marriage and issues relating thereunto.
By saying that, I do not mean to imply in any way that he should be apologetic for the statements he has made defending the doctrine of the Church in relation to this subject. The Lord reminds us that he "cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance." But Church leaders throughout the ages have also made it clear that while one can hate the sin, the sinner should be loved, as should those who, through no fault of their own, are impacted by such transgressions of the Lord's laws.
And that aligns with what Christ said to the woman taken in adultery: "Neither do I condemn thee. Go thy way, and sin no more." With that example in mind, I want to clarify that He didn't condone or justify the sin: in this instance, He was saying in essence: "What you have done is wrong, but the old laws are outdated. Do your best to not repeat this error." In modern times, with the knowledge that the Law of Moses is fulfilled, and that the Lord now only requires a broken heart, a contrite spirit, and real intent to not repeat the error, His atonement makes up the difference for both the sinner and those affected by the sin.
With all of this in mind, we have yet another example of President Nelson earnestly seeking to know the will of the Lord, and his Brethren supporting the nature of these changes. which are perfectly aligned with the doctrine of the Lord and of His Church as those doctrines have been established in ancient and modern times. It is good to see that the Brethren recognize that the earlier policies took away from individual and familial choice, while the changes place more responsibility on the parents and the children affected by and through such changes.
I should also add that, after seeing reactions from those within the LGBTQ community to these adjustments, there seems to be a general impression that this may be the first of many efforts whereby the Church will continue to embrace and reach out in understanding to those in their community. I believe this to be a correct impression, but barring a complete paradigm shift in the Church's Bible-based doctrine about marriage (which, as supported by the Family Proclamation, teaches that marriage as sanctioned by the Lord consists of the union between a man and a woman), there are some aspects relating to the subject of same-sex attraction on which the Church cannot and will not change.
That said, I want to make my own position on one aspect very clear: the Church has supported measures that provide constitionally-based rights and privileges to those who are in same-sex relationships, and that is something with which I am also fully on-board. I have had a long-held belief that any two or more people or groups can disagree without becoming disagreeable. Differences of opinion are natural. What is unnatural is when such differences, disputes, or contentions lead to persecution, violence, or illegal conduct/
Even at times when any of us may not see eye-to-eye with each other, kindness, politeness, civility, respect, and common courtesy can, should, and must prevail in our discourse with one another. In the early days of the Church's establishment at various times and in various areas of the world, those who have joined the Church, and many missionaries for the Church have been subjected to violent persecution, mistreatment, and other conduct that would, in relation to similar treatement of other groups, be highly illegal. With such a history in mind, Church leaders have made clear how Church members need to act towards those with whom they disagree on any major issues. Our failure to follow that counsel will be something for which all of us will someday be held responsible.
Having shared my take thus far, I have some additional observations relating to the General Conference sessions held today, which I will share in another post later tonight, in addition to covering breaking news (if any) that will come from the Priesthood Session which starts in less than 15 minutes. 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.
Such meetings have long been held, but releasing reports on them is unprecedented. Counsel was provided by the First Presidency and other leaders (including each of the apostles, and many other general authorities, in addition to general officers of the Church). But it is regarding the First Presidency's remarks that another unanticipated change occurred. It was announced that same-sex marriage, while still being considered a serious transgression of God's laws relating to morality, would no longer be considered an act of apostasy.
Also, the policy instititued in 2015, which prohibited the naming and blessing of infants whose parents were in a same-sex relationshp, and postponed the eligibility of such children into the Church until they were 18 years old, has been lifted, replaced instead by guidelines that same-sex couples could ask any worthy Melchizedek Priesthood holder to give their baby or child a name and a blessing, and that such couples could decide with their children who are 8 or older on the subject of baptism, with the understanding that once on the records of the Church, children and youth of all ages would periodically be contacted by leaders and members of their local congregations.
I had a couple of observations about this policy update: Some may see this as President Nelson contiuning to undo things that have been standard for a long time, but the announcement was not made by President Nelson himself. Instead, it was made by President Oaks, who mentioned as part of that announcement that there had been full accord among all of the apostles that this change was in harmony with the Lord's will. And it was fitting to me that President Oaks made this announcement himself, since he has been one of the foremost apostles in recent years who has been unapologetic about the Church's stance on same-sex marriage and issues relating thereunto.
By saying that, I do not mean to imply in any way that he should be apologetic for the statements he has made defending the doctrine of the Church in relation to this subject. The Lord reminds us that he "cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance." But Church leaders throughout the ages have also made it clear that while one can hate the sin, the sinner should be loved, as should those who, through no fault of their own, are impacted by such transgressions of the Lord's laws.
And that aligns with what Christ said to the woman taken in adultery: "Neither do I condemn thee. Go thy way, and sin no more." With that example in mind, I want to clarify that He didn't condone or justify the sin: in this instance, He was saying in essence: "What you have done is wrong, but the old laws are outdated. Do your best to not repeat this error." In modern times, with the knowledge that the Law of Moses is fulfilled, and that the Lord now only requires a broken heart, a contrite spirit, and real intent to not repeat the error, His atonement makes up the difference for both the sinner and those affected by the sin.
With all of this in mind, we have yet another example of President Nelson earnestly seeking to know the will of the Lord, and his Brethren supporting the nature of these changes. which are perfectly aligned with the doctrine of the Lord and of His Church as those doctrines have been established in ancient and modern times. It is good to see that the Brethren recognize that the earlier policies took away from individual and familial choice, while the changes place more responsibility on the parents and the children affected by and through such changes.
I should also add that, after seeing reactions from those within the LGBTQ community to these adjustments, there seems to be a general impression that this may be the first of many efforts whereby the Church will continue to embrace and reach out in understanding to those in their community. I believe this to be a correct impression, but barring a complete paradigm shift in the Church's Bible-based doctrine about marriage (which, as supported by the Family Proclamation, teaches that marriage as sanctioned by the Lord consists of the union between a man and a woman), there are some aspects relating to the subject of same-sex attraction on which the Church cannot and will not change.
That said, I want to make my own position on one aspect very clear: the Church has supported measures that provide constitionally-based rights and privileges to those who are in same-sex relationships, and that is something with which I am also fully on-board. I have had a long-held belief that any two or more people or groups can disagree without becoming disagreeable. Differences of opinion are natural. What is unnatural is when such differences, disputes, or contentions lead to persecution, violence, or illegal conduct/
Even at times when any of us may not see eye-to-eye with each other, kindness, politeness, civility, respect, and common courtesy can, should, and must prevail in our discourse with one another. In the early days of the Church's establishment at various times and in various areas of the world, those who have joined the Church, and many missionaries for the Church have been subjected to violent persecution, mistreatment, and other conduct that would, in relation to similar treatement of other groups, be highly illegal. With such a history in mind, Church leaders have made clear how Church members need to act towards those with whom they disagree on any major issues. Our failure to follow that counsel will be something for which all of us will someday be held responsible.
Having shared my take thus far, I have some additional observations relating to the General Conference sessions held today, which I will share in another post later tonight, in addition to covering breaking news (if any) that will come from the Priesthood Session which starts in less than 15 minutes. 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.
Labels:
Church Policies and Major Announcements,
Church President,
First Presidency,
General Church News,
General Conference,
Sustaining the Brethren
I have had a lifelong love for Church history, which has extended to ongoing reports of the ministry of our apostles and prophets, General Conference, and all temple developments. This blog enables me to share that love with all who read my thoughts on these developments, which are sometimes reported multiple times per day as needed.
Monday, April 1, 2019
Temple Construction Progress During the First Quarter of 2019
Hello again, everyone! Now that it is past midnight on April 1, 2019, I am back to share a look at progress the Church has made with temple construction during the recently-completed first quarter of 2019. In order to do so, I will be posting the first temple construction progress report for this year below, followed by an updated copy of that report which is current as of the last day of March (which ended just prior to
I wanted to note that, since very few, if any, items of information between these two reports is identical, the second report constitutes a complete alteration to just about everything from the first one. I won't highlight the differences in red this time, but will instead let the differences speak for themselves. 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.
I wanted to note that, since very few, if any, items of information between these two reports is identical, the second report constitutes a complete alteration to just about everything from the first one. I won't highlight the differences in red this time, but will instead let the differences speak for themselves. 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.
First Temple Construction Progress Report for 2019:
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 11.26 years between now and then,
which could be done if 3.46 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; and 2 additional temples for which a groundbreaking has been scheduled.
Also, 11 temples are currently
closed for renovation (1 of which has a rededication announced, with 5 or 6 others that are also anticipated to be rededicated next year).
The remaining 28 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.
Dedication Scheduled:
162. Rome
Italy Temple: Construction completed; furnishing and preparing temple for open
house; accepting reservations for open house; dedication
scheduled for Sunday March 10-Tuesday
March 12, 2019.
163. Kinshasa
Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple: Construction completed; furnishing and
preparing temple for open house; dedication scheduled for Sunday April 14, 2019.
164. Port-au-Prince
Haiti Temple: Stone cladding the front exterior walls and tower; dedication
scheduled for Sunday May 19, 2019.
Under construction, completion anticipated during 2019:
165. Fortaleza Brazil
Temple: Finalizing construction and landscaping; completion estimated sometime
during mid-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: Angel Moroni installed; stone cladding nearing completion; installation
of stained glass windows underway; meetinghouse gardens being planted; completion
estimated sometime during late 2019.
Temples anticipated to be completed sometime during 2020:
168. Arequipa Peru
Temple: Monument sign installed; guardhouse constructed; plaza landscaping well
underway; completion estimated sometime during early 2020.
169. Rio de Janeiro
Brazil Temple: Scaffolding placed around tower; stone cladding of exterior
walls continues; installation of stained glass windows underway; 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.
Temples anticipated to be completed
sometime during 2020 or 2021:
171. Abidjan Côte
d'Ivoire Temple: Setting poles for construction barrier; completion estimated
sometime during late 2020-early 2021.
Groundbreaking scheduled:
172. Urdaneta
Philippines Temple: Official rendering released; preparing for groundbreaking,
which is scheduled for Wednesday January
16, 2019; completion estimated sometime during early-to-mid 2021.
173. Bangkok
Thailand Temple: Demolishing the old Church office building; preparing for
groundbreaking, which is scheduled for Saturday
January 26, 2019; completion estimated sometime during mid-2022.
Undergoing Renovation (rededication scheduled)
13. Oakland California Temple: Closed for renovation; new
water feature operating; Christmas lights on display as work progresses on
interior; rededication scheduled for Sunday
June 16, 2019.
Undergoing Renovation (rededication estimated sometime during 2019):
95. Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temple: Closed for renovation; pouring
driveways and walkways; stone cladding nearing completion; rededication
estimated sometime during mid-2019.
80. Memphis Tennessee Temple: Closed for renovation; stone cladding completed; installing stained-glass
windows; rededication estimated sometime during mid-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; 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: On October
30, 2018, I reviewed the information I had available, and I accordingly
reordered the temples in this section splitting them into two sub-categories.
The first contains those for which there is sufficient information, based on
which I have provided a rough groundbreaking estimate, which will, of course,
be subject to alteration in the future as more information is available. The
second section contains those temples which are ordered based on the
information currently available, but for which more information will be needed
before they can join the first list. And for that second list, I do not feel
comfortable offering any groundbreaking estimate until more information is
available.
Announced Temples (for which
sufficient information has me confident enough to venture a general
groundbreaking estimate):
174. Pocatello
Idaho Temple: Government approval process; streets around temple site opened; groundbreaking
anticipated in mid-2019.
175. Saratoga
Springs Utah Temple: Government approval phase; probable site identified;
awaiting official confirmation and artist’s rendering; groundbreaking could
occur in mid-to-late
2019.
176. 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.
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 late 2019-early
2020.
178. 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.
179. Brasilia
Brazil Temple: Planning and approval phase; site inspected by Church engineers
on June 21, 2017; groundbreaking could
occur in early 2020.
180. Greater
Manila Philippines Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official name
announcement; groundbreaking could occur in early-to-mid 2020.
181. Layton
Utah Temple: Planning and approval phase; announced April 1, 2018; awaiting
official site announcement; groundbreaking could occur in early-to-mid 2020.
182. Richmond
Virginia Temple: Planning and approval phase; announced April 1, 2018; awaiting
official site announcement; groundbreaking could occur in mid-2020.
183. Managua
Nicaragua Temple: Announced April 1, 2018; awaiting official site announcement;
groundbreaking could occur in mid-2020.
184. Salta
Argentina Temple: Planning and approval phase; announced April 1, 2018;
awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking could occur in mid-2020.
185. Bengaluru
India Temple: Planning and approval phase; announced April 1, 2018; awaiting
official site announcement; President Nelson toured potential locations on
April 19, 2018; groundbreaking could occur in mid-to-late 2020.
186.
Auckland New Zealand Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official
site announcement; groundbreaking could occur in mid-to-late 2020.
187.
Phnom Penh Cambodia Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site
announcement; groundbreaking could occur in mid-to-late 2020.
188. Mendoza
Argentina Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site
announcement; groundbreaking could occur in late 2020-early 2021.
Announced Temples (for which more
information is needed before I provide an estimated groundbreaking time-frame):
189. Quito Ecuador Temple: Planning and approval phase;
awaiting official site announcement.
190. Belem Brazil Temple: Planning and approval phase;
awaiting official site announcement.
191. Cagayan de Oro Philippines Temple: Planning and
approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.
192.
Salvador Brazil Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site
announcement.
193. Yuba City, California Temple: Planning and approval
phase; awaiting official site announcement.
194.
Praia Cape Verde Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site
announcement.
195.
Yigo Guam Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site
announcement.
196.
Puebla Mexico Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site
announcement.
197.
Lagos Nigeria Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site
announcement.
198.
Davao Philippines Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site
announcement.
199.
San Juan Puerto Rico Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official
site announcement.
200. Russia Temple: Planning
and approval phase; awaiting official location 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.
Second 2019 Temple Construction Progress Report
Note about future temple
construction: In late April 2017, Elder Larry Y. Wilson, who serves as
the Executive Director of the Church’s Temple Department noted in an interview
that the Church had a list of 80 potential temple locations which were being
considered for an official announcement within the next 15 years (by late April
2032). In 2018 alone, President Nelson announced 19 new temples. And Elder
Quentin L. Cook has been quoted recently as saying in effect that a ten-fold
increase in the total number of temples would be part of that process.
With that in mind
(as confirmed by the Church News recently), the Church is on track to have a
minimum of 200 operating temples by or before Saturday April 6, 2030, which
will mark the Church’s bicentennial anniversary. The Church would just need to
complete 38 of the temples in various phases in the 11.02 years between now and
then, which could be done if 3.45 temples are dedicated each year. And within
the next year alone, the Church is anticipated to have 7 new temples dedicated,
so there will be at least that many temples by that date, if not several more
than that.
Current temple
status: The Church has 201 temples
in various phases, which include: 162 currently
operating, 1 being prepared for its’
dedication; 1 being prepared for
its’ public open house; and 2 more
for which a dedication has been scheduled. There are additionally 7 others in various phases of
construction, as well as 1 which has
construction pending following its’ groundbreaking.
The Church has
scheduled the groundbreaking for 5 other
temples (which are all set to occur before the end of June), and there is
enough information on 9 additional temples to consider them as being in
a “Groundbreaking anticipated” status.
11 previously-dedicated temples are
currently closed for renovation (4 of
which have a rededication scheduled). The Church has also announced that 2 other temples will close for
renovation later this year. During the October 2018 General Conference,
President Nelson also announced that several temples (especially those from the
“pioneer-era” will be closing for renovation as well.
The final 13 temples are announced, most, if not
all, of which could see construction begin within the next few years, but
certainly sooner if all goes well.
Preparing for dedication:
163. Kinshasa
Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple: Preparing for dedication, which is
scheduled to occur on Sunday April 14,
2019.
Preparing for public open house:
164.
Fortaleza Brazil Temple: Preparing for public open house; dedication scheduled
to occur on Sunday June 2, 2019.
Dedication scheduled:
165. Port-au-Prince
Haiti Temple: Temple exterior completed; decorative fencing installed;
dedication scheduled to occur on Sunday
September 1, 2019.
166. Lisbon Portugal Temple: Scaffolding removed; soft
landscaping largely completed around meetinghouse and parking area; dedication
scheduled to occur on Sunday September
15, 2019.
Under construction; completion anticipated during
2019:
167. Arequipa Peru
Temple: Installing lamp-posts; planting trees and shrubs; preparing to lay sod;
completion estimated sometime during late 2019.
168. Durban South
Africa Temple: Poles for security cameras installed; sandstone cladding of entrance
walls and fountain continues; millwork, tiling, painting, plumbing, data,
electrical, and fire suppression installation continues; completion estimated
sometime during late 2019.
Under construction; completion anticipated during
2019-2020:
169. Rio de Janeiro
Brazil Temple: Scaffolding removed from tower; majority of exterior cladding
completed; interior work progressing; completion estimated sometime
during late 2019-early 2020.
Under construction; completion anticipated
during 2020:
170. Winnipeg Manitoba
Temple: Pouring main floor slab for temple; framing continues for meetinghouse;
completion estimated sometime during mid-2020.
Under construction; completion
anticipated during 2020-2021:
171. Abidjan Côte
d'Ivoire Temple: Foundation nearing completion; completion estimated sometime
during late 2020-early 2021.
Under construction; completion
anticipated during 2021-2022:
172. Pocatello
Idaho Temple: Excavation for foundation underway; rough grading continues;
construction trailers on site; completion estimated sometime during late 2021-early 2022.
173. Urdaneta
Philippines Temple: Installing electrical substation and underground lines to
temple site; completion estimated sometime during late 2021-early 2022.
Full-scale construction pending:
174. Bangkok
Thailand Temple: Groundbreaking held on January 26, 2019; full-scale construction pending; completion estimated
sometime during mid-to-late 2022.
Groundbreaking scheduled:
175. Yigo Guam Temple: Preparing Yigo chapel for demolition; groundbreaking
scheduled for Saturday May 4, 2019; completion estimated sometime during
early-to-mid 2021.
176. Praia Cabo Verde Temple: Preparing for groundbreaking, which is
scheduled for Saturday May 4, 2019; completion estimated sometime during
early-to-mid-2021.
177. San Juan Puerto Rico Temple: Demolition of the Trujillo Alto Ward chapel
underway; groundbreaking scheduled for Saturday May 4, 2019; completion
estimated sometime during early-to-mid
2021.
178. Quito
Ecuador Temple: Official rendering released; preparing for groundbreaking,
which is scheduled for Saturday May 11,
2019; completion estimated sometime during mid-2021.
179. Lima Peru
Los Olivos Temple: Official rendering released; existing institute building and
meetinghouse closed on January 27, 2019 in preparation for demolition;
groundbreaking scheduled for Saturday
June 8, 2019; completion estimated sometime during mid-2022.
Groundbreaking
anticipated:
180. Saratoga
Springs Utah Temple: Government approval phase; awaiting official site
confirmation and release of artist’s rendering; groundbreaking could occur in mid-2019.
181. Brasilia
Brazil Temple: Planning and approval phase; property fence installed around
temple site; groundbreaking could
occur in mid-2019.
182. Greater
Manila Philippines Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official name
announcement; groundbreaking could occur in mid-2019.
183. Richmond
Virginia Temple: Preliminary plans submitted to local
government; groundbreaking could occur in mid-to-late
2019.
Note: On March 27, 2019, new information on this temple indicated
that plans had been submitted, but also the location where the plans will be
utilized, which appears to be the location held in reserve for that prospect
around 3-4 years before the temple was announced. If the First Presidency
confirms this information, it is not hard to believe that a groundbreaking
could be held at around the time indicated.
184. Nairobi Kenya Temple: Planning and approval phase;
awaiting official site confirmation; groundbreaking could occur in mid-to-late 2019.
Note:
The Church of Jesus Christ Temples site noted in mid-February 2019 that a site
had been procured for this temple. But during President Nelson’s visit to
Nairobi in April 2018, a public affairs representative had noted that this
temple would be smaller, and that a dedication for it was anticipated to occur
sometime in 2021. So it seems reasonable to assume that a groundbreaking could
occur within the next 12 months, but hopefully sooner, if all goes well.
185. 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.
Note:
Although the site visited by President Nelson in April 2018 has not been
confirmed as the official location for the temple, Elder Andersen, in a
November meeting with Zimbabwe’s Vice President, noted that the Church hoped to
break ground for that temple in the late months of 2019. So I have no doubt
that will be able to occur.
186. Salta
Argentina Temple: Planning and approval phase; groundbreaking could occur in late 2019.
Note:
The site has already been confirmed for this temple.
187. Mendoza Argentina Temple: Planning
and approval phase; groundbreaking could occur in late 2019-early 2020.
Note: The site has already been confirmed for this
temple.
188. Puebla
Mexico Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site
announcement; groundbreaking could occur in early
2020.
Note:
A Church member living in Mexico reports that the area presidency is scouting
that city for temple locations, and that construction could begin in the early
months of 2020.
Undergoing
Renovation (rededication scheduled):
80. Memphis Tennessee Temple: Entrance doors installed;
open house reservations available through Saturday April 20, 2019; private
rededication scheduled to occur on Sunday
May 5, 2019.
95. Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temple: Installing entrance
sconces; exterior lighting fully operational; planting shrubs; open house
reservations available through Wednesday May 1, 2019; private rededication
scheduled to occur on Sunday May 19,
2019.
13. Oakland California Temple: Open house reservations
available through Saturday June 1, 2019; rededication scheduled to occur on Sunday June 16, 2019.
41. Frankfurt Germany Temple: Building accessibility ramp;
installing irrigation lines; planting trees and shrubs; rededication scheduled
to occur on Sunday October 20, 2019.
Undergoing Renovation (rededication estimated sometime during 2019):
68. Raleigh North Carolina Temple: Installing decorative
fencing; planting trees and shrubs; pouring walkways; completion estimated
sometime during mid-to-late 2019.
94. Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple: Angel Moroni installed on
February 13, 2019; cladding of exterior walls continues; rededication estimated
sometime during mid-to-late 2019.
Undergoing Renovation (rededication estimated sometime during 2019-2020):
112. Asuncion Paraguay Temple: Interior and exterior work
underway; rededication estimated sometime during late 2019-early 2020.
Undergoing Renovation (rededication estimated sometime during 2020):
18. Tokyo Japan Temple: Interior and exterior renovations
underway; rededication estimated sometime during early-to-mid 2020.
16. Washington D. C. Temple: Exterior wall grout and
stained-glass window repair continues; rededication may take place sometime
during mid-to-late 2020.
8. Mesa Arizona Temple: 104 new trees planted on north lawn; landscaping
elements being installed; replacing sections of roof; rededication may take
place sometime during mid-to-late 2020.
Undergoing Renovation (rededication estimated sometime during 2021):
11. Hamilton New Zealand Temple: Patron accommodation facilities
demolished; preparing ground for replacement facilities; rededication may take
place sometime during early-to-mid 2021.
Renovation scheduled (rededication
estimated sometime during 2022):
48. Hong Kong
China Temple: Scheduled to close for renovation on Monday July 8, 2019; rededication anticipated in mid-to-late 2022.
1. St. George
Utah Temple: Scheduled to close for renovation on Monday November 4, 2019; completion anticipated in mid-to-late 2022.
Note on announced temples: During
2019, I again reevaluated the information I had available, and made further
adjustments to this section following the completion of the revision process
for the “Groundbreaking anticipated” section. The following estimates represent
my best efforts to predict the timing for the future groundbreaking of each of
these temples based on what I currently know about them.
Announced Temples (for which more
information is needed before I provide a groundbreaking estimate):
189. Layton Utah Temple: Planning and approval phase;
awaiting official site announcement.
Note:
A potential site has already been identified (though not yet confirmed) for
this temple.
190. Belem
Brazil Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.
Note:
On March 7, 2019, based on the unexpected timing whereby groundbreakings were
announced for the Quito Ecuador and Lima Peru Los Olivos Temples, and given the
anticipated timing for the groundbreaking of the Harare Zimbabwe Temple, the
Belem Brazil Temple is the only other one announced in April 2016 that is not
yet close to a groundbreaking. And since President Nelson has given some
priority to the “oldest” among the announced temples, I am hoping the Lord will
similarly surprise us with word on this temple’s site and groundbreaking in the
not-too-distant future.
191. Managua
Nicaragua Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site
announcement.
Note:
I found out several years ago that the Church had held land in reserve for a
temple in this city for a while now, so I hope that means a site confirmation
will occur sooner rather than later.
192. Bengaluru
India Temple: Planning and approval phase; announced April 1, 2018; awaiting
official site announcement; President Nelson toured potential locations on
April 19, 2018.
193. Auckland New Zealand Temple: Planning and
approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.
Note:
I found out several years ago that the Church had held land in reserve for a
temple in this city for a while now (with that fact confirmed by a Church
member living in that area), so I hope that means a site confirmation will
occur sooner rather than later.
194. Phnom
Penh Cambodia Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site
announcement; groundbreaking could occur in mid-2020.
Note: A potential site has been identified (though
not yet confirmed) for this temple.
195. Yuba
City, California Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site
announcement.
Note: A potential site has been identified (though
not yet confirmed) for this temple.
196.
Washington County Utah Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official
city (and site) announcement.
197. Salvador
Brazil Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site
announcement.
198. Lagos
Nigeria Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site
announcement.
199. Cagayan
de Oro Philippines Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site
announcement.
200. Davao
Philippines Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site
announcement.
201. Russia
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.
Labels:
Estimated Time-frames for Future Temple Events,
Scheduled Temple Event,
Temple Construction Update,
Temples Undergoing Renovation
I have had a lifelong love for Church history, which has extended to ongoing reports of the ministry of our apostles and prophets, General Conference, and all temple developments. This blog enables me to share that love with all who read my thoughts on these developments, which are sometimes reported multiple times per day as needed.
Sunday, March 31, 2019
A One-Year Anniversary and Some Additional Thoughts About Temple Construction
Hello again, everyone! While I fully intend to follow through on my promise to bring you all a look at temple progress which has occurred between New Year's Day 2019 and today (which I will probably get done around 10-11 hours from now), I wanted to post some additional thoughts I have been having about the upcoming General Conference. First, as many of you might have realized, today marks one year exactly since the Solemn Assembly was held for President Nelson, and since Elders Gerrit W. Gong and Ulisses Soares were appointed as the first Asian-American and Latin American apostles of the Church.
Within this last year's time, the Church has seen unprecedented changes, and this has been brought on primarily due to President Nelson's willingness to formally acknowledge how much of what he has done since he became Church President has been inspired by the Lord. As I mentioned in the comment threads of another post, I reference this opinion article written by a product manager for the Church, which focuses on what needs to happen for us as individuals, families, and congregations in order to be prepared for the Church's unprecedented future.
But above and beyond that, one of the major highlights I have treasured the most in terms of what has happened during President Nelson's prophetic administration is the announcement of so many new temples, which was significant due to the specific locations being announced for 17 of the 19 temples. And that got me thinking about some aspects of what we have seen in terms of the temple construction program of the Church. More specifically, in August of last year, this article highlighted days in Church history on which more than one temple had a groundbreaking.
And for the first time since March 4, 2017, that will be occurring again this year, when the Yigo Guam, Praia Cabo Verde, and San Juan Puerto Rico Temples all have their groundbreaking ceremonies on May 4. I am anticipating and hoping that that will mark the first of many occasions during President Nelson's prophetic administration when the Church will see that occurring.
With that in mind, I want to take this a step further. As part of the Church News coverage leading up to, during, and directly following General Conference weekend, this article was published earlier today, which provided an overview of the most significant circumstances which resulted in one or more temples being announced outside of General Conference. That history is well worthy of review.
Given that the Church published an article about multiple temples having a groundbreaking on the same day roughly 9 months before 3 more temples would have that occur, I wanted to offer a theory that perhaps, once President Nelson outlines and details the extent, timing, and other specifics of his temple expansion plans and intentions, the Church could very well see the announcement of several additional temples outside of General Conference.
That said, I still believe and strongly feel that President Nelson will continue to announce temples over the General Conference pulpit every six months for the foreseeable future, but I would anticipate several temples being announced at other times going forward, given the precedent for which I have provided an overview here.
Either way, it will surely be exciting to see what comes of General Conference in a general sense, and what happens going forward with the temple-building program of the Church in both the near and more distant future. And I fully believe that temple construction developments and milestones will be playing a major part in the "unprecedented future" President Nelson described for the Church.
We are blessed to have a prophet who makes it clear how much the Lord is inspiring his decisions, and that will continue to be the case. I look forward to seeing that occur. In the meantime, I will do my level best to continue to keep all of you informed on any major Church news or temple developments leading up to General Conference throughout this week, and will be providing full and complete coverage of all major developments as they occur next weekend.
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.
Within this last year's time, the Church has seen unprecedented changes, and this has been brought on primarily due to President Nelson's willingness to formally acknowledge how much of what he has done since he became Church President has been inspired by the Lord. As I mentioned in the comment threads of another post, I reference this opinion article written by a product manager for the Church, which focuses on what needs to happen for us as individuals, families, and congregations in order to be prepared for the Church's unprecedented future.
But above and beyond that, one of the major highlights I have treasured the most in terms of what has happened during President Nelson's prophetic administration is the announcement of so many new temples, which was significant due to the specific locations being announced for 17 of the 19 temples. And that got me thinking about some aspects of what we have seen in terms of the temple construction program of the Church. More specifically, in August of last year, this article highlighted days in Church history on which more than one temple had a groundbreaking.
And for the first time since March 4, 2017, that will be occurring again this year, when the Yigo Guam, Praia Cabo Verde, and San Juan Puerto Rico Temples all have their groundbreaking ceremonies on May 4. I am anticipating and hoping that that will mark the first of many occasions during President Nelson's prophetic administration when the Church will see that occurring.
With that in mind, I want to take this a step further. As part of the Church News coverage leading up to, during, and directly following General Conference weekend, this article was published earlier today, which provided an overview of the most significant circumstances which resulted in one or more temples being announced outside of General Conference. That history is well worthy of review.
Given that the Church published an article about multiple temples having a groundbreaking on the same day roughly 9 months before 3 more temples would have that occur, I wanted to offer a theory that perhaps, once President Nelson outlines and details the extent, timing, and other specifics of his temple expansion plans and intentions, the Church could very well see the announcement of several additional temples outside of General Conference.
That said, I still believe and strongly feel that President Nelson will continue to announce temples over the General Conference pulpit every six months for the foreseeable future, but I would anticipate several temples being announced at other times going forward, given the precedent for which I have provided an overview here.
Either way, it will surely be exciting to see what comes of General Conference in a general sense, and what happens going forward with the temple-building program of the Church in both the near and more distant future. And I fully believe that temple construction developments and milestones will be playing a major part in the "unprecedented future" President Nelson described for the Church.
We are blessed to have a prophet who makes it clear how much the Lord is inspiring his decisions, and that will continue to be the case. I look forward to seeing that occur. In the meantime, I will do my level best to continue to keep all of you informed on any major Church news or temple developments leading up to General Conference throughout this week, and will be providing full and complete coverage of all major developments as they occur next weekend.
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.
Labels:
Church Policies and Major Announcements,
Church President,
General Conference,
Potential Future Temples,
Sustaining the Brethren
I have had a lifelong love for Church history, which has extended to ongoing reports of the ministry of our apostles and prophets, General Conference, and all temple developments. This blog enables me to share that love with all who read my thoughts on these developments, which are sometimes reported multiple times per day as needed.
Thursday, March 28, 2019
Miscellaneous Temple Developments and Church News Reported
Hello again, everyone! This will be a multi-subject post to cover the latest temple developments and some Church news which has been reported. Let's talk about all of that. First, the temple developments. I was pleasantly surprised to hear of another update relating to the Durban South Africa Temple. The latest information I have indicates that poles for the security cameras have been installed, while the process of sandstone cladding the entrance walls and the fountain continues, as does the interior millwork, tiling, painting, plumbing, data, electrical, and fire suppression systems and equipment.
From this update, it appears that the construction of that temple may be back on track. With that said, I still believe that the dedication for the Arequipa Peru Temple will be set to occur first. And there is a possibility (however slight) that the Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple could likewise be dedicated before the Durban South Africa dedication as well. But I am watching for information on that subject, and will bring word of it to you all here if and when I find out anything.
In the meantime, while framing continues for the meetinghouse adjacent to the Winnipeg Manitoba Temple, work on the temple proper currently involves pouring the main floor slab. The one other temple update I have relates to the Raleigh North Carolina Temple, where decorative fencing is being installed, trees and shrubs are being planted, and walkways are being poured. As I mentioned previously, the renovation process for this temple will likely be completed and the open house and private rededication information announced before the end of June, but I still believe that the open house and rededication will not occur until August, following the annual July recess for the General Authorities.
I also continue to work as I can on updating my previously-offered thoughts about temples for which a groundbreaking is anticipated to occur within the next year or so, and a reordering of announced temples due to new information of which I have been made aware. Having noted that, I'd like to pass along some additional Church news items. The first relates to the subject of temples.
The Church News shared information today that Brother Craig P. and Sister Linda K. Burton (as you may recall, Sister Burton served as Relief Society General President from 2012-2017 have been called to serve as the president and matron of the Jordan River Utah Temple, replacing the current president and matron, who have served since 2014 (with the latter part of their service interrupted slightly by the renovation of that temple).
This brings the total number of new temple presidents announced this year to 9, leaving 55 currently-operating temples on my personal list of those which might have a new president called, along with the 3 or 4 presidents which will likely be called for temples that will be dedicated within the next year or so. There have been other Church news stories reported recently which may be of interest to many of you, and a general mention of those here would seem to suffice for now.
The final development about which I want to report here today is from the Church's Newsroom, to cover the details of the new name which will be used going forward, and how that change relates to the other changes the Church has seen within these first 14 months of President Nelson's prophetic administration. The video accompanying that article is well worthy of your time and attention.
I do continue to monitor any and all other Church news and temple developments, and will keep doing my level best to bring word of those to you all here 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.
From this update, it appears that the construction of that temple may be back on track. With that said, I still believe that the dedication for the Arequipa Peru Temple will be set to occur first. And there is a possibility (however slight) that the Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple could likewise be dedicated before the Durban South Africa dedication as well. But I am watching for information on that subject, and will bring word of it to you all here if and when I find out anything.
In the meantime, while framing continues for the meetinghouse adjacent to the Winnipeg Manitoba Temple, work on the temple proper currently involves pouring the main floor slab. The one other temple update I have relates to the Raleigh North Carolina Temple, where decorative fencing is being installed, trees and shrubs are being planted, and walkways are being poured. As I mentioned previously, the renovation process for this temple will likely be completed and the open house and private rededication information announced before the end of June, but I still believe that the open house and rededication will not occur until August, following the annual July recess for the General Authorities.
I also continue to work as I can on updating my previously-offered thoughts about temples for which a groundbreaking is anticipated to occur within the next year or so, and a reordering of announced temples due to new information of which I have been made aware. Having noted that, I'd like to pass along some additional Church news items. The first relates to the subject of temples.
The Church News shared information today that Brother Craig P. and Sister Linda K. Burton (as you may recall, Sister Burton served as Relief Society General President from 2012-2017 have been called to serve as the president and matron of the Jordan River Utah Temple, replacing the current president and matron, who have served since 2014 (with the latter part of their service interrupted slightly by the renovation of that temple).
This brings the total number of new temple presidents announced this year to 9, leaving 55 currently-operating temples on my personal list of those which might have a new president called, along with the 3 or 4 presidents which will likely be called for temples that will be dedicated within the next year or so. There have been other Church news stories reported recently which may be of interest to many of you, and a general mention of those here would seem to suffice for now.
The final development about which I want to report here today is from the Church's Newsroom, to cover the details of the new name which will be used going forward, and how that change relates to the other changes the Church has seen within these first 14 months of President Nelson's prophetic administration. The video accompanying that article is well worthy of your time and attention.
I do continue to monitor any and all other Church news and temple developments, and will keep doing my level best to bring word of those to you all here 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.
Labels:
Church Policies and Major Announcements,
Estimated Time-frames for Future Temple Events,
General Church News,
Temple Construction Update,
Temples Undergoing Renovation
I have had a lifelong love for Church history, which has extended to ongoing reports of the ministry of our apostles and prophets, General Conference, and all temple developments. This blog enables me to share that love with all who read my thoughts on these developments, which are sometimes reported multiple times per day as needed.
Monday, March 25, 2019
Updated List of Locations Most Likely to Have a Temple Announced During the April 2019 General Conference
Hello again, everyone! As I mentioned in another post earlier today, I realized a revision of my list of the locations which are most likely to have a temple announced in General Conference in roughly 1.75 weeks. Due to those tweaks (which have included fixing some inadvertent errors in the notes section), and as a result of my desire to allow for sufficient feedback, I am extending the deadline for the commenting period on this list to midnight MDT on the day that Thursday April 4 transitions into Friday April 5, which will subsequently allow me to make any necessary tweaks and adjustments to this list prior to General Conference the following day.
I hope that any of you will let me know if there are any glaring errors, omissions, or over-estimations in this list. With that said, the updated list and notes follow below. In order to not distract from the flow of that information, I will be ending 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.
I hope that any of you will let me know if there are any glaring errors, omissions, or over-estimations in this list. With that said, the updated list and notes follow below. In order to not distract from the flow of that information, I will be ending 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.
Africa Southeast[2]:
Antananarivo Madagascar; Second DR Congo Temple (in Mbuji-Mayi or Lubumbashi; Maputo
Mozambique; Kampala Uganda
Africa West[3]:
Freetown Sierra Leone; Kumasi Ghana; Monrovia Liberia; Yamoussoukro Ivory Coast;
Benin City Nigeria
Asia[4]:
Ulaanbaatar Mongolia; Jakarta Indonesia; Singapore; Taichung Taiwan; Hanoi
Vietnam
Asia North[5]:
Osaka Japan
Brazil[6]:
Belo Horizonte; Florianopolis; João Pessoa Ribeirão Preto
Caribbean: Kingston
Jamaica[7]
Central America[8]:
Coban Guatemala; San Pedro Sula Honduras
Europe[9]:
Budapest Hungary; Edinburgh Scotland; Vienna Austria; Oslo Norway
Europe East[10]:
Vilnius Lithuania
Mexico: Queretaro/Torreon
Mexico[11]
Middle East/Africa North: Dubai/Abu
Dhabi United Arab Emirates[12]
Pacific[13]:
Port Moresby Papua New Guinea; Tarawa Kiribati; Pago Pago American Samoa;
Neiafu Vava'u Tonga; Savaii Samoa; Christchurch New Zealand
Philippines[14]: Angeles/Bacolod/Tacloban
Philippines
South America Northwest[15]: Santa
Cruz/La Paz Bolivia; Iquitos/Cusco Peru; Cali/Medellin Colombia
South America South[16]: Antofagasta/Valparaiso
Chile; Neuquen/Rosario Argentina; Ciudad del Este Paraguay
North America (including
the United States and Canada) [17]:
Canada[18]: Victoria
British Columbia; Lethbridge Alberta
North America Central[19]:
Missoula Montana; Pueblo/Colorado Springs Colorado; Wichita Kansas; Green Bay
Wisconsin; Des Moines Iowa; Rapid City South Dakota
North America Northeast[20]: Cleveland
Ohio; Pittsburgh Pennsylvania; East Brunswick New Jersey; Augusta Maine;
Montpelier Vermont
North America Northwest:
Fairbanks Alaska[21]
North America Southeast[22]:
Jackson Mississippi; Shreveport Louisiana; Jacksonville Florida; Knoxville
Tennessee; Savannah Georgia
North America Southwest[23]: Bentonville
Arkansas; Fort Worth Texas; Las Cruces New Mexico; Flagstaff Arizona; Elko/Ely Nevada
North America West:
Bakersfield California[24]
Utah[25]:
Herriman/Heber City/Tooele/Washington County Utah; Preston Idaho; Evanston
Wyoming
Result:
[1]Some have offered their
opinion that, with 19 new temples announced last year alone (which has resulted
in a current backlog of 27 temples, though 3 others have a groundbreaking
scheduled to occur roughly one month after this conference), no new temples may
be announced this go-round. While I understand (and appreciate) the rationale
behind such comments, from what others and I myself have directly or indirectly
heard, President Nelson may unveil his temple expansion plans during this
conference. Whether he does or not, the locations below (grouped by area, then
by likelihood within that area) represent the most likely locations in which I
feel such temples may be announced during this conference.
[2]The Africa Southeast Area
has experienced significant Church growth. With 1 dedicated temple in the area
currently, there are 2 under construction (1 of which will be dedicated the
week after conference, with the other anticipated to follow in 4-6 months), and
2 others announced (both of which have had sites procured, and could therefore
have a groundbreaking either later this year or early next year), I have found
5 other potential locations which may get a temple in the near future. Most of
these candidates are based on the mileage to the current temple(s), travel
rigor, or oversized temple districts. Additionally, Uganda, Madagascar, and Mozambique
are fifth, seventh, and ninth respectively on the list of top ten nations with
the strongest Church presence that do not have a temple in any phase.
Madagascar is my top pick for this area. And in reference to a second DR Congo
Temple, I have personally favored Lubumbashi, but a recent report on the Church
growth blog pointed to the idea that a temple in Mbuji-Mayi might be more
imminently needed, so I have prioritized that pick.
[3]The
same factors I referenced above in previously (about significant Church growth,
the mileage and rigors involved, and temple district sizes) also applies to the
Africa West Area, as reflected by the five candidate cities listed here. With
only 2 temples currently operating, one more other construction, and one
announced, the Church growth blog noted recently that West Africa could have at
least 13 operating temples by 2030. There are a couple of big differences,
though. Only two of the five candidates do not have a temple in any phase. The
two are Sierra Leone and Liberia, which rank as the second and sixth
respectively on the aforementioned top ten list. Sierra Leone is my top pick for this area. And
while it may be difficult to know how soon a second Ivory Coast temple and a
third Nigerian temple may be announced, I have felt confident enough in my
picks to justify their selection.
[4]The Asian Saints, whose
ability to practice their faith has been somewhat limited at times by
governmental regulations, are nonetheless very faithful, as evidenced by recent
temple announcements for that continent. With the Hong Kong and Taipei temples
serving the Saints currently, the one in Bangkok is under construction, and two
others have been announced for Bengaluru and Phnom Penh. The factors first
mentioned in previously above also apply to the Asia Area, which is the largest
geographically in the Church. Of the locations listed, Mongolia is my favored
pick, since that nation is eighth on the aforementioned top ten list. Also,
President Hinckley publicly proposed a temple in Singapore, and Vietnam is a
dark-horse pick that I included based on reports of Church growth in the area.
[5]The Asia North Area of the
Church has seen some stagnated growth, to the point where some have suggested
that that area could be merged with the Asia Area. While I understand the
thinking behind that, and while I would not be surprised if such a merge occurs
in the near future, I have evaluated the area and seen at least one prospective
location where a temple could be built, with the main reasoning being the
factors previously mentioned in previously.
[6]Brazil
has been a Church stronghold for a while now. With six temples currently in
operation, both the Fortaleza and Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temples will be
dedicated within the next year, during which time the Brasilia Brazil Temple is
likely to have a groundbreaking occur. With two other temples (Belem and
Salvador) awaiting a site announcement and groundbreaking, some may feel that
more Brazilian temples may be delayed. But my research indicates that, due to
the factors mentioned in previously, these cities are the next most likely
locations to have a temple announced. I personally favor Belo Horizonte, but
would be happy if any or all of these cities have a temple announced this
go-round.
[7]This city is another
dark-horse pick, but is on the list due to the factors mentioned in previously,
but also due to someone suggesting it elsewhere. And given what President
Nelson has done in terms of the 19 temples he announced last year, Kingston
could be another location for a smaller temple.
[8]A Church member living and
working in the Central America Area kindly informed me that a second temple to
serve the current Guatemala City temple district is the most imminent prospect
for the future in this area. As I studied that opinion, I concurred with him
that Coban would likely be the next Central American city in which a temple
will be announced. But I also feel (based on general consensus and according to
my research) that a San Pedro Sula temple may be on the horizon sooner rather
than later, so both cities are listed.
[9]The situation of Saints
living on the European continent is somewhat interesting. Where there are
centers of strength, significant growth has occurred. But in many European
nations, the Church has experienced some stagnated growth, which has
necessitated discontinuing some congregations in order to strengthen others
within the last year or two. But due to the factors I mentioned previously, it
appears likely that most (if not all) of the candidate cities that follow in this
section could get a temple, even if only a smaller one.
[10]This area of the Church
has also experienced stagnated growth to the point that some have suggested
that the Church could consolidate it into the Europe Area. Additionally,
although President Nelson boldly announced a temple in April of last year for a
major yet-to-be-determined city in Russia, the political and religious
oppression existing in that nation makes it hard to know how soon that temple
will be built. With that in mind, a temple in Vilnius makes a lot of sense. And
that is especially true given the public proposal for such a temple which was
made by then-Elder M. Russell Ballard in May 1993. Although Elder Ballard noted
that prospect might not occur for 50 years or so, based on what has been said
about President Nelson’s temple expansion plans, the prospect seems imminent
enough to include it on my list for now.
[11]The relevant factors in
notes 13 and 20 also apply in a way to Mexico (where centers of strength have
seen excellent growth in some respects, but in others, massive congregational
consolidates have also occurred within the last couple of years. Based on these
facts, it may be difficult to know how soon another temple may be announced for
Mexico, especially since one was announced for Puebla last October. But the
cities of Queretaro and Torreon have been identified by a Church member living
in Mexico as likely to get a temple in the near future, so both are on this
list.
[12]As recently as a year ago,
if someone had suggested a temple for the Middle East/Africa North Area, I
would have dismissed it as an impossibility. But within the last year, we have
seen President Nelson announce temples for areas which I felt would not get a
temple for 15-20 years, and with that in mind, a temple in this area seems
feasible, if only a smaller one. Although the bulk of Church membership in this
area is comprised of military personnel, the United Arab Emirates represent a
stronghold of the Church in this area. And with that in mind, a smaller temple
in either of the two most populous cities in the UAE (Dubai and Abu Dhabi
respectively), feels like it may be more practical than I would have believed
this time last year.
[13]The Pacific area is another
stronghold of Church growth. With 10 temples currently operating there (and one
other announced), it seems logical to assume that other temples will be needed
to serve the area. Most (if not all) of the factors I mentioned previously
apply equally to this area. Additionally, New Guinea, Kiribati, and American
Samoa are ranked first, third, and fourth respectively on the aforementioned
top ten list of nations. So I have no doubt the Pacific Area will see temples
announced in each of these cities within the next decade, if not sooner.
[14]The Church has two
operating temples in the Philippines (Manila and Cebu City). The temple
announced in October 2010 for Urdaneta had a groundbreaking ceremony in
January. And with the last 3 sets of temple announcements, the Philippines has
seen temples announced for the greater Manila area (which will be located in
Muntinlupa City), Cagayan de Oro, and Davao. If that is any indication of what
might happen in the future, then other temples may be needed for the
Philippines, and the cities mentioned here seem to have the best likelihood.
[15]The
entire South American continent has experienced massive Church growth. Having
previously discussed Brazil, in reference to the South America Northwest Area,
I wanted to observe that there are 7 operating temples there. 1 more is
currently under construction in Arequipa Peru (for which a dedication is
anticipated before the end of this year) Two others have been announced: the
Lima Peru Los Olivos and Quito Ecuador Temples, both of which could have a
groundbreaking within the next 2-3 years, though hopefully sooner if all goes
well. And while I have personally-favored candidates here, a second temple in
Bolivia may be the most imminent prospect. For Bolivia and Colombia, I have
listed two potential locations each due to my inability to narrow those down to
one.
[16]The
South America South Area has likewise seen very significant and rapidly
expanding growth. So again, with President Nelson’s extensive temple-building
plans in mind, I have considered the most imminent prospects for future temples
in this area, and the factors mentioned in previous notes hold true here as
well. Currently, this area of the Church is served by 6 operating temples (1 of
which is closed for renovation), and there were 2 more announced for this area
last year. With that in mind, the 5 locations listed in this section seem to
have the strongest case in their favor of a temple announced in the near
future. And for Argentina and Chile, I list two cities each because the sets
for each nation are about even in terms of their likelihood.
[17]Although
the North American continent (primarily in the United States) has seen somewhat
of a stagnating growth situation, in light of the recent increased mentions of
President Nelson’s ambitious temple-building plans, the likelihood is extremely
high that the US and Canada will be included in whatever the plans are to
expand the number of temples worldwide. The locations listed below represent
what I believe are the most imminent prospects for each of the now-8 North
American areas of the Church.
[18]For purposes of
simplification, I have chosen to list my temple candidates for Canada in a
separate section from those elsewhere in the United States. So the North
American areas listed below will not include these Canadian candidate cities.
Of the two, Lethbridge may be more of a long shot. But Victoria has been
mentioned to me as a prospect due to the cost and arduous nature of the journey
to worship at the Vancouver British Columbia Temple.
[19]As mentioned in previous
notes, on the one hand, it may be difficult (if not impossible) to gauge the
imminent likelihood of any locations. But as also mentioned, in view of some of
the relevant factors, I can see the merits of each location listed here. Particularly,
I heard a report of a public proposal of a temple for Missoula Montana. Pueblo
made the list due to a report I received of high attendance numbers at the
Denver Colorado Temple. For Kansas, Iowa, and South Dakota, mileage is the main
factor driving my choices, and a temple (if only a smaller one) seems likely
for all three states in the near future. A temple in Iowa could be named for
Mount Pisgah, a significant landmark in the pioneer history of the Church.
[20]Given the steady growth of
the Church in Ohio and Pennsylvania, second temples for each seem to be likely
sooner rather than later. And New Jersey, Maine, and Vermont may each be
eligible for a temple of their own given the distance factor, and the rigors of
travel involved in getting to their currently assigned temples.
[21]The Saints in both
Fairbanks and Juneau have an arduously lengthy journey to get to their assigned
temple in Anchorage. While both may have equal merits in terms of their
eligibility for a temple of their own, my research shows Fairbanks may be first
in line for such a prospect. But I would anticipate temples in both cities
within the next 5-15 years, if not sooner.
[22]Since the Saints in
Jackson currently have an arduous journey to get to their assigned temple, it
is my opinion that a temple will be announced in that city sooner rather than
later. And an arduous journey also factors in to my reasoning for temples in
Shreveport, Jacksonville, Knoxville, and Savannah. If, as I anticipate,
President Nelson plans to prioritize the mileage factor and also filling in the
gaps that exist in temple district coverage, then any or all of these may
simply be a matter of time.
[23]Things are a little tricky
for this area of the Church. Given that the Saints assigned to the districts of
temples over the Mexican border might possibly have a harder time accessing
those temples in the future, some have offered very specific opinions about the
merits of some of the candidate cities which are listed here. But I am basing
my theories on the potential location of an Arkansas temple on information from
a friend indicating that land has been held in reserve in that city for a
temple for several years now. And I am basing my picks for temples in Texas and
New Mexico on the opinion of someone living within the current Dallas Texas
Temple district. This individual noted that Fort Worth would almost certainly
be the next Texas city to get a temple. So if border issues arise, those could
be ameliorated by a temple in Las Cruces, which would likely also cover El Paso
for the time being. Arizona and Nevada both fall under the “Mormon corridor”,
and I have heard that Flagstaff may well be the most likely Arizona city to get
a temple. Both Elko and Ely have arduous journeys to their assigned temples in
Utah, so It seems to be just a matter of time before one (or both) of them get
a temple of their own, and I feel the next Nevada temple location is too close
to call.
[24]With a temple announced
last October for Yuba City, a temple in Bakersfield might potentially be
delayed, but however long it might take, I am reasonably confident that that
city will be the next one in California to get a temple of its’ own, as I have
been anticipating such a prospect for almost as long as I have been offering my
thoughts on future temple locations.
[25]A temple site was publicly
mentioned as being held in reserve in April 2005 for a temple in the Southwest
Salt Lake Valley. Though no official confirmation has occurred, if my research
is correct, the land in question has been the subject of a border dispute
between Herriman and Bluffdale cities, but is currently owned by the city of
Herriman. For Heber City, Tooele, Preston, and Evanston, they all seem to have
an equal likelihood of having a temple announced in the near future. And Elder
Steven E. Snow, who was born in Washington County, recently told the Saints
there at a stake conference that someone from the Temple Department had
indicated to him that a third Washington County temple would be needed in the
not-too-distant future. For these reasons, I couldn’t narrow any of these
selections down, at least not for the moment.
I have had a lifelong love for Church history, which has extended to ongoing reports of the ministry of our apostles and prophets, General Conference, and all temple developments. This blog enables me to share that love with all who read my thoughts on these developments, which are sometimes reported multiple times per day as needed.
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