Hello again, everyone! I had the privilege of watching the press conference this morning in which President Nelson and others detailed the renovation plans for the Salt Lake Temple, and I had hoped to bring word of those plans to you all here not long after that press briefing concluded, but I wound up having to delay such a report in favor of allowing myself more time to recover from the prodedure I had yesterday.
Something I should have seen coming was that briefing being conducted by Presiding Bishop Gerald Causse. The Presiding Bishopric of the Church, among other responsibilities, handles certain aspects of temple construction and maintenance. Featured speakers at the briefing included President Russell M. Nelson with some introductory remarks, Bishop Dean M. Davies, First Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric (who had been working as the managing director of the Church's Special Projects Division prior to his call to the Presiding Bishopric), Elder Larry Y. Wilson, Executive Director of the Temple Department, and Brother Brent Roberts, the current managing director of the Special Projections Division.
It was explained that the Salt Lake Temple will close for renovation on Sunday December 29 of this year. When President Nelson originally announced the date, he inadvertently mentioned the wrong year. After he concluded his remarks, President Oaks was overheard quietly pointing out that error. President Nelson then corrected himself over the pulpit, and, with a twinkle in his eye and a straight face, said: "If that's the only mistake I made today, I'll count myself lucky."
The temple's renovation closure will take approximately 4 years, and an open house and rededication is anticipated to occur in roughly early-to-mid 2024. Since temple renovations have been known to take longer in some cases than originally anticipated, I could see that process taking shorter or longer than anticipated. The thought did occur to me that it would be really neat if the temple was rededicated either just before or not long after President Nelson observes his birthday that same year (which would thus make him the Church's first centenarian Church President).
I could see that occurring easily, since President Nelson's fellow apostles and his wife have all been quoted as saying that, when he is fulfilling his calling in any respect, he has appeared to have the vitality, vigor, and energy of those 2-3 decades younger than he now is at 94 years of age. That said, the specific plans, and indeed the entire press conference, speak very well for themselves. I would just note that I am grateful some parts of Temple Square will be restored to what they were originally, that the annex and sealings rooms in one of the areas of focus will be removed in favor of creating a couple of areas specifically for temple patrons, and that one of the Visitor's Centers on Temple Sqaure will be removed.
It is also nice to know that a formal temple open house will be held at the conclusion of the construction process, which will give Church members, friends of other faiths, and government and civic leaders a chance to tour the edifice. It would not shock me at all if multiple rededicatory services were held over the course of a wekk or more to allow many Church members around the world to participate therewith. The Church News has created a special website section in which multiple articles about that subject have been and will be featured.
Turning now in conclusion to a couple other subjects, the Church's Newsroom also reported today that President Russell M. and Sister Wendy W. Nelson, accompanied by Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Harriet R. Uchtorf, will speak to Church members in an evening devotional which will be held on Sunday June 9 in Orlando Florida. That devotional will be held in the Amway Center, which has been the home venue for the Orlando Magic NBA team and the ECHL Bears. So that will be another member devotional to be held in a professional sports arena.
The devotional will be held on the Sunday between the June 2 dedication of the Fortaleza Brazil Temple and the June 16 rededication of the Oakland California Temple. And that will also be roughly 2 weeks after President Nelson wraps up his tour of the Pacific Area of the Church. It is good to see President Nelson continue the tradition of just stopping between trips long enough to catch his breath and switch apostolic companions. Whether he aims to do so or not, if he continues the travel rate he has observed since his ordination as Church President roughly 1.25 years ago, he will be on track within the next year (if not sooner) to become the most widely-traveled prophet in Church history
Aside from the announcement about the renovation plans for the Saltt Lake Temple, additional updates have been reported for 4 temples. Heavy equipment is now in place to clear the Quito Ecuador Temple site prior to its' scheduled groundbreaking on Saturday May 11.And it has now been confirmed that demolition of the Yigo chapel is officially underway. There has also been an update reported on the Tokyo Japan Temple, where the angel Moroni statue was reinstalled on April 17, 2019.
It is also worth noting that there seems to be some confusion regarding the current status of the Saratoga Springs Utah Temple. What we know for certain is the that most likely location for the temple has been identified. Less clear, however, is the status of the plans for that temple. Some sources note a "Special Project" site plan submitted by the Church to the city government on December 4, 2018.
But elsewhere, it has been suggested that the plans in question have not yet been submitted to (or aapproved by) the city government. Depending on if, when, and how that information is clarified, it may be harder or easier to get an idea about how soon a groundbreaking could take place for that temple. That said, I appreciate the chance I have had to bring you word of these developments. I continue to monitor all updates in terms of Church news and temple construction milestones and will bring you all word of those here either in new posts or in comments on existing posts as I become aware of such developments.
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.
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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Friday, April 19, 2019
President Nelson Announces Salt Lake Temple Renovation Plans; Will Minister in Florida in June
Labels:
Apostolic Ministry & Travels,
Church Policies and Major Announcements,
Church President,
First Presidency,
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.
16 Additional New Temple Presidents Announced
Hello again, everyone! The Church News shared information yesterday (April 18) about an addditional 16 new temple presidents who will begin their service later this year. Of those 16 new temple presidents, 1 is a current area seventy (Elder Yutaka Onda, who will thus likely be released as an area seventy during the October General Conference), 1 is a former area seventy, 4 are serving currently in the presidency of the temple for which they will assume oversight, 1 served previously as a counselor in the presidency of a different temple than the one for which he will assume oversight, and 1 has previously served in the presidencies of two separate temples (1 of which is the same one for which he will be assuming oversight).
Also, 2 of the new temple presidents called to sere in Mexico temples currently live in Puebla, which I thought was an interesting coincidence. given that a temple for Puebla was announced last October in General Conference. There were 3 of those 16 new temple presidents whose calls I had not anticipated. The new Suva Fiji Temple president succeds a man who has only served for one year, and the new presidents of the Paris France and Calgary Alberta Temples succeed presidents who have only served for 2 years each.
The total number of new temple presidents which have been announced thus far this year is now 33. In addition to the 4 new temples for which the first presidents may be called later this year, there are 35 other operating temples whose current presidents have served for 3 or more years. The combined total on this year's list is thus now 72, which is roughly 34% of the total number of temples in any phase (209). That said, the latest copy of that list follows below.
In order 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.
List of currently-operating temples which may be getting a new president in 2019:
Also, 2 of the new temple presidents called to sere in Mexico temples currently live in Puebla, which I thought was an interesting coincidence. given that a temple for Puebla was announced last October in General Conference. There were 3 of those 16 new temple presidents whose calls I had not anticipated. The new Suva Fiji Temple president succeds a man who has only served for one year, and the new presidents of the Paris France and Calgary Alberta Temples succeed presidents who have only served for 2 years each.
The total number of new temple presidents which have been announced thus far this year is now 33. In addition to the 4 new temples for which the first presidents may be called later this year, there are 35 other operating temples whose current presidents have served for 3 or more years. The combined total on this year's list is thus now 72, which is roughly 34% of the total number of temples in any phase (209). That said, the latest copy of that list follows below.
In order 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; current
president has only served for two years)
3.
Tampico Mexico
4.
Philadelphia Pennsylvania
5.
Spokane Washington
6.
Manhattan New York
7.
Columbia River Washington
8.
St. Paul Minnesota
9.
Jordan River Utah
10. Medford
Oregon
11. Rexburg
Idaho
12. Provo
Utah
13. London
England
14. Tegucigalpa
Honduras (not anticipated; current president has only served for one year)
15. Johannesburg
South Africa
16. Fort
Collins Colorado
17. Panama
City Panama
18. Nauvoo
Illinois
19. Suva
Fiji (not anticipated; current president has only served for one year)
20. Paris
France (not anticipated; current president has only served for two years)
21. Dallas
Texas
22. Guadalajara
Mexico
23. Gilbert
Arizona
24. Detroit
Michigan
25. Anchorage
Alaska
26. Twin
Falls Idaho
27. Sapporo
Japan
28. Kyiv
Ukraine
29. Columbus
Ohio
30. Calgary
Alberta (not anticipated; current president has only served for two years)
31. Tuxtla
Gutierrez Mexico
32. Ciudad
Juarez Mexico
33. Monterrey
Mexico
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.
Birmingham Alabama
3.
Campinas Brazil
4.
Chicago Illinois
5.
Cochabamba Bolivia
6.
Curitiba Brazil
7.
Fresno California
8.
Halifax Nova Scotia
9.
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)
10. Hartford
Connecticut
11. 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)
12. 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.)
13. Lima
Peru
14. Melbourne
Australia
15. 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.)
16. Mexico
City Mexico
17. Montreal
Quebec
18. Merida
Mexico
19. Nashville
Tennessee
20. Nuku’alofa
Tonga
21. 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.)
22. Orlando
Florida
23. Perth
Australia
24. Portland
Oregon
25. 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.)
26. Reno
Nevada
27. Santiago
Chile
28. Santo
Domingo Dominican Republic
29. Seattle
Washington
30. Seoul
Korea
31. 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)
32. Star
Valley Wyoming
33. Veracruz
Mexico
34. 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.)
35. Winter
Quarters Nebraska
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, April 18, 2019
Personal Update/Additional Church News and Temple Developments Reported
Hello again, everyone! This post will serve 3 purposes: First, a personal update; second, a discussion of recently-reported Church news; and finally, to share a few temple updates which have crossed my radar. So let's get right into all of that. On the personal front, my procedure has been scheduled for 2:00 PM MDT, and I anticipate the whole process will take between 2-3 hours. I will then be released to start a 1-2 day at-home recuperation, and have been instructed to not do anything strenuous for 2 weeks or so after that. I look forward to getting that procedure taken care of.
With that said, in non-personal news, the Church News shared the following articles recently: two Latter-day Saint siblings are now rising opera stars, Elder Stevenson's address to graduates at the commcement for LDS Business College, Elder Holland's commencement address to the graduates from BYU-Idaho, a BYU professor's top ten finish in the recent Boston Marathon, and the reaction of Sister Sharon Eubank, director of LDS Charities and First Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency, to the Notre Dame Cathedral fire, which had personal impact on her.
Meanwhile, recent news reported on the Church's official website include: the First Presidency's official Easter message; the newest General Authority and General Officers chart, complete with the 119 General Authorities of the Church and all 15 general auxiliary presidency members, including the newly-sustained Sunday School General Presidency; a large print edition of the "Come Follow Me" manual; and an article about how differrent editions and printing schedules for "The Liahona" help to bless the worldwide Church.
And while I may or may not have reported many of the newest stories from the Church's official Newsroom, the one which I know I have not passed along is the latest edition of "Latter-day Saints Around the World". The latest edition features articles from Australia (from which there were 2), Jamaica, Guatemala, the Pacific, Canada, and India. It was good to read the summaries of all of these articles.
We now conclude with some temple updates. With the Fortaleza Brazil Temple open house now just 9 or 10 days away as of the publishing of this post, covered walkways and tents are being assembled for it. The open house will go from April 27-May 18. Meanwhile, there has been another outstanding update on the Durban South Africa Temple, where the tiling of floors and walls and the sanding and painting of walls is making progress, in addition to which doors and frames are being fitted, and progress has been made on the cladding of both the grand staircase and entrance retaining walls. Also workers are preparing to add pavement to the west side of that temple's parking lot.
On temples which have a groundbreaking scheduled, I have found information indicating that the demolition of the Yigo chapel is officially underway for the temple in Guam, and that heavy equipment is helping to clear the site for the Quito Ecuador Temple. And finally, in regards to temples undergoing renovation, the open house tours for the Memphis Tenessee Temple will end on the day after the scheduled annoucement detailing plans for the Salt Lake Temple renovation.
At the Washington DC Temple, while exterior wall grout and stained-glass window repair continues, work is underway inside on the elevators within the temple. And at the Mesa Arizona Temple, forms have been set for the north reflecting pool, while landscaping structures are being installed, and progress has been made in the planting of trees on the grounds of that temple. And as the Pacific Area prepares for visits from President and Sister Nelson and Elder and Sister Gong next month, the Hamilton New Zealand Temple has seen scaffolding erected in preparation for the refurbishment of the exterior.
I do continue to monitor all Church news and temple developments and am committed to bringing you word of such news here 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 enjoyoed 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.
With that said, in non-personal news, the Church News shared the following articles recently: two Latter-day Saint siblings are now rising opera stars, Elder Stevenson's address to graduates at the commcement for LDS Business College, Elder Holland's commencement address to the graduates from BYU-Idaho, a BYU professor's top ten finish in the recent Boston Marathon, and the reaction of Sister Sharon Eubank, director of LDS Charities and First Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency, to the Notre Dame Cathedral fire, which had personal impact on her.
Meanwhile, recent news reported on the Church's official website include: the First Presidency's official Easter message; the newest General Authority and General Officers chart, complete with the 119 General Authorities of the Church and all 15 general auxiliary presidency members, including the newly-sustained Sunday School General Presidency; a large print edition of the "Come Follow Me" manual; and an article about how differrent editions and printing schedules for "The Liahona" help to bless the worldwide Church.
And while I may or may not have reported many of the newest stories from the Church's official Newsroom, the one which I know I have not passed along is the latest edition of "Latter-day Saints Around the World". The latest edition features articles from Australia (from which there were 2), Jamaica, Guatemala, the Pacific, Canada, and India. It was good to read the summaries of all of these articles.
We now conclude with some temple updates. With the Fortaleza Brazil Temple open house now just 9 or 10 days away as of the publishing of this post, covered walkways and tents are being assembled for it. The open house will go from April 27-May 18. Meanwhile, there has been another outstanding update on the Durban South Africa Temple, where the tiling of floors and walls and the sanding and painting of walls is making progress, in addition to which doors and frames are being fitted, and progress has been made on the cladding of both the grand staircase and entrance retaining walls. Also workers are preparing to add pavement to the west side of that temple's parking lot.
On temples which have a groundbreaking scheduled, I have found information indicating that the demolition of the Yigo chapel is officially underway for the temple in Guam, and that heavy equipment is helping to clear the site for the Quito Ecuador Temple. And finally, in regards to temples undergoing renovation, the open house tours for the Memphis Tenessee Temple will end on the day after the scheduled annoucement detailing plans for the Salt Lake Temple renovation.
At the Washington DC Temple, while exterior wall grout and stained-glass window repair continues, work is underway inside on the elevators within the temple. And at the Mesa Arizona Temple, forms have been set for the north reflecting pool, while landscaping structures are being installed, and progress has been made in the planting of trees on the grounds of that temple. And as the Pacific Area prepares for visits from President and Sister Nelson and Elder and Sister Gong next month, the Hamilton New Zealand Temple has seen scaffolding erected in preparation for the refurbishment of the exterior.
I do continue to monitor all Church news and temple developments and am committed to bringing you word of such news here 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 enjoyoed 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:
Apostolic Ministry & Travels,
General Church News,
Personal News/Update,
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, April 14, 2019
Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple Dedicated as 163rd Operating Temple of the Church
Hello again, everyone! With the time now being almost 9:00 PM Sunday in Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo, all dedicatory sessions for that temple have concluded. So I wanted to provide a glimpse at coverage of the dedicatory events. Firstly, it is worth nothing that, in presiding over the dedicatory events this weekend, Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (for whom, as I explained in another post yesterday, this temple's dedication was personally significant) was accompanied by his wife, Ruth L. Renlund, and their only child, Ashley.
The Africa Southeast Area Presidency (Elders S. Mark Palmer, Joseph W. Sitati, and Joni L. Koch) were also in attendance, along with their wives. I had thought I remembered reading about the Temple Department Executive Director, Elder Larry Y. Wilson,. also being in attendance, along with Elder Kevin S. Hamilton of the Seventy, who was just released last year as president of the Africa Southeast Area, but I could not find that verified in any of the sources I found.
So for now, I wanted to pass along the news articles I was able to find on this weekend's events. This article provided an overview of the dedicatory weekend, including the note about Elder Renlund presiding thereat. Another article highlights the youth devotional that was held roughly 24 hours or so ago, while a third article highlights the temple's dedication. Elder Renlund is, as I previously mentioned, the new least-senior member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to ever preside over the dedication of a temple, and he received this assignment due to both his service on the Temple and Family History Executive Council and to his personal connection to that area.
With this temple dedication having been held, the next major temple events will be the Fortaleza Brazil Temple open house, which will begin in less than two weeks, the groundbreakings on May 4 of this year for the Yigo Guam, Praia Cabo Verde, and San Juan Puerto Rico Temples, the private rededication of the Memphis Tennesee Temple on May 5 by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, the groundbreaking for the Quito Ecuador Temple the following Saturday, the private rededication of the Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temple on May 19 by President Henry B. Eyring, the dedication of the Fortaleza Brazil Temple on June 2, the groundbreaking for the Lima Peru Los Olivos Temple the following Saturday, and the rededication of the Oakland California Temple 8 days after that/
Time will tell, but if what I am hearing on my end is any indication, the second half of 2019 will be just as busy (if not more so) in terms of scheduled temple events. We already know about the scheduled dedications for the Port-au-Prince Haiti and Lisbon Portugal Temples on September 1 and 15 respectively, and that the rededication of the Frankfurt Germany Temple is scheduled for October 20. I woud anticipate that, following the scheduled announcement this Friday about the renovation plans. details, and involved timing for the Salt Lake Temple, there will be at least a few other temple events announced at some point over the next couple of moths and beyond.
It will be a busy season for the Church in terms of such developments, and for my part, I will be doing my level best to bring you all word of those as they occur, in addition to continuing to share any other major Church news which crosses my radar. At this point, I am not sure what to expect in terms of how soon the area leadership assignments for this year may be announced. That could happen prior to or just after Friday's announcement, or it could be delayed another week or two. But whenever any such announcements are made, I will be sure to bring word of those here as I learn about 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.
The Africa Southeast Area Presidency (Elders S. Mark Palmer, Joseph W. Sitati, and Joni L. Koch) were also in attendance, along with their wives. I had thought I remembered reading about the Temple Department Executive Director, Elder Larry Y. Wilson,. also being in attendance, along with Elder Kevin S. Hamilton of the Seventy, who was just released last year as president of the Africa Southeast Area, but I could not find that verified in any of the sources I found.
So for now, I wanted to pass along the news articles I was able to find on this weekend's events. This article provided an overview of the dedicatory weekend, including the note about Elder Renlund presiding thereat. Another article highlights the youth devotional that was held roughly 24 hours or so ago, while a third article highlights the temple's dedication. Elder Renlund is, as I previously mentioned, the new least-senior member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to ever preside over the dedication of a temple, and he received this assignment due to both his service on the Temple and Family History Executive Council and to his personal connection to that area.
With this temple dedication having been held, the next major temple events will be the Fortaleza Brazil Temple open house, which will begin in less than two weeks, the groundbreakings on May 4 of this year for the Yigo Guam, Praia Cabo Verde, and San Juan Puerto Rico Temples, the private rededication of the Memphis Tennesee Temple on May 5 by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, the groundbreaking for the Quito Ecuador Temple the following Saturday, the private rededication of the Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temple on May 19 by President Henry B. Eyring, the dedication of the Fortaleza Brazil Temple on June 2, the groundbreaking for the Lima Peru Los Olivos Temple the following Saturday, and the rededication of the Oakland California Temple 8 days after that/
Time will tell, but if what I am hearing on my end is any indication, the second half of 2019 will be just as busy (if not more so) in terms of scheduled temple events. We already know about the scheduled dedications for the Port-au-Prince Haiti and Lisbon Portugal Temples on September 1 and 15 respectively, and that the rededication of the Frankfurt Germany Temple is scheduled for October 20. I woud anticipate that, following the scheduled announcement this Friday about the renovation plans. details, and involved timing for the Salt Lake Temple, there will be at least a few other temple events announced at some point over the next couple of moths and beyond.
It will be a busy season for the Church in terms of such developments, and for my part, I will be doing my level best to bring you all word of those as they occur, in addition to continuing to share any other major Church news which crosses my radar. At this point, I am not sure what to expect in terms of how soon the area leadership assignments for this year may be announced. That could happen prior to or just after Friday's announcement, or it could be delayed another week or two. But whenever any such announcements are made, I will be sure to bring word of those here as I learn about 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:
Apostolic Ministry & Travels,
Church Policies and Major Announcements,
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.
Saturday, April 13, 2019
BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Elder Dale G. Renlund Will Preside At Dedication of Kinshasa DR Congo Temple
Hello again, everyone! In a development I did not see coming but one that certainly makes sense, it has been reported that Elder Dale G. Renlund is in Kinshasa this weekend to preside over the dedicatory events for the Kinshasa DR Congo Temple. As I mentioned previously, as of 2016, Elder David A. Bednar had been the most junior apostle to ever preside over a dedication without a more senior leader present. That occurred when he was asked to oversee the dedication of the Star Valley Wyoming Temple.
In Elder Renlund's case, not only is he a member of the Temple and Family History Executive Council, but because he, as a General Authority Seventy, had served in the Africa Southeast Area Presidency for a period of at least a few years prior to his call to the apostleship, the dedication of this particular temple would be significant for him on a personal level as well.
Just one or two other thoughts on this, if I may offer them. In a discussion late last year or in the early part of this year on the Church growth blog, the anticipated increase in temple events, primarily relating to the dedication of new temples, was mentioned. The question was asked whether General Authority Seventies could at some point be called upon to preside over temple dedications. While there may come a day when 3 temples are dedicated on average roughly every two weeks, the Church may not get to that point in the immediate or near future.
That said, while it is true that the seventy are the ones whom the Lord directed the apostles should call upon for assistance in the work of His Church, the keys to bind and seal on earth and in heaven, particularly in relation to the dedication of temples, are inherent in the apostleship, and apostles can only exercise those keys with the authorization of the Church President. Therefore, it would take a major change in the prescribed delegation of those keys for any General Authority Seventy to represent the apostles, and, by extension, the President of the Church in such cases.
Of course, with Elder Renlund being the 10th in seniority among the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and thus being the 13th most senior apostle overall, it is plain to see that opportunities are being given to the more junior apostles to preside over dedications personally without a more senior apostle being in attendance. And that may be the start of a new precedent.
But unless the Lord prompts a change in the keys specifically given to General Authority Seventies, or expands the ways in which the Seventy have authority to assist the Quorum of the Twelve, for the moment, based on my understanding of Church doctrine and policy, I would say that I don't see any General Authority Seventies being asked to preside over the dedication of any temples, at least for the immediate and near future.
I am grateful to have been able to learn of this development and to pass it along to you all here. That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made in accordance with the established guidelines. Thank you for the privilege of your time. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly-added content, please feel free to subscribe. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.
In Elder Renlund's case, not only is he a member of the Temple and Family History Executive Council, but because he, as a General Authority Seventy, had served in the Africa Southeast Area Presidency for a period of at least a few years prior to his call to the apostleship, the dedication of this particular temple would be significant for him on a personal level as well.
Just one or two other thoughts on this, if I may offer them. In a discussion late last year or in the early part of this year on the Church growth blog, the anticipated increase in temple events, primarily relating to the dedication of new temples, was mentioned. The question was asked whether General Authority Seventies could at some point be called upon to preside over temple dedications. While there may come a day when 3 temples are dedicated on average roughly every two weeks, the Church may not get to that point in the immediate or near future.
That said, while it is true that the seventy are the ones whom the Lord directed the apostles should call upon for assistance in the work of His Church, the keys to bind and seal on earth and in heaven, particularly in relation to the dedication of temples, are inherent in the apostleship, and apostles can only exercise those keys with the authorization of the Church President. Therefore, it would take a major change in the prescribed delegation of those keys for any General Authority Seventy to represent the apostles, and, by extension, the President of the Church in such cases.
Of course, with Elder Renlund being the 10th in seniority among the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and thus being the 13th most senior apostle overall, it is plain to see that opportunities are being given to the more junior apostles to preside over dedications personally without a more senior apostle being in attendance. And that may be the start of a new precedent.
But unless the Lord prompts a change in the keys specifically given to General Authority Seventies, or expands the ways in which the Seventy have authority to assist the Quorum of the Twelve, for the moment, based on my understanding of Church doctrine and policy, I would say that I don't see any General Authority Seventies being asked to preside over the dedication of any temples, at least for the immediate and near future.
I am grateful to have been able to learn of this development and to pass it along to you all here. That does it for this post. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made in accordance with the established guidelines. Thank you for the privilege of your time. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly-added content, please feel free to subscribe. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.
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Apostolic Ministry & Travels,
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Sustaining the Brethren,
Temple Construction Update
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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