Temple Construction Progress During the Third Quarter of 2019: Part Three—Temples With a Groundbreaking Scheduled or Anticipated

Hello again, everyone! I am back with the third of five posts I am publishing to share a comparative look at temple construction progress during this second quarter of 2019, which is ever more rapidly drawing to its' close. This post will focus on temples with a groundbreaking scheduled or anticipated. And again, I am going to first provide that content as it was at the beginning of this quarter, and follow that up with the same content in the same order as it is on this last day of this second quarter. Those respective sections follow below,.

In order to not disturb the flow of that information, I will end here as I always do: That does it for now. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such feedback is in compliance 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 contnet, 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.

July 1, 2019.

Groundbreaking scheduled:

180. Belém Brazil Temple: Planning and approval phase; site location confirmed and groundbreaking announced on June 17, 2019; groundbreaking scheduled to occur on Saturday August 17, 2019.

Groundbreaking anticipated:

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 on March 22, 2019; groundbreaking could occur in mid-to-late 2019.

184. Nairobi Kenya Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site confirmation; groundbreaking could occur in mid-to-late 2019.

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.

186. Saratoga Springs Utah Temple: Preliminary plans submitted to local government on May 7, 2019; groundbreaking could occur in late 2019-early 2020.

187. Bengaluru India Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking could occur in late 2019-early 2020.

188. Auckland New Zealand Temple: Planning and approval phase; site location confirmed on May 21, 2019; groundbreaking could occur in late 2019-early 2020.

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

September 30, 2019.

Groundbreaking scheduled:

180. Saratoga Springs Utah Temple: Preparing for groundbreaking, which is scheduled to occur on Saturday October 17, 2019; completion estimated sometime during late 2022-early 2023.

181. Puebla Mexico Temple:  Demolition activities underway in preparation for groundbreaking, which is scheduled to occur on Saturday November 30, 2019; completion estimated sometime during early-to-mid 2023.

Groundbreaking anticipated:

183. Nairobi Kenya Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement; construction contract awarded; groundbreaking could occur in late 2019.

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

Note: On September 1, 2019, I was advised that the concept plans for this temple were floating around social media. If those plans are verified, a groundbreaking could occur within this period of time.

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: Aside from the information noted above, in mid-November of last year, Elder Andersen visited with Zimbabwe’s Vice President, and indicated to him that the Church was hoping to begin construction on the Harare temple in late 2019. Therefore, barring anything unexpected, it seems more likely than not that a groundbreaking could occur at around this time.

186. Bengaluru India Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement; groundbreaking could occur in late 2019-early 2020.

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

Note: Based on what is and is not known presently about this temple, it seems probable that a groundbreaking for it could be fit in during this window, if all goes well.

188. Auckland New Zealand Temrple: Planning and approval phase; site location confirmed on May 21, 2019; groundbreaking could occur in early 2020.

189. Layton Utah Temple: Planning and approval phase; site location officially confirmed on July 15, 2019; groundbreaking could occur in early 2020.

190. Tooele Valley Utah Temple: Planning and approval phase; site location officially confirmed on September 25, 2019; groundbreaking could occur in early-to-mid 2020.

191. Feather River California Temple: Planning and approval phase; official rendering released and site location announced on September 26, 2019; groundbreaking could occur in early-to-mid 2020.

192. Richmond Virginia Temple: Artist’s rendering and accompanying photographs released on August 28, 2019; groundbreaking could occur in mid-2020.

193. Salta Argentina Temple: Planning and approval phase; site location confirmed; groundbreaking could occur in mid-2020.

194. Mendoza Argentina Temple: Planning and approval phase; site location confirmed; 

groundbreaking could occur in mid-2020.

Temple Construction Progress During the Third Quarter of 2019: Part Two—Temples Under Construction or Which Have Full-Scale Construction Pending

Hello again, everyone! I am back with the second post in this mini-series. In this post, I will focus on temples under construction or those for which full-scale construction is pending. Again, I will first list the information as it was at the beginning of this quarter (July 1), followed by those same sections in terms of where they are today. That information follows belwo. In order to not disturb the flow thereof, I will end here as I always do:



That does it for now. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made in accordance with the established guidelines. Thank you for the privilege of your time. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly-added content, please feel free to subscribe. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

July 1, 2019.

Under construction; completion anticipated within the next year or two:

169. Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple: Construction barrier replaced by decorative fencing; landscaping underway; scaffolding being removed from temple tower; completion estimated sometime during early 2020.

170. Winnipeg Manitoba Temple: Temple exterior walls being installed; steeple added to meetinghouse; trees delivered for later planting; completion estimated sometime during mid-2020.

171. Abidjan Côte d'Ivoire Temple: Foundation completed; pouring main floor exterior walls; completion estimated sometime during late 2020-early 2021.

Under construction; completion estimated within the next 2-4 years:

172. Quito Ecuador Temple: Construction equipment on site; temple outline marked; excavations underway; completion estimated sometime during late 2021. 

173. Pocatello Idaho Temple: Pouring footings and foundation walls; completion estimated sometime during late 2021-early 2022.

174. Urdaneta Philippines Temple: Footing and foundation work underway; completion estimated sometime during late 2021-early 2022.

175. Bangkok Thailand Temple: Heavy equipment arriving on site; completion estimated sometime during mid-to-late 2022.

Full-scale construction pending:

176. Yigo Guam Temple: Groundbreaking held on Saturday May 4, 2019; full-scale construction pending.

177. Praia Cabo Verde Temple: Groundbreaking held on Saturday May 4, 2019; full-scale construction pending.

178. San Juan Puerto Rico Temple: Groundbreaking held on Saturday May 4, 2019; Groundbreaking held on Saturday May 4, 2019; full-scale construction pending.

179. Lima Peru Los Olivos Temple: Groundbreaking held on Saturday June 8, 2019; full-scale construction pending.

September 30, 2019.

Under construction; completion anticipated within the next year or two:

169. Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple: Monument sign inscription stone installed; landscaping and interior finish work progressing; completion estimated sometime during early 2020.

170. Winnipeg Manitoba Temple: Installing asphalt; planting soft landscaping; enclosing temple; laying meetinghouse brick; completion estimated sometime during mid-to-late 2020.

171. Abidjan Côte d'Ivoire Temple: Pouring main floor exterior walls; completion estimated sometime during early 2021.

172. Praia Cabo Verde Temple: Site staked; structural fill dirt compacted; preparing to drive piles for foundations; completion estimated sometime during mid-2021.

173. Yigo Guam Temple: Early phases of construction; completion estimated sometime during mid-2021.

175. Pocatello Idaho Temple: Asphalt paved for driveways and parking lots; backfilling of foundation progressing; structural steel on site; completion estimated sometime during mid-to-late 2021.

Under construction; completion estimated within the next 2-4 years:

176. Quito Ecuador Temple: Site grading, leveling, and some utility excavation underway; completion estimated sometime during late 2021-early 2022. 

177. Urdaneta Philippines Temple: Footing and foundation work underway; completion estimated sometime during early 2022.

178. Belém Brazil Temple: Setting forms for footings; roughing in plumbing; completion estimated sometime during early-to-mid 2022.

182. Bangkok Thailand Temple: Driving piles to support substructure; completion estimated sometime during mid-2023.

Full-scale construction pending:

174. San Juan Puerto Rico Temple: Full-scale construction pending; construction barrier remains from meetinghouse demolition; completion estimated sometime during mid-to-late 2021-.

179. Lima Peru Los Olivos Temple: Groundbreaking held on Saturday June 8, 2019; full-scale construction pending; completion estimated sometime during late 2022.

Temple Construction Progress During the Third Quarter of 2019: Part One—Overview, Preliminary Notes & Scheduled Dedications

Hello again, everyone! Given that the month of September 2019 is quickly winding towards its' conclusion, I wanted to take the next little while to provide three-part look back on the temple developments which have occurred throughout the almost-concluded third quarter of 2019. So over the course of this post and the four that will follow, I will cover that subject. There is going to be a lot of information presented here, so if any of you want to skip over this three-part mini-series of content on this subject, I will not mind at all.

For those sticking with me, in this first part, I will share the same sections from the beginning of this quarter (July 1) to its' end (today) in each of these three parts. This first part will share the sections of my report comprising the preliminary notes and scheduled temple dedications. The second part will share those temples under construction or which have full-scale construction pending. The third will focus on temples with a groundbreaking scheduled or anticipated, with the fourth sharing information about temples undergoing or scheduled to undergo renovation. And the series will wrap with a fifth post sharing a comparative look at the "Announced temples" section of my report.

That said, the first part of that series 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 now. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made in accordance with the established guidelines. Thank you for the privilege of your time. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly added content, please feel free to subscribe. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.



July 1, 2019.

Note about future temple construction: President Nelson has announced 27 new temples during his prophetic administration thus far. Recent statements from apostles (including and especially President Nelson himself) have implied that the goal is a ten-fold increase in the total number of temples. With no signs of slowing down, the Church is well on track to have a minimum of 200 operating temples by or before the Church’s bicentennial anniversary (which will be observed on Saturday April 6, 2030). Between today and that day, there are 10.76 years remaining within which to dedicate the remaining 36 temples, which could be done if an average of 3.35 temples were dedicated each year. And within the next year alone, 5 or 6 new temples are anticipated to be dedicated.

Current temple status: The Church has 209 temples in various phases, among which 164 are currently operating; while 4 more have had a dedication scheduled. There are additionally another 7 which are in various phases of construction, as well as 4 for which construction is pending following their groundbreaking ceremonies. 1 more temple has had a groundbreaking scheduled, and there is enough information on 9 additional temples to consider them as being in a “Groundbreaking anticipated” status.

8 previously-dedicated temples are currently closed for renovation, including 4 for which a rededication has been scheduled. The Church has also announced the renovation closures for 3 other temples (including the Salt Lake Temple).

The final 20 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.

Dedication scheduled:

165. Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple: Receiving furniture shipments; decorative bars installed over windows; landscaping continues; meetinghouse extension nearing completion; dedication scheduled to occur on Sunday September 1, 2019.

166. Lisbon Portugal Temple: Construction phase wrapping up; temple being furnished; dedication scheduled to occur on Sunday September 15, 2019.

167. Arequipa Peru Temple: Landscaping nearing completion; art glass windows installed; interior finish work progressing; dedication scheduled to occur on Sunday December 15, 2019.

168. Durban South Africa Temple: Tower cladding completed; monument sign slab poured; stonework, millwork, tiling, electrical, plumbing, fire suppression, and data systems installation continues; more landscaping added; dedication scheduled to occur on Sunday February 16, 2020.


September 30, 2019.

Note about future temple construction: President Nelson has announced 27 new temples during his prophetic administration thus far. Recent statements from apostles (including and especially President Nelson himself) have implied that the ultimate goal is a ten-fold increase in the total number of temples. With no signs of slowing down, the Church is well on track to have a minimum of 200 operating temples by or before the Church’s bicentennial anniversary (which will be observed on Saturday April 6, 2030). Between today and that day, there are 10.52 years within which to dedicate the remaining 34 temples, which could be done if an average of 3.23 temples were dedicated each year. And within the next year alone, 4 new temples are anticipated to be dedicated.

Current temple status: The Church has 209 temples in various phases, among which 166 are currently operating, 2 more have a dedication scheduled, another 10 which are in various phases of construction, and an additional 2 for which construction is pending following their groundbreaking ceremonies. 2 other temples have had their groundbreakings scheduled, and there is enough information on 12 additional temples to consider them as being in a “Groundbreaking anticipated” status. 

9 previously-dedicated temples are currently closed for renovation, including 2 which are being prepared for their rededications, and 2 others for which a rededication has been scheduled. The Church has also announced the renovation closures for 2 other temples.

The remaining 15 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.

Dedication scheduled:

167. Arequipa Peru Temple: Completing the interior of the temple; dedication scheduled to occur on Sunday December 15, 2019. 

168. Durban South Africa Temple: Monument sign installed; trees and shrubs being planted; work continues on plaza and wainscot stone; more art glass installed and draperies hung; dedication scheduled to occur on Sunday February 16, 2020.

Details Shared for New Children and Youth Initiative That Will Launch in 2020

Hello again, everyone! I had the opportunity yesterday (Sunday September 29), as did many of you, to watch the video detailing the new Children and Youth initiative that was the focus of the Fifth Sunday lesson. For those who still need to see that, or who are interested in the official summaries thereof which have been provided, you can find those here and here. As I watched the broadcast, several thoughts came to mind which I wanted to share. First, the program will be home-centered and Church-supported to match what is already in place for congregations, families, and individuals, including seminary students.

And there will be no hard-and-fast rules or a lengthy list of required objectives. Rather, the program, as implemented worldwide, will look different in different areas of the Church. The premise upon which this initiative is based appears to be a solid one. Some doctrinal background may be illustrative. When the Prophet Joseph Smith was asked about how he managed to govern such a large body of congregants, he responded, "We teach them correct principles, and they govern themselves."

Other things that came to mind were these verses, and also the preamble to the Word of Wisdom. The doctrines taught in these scriptures provide valuable insight into the reasoning behind the determinations made on how the new initiative will work for the children and youth in the Church. In short, the intent of Church leaders in the workings of the new initiative to provide general guidelines rather than  a specific spectrum, and to allow for individual, familial, quorum, group, and congregational flexibility based on needs and inspiraition received.

And during a period of time when the Church is moving towards a home-centered Church-supported system for gospel study and seminary, doing the same for children and youth ages 8 and up makes a lot of sense. One comment my wife made is that things seemed to be a little vague in terms of what was expected and planned. But I think that's the key: it will be something that looks different for everyone everywhere based on the circumstances, goals, deliberations, and received inspiration for individuals, families, and congegations, but the endgame goal will be to achieve the very same objectives and growth.

As the general leaders expressed their excitement for this new program, I could see their faith that the youth and children of the Church, together with parents, siblings, teachers, and leaders will rise to this opportunity to ensure that the program is bringing effective change and generating growth in the four specified general areas of focus (physical, spiritual, social, and intellectual). I was similarly grateful to hear these leaders testify that these new efforts have been inspired and directed by the Lord through his prophet, President Russell M. Nelson.

I was particularly touched to hear President Ballard and one or two others specifically say that they wished something like that had been available when they were ages 8-18. Our prophet has clearly felt impressed by the Lord that the children and youth will measure up to this new opportunity to take responsibility for their own ability to develop skills and progress. And that, to me, is an indication that this new initiative will be a huge blessing to the lives of those involved therewith as individuals, families, congregations, and the Church as a whole.

I am grateful for this opportunity to share some of my thoughts on the new initiative That does it for now. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made in accordance with the established guidelines. Thank you for the privilege of your time. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly added content, please feel free to subscribe. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.