The Church owns additional land in Grantsville, which is immediately adjacent to the planned spot for the temple in Erda. One week ago today, Grantsville approved a Church-sponsored request to annex 548.85 acres from Grantsville over to Erda.
With that request approved by Grantsville, barring any unexpected obstacles, that annexed land can then be used by the Church to spread out the residential development so it's not so compact. which means that, depending on how quickly the Church can submit revised plans for that development to the city of Erda, a groundbreaking could still occur within the next several months, if not more immediately than that. I'd like to accordingly note here that, with two Utah temples (Red Cliffs and Taylrsville) waiting in the wings for a groundbreaking announcement, depending on what happens with the Tooele Valley Utah Temple plans in the interim, there could be a scenario wherein any or all of those three temples could have their groundbreakings at any point between the already-scheduled groundbreakings for the Orem Utah and San Pedro Sula Honduras Temples (both of which are currently set to occur on Saturday September 5) and that of the Brasilia Brazil Temple (which is set to occur on Saturday September 26).
Of course, nothing is official until the Brethren make it so through official announcements, but given my first-hand knowledge of COVID-19 conditions here in Utah (since I monitor the daily reports that are given), the numbers here are trending downward to a degree that temple groundbreakings here in Utah won't need to be delayed in a similar manner to what we saw occur with the Alabang Philippines Temple earlier this year, and the announcement from earlier today relative to the delay for the Salta Argentina Temple's groundbreaking.And, as I have noted very recently as well, I have a feeling that the Lord will reward the efforts and good intentions of the Brethren in planning for 18 temple groundbreakings this year by opening a way for at least that many temples to have a groundbreaking, if not more. Time will tell in that respect.
In the meantime, I continue to monitor all Church news and temple updates and will be sure to pass word of those along to you all as I become aware of all such developments. 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.
Wednesday, August 12, 2020
POSSIBLE BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Annexation of Church-Owned Land May Eliminate Possible Dealys for the Tooele Valley Utah Temple
Hello again, everyone! As some of you may recall, I had recently reported on how citizens in the Tooele Valley who objected to the residential development as planned to surround the Toeele Valley Utah Temple, but who did not necessarily object to the temple itself, were gathering signatures for a possible referendum on the matter for the ballot, which would have potentially delayed the construction process beginning on that temple for as much as a year or more. Today, I have an update to provide on that situation.The Tooele Transcript Bulletin published a new article yesterday on the Church's efforts to strike a compromise in the matter.
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.
BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Groundbreaking for Salta Argeinta Temple Delayed Due to COVID-19 Precautions
Hello again, everyone! Breaking temple news has just been reported. Due to the ongoing impact of COVID-19, the First Presidency has rescheduled the groundbreaking for the Salta Argentina Temple. The groundbreaking, which had originally been scheduled to occur this Saturday, August 15, will now take place on Friday October 9, marking the second time this year the Church has rescheduled a previously-announced groundbreaking from a date on a Saturday to a date mid-week. The previous time this occurred was with the groundbreaking for the Alabang Philippines Temple, which had been originally set for Saturday May 2 but was rescheduled to occur on Thursday June 4, when government regulations would allow that to occur.
The scenario is probably similar for the reasoning behind the rescheduling of this temple's groundbreaking. Among other changes, this means that groundbreaking willl take place after the groundbreakings occur for the San Pedro Sula Honduras, Orem Utah, and Brasilia Brazil Temples. It is not yet clear how, if at all, the adjusted timing for this groundbreaking might impact its' anticipated completion. And that measn that the Salta Argentina Temple will become the ninth to have a groundbreaking this year, unlesss any other gjroundbreakings are scheduled to occur between now and then. Other than the date change and the possible resulting delay in the construction timetable, it appears the other arrangements (Elder Benjamin De Hoyos, a General Authority Seventy and President of the South America South Area, will preside, and in-person attendance will be limited due to COVID-19 precautionary measures) remain unchangedc.
I am grateful to have been able to find out about this report and to pass the information on to you all here. I continue to monitor all Church news and temple developments and will do my level best to bring word of those to you all as I become aware of such things. 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.
The scenario is probably similar for the reasoning behind the rescheduling of this temple's groundbreaking. Among other changes, this means that groundbreaking willl take place after the groundbreakings occur for the San Pedro Sula Honduras, Orem Utah, and Brasilia Brazil Temples. It is not yet clear how, if at all, the adjusted timing for this groundbreaking might impact its' anticipated completion. And that measn that the Salta Argentina Temple will become the ninth to have a groundbreaking this year, unlesss any other gjroundbreakings are scheduled to occur between now and then. Other than the date change and the possible resulting delay in the construction timetable, it appears the other arrangements (Elder Benjamin De Hoyos, a General Authority Seventy and President of the South America South Area, will preside, and in-person attendance will be limited due to COVID-19 precautionary measures) remain unchangedc.
I am grateful to have been able to find out about this report and to pass the information on to you all here. I continue to monitor all Church news and temple developments and will do my level best to bring word of those to you all as I become aware of such things. 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.
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.
President Dallin H. Oaks Observes His 88th Birthday Today
Hello again, everyone! I am back in the early-morning hours of August 12 to pay tribute to the final apostle who has his birthday this month. President Dallin H. Oaks. He is observing his 87th birthday today. So let's dive right into this tribute post. Dallin Harris Oaks was born to Dr. Lloyd E. and Stella Harris Oaks in Provo, Utah, on this day in 1932. Included in his mother's ancestry is Martin Harris, who, as we know, was one of the three witnesses of the Book of Mormon. President Oaks' first name was given in honor of the last name of an artist with whom his mother had worked (as the model) for a statue in Springville Utah. His father was an ophthalmologist, and he died when young Dallin was age 7 from complications of tuberculosis.
Being the oldest child of his family, the death of his father gave him some unique opportunities to help his mother and to be an example to his younger siblings, which was one thing of which he has frequently spoken. After his father died, his mother was able to earn a graduate degree at Columbia University and support her family by working to provide adult education opportunities for those who needed it. She also went to be the first woman elected to Provo's City Council, and she also served for a time as assistant mayor. In the meantime, Elder Oaks attended Brigham Young High School, where he played football and became a certified radio engineer. Once he started attending BYU, he took many opportunities to be the radio announcer at high school games.
At one of those games, he was introduced to June Dixon, whom he would later date and subsequently marry. He was unable to serve as a full-time missionary because he was a member of the National Guard, and there was a possibility he could have been called up to serve during the Korean War. Dallin and June were married in 1952, and he graduated from BYU two years later with a degree in accounting. He went on to study law at the University of Chicago, graduating with his degree 3 years later. He spent the early part of his professional career clerking for Chief Justice Earl Warren of the US Supreme Court. After that, he practiced law at Kirkland and Ellis.
He left that job in 1961 to become a professor at Chicago Law, While in that capacity, he served as interim dean. During that same period of time, the University of Chicago was desperate to get Dr. Russell M. Nelson, a renowned heart surgeon, on their staff, and Professor Oaks was asked to represent the university in trying to convince Dr. Nelson to accept the offer. Although those efforts proved unsuccessful, that encounter resulted in lifelong friendships for the Nelsons and the Oaks. He also served on the foundational board of a Mormon thought periodical. He was also chairman of the university's disciplinary committee.
He took a leave of absence from the University while serving as legal counsel to the Bill of Rights Committee of the Illinois Constitutional Convention. He left the law school for good in 1971 when he was appointed the new president of BYU (for which many candidates, including Brother Nelson, were considered), a position he held for nine years. He then went on to serve for five years as chairman of the board of directors for PBS, and eight years as chairman of the board of directors of the Polynesian Cultural Center. In 1980, he was appointed a justice of the Utah Supreme Court, an office he held for the next four years. He was rumored to have been considered by two US Presidents (Gerald Ford and later Ronald Regan) for a nomination to the US Supreme Court. He had made plans with his wife, June, to serve a mission after he had served on the Utah Supreme Court for a decade.
However, a surprise change in direction for him came in 1984. He was at a law conference fulfilling several judicial obligations when President Gordon B. Hinckley, then a counselor to the ailing Church President, Spencer W. Kimball, tracked him down via phone call. The purpose of the call was to notify him that he'd been selected to become an apostle and member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. At the time, there were two vacancies in the Quorum due to the deaths of Elders LeGrand Richards on January 11, 1983, and Mark E. Petersen exactly one year to the day later. Due to the ill health of President Spencer W. Kimball, neither vacancy had been filled for over a year prior to April 1984. Elder Oaks became the junior apostle to Elder Russell M. Nelson, though the two were sustained in the same General Conference.
Although both were called at the same time, Elder Oaks was unable to be present at the General Conference at which the two were sustained. President Hinckley, in leading that sustaining, offered the following explanation: "With reference to Dallin Oaks, I should like to say that while we nominate and sustain him today, he will not be ordained to the apostleship, nor will he be set apart as a member of the Council of the Twelve, nor will he begin his apostolic service, until after he completes his present judicial commitments, which may require several weeks. He is absent from the city, and necessarily absent from the conference. We excuse him."
Elder Oaks was ordained an apostle just short of four weeks after being sustained, having been sustained on April 7 and being subsequently ordained to the apostleship on May 3. He had his first opportunity to respond to his apostolic call six months later, speaking on the importance of witnesses, within the context of his new assignment to be a special witness of Jesus Christ. He has now been an apostle for over 34 years, during which time he has filled a wide variety of assignments, and has had many opportunities to meet with and speak to Church members in various parts of the world. In addition to losing his father early on in his life, Elder Oaks also experienced the death of his wife June, who passed away in 1998.
Just over two years later, Elder Oaks married Kristen M. McMain, who has been by his side ever since. In 2002, he and Elder Holland were asked to be the first apostles in around 100 years to live on-location in two of the Church's geographical areas, with then-Elder Oaks being based in the Philippines, and Elder Holland being assigned to preside in Chile. With the death of President Thomas S. Monson in January 2018, Elder Oaks became the second most-senior apostle. With President Nelson becoming the new Church president, he felt impressed to call his apostolic seat-mate, to serve as First Counselor in the First Presidency. He was set apart in both that capacity and as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on January 14, 2018.
President Oaks has given a total of 82 addresses in General Conference, which includes 1 that was given during his service as BYU-Provo President. Interestingly enough, that address from the early 1970s is somehow not listed in the Church's repository webpage of his General Conference addresses), 68 as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and 13 (so far) as a member of the First Presidency.
He currently ranks as both the second most senior member and the second oldest member of the First Presidency, while he is the second in overall apostolic seniority, and the third oldest apostle who is currently serving. I am grateful to have been able to take the opportunity to share more about President Dallin H. Oaks on this, his 87th birthday. I testify that his apostolic call, along with the calls of all other apostles, has indeed been divinely directed and inspired, as has how and when they have each moved up in the ranks thereof.
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.
Being the oldest child of his family, the death of his father gave him some unique opportunities to help his mother and to be an example to his younger siblings, which was one thing of which he has frequently spoken. After his father died, his mother was able to earn a graduate degree at Columbia University and support her family by working to provide adult education opportunities for those who needed it. She also went to be the first woman elected to Provo's City Council, and she also served for a time as assistant mayor. In the meantime, Elder Oaks attended Brigham Young High School, where he played football and became a certified radio engineer. Once he started attending BYU, he took many opportunities to be the radio announcer at high school games.
At one of those games, he was introduced to June Dixon, whom he would later date and subsequently marry. He was unable to serve as a full-time missionary because he was a member of the National Guard, and there was a possibility he could have been called up to serve during the Korean War. Dallin and June were married in 1952, and he graduated from BYU two years later with a degree in accounting. He went on to study law at the University of Chicago, graduating with his degree 3 years later. He spent the early part of his professional career clerking for Chief Justice Earl Warren of the US Supreme Court. After that, he practiced law at Kirkland and Ellis.
He left that job in 1961 to become a professor at Chicago Law, While in that capacity, he served as interim dean. During that same period of time, the University of Chicago was desperate to get Dr. Russell M. Nelson, a renowned heart surgeon, on their staff, and Professor Oaks was asked to represent the university in trying to convince Dr. Nelson to accept the offer. Although those efforts proved unsuccessful, that encounter resulted in lifelong friendships for the Nelsons and the Oaks. He also served on the foundational board of a Mormon thought periodical. He was also chairman of the university's disciplinary committee.
He took a leave of absence from the University while serving as legal counsel to the Bill of Rights Committee of the Illinois Constitutional Convention. He left the law school for good in 1971 when he was appointed the new president of BYU (for which many candidates, including Brother Nelson, were considered), a position he held for nine years. He then went on to serve for five years as chairman of the board of directors for PBS, and eight years as chairman of the board of directors of the Polynesian Cultural Center. In 1980, he was appointed a justice of the Utah Supreme Court, an office he held for the next four years. He was rumored to have been considered by two US Presidents (Gerald Ford and later Ronald Regan) for a nomination to the US Supreme Court. He had made plans with his wife, June, to serve a mission after he had served on the Utah Supreme Court for a decade.
However, a surprise change in direction for him came in 1984. He was at a law conference fulfilling several judicial obligations when President Gordon B. Hinckley, then a counselor to the ailing Church President, Spencer W. Kimball, tracked him down via phone call. The purpose of the call was to notify him that he'd been selected to become an apostle and member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. At the time, there were two vacancies in the Quorum due to the deaths of Elders LeGrand Richards on January 11, 1983, and Mark E. Petersen exactly one year to the day later. Due to the ill health of President Spencer W. Kimball, neither vacancy had been filled for over a year prior to April 1984. Elder Oaks became the junior apostle to Elder Russell M. Nelson, though the two were sustained in the same General Conference.
Although both were called at the same time, Elder Oaks was unable to be present at the General Conference at which the two were sustained. President Hinckley, in leading that sustaining, offered the following explanation: "With reference to Dallin Oaks, I should like to say that while we nominate and sustain him today, he will not be ordained to the apostleship, nor will he be set apart as a member of the Council of the Twelve, nor will he begin his apostolic service, until after he completes his present judicial commitments, which may require several weeks. He is absent from the city, and necessarily absent from the conference. We excuse him."
Elder Oaks was ordained an apostle just short of four weeks after being sustained, having been sustained on April 7 and being subsequently ordained to the apostleship on May 3. He had his first opportunity to respond to his apostolic call six months later, speaking on the importance of witnesses, within the context of his new assignment to be a special witness of Jesus Christ. He has now been an apostle for over 34 years, during which time he has filled a wide variety of assignments, and has had many opportunities to meet with and speak to Church members in various parts of the world. In addition to losing his father early on in his life, Elder Oaks also experienced the death of his wife June, who passed away in 1998.
Just over two years later, Elder Oaks married Kristen M. McMain, who has been by his side ever since. In 2002, he and Elder Holland were asked to be the first apostles in around 100 years to live on-location in two of the Church's geographical areas, with then-Elder Oaks being based in the Philippines, and Elder Holland being assigned to preside in Chile. With the death of President Thomas S. Monson in January 2018, Elder Oaks became the second most-senior apostle. With President Nelson becoming the new Church president, he felt impressed to call his apostolic seat-mate, to serve as First Counselor in the First Presidency. He was set apart in both that capacity and as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on January 14, 2018.
President Oaks has given a total of 82 addresses in General Conference, which includes 1 that was given during his service as BYU-Provo President. Interestingly enough, that address from the early 1970s is somehow not listed in the Church's repository webpage of his General Conference addresses), 68 as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and 13 (so far) as a member of the First Presidency.
He currently ranks as both the second most senior member and the second oldest member of the First Presidency, while he is the second in overall apostolic seniority, and the third oldest apostle who is currently serving. I am grateful to have been able to take the opportunity to share more about President Dallin H. Oaks on this, his 87th birthday. I testify that his apostolic call, along with the calls of all other apostles, has indeed been divinely directed and inspired, as has how and when they have each moved up in the ranks thereof.
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.
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, August 9, 2020
Tribute to Elder Neil L. Andersen, Who Marks His 69th Birthday
Hello again, everyone! With today being August 9, Elder Neil L. Andersen is celebrating his 69h birthday today. So I wanted to post and share some highlights of his life and ministry in the Church. Let's get right into all of that. Neil Linden Andersen was born in Logan, Utah on this day in 1951 to Lyle and Kathryn Andersen. His family relocated to Pocatello when he was five to run a dairy farm. He served a full-time mission in France, then obtained a bachelor's degree in economics, eventually earning his MBA from Harvard, also in economics. During his time at BYU, he met and married his wife, Kathy Sue Anderson, and together they raised four children. He spent his professional career working various jobs. At the pinnacle of his career, he was Vice President of the Morton Plant Health System. He has served in the Church as a stake president’s counselor, stake president and mission president (assigned to the France Bordeaux Mission) from 1989-1992. Less than a year after his return, he was called to be a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy. Interestingly, his call as a General Authority occurred in the same conference as that of his future apostolic seatmate, Elder D. Todd Christofferson.
Through the next couple of decades as a Seventy, he served in a wide variety of Church assignments, including as executive director of the church's Audiovisual Department, assistant executive director of the Priesthood Department, and in the presidencies of the following areas: Europe West ,Utah North, Utah South, North America Southwest, North America Northeast, and the Brazil South Area (during which time he also served as the area president). In 2005, Elder Andersen was called to the Presidency of the Seventy, where he was assigned to preside over the Idaho Area (from 2005-2007). By the time his stewardship switched to the North Am erica Southwest Area (2007-2009), he had gone from being the second-least senior member of that Presidency to being the third-most-senior member. In 2008, with Elder D. Todd Christofferson’s call to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (in April) and the release of Senior President Elder Earl C. Tingey (in August, in preparation for his being granted emeritus status in the October General Conference), Elder Andersen then became the Senior President of the Seventy, a role in which he would only serve for around 8 months.
With the December 2008 death of Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, Elder Andersen was subsequently called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles during the April 2009 General Conference. An interesting bit of trivia is the fact that Elders Christofferson, Andersen, and Rasband were all seatmates in the Presidency of the Seventy as of August 2007, and they would all go on to be apostolic seatmates, with their apostolic calls occurring in April 2008, April 2009, and October 2015 respectively. Since Elder Andersen's original call as a General Authority Seventy in April 1993, he has given a total of 28 addresses in General Conference (3 of which he gave as a General Authority Seventy, with 2 others given while he was a member of the Presidency of the Seventy, and the remaining 23 since his call to the QuorIum of the Twelve Apostles).
Elder Andersen continues to serve as the seventh in both senirotiy and chronological birth order among the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and ranks tenth among the 15 total apostles in both seniority and birth chronology. I gladly sustain him and each of his 14 apostolic colleagues as prophets, seers, and revelators, and am grateful to have been able to publish this tribute in honor of his birthday today. 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.
Through the next couple of decades as a Seventy, he served in a wide variety of Church assignments, including as executive director of the church's Audiovisual Department, assistant executive director of the Priesthood Department, and in the presidencies of the following areas: Europe West ,Utah North, Utah South, North America Southwest, North America Northeast, and the Brazil South Area (during which time he also served as the area president). In 2005, Elder Andersen was called to the Presidency of the Seventy, where he was assigned to preside over the Idaho Area (from 2005-2007). By the time his stewardship switched to the North Am erica Southwest Area (2007-2009), he had gone from being the second-least senior member of that Presidency to being the third-most-senior member. In 2008, with Elder D. Todd Christofferson’s call to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (in April) and the release of Senior President Elder Earl C. Tingey (in August, in preparation for his being granted emeritus status in the October General Conference), Elder Andersen then became the Senior President of the Seventy, a role in which he would only serve for around 8 months.
With the December 2008 death of Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, Elder Andersen was subsequently called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles during the April 2009 General Conference. An interesting bit of trivia is the fact that Elders Christofferson, Andersen, and Rasband were all seatmates in the Presidency of the Seventy as of August 2007, and they would all go on to be apostolic seatmates, with their apostolic calls occurring in April 2008, April 2009, and October 2015 respectively. Since Elder Andersen's original call as a General Authority Seventy in April 1993, he has given a total of 28 addresses in General Conference (3 of which he gave as a General Authority Seventy, with 2 others given while he was a member of the Presidency of the Seventy, and the remaining 23 since his call to the QuorIum of the Twelve Apostles).
Elder Andersen continues to serve as the seventh in both senirotiy and chronological birth order among the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and ranks tenth among the 15 total apostles in both seniority and birth chronology. I gladly sustain him and each of his 14 apostolic colleagues as prophets, seers, and revelators, and am grateful to have been able to publish this tribute in honor of his birthday today. 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.
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.
Friday, August 7, 2020
UPDATED: Documents About the Temple Construction Program of the Church
Hello again, everyone! Given the updates this week on the timing for the groundbreakings of the San Pedro Sula Honduras and BrasÃlia Brazil Temples, I knew I had to again revisit my previously-offered thoughts given in several temple files. Although I had last done so just two weeks ago, things have vastly changed within that time. Without further ado, let’s get right into all of those updated files once again.
We start, as always, with the updated sections of my temple construction progress report. The second document this go-round is a new one that I just put together earlier today. It details some general observations about the Church’s progress on breaking ground for the 18 temples this year, as Elder David A. Bednar had outlined 4 months ago.during General Conference.
The next document details the probable timing for temple groundbreakings that will or could take place within the next year or so,. I have also updated my list of temples that could have a groundbreaking this year and next year.
Similarly, I have updated the documents showing the probable timing for all known temple events and the document showing some data about temples for which no official information has been announced yet. In the interim, with today (August 6) marking Elder Gary E. Stevenson’s 65th birthday, on Sunday, Elder Neil L. Andersen will observe his 69th, and on Wednesday of next week, President Dallin H. Oaks will be celebrating his 88th.Having said all of that, I continue to also monitor all Church news and temple developments, and will be sure to bring word of those to you all as I become aware of such things.
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.
We start, as always, with the updated sections of my temple construction progress report. The second document this go-round is a new one that I just put together earlier today. It details some general observations about the Church’s progress on breaking ground for the 18 temples this year, as Elder David A. Bednar had outlined 4 months ago.during General Conference.
The next document details the probable timing for temple groundbreakings that will or could take place within the next year or so,. I have also updated my list of temples that could have a groundbreaking this year and next year.
Similarly, I have updated the documents showing the probable timing for all known temple events and the document showing some data about temples for which no official information has been announced yet. In the interim, with today (August 6) marking Elder Gary E. Stevenson’s 65th birthday, on Sunday, Elder Neil L. Andersen will observe his 69th, and on Wednesday of next week, President Dallin H. Oaks will be celebrating his 88th.Having said all of that, I continue to also monitor all Church news and temple developments, and will be sure to bring word of those to you all as I become aware of such things.
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.
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, August 6, 2020
BREKING TEMPLE NEWS: First Presidency Announces Groundbreaking for the Brasilia Brazil Temple
Hello again, everyone! Yesterday, we got the news of the groundbreaking for the San Pedro Sula Honduras Temple. Roughly 24 hours later, more breaking temple news has been reported. The groundbreaking for the Brasilia Brazil Temnple has been set. Brzil's newest temple will have its' groundbreaking on Saturday September 26. Elder Adilson de Paula Parrella, who became the President of the Church's Brazil Area on August 1 of this year, will preside thereat.
With the rendering havng been released for that temple in February of this year, the size of this temple has already been specified as "a single-story temple of approximately 25,000 square feet", with plans for a new meetinghouse and paron housing being included with the temple. I threfore anticipate that the construction process will take between 2-3 years to complete. This groundbreaking will also mark the first time since May of last year that more than two temples have had a groundbreaking on any given month. Additionally, the Brasilia Brazil Temple groundbreaking will be both the tenth in Brazil and the nintth temple to have a groundbreaking in 2020. I am hopeful for one or two other grounct.Idbreaking announcements to come down the pike and be set for September or October, but we'll see what happens in that respect. In the meantime, this means I have additional updates to make on my many temple files. In the meantime, I continue to monitor all Church news updates and temple developments and will do my level best to bring word of those to you all as i become aware of those developments.
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.
With the rendering havng been released for that temple in February of this year, the size of this temple has already been specified as "a single-story temple of approximately 25,000 square feet", with plans for a new meetinghouse and paron housing being included with the temple. I threfore anticipate that the construction process will take between 2-3 years to complete. This groundbreaking will also mark the first time since May of last year that more than two temples have had a groundbreaking on any given month. Additionally, the Brasilia Brazil Temple groundbreaking will be both the tenth in Brazil and the nintth temple to have a groundbreaking in 2020. I am hopeful for one or two other grounct.Idbreaking announcements to come down the pike and be set for September or October, but we'll see what happens in that respect. In the meantime, this means I have additional updates to make on my many temple files. In the meantime, I continue to monitor all Church news updates and temple developments and will do my level best to bring word of those to you all as i become aware of those developments.
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.
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.
Happy Birthday to Elder Gary E. Stevenson, Who Is 65 Today
Hello again, everyone! In these mid-morning hours of August 6,2020, per my customary tradition, I wanted to go ahead and post a tribute to Elder Gary E. Stevenson, who is 65 years old as of today. Let's dive right into thuis birthday tribute. Gary Evan Stevenson was born in Ogden, Utah in 1955 to Evan and Jean Stevenson. He grew up in the Cache Valley. He served full-time in the Japan Fukuoka Mission, after which he continued his secondary education at Utah State University's Jon M. Huntsman School of Business. During the course of his studies there, he met Lesa Jean Higley, whom he later married in the Idaho Falls Idaho Temple, and with whom he would raise four sons. He spent his professional career working as the COO of ICON Health & Fitness, and served on both the Marriott School of Management Advisory Council and also the USU Foundation Board. In the Church, he has served as a bishop and a stake president's counselor. From 2004-2007, he and his wife presided over the Japan Nagoya Mission. Less than a year after his return, he was among the first general authority seventies called during President Thomas S. Monson's prophetic administration in April 2008. In August of that same year, he was called to serve as First Counselor in the Asia North Area Presidency, marking his third return to Japan as a representative of the Church. The following year, he became the president of that same area, and he served in that assignment until April 2012, at which point, he was released as a General Authority Seventy and sustained as the Church's 14th Presiding Bishop.
In October 2015, with three vacancies in the apostleship due to the deaths of President Boyd K. Packer and Elders L. Tom Perry and Richard G. Scott, Elder Stevenson was unexpectedly summoned to meet with the First Presidency. He related that he felt sure that he was being notified that one of his counselors (Bishops Gerald Causse or Dean M. Davies) were being called to the apostleship. He was stunned when the apostolic call was instead extended to him personally. He was sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on October 3, 2015, and was ordained an apostle on October 8, then released as Presiding Bishop one day later. His call to the apostleship marked the second time a current General Authority who had subsequently been called as Presiding Bishop was also eventually called to the apostleship. Previously, that had been the case with Elder Robert D. Hales, who was called as a General Authority in 1975, and as Presiding Bishop of the Church in 1985 before being called to the apostleship in 1994. Those two former Presiding Bishops of the Church would serve together in the apostleship for approximately two years before Elder Hales' passing on October 1, 2017.
2015 marked the first time since 1906 that the Church needed to fill more than two apostolic vacancies. 1906 that the Church had more than two apostolic vacancies to fill at the same time. In 1906, following the resignations of Matthias F. Cowley and John W. Taylor over the Church's repeal of the doctrine of plural marriage, and the death of another apostle, Marriner W. Merrill, the Church called George F. Richards, Orson F. Whitney, and David O. McKay, Of the three, Then-Elder McKay was the youngest, with Elder Whitney being the oldest, and Elder Richards fell in age between the two. This was an exception to the gneral rule that when more than one apostle was called on the same day, they are typically ordained in order from oldest to youngest. The three apostolic calls in 2015 saw a similar anomaly in that respect. Although Elders Ronald A. Rasband, Gary E. Stevenson, and Dale G. Renlund were all called to the apostleship on the same day of the week in the week prior to General Conference, Elder Rasband is the oldest, Elder Stevenson is the youngest, and Elder Renlund is in the middle of those three.
At the age of 60, Elder Stevenson was the youngest man called to the apostleship since Elder David A. Bednar (who was 52 at the time of his October 2004 apostolic call). He would retain his status as the youngest currently-serving apostle until the April 2018 call of Elder Ulisses Soares, who was 59 at the time of his call. With the apostolic calls of Elders Gerrit W. Gong (another apostle with strong connections to Asia) and Ulisses Soares in April 2018, Elder Stevenson is now the 9th in seniority in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the 12th in seniority among all current apostles. In terms of his age, he is the second-youngest among both the Quorum of the Twelve and the apostles overall. In his 11 years of service as a general authority, he has given 13 addresses in General Conference (1 as a General Authority Seventy, 2 as Presiding Bishop, and 10 since his call to the apostleship). All of these addresses, covering a wide variety of topics, are well worthy of your time, attention and review.
I gratefully sustain Elder Stevenson as a prophet, seer, and revelator, and appreciate this opportunity to post this tribute to him for his birthday. I similarly greatly admire and sustain each and every one of the other apostles in their God-given roles and responsibilities, and I am grateful to them for giving their time and talents to build up the kingdom of God, and to go wherever they are sent, bearing witness of the Savior at all times and in all circumstances. I share my witness that these men are called of God, and that we will be blessed as we give heed to their words. 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.
In October 2015, with three vacancies in the apostleship due to the deaths of President Boyd K. Packer and Elders L. Tom Perry and Richard G. Scott, Elder Stevenson was unexpectedly summoned to meet with the First Presidency. He related that he felt sure that he was being notified that one of his counselors (Bishops Gerald Causse or Dean M. Davies) were being called to the apostleship. He was stunned when the apostolic call was instead extended to him personally. He was sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on October 3, 2015, and was ordained an apostle on October 8, then released as Presiding Bishop one day later. His call to the apostleship marked the second time a current General Authority who had subsequently been called as Presiding Bishop was also eventually called to the apostleship. Previously, that had been the case with Elder Robert D. Hales, who was called as a General Authority in 1975, and as Presiding Bishop of the Church in 1985 before being called to the apostleship in 1994. Those two former Presiding Bishops of the Church would serve together in the apostleship for approximately two years before Elder Hales' passing on October 1, 2017.
2015 marked the first time since 1906 that the Church needed to fill more than two apostolic vacancies. 1906 that the Church had more than two apostolic vacancies to fill at the same time. In 1906, following the resignations of Matthias F. Cowley and John W. Taylor over the Church's repeal of the doctrine of plural marriage, and the death of another apostle, Marriner W. Merrill, the Church called George F. Richards, Orson F. Whitney, and David O. McKay, Of the three, Then-Elder McKay was the youngest, with Elder Whitney being the oldest, and Elder Richards fell in age between the two. This was an exception to the gneral rule that when more than one apostle was called on the same day, they are typically ordained in order from oldest to youngest. The three apostolic calls in 2015 saw a similar anomaly in that respect. Although Elders Ronald A. Rasband, Gary E. Stevenson, and Dale G. Renlund were all called to the apostleship on the same day of the week in the week prior to General Conference, Elder Rasband is the oldest, Elder Stevenson is the youngest, and Elder Renlund is in the middle of those three.
At the age of 60, Elder Stevenson was the youngest man called to the apostleship since Elder David A. Bednar (who was 52 at the time of his October 2004 apostolic call). He would retain his status as the youngest currently-serving apostle until the April 2018 call of Elder Ulisses Soares, who was 59 at the time of his call. With the apostolic calls of Elders Gerrit W. Gong (another apostle with strong connections to Asia) and Ulisses Soares in April 2018, Elder Stevenson is now the 9th in seniority in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the 12th in seniority among all current apostles. In terms of his age, he is the second-youngest among both the Quorum of the Twelve and the apostles overall. In his 11 years of service as a general authority, he has given 13 addresses in General Conference (1 as a General Authority Seventy, 2 as Presiding Bishop, and 10 since his call to the apostleship). All of these addresses, covering a wide variety of topics, are well worthy of your time, attention and review.
I gratefully sustain Elder Stevenson as a prophet, seer, and revelator, and appreciate this opportunity to post this tribute to him for his birthday. I similarly greatly admire and sustain each and every one of the other apostles in their God-given roles and responsibilities, and I am grateful to them for giving their time and talents to build up the kingdom of God, and to go wherever they are sent, bearing witness of the Savior at all times and in all circumstances. I share my witness that these men are called of God, and that we will be blessed as we give heed to their words. 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.
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.
Wednesday, August 5, 2020
BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Exterior Rendering Released and Groundbreaking Announced for the San Pedro Sula Honduras Temple; Claiification Provided on Tooele Valley Utah Temple Referendum
Hello again, everyone! I had recently noted that the San Pedro Sula Honduras Temple was anticipated to be the next temple outside the United States to have a groundbreaking. Today, the First Presidency confirmed that theory with the release of the exterior rendering for that temple, and the news of the groundbreaking arrangements for it. That temple (another that will not feature the angel Moroni statue atop it) will have its' groundbreaking on Saturday September 5, the same day on which the groundbreaking for the Orem Utah Temple will occur Since Honduras is on Central Standard Time, there is no difference between what time it is here in Utah and what time it is in Honduras. Depending on the specific times at which the groundbreakings for the Orem Utah and San Pedro Sula Honduras Temples occur, one might occur ahead of the other, or they might occur at roughly the same time. No size has been specified for this temple, but based on the rendering thereof, I wouldn't be surprised if construction takes 2-3 years.
One other important note as well: Until the groundbreaking last month for the Feather River California Temple, the Church had had a somewhat long-standing precedent of a general authority presiding at temple groundbreakings. With the Feather River California Temple ground being broken by Area Seventy Elder Paul H. Watkins last month, that opened the prospect that other area seventies could be called upon for future groundbreakings. As of today, it appears that plans for the August 15 groundbreaking for the Salta Argentina Temple will still be done by the President of the South America South Area, Elder Benjamin De Hoyso, and that the Orem Utah Temple groundbreaking is still on track to be done by Utah Area President Elder Craig C. Christensen, but either could be subject to change. No matter what happens with these two temples, it has been announced by the First Presidency that Elder José Bernardo Hernandez Orellano, an area seventy called in April 2015 who is currently living and serving in San Pedro Sula Honduras, will preside at the groundbreaking for the temple in his city. This announcement opens the prospect that other temples could have a groundbreaking unexpectedly set.
In other temple news, a new report on the signature-gathering efforts for the referendum on the Tooele Valley Utah Temple notes that, if the referendum is successful, due to city and state regulations, the earliest the question of the temple and the surrounding development could appear on a ballot in the Tooele Valley area is June of next year, so there would be a substantial and significant delay to that temple's construction time-frame if the referendum is successful. Hopefully it won't be in this case, because the Church hoped to build that temple relatively quickly to help with temple activity issues in the area during the period of time between now and 2024 (at which time the Salt Lake Temple is anticipated to be rededicated). If there is a delay for a year in the commencement of that process, that hope on the part of the Church might not be realized in this case.
Stay tuned for more updates on all such developments as I learn of them. In the meantime, due to the new developments for both of these temples, it looks as though I will definitely need to rework most of my files as a result of these developments, so also stay tuned for those updates as I am able to make them. 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.
One other important note as well: Until the groundbreaking last month for the Feather River California Temple, the Church had had a somewhat long-standing precedent of a general authority presiding at temple groundbreakings. With the Feather River California Temple ground being broken by Area Seventy Elder Paul H. Watkins last month, that opened the prospect that other area seventies could be called upon for future groundbreakings. As of today, it appears that plans for the August 15 groundbreaking for the Salta Argentina Temple will still be done by the President of the South America South Area, Elder Benjamin De Hoyso, and that the Orem Utah Temple groundbreaking is still on track to be done by Utah Area President Elder Craig C. Christensen, but either could be subject to change. No matter what happens with these two temples, it has been announced by the First Presidency that Elder José Bernardo Hernandez Orellano, an area seventy called in April 2015 who is currently living and serving in San Pedro Sula Honduras, will preside at the groundbreaking for the temple in his city. This announcement opens the prospect that other temples could have a groundbreaking unexpectedly set.
In other temple news, a new report on the signature-gathering efforts for the referendum on the Tooele Valley Utah Temple notes that, if the referendum is successful, due to city and state regulations, the earliest the question of the temple and the surrounding development could appear on a ballot in the Tooele Valley area is June of next year, so there would be a substantial and significant delay to that temple's construction time-frame if the referendum is successful. Hopefully it won't be in this case, because the Church hoped to build that temple relatively quickly to help with temple activity issues in the area during the period of time between now and 2024 (at which time the Salt Lake Temple is anticipated to be rededicated). If there is a delay for a year in the commencement of that process, that hope on the part of the Church might not be realized in this case.
Stay tuned for more updates on all such developments as I learn of them. In the meantime, due to the new developments for both of these temples, it looks as though I will definitely need to rework most of my files as a result of these developments, so also stay tuned for those updates as I am able to make them. 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.
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.
Friday, July 31, 2020
BREAKING NEWS: Church Updates 15 Chapters of General Church Handbook
Hello again, everyone! On this last day of July, both the Newsroom and Church News have noted updates to 15 more chapters of the Church's General Handbook for all members, which included major updates to 5 of those 15 chapters. With these latest adjustments and updates, 16 of the 38 total chapters in the Handbook have received major overhauls in their content.
As some of you might recall, earlier this year, the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve authorized the publication of the new single-volume handbook, which is being made available to all through the Gospel Library section of the Church website.Since that revised single-volume general handbook was first made available, the process of updating it has been somewhat ongoing to varying degrees as changes have been rendered necessary. This post will provide a brief overview of those changes. In the section about stake leadership, clarification has been provided on how stake leaders should work with civic and community leaders on issues impacting their congregations, and how area seventies may invite stake leaders to assist on the coordinating councils that the Church has established within each of its geographical areas.
Next, for both the Elders' Quorum and Relief Society sections, content has been organized to emphasize the role of those organizations' presidencies in congregational efforts relating to salvation and exaltation. As previously noted, more responsibilities once held by the bishop are being delegated to the presidencies of these two organizations to enable bishops to spend more time with the youth. Among other changes, this means that the two presidencies in each congregation will take responsibility for missionary efforts and temple and family history work in their congregations. Additionally, Elders' Quorum and Relief Society presidents may now call coordinators for service and activities.
As a result, the calling of compassionate service leader in each Relief Society has been renamed "service coordinator", with that adjustment intended to further unify coordination between the Elders' Quorum and Relief Society in each congregation. Also, what was formerly known as "additional Relief Society meetings" will now become "Relief Society activities", and direction has been given for the stake presidents to take responsibility for calling and coordinating with the stake Relief Society president, rather than delegating those responsibilities to either of his counselors. For the Primary, minor changes have been noted, with new sections for singing time and nursery. An expanded purpose for Primary, and clarification on Primary day camps have also been provided.
Meanwhile, other major changes have been noted for the Sunday School in each congregation, where the calling of counselors and a secretary in the Sunday School presidency will now be optional and based on the needs and size of each congregation. The Church has discontinued the practice of calling Sunday School class presidents, and teacher council meetings, which have solely focused on teacher improvement methods for organizational teachers in each congregation, have been expanded to include guidance for parents teaching their children in their homes.
And authorization has been given for the organization of a class specifically for new Church members and those returning to Church activity, those learning about the Church, and others as determined by the bishop, with the curriculum for that class being Come Follow Me. Additionally, adaptations that may not apply to some congregations has been placed into a separate section in the Sunday School chapter. The Church has also announced that meetinghouse libraries will be renamed "resource centers" with the calling previously styled "ward librarian" now known as "ward resource center specialists."
For the chapter on Seminaries and Institutes of Religion, a minor update in a new section discusses class options. Meanwhile, the chapter on Teaching the Gospel has consolidated the information about responsibilities of leaders under a new heading, which has been simply entitled, "Leaders' Responsibilities". and a new section focuses on "Home-Centered Gospel Learning and Teaching". Information focusing on the "Teaching the Gospel" course has been replaced by a section covering teacher council meetings. And Primary leaders have been given more flexibility on arranging for their teachers to attend teacher council meetings.
In the section covering "Priesthood Ordinances and Blessings", the Brethren have offered guidance that, when necessary, counselors in a stake, mission, or branch presidency, or bishopric may give approval for some ordinances and blessings in the Church, when they are authorized by the stake, mission, or branch president or bishop to do so in their stead. Minor updates have also been made to the chapters on Preparing and Recommending Missionaries and Temple Recommends, respectively. And for meetings in the Church, a section has been added to explain the coordinating council meetings, including how the councils themselves are formed, who attends the meetings, and the purpose of such meetings. And the Church has updated the chart of callings that is included in a Handbook.
Updated guidelines have also been provided in the sections covering Repentance and Church Membership Councils and Physical Facilities. And the section on Church Polcies and Guidelines has been updated to clarify instruction on unwed parents in the Church, a preface to policies on moral issues, birth control, donating or selling sperm or eggs, fertility treatments, the occult, sex education, suicide, surrogate motherhood, and the usage of medical marijuana. I am grateful to have been able to learn about and share these updates with you all here. I continue to monitor all Church news and temple updates and will keep passing those along as I learn about them. 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.
As some of you might recall, earlier this year, the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve authorized the publication of the new single-volume handbook, which is being made available to all through the Gospel Library section of the Church website.Since that revised single-volume general handbook was first made available, the process of updating it has been somewhat ongoing to varying degrees as changes have been rendered necessary. This post will provide a brief overview of those changes. In the section about stake leadership, clarification has been provided on how stake leaders should work with civic and community leaders on issues impacting their congregations, and how area seventies may invite stake leaders to assist on the coordinating councils that the Church has established within each of its geographical areas.
Next, for both the Elders' Quorum and Relief Society sections, content has been organized to emphasize the role of those organizations' presidencies in congregational efforts relating to salvation and exaltation. As previously noted, more responsibilities once held by the bishop are being delegated to the presidencies of these two organizations to enable bishops to spend more time with the youth. Among other changes, this means that the two presidencies in each congregation will take responsibility for missionary efforts and temple and family history work in their congregations. Additionally, Elders' Quorum and Relief Society presidents may now call coordinators for service and activities.
As a result, the calling of compassionate service leader in each Relief Society has been renamed "service coordinator", with that adjustment intended to further unify coordination between the Elders' Quorum and Relief Society in each congregation. Also, what was formerly known as "additional Relief Society meetings" will now become "Relief Society activities", and direction has been given for the stake presidents to take responsibility for calling and coordinating with the stake Relief Society president, rather than delegating those responsibilities to either of his counselors. For the Primary, minor changes have been noted, with new sections for singing time and nursery. An expanded purpose for Primary, and clarification on Primary day camps have also been provided.
Meanwhile, other major changes have been noted for the Sunday School in each congregation, where the calling of counselors and a secretary in the Sunday School presidency will now be optional and based on the needs and size of each congregation. The Church has discontinued the practice of calling Sunday School class presidents, and teacher council meetings, which have solely focused on teacher improvement methods for organizational teachers in each congregation, have been expanded to include guidance for parents teaching their children in their homes.
And authorization has been given for the organization of a class specifically for new Church members and those returning to Church activity, those learning about the Church, and others as determined by the bishop, with the curriculum for that class being Come Follow Me. Additionally, adaptations that may not apply to some congregations has been placed into a separate section in the Sunday School chapter. The Church has also announced that meetinghouse libraries will be renamed "resource centers" with the calling previously styled "ward librarian" now known as "ward resource center specialists."
For the chapter on Seminaries and Institutes of Religion, a minor update in a new section discusses class options. Meanwhile, the chapter on Teaching the Gospel has consolidated the information about responsibilities of leaders under a new heading, which has been simply entitled, "Leaders' Responsibilities". and a new section focuses on "Home-Centered Gospel Learning and Teaching". Information focusing on the "Teaching the Gospel" course has been replaced by a section covering teacher council meetings. And Primary leaders have been given more flexibility on arranging for their teachers to attend teacher council meetings.
In the section covering "Priesthood Ordinances and Blessings", the Brethren have offered guidance that, when necessary, counselors in a stake, mission, or branch presidency, or bishopric may give approval for some ordinances and blessings in the Church, when they are authorized by the stake, mission, or branch president or bishop to do so in their stead. Minor updates have also been made to the chapters on Preparing and Recommending Missionaries and Temple Recommends, respectively. And for meetings in the Church, a section has been added to explain the coordinating council meetings, including how the councils themselves are formed, who attends the meetings, and the purpose of such meetings. And the Church has updated the chart of callings that is included in a Handbook.
Updated guidelines have also been provided in the sections covering Repentance and Church Membership Councils and Physical Facilities. And the section on Church Polcies and Guidelines has been updated to clarify instruction on unwed parents in the Church, a preface to policies on moral issues, birth control, donating or selling sperm or eggs, fertility treatments, the occult, sex education, suicide, surrogate motherhood, and the usage of medical marijuana. I am grateful to have been able to learn about and share these updates with you all here. I continue to monitor all Church news and temple updates and will keep passing those along as I learn about them. 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.
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, July 30, 2020
BREAKING TEMPLE UPDATE: KSL Provides Status Update on Tooele Valley Utah Temple
Hello again, everyone! During the recently-concluded hor-long newscast at 6, KSL provided more contextual information about the Tooele Valley Utah Temple and the issues that could impact the timing of construction for it. Although I presently have no source from KSl for the information they provided today, I will be sure to add that to this blog post when I have it. At the end of the first full week in April, the Church had released the artist's rendering for three temples, including the Tooele Valley Utah Temple. Less than a month later (on May 5 of this year), renderings of the residential community which was being planned by the Church's real estate investment arm were released.
According to the information KSL shared in their on-air story today, the temple had been planned to complement and contribute to the look and feel of that residential development, in such a way that there would be a visual coordination between the two. In the interim, residents have, as previously noted, been working on gathering signatures that would put the residential development on the ballot. What those who are excited about the temple and have no objections to that part of the plan fail to realize is that, if the initiative successfully gets on the ballot, any unity of opposition to the development would in turn impact the design and probable timing for construction of the temple itself.
So where does that initiative stand currently? A fair number of signatures have been gathered already, and the petition is apparently generating support. But the clock is ticking for the signature gathering process, which must be completed and have the signatures appropriately verified by Saturday August 15 to ensure that the initiative is successfully placed on the ballot for community input in the November elections. f the requisite number of signatures are not gathered and verified by that date, then the matter will not be placed on the ballot, and the Church could then have a groundbreaking for the temple as anticipated either in late August or early September, with the development going forward as planned, and the temple keeping its' exterior design.
Conversely, if sufficient signatures are gathered and certified by that August 15 deadline, then the initiative would likely be put to a vote in November. In the interim, the Church would then have two options.
The first would be to wait on the outcome of the vote before adjusting the design of the residential development (which might perhaps also involve a redesign of the temple's exterior becoming necessary). The second option may be to initiate the process of making those changes to the plans so that, regardless of the outcome of that election, the Church would be ready to act ASAP on beginning construction for both the temple and the community. The key to the timing and details of the temple's construction appears to be dependent on the outcome of the initiative. As I noted earlier, some residents have made it clear that they want the temple, and are pleased with the interior and exterior renderings for it, but that they worry that a high-density residential community being built in conjunction with the temple would cause Erda to lose much of its' small-town way of life.
I guess I can understand that part of the argument. However, what I don't get is wwhy, when community input has been sought in every stage of this project's approval, there seems to be wide-spread objection to the overall plan for that part of Erda where there did not seem to be any of that before. Again, I will either update this post or provide a follow-up comment in the threads thereof once I have the KSL report on this story that was provided on-air today. In the meantime, I do continue to monitor all Church news and temple updates, including the latest on this Tooele Valley Utah Temple process, and will be sure to bring word of those to you all here as I become aware of such developments.
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.
According to the information KSL shared in their on-air story today, the temple had been planned to complement and contribute to the look and feel of that residential development, in such a way that there would be a visual coordination between the two. In the interim, residents have, as previously noted, been working on gathering signatures that would put the residential development on the ballot. What those who are excited about the temple and have no objections to that part of the plan fail to realize is that, if the initiative successfully gets on the ballot, any unity of opposition to the development would in turn impact the design and probable timing for construction of the temple itself.
So where does that initiative stand currently? A fair number of signatures have been gathered already, and the petition is apparently generating support. But the clock is ticking for the signature gathering process, which must be completed and have the signatures appropriately verified by Saturday August 15 to ensure that the initiative is successfully placed on the ballot for community input in the November elections. f the requisite number of signatures are not gathered and verified by that date, then the matter will not be placed on the ballot, and the Church could then have a groundbreaking for the temple as anticipated either in late August or early September, with the development going forward as planned, and the temple keeping its' exterior design.
Conversely, if sufficient signatures are gathered and certified by that August 15 deadline, then the initiative would likely be put to a vote in November. In the interim, the Church would then have two options.
The first would be to wait on the outcome of the vote before adjusting the design of the residential development (which might perhaps also involve a redesign of the temple's exterior becoming necessary). The second option may be to initiate the process of making those changes to the plans so that, regardless of the outcome of that election, the Church would be ready to act ASAP on beginning construction for both the temple and the community. The key to the timing and details of the temple's construction appears to be dependent on the outcome of the initiative. As I noted earlier, some residents have made it clear that they want the temple, and are pleased with the interior and exterior renderings for it, but that they worry that a high-density residential community being built in conjunction with the temple would cause Erda to lose much of its' small-town way of life.
I guess I can understand that part of the argument. However, what I don't get is wwhy, when community input has been sought in every stage of this project's approval, there seems to be wide-spread objection to the overall plan for that part of Erda where there did not seem to be any of that before. Again, I will either update this post or provide a follow-up comment in the threads thereof once I have the KSL report on this story that was provided on-air today. In the meantime, I do continue to monitor all Church news and temple updates, including the latest on this Tooele Valley Utah Temple process, and will be sure to bring word of those to you all here as I become aware of such developments.
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.
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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