UPDATE: First Quarter 2024 Review of Temple Construction Progress

Hello again, everyone! With the final day of March coming to its' official conclusion, and as we head into April, I am pleased to provide a look back at temple construction progress through the first quarter of 2024. For this review, I have a link to what my temple construction progress report looked like on the first day of this year and a look at where things stand as the first quarter of 2024 ends. 

We are still getting regular temple construction updates every Monday, so I will be back to cover whatever that announcement is tomorrow. I continue to monitor any and all Church News, Newsroom, and Church of Jesus Christ Temples updates and will be sure to pass word of those along to you all as they cross my radar. In the meantime, that does it for now. 

All comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated on any post at any time, as long as the offered feedback is made per the established guidelines. I hope any of you who would like to share anything will take your opportunity to “sound off” in the comments below. Please subscribe if you liked what you read here and would like to be informed of newly added posts and comments. 

Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

BREAKING CHURCH AND TEMPLE NEWS: Kirtland Ohio Temple (& Other Church Properties) Open for Tours; Site Location and Preliminary Details Announced for the Tacloban City Philippines Temple

Hello again, everyone! This afternoon, the First Presidency reported that the Kirtland Ohio Temple and other Church-owned properties in Ohio and Illinois are now open for public tours. Additionally, through October 26, 2024, artifacts and documents transferred from the Community of Christ to the Church are now on display at the Church History Museum. The rest of that report speaks for itself. The First Presidency has also announced official information for the Tacloban City Philippines Temple. Let's break down those details:

The Tacloban City Philippines Temple was originally announced in October 2021 and is one of the temples outside the US for which I felt official information was coming in the near term. A 6.99-acre site located at Tacloban Bypass Road Brgy. Utap-Caibaan, Tacloban City, Leyte, Philippines, will serve as the home of what is anticipated to be a two-story temple of approximately 21,407 square feet. As a result of today's announcement, of the 94 currently announced temples, 39 have not had any official information confirmed.

And there are still two Mondays remaining before General Conference weekend on which that 39 could taper down further. As I've mentioned previously, given the delays that have ensued between the groundbreakings for the Heber Valley Utah and Knoxville Tennessee Temples and now, when full-scale construction is still pending for both temples, I believe the Church is taking more time and care to secure approvals for other announced temples to be sure that process goes more smoothly. 

If that is the reason for the lack of groundbreaking announcements for the time being, in my opinion, it is well worth it. I was slightly surprised that we only got word on the Kirtland Ohio and Tacloban City Philippines Temples, but the Church could be working on getting the approvals process done right for any other temples, so the fact that these two announcements are all we got this week doesn't concern me greatly either. 

I am grateful to have heard of these updates and that I had the opportunity to share that news with you all here. I continue to monitor any and all Church News, Newsroom, and Church of Jesus Christ Temples updates and will be sure to pass word of those along to you all as they cross my radar. In the meantime, that does it for now. All comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated on any post at any time, as long as the offered feedback is made per the established guidelines. 

I hope any of you who would like to share anything will take your opportunity to “sound off” in the comments below. Please subscribe if you liked what you read here and would like to be informed of newly added posts and comments. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

BREAKING NEWS: First Presidency Confirms Area Changes Affecting South America and the Caribbean

Hello again, everyone! This afternoon, the First Presidency confirmed area changes affecting South America and the Caribbean. The South America Northwest Area nation of Venezuela will be part of the Caribbean Area of the Church effective August 1 of this year. This adjustment is intended to bless and strengthen the Church in the Caribbean. 

The number of stakes in the Caribbean will double, and the number of missions and temples in the Caribbean Area will increase. This will leave the South America Northwest and South America South Areas with four nations apiece. I am grateful to have read about this announcement and for the opportunity to share that with you all here. 

I continue to monitor any and all Church News, Newsroom, and Church of Jesus Christ Temples updates and will be sure to pass word of those along to you all as they cross my radar. In the meantime, that does it for now. All comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated on any post at any time, as long as the offered feedback is made per the established guidelines. 

I hope any of you who would like to share anything will take your opportunity to “sound off” in the comments below. Please subscribe if you liked what you read here and would like to be informed of newly added posts and comments. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.  

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Groundbreaking for the San Luis Potosi Mexico Temple Confirmed; Site Location and Preliminary Information Released for the Savai'i Samoa Temple

Hello again, everyone! Today, the Newsroom confirmed that the San Luis Potosi Mexico Temple's groundbreaking took place on Saturday as scheduled and released the site location and preliminary information for the Savai'i Samoa Temple. Since the information about the groundbreaking is self-explanatory, let's get to the details that have been revealed about the Savai'i Samoa Temple:

A single-story temple of approximately 29,630 square feet will rise on a 5.5-acre site at Lot 1098 to Lot 1105 in Fataloa, a subarea of Salelologa village. The temple was another of those originally announced in October of last year. As a result of today's announcement, 5 of the 20 temples announced during the last General Conference have had initial details confirmed.

And in view of the groundbreaking of the San Luis Potosi Mexico Temple, of the now-94 announced temples, only 40 lack official information. That number will likely go down further by General Conference weekend. That being said, I was somewhat surprised that we haven't gotten any other site announcements or exterior renderings today. I am not at all surprised that no other groundbreakings have been announced.

I say that because I see the Church wanting to avoid the kind of holdups that have delayed the beginning of construction for the Heber Valley Utah and Cody Wyoming Temples. So taking it slowly and getting the approvals right will likely allow a larger number of temples to have groundbreakings and begin construction swiftly thereafter later this year.

I am grateful for today's updates. I continue to monitor any and all Church News, Newsroom, and Church of Jesus Christ Temples updates and will be sure to pass word of those along to you all as they cross my radar. In the meantime, that does it for now. All comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated on any post at any time, as long as the offered feedback is made per the established guidelines. 

I hope any of you who would like to share anything will take your opportunity to “sound off” in the comments below. Please subscribe if you liked what you read here and would like to be informed of newly added posts and comments. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

BREAKING TEMPLE AND CHURCH NEWS: Church Purchases Historic Kirtland Ohio Temple; Other Buildings and Artifacts from the Community of Christ

 Hello again, everyone! Huge news from the Church just now has just been shared by the Newsroom and the Church News: a multi-year cooperative effort between The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Community of Christ has led to the transfer of ownership for the Kirtland Ohio Temple and other historic sites in Ohio and Nauvoo from the Community of Christ to our Church. 

Among the acquisitions is the original Kirtland Ohio Temple, which will remain as a tourist and historic site. Other papers and sites are included in the deal. I will have a more in-depth analysis on this development later today, as I have other obligations to take care of first. For now, I will let the announcements speak for themselves and extend my thanks once again to you all.

(Added at around 3:00 PM) Hello again, everyone! Here's the additional analysis I promised about today's announcement. The Church and the Community of Christ leaders published an official statement and answers to Frequently-Asked Questions (FAQs).  The FAQ section shares the transfer of the following items from the Community of Christ to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:

"The most significant properties are the Kirtland Temple, the Smith Family Homestead, the Mansion House, the Nauvoo House, and the Red Brick Store. Significant documents and artifacts include manuscripts and the Bible used in the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible, seven letters from Joseph Smith to his wife Emma, John Whitmer’s history of the Church, original portraits of Joseph and Emma Smith, the cornerstone of the Nauvoo House, the original door of Liberty Jail, and a document with the title of “Caractors,” which may contain a sample of inscriptions from the gold plates. (See the appendix for a more detailed list of items transferred.) (bold and italitc emphasis is mine).

I would just add a point of clarification here: In my report on the "Aging Church Leadership", I mentioned that the appointment of the first female prophet-president of the Community of Christ would not occur until next year, leaving that faith without a top leader in the interim. It appears that, at least at the time these items were transferred, current prophet-president Steven M. Veasey is still actively serving in that capacity as his health permits. So my point about the Community of Christ not having a top leader until next year was incorrect, and that part of my analysis was in error. I apologize for that oversight.

It is also worth noting that the Community of Christ will continue to coordinate with the Church for access to the temple and historic sites that were transferred to the Church today. The appendix to the FAQ shows a complete list of items purchased by the Church from the Community of Christ. This was a massive undertaking. The Community of Christ expressed gratitude to the Church, as this will free up many resources for the Community of Christ. And it appears that the sheer volume of what was transferred was the only reason it has taken so long.

I never thought I'd see this day come. But now that it has, I foresee a time when some portions of a future General Conference of the Church could originate from the Kirtland Temple or other historic sites in that area. The Church did hold portions of the April 1980 General Conference in the Palmyra New York area for the Church's sesquicentennial, which is why I say that. But that is no more and no less than my own theory, so unless and until the Church confirms that will happen at any point in the future, take it with the proverbial grain of salt.

I continue to monitor any and all Church News, Newsroom, and Church of Jesus Christ Temples updates and will be sure to pass word of those along to you all as they cross my radar. In the meantime, that does it for now. All comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated on any post at any time, as long as the offered feedback is made per the established guidelines. 

I hope any of you who would like to share anything will take your opportunity to “sound off” in the comments below. Please subscribe if you liked what you read here and would like to be informed of newly added posts and comments. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Site Locations Confirmed for Jakarta Indonesia and Osaka Japan Temples; Exterior Rendering Released for Budapest Hungary Temple

Hello again, everyone! This afternoon, the First Presidency confirmed the site locations and preliminary details for the temples in Jakarta Indonesia and Osaka Japan, in addition to releasing an official exterior rendering for the Budapest Hungary Temple. Let's break down the relevant details: 

The Jakarta Indonesia Temple was announced by President Nelson in April 2023. A 1.33-acre site at Synthesis Square, Jalan Gatot, Subroto No. 177a, Tebet District, City of South Jakarta, Special Capital Region of Jakarta will be the spot where a four-story temple of approximately 40,350 square feet will rise. The fact that it is going to be built up rather than out is not surprising.

Meanwhile, the Osaka Japan Temple was just announced in October 2023. 3-50-1 Sugi, Hirakata City, Osaka, 573-0117 Japan has a 16.74-acre site on which the Church will build a single-story temple of approximately 29,630 square feet.

That brings us to the Budapest Hungary Temple rendering. With the temple announced in April 2019, the temple site was announced on October 9, 2023. With that temple set to be 18,000 square feet, the exterior rendering appears to be a nod to the modular-style temple without actually using the modular components. 

To my knowledge, this is not a modular temple, it just reminds me of the modular style. I will allow others with better insight into temple architecture and exterior renderings to share their insights about this exterior rendering. In the interim, on my end, I wanted to note that, with the site locations confirmed today, of the 95 currently announced temples, only 41 lack official information.

I was somewhat surprised that there were no temple groundbreakings announced today, but, as I said, if the Church is making sure to get the approvals process right and is being more careful about the integrity of the temples they're building, then if that means a slower pace of groundbreaking, I am not overly concerned we haven't seen groundbreakings announced today. 

I'm still holding out hope for at least one or two groundbreakings to be announced before the April 2024 General Conference. I am grateful for these updates and my chance to analyze them here. I continue to monitor any and all Church News, Newsroom, and Church of Jesus Christ Temples updates and will be sure to pass word of those along to you all as they cross my radar. 

In the meantime, that does it for now. All comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated on any post at any time, as long as the offered feedback is made per the established guidelines. I hope any of you who would like to share anything will take your opportunity to “sound off” in the comments below. 

Please subscribe if you liked what you read here and would like to be informed of newly added posts and comments. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Renderings Released for Birmingham England, Lone Mountain Nevada, and McKinney Texas Temples; Site Location and Preliminary Information Released for the Vancouver Washington Temple

Hello again, everyone! The First Presidency announced the next major temple construction updates today. The exterior renderings have been released for the Birmingham England, Lone Mountain Nevada, and McKinney Texas Temples, and the site location and preliminary information have been confirmed for the Vancouver Washington Temple. Let's break down the details:

While I will let others more qualified than myself share their observations on the exterior renderings in question, I did want to note some general observations about them on my end. The Birmingham England Temple was announced in April 2022, with its' site location and preliminary information released in December 2023. 

The Lone Mountain Nevada and McKinney Texas Temples were both announced in October 2022; the site location and preliminary information for Lone Mountain were released two months later, while the site location and preliminary information for McKinney were confirmed in December 2023. The release of these renderings now gives me hope that groundbreakings for each of these temples might soon follow.

That brings us to the Vancouver Washington Temple. Announced in October of last year, the temple will rise on a 15.11-acre site located at the Northwest corner of SE 20th Street and SE Bybee Road intersection, Vancouver (Camas), Washington. Plans call for a multi-story temple of approximately 43,000 square feet.

Today's update on the Vancouver Washington Temple means that, of the 95 currently announced temples, 43 have not yet had any official information confirmed. That means that 52 have had sites confirmed, 2 of which have also had groundbreakings scheduled. I think that, because we have had so many exterior renderings released just since the beginning of this year, the Church may be queuing up a bunch of temples for groundbreakings.

I am not concerned at this point about any "backlog" of temples that have not yet moved to have a groundbreaking. As I've previously mentioned, my preference would be for the Church to take extra time procuring approvals rather than rushing through that process and running into complications getting those temples to a groundbreaking and on to construction.

While I was incorrect about any groundbreakings being set today, I'm glad I was correct in my theory that more exterorior renderings and site confirmations would occur. I continue to monitor any and all Church News, Newsroom, and Church of Jesus Christ Temples updates and will be sure to pass word of those along to you all as they cross my radar. 

In the meantime, that does it for now. All comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated on any post at any time, as long as the offered feedback is made per the established guidelines. I hope any of you who would like to share anything will take your opportunity to “sound off” in the comments below. 

Please subscribe if you liked what you read here and would like to be informed of newly added posts and comments. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

UPDATED: Current Apostolic Datta

Hello again, everyone! It has been a tradition on this blog for me to provide updates on apostolic data every 7 weeks. Having last done so on Sunday, January 7, it is time to publish the newest such data. As with every two-part update, the first part contains updated data about the age and tenure length records for all 17 Church Presidents, in addition to updated information on the tenure lengths for each of the 28 Presidents of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. 

The first document likewise notes information on the tenure length rankings for three sets of apostolic groups: the longest-serving First Presidencies (with the current First Presidency joining that list for the first time), in addition to the longest-serving groups of members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and groups of all ordained apostles (the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles), and an overview of when each of those current groups will move up on the list.

Meanwhile, the second part of today's update shows the long-form and decimal ages for the members of the current First Presidency, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and the same data for the combined First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, in addition to the average ages of each group and apostolic nonagenarians (with 3 of the current 15 apostles being on that list), and a final table showing the remaining time between today and when each of the other 12 apostles will become nonagenarians and join that list. With these updates coming every 7 weeks, the next update will be posted here on the morning of Sunday, April 14.

Hopefully, this post is of interest to you all. Again, I offer an open invitation to ask anyone who has any questions about those documents to ask them here. I continue to monitor any and all Church News, Newsroom, and Church of Jesus Christ Temples updates and will be sure to pass word of those along to you all as they cross my radar. In the meantime, that does it for now. All comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated on any post at any time, as long as the offered feedback is made per the established guidelines.

I hope any of you who would like to share anything will take your opportunity to “sound off” in the comments below. Please subscribe if you liked what you read here and would like to be informed of newly added posts and comments. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

BREAKING TEMPLE NEWS: Provo Utah Temple Renamed; Exterior Rendering Released and Groundbreaking Set for Teton River Idaho Temple; Site Location and Initial Details Confirmed for the Jacksonville Florida Temple

Hello again, everyone! As anticipated, because yesterday was Presidents' Day in the United States, today, the First Presidency made their weekly major temple announcements. Included this week are a rename for the Provo Utah Temple, the exterior rendering released and groundbreaking set for the Teton River Idaho Temple, and the site location and preliminary information released for the Jacksonville Florida Temple. There's a lot to get into here, so let's dive right in:

The Provo Utah Temple, which will close for renovation on Saturday, will now be known as the Provo Utah Rock Canyon Temple. The release states: "The Provo Utah Rock Canyon Temple will be built to current seismic codes and have reconfigured rooms and energy-efficient electrical, heating, and plumbing systems." And of course, there is also the redesign, which will see its' exterior changed to match its' sister temple in Orem. It occurred to me to wonder if this name change may be in advance of a potential third temple coming to the Provo area. But the Rock Canyon name makes sense. I am grateful for this news.

We now move on to the Teton River Idaho Temple groundbreaking. As mentioned, it will be one of the largest in the Church. I heard a rumor through the Church Growth Blog that this announcement was forthcoming, so it's nice to have that confirmed. The rendering reminds me of other temples of a similar size. I will defer to any of you who would like to comment more on the exterior rendering of this temple. In the meantime, the groundbreaking for this temple has been set to occur on Saturday, June 1, with Elder Ricardo P. Gimenez presiding.

I think we will likely see other groundbreakings take place between the March 9 groundbreaking of the San Luis Potosi Mexico Temple and the June 1 groundbreaking for the Teton River Idaho Temple as announced today. As to which temples might have a groundbreaking between now and then, that's not for me to say. But the good news is that I think other groundbreakings will be announced between today and General Conference weekend, so I look forward to seeing what happens there.

We now move on to the site location and preliminary information for the Jacksonville Florida Temple, which was originally announced in October 2022. A 6.6-acre site located at 3323 Loretto Road, Jacksonville, Florida, will be the home to a single-story, 29,000-square-foot edifice. There are now only 44 announced temples that have not had any official information confirmed yet.

The Provo Utah Temple being renamed took me by complete surprise, as did the release of information about the Jacksonville Flordia Temple. As I noted earlier, I had anticipated the groundbreaking would soon be announced for the Teton River Idaho Temple, and the fact that it will be a larger temple means it makes perfect sense that a groundbreaking announced for it now will only take place in early June.

I am grateful for all of this news and the opportunity to pass it along. I continue to monitor any and all Church News, Newsroom, and Church of Jesus Christ Temples updates and will be sure to pass word of those along to you all as they cross my radar. In the meantime, that does it for now. All comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated on any post at any time, as long as the offered feedback is made per the established guidelines. 

I hope any of you who would like to share anything will take your opportunity to “sound off” in the comments below. Please subscribe if you liked what you read here and would like to be informed of newly added posts and comments. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

The "Aging Church Leadership": In Response to Gordon Monson's Recent Articles in the Salt Lake Tribune

Hello again, everyone! I hope it is apparent to all who visit this blog, from the longtime readers to the followers to the newest reader discovering this blog for the first time, that I am unapologetically and fiercely loyal to the Church and to any and all of those within the Church that the Lord has called to be His prophets, seers, and revelators. Because "it must needs be there is an opposition in all things", the Church is not short on critics and naysayers, many of whom appear to believe they know better than the Lord and His chosen mouthpieces. 

Some of those individuals, however well-meaning they may be, often offer their opinions without considering the Lord's perspective on the subject at hand. Some treat our prophets and apostles as if they were no more than independent agents, making and unmaking decisions, policies, and even doctrine at their own pleasure, as a result of which such observers "fall short of the mark" and miss the big picture. 

Numerous times on this blog, I have addressed the fallacy of the philosophy advanced by many that, in a similar way to the Church granting emeritus status to GA Seventies at the age of 70, there should be a system whereby apostles, whether all apostles or those who are particularly aged, infirm, or in ill health, should be granted emeritus status and relieved of active duty.  Some have gone further to suggest the cutoff should be 80 or 90. 

The suggestion of an emeritus status for apostles in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not new, and has been repeatedly made by numerous individuals. Most recently, Gordon Monson, a writer for the Salt Lake Tribune, addressed both that idea (treating it as if it were a new concept) and the backlash directed towards him as a result.

There are some offshoots of the Church that either grant emeritus status to prophets and apostles or call and release them based on earthly considerations, and the general result is either an uncertain period in which there is no clear leader of the Church, or where extended periods pass without someone in the top leadership role. For example, the Community of Christ recently named its first female prophet-president, but it won't be until next year that a sustaining vote will ratify that change, meaning that there will be no top leader in that denomination for another year.

By contrast, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints operates under a system that ensures a continuous line of succession. The senior apostle is always the President of the Church, and he is always succeeded by the apostle immediately junior to him at the time of his passing. Though the process of setting apart the new senior apostle as the prophet, seer, revelator, and President of the Church may not be that immediate, the Church is never without an earthly head. Joseph Smith said to the Twelve: "Where I [meaning the President of the Church] am not, there is no First Presidency over the Twelve."

Apostolic calls are, by nature, for life, except in the rare case of excommunication. In a Church that believes and depends on continuing revelation, the lifetime calls afford the Church stability, constancy, consistency, and a clear method of succession. The Lord has reminded us: "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Because the idea of granting emeritus status to apostles and prophets in the Lord's Church is not new, the Church has taken several steps to address it. President Gordon B. Hinckley, on 60 Minutes, talked about how wonderful it is to have a man of maturity at the head who will not be blown about by every wind of doctrine. The wisdom in having older Church leaders is clearly apparent and should go without saying. 

I have personally found the final addresses of each apostle and prophet of the Church to be among their most significant, powerful, and impactful messages ever. We would miss out on those sage final words of counsel if there was some arbitrary, man-made limit to the length or duration of their service. It appears that the Church is not unaware of the criticism about the age of the Brethren. Then-Elder Jeffrey R. Holland tackled that subject head-on with a powerful essay just last year.

By mortal reasoning and measures, at least on the surface, the suggestion of Gordon Monson and others might make sense if we were talking about any earthly or man-made entity or organization. But in the Lord's Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, He is the one who has set the conditions under which the prophetic mantle passes from one man to another. He stands at the head of His Church. And He and He alone governs who serves as prophet when, for how long, and who succeeds each of His chosen servants.

The Lord's house is a house of order. However well-intended the suggestions of emeritus status for His prophets, seers and revelators might be, that is not the Lord's way and never will be. 2 days following his appointment as the prophet of the Lord's Church, President Nelson pledged to "serve Him and [the members of the Church] for every remaining breath of [his] life." His fellow apostles have taken similar pledges. The devoted service of these Brethren is both wonderful and humbling to behold.

There is constancy amid an ever-changing world in the voice, message, service, and good works of all those we sustain as prophets, seers and revelators. We are blessed by the global voice of the prophets and apostles. We are blessed to receive their counsel and feel their love. As the Lord has promised, "Whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same." The Lord appoints and releases His servants according to His wisdom and plan for each of them, and because it is a divinely-inspired system, no mortal ideas will ever have power or hold sway to change that.

Of these truths, I bear my fervent, sure, and certain witness in humility and gratitude for the opportunity to do so in the sacred name of Him who divinely inspires and directs it all, even Jesus Christ, Amen.