tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post5690106827182157316..comments2024-03-29T00:47:42.684-06:00Comments on Growth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church): Seven New Temples Announced - AnalysisMatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16030323360917985701noreply@blogger.comBlogger82125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-25120648525263965542018-04-22T08:21:50.420-06:002018-04-22T08:21:50.420-06:00Any word on which side of Richmond VA the new temp...Any word on which side of Richmond VA the new temple will be built on?Eduardohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05019747288076783700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-55784066621493530922018-04-12T11:17:19.326-06:002018-04-12T11:17:19.326-06:00John Patrick Lambert: Maybe Enemy of transparency ...John Patrick Lambert: Maybe Enemy of transparency is strong, but Oaks is not surely a friend of transparency and telling the truth about church history. Nobody is perfect I could say and to be an apostle does not mean automatically to be better than "normal memebers". With Uchtdorf there was a very different attitude about transparency and church history.GSS87https://www.blogger.com/profile/06377219699153943642noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-69012916004599787102018-04-11T20:20:54.440-06:002018-04-11T20:20:54.440-06:00It has occurred to me more or less over the years ...It has occurred to me more or less over the years that in God's great designs many people are not "supposed" to become active in the Church, much of it based on free agency (of course), much to do with the natural man, much to do with spin and vitriol and human downfalls.<br />As much as I have liked to see Church growth (tracking consciously since 1970s) it is quite humbling and perhaps tempering upon our souls to see less than robust numbers go forth.<br />But it all boils down to two individuals: oneself and Jesus.<br />Undoubtedly many doubt the antecedents of the brethren and the other General Authorities; some call into question the male patriarchy and so many other issues.<br />But the prophecies continue to fulfill themselves, true prophesy is true.<br />No matter the numbers or rates of converts, exhilarating as they are.Eduardohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05019747288076783700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-27844790330010238852018-04-11T17:08:33.657-06:002018-04-11T17:08:33.657-06:00I was thinking of how we wtached Priesthood sessio...I was thinking of how we wtached Priesthood session at my building before it was live broadvasted. However it is,also how they broadcast stake confetence in my stake. My stake is 48 miles east to west and 26 north to south. We have the Saturday evening adult session just at the stake center so distance is not the only factor. Our stake has too many members to comfortably fit in the stake center and parking is also difficult so multi lications does have its advantage. It also is easier to take a 5 year old when you have a 2 mile instead of 25 mile ride one way.John Pack Lamberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05086707132348039415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-81735155595667599852018-04-11T15:51:47.639-06:002018-04-11T15:51:47.639-06:00I know a number of uk saints visited Paris for ope...I know a number of uk saints visited Paris for open house and I believe dedication.<br />Many want to go to Rome and Lisbon.<br />With 11 Temples in Europe, these new Temples will be on the list for weekends away.Noelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01310364393123622226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-72953453635076739602018-04-11T10:54:57.578-06:002018-04-11T10:54:57.578-06:00John, I'm pretty sure the "closed interne...John, I'm pretty sure the "closed internet relays" you mention is what we had for stake conferences in the Meeker Colorado stake (before the split and renaming back in October). So far the new Craig stake presidency has not indicated a desire to broadcast the meetings, but it's probably a possibility in the future, our stake is shorter North to South than Meeker was but longer East to West, and there are still some pretty long travel times.twinnumerounohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05339551175116474947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-56120877302563908582018-04-10T21:39:32.344-06:002018-04-10T21:39:32.344-06:00I would assume Egyot ans south-west Asia will be a...I would assume Egyot ans south-west Asia will be assigned to the Rome Temple. At least Israel, Lebanon and Turkey. The assignment to a temple of the stakes in the Persian Gulf region is harder to discern.<br /><br />John Pack Lamberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05086707132348039415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-58021960757502356262018-04-10T21:37:00.356-06:002018-04-10T21:37:00.356-06:00Due to increases in internet technology closed int...Due to increases in internet technology closed internet relays are possibke even without satelite capacity. <br /><br />On the issue of avalability of information it appears to me that Church legals crack down on lds.temples.com is not a new policy but inplementation of existing policies.<br /><br />To portray President Oaks as an enemy of trabsparancy is to significantly misunderstand him.John Pack Lamberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05086707132348039415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-34168875288403033662018-04-10T17:41:14.823-06:002018-04-10T17:41:14.823-06:00Santiago is not even close to need a second temple...Santiago is not even close to need a second temple in the metropolitan area. A temple in Viña del Mar makes a little more sense. Because of the distance, Antofagasta is a good candidate.<br /><br />One temple in Southern Argentina: Neuquén or Bahía Blanca. If it is built in Bahía Blanca a temple in Puerto Montt, Chile, would be probable. Yamil Inosotrozahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02987034303373084204noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-59217429887377310172018-04-10T14:42:26.796-06:002018-04-10T14:42:26.796-06:00I remember going to the Dallas dedication from Aus...I remember going to the Dallas dedication from Austin. It was 3 hours both ways and 2-3 hours at the temple, so it was a pretty long day. We were paired with the Tulsa stake. These days, the church have the satellite system which we have experienced in Boston [I think] (lived in CT) and the Phoenix, Gilbert and Tucson Arizona temples (live in AZ). So, my theory falls apart there unless the satellite system isn't as mature in Europe.<br /><br />Will Rome cover only Italy, Malta, plus the SW Balkans and Greece? I would include the other African Mediterranean countries as well, but Paris or London might be more convenient airline wise.Hal Brighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03415839015264670981noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-80677471372228376002018-04-10T11:10:20.754-06:002018-04-10T11:10:20.754-06:00Sorry Guys, but I am not surprised at all that now...Sorry Guys, but I am not surprised at all that now Church statistics are kind of hidden. This new presidency is very conservative on many issues(specially Oaks is famous for being against transparency) and does a few things very questionable. Obviously although I do not like much the components I sustain the First presidency and hope they can do the best with (and without) the Lord's inspiration. The church growth is always going worse in latter years, we have to face the truth. But there is always hope.GSS87https://www.blogger.com/profile/06377219699153943642noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-78530412901079035052018-04-10T09:26:40.556-06:002018-04-10T09:26:40.556-06:00James, I hadn't considered that the Church may...James, I hadn't considered that the Church may want to make the Rome Temple dedication a world-wide event, but I can see that possibility. Also, Hal, travel distances in Europe aren't really that great, but I did wonder if perhaps the dedication services will be held only on Sundays (or weekends). Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16442440939577119581noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-68669533862101520582018-04-09T21:13:28.335-06:002018-04-09T21:13:28.335-06:00Richmond would cover at least 12 stakes--Virginia ...Richmond would cover at least 12 stakes--Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Newport News, Richmond, Richmond Chesterfield, Richmond Midlothian, Fredericksburg, Waynesboro, Buena Vista, Buena Vista YSA, Roanoke, and Pembroke are all somewhat to quite a bit closer to Richmond than to the DC temple. Even if the Stafford Stake remains in the DC temple district, most of the members of my stake plan on attending the Richmond temple as it would be a lot less traffic to fight through. I heard several times the argument that we are in the Richmond mission and we should also be in the Richmond temple district. Members in my stake are used to going to Richmond for activities. We go there for the bishop's storehouse. The irony is many commute from Stafford north to work, but they prefer being associated with Richmond to the south.<br /><br />If the rumored lot on the north Richmond beltway ends up being the site, the above would be even more true.Mike Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10025612146815804945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-62366511350625335982018-04-09T21:12:42.184-06:002018-04-09T21:12:42.184-06:00This comment has been removed by the author.Mike Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10025612146815804945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-82709082741903265452018-04-09T16:20:09.118-06:002018-04-09T16:20:09.118-06:00Maybe Rome will only have dedication sessions on t...Maybe Rome will only have dedication sessions on two Sundays/weekends because of long travelling distances.Hal Brighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03415839015264670981noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-39652576394996079112018-04-09T14:20:29.159-06:002018-04-09T14:20:29.159-06:00If it is a week, then might that be indicative of ...If it is a week, then might that be indicative of a worldwide event, where they broadcast it at varying times of the day to different parts of the world? That was the case with Nauvoo, that is when the worldwide satellite network was completed, and since General Conference had passed, was the first time they used it.<br /><br />In that scenario, we would view a session convenient to where we lived in terms of a day and time.James Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12831340842937216806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-8666542674501210952018-04-09T09:52:37.664-06:002018-04-09T09:52:37.664-06:00On another note, I was wondering if anyone has any...On another note, I was wondering if anyone has any thoughts about the unusual aspects of the Rome Temple dedication. I realize that the Church is making the announcements of dedication dates earlier than before, but this one is almost a year prior to the actual event. <br /><br />Also, the dates given are for eight consecutive days, from Sunday to Sunday. With the exception of the Salt Lake Temple, that has never happened before. Mt. Timpanogas and Bountiful had seven day dedications (Sunday to Saturday), and San Diego and Dallas had six day dedications. Since 2001, only Nauvoo, Draper, and Oquirrh Mountain have had dedications that lasted longer than a single day. <br /><br />I realize that a temple in the city commonly considered the center of modern Christianity is a big deal, but I'm still at a loss as to the reasoning behind this. Surely there is not a need for that many dedication sessions to accomodate the members of the temple district who want to attend. Does anyone else have any thoughts?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16442440939577119581noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-43907539263924599012018-04-09T08:48:57.367-06:002018-04-09T08:48:57.367-06:00David...my thought on that is maybe the GA's w...David...my thought on that is maybe the GA's were concerned about the increasing numbers of us that are obsessing over the data and they want us ministering. I know I love obsessing over the numbers and am disappointed that I can't check Rick's sight 10-20 times a day lol! I guess I better go see who my ministering families are!Nephihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09808216664088900893noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-13788357682036984922018-04-08T23:46:05.000-06:002018-04-08T23:46:05.000-06:00I would be very (unpleasantly) shocked if the reas...I would be very (unpleasantly) shocked if the reasoning for the sudden blockade from statistical information has to do with the recent poor growth. Its not exactly a secret that many parts of the world in which the church has the most substantial numbers are becoming increasingly secular.<br /><br />However, the church still released the statistical report that contained the information regarding membership numbers for the whole church, and I don't think there is anything to be /ashamed/ of. Yes, the growth rates are lower than they have been, but the church IS still growing and every soul that comes to Christ is a cause for rejoicing. We have much work to do, but I can't see the general authorities seeing the numbers and thinking they were so bad that they needed to hide them.<br /><br />It would seem more likely that they are withholding the information from the public so that it can't be used in ways that might be harmful somehow to the church or any of its members, such as those in sensitive or dangerous areas.David Toddhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16633681311966766482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-15160422301600491482018-04-08T23:36:05.684-06:002018-04-08T23:36:05.684-06:00Without knowing a great deal about the intricacies...Without knowing a great deal about the intricacies of CDOL and how it works, currently it seems that Church members with an LDS Account can log in and see Church Organization Totals worldwide, by country, and by area. Any additional information is restricted to the calling you hold. I wonder if the Church could modify the generic permissions category to add the ability to view basic unit information for non-sensitive units (e.g. unit name, unit type, parent organization, and maybe unit number, unit creation date, unit language) and the ability to query data and/or generate reports on unit changes within a given date range (e.g. created, upgraded, downgraded, renamed, transferred, reinstated, consolidated, discontinued). This would allow the many members who follow unit changes as a daily faith-building exercise with an authorized place to obtain this information; the Church to maintain the narrative of its unit growth; and a prevention of leaked information of unit information from CDOL onto unofficial sites. Insofar as the Church is cracking down on the dissemination of this data because it had been obtained in violation of existing Church policy and/or there is a perception that members don't care about this information (resulting in the Church cutting back on costly almanacs and statistical reports), simply adding a little more basic unit data viewing rights to the generic CDOL permissions for everyday Church members could be a workable solution for everyone.Gnesileahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17757196258988210760noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-51401416491686139992018-04-08T22:42:41.299-06:002018-04-08T22:42:41.299-06:00I've checked Rick's website for statistica...I've checked Rick's website for statistical updates literally every morning for probably at least six years, so this is pretty devastating for me. Am I to understand that it was already in violation of the rules but they're just now being enforced? (I certainly don't blame him in the slightest if it was; people aren't supposed to reproduce anything from General Conference without written consent either but they make memes out of it without a second thought.)<br /><br />I assume this de-emphasizing and obfuscating of growth also has a lot to do with how poor it's been. Frankly I can see why the Church wouldn't want to advertise having the lowest growth rate since 1937 for three years in a row. But it does seem like a huge step backwards in transparency while such great strides have been made in other areas. In some ways it might be for the best to reduce the number of people being like "We have x million members, the Church is growing, no need for me to do any actual member-missionary work." And maybe they'll focus more on activity and retention in their own areas.Christopher Nicholsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00582245548922025033noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-91280858349135957092018-04-08T22:17:48.184-06:002018-04-08T22:17:48.184-06:00Matt- So why do you think the Church Legal Depart...Matt- So why do you think the Church Legal Department requested the removal of Temple Rick's information and why don't you think something similar can't or won't happen to you/cumorah.com?Ohhappydane33https://www.blogger.com/profile/07783098797978517423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-17863150208460277472018-04-08T21:43:05.960-06:002018-04-08T21:43:05.960-06:00Reed-
This would be absolutely devastating if wha...Reed-<br /><br />This would be absolutely devastating if what you said is true about the country-by-country membership and congregational data no longer being reported starting year-end 2017. I see absolutely no reason why this data should not be reported - it has been reported by the Church for decades. I will look into this as well. If this is accurate, you will hear a whole lot more about this from me on this blog and a variety of other platforms and news media sites. Thankfully, I have developed quite a massive network of church members and leaders in scores of countries around the world. The data I obtain from these individuals is in a lot of ways more valuable than the raw membership data. However, membership data is especially helpful for tracking growth in total membership. <br /><br />There has definitely been a trend of the Church posting less and less regarding statistical data. I was told that the Church Almanac, as flawed as it was with many of its errors perpetuated edition after edition, was discontinued in 2014 due to a lack of sales. There is a perception that people are not interested in LDS statistics and as a result the Church has seen less of a need to emphasize or publish them. This is not unique to Latter-day Saints. Other religious groups have done the same thing based upon an interview I had with a reporter a couple years ago regarding religious statistical data. However, the Church Almanac was the only official source published annually that had data on unit and organizational totals by country. I will do my best to advocate for the availability of non-sensitive congregation and organizational data to promote transparency and scholarship. There will be no changes to my blog or cumorah.com despite Rick's announcement that daily congregational/organizational updates on his site have been discontinued.Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16030323360917985701noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-15531632034581539812018-04-08T20:17:11.668-06:002018-04-08T20:17:11.668-06:00Happy, Matt still has lds maps, no?Happy, Matt still has lds maps, no?Michael Worleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12078136075924935280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-53670539538655400622018-04-08T20:16:34.717-06:002018-04-08T20:16:34.717-06:00Even when I had CDOL access, I didn't post bec...Even when I had CDOL access, I didn't post because CDOL asks people not to. I miss Rick's site, but I know that with Heavenly Father in charge, he, through his apostles, including current chair Elder Uchtdorf, will see to it there will be both statistical and real growth in every nation where people are humble and leaders are allowed permanently.Michael Worleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12078136075924935280noreply@blogger.com