New Temple Predictions - September 2019 Edition

I have updated my temple prediction map in preparation for General Conference in October. Data used to identify likely locations for future temples include the number of stakes and districts, the number of wards and branches, age of the oldest stake, trends in church growth, distance to the nearest temple, number of endowment sessions scheduled at the nearest temple, and member and missionary reports regarding member activity, temple attendance, and convert retention. Given President Nelson's comments in a media conference a couple days ago, there will be new temples announced this October. The Church announced 19 new temples during 2018 and eight new temples in April 2019.

In March 2019, I added a new classification for less likely potential new temples to be announced (i.e. locations with few stakes and distant from the nearest temple). I have added this new category given the recent trend for the Church announcing more temples in locations with fewer stakes. Thus, there has been an emphasis on the construction of new temples in more remote locations with comparatively few members to improve accessibility to the temple. Locations I added to the map back in March in this category include:

• Rosario, Argentina
• Flagstaff, Arizona 
• Londrina, Brazil
• Natal, Brazil
• Santa Maria, Brazil
• Sao Jose, Brazil
• Teresina, Brazil
• Osorno, Chile
• Vina del Mar, Chile
• Cali, Colombia
• Grand Junction, Colorado 
• Santiago, Dominican Republic
• Coban, Guatemala
• Des Moines, Iowa
• Wichita, Kansas
• Augusta, Maine 
• Aguascalientes, Mexico
• Cancun, Mexico
• Chihuahua, Mexico
• Culiacan, Mexico
• Torreon, Mexico
• Farmington, New Mexico 
• Enugu, Nigeria
• Piura, Peru
• Glasgow, Scotland
• Rapid City, South Dakota 
• Austin, Texas
• El Paso, Texas 
• Longview, Texas
• McAllen, Texas
• Tacuarembo, Uruguay
• Charleston, West Virginia
• Milwaukee, Wisconsin 
• Casper, Wyoming

I have added the following 58 locations to the less likely list of temples that may be announced:

• Fairbanks, Alaska 
• Juneau, Alaska
• Tirana, Albania 
• Neuquen, Argentina
• Trelew, Argentina
• Hobart, Australia
• Tarija, Bolivia
• Campo Grande, Brazil
• Cuiaba, Brazil
• Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil
• Maceio, Brazil 
• Pelotas, Brazil
• Rio Branco, Brazil
• Sao Paulo Guarulhos, Brazil
• Sorocaba, Brazil 
• Vitoria, Brazil
• Punta Arenas, Chile
• San Luis Valley, Colorado 
• Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
• Yamoussoukro, Cote d'Ivoire
• Machala, Ecuador
• Quevedo, Ecuador
• Ra'atea, Tahiti, French Polynesia 
• Kahului, Hawaii
• Jakarta, Indonesia
• Dublin, Ireland
• New Delhi, India
• Kingston, Jamaica 
• Sendai, Japan
• Busan, Korea
• La Paz, Mexico 
• Beira, Mozambique
• Maputo, Mozambique
• Elko, Nevada (previously on Likely Potential New Temples list)
• Christchurch, New Zealand 
• Abuja, Nigeria
• Calabar, Nigeria
• Ibadan, Nigeria
• Port Harcourt, Nigeria
• Cleveland, Ohio (previously on Likely Potential New Temples list)
• Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 
• Cusco, Peru
• Huancayo, Peru
• Pisco, Peru
• Puno, Peru
• Tacna, Peru
• Iloilo City, Philippines
• Puerto Princesa, Philippines
• Savaii, Samoa
• Barcelona, Spain
• Las Palmas, Canary Islands, Spain
• Kaohsiung, Taiwan 
• Knoxville, Tennessee
• Lome, Togo
• Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
• Delta, Utah
• Port Vila, Vanuatu
• Barcelona, Venezuela

Altogether, the temple prediction map has 140 potential sites for more likely and less likely locations where temples may be announced. Church growth trends in 2019 have appeared to slightly accelerate during the year compared to 2018 in regards to the creation of new congregations and stakes, and also increases in convert baptisms in many missions around the world. However, this significant increase in the number of locations added to the map is NOT due to a sudden increase in church growth, but rather a change in temple announcements to more cities with few members that are distant from the nearest temple (such as Yigo, Guam; Budapest, Hungary; Okinawa, Japan; and Moses Lake, Washington to name a few). As for what I see as the 10 most likely locations for new temples to be announced this October, see below:

• Benin City, Nigeria
• Santa Cruz, Bolivia 
• Monrovia, Liberia 
• Freetown or Bo, Sierra Leone 
• Angeles, Philippines
• Bacolod, Philippines
• Colorado Springs, Colorado
• Rogers, Arkansas 
• Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
• Tarawa, Kiribati

Red squares on the map below are temples which are dedicated or planned. Yellow squares are likely potential new temples that may be announced in the near future. Blue circles are less likely potential new temples that may be announced in the near future. Please share your predictions for new temple announcements in the comments below.

New Stakes Created in Canada, Guatemala, Nigeria, and the Philippines; New District Created in Cote d'Ivoire

Canada
The Church organized its second YSA in Canada in Calgary, Alberta on May 5th. The Calgary Alberta YSA Stake was organized from stakes in the Calgary area and includes the following six wards: the Brentwood YSA, Carburn Park YSA, Edworthy Park YSA, Highland Park YSA, Pine Creek YSA, and Priddis Valley YSA Wards. The new stake is the Church's eighth stake in Calgary.

There are now 26 stakes in Alberta, and 51 stakes and 3 districts in Canada.

Guatemala
The Church organized its second Q'eqchi'-speaking stake in Guatemala on May 5th. The Chulac Guatemala Stake was organized from the Chulac Guatemala District (organized in 1992). The new stake includes the following five wards and two branches: the Buena Vista, Chulac, Corralpec, Sajonte, and Semuy Wards, and the Searanx and Sepamac Branches. The Church's first Q'eqchi'-speaking stake was organized in Senahu in 2017.

There are now 50 stakes and 13 districts in Guatemala.

Nigeria
The Church recently organized a new stake in Abia State. The Umuahia Nigeria South Stake was organized from a division of the Umuahia Nigeria Stake. Information on which wards and branches are assigned to the new stake is currently unavailable; however, the stake had seven wards and eight branches prior to division. Thus, it is likely several branches became wards or new wards were organized in order for the new stake creation to occur, or some units from the Okpuala Ngwa Nigeria Stake were included in the new stake. The Umuahia Nigeria Stake was originally organized in 1996, but the stake was discontinued and divided into two districts in 2005 (Umuahia and Okpuala Ngwa). The Umuahia Nigeria Stake was reinstated in 2014, whereas the Okpuala Ngwa Stake was organized in 2015. Significant congregational growth has occurred particularly in the Umuahia Nigeria Stake since its creation.

There are now 57 stakes and 17 districts in Nigeria.

Philippines
The Church organized a new stake in Nigeria on May 5th. The Camarin Philippines Stake was organized from a division of the Novaliches Philippines Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards: the Bagong Silang 1st, Bagong Silang 2nd, Camarin 1st, Camarin 2nd, and the Sampaguita Wards. There are now 29 stakes in the Metro Manila area.

There are now 109 stakes and 67 districts in the Philippines

Cote d'Ivoire
The Church organized a new district on April 28th. The Danané Cote d'Ivoire District was created from missions branches in the Cote d'Ivoire Yamoussoukro Mission. The new district includes the following three branches: the Danané 1st, Danané 2nd, and Mahapleu Branches. The new district is the Church's third new district organized in Cote d'Ivoire in 2019, and all three of these new districts are located in the Montagnes District, where the Church operated no districts before 2019. Missionaries report plans to organize additional branches and districts in the Cote d'Ivoire Yamoussoukro Mission. Likely locations for future districts include Issia, Meagui, Saioua, Sinfra, and villages in rural communities nearby Daloa and Yamoussoukro. For example, there are currently plans to organize a second branch in Issia, and possibly a second branch in Saioua. A second branch was recently organized in Sinfra, and two new branches were recently organized in Meagui. Also, several new wards/branches appear likely to be organized in Daloa given recent reports from missionaries.

There are now 14 stakes and 15 districts in Cote d'Ivoire. In contrast, the Church in Cote d'Ivoire reported only three stakes and one district in 2009. Thus, the Church in Cote d'Ivoire has by far experienced the most rapid growth within the international Church during the past decade. Given recent growth trends, it appears likely that the Church may announce a second temple in Abidjan considering half of the Church's 12 stakes in the city are ready to divide, the relatively small size of the temple for the rapidly growth Church in the country, historically high levels of temple attendance, and distance from the temple site in Cocody to many of the members in Abidjan. This would be an extraordinary development if another temple were announced as the Church only recent started construction on the Church's first temple in the country, the Abidjan Cote d'Ivoire Temple. Yopougon appears the most likely candidate for Abidjan's second temple given this area of the city has five stakes and is on the west city of the metropolitan area, whereas Cocody is located on the east side of the metropolitan area.

Eight New Temples - Analysis

See below for an analysis of the eight new temples announced today by President Russell M. Nelson. This marks the third most temples ever announced on a single day after October 7th, 2018 (12 temples) and April 1st, 1981 (nine temples). This group of locations probably constitutes the most unusual cohort of temples ever announced by the Church to date given the small size of Church membership in these locations, historically slow growth in most of these locations, and geographical distribution. Also, I believe this marks the first time when I did not accurately predict any of temples actually announced in General Conference per my top ten list I publish within the month before General Conference (five of the eight temples were on the map of 55 likely and 38 less likely locations for future temples).

The location and number of temple announcements within the past year suggests a significant shift to build temples in areas where there have historically been long-term membership in the Church regardless of the number of stakes or current/recent growth rates. For example, half of the new temples announced today have not had a new stake organized within the probable future temple district during the past decade. Also, most of the temples announced would service small Latter-day Saint populations. For example, of the eight new temples announced only three temples appear likely to service more than five stakes (Tooele Valley, Utah; Antofagasta, Chile; San Pedro Sula, Honduras). This suggests a shift to reinstituting small temples like during President Gordon B. Hinckley's presidency of the Church. Also, there remain many locations where steady growth has occurred in the past 1-2 decades, but no temples have been announced, such as Rogers, Arkansas; Benin City, Nigeria; and Santa Cruz, Bolivia to name a few. I believe we may see 5-15 new temples announced per General Conference going forward given this recent shift in temple construction.

Pago Pago Samoa Temple
The Pago Pago Samoa Temple will be the Church's first temple in the United States territory of American Samoa and second temple in the Samoan Islands. With a mere population of 51,000 according to the CIA World Factbook estimate, American Samoa is now the country/territory with the smallest population with a temple dedicated, under construction, or announced. The Church has reported steady growth in American Samoa for many years. The Church initially announced a temple in Samoa for American Samoa in 1977, but moved the location from Pago Pago to Apia, Samoa in 1980 to better meet the needs of Samoan members who were most heavily concentrated on Upolu. The population of American Samoa in 2018 was the same as it was in the early 1990s, yet Church membership increased from 12,000 to 16,390. Between 2000 and 2018, the number of stakes increased from four to five, the number of wards increased from 29 to 38, the number of branches remained unchanged (5), and the percentage of members in the population increased from 22.2% to approximately 32%. Based upon year-end 2017 membership data, American Samoa was previously the country/territory with the fourth most members without a temple. It is anticipated that the new temple will services five stakes - all of which are located in American Samoa.

Okinawa City Okinawa Temple
The Okinawa City Okinawa Temple will be the Church's fourth temple in the sovereign nation of Japan. The new temple will likely serve only one stake and one district - both of which are headquartered on Okinawa. The Church previously had two stakes in Okinawa, but closed one of the stakes (Ginowan Japan Stake - created in 1999) in 2014 and combined many of the Japanese-speaking congregations on the island. Today, the Okinawa Japan Stake (organized in 1980) has five wards and three branches. The Okinawa Japan Military District (organized in 1979) has four branches, three of which are located on Okinawa. The Church also briefly operated a mission in Okinawa between 1990 and 1996. Okinawa has a population of 1.4 million people. The announcement of the Okinawa City Okinawa Temple came as a complete surprise to me given the small size of the Church in Okinawa and the lack of growth on the island in recent years. This development suggests that the Church may announce temples in many additional, remote locations around the world where only one or two stakes operate, such as Fairbanks, Alaska; Puerto Arenas, Chile; and Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Neiafu Tonga Temple
The Neiafu Tonga Temple will be the second temple to be built in Tonga after the Nuku'alofa Tonga Temple was dedicated in 1983. The new temple is located on Vava'u and will likely service five stakes and two districts in central and northern islands of the country. The Church organized its first stake in Vava'u in 1975. Three additional stakes were organized in Vava'u in 1980, 1995, and 2017. 18.7% of the population of Vava'u identified as Latter-day Saint on the 2016 census. Church-reported membership for Tonga constitutes 60% of the population although individuals who self-identified as Latter-day Saint on the 2016 constituted only 19% of the population. Nevertheless, Latter-day Saints number among the fastest growing major churches in Tonga based on census data.

Tooele Valley Utah Temple
The Church announced its 21st temple in Utah in the Tooele Valley. The new temple will likely service the 10 stakes and one district in Tooele County, as well as the two stakes in Elko, Nevada for a total of 12 stakes and one district. The first stake in Tooele was organized in 1877. The number of stakes in the Tooele Valley has increased from six to 10 since 2000.

Moses Lake Washington Temple
The Moses Lake Washington Temple will be the Church's fourth temple in Washington. Temples have previously been dedicated in Seattle (1980), Spokane (1999), and Columbia River [located in Richland] (2001). The new temple appears likely to service only four stakes although a fifth stake may be organized in the foreseeable future from the Moses Lake Washington Stake (11 wards, 1 branch at present). Slow growth has occurred for the Church in the Moses Lake area of Washington, with the most recently organized stake in the probable future temple district being created in Ephrata in 1980. The first stake in the area likely to be serviced by the temple was organized in Moses Lake in 1954.

San Pedro Sula Honduras Temple
The San Pedro Sula Honduras Temple will be the Church's second temple in Honduras. The Church dedicated its first temple in Honduras, the Tegucigalpa Honduras Temple, in 2013. Rapid growth has occurred in northern Honduras within the past decade as evidenced by the number of stakes increasing from nine in 2010 to 15 at present. The new temple will likely service 15 stakes and one district in northern Honduras.

Antofagasta Chile Temple
The Antofagasta Chile Temple will be the Church's third temple in Chile and first temple in northern Chile. The Church has previously dedicated temples in Santiago (1983) and Concepcion (2018). The new temple will likely service seven stakes and two districts in northern Chile. Prior to the announcement, Chile was the country with the most members with only two temples dedicated, under construction, or announced.

Budapest Hungary Temple
The Budapest Hungary Temple will be the Church's first temple in Hungary and third temple in Eastern Europe (excluding former East Germany) after the Kyiv Ukraine Temple (dedicated in 2010) and the Russia Temple (announced in 2018, city yet to be announced). The new temple will likely service three stakes (one in Hungary, two in Austria) and as many as eight districts in Hungary (2), Romania (2), Croatia, Serbia, Slovakia, and Slovenia. The Church in Hungary has historically experienced some of the greatest growth for the Church in former communist Central Europe and Eastern Europe. However, the Church in Hungary nevertheless has only 5,250 members, of whom only about 1,000 regularly attend church. The new temple has good potential to help discourage Hungarian members from emigrating and strengthen the Church's sense of community.

Potential New Temples - March 2019 Edition

I have updated my temple prediction map in preparation for General Conference in April. Data used to identify likely locations for future temples include the number of stakes and districts, the number of wards and branches, age of the oldest stake, trends in church growth, distance to the nearest temple, number of endowment sessions scheduled at the nearest temple, and member and missionary reports regarding member activity, temple attendance, and convert retention.

With this most recent edition of my temple prediction map, I have added another category of potential new temples that may be announced. There are now "likely temples to be announced" and "less likely temples to be announced." I made this distinction as there are some locations that appear likely to have small temples announced given recent trends in temple announcements. Most of the less likely temples to be announced would be small temples that would service membership who live in remote areas where the Church appears capable of supporting a small temple. I have added 34 potential less-likely-to-be-announced temples to the map. I also added five additional likely new temples to be announced to the map since October 2018. These locations include:

• Angeles, Philippines
• Cape Coast, Ghana
• Heber City, Utah
• Kampala Uganda
• Pachuca, Mexico

The Church announced 19 new temples during 2018. This is the second most temples ever announced in a single year after 1998 when there were 27 new temples announced. As a result, it is unclear whether the Church will announce additional temples in the upcoming General Conference given there were so many new temples announced last year. Also, there are a large number of planned temples (22) that have yet to have groundbreakings announced. As a result, the Church may delay additional temple announcements until more planned temples begin construction. Nevertheless, the Church has had a trend of accelerating temple construction in recent years. See below for my top 10 picks for the most likely temple announcements:

• Benin City, Nigeria
• Colorado Springs, Colorado
• Freetown, Sierra Leone 
• Monrovia, Liberia
• Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
• Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
• Rogers, Arkansas 
• Santa Cruz, Bolivia
• Tacoma, Washington 
• West Valley City, Utah

Red squares on the map below are temples which are in operation, under construction, or officially announced. Yellow squares are likely potential new temples that may be announced in the near future. Blue circles are less likely potential new temples that may be announced in the near future. As part of the semi-annual tradition, your predictions for new temple announcements are appreciated and encouraged.

New Stake Created in the DR Congo; District Discontinued in South Dakota

Democratic Republic of the Congo
Last Sunday, the Church organized a new stake in the Kasai Region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo). The Mwene-Ditu Democratic Republic of the Congo Stake was organized from the Mwene-Ditu Democratic Republic of the Congo District. All seven branches in the former stake were upgraded to wards based upon reports from local church leaders. The seven wards in the new stake are the Aerodrome, Bondoyi, Matshitshi, Musadi 1st, Musadi 2nd, Mwene-Ditu, and Peage Wards. The Church organized its first official branch in Mwene-Ditu in 2008 and organized branches in the city into a district in 2014. Today, there are now five stakes and one district in the Kasai Region of the DR Congo, which is located in the central part of the country. Three new stakes appear likely to be organized in the next few years in this region due to steady growth in Kananga, Luputa, and Mbuji-Mayi. The region appears likely to have its own temple announced within the foreseeable future, especially now that the Church has locally-trained construction teams who helped construct meetinghouses and the temple in Kinshasa, and a recent emphasis to bring temples closer to areas with sizable church membership. Elder Neil L. Andersen requested members prepare for a temple in the Kasai Region during a visit in 2016. Also, the Church is currently in the process of translating the Book of Mormon into Tshiluba - the most commonly spoken native language in the Kasai Region of the DR Congo.

South Dakota
The Church discontinued the Pierre South Dakota District in January. The district was originally organized in 1979 and included 11 branches prior to its discontinuation. Five branches (Cherry Creek, Faith, Pierre, Rosebud, and White River) were transferred to the Rapid City South Dakota Stake, whereas three branches (Chamberlain, Miller, and Winner) were transferred to the Sioux Falls South Dakota State, two branches (Eagle Butte and Gettysburg) were transferred to the Bismarck North Dakota Stake, and one branch (Valentine) was transferred to the Kearney Nebraska Stake. Most branches in the district appear to have 20-50 active members albeit the Pierre Branch had 120 active members in the mid-2010s. This change will permit the largest branches, such as Pierre, to become wards in the foreseeable future. It will also reduce leadership needs for branches in the former district by having stakes meet these needs instead of district and mission leadership.

The Church has reported some of its slowest growth in the United States in South Dakota. The last time a new stake was organized in the state was back in 1979 in Sioux Falls. Church membership has increased from 7,300 in 1987 to 10,626 in 2017, whereas the number of congregations in the state has decreased from 36 to 32 during this period. Church membership as a percentage of the population as slightly increased from 1.05% to 1.21%. The Church has especially struggled with growth on Native American reservations in the state in terms of member activity and leadership development.

Potential New Temples - September 2018 Edition

I have updated my temple prediction map in preparation for General Conference in October. Data I use to identify likely locations for future temples include the number of stakes and districts, the number of wards and branches, age of the oldest stake, trends in church growth, distance to the nearest temple, number of endowment sessions scheduled at the nearest temple, and member and missionary reports regarding member activity, temple attendance, and convert retention. Fifteen new temple sites were added to the map of the most likely locations for new temples to be announced within the foreseeable future. Furthermore, I removed Culiacan, Mexico from the list due to concerns with violence in Sinaloa State and recent consolidations of LDS stakes and congregations in the area. Locations added to the map of likely new temple announcements include:

• Antananarivo, Madagascar
• Bacolod, Philippines
• Cape Town, South Africa
• Dubai, United Arab Emirates 
• Iquitos, Peru
• João Pessoa, Brazil
• Kumasi, Ghana 
• Legazpi, Philippines OR Naga, Philippines
• Mbuji-Mayi, Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Osaka, Japan
• Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
• Santa Cruz, Bolivia
• Santiago, Philippines OR Tuguegarao, Philippines 
• Tacloban City, Philippines
• Uyo, Nigeria

So many are probably asking, why so many new locations added to your prediction map? Has the Church suddenly experienced a surge in growth? The short answer to that question is "no." LDS membership and congregational growth rates in the past couple years have ranked among the slowest reported in decades. However, there have been significant improvements in member activity and participation in areas such as temple work. Furthermore, steady membership and congregational growth in many areas of the world has, after many years or decades, appeared to finally warrant the construction of new temples in many areas of the world.

Recent information I have received from a variety of sources suggests that the Church may significantly accelerate temple construction within the near future. Moreover, Church President President Russell M. Nelson has recently placed a renewed emphasis on temple worship, temple construction, and family history work. There have been many positive developments regarding temple worship and member involvement in family history work. For example, the Church has been able use only family-file names for temple ordinances since 2016 based upon comments by Apostle Elder Dale G. Renlund at the 2018 Roots Tech Leadership Session earlier this year. Several of the new sites added to the temple prediction map have not had any significant changes in LDS growth trends in recent years, but appear good candidates for small temples if the Church were to recommence in the construction of Hinckley-era temples in the late 1990s and early 2000s (e.g. 15,000 square feet or less in size). Nevertheless, the Church has reported significant growth in many of these new locations, such as Sub-Saharan Africa, during the past 5-10 years to the point that a temple may be able to be supported by church membership.

It is unclear whether the Church will announce any new temples during the coming General Conference due to many recently announced temple which have yet to begin construction. There are 19 announced temples which have yet to have groundbreakings and there have not appeared to have been any groundbreakings scheduled for the foreseeable future (although site clearing has recently occurred for the Urdaneta Philippines Temple). Additionally, it is unclear whether the Church will announce additional new temples to be built during the October 2018 General Conference primarily due to the announcement of seven temples in the April 2018 General Conference. If any announcements are made, my top 10 picks for the most likely temple announcements are as follows:

• Benin City, Nigeria 
• Freetown, Sierra Leone
• Lagos, Nigeria 
• Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
• Praia, Cape Verde 
• Puebla, Mexico
• Rogers, Arkansas 
• Salvador, Brazil 
• Tacoma, Washington
• Tarawa, Kiribati

Red squares on the map below are temples which are in operation, under construction, or officially announced. Yellow squares are potential new temples that may be announced in the near future. As part of the semi-annual tradition, your predictions for new temple announcements are appreciated and encouraged.

President Nelson's April 2018 Worldwide Tour: Analysis

The Church announced on March 23rd that President Nelson, Elder Holland, and their spouses will undertake an 11-day international tour that circumscribes the globe from April 10th-23rd. The itinerary for the trip is as follows:

• London, England (April 12th)
• Jerusalem, Israel (April 14th)
• Nairobi, Kenya (April 16th)
• Harare, Zimbabwe (April 17th)
• Bengaluru, India (April 19th)
• Bangkok, Thailand (April 20th)
• Hong Kong, China (April 21st)
• Laie/Honolulu, Hawaii (April 22nd)

I provided some observations about President Nelson's first trip as President of the Church in a recent article published by The Salt Lake Tribune. However, I also want to provide some additional analysis:

First, all but two of the eight cities on the list have temples in operation or that are announced. Three of these cities - Bangkok, Harare, and Nairobi - are located in countries where no temple currently operates but where a temple is announced. An artistic rendering for the Bangkok Thailand Temple was recently released to reveal a stunning 44,000 square foot edifice that has even surprised local Thai members given its size for a country that has only four stakes, two districts, and 21,000 members. The temple appears very large even considering it will likely serve an additional 28,000 members in other Southeast Asian countries. Reports I have received from members in Kenya and Zimbabwe suggest that these temples in these locations may begin construction in the near future. It is possible that the Church may hold temple groundbreaking ceremonies in one or more of these locations as part of the international tour. President Nelson's visit to Jerusalem appears more symbolic than functional since there are less than 300 members in Israel and the Palestinian Territories and essentially stagnant growth has occurred for many years. However, it is interesting to note that a temple once functioned in Jerusalem during Old Testament and New Testament times. President Nelson's visit to Jerusalem will be the first in 22 years for a President of the Church since President Hinckley visited Israel in 1996.

Second, an announcement of a temple for India may be likely during this weekend's General Conference or during President Nelson and Elder Holland's visit to India. The Church in India has steadily grown during the past 15 years as membership has increased from 3,428 to 13,141 and the number of congregations has increased from 21 to 44. The Church organized its first stake in India in Hyderabad in 2012 and today has four stakes and three districts. There are also more than 4,000 members and three districts in Pakistan. Currently members in South Asia travel to the Hong Kong China Temple to participate in temple ordinances. However, a future temple in India appears more likely once there is a city with at least three stakes in order to adequate meet temple ordinance worker needs. Currently there are no cities in India with more than one stake.

Third, President Nelson and Elder Holland's trip to Hong Kong may provide opportunities for leadership training and meetings with People's Republic of China (PRC) members albeit such meetings would only be permitted if they were to occur in Hong Kong given prohibitions regarding association with PRC members and foreigners in mainland China. The Church in China has grown significantly since the first branches were organized in Beijing and Shanghai for PRC members in 2004. Most have joined the Church abroad or through family connections within the confides of the law. Today there are branches and member groups in many, if not most, of the 127 cities in mainland China inhabited by one million or more inhabitants. President Nelson also possesses special ties to China and previously studied Mandarin Chinese after feeling prompted to do so at President Spencer W. Kimball's request that members of the Church learn more about the Chinese people in 1979 (click here for more information).

Fourth, President Nelson and Elder Holland's worldwide tour does not include countries with the most Latter-day Saints in Africa, Asia, Europe, or Oceania, nor does it include countries where the Church has reported the most rapid growth during the past 5-10 years. However, the tour does include the two most populous countries - China and India. Thus, emphasis on reaching the world's two most populous nations, in addition to temple building, may be an important theme that emerges from the tour.

Potential New Temples - March 2018 Edition

I have updated my temple prediction map in preparation for General Conference at the end of the month. Two new temple sites were added to the map of most likely locations for new temples to be announced within the foreseeable future: Missoula, Montana and Monrovia, Liberia. I think it is unlikely that new temples will be announced this conference as this conference will likely focus on the sustaining of Russell M. Nelson as president of the Church and the calling of two new apostles. If any announcements are made, my top 10 picks for the most likely temple announcements are as follows:

• Bengaluru, India OR Hyderabad, India, OR New Delhi, India 
• Benin City, Nigeria 
• Davao, Philippines OR Cagayan del Oro, Philippines 
• Freetown, Sierra Leone
• Lagos, Nigeria 
• Managua, Nicaragua 
• Praia, Cape Verde 
• Rogers, Arkansas 
• Salvador, Brazil 
• Tarawa, Kiribati

 As part of the semi-annual tradition, your lists of top picks are always appreciated :)

Potential New Temples - September 2017 Edition

I have updated my temple prediction map in preparation for General Conference this weekend. No new temple sites were added to the map of most likely locations for new temples to be announced within the foreseeable future. I think it is unlikely that new temples will be announced this conference since five new temples were announced last April. If any announcements are made, my top 10 picks for the most likely temple announcements are as follows:

• Auckland, New Zealand 
• Bengaluru, India OR Hyderabad, India, OR New Delhi, India
• Benin City, Nigeria
• Davao, Philippines OR Cagayan del Oro, Philippines
• Tarawa, Kiribati
• Lagos, Nigeria
• Managua, Nicaragua 
• Praia, Cape Verde
• Rogers, Arkansas
• Salvador, Brazil 

As part of the semi-annual tradition, your lists of top picks are always appreciated :) 

New Stake in Nicaragua; New District in South Africa

Nicaragua
The Church organized a new stake in Nicaragua on July 9th. The Masatepe Nicaragua Stake was organized from a division of the Jinotepe Nicaragua Stake and the Masaya Nicaragua Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards and two branches: the La Concepción, Masatepe, Monimbo, San Carlos, and San Marcos Wards, and the Diriomo and San Juan de Oriente Branches.

There are now 12 stakes and four districts in Nicaragua. With the creation of three new stakes in Nicaragua during the past 18 months, prospects for a future temple announcement in Managua appear highly likely within the near future.

South Africa
The Church organized a new district in northeastern South Africa on July 2nd. The Polokwane South Africa District was organized from a division of the Tzaneen South Africa District. The new district includes the following three branches: the Mokopane, Polokwane, and Seshego Branches. The new district was likely organized due to no realistic prospects of the Tzaneen South Africa District becoming a stake in the near future due to the relatively small size of many of the branches in the district and transportation challenges for the district to effectively administer all six branches. Furthermore, the new district may provide greater administrative support to branches in the area and prepare for the opening of additional congregations in the near future.

There are now 15 stakes and six districts in South Africa.

New Temple Prediction Map - March 2017 Edition

I have updated my temple prediction map in preparation for General Conference in April. For this edition, I removed Scotland from the list due to recent reports that the Preston England Temple has been poorly utilized by members within the temple district. Furthermore, there has been no noticeable improvements in LDS growth trends in northern England and Scotland for many years. Vienna, Austria was added to the list of locations that appear likely for a future temple announcement primarily due to the strong, developed core of LDS membership in Vienna and distance to the nearest temple in several nearby nations such as Hungary and Romania. My top 10 picks for the most likely temple announcements during next month's General Conference include:

• Auckland, New Zealand
• Belo Horizonte, Brazil 
• Brasília, Brazil
• Davao, Philippines OR Cagayan del Oro, Philippines
• Tarawa, Kiribati
• Lagos, Nigeria OR Benin City, Nigeria
• Managua, Nicaragua 
• Nairobi, Kenya
• Praia, Cape Verde
• Rogers, Arkansas

New Stakes Created in Idaho, Montana, and Nicaragua

Idaho
The Church organized a new stake in the Idaho Falls area on February 19th. The Ammon Idaho East Stake was organized from a division of the Ammon Idaho Foothills Stake and the Iona Idaho South Stake. The new stake includes the following seven wards: the Ammon 12th, Ammon 17th, Ammon 22nd, Ammon 29th, Ammon 32nd, Iona 4th, and Iona 8th Wards.

There are now 129 stakes in Idaho.

Montana
The Church organized a new stake in Montana for the first time in 20 years. The Frenchtown Montana Stake was organized on February 26th from a division of the Kalispell Montana Stake and Missoula Montana Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards and three branches: the Frenchtown, Missoula 4th, Polson, Ronan, and St Ignatius Wards, and the Plains, Superior, and Thompson Falls Branches.

There are now 12 stakes in Montana.

Nicaragua
A new stake was organized in Nicaragua on January 22nd. The Matagalpa Nicaragua Stake was organized from the Matagalpa Nicaragua District. The new stake includes the following four ward and three branches: the Guanuca, Jinotega, Matagalpa, and Totolate Wards, and the La Dalia, San Ramon, and Yaguare Branches. It is likely that one or more additional branches have advanced into wards since the organization of the new stake. Nicaragua is currently the country with the most stakes and members without a temple announced, under construction, or in operation. A temple announcement for Managua, Nicaragua appears likely within the foreseeable future. However, the Church in neighboring Honduras did not have a temple announced until there were 20 stakes in the country. Thus, it may be many more years until a temple is announced for Nicaragua, especially given that the Church in Nicaragua exhibits some of the lowest member activity rates in the world

There are now 11 stakes and four districts in Nicaragua.

New Stakes in Arizona and India; New District in Cameroon

Arizona
The Church organized a new stake in the Phoenix metropolitan area on December 11th. The Surprise Arizona West Stake was organized from a division of the Goodyear Arizona Stake and the Surprise Arizona Stake. The new stake includes the following seven wards: the Cactus Lane, Canyon Trails, Cortessa, Savannah, Verrado, Waddell, and White Tank Mountain Wards.

There are now 112 stakes in Arizona. The Church has organized 12 new stakes in Arizona during 2016 - more than any other state or nation for the year.

India
The Church created a new stake in India on December 18th. The Rajahmundry India Stake was organized from the Rajahmundry India District. All five branches in the former district appear to have become wards, namely the Dowleswaram, Kakinada, Rajahmundry 1st, Rajahmundry 2nd, and Rajahmundry 3rd Wards. Rajahmundry has experienced the most rapid LDS growth in India within recent years as the district was organized in 2011. Local members report plans to organize two additional stakes in India within the next two years, likely in New Delhi and Coimbatore.

With three stakes in operation in India, prospects appear increasingly more favorable for the announcement of a temple in India within the foreseeable future. However, a temple will be more likely to be announced once there are multiple stakes that operate within a single metropolitan area - a milestone that appears many years or perhaps a decade or two from fruition given recent LDS growth rates in most cities. Nevertheless, the Church has announced temples in nations with fewer stakes and active members, such as the Kyiv Ukraine Temple. However, LDS growth in Pakistan may favor the announcement of a temple in the coming years. The three LDS districts in Pakistan number among the most self-sufficient in Asia and appear likely to become stakes in the next decade.

There are now three stakes and four districts in India.

Cameroon
The Church organized its second district in the African nation of Cameroon on December 18th. The long-awaited Douala Cameroon District was organized with five branches - four of which previously reported directly to the Republic of Congo Brazzaville Mission. Branches assigned to the new district include the Bonaberi 1st, Bonaberi 2nd, Douala, New Bell, and Village Branches.

The organization of a new mission headquartered in Cameroon appears highly likely given distance from mission headquarters in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo; a sizable population in Cameroon of 24.4 million people; and rapid congregational growth in Douala and Yaounde within recent years. Furthermore, a mission in Cameroon could also assist in the expansion of the Church in neighboring countries with a minimal LDS presence, such as Central African Republic (only one branch) and Gabon (only two branches). A future mission in Cameroon may also be instrumental in the establishment of the Church in nearby nations without an LDS presence - such as Chad and Equatorial Guinea.

There are now two districts and 13 branches in Cameroon.

New Temple Prediction Map - September 2016 Edition

I have updated my temple prediction map in preparation for General Conference in October. No new locations have been added to the new temple prediction map since the last update in March 2016. My top 10 picks for the most likely temple announcements during next month's General Conference include:

• Auckland, New Zealand
• Belo Horizonte, Brazil 
• Brasília, Brazil
• Davao, Philippines OR Cagayan del Oro, Philippines
• Guam OR Tarawa, Kiribati
• Lagos, Nigeria OR Benin City, Nigeria
• Managua, Nicaragua 
• Praia, Cape Verde
• Puebla, Mexico
• Rogers, Arkansas

New Temple Prediction Map - March 2016 Edition

I have updated my temple prediction map in preparation for General Conference in early April. One potential new temple location was added to the map: Freetown, Sierra Leone. The Church recently organized several new congregations in Sierra Leone, including a tenth ward in the Freetown Sierra Leone Stake. Districts in the Freetown and Bo areas also appear likely to become stakes in the near future. Districts in neighboring Liberia also appear likely to become stakes in the next couple years.

My top 10 picks for the most likely temple announcements during the April General Conference are as follows:

• Belém, Brazil
• Belo Horizonte, Brazil 
• Brasília, Brazil
• Davao, Philippines
• Guam OR Tarawa, Kiribati
• Harare, Zimbabwe
• Lagos, Nigeria
• Managua, Nicaragua
• Puebla, Mexico
• Rogers, Arkansas

New Stakes Created in Brazil, Guatemala, and Texas; New District Created in Kiribati; District Discontinued in Colombia

Brazil
The Church organized a new stake in Goias State, Brazil on January 31st. The Rio Verde Brazil Stake was organized from the Rio Verde Brazil District and the Brazil Goiana Mission. The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Bandeirantes, Itumbiara, Jataí, Morada do Sol, and Rio Verde Wards and the Popular Branch. The original Rio Verde Brazil District was organized in 1997. There are now six stakes in Goias State.

There are now 258 stakes and 38 districts in Brazil.

Guatemala
The Church organized a new stake in the Guatemala City metropolitan area on January 21st. The Linda Vista Guatemala Stake was organized from a division of the Amatitlán Guatemala Stake and the Villa Nueva Guatemala Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards: the Alamedas, Eterna Primavera, Linda Vista, Naciones, and Sonora Ward. There are now 21 stakes in the Guatemala City metropolitan area.

There are now 45 stakes and 16 districts in Guatemala.

Texas
The Church organized a new stake in the Dallas area on February 7th. The Irving Texas Stake was organized from a division of the Dallas Texas Stake and the Carrollton Texas Stakes. The new stake includes the following six wards: the Dallas 6th, Grand Prairie 1st, Grand Prairie 2nd, Irving, Pioneer (Spanish), and Shady Grove (Spanish) Wards. There are now 19 stakes in the Dallas metropolitan area.

There are now 68 stakes and three districts in Texas.

Kiribati
The Church organized a second district in the Micronesian nation of Kiribati. The Tarawa Kiribati North District was organized from a division of the Tarawa Kiribati East Stake. There are six branches in the new district: the Abaokoro, Abatoa, Buota, Tearinibai, Temaiku 1st, and Temaiku 2nd Branches - two of which were organized since the beginning of the year. Senior missionaries serving on Tarawa have reported over the past year or two plans to organize the district in an effort to ultimately establish a third stake on Tarawa Atoll. Significant progress has been noted on North Tarawa Atoll and this progress has played a vital role in the establishment of the new district.

The Church in Kiribati has good promise for a temple one day to service the Micronesian subregion of Oceania. Church-reported membership accounts for approximately 16% of the national population - a remarkable feat since no LDS presence operated on the islands prior to 1975. The most rapid growth in Kiribati within the past decade has occurred on remote Kiritmati (Christmas) Island where a district was established in 2014. The Marshall Islands Majuro Mission, organized in 2006, has aggressively opened several previously unreached islands in Kiribati during the past five years. Some islands have had as many as three member groups established such as Nonouti Island. However, the Church in Kiribati experiences one of the lowest member activity rates in Oceania. The average ward or branch has 646 members on its rolls - significantly more than the approximately 50-150 active members in most congregations.

Colombia
The Church recently discontinued the Barrancabermeja Colombia District. All three branches in the former district have been reassigned to the Colombia Bogota North Mission. The district was likely discontinued due to no realistic prospects for the district to organize additional branches and become a stake within the foreseeable future. A shortage of local leadership manpower may have also influenced this decision.

New Temple Prediction Map - September 2015 Edition

I have updated my temple prediction map in preparation for General Conference in early October. One potential new temple location was added to the map: Tooele, Utah. I believe we will likely see three to five new temples announced during the upcoming conference for the following reasons:

• President Monson's announcement during the April 2015 conference that temple announcements will resume during future General Conferences. A hiatus on temple announcements occurred from April 2013 to April 2015.
• Four temples have been dedicated since April, namely the Córdoba Argentina Temple, Payson Utah Temple, Trujillo Peru Temple, and the Indianapolis Indiana Temple.
• Groundbreakings for two temples have occurred since last April (Star Valley Wyoming Temple and Cedar City Utah Temple)
• Two additional groundbreakings have been scheduled (Concepción Chile Temple and Tuscon Arizona Temple)

My top 10 picks for the most likely temple announcements during the October General Conference are as follows:

• Belém, Brazil
• Belo Horizonte, Brazil 
• Brasília, Brazil
• Davao, Philippines
• Guam OR Tarawa, Kiribati
• Harare, Zimbabwe
• Layton, Utah
• Managua, Nicaragua
• Puebla, Mexico
• Rogers, Arkansas

New Stakes Created in Brazil and Nigeria

Brazil
The Church organized two new stakes in Brazil.

The Betim Brazil Stake was organized from the Divinópolis Brazil District and the Contagem Brazil Stake on June 7th. Three wards from the Contagem were included in the new stake (Betim 1st, Betim 2nd, and Jardim das Alterosas). It is unclear which of the four branches in the former Divinópolis Brazil District have become wards. The Divinópolis Brazil District was organized in 2013. The Betim Brazil Stake is the Church's sixth stake in the Belo Horizonte metropolitan area. Prospects appear favorable for a future temple announcement for Belo Horizonte in the near future.

The Valparaíso Brazil Stake was organized from a division of the Brasília Brazil Alvorada Stake on June 14th. The new stake includes the following six wards: the Jardim Ingá, Lago Azul, Novo Gama, Ocidental, Valparaíso 1st, and Valparaíso 2nd Wards. There are now six stakes and one district in the Brasília metropolitan area. Prospects appear favorable for a future temple announcement for Brasília in the near future.

There are now 255 stakes and 37 districts in Brazil.

Nigeria
The Church organized a new stake in Nigeria on June 14th. The Abak Nigeria Stake was organized from the Abak Nigeria District. It is unclear which of the eight branches in the former district were organized into wards. The Church originally organized the Abak Nigeria District in 2010 from a division of the Uyo Nigeria Stake.

There are now 28 stakes and 19 districts in Nigeria.

New Temple Prediction Map - March 2015 Edition

With General Conference only a couple weeks away, I have updated my temple prediction map. This most recent iteration of the map includes two additional sites for temples that may be likely to be announced within the near future, namely Lagos, Nigeria and Lubumbashi, DR Congo. A couple of the potential locations for new temples have also been adjusted (i.e. Cagayan de Oro, Philippines changed to Davao, Philippines). There have been some noteworthy LDS growth developments within the past six months that may contribute to a decision by the Church to announce temples in the 48 potential locations identified in this map (i.e. the maturation of many districts into stakes, accelerated congregational growth in many areas of the world). Also, I have included temples that are announced, under construction, or in operation in this most recent version of the temple prediction map.

And lastly, here's my top 10 picks for new temples that may be announced in April 2015:

• Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire 
• Bangkok, Thailand OR Phnom Penh, Cambodia
• Belo Horizonte, Brazil
• Davao, Philippines
• Guam OR Tarawa, Kiribati
• Harare, Zimbabwe
• Layton, Utah
• Managua, Nicaragua
• Puebla, Mexico
• Rogers, Arkansas

New District Created in Cape Verde

The Church organized a new district in Cape Verde on January 25th. The Assomada Cape Verde District was organized from a division of the Praia Cape Verde Stake and includes the following six branches: the Assomada 1st, Assomada 2nd, Calheta, Chão Bom, Ribeirão Manuel, and Tarrafal Branches. The Church has experienced rapid growth on the island of Santiago where the Praia Cape Verde Stake operates as evidenced by the number of congregations increasing from six in early 2012 to 15 at present. Missionaries have noted some leadership and administration challenges in the outlying units of the former boundaries of the Praia Cape Verde Stake. The organization of the Assomada Cape Verde District has appeared to help reduce the administrative burden of the large Praia Cape Verde Stake and provide greater mission president supervision of congregations outside Praia. Missionaries also reported that General Authorities have indicated that the Church in Cape Verde will become a good candidate to have a temple announced once there are at least five stakes. Currently there are three stakes and two districts.