Click here to access the updated Reaching the Nations country profile for Grenada. The Church currently has one branch and one member group. Here is the Future Prospects section of this country report:
Sustained increases in the number of active members, improvements in leadership development, and efforts to expand missionary operations into additional areas outside of St. George’s are welcome developments in Grenada, which in the past has experienced low member activity and inadequate numbers of active members to fill leadership positions. Sustained growth will be most clearly measured by the creation of additional branches in the coming years as active membership grows too large to be administered by one congregation. Youth regularly preparing and serving full-time missions and remaining in Grenada will add greater stability and promote long-term growth. There is a need for greater local Grenadian member and leader involvement in the expansion of the Church into additional areas of the country. The Grenville Group may become a branch once there is adequate local leadership to staff essential callings. A district may be organized once there are at least three branches in Grenada.
Is there a link there?
ReplyDeleteSorry - forgot to include it. It is there now. BTW, we are upgrading the www.cumorah.com website, so you will notice some changes and maybe a few glitches as the updates are being implemented.
ReplyDeleteOh, I remember now in my papers I wrote about Chile and Brazil I cited from Cumorah.com. It has been around since 2001 or before, right?
ReplyDeletePart of the structure of the study was to break down where each set of 10 stakes were created in both countries, up to 60.
Chile seemed to be growing like wildfire until it hit the wall[s] in 2000 or so. Brazil keeps going.
People like me were hoping Chile would be the Latino equivalent of Tonga; a country that simply becomes Latter-day Saint, Church of Jesus Christ.
I have wondered recently how many more we might have retained had we heated the buildings better in the winter months. Sounds small to many but those were some of the coldest winters. I got sick the first one and missed a month of service, allowing a once failed/early returnee missionary to come back into our mission. I don't mean he was a failure, but his mission to Antofogasta was by most definitions was a failure. Getting bailed out of jail by your mission president is usually a sign of lack of success.
But credit to Milton, he tried again in Concepcion! Dedicated member but issues can make full time service tricky.
More than forty years ago, Elder Bruce R. McConkie said, "I foresee the day when The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will be the most powerful influence in this nation [Chile]." That was a pretty bold claim, and little more warranted by the state of the Church in Chile then than it is now. It better be a prophecy, not an opinion.
ReplyDeleteSt. George Temple is closing in November for major renovation with expected completion in 2022.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/st--george-temple-closing-november-4--2019
Hey, Eduardo! I had a thought on your statement to the effect that being bailed out of jail by your mission president is never a good sign. As I mentioned in the thread on this blog for Bulgaria, one young man from my parent's ward served his mission there, and was unjustly incarcerated for a crime he did not commit, having been falsely accused by the corrupt government of that nation. It was only through the tireless and unyielding efforts of his mission president, along with the intervention of the congressional delegation from Utah at that time, that he was released. Of course, that is the exception rather than the rule, but I thought that would be helpful to mention. I really admire and respect all missionaries and those who oversee their work. In that regard, a recent Church News article shared how the seminar for new MTC leadership (the president and his wife) included for the first time the directors of operations for those facilities. Also a first: Elder Uchtdorf was asked by the First Presidency to preside at and direct that seminar. So that is a testament to how much the Brethren trust Elder Uchtdorf.
ReplyDeleteJust a couple of other things. I have confirmed that the Bangkok Thailand Temple had a groundbreaking at around 8:00 PM this evening, with the official report following soon. Additionally, with my thanks to Matt for this report (which was, as always, insightful and gave me much to think about) and for continuing to allow me to do so, I would like to again share a link to my blog, on which I have covered a lot of important developments in the recent past.
http://stokessoundsoff.blogspot.com
Totally true James, there are missionaries unjustly jailed and persecuted, like Nephi and Lehi in the Book of Moemon. In the case of Milton, he brought the arrest upon himself because of assault. I realize many or most missionaries could get in legal trouble simply because of their religious status. Thanks for bring up that very salient point. Of all our missionaries, that wiuld be the more normal scenario.
ReplyDeletePardon the mispellings.
ReplyDeleteAny thoughts on Grenada? I think it should get more missionaries and units from what I see. Big enough to create a district or stake, for sure.
Any thoughts on when thw last U.S. states without temples will get some? Where in Wisconsin would it be appropriate?
Temple in Wisconsin? I would say somewhere near Green Bay. It would serve at least four stakes and potentially six. This area is also the farthest to the existing temples.
ReplyDeleteI can see this happening. Wife and I went to the St Paul Temple this morning- it was packed. Adding a temple in Wisconsin would take a couple stakes away from the St Paul Temple district which would be a good thing.
DeleteGroundbreaking has been held for the Bangkok Thailand Temple. Here is an article about it from the Hong Kong Newsroom:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.mormonnewsroom.hk/eng/article/church-leaders-break-ground-for-temple-in-bangkok
One of my older brothers and his family lived in Wisconsin for many years (Madison area). During their time there, the ward they were in grew large enough that it needed to be split. I was able to attend church with them a time or two when out visiting. I believe the Madison stake is quite large, in terms of units. I guess maybe with that connection, I am guessing Madison as the place for Wisconsin's first temple when the time comes. On the temple map I created a while ago, I placed a dot for Madison as a potential future temple but also listed Milwaukee as a possibility. Green Bay is also an interesting choice, and I can see that in terms of distance.
ReplyDeleteToday was reported new District in Nigeria :
ReplyDeleteGboko Nigeria District - 2130300
https://classic.lds.org/maps/#ll=7.336842,9.001842&z=8&m=google.road&layers=stakecenter&q=Gboko%20Nigeria&x=find&find=stake:2130300
Top 10 populous countries in the world: I just realized that Mexico has a higher population than Japan. Despite the highest homicide rate ever. Japan must have one of the lowest violent death rates in the workd but not enough babies.
ReplyDeleteOthers without a temple or announced temple: Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh.
Jakarta should get one soon. The subcontinent will have one in southern India imminently.
China has one in Hongkong. One day multiple temples will dot China and India.
Java should have at least two, then Sumatra and Borneo and other Indonesian islands to the east. Papua New Guinea first.
The world is getting ready. Stay faithful.
I think that the last gaps for states without temples in the U.S. will be closed in the coming 5 to 10 years, perhaps with the exception of South Dakota and Rhode Island. In my book, Arkansas, Wisconsin and Iowa have the best chances of a temple announcement in the immediate future.
ReplyDeleteI'm also wondering if the streak of temple announcements in the Intermountain West may slow down overall in the next couple of years, as temples have been built steadily but active membership doesn't seem to be increasing by a lot. That said, a number of small temples in rural areas of Utah is just as likely, but I think it will be a few years until another large temple (with 30+ stakes in its district) is built in Utah.
On Grenada, I was surprised to read that 10 missionaries are serving in the only branch, while most other parishes receive little or no outreach. Assign one companionship to each of them, hold some home study groups with isolated members and investigators, and watch the miracles happen. I wish there was enough courage to do this, rather than stockpiling missionaries all in the same branch.
Thought of my last converts in Coihueco, Chile today. Luis Neira, Juan Fuentes, Francisco Valenzuela, and Domingo Lara. Plus Elizabeth. Prayers to them!
ReplyDeleteTo Venezuelans everywhere...
Eduardo, my thanks for your thanks. When I recently reassessed my personal list of temples that seem most likely to be announced, the revisions resulted in the inclusion of several states getting their first temples. I know that when I originally offered my thoughts about temples, talk of Wisconsin had me convinced that its' first temple would be most likely built in either Madison or Milwaukee. But then, as often is the case, the subsequent comments led me to reevaluate that assessment. One of those comments focused on the idea that Green Bay would be the more favorable location for the first Wisconsin temple. And my subsequent study on the three verified that opinion. As I understand it, the Church has held in reserve several plots of land for future temples, and some are held on to for a decade or longer before any formal announcement is made. I know that was the case with the Pocatello Idaho Temple, and also with the Managua Nicaragua and Richmond Virginia Temples (though in the case of the latter, if the land held in reserve is used for that temple, the Church only acquired it three years ago, rather than holding any land in reserve for longer than that). Other recent examples are Puebla Mexico and Auckland New Zealand.
ReplyDeleteIn relation to some of those locations, I have not personally verified the acquisition of land, but I take in good faith the reports I have heard from others in-the-know about that. I also understand that the site locations for both of the temples announced for Argentina last year were confirmed not long after their announcement, as was similarly the case with the Brasilia Brazil and Greater Manila Philippines Temples.
That said, I have not personally confirmed the land-in-reserve declaration of other temples which have been or could yet be announced, but I trust others with knowledge about the situation in their homelands or areas with which they are familiar. The report on land in Green Bay Wisconsin is shaky at best, but the processs of studying such things is ongoing for me.
And in that regard, I wanted to note here particularly that I have recently posted my latest list of what I feel are the most likely cities for which a temple may be announced in April. That list is annotated thoroughly, so the extensive nature of that list (and its' notes) may not be interesting to any who prefer concise content, but for any interested in looking over that list and my thoughts on the locations on it, I share the address below where those can be found:
ReplyDeletehttp://stokessoundsoff.blogspot.com/2019/01/list-of-potential-locations-which-could.html
Before I submit this comment, I wanted to provide one more general note on the list as it now stands: I am convinced that there are literally thousands of locations which are deserving of a temple, and which will get one of their own at some point. But due to the limits on my personal ability to analyze every possible prospect in the near future, the list as it now stands contains only those locations which I feel are most imminently likely to be announced this April. Also, although the United States is starting to recover from its' state of stagnant Church growth, since there are still issues in that regard at present (which may be part of the reason behind why area presidencies were reestablished for North America last August), I have made a personal choice in relation to United States prospects to list one per state, with the exception of Utah and other states which fall within the "Mormon corridor." If we are entering an unprecedented era of new temple announcements, locations in the US will play into that. But given that only 6 (or 7, if Puerto Rico's status as a US territory is considered) of the 24 temples announced between January 2017 and the end of last year will be built for the United States, I did have to place a limit of some kind on how extensive the list of my US prospects became.
And if any of you who go over that list have any questions for me at all, I would be happy to address them here or on my blog. I look forward to discussing that list further with all who are interested in doing so.
I think that the most likely next state to have a temple announced is Arkansas. I have to admit I think Wisconsin has a better chance than Iowa. Iowa has temples within about 5 miles on both the east and west end.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if Kansas might get a temple soon. Are there enough members in and around Wichita to justify a temple?
Maybe another way to look at it is which metro-areas have the most members and no temple. I am thinking we can find some potential temple cites in Texas by that analyssis.
Is Olathe in Kansas, even though most of Kansas City is on the Missouri side? That would be that state...
ReplyDeleteAhh, it is in Missouri! Border temples are tricky. Nauvoo is so close to Iowa that I think that has slowed down Iowa Prospects. However, it looks as though temples are on the upswing across the board, domestically and interationally.
ReplyDeleteI am curious to know how often regular posters on this site have been attending temples.
My temple has been closed so it is hard to attend.
I try to attend once or twice a month. Ogden is my temple.
ReplyDeleteI usually help out the youth with their baptism trip, then do some family names later or earlier in the month.
My temple has been closed too, but I still try to go a couple times a year to the Netherlands. Going on weekends without an official group is difficult because the sessions are usually full, and the trip is too long to make during the week. Otherwise I could maybe go every other month, as well.
ReplyDeleteUnknown, my study on the merits of Kansas getting a temple seem to indicate that prospect may be more imminent than some people might believe, but may perhaps not be as much of a priority as other locations. When one is announced, my research shows Wichita is the most likely location in which such a temple will probably be built.
ReplyDeleteEduardo, as to your question on temples, my wife and I currently fall within the boundaries of the Provo Utah Temple. Unfortunately, even though I faithfully worked at the Mount Timpanogos Utah Temple for a six-year period, my health and the health of my wife has not allowed us to attend the temple for the last couple of years. But we have tried our best to maintain a valid recommend, and getting back to frequent attendance is something we certainly look forward to in the near future, pending the resolution of our health issues.
I have a goal to go to the temple with my wife every other week. The last week ebd I tried to go all sessions were full when I called.
ReplyDeleteThat temple (Detroit) sits on a three-acre site, I have not seen the layout as compared to the three acres though. I do not know if they will expand things or not, typically the small ones had two 25-seat endowment rooms.
ReplyDelete