tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post6542757665684902085..comments2024-03-28T14:28:25.157-06:00Comments on Growth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church): Top Ten Encouraging and Discouraging LDS Growth Developments in 2016Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16030323360917985701noreply@blogger.comBlogger180125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-851559129847078682020-05-26T17:47:46.423-06:002020-05-26T17:47:46.423-06:00Wow is good to be back with my ex again, thank you...Wow is good to be back with my ex again, thank you Dr Ekpen for the help, I just want to let you know that is reading this post in case you are having issues with your lover and is leading to divorce and you don’t want the divorce, Dr Ekpen is the answer to your problem. Or you are already divorce and you still want him/her contact Dr Ekpen the spell caster now on (ekpentemple@gmail.com) and you will be glad you did <br />Benhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00621502533081606467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-32549629361190738492019-06-18T05:05:24.391-06:002019-06-18T05:05:24.391-06:00My husband left me last year after 25 years of mar...My husband left me last year after 25 years of marriage (he turned 50). It has been the most difficult year of my life, but full of lessons about myself and what life and marriage are all about. I am passionate about marriage and i didn't give up on my husband. resides in USA, I entered online in search of advice on how i can amend my marriage while i was at work. I saw so many positive reviews and nice feed back about how a Doctor called Robinson.buckler@yahoo.com has been wonderful with his work. I gave a shot to make contact with him via his Email and he assured me that my marriage will be peaceful and i believed in his words. 16 hours after he finished work, my husband came back home pleading and now, we are living peacefully again. Get in contact with him if you need any help. he is the real dealMelissa hoganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13204150220323402862noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-45560119398067240772018-09-04T00:04:28.103-06:002018-09-04T00:04:28.103-06:00Faustino López, now an emeritus area 70.Faustino López, now an emeritus area 70.El. Álvarezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00193348558388590257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-50754950804335999562017-12-16T19:01:14.875-07:002017-12-16T19:01:14.875-07:00Hi
This guy has been making money online, everyd...Hi <br /><br />This guy has been making money online, everyday for more than 10 years now.<br /><br />And he has been quietly keeping his highly profitable "secret web page" to make money online on auto-pilot.<br /><br />But right now...<br /><br />He's going to let you clone his "secret web page" and his entire marketing system:<br /><br />==> <strong><a href="http://ebooks.4career.net/learn-how-to-make-money-online/" rel="nofollow"> A Highly Profitable Secret Web Page (only for your eyes)</a></strong><br /><br />It'll take you less than 10 minutes to get started and you'll be in business!<br /><br />Talk soon.<br /><br />(Ana)<br /><br />P.S. Check this out to really believe it:<br /><br />==> <strong><a href="http://ebooks.4career.net/learn-how-to-make-money-online/" rel="nofollow">More than 100 ordinary people made money online...</a></strong><br /><br /><br />Mr QiXhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04665013115727467613noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-76424272978063881782017-02-23T20:34:02.875-07:002017-02-23T20:34:02.875-07:00I am loathe to say this, but will anyway--low memb...I am loathe to say this, but will anyway--low member participation in missionary work might be attributable to a few factors, although it would be difficult to study these objectively; but they might serve as "research questions" for those far better skilled than I:<br /><br />1. Some members of the church, notably returned missionaries who served faithfully, might recall the pressure they were under to baptize to make the numbers instead of baptizing souls. I know a good number who feel that things have not changed and they would rather not participate in something that focuses on numbers and not quality;<br /><br />2. Others may feel that the member-missionary campaigns have been stale and there still exists a lack of enthusiasm by most concerned.;<br /><br />3. Members are simply not as willing to talk religion with work partners or in public, particularly in an age when anything that the public does not approve of is some kind of "-ism" fated to derision and anti-LDS discrimination;<br /><br />4. Along the lines of (1) above, I am certain there are a fair number of LDS who are concerned that their friends and associates might fall victim to the "numbers game," and would rather not have 18 t0 22 year olds, interested in making their numbers, teach them.<br /><br />In the US at least (and as a matter of open disclosure, I agree with them), there is an increased sense of cynicism that church's missionary leadership cares more about aggregate numbers than individual conversions, and would rather not participate. <br /><br />For what it's worth--I am not a detractor or apostate of any kind, but this is what I have heard and/or observed....Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16392417400519884864noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-18866100171053671062017-01-20T02:11:00.332-07:002017-01-20T02:11:00.332-07:00I posted about that very announcement on my own bl...I posted about that very announcement on my own blog just a little while ago. It is exciting to have the groundbreaking officially confirmed. It is interesting that the listing for the Rio temple on the LDS Church Temples site references the fact that the groundbreaking will be presided over by Brazil Area President Elder Claudio R. M. Costa, while the official newsroom release does not specify this. It is also interesting to me (and I noted this on my blog) how assignments to preside at a groundbreaking sometimes change. When the groundbreaking for the Winnipeg Manitoba Temple was announced, the official news release from the Church stated that Elder Ulisses Soares of the Presidency of the Seventy would preside there, accompanied by Elder Larry Y. Wilson, Executive Director of the Church's Temple Department. However, it was Elder Wilson who actual presided at that groundbreaking. Similarly, I believe that when the Church originally announced the groundbreaking ceremony for the Tucson Arizona Temple, they had initially assigned Senior President of the Seventy Elder Ronald A. Rasband to preside there. Obviously, with the call to serve in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, the Church felt that he needed time to adjust to his new role prior to representing the Church at such an event. So President Uchtdorf was sent instead. My point is that while the Church has specified in the past who would preside at a temple groundbreaking, that may be subject to change due to extenuating circumstances. That said, Elder Costa seems to be a lock on presiding at this groundbreaking as announced. And that will be a very good thing. Elder Costa is the senior General Authority Seventy in terms of tenure length. His experience as a Seventy is very widespread. In August of this year, he will have served for six years as the Brazil Area President. Six years without a change in assignment is almost unheard of for a General Authority Seventy, so this year might see a change there. Those are just my thoughts on the confirmation of the Rio groundbreaking. It is so wonderful to have that verified now!James G. Stokeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13331619300918542708noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-2888338544334313922017-01-19T18:21:27.890-07:002017-01-19T18:21:27.890-07:00
Rio Temple groundbreaking officially announced to...<br />Rio Temple groundbreaking officially announced today.<br /><br />http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/%C2%A0groundbreaking-announced-for-the-rio-de-janeiro-brazil-templeJohnathan Reese Whitinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05271748150823074792noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-7588046613842133062017-01-17T18:51:26.562-07:002017-01-17T18:51:26.562-07:00There had been a Pontiac congregation, but yes it ...There had been a Pontiac congregation, but yes it didn't exist again until your stated date, and the rest about the modern unit is also true.James Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12831340842937216806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-85486827582831822122017-01-17T13:44:20.908-07:002017-01-17T13:44:20.908-07:00Interesting insights regarding Church growth and d...Interesting insights regarding Church growth and developments in Michigan. I feel that I've learned a lot personally from this information. I am surprised by how many people who comment on this blog have ties of one sort or another to Michigan. Speaking personally, I would love to see Michigan get another temple in the not-too-distant future, and I do believe we will see it happen sooner rather than later. However, in the same breath, I will admit that I do not see that happening for at least the next several years. I would love nothing more than to be proven wrong on this point. I'm sure, given all I've heard, that the Saints in Michigan would greatly benefit from another temple. Thanks to you all for sharing this information. I love keeping an eye on Church growth and unit developments, and now that I know growth is possible in Michigan very soon, I will redouble my efforts to keep track of that.<br /><br />James Anderson, thanks to you also for what you shared regarding the Cedar City temple. Because of my personal love for and life experiences relating to the temple, to say nothing of all I post regarding that subject in my comments here and on my own blog, I am always interested in hearing more regarding the level of activity that prevails in other temples. Could a third temple be built at some point in the area covered now by the St. George Temple and that will be covered by the Cedar City temple? I certainly wouldn't rule it out. But there are many other potential locations in Utah that might benefit more from temples in those cities, especially since we don't know yet what impact the Cedar City temple will have in terms of temple attendance. It might happen in the future, but doesn't, in my opinion, seem as likely as other temple sites in Utah that have been mentioned. I welcome any disagreement on this point, but those are my thoughts and feelings in this regard, for what that may be worth. Thanks again, everyone!James G. Stokeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13331619300918542708noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-15155741216375389432017-01-16T17:49:03.064-07:002017-01-16T17:49:03.064-07:00Actually Pontiac Branch was divided 3 ways into Cl...Actually Pontiac Branch was divided 3 ways into Clarkston, Rochester and Lake Orion Wards. It was discontinued earlier than the last 7 years, probably 10 or more years ago, so it didn't get in my count. To say it was related to the work of Hyrum Smith and John Murdock is not sustainable. When a branch was formed in Ann Arbor in the 1890s it was the only LDS unit in Michigan. The Pontiac Branch existed by the 1930s, but just can't be dated continuously back to the 1830s.John Pack Lamberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05086707132348039415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-88133228949300507142017-01-16T16:08:26.203-07:002017-01-16T16:08:26.203-07:00One of the discontined units was related to one fo...One of the discontined units was related to one formed after an early church leader went through and among other things prophesied that even the churchdeacon would be baptized. That happened and about 70 others joined too. It was last known as the Pontiac branch and I don't know if it was ever a ward. One location they had is now a Assembly of God church, I think it is on or close to what we now know as Wide Track Drive. When it was discontinued, it was folded into the /rochester Ward and they meet in a building just west of Rochester, but not as far west as Squirrel Road.James Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12831340842937216806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-20229612342699873382017-01-16T15:19:50.823-07:002017-01-16T15:19:50.823-07:00That sounds like 4 wards at best, pushing it a lot...That sounds like 4 wards at best, pushing it a lot to get 5 which is the minimum for a stake. And 5 sounds like it would leave things extremely thin.<br /><br />I have heard people propose a temple could be built by theinstitute building in East Lansing.<br /><br />Here in the Detroit Mission boundaries 5 wards and 3 branches were discontinued all around 4 to 6 years ago and nothing new has been formed since. My home ward and the ward my sister is in are probably the closest to splitting. Ann Arbor might also be able to suuport an additional ward.John Pack Lamberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05086707132348039415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-57190518604235070842017-01-16T15:18:29.167-07:002017-01-16T15:18:29.167-07:00That sounds like 4 wards at best, pushing it a lot...That sounds like 4 wards at best, pushing it a lot to get 5 which is the minimum for a stake. And 5 sounds like it would leave things extremely thin.<br /><br />I have heard people propose a temple could be built by theinstitute building in East Lansing.<br /><br />Here in the Detroit Mission boundaries 5 wards and 3 branches were discontinued all around 4 to 6 years ago and nothing new has been formed since. My home ward and the ward my sister is in are probably the closest to splitting. Ann Arbor might also be able to suuport an additional ward.John Pack Lamberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05086707132348039415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-54642373817526742632017-01-16T14:17:17.179-07:002017-01-16T14:17:17.179-07:00The Cedar City Temple will make a difference but o...The Cedar City Temple will make a difference but only really in terms of endowment and sealing work moving partly over when done. Got a report yesterday that recently someone went one weekday afternoon and the baptistry workers were just about to flip out because so many had shown up after school to do some. St. George has a metro population of 152K while Cedar City may have up to a third that but it is growing too so could a third temple in the region be all that far off?James Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12831340842937216806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-38986594102005986942017-01-16T10:34:39.937-07:002017-01-16T10:34:39.937-07:00I served in the Lansing Michigan mission, which ba...I served in the Lansing Michigan mission, which basically covers the whole state outside of Detroit. While a temple would be an incredible blessing to the saints there, I can't see it happening any time soon. Over the last ten years the church has actually shrunk there as people moved to better economic situations for work. Western Michigan is doing much better and it is starting to grow again in some areas, but they are still a long ways from a temple. Before the Detroit Temple was built, there was a proposed temple site in Ada, a small and wealthy area outside of Grand Rapids, that was offered to be donated to the church, but they went with Detroit (in Bloomfield Hills) instead. <br /><br />I'm looking forward to the progression of the Traverse City District into a Stake. I don't think it will be too long now. They moved a branch from the Midland Stake into the District not too long ago, probably to get it closer to Stake status. I think the main hold up is having enough wards. Traverse City could probably become two small wards, or at least give some members to the Kalkaska branch and make two wards between them. Other than that, the Petoskey branch is large enough to become a good ward in the summer, but is a seasonal area, where people leave in the winter and leave the branch pretty small which might cause problems should they want to make a ward. Cadillac and Gaylord are probably on the threshold of being able to become wards. Last I heard, they get between 70-90 people at church each week. Alpena, Houghton Lake, and Sault Ste Marie are all too small to become wards, but there has been decent progress since I left as I can see. I am a part of the Alpena Branch Facebook group and there seems to be lots of new faces and some youth actually, whereas when I was there, it was rare to get 30 at church and there were no youth at all and only 2 primary kids. There is also a small group operating in the cheboygan/ Rogers city part of the district.David Toddhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16633681311966766482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-8981833219938426642017-01-15T20:36:38.506-07:002017-01-15T20:36:38.506-07:00This conversation continues to be inspirational, e...This conversation continues to be inspirational, enlightening, and informative. Thanks to all for the continuing insights. Michigan is one state I am watching for signs of Church growth sufficient to warrant a future temple. I think it could happen within my lifetime, if not within the foreseeable future. No city, state, nation, or country can, in my mind, be ruled out as a candidate for a future temple. And that is especially true for Michigan. I would love to see it happen at any time. For now, based on what little I know about the growth there, I don't see it as an imminent near-future possibility. Those are my thoughts. I welcome any disagreement. Thanks, as always, for this grat ongoing discussion.James G. Stokeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13331619300918542708noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-26597028005837911642017-01-15T18:46:35.227-07:002017-01-15T18:46:35.227-07:00Detroit sits on three acres of spare property next...Detroit sits on three acres of spare property next to the stake center on <br />Detroit sits on three acres of spare property that was purchased with the lot that George Romney helped procure in the early 50s but didn't fully utilize for the stake center there, <br /><br />Joseph Smith is said to have traveled the road by it that we now know as Woodward Ave. (M-1). President Hinckley made mention of the fact at the dedication. One of the Macks apparently was involved in building the original trail at some point, and we still have Mack trucks on the road from that same family, one of them ran a gristmill near Rochester.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />woodward, and anecdotal evidenc James Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12831340842937216806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-41681364063748433672017-01-15T17:26:43.811-07:002017-01-15T17:26:43.811-07:00Today I went to the other ward that meetsin the sa...Today I went to the other ward that meetsin the same building as my home ward. The closing prayer was given by a recent convert originally from China. I also met a man who was visiting because he had come from France on a business trip.John Pack Lamberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05086707132348039415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-7985584885978456412017-01-15T17:26:25.010-07:002017-01-15T17:26:25.010-07:00Today I went to the other ward that meetsin the sa...Today I went to the other ward that meetsin the same building as my home ward. The closing prayer was given by a recent convert originally from China. I also met a man who was visiting because he had come from France on a business trip.John Pack Lamberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05086707132348039415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-72688777045111791142017-01-15T14:58:14.987-07:002017-01-15T14:58:14.987-07:00Bryce, thanks for sharing your feelings regarding ...Bryce, thanks for sharing your feelings regarding the stakes that might be involved in forming a temple district for such an edifice in Missoula. interesting theories. As far as how busy it was at the Orlando Temple when you went there, I can relate to that. <br /><br />Next to the Provo Utah Temple, the Mount Timpanogos Temple seems to be one of the busiest in the Church. I have heard of and have been a firsthand witness (by virtue of my six-year tenure as a temple worker there) to the fact that the sessions are generally jam-packed. It was especially busy on Friday nights and Saturdays, and that continues, according to all the reports I have received. My mom works at that temple herself now, and I have had firsthand accounts also from those who have waited extensively and in very long lines to get in to a session at that temple. <br /><br />I think that the busiest session I ever witnessed was on one Friday evening. There were enough in attendance to warrant considering whether everyone could fit in one session, or if the group eneded to be split into two smaller sessions. I was working there that night, and I heard about the deliberation on that question. Usually, when there have been that many people in a session, to take precautions in terms of safety and potential fire hazards, the group has been split. But the fire marshall for the city was in attendance at that session, and he gave us the okay to put everyone in one group. It was (and may still be) the record-making busiest session in the history of that temple, with a total of either 115 or 120 people, which is about 25 more than the maximum capacity of the sessions, with 2 rooms having 96 seats, and the other two having 97. And so it continues even now. <br /><br />Though I have technically moved out of the district (living in Orem, my assigned temple is Provo), I still hear regular reports on activity at the Americcan, and it has not let up. For that reason, another temple in that part of Utah County makes a lot of sense. And from what I've heard, Lehi is the top contender for the next Utah County temple. Some have suggested Eagle Mountain or Saratoga Springs would be better or more ideal, but I do strongly suspect it will be Lehi that gets that honor. It has nothing to do with Lehi being my wife's hometown, and everything to do with the fact that Utah County does need another temple, and Lehi is centrally located but yet far distant enough from the temple in American Fork that it is, in my mind, the best possible option. Others may disagree on this point, but that's what I feel is likely to happen there. <br /><br />John, that is interesting about the Detriot Temple. I had not been aware of that factor. That makes it more likely that either a renovation of the temple to make it larger will happen at some point, or that another such edifice will be announced to breakup the district. Thanks for letting me drone on like this. I continue to enjoy following this conversation.James G. Stokeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13331619300918542708noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-11231447433398009702017-01-14T22:21:56.797-07:002017-01-14T22:21:56.797-07:00Detroit Temple does not have capacity for that man...Detroit Temple does not have capacity for that many youth at a time so my ward can only take half or so of our youths at most maybe 15 at once.John Pack Lamberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05086707132348039415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-29577734041917888242017-01-14T22:21:28.310-07:002017-01-14T22:21:28.310-07:00Detroit Temple does not have capacity for that man...Detroit Temple does not have capacity for that many youth at a time so my ward can only take half or so of our youths at most maybe 15 at once.John Pack Lamberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05086707132348039415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-70750046533548832652017-01-14T17:14:19.506-07:002017-01-14T17:14:19.506-07:00Orlando FLOrlando FLAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06866803914250258395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-21775544815357702522017-01-14T16:45:58.230-07:002017-01-14T16:45:58.230-07:00Which temple was that backed up as you described i...Which temple was that backed up as you described it?James Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12831340842937216806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-89088583798200623342017-01-14T16:37:48.608-07:002017-01-14T16:37:48.608-07:0020 youth not 2 20 youth not 2 Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06866803914250258395noreply@blogger.com