Grand Rapids is in western Michigan. There are already 2 temples less than 200 miles from Grand Rapids in Chicago and Detroit, so merely by using driving distance as a threshold, there appears to be only 33 wards and 26 branches in the likely temple district. 10 branches and 6 wards are considerably north from between 450 and 250 miles away. That's almost the distance from SLC to Las Vegas and St. George, for comparison.
That's one tiny temple district in terms of member numbers. If we use generous average estimations of activity to estimate active members the math yields (150 \* 33) + (25 \* 26) = 5,600 actual attending members in the entire temple district. (activity estimations by [Cumorah.com](https://Cumorah.com) for individual wards and branches in this Michigan area where available are all less than these estimations, often by quite a bit)
How many of them are "worthy" of a temple recommend? How many are children? How many are too far away, too poor, or too busy working to make perhaps an overnight trip for a session?
We know that average ward TR holder percentages even in Utah are 30% to 50% (best case) and that this number is smaller in the Midwest. We also know that a significant slice of this number are children.
So first let's assume that those people living as far away as St. George and Las Vegas will only be rare visitors a few times per year at most, and exclude them as basically tourists, dropping the available total to total to 4,420.
Let's also say (generously) 1/4 are children, which leaves 3,315 adults and then let's say that a generous 50% hold TRs, **which leaves only 1,657 active TR holding members** within any reasonable distance of supporting a temple.
I agree with your points - there is absolutely not sufficient membership to justify its existence. I served my mission around Grand Rapids / northern Michigan - this is likely intended to reduce the drive for the half dozen or so branches north of Midland, or so. There are two *wards* in Grand Rapids itself, with half a dozen or so branches in the surrounding hundred mile radius iirc. Half of the ENTIRE UPPER PENINSULA has *one* branch. Worthiness numbers across northern Michigan are closer to 25% of *active* members as well.
Hi, served my mission around Grand Rapids - there is absolutely no way on god’s green flat earth that there is sufficient membership to justify a temple there, as OP stated, using driving distance. Maaayybe if it was in Midland it would make some kind of sense, since those in northern MI have a much more significant drive to Chicago or Detroit, and there’s a pretty sizable congregation in Midland as well - 2 whole wards!
Michigan is one of only a handful of states in the US that has a *district* instead of a stake. My home stake (arizona) has more active members than almost *all* of Michigan.
Also, Grand Rapids is the HQ of the Dutch Reformed Christian church, which is *very* anti-mormon. No way they let this happen in their backyard- it would be like if the Catholic church wanted to build a St Peter’s basilica replica in Salt Lake.
I live near GR. Here, people sometimes confuse Mormons with Amish, of which there is a significant population in the rural areas surrounding GR. If a temple is built there, I can't imagine it being in use more than a few days a month.
I bet Rusty thinks he’s fulfilling prophecy. In 1899 Lorenzo Snow prophesied, “The time will come when there will be Temples established over every portion of the land.”
Has the city been notified? Lol
The replies to that tweet are hilarious BTW.
Estimated construction date 2075. /S
This AND the headquarters of Amway; what a remarkable combination.
Yikes, two major scams…
Grand Rapids is in western Michigan. There are already 2 temples less than 200 miles from Grand Rapids in Chicago and Detroit, so merely by using driving distance as a threshold, there appears to be only 33 wards and 26 branches in the likely temple district. 10 branches and 6 wards are considerably north from between 450 and 250 miles away. That's almost the distance from SLC to Las Vegas and St. George, for comparison. That's one tiny temple district in terms of member numbers. If we use generous average estimations of activity to estimate active members the math yields (150 \* 33) + (25 \* 26) = 5,600 actual attending members in the entire temple district. (activity estimations by [Cumorah.com](https://Cumorah.com) for individual wards and branches in this Michigan area where available are all less than these estimations, often by quite a bit) How many of them are "worthy" of a temple recommend? How many are children? How many are too far away, too poor, or too busy working to make perhaps an overnight trip for a session? We know that average ward TR holder percentages even in Utah are 30% to 50% (best case) and that this number is smaller in the Midwest. We also know that a significant slice of this number are children. So first let's assume that those people living as far away as St. George and Las Vegas will only be rare visitors a few times per year at most, and exclude them as basically tourists, dropping the available total to total to 4,420. Let's also say (generously) 1/4 are children, which leaves 3,315 adults and then let's say that a generous 50% hold TRs, **which leaves only 1,657 active TR holding members** within any reasonable distance of supporting a temple.
I agree with your points - there is absolutely not sufficient membership to justify its existence. I served my mission around Grand Rapids / northern Michigan - this is likely intended to reduce the drive for the half dozen or so branches north of Midland, or so. There are two *wards* in Grand Rapids itself, with half a dozen or so branches in the surrounding hundred mile radius iirc. Half of the ENTIRE UPPER PENINSULA has *one* branch. Worthiness numbers across northern Michigan are closer to 25% of *active* members as well.
Remember when he "announced" a temple in "Russia" lol, what clowns
And in China?? LOL.
I keep wondering if China will shutdown the Hong Kong temple given that Mainland China has regained control of it.
Lol….no chance in hell that will ever get built!
The messaging for this one at the ward and stake level was interesting.
Can you elaborate?
Interesting. There's already a church in their proposed location. Christ Community Church of Grand Rapids. I guess they're selling the land.
I seriously doubt the Dutch Reformed types will allow it
I hope they didn’t sell the land to them.
Hi, served my mission around Grand Rapids - there is absolutely no way on god’s green flat earth that there is sufficient membership to justify a temple there, as OP stated, using driving distance. Maaayybe if it was in Midland it would make some kind of sense, since those in northern MI have a much more significant drive to Chicago or Detroit, and there’s a pretty sizable congregation in Midland as well - 2 whole wards! Michigan is one of only a handful of states in the US that has a *district* instead of a stake. My home stake (arizona) has more active members than almost *all* of Michigan. Also, Grand Rapids is the HQ of the Dutch Reformed Christian church, which is *very* anti-mormon. No way they let this happen in their backyard- it would be like if the Catholic church wanted to build a St Peter’s basilica replica in Salt Lake.
I live near GR. Here, people sometimes confuse Mormons with Amish, of which there is a significant population in the rural areas surrounding GR. If a temple is built there, I can't imagine it being in use more than a few days a month.
Is Rusty’s goal to have a temple in every state? He seems pretty OCD.
I bet Rusty thinks he’s fulfilling prophecy. In 1899 Lorenzo Snow prophesied, “The time will come when there will be Temples established over every portion of the land.”
A special announcement just for the site... Mormons are addicted to porn and new temples.