Today’s groundbreaking ceremony for the Jacksonville Florida Temple has been a long time coming, 79 years in the making.
On January 19, 1947, Elder Charles A. Callis and Elder Harold B. Lee of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles organized the first Florida stake in Jacksonville. It was also the first stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the South.
At the groundbreaking ceremony for the Jacksonville Temple on January 24, Elder Massimo De Feo said that when Elder Charis established the stake, “he prophesied that many other stakes would be organized in this land.” “And indeed he said that one day the house of the Lord would be built here.”
He added, “Members, dear brothers and sisters, I want to thank you for your faithfulness, because you are making this possible. Because your faithfulness is making sure that the Lord fulfills his promises.”
Elder De Feo, a General Authority Seventy and First Counselor in the Southeastern United States Area Presidency, presided over the groundbreaking ceremony for the first Jacksonville temple in 2026.
Information and photos from the livestreamed ceremony were published on ChurchofJesusChrist.org on January 24th. Later that day, ground was also broken for the Temple of João Pessoa in Brazil.
“This house of the Lord will be a light to the community. It will be a symbol of Jesus Christ,” Elder De Feo said. “It will be a symbol of peace, a symbol of unity, a symbol of interreligious dialogue, a symbol that we are children of a Heavenly Father who loves us all, regardless of our faith.”
In his dedication prayer at the site, Elder De Feo implored that this future house of the Lord would bless members and nonmembers for many years to come.
“We bless this community that surrounds us and pray that the temple will radiate light, hope and truth to all who visit or just view it,” he said. “We pray that they may recognize the light of the Savior, feel hope in the Savior, and know the truth about the Savior, as they stand in awe of this place and humble their hearts.”
The groundbreaking ceremony for the Jacksonville Temple comes just five months after another groundbreaking ceremony for the Florida Temple in Tampa, Florida, and marks the first time that two temples in Florida will enter the construction phase at the same time.
About the Jacksonville Florida Temple and Church
The Jacksonville Temple is planned as a one-story building and will be approximately 29,000 square feet. It will be built on a 6.6-acre site at 3323 Loretto Road in Jacksonville, Florida.
The late President Russell M. Nelson announced that a temple will be built in Jacksonville, Florida, on October 2, 2022. It was one of 18 temple locations he identified during October 2022 general conference.
Three of the five houses of the Lord in various stages in Florida have been dedicated: the Orlando Florida Temple (1994), the Fort Lauderdale Florida Temple (2014), and the Tallahassee Florida Temple (2024). The Orlando Temple was temporarily closed in July 2024 for renovations.
In addition to the Jacksonville Temple, the Tampa Florida Temple is also under construction. Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles presided over the groundbreaking ceremony on August 23, 2025, offering a prayer dedicating the temple site and construction process.
After missionaries first arrived in Florida in 1845, church growth began slowly in the state. Hassell Chapter, the first Latter-day Saint chapter in Florida, was established in Jefferson County on May 9, 1897. By 1904, there were 1,230 church members in the state.
Currently, Florida is home to more than 176,000 Latter-day Saints in approximately 280 congregations.
