The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced the groundbreaking date for the Tampa Florida Temple.
Groundbreaking services for the Tampa Florida Temple will be held on Saturday, August 23. Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will preside at the event.
As previously announced, the single-story temple of approximately 29,000 square feet will be constructed on a 12-acre site at 9445 Camden Field Parkway in Riverview. Church President Russell M. Nelson announced the Tampa Florida Temple during the April 2022 general conference.
Nelson said then, “Positive spiritual momentum increases as we worship in the temple and grow in our understanding of the magnificent breadth and depth of the blessings we receive there.”
The first Latter-day Saint congregation in Florida was created in 1897 in the Big Bend region. Today, there are more than 176,000 Latter-day Saints in nearly 280 congregations in Florida, which is part of the church’s United States southeast area.
Brandon Florida Stake President John Hunter, a lay leader who presides over eight congregations in the Tampa region, explained, “The groundbreaking of the Tampa Florida Temple is a powerful reminder of the Lord’s deep love for His children in this area. It feels like a promise fulfilled — He sees us, He knows us and He is inviting us to draw closer to Him in His holy house.”
Other temples that are announced, under construction or in operation in Florida, include the Fort Lauderdale Florida Temple, Jacksonville Florida Temple, Orlando Florida Temple and Tallahassee Florida Temple.
Latter-day Saints consider each temple a house of the Lord and the most sacred place of worship on Earth. Temples differ from the church’s meetinghouses (chapels). All are welcome to attend Sunday worship services and other weekday activities at local meetinghouses. The primary purpose of temples is for faithful members of the church of Jesus Christ to participate in sacred ceremonies, such as marriages, which unite families forever, and proxy baptisms on behalf of deceased ancestors who did not have the opportunity to be baptized while living.
For more information, visit www.churchofjesuschrist.org.
You must be logged in to post a comment.