FLORIDA FORT LAUDERDALE MISSION

Our purpose is to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end.

We have been assigned to the Florida Fort Lauderdale Mission to bring Christ’s redeeming gospel to the world. Christ’s message is for all, and we have the privilege of sharing His light to all those who are ready to receive it.

History and geography

The Florida Fort Lauderdale Mission area was originally part of the Southern States Mission which was one of the earliest missions in the church, organized in 1875. On November 1, 1960, the Florida Mission was created to include all of Florida, the southern parts of Alabama and Georgia, and all the islands in the Caribbean. Church membership in the Florida Mission increased very rapidly.

On July 1, 1971, the Florida Southern Mission was organized. The new mission included all the islands in the Caribbean and the southern part of Florida. Continued increases in Church membership resulted in the formation of the Florida Ft. Lauderdale Mission on June 20, 1974. The Mission at that time included the bottom third of the Florida peninsula and all the islands in the Caribbean.

In July, 1979, the Caribbean began to have missions of its own with the formation of the Puerto Rico San Juan Mission.  On June 20, 1983, the Ft. Lauderdale Mission merged with the Tampa Mission for one year.  Continued growth, however, in both central and southern Florida resulted in the reopening of the mission on July 5, 1984.  There are eight stakes in this mission: Stuart, Boynton Beach, Coral Springs, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Miami Lakes, Miami South and Naples.

The mission area includes many natural attractions including the world famous Everglades and the Florida Keys.  Ft. Lauderdale has been called “The Venice of North America” for its miles of waterways.  Sanibel Island is famous for its shell-strewn beaches. Miami is home to first and second generation Americans from across Central and South America and the Caribbean, giving the mission a distinct international feel.

There are about 7,300,000 people living in the mission and approximately 24,000 members of the Church. There are more members in Florida than in any other state east of the Mississippi River.

Missionary work in Florida is exciting and rewarding. The gospel is taught here in English, Spanish, Haitian Creole and Portuguese.  A warm welcome awaits you in “The Sunshine State”.