In 1838, the governor of Missouri ordered members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to leave the area or face death. Nearly two centuries later, the church is preparing to build its third temple in the state.
The Church of Jesus Christ announced Monday that the groundbreaking ceremony for the Springfield Missouri Temple will be held on Saturday, June 6; Elder Aroldo B. Cavalcante, a General Authority Seventy and member of the church’s United States Southeast Area Presidency, will preside.
Missouri holds an important role in the early history of the Church of Jesus Christ. From 1831 to 1838, thousands of Latter-day Saints worked to “build up the land of Zion” in the state, according to the church’s overview of the Missouri historic sites. They were largely unwelcome, with several instances of mobs driving out church members from established cities.
The Church broke ground for a temple in Far West, Missouri, in the summer of 1838. However, the temple was never constructed, as early members were expelled from the state shortly thereafter. The executive order was not formally rescinded until 1976.
Late church President Russell M. Nelson announced the Springfield Missouri Temple in April 2023 general conference, making it the third in the state. A temple in St. Louis was dedicated in 1997 and one in Kansas City was dedicated in 2012.
As of April 2026, more than 84,000 Latter-day Saints live in Missouri and meet in around 180 congregations.
“Jesus Christ is the reason we build temples,” President Nelson said when announcing the Springfield temple. “Each is His holy house. Making covenants and receiving essential ordinances in the temple, as well as seeking to draw closer to Him there, will bless your life in ways no other kind of worship can.”