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…