Ground Broken for Temples in Florida and Brazil 

On Saturday, January 24, 2026, ground was broken for new houses of the Lord on two continents. One will be in North America, in Jacksonville, Florida, United States, and the other will be in João Pessoa, Brazil.

Jacksonville, Florida

Elder Massimo De Feo, First Counselor in the United States Southeast Area Presidency, presided at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Jacksonville Florida Temple.

In his dedicatory prayer, Elder De Feo asked that the temple radiate light, hope and truth to all who visit or view this house of the Lord.

“We pray that this sacred place will become a refuge for the weary, a place of revelation and a symbol of Thy love,” he said.

Lola Adolphson, a member of the Gainesville Florida Stake, spoke about how she has found greater access to the Lord’s power in her life through worshiping in the temple. 

“In the temple I feel the Savior's love for me and those I am serving,” she said. “I am so grateful for the temple and the spirit and love I feel there.”

Ground Broken for Temples in Florida and Brazil 

Florida is home to over 176,000 Latter-day Saints in nearly 280 congregations.

Fort Lauderdale and Tallahassee, Florida, have dedicated temples. The Orlando Temple is under renovation, and construction began on the Tampa Florida Temple in 2025.

President Russell M. Nelson announced the Jacksonville Temple in October 2022.

“Let us never lose sight of what the Lord is doing for us now. He is making His temples more accessible,” the prophet said. “He is accelerating the pace at which we are building temples. He is increasing our ability to help gather Israel.”

João Pessoa, Brazil

Latter-day Saints, religious leaders, civic authorities and guests gathered for the groundbreaking ceremony of the João Pessoa Brazil Temple, the first house of the Lord in the state of Paraíba. João Pessoa is the state’s capital.

Watch the broadcast here.

Elder Joni L. Koch, Brazil Area President, presided at the event. In the dedicatory prayer, he asked the Lord for a blessing on local Saints and community members.

“May the beginning of this work inspire us all to rededicate our lives to Thee and Thy Beloved Son,” Elder Koch said.

For many Latter-day Saints, the beginning of temple construction in a state capital represents an answer to years of prayers and the culmination of long journeys to other states to attend the nearest house of the Lord.

“The feeling today is one of joy and rejoicing, something I never imagined I would experience," said Norland Souza, a member from the area. “Before, it was necessary to go to São Paulo, then to Recife. Now we have a temple in our own city, and that makes a huge difference. It is a blessing that cannot be measured."

Antônio Oliveira, who is serving as the Stake President of the Campina Grande Brasil Liberdade Stake, has hoped for a house of the Lord in João Pessoa since 1987, when he joined the Church at 12 years old. 

"I feel amazed. It is one of the greatest blessings that the people of Paraíba have received in recent days," he said.  

More than 1.5 million Latter-day Saints live in Brazil and attend more than 2,000 congregations.

Brazil has 11 operating temples and four others under construction (Belo Horizonte, Ribeirão Prêto, Londrina and Natal). With the João Pessoa Temple, the country will have five houses of the Lord under construction simultaneously. Seven temples in Brazil have been announced.

“The Lord is directing us to build these temples to help us think celestial. God lives. Jesus is the Christ. His Church has been restored to bless all of God’s children,” President Nelson said after the announcement of the João Pessoa Brazil Temple in 2023.

Temples differ from meetinghouses (chapels) of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 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 that unite families forever.