TALLAHASSEE, Florida — Until it was unified in 1822, the Territory of Florida — which wouldn’t become a state in the United States for another two decades — was divided into West Florida and East Florida. Traveling between the unified territory’s two government centers, in St. Augustine and Pensacola, was hazardous and took almost 20 days.
The solution? Florida chose a midway point to call its capital in 1824: Tallahassee.
And now two centuries later, to the year, the dedication of the Tallahassee Florida Temple on Sunday, Dec. 8, will yet again make Tallahassee a midway point — a spiritual center, where heaven and earth meet.
The perseverance of Florida pioneers
Elder Patrick Kearon of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will dedicate the Tallahassee temple on Sunday, Dec. 8, which will be the state’s third house of the Lord. With dedicated temples in Orlando and Fort Lauderdale and two more announced for Tampa and Jacksonville, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the state has extended farther than the branches on a southern magnolia tree.
This wasn’t always the case. Growth of the Church started slow in the state after missionaries first arrived in 1845. Florida’s first Latter-day Saint branch, known as the Hassell Branch, was created on May 9, 1897, in Jefferson County — about 20 miles east of Tallahassee.
Yet the gospel of Jesus Christ persisted, and by 1904, the state had 1,230 Church members.
“Members in this area have a reverent admiration for those pioneer members,” said Tallahassee Florida Stake President Benjamin Smith.
He recounted stories from his paternal grandparents of sacrament meetings being held in the living room of the home where his mother now lives.
And he remembers stories from his maternal grandparents of ancestors sitting on the front porch of their home with a shotgun many nights to guard missionaries from mobs that could do them harm.
Stories of the faith of early pioneers “have provided hope while strengthening our desire to live the gospel every day,” President Smith said.
Today, the state is home to more than 172,000 Latter-day Saints comprising nearly 275 congregations.
Church recognition in the Tallahassee area
Acceptance of the Church of Jesus Christ in Florida has come a long way since then.
About 18 months ago, for instance, the Tallahassee stake held an interfaith luncheon at the meetinghouse adjacent to the temple. The stake aimed to establish and strengthen relationships with religious leaders in the community. Close to 40 leaders of other faiths attended.
A year and a half later, said President Smith, “it was a blessing for many of these faith leaders to visit the temple during the open house. This is a representation of the Church being recognized in the Tallahassee area.”
Dallas and Ronnell Watson, open house and dedication committee co-chairs, were thrilled to welcome a total of 40,976 people during the temple’s three-week open house last month. This far surpassed the anticipated 25,000.
“Those visitors not of our faith that really didn’t know anything about a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temple were very respectful and appreciative about being asked to come to the open house,” said Ronnell Watson.
Dallas Watson recounted, “One protestant minister that attended during invited-guest week came out of the temple and communicated that while he had been in the celestial room with the door closed, he felt the presence of his deceased son.”
Florida Tallahassee Mission President Terry Trusty said, “The presence and awareness of the house of the Lord has awakened the spiritual sensitivity of the larger, more diverse community.”
His wife and companion, Sister Ellen Trusty, said the Lord began preparing the way for this temple long ago, evident through the area’s long-standing religious traditions. “The Savior lives in the hearts of the people in the South.”
Bringing the Church out of obscurity
Missionaries of the Tallahassee mission exercised their role of gathering Israel on both sides of the veil by serving at the open house.
These missionaries started guests on their tours, escorted them to the temple, took photos of visitors on the grounds, answered questions, directed parking and more. They also invited those they teach to the event, suggesting they spend time in the celestial room to contemplate the peace they would feel.
President Trusty said, “The awe of the Spirit that is present is bringing the Church out of obscurity for the people in this capital area and throughout the mission.”
Nonmembers have been drawn to the light of the Lord’s house, said Sister Trusty. “They are at first curious about what happens in the temple and then yearn to know how they too can have these blessings.”
As those the missionaries are teaching have toured the temple, several have committed to baptism with the intent to one day make covenants in the temple, said President Trusty. Less-active and part-member families have also increased attendance in sacrament services.
Aiding in a missionary’s role to love, share and invite, “the Tallahassee temple is inspiring all of us to be better, to love more deeply and to share more boldly,” said Sister Trusty. “We can see members and missionaries growing in their desire to make and keep sacred covenants and to love, share and invite everyone with whom we come in contact.”
A refuge for the next generation
Bishop Todd Wahlquist of the Tallahassee YSA 5th Ward and his wife, Myla Wahlquist, acknowledged the struggles of new college students — distractions, temptations, detours from the covenant path.
Yet despite these stumbling blocks, “you just see them stay on the path,” said Bishop Wahlquist. “It is the greatest blessing in my life.”
Tallahassee is home to three colleges within a 10-mile radius: Florida State University, Florida A&M University and Tallahassee State College. So it’s only fitting to have the Tallahassee temple, a place of spiritual instruction, join the universities as a place of higher instruction.
“Some students are choosing these colleges because there is a temple here,” said Myla Wahlquist.
The temple will be a refuge and strength for students as they adjust to their adult life and figure things out on their own, said Myla Wahlquist.
“It’s such a stabilizing force when so much is coming at you, and it feels like it’s coming against you sometimes. The temple is a haven from that and a strength as they are able to be so close to the Savior there.”
The ward already has a YSA temple night planned for Dec. 19.
Bringing light ‘like the Florida sun’
Within about 10 days in September and October, hurricanes Helene and Milton tore through Florida and across the southeastern United States. More than 20,000 Latter-day Saints responded to the disasters, with cheerful attitudes and firm resolves to comfort those who stood in need of comfort.
Local members and missionaries rushed to the aid of those impacted by hurricanes, said Sister Trusty, working tirelessly to remove debris and bring hope back to devastated communities. Even Saints themselves impacted by the storms looked to serve others around them.
“They could see the Lord’s hand in their work and in the eyes of the people they were serving,” she said. “It was beautiful to see the beauty that emerged from the severe difficulties. They took light from one area to another, and that light was an invitation to all to come and see.”
President Smith has seen the diligence of his stake’s Latter-day Saints to serve with joy. “We don the yellow Helping Hands shirts as we strive to bring light, like the Florida sun, during a time of discouragement and despair.”
Bishop Wahlquist has seen this desire to serve from his young single adults. “They are some of the first that want to sign up and go,” he said. “They are excited to go and want to serve. They want to minister.”
Myla Wahlquist said that “as they learn to serve each other, they have to figure out how to serve somebody that’s very different than them. I think so much growth and so much Christlike change happen in that process. And it’s lovely to watch.”
