The Orlando Florida Temple is the 46th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Mormon Church had a rough start in Florida. As early as the 1850's Mormon missionaries began arriving in the area, but it was not until 1895 that the Church became established in the state. Many of the early members of the Mormon Church in Florida experienced persecution so intense that some were beaten to death by mobs. Missionary work was slow and in 1947 the first stake in the entire South was established in Jacksonville, Florida. Today the Church has blossomed in Florida with more than 110,000 members in the state.