Mission guide

Florida Tampa Mission

The Florida Tampa Mission serves in sunny Tampa, a city shaped by railroads, cigars, and life along Tampa Bay.

  • English
  • Spanish
Shop the shirts
Florida Tampa Mission Heart Map design

Florida Tampa Mission shirts

Every style made for this mission, printed when you order.

Florida Tampa Mission T-Shirt in Solid White, front view

Florida Tampa Mission T-Shirt

$29.00

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Florida Tampa Mission Heart Map shirt in White: Florida outline with a red heart, front view

Florida Tampa Mission Heart Map Shirt

$29.00

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Florida Tampa Mission Flag Map shirt in White: Florida state flag in the outline of Florida with navy lettering, front view

Florida Tampa Mission Flag Map Shirt

$29.00

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I Glory in My Jesus, in the language of this mission

2 Nephi 33:6 as it reads in the Book of Mormon for each language spoken here.

I Glory in My Jesus shirt in English on White: “I glory in my Jesus”, 2 Nephi 33:6

I Glory in My Jesus Shirt

$29.00

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I Glory in My Jesus script shirt in English, white ink on Dark Chocolate: “I glory in my Jesus”, 2 Nephi 33:6

I Glory in My Jesus Script Shirt (White Ink)

$29.00

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I Glory in My Jesus shirt in Spanish on White: “Me glorío en mi Jesús”, 2 Nefi 33:6

I Glory in My Jesus Shirt – Spanish

$29.00

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I Glory in My Jesus script shirt in Spanish, white ink on Dark Chocolate: “Me glorío en mi Jesús”, 2 Nefi 33:6

I Glory in My Jesus Script Shirt (White Ink) – Spanish

$29.00

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About the mission

The Florida Tampa Mission is based in Tampa, Florida. Tampa is known for its warm weather, waterfront setting, and long history as a center of trade and cigar making.

Missionaries serve in English and Spanish, helping families and individuals connect with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

At a glance

Country
United States, Florida
Mission
Florida Tampa Mission
Main city
Tampa, 413,554 estimated population (2025)
Time zone
Eastern Time (UTC-5 standard, UTC-4 daylight)
Climate
Humid subtropical, with hot, rainy summers and mild, drier winters
Church in Florida
178,456 members, 33 stakes, 287 congregations

A short history of the area

The Tampa area has been inhabited for thousands of years. After the United States acquired Florida from Spain in 1821, Fort Brooke was established at the mouth of the Hillsborough River in January 1824. Tampa was incorporated as a village on January 18, 1849, then became a town in 1855 and a city in 1887.

The railroad reached Tampa in 1883, helping connect the city to national markets. Vicente Martinez Ybor moved his cigar operations to Tampa in 1885, and Ybor City factories began rolling cigars in 1886. Tampa also became known for the Gasparilla Pirate Festival, first held in 1904.

The Church here

  1. 1845Phineas Young possibly served a two-month mission in Florida, making him one of the first Latter-day Saint missionaries in the state.
  2. 1869–1929Law officers met trains arriving in Tallahassee and prevented Latter-day Saint elders from getting off.
  3. 1895Two Latter-day Saint elders were arrested and given the choice to leave or pay a $200 fine.
  4. 1897Florida’s first official Church congregation was created in Jefferson County.
  5. 1898A Church congregational leader in Florida was murdered.
  6. 1904Florida had 1,230 members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
  7. 1960The Florida Mission was created when four stakes had been organized in the state.

Temples nearby

Tampa Florida Temple

Under construction · Near Tampa

Orlando Florida Temple

Closed for renovation · About 75 miles from Tampa

The Book of Mormon here

Missionaries in this mission share the Book of Mormon in these languages. Tap a cover to read it free.

English Read it free → Spanish Read it free →

Cover art is an illustration. Links open the free edition on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

Before you go

Foods to try

  • Tampa Cuban sandwich (a pressed sandwich with roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, mustard, and Genoa salami)
  • Florida-style deviled crab (seasoned crab served in a crisp shell)
  • Fresh Gulf seafood (popular in Tampa and the surrounding coastal area)
  • Greek cuisine (a well-known part of Tampa-area food culture)

Fun facts

  • Tampa was known as the Cigar Capital of the World, and more than 500 million cigars were hand-rolled there in 1929.
  • The Gasparilla Pirate Festival draws more than 400,000 attendees and has been held almost every year since 1904.
  • Tampa recorded its only official snowfall on January 19, 1977, with accumulations of up to 0.2 inches.

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