Mission guide

Pennsylvania Pittsburgh Mission

A Pennsylvania mission centered on Pittsburgh, with deep Latter-day Saint history and a welcoming mix of English and Spanish.

  • English
  • Spanish
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Pennsylvania Pittsburgh Mission Heart Map design

Pennsylvania Pittsburgh Mission shirts

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

About the mission

The Pennsylvania Pittsburgh Mission serves communities in Pennsylvania, with Pittsburgh as its main city. Pittsburgh lies where the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio Rivers meet and is known for its bridges, hills, and industrial history.

Missionaries speak English and Spanish. Families can expect four distinct seasons, including cold winters, mild springs and falls, and warm summers.

At a glance

Country and state
United States, Pennsylvania
Main city
Pittsburgh (302,971 people, 2020 census)
Languages
English and Spanish
Time zone
Eastern Time (UTC-5 in winter, UTC-4 in summer)
Climate
Four seasons, with cold snowy winters and warm summers
Church in Pennsylvania
54,354 members, 13 stakes, 105 congregations

A short history of the area

Robert de La Salle was the first known European to enter the Pittsburgh region, during an expedition in 1669. European pioneers, including Dutch settlers, followed in the early 18th century.

General John Forbes founded Pittsburgh as a fort on November 27, 1758, and named Fort Pitt after William Pitt the Elder. Pittsburgh became a borough in 1794 and a city in 1816. It later became known for steel manufacturing, though its steel and electronics industries declined beginning in the early 1980s.

The Church here

  1. 1828Joseph Smith and Emma Hale Smith moved to a farm in Harmony, Pennsylvania, where Joseph translated most of the Book of Mormon.
  2. May 15, 1829Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery were visited by John the Baptist, according to Latter-day Saint belief.
  3. 1832–1833Phinehas Young organized the first Latter-day Saint branch in southwestern Pennsylvania at Pittsburgh.
  4. December 23, 1839Joseph Smith established a prominent congregation in Philadelphia.
  5. 1904Members of the Fairview Branch built a stone meetinghouse in Waynesboro, the first Latter-day Saint structure in Pennsylvania.
  6. 1960The Philadelphia Stake was organized.
  7. 1969The Pittsburgh Stake was organized.
  8. 2016The Philadelphia Pennsylvania Temple was dedicated.

Temples nearby

Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Temple

Dedicated September 15, 2024 · Near Pittsburgh

Cleveland Ohio Temple

Dedicated August 16, 2026 · About 115 miles from Pittsburgh

The Book of Mormon here

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

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

Before you go

Phrases to learn

  • HolaHello
  • ¿Cómo está?How are you?
  • GraciasThank you
  • Por favorPlease

Foods to try

  • Pierogies (dumplings often filled with potato, cheese, or other fillings)
  • Kielbasa (Polish-style sausage popular in Pittsburgh)
  • Chipped chopped ham sandwich (thinly sliced chopped ham served in a sandwich)
  • Klondike bar (a chocolate-covered ice cream bar)

Fun facts

  • Pittsburgh is called the City of Bridges because it has 446 bridges, three more than Venice, Italy.
  • The city has about 800 sets of outdoor public stairways, with 44,645 treads.
  • KDKA 1020 AM began broadcasting on November 2, 1920, and was the world's first commercially licensed radio station.

Just got the call?

Turn the opening into a game: family and friends guess where the missionary is going before the reveal.