The Southern States mission was organized at the April Conference of 1867 when John Brown and several others were called to reopen the southern states of the U.S. to missionary work.
Mission Founded
Henry Green Boyle Called as President
Date Details
Started On 1876 October 9
Ended On 1877 November 13
John Hamilton Morgan Called as President
Date Details
Started On 1878 January 25
Ended On 1888 January 4
William Spry Called as President
Date Details
Started On 1888 January 4
Ended On 1891 August 13
Jonathan Golden Kimball Called as President
Date Details
Started On 1891 July 31
Ended On 1894 May 23
Boundary Changes
In 1893, the state of Maryland became part of the newly reorganized Eastern States Mission. The state of Arkansas was transferred to the Indian Territory Mission in 1895. Then in 1897, the state of Texas was also transferred to that mission.
Date Details
Started On 1893
Ended On 1897
Elias Smith Kimball Called as President
Date Details
Started On 1894 May 11
Ended On 1898 June 27
Benjamin Erastus Rich Called as President
Date Details
Started On 1898 June 10
Ended On 1902 July 3
Headquarters Move
The mission home was located at 711 Fairview Ave., Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Date Details
Occurred On 1900
Ephraim Hesmer Nye Called as President
Date Details
Started On 1902 May 22
Ended On 1903 May 15
Mission Split and Boundary Change
The mission was split to create the Middle States Mission. The new boundaries of the Southern States Mission changed to include only the states of Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, North and South Carolina.
Date Details
Occurred On 1902 June 28
Nathan John Harris Called as President
Date Details
Started On 1903 June 1
Ended On 1903 August 7
Boundary Change
The Middle States Mission closed and Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, and Ohio once more came under the Southern States Mission.
Date Details
Occurred On 1903 August
Benjamin Erastus Rich Called as President
Date Details
Started On 1903 August 7
Ended On 1908 August 8
Charles Albert Callis Called as President
Date Details
Started On 1908 April 14
Ended On 1934 February 3
Headquarters Move
The mission headquarters was moved from Chattanooga, Tennessee, to 371 East North Avenue, Atlanta, Georgia.
Date Details
Occurred On 1920
Boundary Change
The state of Ohio was transferred to the Northern States Mission.
Date Details
Occurred On 1926
Mission Split and Boundary Change
The East Central States Mission was organized from the Eastern States Mission and the Southern States Mission. The states of Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia were taken from the Southern States Mission. This left the mission with the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and Florida.
Date Details
Occurred On 1928 December 9
LeGrand Richards Called as President
Date Details
Started On 1933 December 29
Ended On 1937 June 19
Merrill Daniel Clayson Called as President
Date Details
Started On 1937 June 8
Ended On 1940 August 4
William Porter Whitaker Called as President
Date Details
Started On 1940 July 17
Ended On 1943 September 10
Heber Meeks Called as President
Date Details
Started On 1943 August 25
Ended On 1948 April 22
Boundary Change
The state of Florida was removed from the Southern States Mission and became the Florida Mission.
Date Details
Occurred On 1960 November
![Missionaries in an Airplane](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/southern states/John Mason Shelley in airplane on his mission.jpg)
![Southern States Missionaries](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/southern states/william-pardoe-1868-fs.jpg)
![Missionaries of the Southern States Mission](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/southern states/Dyal_Kossuth 14 Jan 1883.jpg)
![United States Mission Presidents](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/US_presidents-PH 2543_f0001_i0001_00001.jpg)
![Publications Office Staff](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/central states/Missionary_staff_Liahona_the_Elders_Journal.jpg)
![Mississippi Conference](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/southern states/charles-a-matthews-1863-fs-3.jpg)
![First Annual Conference of the Presidents in the Southern States Mission](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/southern states/PH_2666_item_1-First_annual_conference_of_the_presidents_in_the_Southern_States_Mission_held_at_Chattanooga_Tennessee.jpeg)
![Arriving Elders](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/southern states/Elders bound for the Southern States, April 1896 - PH 3793_b0001_f0001_i0005_00001.jpg)
![East Tennessee Conference, 1895](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/southern states/1895-East TN Conference-Tues Oct 15.jpg)
![South Carolina District Conference, November 1928](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/southern states/samuel-a-roos-1902-fs-3.jpg)
![Arriving Elders](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/southern states/Arriving elders, Southern States, 16 Nov 1896 - PH 3793_b0001_f0001_i0010_00001.jpg)
![Southern States Mission Photograph, circa 1910](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/southern states/Southern States 1910 Photograph.jpg)
![Florida Conference](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/southern states/southern-states-mission-1904-CH81546.jpg)
![Southern States Mission Headquarters](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/southern states/PH 2474_f0001_i0001_00001.jpg)
![Missionaries in North Carolina](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/southern states/Southern States Mission Photograph 1914.jpg)
![New Arrivals](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/southern states/james-apollos-thornton-1864-fs-3.jpg)
![Missionaries at Lookout Mountain](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/southern states/CHL-PH-3793b3fd6it001alt02-1.jpg)
![Conference Presidents of the Southern States Mission](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/southern states/Conference presidents of the Southern States Mission - PH 2374_f0001_i0001_00001.jpg)
![Arriving Elders](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/southern states/Elders who arrived at Chattanooga, 1897 April 20 - PH 3793_b0001_f0001_i0014_00001.jpg)
![1902/11: South Carolina Conference - Southern States Mission, 1902 November 15](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/southern states/PH 4286_f0001_00007-group picture-southern-ststes-mission-1902.jpg)
![Southern States Mission Caricature 1907, Circa 1907](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/Southern -States-Mission-Caricature-1907.jpg)
![Missionaries from the Southern States Mission about 1926, Between 1925 October – 1927 November](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/Missionaries from the Southern States Mission.jpg)
![Southern States Mission, about 1926, Between 1925 November – 1927 November](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/Southern States Mission around 1926.jpg)
![First Southern States Mission Home, Circa 1867](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/first-southern-states-mission-home-1867-fs-1.jpg)
![Jacksonville, Florida Chapel, Circa 1926](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionary photos/charles-herman-turley-1899-fs-4.jpg)
![Southern States Mission Companions with John Henry Gibbs and William Shanks Berry, 1884](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/southern states/Southern States Mission Companions with John Henry Gibbs and William Shanks Berry.jpg)
![Tribute to Elders William Shanks Berry and John Henry Gibbs, Circa 1884](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/southern states/Tribute to WS Berry and JH Gibbs.jpg)
![Southern States Mission Home in Chattanooga, Tennessee](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionary photos/lorenzo-erastus-hansen-1879-fs-02.jpg)