LDS Living in St. Croix
As members of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints it was very important for us to find a location in the world where we would be able to attend a weekly worship service and strengthen our faith and testimonies among other members of the church. Fortunately, St. Croix has a thriving Latter Day Saint community.
There isn’t a ward on the island, but there is a great branch, and we have a WONDERFUL Branch President and Councilors who lead brilliantly, and teach powerfully! Even though there is only one branch, we do have a building of our own; meaning that we don’t meet in a grocery store or other rented location. Average Sunday attendance ranges between 40-80 per week. It is really fun to have many vacationers join us for church each Sunday. They always bring a great spirit and testimony with them.
I’m A Mormon….Yes I am
Part of being a small branch means that we get the opportunity to participate in building cleaning a lot more often than we did when living in Utah. However, the building is much smaller, and it is actually quite fun to share that experience as a family. We stream the Mormon Tabernacle Choir radio and spend the morning cleaning and preparing the building for Sunday services. It is great time to work together and serve the branch and the Lord!
Because we are a branch, we don’t belong to a stake, but are presided over by the Puerto Rico Mission President. We recently had the privilege of meeting him and his amazing wife. They are phenomenal people! It was such a pleasure to spend a little time with them while they were visiting the island. They oversee not only the Puerto Rico Mission, but also many of the branches spread around the Caribbean. They have St. Thomas, St. John, St. Croix, Nevis & St. Kitts, the BVI’s (British Virgin Islands) and a couple other branches as well. It is a lot of territory to cover.
We are very fortunate to have a senior missionary couple serving on St. Croix. They are delightful and work tirelessly to share the Gospel and bless the lives of members and non-members alike.
I love to See the Temple
St. Croix is in the boundaries for the Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo Temple District. That is approximately 356 miles to the Northwest of our island. To get there it is a 2 hour and 45 minute flight. Every year our branch organizes a “temple trip” for members who would like to attend the temple. We hope to attend in coming years.
We love the members here on the island and have been richly blessed by each of them. There are many “expat” members, but also many Cruzians born and raised on the island. The camaraderie and support shown for everyone is very humbling. We are grateful for the opportunity we have to learn and grow in our faith here in St. Croix.
If you have any question about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, comment below!
Comments
That is so neat! I love the family you’ve found in your branch there!
It has been great to see how God knows us and loves us.
So happy to hear about the church it sounds so exciting. We know your testimonies will be a great help to your new branch.
It’s gratifying to know that the church is the same wherever we go. Our testimonies have certainly been strengthened by the members here.
My sister lives in St Croix and she is in the hospital with life threatening problems. I want her to have a blessing please. anyone there can do that? please let me know. Her name is Kim Ansell and she is in the emergency room until they can find a bed for her
Hello Becky, please reach out via email – sarah@ourinnovativelife.com. I’m sorry I didn’t see this sooner.