Myrtle Beach is situated on the center of a large and continuous stretch of beach known as the Grand Strand in northeastern South Carolina. Myrtle Beach is one of the major centers of tourism in the United States because of the city’s warm subtropical climate and extensive beaches, attracting an estimated 14 million visitors each spring/summer/fall.

LDS Population

LDS Members make up 0.67% of the population of Myrtle Beach. The state of South Carolina has 36,141 members in 6 stakes, 46 wards, 14 branches, 1 mission, and 1 temple in Columbia.

LDS History

The first LDS member in South Carolina is believed to be Emmanual Masters Murphy, who was baptized in Tennessee in 1836. The South Carolina Conference was organized on March 31, 1882. Some of the earliest branches were established at King’s Mountains beginning March 3, 1882, and among the Catawba Indian community beginning July 31, 1885. Conference headquarters were established at the plantation of John Black, a man who remained unbaptized in order to provide refuge for the Church. Many converts, including Indians, moved onto his plantation to escape persecution. The Catawbas also shielded missionaries from persecutions. Most of the Catawbas joined the Church and remained faithful in South Carolina.