The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Fiji

As of 6 April 2019, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reported 21,227 members in four stakes, three district, and 50 congregations, one mission, and one temple in Fiji.[1][2] Currently one in forty three Fiji islanders is identified as a member of the LDS Church.

Fijian translation of the Book of Mormon

History

Elder David O. McKay and Elder Hugh J. Cannon visited the Fiji Islands in 1921 and did not feel impressed at that time to introduce the Church to these islands. The first known member to live in Fiji was Mary Ashley, who moved to Suva from Tonga in 1924. The first regular missionary visits to Fiji began in 1953, with the first permanently assigned missionaries arriving the next year. On 23 January 1954, Sister Ashely's eleven-year-old daughter Margaret was baptized at Laucala Beach Estate. This is the first recorded baptism of the Church performed in Fiji. The first recorded meeting of the Church was held 25 July 1954 in the Matanisiga Hall in Toorak, Suva.[3]

Fijian men were initially restricted from getting the priesthood but this changed in 1955. In 1955, the church issued a study and determined that Fijians were Melanesian in origin and eligible for Priesthood ordination.[4] After visiting the island in 1955, church president David O. McKay, opened the first LDS branch in Fiji, calling missionaries to increase outreach to Fijians and Indians.

Membership growth began in earnest as the Church focused resources and efforts on the Fiji islanders. Gideon Dolo was the first Fijian to serve a mission, leaving in February 1959. In 1975, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Fiji Technical College was opened. The first Stake in Fiji, the Suva Fiji Stake was organized 12 June 1983, with Inosi Naga as president. Stakes were created in Viti Levu and Districts in Vanua Levu and Taveuni due to congregation and membership expansion. The number of congregations increased rapidly in the 1990s form 19 to 41.[5] The Suva Fiji Temple was dedicated on 18 June 2000. Congregation and membership growth continues to trend upwards in the 2000s and 2010s.

In 2019, the Church operated two Fijian-speaking congregations outside of Fiji – both of which were located in California: the Sacramento 4th Ward and the San Francisco 2nd Branch.[6] In 2020, the LDS Church canceled services and other public gatherings indefinitely in response to the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.[7]

Missions

Suva Fiji Temple
Main article: Suva Fiji Temple

On June 18, 2000 the Suva Fiji Temple was dedicated by President Gordon B. Hinckley.

 91. Suva Fiji Temple

Location:
Announced:
Dedicated:
Rededicated:
 Size:
Style:

Suva, Fiji
7 May 1998
18 June 2000 by Gordon B. Hinckley
21 February 2016[8] by Henry B. Eyring
10,700 sq ft (990 m2) and 71 ft (22 m) high on a 4.7 acre (1.9 ha) site
Classic modern, single-spire design - designed by Conway Beg

Prominent Fiji Islander LDS Church Members

Elder Taniela B. Wakolo was sustained as a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 1, 2017.[9]

Bruce Ferguson (rugby player) was a professional rugby player for the Japanese National team from 1993–1997.[10]

See also

References
  1. "Facts and Statistics: Statistics by Country: Fiji", Newsroom, LDS Church, 19 April 2019, retrieved 2019-04-18
  2. "Country information: Fiji", Church News Online Almanac, Deseret News, April 19, 2019, retrieved 2012-10-18
  3. Jacob, W. James, and Meli U. Lesuma. (2005). "History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Fiji". Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  4. Gregory A. Prince, William Robert Wright (2005). David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism. p. 80. ISBN 9780874808223.
  5. http://www.cumorah.com/index.php?target=countries&cnt_res=2&wid=75&cmdfind=Search Missing or empty |title= (help)
  6. http://www.cumorah.com/index.php?target=view_country_reports&story_id=162 Missing or empty |title= (help)
  7. Lovett, Ian. "Mormon Church Cancels Services World-Wide Amid Coronavirus Crisis", The Wall Street Journal, 12 March 2020. Retrieved on 3 April 2020.
  8. "President Eyring Rededicates Suva Fiji Temple: Major cyclone doesn't discourage Latter-day Saints' participation", Newsroom, LDS Church, 2016-02-21
  9. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/church/leader/taniela-b-wakolo?lang=eng Missing or empty |title= (help)
  10. https://rsc.byu.edu/archived/pioneers-pacific/stories-and-histories/20-history-church-jesus-christ-latter-day-saints Missing or empty |title= (help)
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