The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is preparing to break ground for the Pago Pago American Samoa Temple this weekend.
Elder K. Brett Nattress of the Pacific Area Presidency and Elder Faapito Auapaau, Area Seventy, will attend a ground-breaking meeting at the site on Saturday 30 October.
DOWNLOADLocal Church leaders and members will also attend, as well as guests from the Government, faith and community leaders.
Members and friends of the Church in American Samoa can watch the proceedings live at stake centres in the territory.
A video of the ground-breaking event will be re-broadcast on Sunday 31 October Sunday, 8pm (Pago Pago time) and Monday 1 November Monday, 8pm (New Zealand time) at https://www.facebook.com/ChurchofJesusChristPacific.
There are approximately 16,000 Latter-day Saints in American Samoa, and 43 congregations. Read more about the Church in American Samoa.
Newsroom states that “Latter-day Saints consider temples to be the ‘house of the Lord’ and the most sacred places of worship on earth. Temples differ from the Church’s meetinghouses (chapels). All are welcome to attend Sunday worship services and other weekday activities at local meetinghouses. The primary purpose of temples, however, is for faithful members of the church to participate in sacred ceremonies, such as marriages, which unite families forever, and proxy baptisms on behalf of deceased ancestors who did not have the opportunity while living.”
Read more about temples at Newsroom.