Local leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints met with members of the Papua New Guinea Council of Churches on 19 June 2024 to share their testimonies of Jesus Christ and their visions of how churches can work together for the greater good of the nation.
The meeting was a first in Papua New Guinea for both The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and members of the Council of Churches.
Members of the Papua New Guinea Council of Churches met with representatives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on 19 June 2024 in Port Moresby.
Members of the Papua New Guinea Council of Churches met with representatives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on 19 June 2024 in Port Moresby.© 2024 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.Andrew Kau, leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Port Moresby, shared his testimony of Jesus Christ with the group. He talked about his baptism at the age of 16 and how being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ continues to bless his and his family’s lives.
President Kau served a full-time mission with the Church as a younger man, married his wife in a temple, and they are raising their children in the gospel of Jesus Christ. He now serves as president of the Port Moresby Papua New Guinea Stake of the Church. A stake is a group of congregations.
During the discussion, Church spokesperson Johnny Leota also shared his testimony of the restored Church of Jesus Christ and presented the guests with their own copies of the Book of Mormon.
“I testify that the Book of Mormon, just like the title page says, is another testament of Jesus Christ,” Leota said. Along with a copy of the Book of Mormon, each member of the Council of Churches received a copy of a document outlining the Church’s “Articles of Faith.”
“If you want to know what the Church believes,” Leota said, “it’s all right here.”
Members of the Council also received a picture of the planned temple for Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, which is currently under construction. Leota described the planned open house in advance of the temple dedication and invited them to take part.
The Papua New Guinea Council of Churches has been a key contributor in communities for over 60 years. Council Special Projects Manager Isu Aluvula said this was the first time the council had ever met with members of the Church of Jesus Christ.
During the meeting Aluvula recognized the Church’s contributions to Papua New Guinea, and that the council was looking forward to working more closely with the Church in the years to come.