“Some time in the future you will look back on this day and say, ‘I remember when this historic event occurred,’” remarked Elder James J. Hamula, Pacific Area President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, at the formation of the Kiritimati Island Kiribati District on 18 June 2014.
In his remarks to those gathered to participate in the district organization, Elder Hamula compared their spiritual journey to that of navigating a boat.
“If you will attend church, read your scriptures regularly and pray in your homes daily,” he said, “you will learn how to navigate successfully through the wilderness of mortal life as your fathers learned to navigate through the wilderness of ocean around you."
"Like the boats that carried your fathers to the safety of these distant shores, this Church will lead you to the distant shores of the kingdom of God where you will find eternal safety. Don't ever abandon this boat."
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The Kiritimati Island Kiribati District consists of approximately 1,200 members meeting in five different branches of the Church. Kiritimati Island Kiribati District is part of the Marshall Islands Majuro Mission. Church membership in Kiribati now exceeds 16,000.
Kiritimati Island is sometimes referred to as Christmas Island.
Marshall Islands Majuro Mission President, Thomas Weir, accompanied Elder Hamula at the conference on Kiritimati Island.
Creation of the district is in recognition of Church growth as well as Church leadership in the area. Congregations are organized geographically and according to membership. Where fewer members reside, they may be organized into a district. Each district is made up of smaller congregations, called branches. As a district grows, it can develop into a stake, similar to a Catholic diocese. Stakes are made up of individual congregations called wards which then replace district branches.