Latter-day Saints Around the Pacific: 2024 in Review

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from Perth to Papeete, and from Port Moresby to Port Vila—and in many other places across the Pacific Area—have been strengthening faith in Jesus Christ and serving others throughout 2024.

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The following articles and videos help tell the story of Pacific Latter-day Saints in 2024. 

January: 

New Zealand teens, ages 14-15 years, started the new year participating in a "For the Strength of Youth" conference (FSY) at Kings College in Auckland from 1-5 January 2024.

This is the first FSY to be held in the Church in 2024 and with the theme of “I Am a Disciple of Christ.” 

February:

Elder Jeremy R. Jaggi of the Seventy and a member of the Pacific Area Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and his wife, Sister Amy Jaggi, shared the podium with several young people during a youth devotional in Melbourne, Australia on Sunday evening, 25 February.

The theme of the devotional, “I am a disciple of Jesus Christ,” was introduced by former Ethiopia mission leaders, Robert and Darice Dudfield.

March:

During a 10-day ministry that included meetings with the prime ministers of Samoa and Fiji, Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles visited Latter-day Saints across the Pacific Area of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to share his apostolic wisdom and love.

April:

Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints joined with over 10,000 members and friends of the Church this weekend to celebrate the 180th anniversary of the arrival of the first missionaries to French Polynesia.

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May:

Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles reminded attendees at a special conference in the Marshall Islands that “God loves the people of the islands of the sea.”

The statement from the Apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during final meeting of his ministry tour of Australia, Fiji, Kiribati and the Marshall Islands May 19-26, encapsulated his teachings in the Church’s Pacific Area.

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June:

Representatives of the Australian diplomatic community gathered to celebrate World Caring Day in Canberra, Australia on Friday, 8 June.

At a dinner in Australia’s capital city, diplomats representing Tonga, Pakistan, Ghana, Mongolia, and India discussed some of the ways people of faith and goodwill are caring for those in need.

The event was hosted by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

July:

Every July, members and friends of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Utah, USA, and some other locations, celebrate Pioneer Day (24 July). 

Some Church members in the Pacific Area also celebrate the arrival of the first pioneers in the Salt Lake Valley in 1847.

In addition to this, Latter-day Saints in Oceania also have a rich heritage across the region.

August:

His Excellency the Honourable Chris Dawson AC APM, Governor of Western Australia, hosted a prayer breakfast for community leaders in Perth on Friday, 2 August.

President of the Pacific Area of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Elder Peter F. Meurs, and his wife, Sister Maxine Meurs, attended the prayer breakfast.

September:

The 53rd Pacific Islands Forum was hosted last week by the Kingdom of Tonga and chaired by its Prime Minister, Hon Hu’akavemeiliku Siaosi Sovaleni.

With such a large group of delegates from all over the South Pacific gathering in Tonga, there was a need for safe and secure transportation for dignitaries so they could attend the various forum meetings.

At the request of the government of Tonga, President Richard Kaufusi of the Tonga Nuku’alofa Mission worked with government officials to coordinate the missionaries and their vehicles to fill this need.

October:

Many rural communities in Fiji face great difficulty accessing basic medical and dental care due to their remote locations. 

New medical dispensaries are providing village nurses with medicine and other supplies they require to care for those in need. Each dispensary offers a facility where remote service providers such as dentists, women’s healthcare specialists and others can come to provide additional services which the local village nurse is not equipped to provide. These services are now available to villagers without having to travel long distances. 

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November:

Bright and early on Saturday the 2nd of November, the skies and the sea were blue, and the sun was shining.

A group of enthusiastic members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were busying themselves with the final checks and preparations needed for receiving guests at the Tarawa Kiribati Temple Groundbreaking, scheduled for later in the day.

The groundbreaking ceremony formally signals the commencement of the temple’s construction and is a reason for great rejoicing among the more than 28,000 Latter-day Saints living on the coral atolls and islets that make up the nations of the Republic of Kiribati and the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

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December: 

Members and friends of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ on Saturday, 7 December 2024 at New Zealand’s Auckland Town Hall.

The Auckland Symphony Orchestra was supported by local Latter-day Saints and other singers and performers to bring a festive and holy experience to guests at the historic venue. The majority of the 86-voice choir were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.