Latter-day Saints in American Samoa View Conference in Five Languages

This past week members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in American Samoa viewed the church’s Semi-annual General Conference in five different languages: Samoan, English, Tongan, Tagalog and Fijian.

These conferences--held each April and October in Salt Lake City, Utah--give members an opportunity to hear church leaders speak on a variety of spiritual topics and testify of the mission and divinity of the Saviour, Jesus Christ.

The sermons are simultaneously interpreted into nearly 100 different languages by native speakers so that all may hear the messages in their own languages.

Several meetinghouses in American Samoa are equipped with satellite receivers, sound systems, and video display equipment so that conference can be shown in different languages, as needed. Regular Sunday services are normally conducted in Samoan in local LDS congregations. Since English is a common and popular second language the meetinghouses are often set up to show general conference in Samoan in one room and English in another.

There are three Tongan and four Samoan-speaking congregations in the Pago Pago Samoa Central Stake (a stake is an ecclesiastical unit comprising several congregations), so for conference local leaders provide three options: Samoan, English and Tongan.

The Pago Pago Samoa West Stake is home to five Samoan-speaking congregations and the Mesepa International Ward. Many members of the International Ward come from various English-speaking countries but a growing number come from Fiji and the Philippines. Regular Sunday meetings are conducted in English, a language that nearly everyone there understands. Live interpretation into Tagalog is offered via headphones. A separate Tagalog language Sunday school class has recently been started.

For general conference, the stake leaders decided to set up their meetinghouse to show the sessions in Samoan in the large cultural hall, English in the chapel, Fijian in the Primary room and Tagalog in a large class room.

Asked what he thought about having conference broadcast in so many different languages, Phil Purcell, a Samoan member of the Pago Pago Samoa West Stake, said, “It’s good.  We’re growing and it’s good to expand.”

The Browns are a Samoan family.  The Father, Mau, attended the Samoan language session.  Though he can speak English, he is more comfortable listening in Samoan and feels he understands the messages better.

When asked about this conference he said, “I enjoyed the teachings about children, their relationship to their parents, and the importance of family. I also liked the talk about the importance of callings and how you serve,” Mau said in Samoan.

His wife, Mara, and daughter, Maureen, however, chose to attend the English session. 

The Tagalog session of conference was attended not only by Filipino members and missionaries, but also by two members of other faiths who wanted to learn more.

Meeting the language needs of its members is a priority for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  The Church’s General Conference is simultaneously interpreted into 92 languages, so that members throughout the world can hear messages of hope and guidance and testimonies of the Savior Jesus Christ from their leaders.  Broadcasts are also offered with sign language and closed captioning.  It is also streamed live over the internet from the LDS.org website and the Mormon Channel.