Members of the Melbourne Australia Wyndham Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in Melbourne’s west, sustained a new stake president recently.
A stake is a group of Latter-day Saint congregations.
On Sunday 13 June, Elders K. Brett Nattress and Carl R. Maurer of the Seventy, under the direction of the
First Presidency, honourably released President Emmanuel Richards and his counsellors, Maliko Sauvao and Darryl Taula, due to President Richards' imminent departure for Queensland.
Darryl Taula was called as the new stake president, with Sione Tau as first counsellor and Sulusi Eteru as second counsellor.
DOWNLOADPresident Taula, who is self-employed in the construction industry, and his wife Nayla have five growing sons. President Tau, a digital data operations manager, and his wife Phoebe have two daughters. President Eteru, an education support officer, and his wife Katrina have three sons and one daughter.
In his final address to members and friends of the Wyndham Stake, President Richards reminded members that they attend church for God, and not for others. He talked of his deep love of the scriptures and how they had guided him and provided answers in every circumstance of his service. He referred to the simple truths and strength contained in Mosiah 4:7 (The Book of Mormon), "Believe that God is and that he created all things."
President Richards commented that during his service, the stake has seen some significant firsts. The first time two meetinghouses have been built on one site in Australia, to accommodate the rapid growth of the Church in this area; and the first time face-to-face meetings have been suspended, and church as we knew it, pivoted to accommodate different ways of worship and service.
President Taula said, “My hope for Wyndham Stake is for us to trust in God; trust in His plan; trust to know that if we have faith in Him, we will overcome, and He will use us to be a strength for others. The Atonement [of Jesus Christ] is the power that helps our weaknesses become strengths. We will hear God’s word through the prophets and the scriptures. May we live in such a way that we will know when God speaks to us and then follow those promptings.”
According to one attendee, "The spirit was abundant and tears of testimony, love, gratitude and spiritual confirmation flowed freely for members of the stake, many of whom met for the first time in three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic."
After the closing prayer, there were warm embraces of gratitude and congratulations as the choir sang "God Be with You Till We Meet Again."
Newsroom contributor: Yvette Barnes.
