New Caledonian Saints Feel God’s Love During Temple Visit

A group of young people from New Caledonia recently travelled to French Polynesia, where they say they felt God’s love in their lives as they performed important vicarious ordinances for their ancestors in the Papeete Tahiti Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The nine young adults are all members of the Noumea New Caledonia Stake of the Church. A stake is a large organization of congregations.

Members of the Church believe that they can offer the blessings of salvation to their ancestors through ordinances performed in temples, including baptism. This work is done as members research and identify their ancestors, and then enter the temple to serve as living proxies on behalf of their deceased relatives.

It is a selfless form of service that builds deep connections to forebearers, and a love for God and all of His children.

After the long trip from New Caledonia, the young adults arrived very late on the evening on Friday, 30 June 2023. They began their temple service early on Saturday morning, performing baptisms on behalf of their ancestors.

They returned to the temple three days later, where nine members of the group received the endowment ordinance.

They were supported in their efforts by three recently returned missionaries of the Church, who had completed full-time missions in Vanuatu.

Théotime Smatti was among the first missionaries to serve a mission from New Caledonia following the Covid-19 pandemic. He, Stewart Parau and Meendy Bearune, returned to New Caledonia from Port Villa, Vanuatu just in time to join the entire group for their trip to French Polynesia.

The three former missionaries felt it was important to support this group of young adults in their work on behalf of their ancestors, as they have already completed their own personal temple ordinances.

“My mission experiences taught me a lot, and I learned to see people like Heavenly Father does,” said Smatti. “My testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ grew throughout my mission as I saw it change me and those that I taught.”

“The Savior changed my life in so many ways as I learned to love and to know Him,” Smatti added. “It is important for me to be here supporting these other young people.”

“The blessing of doing this work and receiving these ordinances will be a huge spiritual help to them in their future lives,” Smatti said.

Yannick Tama, one of the senior leaders in the Noumea New Caledonia stake, said he was honored to travel with the group to French Polynesia. “It’s really important to help our youth see themselves on the path the Savior has outlined,” he said.