New Zealand Panmure Stake Hosts Historic te reo Māori Sacrament Meeting

Te reo Māori, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand, is the language many use when they want to speak of the most spiritual feelings and experiences of their lives.

Knowing that, it’s easy to understand why it’s inseparably connected to many Latter-day Saints’ faith in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

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“It’s not just a cultural language; it’s a source language, said Tāmati Patuwai, a member of the Panmure Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

“It feels right for us to speak Māori. It feels right for us, especially in spiritual matters, to speak in the Māori tongue.”

And that’s what happened on Sunday, February 23, in Mt. Wellington Auckland, New Zealand. Māori members and friends of the Church gathered for a sacrament meeting where te reo Māori was the language of the prayers said, the hymns sung, and the sacraments offered.

His love for te reo Māori and the restored gospel is what brought Micah Rapata to the meeting. “They are the two most beautiful things to me in the world, and to have the opportunity to bring them together and to celebrate them in the same place is a real treasure.”

Many in attendance shared that same feeling, including Jennifer Barnette. “It’s nice to have our language heard within the walls of church buildings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”

Elder Jared V. Ormsby, an Area Seventy in the Church from New Zealand with Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Ranginui, and Ngāti Pikiao whakapapa, offered the entirety of his remarks in te reo Māori.

Following him, Elder Taniela B. Wakolo of the Pacific Area Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said, “Today is a memorable occasion for Māori. We hope that it’s the beginning of many things regarding Māori language.”

“We need to encourage it here in the Pacific Area. We hope it’s a beginning of many things to come. This year is the 25th anniversary of the “The Living Christ” and this year is the dedication of the Auckland Temple.”

Hearing their words, Tui Hawke, one of the Māori speakers at the meeting, said, “It felt like a big korowai – a korowai is a Māori cloak that you put over someone.”

“It felt like a korowai of aroha, so a cloak of love from our leaders to us saying that they’re here with us, they see us and they’re supporting us as Māori to celebrate and to use the beautiful language our ancestors left us.”