Just like pieces of a patchwork quilt connect together, telling a story of an earlier life, so goes the work of volunteer Latter-day Saint missionaries as they fit together pieces of New Zealand history.
New Zealand Latter-day Saint missionaries Vic and Rangi Parker have joined forces with American missionaries Randy and Margaret Olsen – labouring to collect artefacts, photos, and written and spoken histories of Latter-day Saints in New Zealand.
It was during one of their fact-finding expeditions recently they came across Mita Watene and learned more of the history of Latter-day Saints in Thames.
Through the course of conversations with Mr Watene and others from the Thames area the Olsens and Parkers learned that what is thought to be the original Kirikiri chapel – constructed out of wood – was destroyed in a wind storm around 100 years ago.
This fact didn’t dampen the spirits of faithful Latter-day Saints in the area who set out to find a way to build a more permanent house of worship.
Built in 1918 on land donated by the Watene family, another chapel was constructed by volunteer labourers, using material and money donated by members of the Church.
The chapel became a place of worship to several generations of the Watene family and others. According to Mr Watene, “We as a family had our church services, amongst all our family in this area, our cousins and relations.”
Mr Watene is a descendant of Matene Te Nga, a prominent Maori chief who was baptised a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at age 91.
From 1952 to 1958 Mr Watene served as a labour missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Labour missionaries were involved in building Latter-day Saint chapels; the Church College of New Zealand in Temple View, Hamilton; and the faith’s only temple in New Zealand, also in Temple View.
According to Sister Rangi Parker, “Down through the generations the Watenes and their extended family played a big part in the development of the Church within the Thames Hauraki Area.”
Today Mr Watene’s home is on the site where the second Kirikiri Chapel once stood. After the church building was demolished in 1970, the land was returned to the Watene family and the cornerstone was presented to Mr Watene.
He kept it at his home until his recent meeting with the Parkers and Olsens where he graciously offered it for safe keeping in the New Zealand Church History Centre in Hamilton.
A third Latter-day Saint chapel was built in the 1970’s, close by to the site of the second. This building was subsequently sold to a local organization and is now used for other purposes.
Today Thames Latter-day Saints attend church services in Paeroa.
The New Zealand Church History Centre is located in Temple View, Hamilton and is home to many artefacts, photos, letters, journals and other historical items.
Elder Olsen noted, “The collection grows almost daily, particularly when you consider the number of video and oral histories we record.” The Centre welcomes all contributions from people wanting to preserve Latter-day Saint, Maori and other New Zealand histories.
Latter-day Saints place a strong emphasis on recording and preserving personal, family and congregational histories.
In 2013, emeritus general authority in the Church, Elder John H. Groberg, asked the question, “"Why is the writing of personal and family histories so important?”
He continued: “There are many reasons. I will focus on just a few. ... By writing personal and family histories and doing the research required thereby, we inevitably have our hearts turned to our fathers as well as to our children. ... Also, by writing personal and family histories, we are helped immeasurably in gaining a true, eternal perspective of life."
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a strong presence in the South Pacific region with around 500,000 members; 1,173 congregations; and 10 temples.