Salt Lake City, Utah, USA may be a long way from the South Pacific, but it is now home to three young women from Tahiti, New Caledonia and Fiji currently serving on historic Temple Square as missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
“I am from New Caledonia, a little island between Australia and Fiji,” said Joyce Guidi, a missionary who loves teaching visitors to Temple Square and enjoys seeing how the gospel message is received by others.
“Serving here on Temple Square, I have been able to see how the gospel of Jesus Christ blesses lives and that the Church is the same for everyone around the world. We really have a love for the gospel which links each other together.”
Female missionaries are referred to as "Sister."
Sister Guidi continues: “Many people come here to Temple Square because they are looking for something that will bring happiness to their lives and they are really able to connect with the missionaries here. They see our smiles and the light in our faces and they want to have that in their lives as well. This gospel is inspired by God and even though life for some people can be hard, it is an amazing thing that can make people so happy.”
Missionaries serving on Temple Square come from all over the world to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ to visitors. The 35-acre area draws millions of visitors annually where they can participate in free tours available in 30 languages spoken by native-speaking missionaries.
A fellow missionary from Fiji, Emele Talatoka says, “As a missionary on Temple Square, we talk to many people of different countries and faiths."
"I just recently joined the Church after I met the missionaries in my home country. I decided to go on a mission because when the missionaries taught me and helped me understand what my purpose in life is, I wanted to share these things with others. When I teach people about the gospel I find that my own testimony is strengthened. I really love serving on Temple Square.”
Sister Teuruna Turina, a missionary from Tahiti, has been a member of the Church all of her life. She is proud of the fact that she comes from the French Polynesian island of Tubuai, where the first Latter-day Saint missionaries to the Pacific arrived to teach the gospel.
“My ancestors were the first members of the Church in Tubuai, when the missionaries came in 1844,” she said.
She continues: “Several years ago I talked to a friend who told me about her experiences as a missionary and then I began to ponder about whether I needed to go on a mission. I’m so glad to be a missionary right now and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to help people to know more about how they can return to God. I’m so glad to be serving at Temple Square. It is an amazing place.”
Historic Temple Square, in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City, is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Utah, and is the location for the world headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The centrepiece of the square is the majestic Salt Lake Temple, which took 40 years to build.
Additional draws to Temple Square are the renowned research libraries, cultural activities and other historic buildings.