Elder Adolf J. Johansson, Area Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was recently welcomed by members of the Port Vila Stake to its two day, semi-annual conference.
The conference held special significance for Church members as it marked one year since the organization of the stake.
A stake is a unit of the Church composed of congregations in a geographical area, similar to a diocese in other Christian churches. A stake is led by a local, lay leaders.
Twice a year Church members from the congregations in a stake, in this case all those in Vanuatu, meet together in a conference to be lifted spiritually, to receive gospel instruction and to strengthen one another as followers of Jesus Christ.
“The conference was an enriching and emotional experience for us Church members and our guests,” said Port Vila resident Christiane Tounguen. “The power and depth of the messages has humbled many and has given encouraging counsel to individuals and families.”
At the meetings Elder Johansson, the senior Church leader who is assigned to support stakes in Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Kiribati and Marshall Islands, shared his love of the Saviour and his love for those in attendance as he taught and guided the messages of the conference.
Messages included counsel to have faith in God and to believe that He answers prayers, for wives and husbands to love each other and to show their love towards their children, and to pay an honest tithe.
The conference was attended by over 1,700 people altogether. There were extra tents set up around the compound to cater for those attendees who could not fit in the meetinghouse chapel.
Other Church leaders in attendance were President Paul W. Granger and his wife Gayle A. Granger who lead the Port Vila Vanuatu Mission, Yvon Jacque Basil who leads the stake as president, and his two counsellors Thidgine Kalmert Kalpoi and Paul Arong Kaun.