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President Uchtdorf visits Fiji and Tonga
LDS Church Newsroom - Pacific Islands
Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2009
Fiji
SUVA, Fiji -- President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, met with Fijian Church members in Suva last week. His visit was part of a week-and-a-half-long tour of five Pacific nations - American Samoa, Samoa, Fiji, Tonga and Tahiti.
Vasiti (left) and Sitiveni Bale are pioneers of the Mormon Church in Fiji. They converted to the church in 1976 when there were barely 1,000 Latter-day Saints throughout the tropical islands that make up the Fijian archipelago. The Bales were among many thousands of Fiji Mormons who had the opportunity of hearing a member of the First Presidency speak directly to them. Photograph from LDS Church.
Speaking on Tues., Nov. 10 to an estimated 6,000 members and
guests at the Fiji LDS College -- and via satellite link to other locations in
Fiji, New Caledonia and Vanuatu -- President Uchtdorf encouraged Mormons to
live their lives more closely aligned with the principles of the gospel.
"The greatest blessings come from obedience to the commandments of God," he said. "Become more perfect in studying the scriptures, in abstaining from harmful substances such as alcohol and tobacco, and in being chaste. We should not rationalize one glass of wine or other sins. We should do these things because our Heavenly Father instructs us to do so."
Prior to his call in 1994 as a church leader and, ultimately, apostle, President Uchtdorf was chief pilot for Lufthansa Airlines. During his remarks he related his own professional experience in navigating through the skies with those of the seafaring peoples of yesteryear, the "wave-finders" who were ancestors of today's Pacific inhabitants.
They were able, he said, to use the signs of nature to help them navigate their way from shore to shore in the vast Pacific Ocean.
"Just as these ancients could read the movements of oceans and the stars in the constellations, the Gospel of Jesus Christ offers the tools for us to find our way back to our Heavenly Father," he said. "It allows us to chart our way through any circumstance, any challenge, in our lives."
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of the fastest growing faiths in the Pacific. This is in part attributable to its worldwide missionary program.
President Uchtdorf said that, often, those who are not Latter-day Saints will ask why the Mormon Church has such a vast missionary effort when so many of those to whom they will talk already believe in Christ.
"We praise those of other faiths who are endeavoring to be true to the principles taught by God," he said. "We love the people of all faiths and the good they do. We honor the work of those who established the Christian denominations. We do not stand in opposition to any other church. We simply want to share with them additional knowledge and great truths revealed through latter-day prophets to the people of the world."
He said church is not an American faith. "It is not a church of one nation. It is a universal church, the church of our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ."
On Wed., Nov. 11, President Uchtdorf attended a cultural celebration at the Fiji LDS College which featured performances by Latter-day Saint youth and adults of dance and song unique to many of the Pacific Island nations. A large crowd, including those viewing by satellite link, expressed loud enthusiasm for the performances.
Tonga
NUKU'ALOFA, Kingdom of Tonga -- On Thurs., Nov. 12 President Uchtdorf met with members of the LDS Church and guests at the Tonga Central Stake Center in Tonga. He urged those attending the meeting, beamed by satellite to 16 other stake centers throughout Tonga, to let their children and grandchildren know how much they loved them.
"Your children are a gift to you from Heaven," he said. "They will have their own lives, but your families will be blessed now and forever, as you stay faithful to the gospel of Jesus Christ."
President Uchtdorf encouraged the Tongan Mormons to read the scriptures as families. "Use the scriptures to bless the lives of your children," he said. "The Old Testament, New Testament, and Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, all fit together like the constellations in the sky. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a true and valid navigation system to lead us back to our Heavenly Father."
An estimated 1,000 members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints performed in a cultural celebration at the church's Liahona College on Nov. 13.
The celebration was held in conjunction with President Uchtdorf's visit to Tonga. It took place on the rugby fields of the Liahona College campus, close to the Nuku'alofa Tonga Temple.
Including the performers, around 2,000 enjoyed the evening. Members of the church were joined by leaders from government, other churches and the community.
13-year-old Seini Vamanrav, from the village of Ngele'ia, said she felt blessed to have the opportunity to perform in front of President Uchtdorf as well as church members and guests at the celebration.
Aloha Dillon Mahe, 15, from the neighboring village of Halaleva, agreed. "I feel very blessed to have this opportunity," he said.
Seini, Aloha and around 100 others from their stake performed a dance called "Laka Laka." Their performance depicted certain events from the life of Joseph Smith, the first president of the LDS Church.
President Ucthdorf will travel next to French Polynesia to meet with Mormons there, before returning to the United States.
Read the original stories from the official LDS Church Newsroom for the Pacific Islands:
Church Leader Encourages Fijian Latter-day Saints (PDF file)
Tongan Latter-day Saints Share Talents with President Uchtdorf
SUVA, Fiji -- President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, met with Fijian Church members in Suva last week. His visit was part of a week-and-a-half-long tour of five Pacific nations - American Samoa, Samoa, Fiji, Tonga and Tahiti.
Vasiti (left) and Sitiveni Bale are pioneers of the Mormon Church in Fiji. They converted to the church in 1976 when there were barely 1,000 Latter-day Saints throughout the tropical islands that make up the Fijian archipelago. The Bales were among many thousands of Fiji Mormons who had the opportunity of hearing a member of the First Presidency speak directly to them. Photograph from LDS Church.
"The greatest blessings come from obedience to the commandments of God," he said. "Become more perfect in studying the scriptures, in abstaining from harmful substances such as alcohol and tobacco, and in being chaste. We should not rationalize one glass of wine or other sins. We should do these things because our Heavenly Father instructs us to do so."
Prior to his call in 1994 as a church leader and, ultimately, apostle, President Uchtdorf was chief pilot for Lufthansa Airlines. During his remarks he related his own professional experience in navigating through the skies with those of the seafaring peoples of yesteryear, the "wave-finders" who were ancestors of today's Pacific inhabitants.
They were able, he said, to use the signs of nature to help them navigate their way from shore to shore in the vast Pacific Ocean.
"Just as these ancients could read the movements of oceans and the stars in the constellations, the Gospel of Jesus Christ offers the tools for us to find our way back to our Heavenly Father," he said. "It allows us to chart our way through any circumstance, any challenge, in our lives."
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of the fastest growing faiths in the Pacific. This is in part attributable to its worldwide missionary program.
President Uchtdorf said that, often, those who are not Latter-day Saints will ask why the Mormon Church has such a vast missionary effort when so many of those to whom they will talk already believe in Christ.
"We praise those of other faiths who are endeavoring to be true to the principles taught by God," he said. "We love the people of all faiths and the good they do. We honor the work of those who established the Christian denominations. We do not stand in opposition to any other church. We simply want to share with them additional knowledge and great truths revealed through latter-day prophets to the people of the world."
He said church is not an American faith. "It is not a church of one nation. It is a universal church, the church of our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ."
On Wed., Nov. 11, President Uchtdorf attended a cultural celebration at the Fiji LDS College which featured performances by Latter-day Saint youth and adults of dance and song unique to many of the Pacific Island nations. A large crowd, including those viewing by satellite link, expressed loud enthusiasm for the performances.
Tonga
NUKU'ALOFA, Kingdom of Tonga -- On Thurs., Nov. 12 President Uchtdorf met with members of the LDS Church and guests at the Tonga Central Stake Center in Tonga. He urged those attending the meeting, beamed by satellite to 16 other stake centers throughout Tonga, to let their children and grandchildren know how much they loved them.
"Your children are a gift to you from Heaven," he said. "They will have their own lives, but your families will be blessed now and forever, as you stay faithful to the gospel of Jesus Christ."
President Uchtdorf encouraged the Tongan Mormons to read the scriptures as families. "Use the scriptures to bless the lives of your children," he said. "The Old Testament, New Testament, and Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, all fit together like the constellations in the sky. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a true and valid navigation system to lead us back to our Heavenly Father."
An estimated 1,000 members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints performed in a cultural celebration at the church's Liahona College on Nov. 13.
The celebration was held in conjunction with President Uchtdorf's visit to Tonga. It took place on the rugby fields of the Liahona College campus, close to the Nuku'alofa Tonga Temple.
Including the performers, around 2,000 enjoyed the evening. Members of the church were joined by leaders from government, other churches and the community.
13-year-old Seini Vamanrav, from the village of Ngele'ia, said she felt blessed to have the opportunity to perform in front of President Uchtdorf as well as church members and guests at the celebration.
Aloha Dillon Mahe, 15, from the neighboring village of Halaleva, agreed. "I feel very blessed to have this opportunity," he said.
Seini, Aloha and around 100 others from their stake performed a dance called "Laka Laka." Their performance depicted certain events from the life of Joseph Smith, the first president of the LDS Church.
President Ucthdorf will travel next to French Polynesia to meet with Mormons there, before returning to the United States.
Read the original stories from the official LDS Church Newsroom for the Pacific Islands:
Church Leader Encourages Fijian Latter-day Saints (PDF file)
Tongan Latter-day Saints Share Talents with President Uchtdorf
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