The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Fiji

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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Fiji
LDS Church logo - fij.png
(Logo in Fijian)
Flag of Fiji.svg
Membership22,154 (2019)[1]
Stakes4
Districts3
Wards27
Branches24
Total Congregations51
Missions1
Temples1
Family History Centers10[2]


The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Fiji refers to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and its members in Fiji. The first branch (small congregation) was formed in 1955. As of December 31, 2019, there were 22,154 members in 51 congregations in Fiji.[1]

History[]

Membership in Fiji
YearMembership
1973 1,500
1980 4,117
1989* 6,700
1999 11,998
2009 15,242
2019 22,154
*Membership was published as a rounded number.
Source: Windall J. Ashton; Jim M. Wall, Deseret News, various years, Church Almanac Country Information: Fiji[1]

LDS Church leaders, apostle David O. McKay and Hugh J. Cannon, visited the Fiji Islands in 1921 and did not feel impressed at that time to introduce the church to these islands. The first known member to live in Fiji was Mary Ashley, who moved to Suva from Tonga in 1924. The first regular visits to Fiji began in 1953, with the first permanently assigned missionaries arriving the next year. On 23 January 1954, Ashley's eleven-year-old daughter, Margaret, was baptized at Laucala Beach Estate. This was the church's first baptism performed and recorded in Fiji. The church's first recorded meeting was held on 25 July 1954, in the Matanisiga Hall in Toorak, Suva.[3]

Fijian men were initially restricted from getting the priesthood but this changed in 1955, when the church determined that Fijians were Melanesian in origin and eligible for ordination.[4] After visiting the island in 1955, McKay, who was then serving as church president, opened the first branch in Fiji and called on missionaries to increase outreach to Fijians and Indians.

Membership growth began in earnest as the church focused resources and efforts on the Fiji islanders. Gideon Dolo was the first Fijian to serve a mission, leaving in February 1959. In 1975, the church-owned Fiji Technical College was opened. The first stake in Fiji, the Suva Fiji Stake was organized 12 June 1983, with Inosi Naga as president. A stake was later created in Viti Levu, with districts created in Vanua Levu and Taveuni due to congregation and membership expansion. The number of congregations increased rapidly in the 1990s, from 19 to 41.[5] The Suva Fiji Temple was dedicated on 18 June 2000. Congregation and membership growth continues to trend upwards in the 2000s and 2010s.[citation needed]

As of 2019, the LDS Church operated two Fijian-speaking congregations outside of Fiji – both of which were located in California: the Sacramento 4th Ward and the San Francisco 2nd Branch.[6] In 2020, the LDS Church canceled services and other public gatherings indefinitely in response to the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.[7]

Stakes and Districts[]

As of February 2021, the following stakess and district exist in Fiji:[8]

Fijian translation of the Book of Mormon

Fiji

  • Korovou Fiji District
  • Labasa Fiji District
  • Lautoka Fiji Stake
  • Nausori Fiji Stake
  • Suva Fiji North Stake
  • Suva Fiji Stake
  • Taveuni Fiji District

Mission[]

  • Fiji Suva Mission

Suva Fiji Temple[]

Main article: Suva Fiji Temple

On June 18, 2000 the Suva Fiji Temple was dedicated by church president Gordon B. Hinckley.

Suva Fiji Temple by bhaskarroo cropped.jpg

91. Suva Fiji Temple

Location:
Announced:
Dedicated:
Rededicated:
 Size:
Style:

Suva, Fiji
7 May 1998
18 June 2000 by Gordon B. Hinckley
21 February 2016[9] by Henry B. Eyring
12,755 sq ft (1,185 m2) and 71 ft (22 m) high on a 4.7 acre (1.9 ha) site
Classic modern, single-spire design - designed by Conway Beg


Prominent members[]

Bruce Ferguson was a professional rugby player for the Japanese National Team from 1993 to 1997.[10]

Semi Radradra professional rugby player, two time Olympic gold medalist in 2016, 2020.

Taniela B. Wakolo was sustained as an LDS Church general authority on April 1, 2017.[11]

Taito Waradi is a Fijian business and government leader who has served as general manager of Telecom Fiji, as President of the Fiji Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and as the Government Minister for Commerce.[12]

See also[]

  • Religion in Fiji: Latter Day Saints

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Facts and Statistics: Statistics by Country: Fiji", Newsroom, LDS Church, retrieved 26 July 2021
  2. ^ Category:Fiji Family History Centers, familysearch.org, retrieved 26 July 2021
  3. ^ Jacob, W. James, and Meli U. Lesuma. (2005). "History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Fiji". Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  4. ^ Gregory A. Prince, William Robert Wright (2005). David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism. p. 80. ISBN 9780874808223.
  5. ^ Statistical Profile
  6. ^ Fiji
  7. ^ Lovett, Ian. "Mormon Church Cancels Services World-Wide Amid Coronavirus Crisis", The Wall Street Journal, 12 March 2020. Retrieved on 3 April 2020.
  8. ^ "Suva Fiji Temple District", churchofjesuschristtemples.org, retrieved 2021-02-17
  9. ^ "President Eyring Rededicates Suva Fiji Temple: Major cyclone doesn't discourage Latter-day Saints' participation", Newsroom, LDS Church, 2016-02-21
  10. ^ History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Fiji, 2005
  11. ^ Taniela B. Wakolo
  12. ^ History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Fiji, 2005

External links[]

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