The Church’s rich past in the Pacific Islands may surprise all but the most astute students of Mormon history.
Missionaries first arrived in French Polynesia in 1844 on assignment from the Prophet Joseph Smith himself. There they shared the message of the gospel three years before the Mormon Pioneers began settling the Salt Lake Valley.
The Pacific Area has become a true power in the Church in the 169 years since the arrival of those first missionaries. Almost a half-million members live in the region, belonging to more than 100 stakes. Ten temples dot the area map, stretching from Perth, Australia, to Papeete, Tahiti.