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Micronesia Guam Mission logo. Courtesy of Phillip G. Pulsipher.

To conclude our journey through Micronesia, let’s focus on essential landmarks of stakes, missions, stakes, and temples as seen through the eyes of mission leaders. Because Guam is geographically isolated from both Asia and the United States, administrative leadership of missionaries moved from Hawai’i in 1951 to Guam in 1980. When the Micronesia Guam Mission was created on April 1, 1980, mission leaders had a new communication and transportation hub within Micronesia, which offered solutions to vexing problems of administering the work from afar. I will focus on accounts of mission leaders, major challenges, and milestones on the way to the culminating achievement of establishing stakes and erecting temples in Micronesia.

Headquartered in Barrigada, Guam, leaders of the Micronesia Guam Mission initially wrote letters to island leaders since personal travel across such a vast mission area was costly and often impractical. In time they supervised missionaries and branch and district leaders via sporadic visits, traveling tens of thousands of miles on Continental Airlines island-hopper flights and by boat to outlying islands. Missionaries and converts worked closely together to navigate challenges such as communicating the gospel message in nearly a dozen languages, translating scriptures, leasing land, building meetinghouses, and facing cultural and family pressure to return to mainstream Christian religions or to keep using alcohol, tobacco, sakau (kava), or betel nut. Natural disasters posed additional threats to local members and missionaries.

Ferron and Faye Losee/Ned Winder (1980–83)

From 1951 to 1980, area leaders supervised members and missionaries in Guam and Micronesia from far-away Hawai‘i. Palau and Oahu were five thousand miles apart (about the same distance from London to the Great Wall of China). To solve communication problems and bring leadership for all of Micronesia directly to Guam, General Authorities called Ferron C. Losee, a counselor in the Hawaii Honolulu Mission presidency, as president of the new Micronesia Guam Mission beginning April 1, 1980. At that time, it covered the largest geographical area of any mission in the world, an area larger than the continental United States. Losee had been a lieutenant commander in the US Naval Air Force in the Pacific War. He later became dean of the School of Fine and Applied Arts at UCLA and president of Dixie College in St. George.[1] As a mission leader, Faye Losee wrote, “We convert them, we teach them to wear modest clothing, but they have no clothes. The natives of Guam have largely adopted the Western world culture and dress. On the outer islands, natives are more primitive. Women wear a strap of cotton fabric, lava-lava, wrapped from their waists to their knees.”[2]

Ferron and Faye Losee led the new Micronesia Guam Mission during a foundational stage that involved missionary quarters, land leases, and meetinghouse construction. Courtesy of Mark H. Butler.

The Losees guided the mission through crucial growth stages that involved missionary housing, meetinghouses, and language translation. Even before being set apart as the mission president, President Losee described his goals for the mission:

First: Get all missionaries into good living quarters. . . .

Second: Place a married [missionary] couple on each island.

Third: Acquire land and build chapels on each island.

Fourth: Get Church literature translated into native languages.[3]

In Pohnpei, Wallace B. Heap, who had previously served a full-time mission in Pohnpei, managed several building projects for the Church’s Presiding Bishopric. He supervised the construction of three meetinghouses between October 1980 and September 1981: the first at Sapwalap (a former Japanese village), the second at Mand (a Pingelapese farming village), and the third at Kolonia (the capital). The buildings at Sapwalap and Mand were rural-type chapels, with a chapel, two classrooms, and a president and clerk’s office. The Kolonia building was a multipurpose building with a baptismal font, restrooms, kitchen, and library. The chapel portion could be divided with temporary partitions into five separate classrooms, and there were no permanent classrooms. This “phase 1” Kolonia chapel could be added to when the branch grew.

During this period, converts in Chuuk (then spelled Truk) joined relatively quickly, usually converting as family groups or clans. Daniel B. Crawford, who was president of the Hawaii Honolulu Mission, wrote, “Those missionaries over there literally baptized themselves right out into the rain. It was a real struggle to get land there, but it was finally accomplished by acquiring some from Happiness Ichin’s father. Truk has a good branch, and I would suspect that it would soon develop into two units on that island.”[4] A local member in Chuuk, Fujita Peter, was translating hymns and planning to translate the Book of Mormon into Chuukese.

In Yap the Church was growing and members were preparing to build a chapel. However, encouraging converts to give up the narcotic betel nut was a challenge to growth there.[5] Many new converts throughout Micronesia continued to use alcohol, tobacco, or betel nut after their conversion. Many men wore the traditional thu, or loincloth, and many women used skirts with no shirts, though missionaries encouraged Western clothing at church.

In Saipan the missionaries were doing well and looking for land on which to build a chapel. Finding land to build on was one of the biggest challenges in the islands.

Unfortunately, President Losee experienced heart problems in early 1981 and traveled to Utah for heart surgery. Edwin Cannon (Ned) Winder Sr. (famous in Utah for Winder Dairy), from Salt Lake City, served as interim president until Losee returned on September 6, 1981.[6] Such health challenges sometimes affected elderly mission leaders, whose travel over tens of thousands of miles and through many time zones put a lot of stress on their bodies.

The Losees helped missionaries and members in Majuro to find food and shelter after tidal waves swept over the island in late 1979. The waves destroyed buildings and trees on half of Majuro. The New York Times reported 144 homes destroyed and about half as many more damaged beyond habitability.[7] Natural disasters such as these required communities and churches to work together to alleviate suffering, provide food, and rebuild structures. During the crisis, Latter-day Saint missionaries became a main contact for the American Red Cross to help the two hundred members clean up and obtain food and shelter.

In 1982 the mission built a new chapel on the island of Tarawa in Kiribati and organized the Betio Branch.[8] Moroni Community School received its certification as a secondary school, and its name was changed to Moroni High School.

Joseph and Katherine Keeler (1983–86)

Joseph B. and Katherine Keeler began their service as mission leaders in July 1983. A farmer from Raymond, Alberta, Canada, Joseph had a prosthetic arm owing to a harvester accident. Katherine had earned a degree in music from the London School of Music and studied organ performance at Brigham Young University. Members in Guam appreciated hearing her play the organ. During the Keelers’ service, the mission grew from 1,014 members to 4,134 members organized into seventeen branches that met in eight chapels.

In the mid-1980s, as US senator Morris K. Udall noted, “Congress approved a Compact of Free Association for . . . the Marshalls and the Federated States of Micronesia. Under this new 15-year agreement, both areas will exercise complete sovereignty over their domestic and foreign affairs while still being able to participate in a wide range of federal programs.”[9] This compact created strong legal cooperation between the United States and various island governments, easing the transfer of missionaries from island to island.

On June 6, 1984, Mimi Matisima and Sandra K. Joseph, both from Chuuk, became the first missionaries from the Federated States of Micronesia to serve in Guam. Many mission leaders note that missionaries from Micronesia initially feel overwhelmed with the fast pace of Western civilization on Guam, Hawaii, and the US mainland. They tend to be shy and reserved and require some time to acclimate to the new environment and lifestyle. During the initial months of their mission service, they often experience strong feelings of homesickness and discouragement. But once the missionaries acclimate, they become powerful leaders and, when their missions are complete, take their skills with them when they return to their islands.

In the early 1980s, Church members from Kiribati began moving to the island of Nauru for employment, and they initially met in homes for worship services. When President Keeler visited Nauru in April 1984, he organized the Nauru Branch with sixteen members.[10] (That branch has continued to grow with many Chuukese immigrants.)

Just a few months later, in September 1984, the Keelers arrived in Tuvalu, a relatively close Polynesian island that was then part of the mission. In March 1985 President Keeler assigned missionaries Glen and Shirley Cornwall to organize a branch and register it with the local government.[11]

President Keeler organized the Chuuk District on January 8, 1985. This was an important marker of progress and allowed for greater autonomy in Chuuk.

Willard and Hazel Paxman traveled with Naomi Johnny and Pohnpeian missionaries Maderson Ramon and Ioichey Diapulos to open missionary work in Kosrae on March 26, 1985.[12] At that time, 95 percent of the Kosraean population was Protestant, and the main denomination was the United Church of Christ. To keep the main religion in power, Kosrae soon adopted a state resolution to keep other religions from entering the island. Police pressured Latter-day Saint missionaries to leave the island, but Maderson Ramon stated that they had the right to remain there as FSM citizens.[13] They had little success because of opposing churches who continued to warn their members not to listen to the missionaries’ message. On April 26, 1986, twenty-two-year-old Isidro Abraham was the first Kosraean to be baptized. For more details, see chapter 6.

David and Connie Rollins (1986–89)

David and Connie Rollins started leading the mission in July 1986, two months before I arrived as a missionary. David Rollins had served in the Vietnam War as a US Navy fighter pilot and had been shot down near Hanoi, where he spent years as a prisoner of war and cellmate of future US senator John McCain.[14] Connie provided a kind, gentle balance to David’s firm, no-nonsense approach. The Rollinses asked Church headquarters for experienced senior missionaries to strengthen local members, then promoted temple trips and self-reliance among local leaders and members. Missionaries from the neighboring Philippines began to serve in Micronesia. Few proselytizing materials were available in Micronesian languages, but translations of Selections from the Book of Mormon began to arrive.

“Several months before we started a mission out there,” reported Connie, “we were called to Salt Lake to discuss the problems of Micronesia, both financial/temporal and spiritual.” President Rollins asked the Missionary Department for “men with leadership skills, and it would be nice if they were patriarchs,” she added. “Since Micronesia only had districts, they did not qualify for a patriarch to function and give blessings. Salt Lake sent two past stake presidents who were patriarchs. Permission was granted for both to be a counselor/missionary and functioning patriarch. The wife would act as a scribe.”[15]

Like other mission leaders, the Rollinses encouraged members to attend temples to take part in an endowment ceremony that involves ceremonial washing and anointing and making sacred covenants.[16] They also encouraged families to be sealed to each other for eternity and to provide vicarious ordinances such as baptisms for the dead.[17] Financial challenges of travel to the nearest temples in the Philippines or Japan meant that only a few members could receive such vital ordinances. Donations allowed a few initial families to be sealed for eternity. Connie wrote, “I remembered the generosity of the president, missionary couples, and office missionaries who helped finance travel to the Manila Philippines Temple for all the local priesthood leaders and their wives. It was a start to get them to a higher level of understanding of gospel principles and covenants.”[18]

In 1986 the first Filipino missionaries to serve in the Micronesia Guam Mission arrived: Elders Ignacio Aguiton, Richard Mausisa, Romeo Cornista, and Richard Bornilla. That year, on September 5, President Rollins assigned Elders Stephen Jones and Kemealoha Kaniho to open missionary work on Rota among the CHamoru people, who traditionally affiliate strongly with the Roman Catholic Church. During this same period, many local Micronesian elders and sisters began serving throughout the islands. Their fluency in the local languages helped move the work forward, and many strengthened their leadership and English-language skills.

Toward the end of 1987, Selections from the Book of Mormon was published in Chuukese; it was the first of several early (and sometimes rough) translations into Micronesian languages. The following year, Selections from the Book of Mormon was published in I-Kiribati, Palauan, and Pohnpeian. Although members and missionaries noted challenges with the translations, these volumes enabled the missionaries to better share—and members and others to better understand—the message that Jesus Christ had visited more lands than the Holy Land and that his message extended to the whole earth.

Senior missionaries focused on strengthening local leaders by training them to use Church leadership patterns, procedures, and vocabulary.[19] In 1987 President and Sister Rollins asked missionaries to strengthen the self-reliance of local leaders by training them to lead out in all aspects of weekly worship. Missionaries were no longer to serve as branch leaders, perform ordinances such as blessing the sacrament, or play the keyboard for worship services, although missionaries were authorized to teach piano lessons. Missionaries were to limit time socializing with members and, because of insurance policies, were no longer to give rides to members. This transition time to self-reliance caused frustration with many members. Time adds perspective to such situations. Thirty-five years later, if I were to talk with my younger self, I would chart out a middle ground between strict obedience to rigid counsel and find more time for gentle nurturing of skills in new members, even at the expense of going door to door to meet prospective converts (I believe member-missionary relations have since trended toward spending more time with members for referrals). I would empathize more with members’ needs and spend significantly more time nurturing and developing skills. If there was a member willing to learn to play the keyboard, I would do what I reasonably could do to teach those skills. I’m grateful that I took that approach with Miller Matisima, my Chuukese missionary companion in Pohnpei. I taught him how to drive and use time proactively like an American missionary. In turn, he taught me how to be kind and mellow and think more like a Chuukese missionary.

Perhaps echoing this kinder, gentler approach to nurturing growth in others, Connie reflected on this emphasis on self-reliance: “Problems we never dreamed of existed. Solutions came slowly, one at a time. Leadership was nonexistent in some areas. It was necessary to give [the members] a chance to grow and develop. For example, missionaries finally taught music lessons on . . . Yap. Within a month, a ten-year-old boy was playing the little Casio organ for Church in one branch, and a fourteen-year-old girl was playing the piano in the other branch. This was progress.”[20]

Connie shared her memories of the mission: “I thought of the time that President Rollins arranged with the Navy admiral over the Pacific, who was also a friend, for a cargo plane so his missionaries could drop toys and candies to the children in the outer islands at Christmastime. Another [service President Rollins organized] was when Senator John McCain and his wife Cindy came with a team of medical doctors to meet the needs of the local people on Guam and several other islands and issue Pell Grants to those who qualified.”[21] She summarized her mission experience in these words: “The overall history of [the Church in] any country is always informative, but the real story lies with the missionaries in the deep trenches who never thought they would survive another night on a flat futon [foam sleeping pad], mosquitoes on Kosrae, another hot boat ride in the Truk Lagoon, another typhoon on Saipan, eating lunch on Guam at the public market with the flies, surviving the eleven-hour plane ride to Majuro, or the food poisoning at a zone conference on Ponape, or the no water on Yap. But when the eighteen months or two years are up and they return home [and] can report to the Savior, ‘I did my best,’ then it was all worth it.”[22]

Lewis and JoAnn Nord (1989–92)

JoAnn Nord and Lewis Nord built public relations in Guam and strengthened indigenous leaders. They enjoyed a visit to Guam from Young Women General President Ardeth Greene Kapp (center).

Lewis V. Nord and JoAnn Nord began serving as mission president and companion in June 1989. They previously were honored as parents of the “Utah Family of the Year” in 1980, and they were uniquely prepared for service in Micronesia by their earlier service in the Australia Adelaide Mission as public communications missionaries from 1987 to 1988.[23] During the tenth anniversary of the mission, they particularly focused on public relations in Guam. They also strengthened indigenous leaders and members.

The Nords emphasized positive interactions with the local community. To commemorate family month in September 1989, the Barrigada Branch held an open house featuring displays, videos, and presentations. The open house theme was “Strengthening Guam’s Families Today for a Better Tomorrow.” The same month, Selections from the Book of Mormon was published in CHamoru, the language of the people of Guam and the Northern Marianas.[24] In November 1989 Herbert Leddy became the first CHamoru member to be called as district president, with Tom Clark as first counselor and John Wilding as second counselor. This calling confirmed confidence in the spiritual capacity and administrative effectiveness of local leaders.

In 1990 the Nords used their past experience as public communications missionaries to publicize the tenth anniversary of the Micronesia Guam Mission to the Legislature of the Territory of Guam. As a result, on May 23 the legislature released a resolution honoring the mission.[25] To honor the tenth anniversary, members gathered on June 2 at the Yigo Guam Chapel. Tony Unpingco and Madeleine Z. Bordallo from the Guam Legislature read the resolution. Then on July 21 the Guam District entered a float in the Guam Liberation Day parade.[26]

From May 17 to 20, 1990, a large number of Church members traveled to Tokyo, Japan, to receive their initiatory, endowment, and sealing ordinances. These temple trips to Japan became foundational spiritual experiences for the members, many of whom later became leaders in their congregations. Some members reported opposition from people of other faiths because of rumors about the acts of washing, anointing, and being clothed with temple garments.

President Nord identified the importance of indigenous missionaries and leaders, noting these goals in a letter:

• Maintain a missionary force that is half islanders, half from the mainland USA.
• Expect the islanders to return home and provide native leadership as they complete their missions.[27]

He showed commitment to such ideals by calling indigenous leaders. On January 19, 1992, he formed the Micronesian Branch in Guam with more than one hundred members from Chuuk, Kosrae, the Marshall Islands, Palau, Pohnpei, and Yap. Hans Williander from Chuuk was called as the first branch president to this Micronesia Branch in Guam. The following week, the branch officers were called and sustained: Bing de Leon, first counselor; Mark Norman, second counselor; Clement Jeff Rehobam, clerk; and Ignacio Lumwai, elders quorum president.[28]

On June 7 President Nord called Hiagi Wesley from the island of Rotuma (politically part of Fiji) as president of the Guam District, which included Saipan, Tinian, and Rota.[29] President Wesley had moved from West Jordan, Utah, to a teaching position at the University of Guam. Wesley’s counselors were Don Calvo, a CHamoru from Baza Gardens in Yona, and John Holman, a military doctor from the Barrigada Branch. Wesley would later serve as professor at BYU–Hawaii and as director of the Jonathan Nāpela Center for Hawaiian and Pacific Studies.[30]

Church seminary and institute programs had been in place in Micronesia since at least the early 1980s. In 1990 Marlo Lopez, who had previously served as a Church public affairs specialist, arrived in Guam to become the country director for seminaries and institutes in Micronesia. The classes helped teens and young adults form religious habits such as daily prayer, scripture study, and church attendance. Lopez held teacher training for all teachers in different branches as he traveled to the islands.

Such moves to indigenous leadership showed trust in the religious maturity of local members. Yet another crosscurrent drew members away from leadership in Guam and Micronesia. The lack of economic and educational opportunities prompted many members to seek a better future in North America, Asia, or elsewhere. This Micronesian diaspora hindered the long-term stability of many local Church units throughout Micronesia.

Gordon and Beth Thatcher (1992–95)

Gordon S. and Beth Thatcher begin serving as mission leaders in July 1992. Gordon was an attorney who served as a regional representative in Rexburg, Idaho, and he and Beth were the parents of seven children.[31] Major milestones during their service included a Book of Mormon pageant, positive community relations with the University of Guam, and a new district presidency in Guam.

Beth and Gordon Thatcher emphasized the Book of Mormon as a conversion tool and promoted good health practices for missionaries. Courtesy of JoAnn Ward.

Beth enjoying serving with the missionaries. She said, “Salt Lake sent only the very best. Many elders were Eagle Scouts. I cannot say enough good about the sister missionaries. They could teach where elders couldn’t. They were really ‘hardy’ women. Love of the 25 Philippine missionaries grew here. We were fortunate to have about 16 wonderful senior couples.”[32] One of the Thatchers’ emphases was ensuring the health of the missionaries. For example, missionaries were vaccinated and advised to boil water or add a drop of Clorox bleach to a glass of water.[33] Such steps helped prevent sickness or even dysentery.

In July 1992 many people in Guam watched a pageant the Thatchers helped organize. The Conversion of a King: An Ancient American Pageant told the story of King Lamoni from the Book of Mormon. William “Bill” H. K. Davis played the part of Lamoni. Local members Ken Humphries, Debbie Maynes, Steve Goertzen, Mike Fosberg, and Janette Passauer, together with missionary Ryan McCune, collaborated on the play, writing the script and original music and creating the sets and directing the play.[34] Troy Pugh, who served as mission secretary during this period, wrote, “The musical was absolutely awesome and drew full audiences. From what I remember, each performance filled the room. It was a great combination of locals, service members, and missionaries with exceptional talents.”[35]

On August 28, 1992, Typhoon Omar hit Guam and damaged many buildings. This would be the first of five typhoons to hit the island by the year’s end.[36] Members and missionaries provided cleanup service to people throughout the island.

On May 15, 1993, Elder Yoshihiko Kikuchi of the First Quorum of the Seventy and his wife, Toshiko, visited and presided over sessions of the Guam District conference held on Guam and Saipan. A month later, Church members presented the new Encyclopedia of Mormonism as a gift to the University of Guam.[37] On July 24 of that year, many islanders participated in the Latter-day Saints Relay Race, a ten-mile run from Adelup Park to Cabras Island. The theme was “Island Families Are Forever.”[38]

On August 8 an earthquake measuring 8.1 on the Richter scale shook Guam for sixty seconds and ruined many buildings, including the Grand Hotel and the Royal Palm Hotel.[39]

The Guam District presidency then consisted of Hiagi Wesley, president; Marlo Lopez, first counselor; and Ben Bello, second counselor.[40] President Thatcher organized a new Guam District presidency on April 23, 1995, with William (Bill) H. K. Davis as president and Francis Moylan Jr. and Mike Nardone as counselors.[41]

Ray and JoAnn Ward (1995–98)

R. Ray Ward and JoAnn Ward began serving as mission leaders on July 1, 1995. Ray was the founder and owner of a construction company. The Wards loved outdoor activities such as gardening and snowmobiling and enjoyed attending Utah Jazz games.[42]

JoAnn and Ray Ward. Courtesy of JoAnn Ward.

The year 1996 became a year of change, consolidation, and strengthening for the branches on Guam and Saipan. Five branches in Guam were consolidated to form three, the Rota and Tinian Branches were closed, and the Saipan First and Second Branches were consolidated to form the new Saipan Branch.

A major milestone during their service was organizing the first stake in Kiribati. On August 9, 1996, Elder L. Tom Perry of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles offered a rededication prayer at Church-owned Moroni High School. On August 10 he offered a dedicatory prayer over the Pacific Island groups of Kiribati, Nauru, Tuvalu, Tokelau, Wallis, Futuna, and Vanuatu for the preaching of the gospel. Then on August 11, 1996, he organized the Tarawa Kiribati Stake with Atunibeia Mote as president. Dell Van Orden, a Church News reporter, described these events:

Elder L. Tom Perry of the Quorum of the Twelve created the Tarawa Kiribati Stake on Sunday, Aug. 11. The day before, he dedicated for the preaching of the gospel the Pacific island groups of Kiribati, Nauru, Tuvalu, Tokelau, Wallis, Futuna and Vanuatu—all within the boundaries of the Fiji Suva Mission. Elder Perry also dedicated the Church-owned Moroni High School at Bikenibeu on Tarawa Atoll on Aug. 9. . . .

Before sunrise on the morning of Saturday, Aug. 10, Elder Perry, accompanied by about 25 Church leaders on Tarawa, gave the dedicatory prayer of the seven island groups at Red Beach on the island of Betio. It was at Red Beach where the US Second Marine Division landed in 1943 to retake the island from the Japanese. What occurred was a 76-hour battle for a piece of coral land less than 300 acres, resulting in the deaths of 4,700 Japanese troops and construction workers and 1,056 Americans. . . .

Today, there are some 4,600 members of the Church in Kiribati, out of a population of about 70,000. Two-thirds of the republic’s total population live on Tarawa, and 2,400 of those are members of the Church and make up the Tarawa stake. Atunibeia Mote, 33, director of personnel at Moroni High School, was selected as the stake’s first president. The stake includes wards at Bairiki, Bikenibeu, Eita and Teaoraereke, and two on Betio, with branches at Bonriki and at the school. The islands in this 12-mile stretch of the 34-mile-long Tarawa Atoll are joined by a narrow, paved causeway.[43]

Morgan and Melba Johnson (1998–2000)

Morgan Leonard Johnson and Melba Louise Johnson of Barnwell, Alberta, Canada, began serving as mission leaders in July 1998. He was a retired schoolteacher, and she was a mother of six.[44] The Johnsons emphasized convert retention and began the application process for a stake in Guam.

In October 1998, under the direction of Bernadine Sam Fong, the Guam District participated in a monthlong service project, Project Hagatna, which was a family history fair at the Chamorro Fiesta Village. Elder Ronald Halverson and his wife, Linda, visited Guam that month, and then in December, Elder Earl Monson and his wife, Donna, also visited. The Monsons emphasized convert retention, a topic that had received a major push since President Gordon B. Hinckley’s remarks in 1997. President Hinckley taught, “With the ever-increasing number of converts, we must make an increasingly substantial effort to assist them as they find their way. Every one of them needs three things: a friend, a responsibility, and nurturing with ‘the good word of God’ (Moro. 6:4).”[45] He also said, “In these days as in those days, converts are ‘numbered among the people of the church . . . [to] be remembered and nourished by the good word of God, to keep them in the right way, to keep them continually watchful unto prayer.’ Brethren, let us help them as they take their first steps as members.”[46] In the next decades, such efforts would prove valuable in forming stakes throughout Micronesia.

Leaders began discussing forming a new branch in Dededo in hopes of creating a stake in Guam. They focused on identifying less-active members and inviting them back to church.[47] On January 28, 1999, President Davis submitted the application for the Guam District to become a stake. Church headquarters turned the request down because the number of full-tithe payers required to form a stake in Guam had changed to ninety-nine, and the Guam District did not meet that requirement at the time.[48] Those requirements held true for future stakes in the Marshall Islands and Pohnpei.

Everett and Joanne Foust arrived in February 1999 as the mission’s first family history couple missionaries, and the mission’s family history center received new materials. Bernadine Sam Fong helped establish the Family History Service Center for Guam and Micronesia. The Fousts later set up similar a center on Saipan as well.[49]

At the beginning of the year 2000, there were 3,008 members living in all of Micronesia. On January 26, about 1,500 members gathered at the airport in Tarawa, Kiribati, to greet Church President Gordon B. Hinckley’s group, which included Elder Boyd K. Packer, who had served in the Pacific during World War II. The Church News described the event:

Among those who gathered was the honorable Kataotiki Teeke, minister of Environment and Social Development, who represented the president of Kiribati in welcoming the party. Minister Teeke, whose brother Timea Teeke was one of the first missionaries to serve in Kiribati, expressed appreciation for the Church’s Moroni High School and for humanitarian aid the island chain nation has received from the Church.

President Hinckley thanked the people for coming out in such large numbers. “I’ve never been to Kiribati before—not many people have,” he said. “But what a pleasure it is to look into your faces and to feel of your spirit—your great love for the Lord; your great love for the Prophet Joseph; your great love for the Church which you have joined in such large numbers.

“You are very fortunate here in this land out in the midst of the Pacific to have a high school which we have established for your blessing and good. I want to urge all of the young people—all of you young people—to take advantage of that school. Get all the education that you can. The Lord has told us that we have an obligation to educate ourselves in the things of the world and the things of His Church and Kingdom. This school will open up opportunities for you that you otherwise would not have. So, take advantage of it! If you have to sacrifice, do it, but go to school.”

President Hinckley also thanked the missionaries serving on the island.

“These older couples who work among you, and you young men, . . . thanks for the great work you are doing. You will never forget Kiribati. All of your lives you will remember your experiences here. Cherish them—cherish your memories and they will be fond recollections of this beautiful place where you served your missions.”

Levita Lamese, president of the Tarawa Kiribati Stake and principal of Moroni High, said of President Hinckley’s visit: “I was surprised to see many people crying and overwhelmed to be in the presence of the prophet of God. They just could not believe they were seeing the living prophet speaking to them face to face. Tears ran down their cheeks as they listened to the prophet’s message.”[50]

President Hinckley and Elder Packer then traveled to Guam and Saipan and met with members on both islands,[51] encouraging their efforts to worship God and serve others.

Governor Carl Gutierrez of Guam greets Gordon B. Hinckley and Marjorie Pay Hinckley. Behind them are Boyd K. Packer (center) and Donna Packer (right). Courtesy of William H. K. Davis.

The Packers and Hinckleys, along with others in their tour group, meet with district presidents of the Micronesia Guam Mission. Courtesy of William H. K. Davis.

Conclusion

Members and missionaries in the Micronesia Guam experienced significant challenges and great blessings. Mission leaders focused on essentials such as providing scriptures in local languages and buildings in which members could worship. During these decades, members focused more on convert retention and celebrated the first stake in Kiribati. Strengthening local leaders and members was essential to prepare for future stakes in Guam, the Marshall Islands, and Pohnpei.

Notes

[1] “Death: Ferron C. Losee” Deseret News, March 29, 1991, https://www.deseret.com/1991/3/29/18913133/death-ferron-c-losee?_amp=true.

[2] Faye Losee as quoted in Cleora Covington, Relief Society Hurricane Second Ward: From the First Pioneers to the Present, 1853–1992, ed. Eleanor Hall, updated by David Hinton (n.p., 1953), 74, https://wchsutah.org/documents/hurricane-2rs-book.pdf.

[3] Ferron C. Losee to Heber Butler, March 16, 1980, as cited in Cannon, Beachheads in Micronesia, 137.

[4] Daniel B. Crawford to William and Margerie Cannon, July 18, 1980, as cited in Cannon, Beachheads in Micronesia, 139–40.

[5] Ferron C. Losee to Heber Butler, March 16, 1980; see also Daniel B. Crawford to Mr. and Mrs. William Cannon, July 18, 1980, as cited in Cannon, Beachheads in Micronesia, 139.

[6] Passauer, “Church History on Guam,” 18; see also Edwin Cannon “Ned” Winder, obituary, Legacy.com.

[7] “Huge Waves Ravage a Mid-Pacific Island,” New York Times, December 12, 1979, https://www.nytimes.com/1979/12/12/archives/huge-waves-ravage-a-midpacific-island-big-relief-effort-under-way-a.html.

[8] Cannon, Beachheads in Micronesia, 142.

[9] Morris K. Udall, “The Pacific: Our Changing Role” (address to Pacific Basin Economic Council, February 19, 1986).

[10] Richard Hunter, “Nauru,” https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/country/nauru. That branch has continued to operate, but supervision eventually transferred to the Fiji Suva Mission because of greater access to airline travel there.

[11] “Tuvalu,” https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/facts-and-statistics/country/tuvalu.

[12] Willard Paxman, journal, as quoted in Cannon, Beachheads in Micronesia, 153.

[13] Maderson Ramon, interview, Church History Library, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, Utah (hereafter CHL).

[14] President Rollins’s story is shared in part in Jay C. Hess, “How a Prisoner of War Found Hope through News of General Conference,” LDS Living, September 30, 2019, https://bit.ly/3cnknkW. See also “David John Rollins, 1931–2015,” San Diego Union-Tribune, November 13, 2015, https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/sandiegouniontribune/name/david-rollins-obituary?id=16526584.

[15] Connie J. Rollins, email message to R. Devan Jensen, May 3, 2020.

[16] “About the Temple Endowment,” https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/temples/what-is-temple-endowment?lang=eng.

[17] “Baptisms for the Dead,” https://abn.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics/baptisms-for-the-dead.

[18] Rollins to Jensen, May 3, 2020.

[19] “Senior Missionary Training Center handout, 1994,” in Rulon T. Burton, Missionaries Two, 411.

[20] Rollins to Jensen, May 3, 2020.

[21] Rollins to R. Devan Jensen, May 3, 2020.

[22] Rollins to Jensen, May 3, 2020.

[23] JoAnn Nord, obituary, Salt Lake Tribune, November 19, 2010, https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/saltlaketribune/name/joann-nord-obituary?id=7340121.

[24] Cannon, Beachheads in Micronesia, 144.

[25] Guam Legislature, Resolution No. 537 (LS), in Cannon, Beachheads in Micronesia, 199.

[26] Historical Committee for the Guam District, Historical Record: Guam District, 1990–1999, 2, CHL.

[27] Lewis Nord, letter, June 22, 1995, in Cannon, Beachheads in Micronesia, 143.

[28] Historical Committee for the Guam District, Historical Record: Guam District, 1990–1999, 4.

[29] Historical Committee for the Guam District, Historical Record: Guam District, 1990–1999, 4.

[30] Hiagi Wesley, email to R. Devan Jensen, June 5, 2022; see also Lauren Goodwin, “Retiring Professor Wesley Says Teaching and Empowering Students by Connecting Them to Their Own Culture Is Its Own Reward,” Ke Alaka‘i, June 26, 2021, https://kealakai.byuh.edu/as-he-retires-professor-hiagi-wesley-says-teaching-and-empowering-students-by-connecting-them-to-their-culture-is-its-own-reward.

[31] Beth Pickett Thatcher Ohman, “Micronesia Guam Mission, 1992–1995,” in Gordon S. and Beth P. Thatcher Micronesia Guam Mission Papers, 1.

[32] Ohman, “Micronesia Guam Mission, 1992–1995,” 12.

[33] Ohman, “Micronesia Guam Mission, 1992–1995,” 14.

[34] Historical Committee for the Guam District, “Historical Record,” 5.

[35] Troy Pugh, email message to R. Devan Jensen, June 28, 2020.

[36] Historical Committee for the Guam District, “Historical Record,” 5.

[37] Historical Committee for the Guam District, “Historical Record,” 5.

[38] Historical Committee for the Guam District, “Historical Record,” 5.

[39] Historical Committee for the Guam District, “Historical Record,” 5.

[40] Historical Committee for the Guam District, “Historical Record,” 5.

[41] Historical Committee for the Guam District, “Historical Record,” 5.

[42] “Robert Ray Ward,” Standard-Examiner, March 12, 2021, https://www.standard.net/announcements/obituaries/2021/mar/12/robert-ray-ward/.

[43] Dell Van Orden, “Elder Perry Creates First Kiribati Stake, Dedicates Islands,” Church News, September 21, 1996, https://www.thechurchnews.com/archives/1996-09-21/elder-perry-creates-first-kiribati-stake-dedicates-islands-132725.

[44] “New Mission Presidents,” Deseret News, February 21, 1998, https://www.deseret.com/1998/2/21/20772891/new-mission-presidents.

[45] Hinckley, “Converts and Young Men,” 47.

[46] Hinckley, “Converts and Young Men,” 48.

[47] Historical Committee for the Guam District, Historical Record: Guam District, 1990–1999, 7.

[48] Historical Committee for the Guam District, Historical Record: Guam District, 1990–1999, 7.

[49] Joanne Allen, interview by R. Devan Jensen, Orem, Utah, November 28, 2020; see also Historical Committee for the Guam District, Historical Record: Guam District, 1990–1999, 7–8.

[50] “Pres. Hinckley Completes Tour in Pacific Rim,” Church News, March 30, 2000, https://www.thechurchnews.com/archives/2000-02-12/pres-hinckley-completes-tour-in-pacific-rim-120514.

[51] Marlo Lopez, email message to R. Devan Jensen, June 30, 2020.