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

The Nuku'alofa Tonga Temple

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) (Tongan: Siasi ʻo Sīsū Kalaisi ʻo e Kau Māʻoniʻoni ʻi he Ngaahi ʻAho Kimui Ní or Siasi Māmonga) was established in Tonga in 1891. According to the LDS Church, Tonga has a higher per-capita number of Latter-day Saints than any other country in the world.^[1]

Membership

As of year-end 2007, the LDS Church reported 54,281 members, 16 stakes, 2 districts, 125 wards, 39 branches, 1 mission, and 1 temple in Tonga.^[1] The claimed membership total represents approximately 46% of the population of the kingdom.

In 1996, the LDS Church reported about a third of the Tonga's population to be members.^[2] However, according to 1996 census data, 14% of the population self-identified as Latter-day Saints at the time.^[3] LDS Church membership statistics are different from self-reported statistics mainly because the LDS Church does not remove an individual’s name from its membership rolls based on inactivity in the church.^[4][5]

Missions

When the first LDS Church missionaries in Tonga arrived in Tonga on July 15, 1891, Tonga was part of the church's Samoan Mission. On July 8, 1916, the Tongan Mission was organized. The mission at the time included much of the South Pacific. The mission was renamed the Tonga Mission on June 10, 1970. On July 23, 1971, the Tonga Mission was divided and the Fiji Mission was created from it. The Tonga Mission was renamed the Tonga Nuku'alofa Mission on June 20, 1974.

Temples

Main article: Nuku'alofa Tonga Temple

The church's Nuku'alofa Tonga Temple was dedicated in 1983 and was rededicated in 2007.

	23. Nuku'alofa Tonga		edit
	Location: Announcement: Dedication: Rededication: Coordinates:  Size:  Notes:	Tongatapu, Tonga 2 April 1980 9 August 1983 by Gordon B. Hinckley 4 November 2007 by Russell M. Nelson 21°9′45.21960″S 175°16′20.35200″W / 21.162561°S 175.27232°W / -21.162561; -175.27232 (Nuku'alofa Tonga) 14,572 sq ft (1,354 m2) on a 5 acre (2 ha) site The Tongan temple was rededicated 4 November 2007 following remodeling that began in June 2006.[6][7]

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} LDS Church News: Country information: Tonga, lds.org, accessed 2010-08-21.
2. ^ 1997-98 Deseret News Church Almanac. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret News).
3. ^ United States Department of State, "Tonga" in International Religious Freedom Report 2008, state.gov, accessed 2008-10-21.
4. ^ Membership, Retention on the Rise.“News of the Church,” Ensign, Jun 2007, 75–80. Church membership growth numbers are often interpreted inaccurately, which can lead to misconceptions in the media, Brother Buckner said. Therefore, it is important to clearly understand what these numbers signify. They represent the number of Church members, but they do not represent activity rates. The Church does not remove an individual’s name from its membership rolls based on inactivity.
5. ^ "Church Statistics Reflect Steady Growth". LDS Newsroom. 11 April 2007 it is a challenge for the Church to keep track of all of its members, especially if they do not regularly attend Sunday services. The Church does not remove an individual’s name from its membership rolls based on inactivity.
6. ^ "Public to Tour Renovated Temple in Nuku’alofa, Tonga" (Press release). The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 10 July 2007. http://www.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=62f28bf6c71b3110VgnVCM100000176f620aRCRD&vgnextchannel=9ae411154963d010VgnVCM1000004e94610aRCRD. Retrieved 14 August 2007. 
7. ^ Weaver, Sara Jane 5 November 2007. LDS Tonga Temple rededicated. Deseret Morning News.

External links

• New Zealand/Pacific Islands LDS Newsroom
• LDS Church News: Country information: Tonga
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - Official Site (New Zealand/Pacific Islands)