The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Kiribati refers to
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The ch ...
(LDS Church) and its members in
Kiribati
Kiribati (), officially the Republic of Kiribati ( gil, ibaberikiKiribati),Kiribati ''The Wor ...
. In 1976 the first branch (small congregation) was organized in
Tarawa
Tarawa is an atoll and the capital of the Republic of Kiribati,Kiribati ''
/ref> According to LDS church, as of year-end 2022, there were 22,210 members in 43 congregations, making it the largest body of LDS Church members in
Micronesia
Micronesia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania, consisting of about 2,000 small islands in the western Pacific Ocean. It has a close shared cultural history with three other island regions: the Philippines to the west, Polynesia to the east, and ...
. Kiribati also has the most LDS Church
members
Member may refer to:
* Military jury, referred to as "Members" in military jargon
* Element (mathematics), an object that belongs to a mathematical set
* In object-oriented programming, a member of a class
** Field (computer science), entries in ...
per capita in
Micronesia
Micronesia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania, consisting of about 2,000 small islands in the western Pacific Ocean. It has a close shared cultural history with three other island regions: the Philippines to the west, Polynesia to the east, and ...
, and the third most members per capita of any country in the world, behind
Tonga
Tonga (, ; ), officially the Kingdom of Tonga ( to, Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is a Polynesian country and archipelago. The country has 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in ...
and
Samoa
Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands ( Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands ( Manono and Apolima); ...
.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints membership statistics
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) releases membership, congregational, and related information on a regular basis. The latest membership information LDS Church releases includes a count of membership, stakes, wards, b ...
History
In 1972, teacher Waitea Abiuta encouraged his students to attend
Liahona High School
Liahona High School is a high school in Tonga owned and operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). The school is named after the Liahona, a religious artifact described in the Book of Mormon, which gave a family dire ...
in Tonga. Ebbie L. Davis, president of the Fiji Mission, recommended 12 students to be enrolled on a trial basis, with 12 more enrolled each subsequent year. By 1976, 60 students had been enrolled in Liahona High School. All but a few of these were baptized and were the first known church members from Kiribati. Six of these were called to the Fiji Suva Mission and assigned to their native Kiribati, arriving in
Tarawa
Tarawa is an atoll and the capital of the Republic of Kiribati,Kiribati ''
Moroni High School. The Gilbert Islands became the independent
Republic of Kiribati
Kiribati (), officially the Republic of Kiribati ( gil, ibaberikiKiribati),Kiribati ''The Wor ...
in 1979.
In 1984, the student body of Moroni Community School reached 240, with many of its teachers being graduates of BYU-Hawaii. In 1994,
Teatao Teannaki
Teatao Teannaki (15 June 1935– 11 October 2016) was an I-Kiribati political figure who served as President of Kiribati from 1991 until 1994.
He was first elected to represent Abaiang in the House of Assembly of the Gilbert Islands.
Teatao Te ...
, president of the Republic of Kiribati, was the main speaker at the graduation ceremonies at Moroni High School. In 1999, President Teburoro Tito also visited Moroni High School and spoke to students.
In 1981, Baitika Toum became the first of several church members to be elected to parliament. He went on to serve as a cabinet minister for 13 years.;The
Tarawa
Tarawa is an atoll and the capital of the Republic of Kiribati,Kiribati ''
Abaiang
Abaiang, also known as Apaiang, Apia, and in the past, Charlotte Island, in the Northern Gilbert Islands, is a coral atoll of Kiribati, located in the west-central Pacific Ocean. Abaiang was the island of the first missionary to arrive in the G ...
, and
Eita
is a Japanese actor from Tokyo. He has appeared in many Japanese television dramas and movies; most notable is the TV series '' Water Boys''. He also appeared in '' Summer Time Machine Blues'' and '' Tokyo Friends: The Movie''.
Career
In 2009, ...
branches. L. Tom Perry organized the Tarawa Kiribati Stake, with Atunibeia Mote sustained as
president
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
* President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
.
Seminary
A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy ...
began on Kiribati in March 1997. On May 23, 1999, the Kiritimati Island Branch was created. On 26 January 2000, church president
Gordon B. Hinckley
Gordon Bitner Hinckley (June 23, 1910 – January 27, 2008) was an American religious leader and author who served as the 15th President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from March 1995 until his death in January 200 ...
, on a tour of Pacific Rim countries, visited members at Tarawa. On, June 19, 2003, Hinckley visited members on
Kiritimati Island
Kiritimati (also known as Christmas Island) is a Pacific Ocean atoll in the northern Line Islands. It is part of the Republic of Kiribati. The name is derived from the English word "Christmas" written in Gilbertese according to its phonology ...
. On June 20, 2014, the
Kiritimati Island
Kiritimati (also known as Christmas Island) is a Pacific Ocean atoll in the northern Line Islands. It is part of the Republic of Kiribati. The name is derived from the English word "Christmas" written in Gilbertese according to its phonology ...
Kiribati District was organized, with Naitinua Teitikai Tokinteiti as president, and included branches on
Kiritimati
Kiritimati (also known as Christmas Island) is a Pacific Ocean atoll in the northern Line Islands. It is part of the Republic of Kiribati. The name is derived from the English word "Christmas" written in Gilbertese according to its phonolog ...
and
Tabuaeran
Tabuaeran, also known as Fanning Island, is an atoll that is part of the Line Islands of the central Pacific Ocean and part of Kiribati. The land area is , and the population in 2015 was 2,315. The maximum elevation is about 3 m (10 f ...
. In January 2020, Ian S. Ardern, president of the church's Pacific Area, met with
Taneti Maamau
Taneti Maamau (modern spelling: Taaneti Mwamwau, born 16 September 1960) is an I-Kiribati politician who has served as the 5th President of Kiribati since 11 March 2016.
Political career
A member of Tobwaan Kiribati Party, he began his career ...
, President of the Republic of Kiribati. Maamau accepted an invitation from Ardern to attend the Tarawa East Stake conference the next Sunday where 1,200 were in attendance.
Selections of the Book of Mormon were translated into Gilbertese (Kiribati) in 1988. On September 28, 2017, the Church announced the publication of the Doctrine and Covenants and '' Pearl of Great Price'' in the Kiribati language.
In October 2014, church members in Tarawa Kiribati volunteered to help construct a seawall to protect the community from flooding. On February 7, 2018, a memorial service was held at Moroni High School to honor victims of the sinking of the MV Butiraoi. The service was attended by government officials, Church leaders, and the victims’ family members.
Stakes & Districts
As of February 2023, the following Stakes and Districts were in Kiribati:
Congregations in Kiribati not part of a stake or district
*
Aranuka
Aranuka is an atoll of Kiribati, located just north of the equator, in the Gilbert Islands. It has an area of and a population of 1,057 in 2010. By local tradition, Aranuka is the central island of the Gilbert group.
Geography
Aranuka is an ...
Branch
* Baretoa Branch
* Kuria Branch
* Maiana Branch
*Marshall Islands/Kiribati Mission Branch
* Rawannawi Branch
The Marshall Islands/Kiribati Mission Branch serves families not in proximity of a meetinghouse.
Religion in Kiribati
According to 2020 government statistics, Christian groups form about 96% of the Kiribati population by census counts, most of whom are either Catholic or members of the new Kiribati Uniting Church (redenominated in 2015) and Kiribati Protestant Ch ...