Research Guide
Pacific Church History
Overview
Saints at Takaroa, French Polynesia, 1920 (PH 7399 ).
This research guide highlights historical materials that pertain to the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Pacific, specifically in the following locations:
- American Samoa
- Aotearoa New Zealand
- Australia
- Fiji
- French Polynesia (Tahiti)
- Guam
- Hawaii
- Kiribati
- Marshall Islands
- Micronesia
- Nauru
- New Caledonia
- Niue
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Palau
- Papua New Guinea
- Samoa
- Solomon Islands
- Tonga
- Tuvalu
- Vanuatu
The guide is not a comprehensive list and is intended only as a starting point in your research on Pacific Church history. We encourage you to search the
For ease of use, this guide is divided into sections by types of records. The first section focuses on published items, such as books and magazines. The second highlights web content, and the third highlights archival materials, like institutional records, journals, photographs, and similar materials.
While several materials listed in this guide have been digitized and are available online, some will require a visit to the Church History Library (CHL) in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States, or the Matthew Cowley Pacific Church History Centre (MCPCHC) in Temple View, Hamilton, Aotearoa New Zealand. Materials located at other Church History Department storage facilities will require digitization, which you can request through our
Finally, please note that not all resources featured in this guide are authored, endorsed, or maintained by the Church. An item’s inclusion in this list should not be considered an endorsement of the product or the hosting institution.
Research Guidance
The Church History Library website has several pages, such as “Understanding CHL Collections” and “Catalog Orientation ,” that provide detailed research guidance. While the former addresses the Church History Library specifically, its information is applicable to the MCPCHC as well. The orientation page is for the Church History Catalog , which is an online database of the material held by Church History facilities. You can search the catalog for specific countries, individuals, and other relevant terms to find items of interest that are not included in the short lists in the following sections of this research guide.
Both facilities collect materials from a wide spectrum of sources and represent numerous points of view. Users should not assume that the Church, the library, or the center endorse every item in the collections.
Additionally, historical documents and materials may contain language and content that are considered inappropriate by twenty-first-century standards. While materials that contain racist sentiments may be found in Church History collections, in no way does the Church promote or support the ideas or opinions found within them. Making such materials accessible to researchers enables further academic conversation on such topics, which allows for greater historical understanding.
Some collections may be closed to research or require special access permissions before the collection may be viewed. To learn more about the reasons some collections are closed to research, please see ouraccess policy .
Additional help for questions about conducting research pertaining to Church history in the Pacific is available by reaching out to our Church history consultants through ourAsk Us service .
Both facilities collect materials from a wide spectrum of sources and represent numerous points of view. Users should not assume that the Church, the library, or the center endorse every item in the collections.
Additionally, historical documents and materials may contain language and content that are considered inappropriate by twenty-first-century standards. While materials that contain racist sentiments may be found in Church History collections, in no way does the Church promote or support the ideas or opinions found within them. Making such materials accessible to researchers enables further academic conversation on such topics, which allows for greater historical understanding.
Some collections may be closed to research or require special access permissions before the collection may be viewed. To learn more about the reasons some collections are closed to research, please see our
Additional help for questions about conducting research pertaining to Church history in the Pacific is available by reaching out to our Church history consultants through our
Published Items
This section lists published materials, such as books and magazines, that may be useful in researching the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the faith and lives of its members in the Pacific. This is not intended to be comprehensive and provides only a small sampling of content discussing Pacific Church history. Additional items can be found by searching the Church History Catalog for specific countries, individuals, and other relevant terms.
create one on the Church’s website (you do not have to be a Church member to create an account).
Spanning 1961 to 2004, this multivolume index includes information on articles published in Church magazines and the Church News. Articles are typically indexed by title, author, and subject. Depending on the volume, the periodicals indexed include:
Since the digitised versions of the periodicals are not yet full-text searchable, this index is essential to finding relevant content. While Latter-day Saints in the Pacific were not the primary audience of these publications, these magazines would often contain articles about Church members from Pacific areas.
The official magazine of the Church, Liahona, has been published in many of the languages spoken in the Pacific. While many recent issues can be found in theGospel Library , the following link contains historical issues available through the Church History Catalog in various languages. Some of these magazines carried unique names before adopting the title Liahona.
Te Heheuraa Api, meaning “The New Revelation,” was published by the Tahitian Mission beginning in 1907. It ran until November 1940 when the mission closed. It resumed eight years later and ran until 1961 when it was replaced by L’Etoile De La Polynesie Française.
Te Karere began as a Māori-language supplement to the Elders’ Messenger (soon shortened to The Messenger) of the New Zealand Mission . With the second volume, starting in 1908, they were published separately but shared issue numbering. Beginning in 1917, the two magazines merged under the Te Karere title and carried content in both English and Māori. The format eventually changed to English only, and the magazine was discontinued in 1960.
From 1974 to 2013, the Deseret News published the official Church Almanac, which included brief histories and contemporaneous statistics for the Church worldwide. Users must log in with a Church account, click on the “Request Digital Access” link and fill out the form. Viewing permission will then be linked to the user’s Church account. Physical copies can also be viewed at the Church History Library.
Published by Brigham Young University’s Religious Studies Center, this volume includes several chapters by various authors highlighting different aspects and events of Church history in the Pacific. Available online through the BYU Religious Studies Center website .
A collection of essays highlighting various aspects of the lives of Pacific Latter-day Saints. Available online through the BYU Religious Studies Center website .
This volume covers the first 100 years of the Church in Tonga. Available online through the BYU Religious Studies Center website .
A master’s thesis by Richard C. Harvey, this volume looks at the history of the Church in Hawaii from 1850 into the 1970s. Available online through BYU ScholarsArchive .
WorldCat
or your local library catalogues to see if these books are available in your area.
Online
This is a curated list of published items available online, hosted via the Church History Catalog or BYU Religious Studies Center. Some items in the catalogue require a Church account to view. If you do not have an account, you canIndex to Periodicals of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Spanning 1961 to 2004, this multivolume index includes information on articles published in Church magazines and the Church News. Articles are typically indexed by title, author, and subject. Depending on the volume, the periodicals indexed include:Children’s Friend Church News Conference reports Improvement Era Instructor Relief Society Magazine Ensign Friend New Era
Since the digitised versions of the periodicals are not yet full-text searchable, this index is essential to finding relevant content. While Latter-day Saints in the Pacific were not the primary audience of these publications, these magazines would often contain articles about Church members from Pacific areas.
Liahona
The official magazine of the Church, Liahona, has been published in many of the languages spoken in the Pacific. While many recent issues can be found in the
- Vosa vakaviti (Fijian)
- Kiribati (Gilbertese)
- Kajin Majōļ (Marshallese)
- Reo Tahiti (Tahitian)
- Bislama
- Gagana Samoa (Samoan)
- Faka-Tonga (Tongan)
Liahona Local Pages
The local pages included in Church magazines offer stories from and about Latter-day Saints in specific countries and locations.Aotearoa New Zealand Australia (included Aotearoa New Zealand news until 2006)Fiji French Polynesia Kiribati Marshall Islandş Samoa Tonga Vanuatu
Te Heheuraa Api
Te Heheuraa Api, meaning “The New Revelation,” was published by the Te Karere
Te Karere began as a Māori-language supplement to the Elders’ Messenger (soon shortened to The Messenger) of the Deseret News Church Almanac
From 1974 to 2013, the Deseret News published the official Church Almanac, which included brief histories and contemporaneous statistics for the Church worldwide. Users must log in with a Church account, click on the “Request Digital Access” link and fill out the form. Viewing permission will then be linked to the user’s Church account. Physical copies can also be viewed at the Church History Library.Regional Studies in Latter-day Saint Church History: The Pacific Isles
Published by Brigham Young University’s Religious Studies Center, this volume includes several chapters by various authors highlighting different aspects and events of Church history in the Pacific. Available online through the Pioneers in the Pacific: Memory, History, and Cultural Identity among the Latter-day Saints
A collection of essays highlighting various aspects of the lives of Pacific Latter-day Saints. Available online through the Saints of Tonga: A Century of Island Faith
This volume covers the first 100 years of the Church in Tonga. Available online through the The Development of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Hawaii
A master’s thesis by Richard C. Harvey, this volume looks at the history of the Church in Hawaii from 1850 into the 1970s. Available online through On-Site
The following items are a small sampling of publications on Pacific Church history. These are not available online, but can be viewed at Church History facilities, including the Church History Library (CHL) and Matthew Cowley Pacific Church History Centre (MCPCHC). Call numbers are provided for both locations, where applicable, to help you in accessing these publications. You can also searchBattlefields to Temple Grounds: Latter-day Saints in Guam and Micronesia
This book features stories of how Latter-day Saints arrived during and after World War II, helped rebuild the damaged infrastructure, and gradually planted branches of the Church that spread throughout the islands of Micronesia. Found at the CHL under call number M278.68 B336 2023 and on the open stacks at the MCPCHC.Build for Eternity: A History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in New Zealand
Edited by Selywn Katene and A. Keith Thompson, this volume attempts a comprehensive account of the Church’s presence in New Zealand from 1854 into the 21st century. Found at the CHL under call number M279.3 B932 2023 and on the open stacks at the MCPCHC.Moramona: The Mormons in Hawai’i
Written by R. Lanier Britsch, this volume chronicles the history of the Church in Hawaii beginning in 1850. Found at the CHL under call number M279.69 B862m 2018.Mormons in the Pacific: A Bibliography
Published in 1981, this volume lists collections and materials held by the Church History Library, BYU-Provo library, and BYU-Hawaii library that relate to Pacific Latter-day Saints, their experiences, and the Church in the islands. Found at the CHL under call number M201 C626mo 1981 and on the open stacks at the MCPCHC.Southern Cross Saints: The Mormons in Australia
This volume highlights the arrival and growth of the Church in Australia spanning from 1840 to 1990. Found at the CHL under call number M279.4 N565s 1991 and on the open stacks at the MCPCHC.Tongan Saints: Legacy of Faith
Commissioned by the Tongan Centennial Committee, this volume is a collection of personal experiences spanning the first 100 years of the Church’s presence in Tonga. Found at the CHL under call number M279.612 S562t 1991 and on the open stacks at the MCPCHC.Unto the Islands of the Sea: A History of the Latter-day Saints in the Pacific
This volume, published in 1986, tells the story of the Church and its members in the Pacific. Found at the CHL under call number M279 B862u 1986 and on the open stacks at the MCPCHC.Voices of Latter-day Saint Women in the Pacific and Asia
Highlighting the stories of Latter-day Saint women, this compilation includes essays of women from the Pacific and Asia. Found at the CHL under call number M243.8 V8891 2024.Voyages of Faith: Explorations in Mormon Pacific History
This compilation contains articles discussing the Church’s history in the Pacific. Published by BYU Press. Found at the CHL under call number M279.6 V975 2000 and on the open stacks at the MCPCHC.Zion in New Zealand: A History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in New Zealand, 1854-1977
Published in 1977 by the Church College of New Zealand, this history by Brian W. Hunt discusses the story of Latter-day Saints in the nation. Found at the CHL under call number M279.3 H939z 1977 and under NZ-01-00001 at the MCPCHC.Kia Ngawari Trust book collection, 1859-2009
Books, periodical issues, and student papers donated to the Kia Ngawari Trust, most of which relate to Aotearoa New Zealand history, Māori language and culture, Māori legends, and the history of the Church in the country. Found at the MCPCHC under the call number NZ-01-00001.Web Content
Global Histories
The brief Church History Biographical Database
This database, maintained by the Church History Department, documents the individuals who participated in events in Church history. Currently, these individuals are limited to proselyting missionaries (up to the 1940s), overland pioneers (1847–1869), and members of the Mormon Battalion. While Latter-day Saints from Pacific islands are not greatly represented, the many missionaries who served among them can offer insight into the early efforts of the Church and its members there. The database also has pages for the various missions that existed in the Pacific before 1940.Australasian Mission (later split into the Australian and New Zealand Missions)Australian Mission New Zealand Mission Samoan Mission Tahitian Mission (originally known as the Society Islands Mission)Tongan Mission
Church Newsroom: Facts and Statistics
The official newsroom of the Church contains facts and figures about the Church in specific countries throughout the world.MormonPlaces
The MormonPlaces website attempts to document all geographic locations significant to Latter-day Saint history. This includes congregations (branches, wards, etc.), settlements, cemeteries, and other locations. While the database covers only from 1830 to 1930, it still includes several Church history locations in the Pacific from this period and can be useful in placing events and people in geographical context.Cumorah.com
This is an independently run web page that seeks to track and report on Church growth and culture throughout the world. It is a valuable resource for studying the history of the Church in the Pacific.Archival Records
Archival records are typically items and collections that are unique or rare and were often unpublished. These include manuscripts, photographs, correspondences, and oral histories, to name a few.
Discover information on many similar records through theChurch History Catalog . You can perform searches using the names or unit numbers of specific branches, wards, and so forth, but the number of results can vary widely. Additional information on these types of records in general can be found in the Local Unit Records Research Guide .
All organizations were tasked with keeping minutes and records. This collection offers an example of the types of records the Relief Society kept, specifically in the Dargaville Branch on the North Island of Aotearoa (New Zealand).
Clerks were supposed to keep minutes of sacrament meetings, local conferences, presidency meetings, high council meetings, bishopric meetings, or other priesthood leadership meetings. This collection is the general minutes for the Ha’akame Ward (originally the Ha’akame Branch and now the Ha’akame First Ward), located on the Tonga island of Tongatapu.
This collection includes annual histories and reports from the district headquartered in Guam. The record contains information regarding areas in Belau (Palau); Guam; Kiribati; Marshall Islands; Nauru; several islands in the Northern Mariana Islands, including Rota, Saipan, and Tinian; and several islands in the Federated States of Micronesia including Kosrae, Ponape (Pohnpei), Truk (Chuuk), Uman Island, and Yap.
The minutes kept by the Young Women’s Mutual Improvement Association (a precursor to the Young Women organization) of the Kalaupapa Branch in Hawaii are included in this collection.
This was initially a compiled history. Eventually, annual reports and other records from the mission in French Polynesia were added. The mission was previously known as the Society Islands Mission, French-Polynesian Mission, and Tahitian Mission.
Church History Catalog for specific countries, individuals, and other relevant terms.
This volume contains a history of the Church in Suva, Fiji, from 1954 through 1959. It also includes a history of the Suva Branch and building construction during this time, as well as a list of missionaries who served there. A Church account login is required to view online.
This collection of video recordings, made by Grant Underwood, includes interviews with Latter-day Saint pioneers of the Church in the South Pacific. A Church account login and access request are required to listen online.
The collection includes color-tinted and aerial photographs with views of the Laie Hawaii Temple under construction, the landscape and grounds, statues, and the completed temple. A Church account login and access request are required to view online.
Compiled by Relva R. Price in 1973, this document provides a brief history of the Church in Niue. A Church account login and access request are required to view online.
In this collection are oral history transcripts of individuals involved with the Māori Agricultural College, including the president, builders, local family members, and students. Also included are accounts of serving in the Māori Village at the Polynesian Cultural Center and military service in World War I and World War II. A Church account login is required to view online.
This is a manuscript of the Māori Book of Mormon translation done in the late 1880s. It was translated into Māori by a team of missionaries and local members. This manuscript contains only the introduction through the Book of Helaman and was likely transcribed by Georgina Marriott.
This is a collection of histories, programs, conversion stories, and photographs compiled by Passauer documenting the history of the Church in Guam and the Micronesia Guam Mission. A Church account login and access request are required to view online.
This is a collection of images of people and events associated with the Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC) located in Laie, Hawaii, from 1960 to 2019. It includes special events, performances, farewells, anniversaries, construction projects, employees, special guests, celebrities, dignitaries, General Authorities, the PCC board of directors, and PCC presidents. A Church account login and access request are required to view.
Oral histories with pioneering members of the Church in Samoa and American Samoa and their experiences, such as conversions, service, callings, significant events, and testimonies, are contained in this project. A Church account login and access request are required to listen online.
This is a collection of oral history interviews, conducted by Victoria Cornish, with foundational families in Vanuatu about their conversion and personal histories. A Church account login and access request are required to listen. Interviews were conducted in Bislama.
Local Unit Records
The following is a small sample of the local unit records available for the branches, wards, districts, and stakes in the countries of the Pacific. These have been selected because they are available online and provide a view of the various kinds of local records kept.Discover information on many similar records through the