President Thomas s. Monson, second counselor in the First Presidency, joined with almost 1,000 Tongan saints in Hawaii to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Church in Tonga.
The centennial celebration, held July 5-7, was also attended by Elder John HY. Groberg of the Seventy and president of the North America West Area. Elder groberg is a former missionary and mission president in Tonga.the celebration in Hawaii was the first of several events commemorating the anniversary of the Church in Tonga. Other Tongan centennial events also are scheduled in California and Utah, as well as in Tonga. The celebrations in Tonga will take place during most of the month of August and will be observed island to island. (See related story on page 7.)
The festivities in Hawaii began on Friday, July 5, with a formal ball, complete with a grand march and two bands. On Saturday morning, July 6, President Monson and Elder Groberg spoke to Tongan church members in the Cannon Activities Center at BYU-Hawaii.
President Monson, accompanied by his wife, Frances, and granddaughter, Sarah Dibb, spoke of some of the amny experiences he has had with tongan members through the years. He recalled the time in 1968 when he accompanied then-Elder howard W. Hunter of the Council of the Twelve to create the first stake in Tonga. today, there are nine stakes in that South Pacific island kingdom.
"The Tongans are great teachers and know how to capture the feelings of the heart as well as the thoughts of the mind," President Monson said.
Elder Groberg began his address to the centennial gathering by quoting from D&C 78:17: "Verily, verily, Isay unto you, ye are little children, and ye have not as yet understood how great blessings the Father hath in his own hands and prepared for you."
"I'm sure the original saints in Tonga did not see what the Church would become today," said Elder Groberg. "I'm equally confident that those of us today do not see what it will be in the future.
After the Saturday morning meeting, Presideht Monson and elder Groberg, along with local Church leaders of Tongan descent, were excorted to a large grassy field in front of the BYU-Hawaii campus where traditional tongan feast-ing, dancing and the presentation of gifts commenced. Among gifts presented to President Monson were woven mats, a tapa cloth and quilts.
Dance groups from the Kahuku 3rd (Tongan) Ward, Laie Hawaii North Stake, and from BYU-Hawaii performed traditional dances.
On Sunday evening, July 7, Tongan church members held a fireside in the Pacific Pavilion at the Polynesian Cultural Center. Elder groberg noted, "The Church in Tonga is where it is today because of the challenges the early members faced. Do not run away from challenges for they will make us stronger."
According to Eric Shumway, acting president of the Polynesian Cultural Center and author of the newly released book Tongan Saints: Legacy of Faith, this celebrat6ion commemorates the visit of Elder brigham Smoot and elder Alva J. hbutler, the first missionaries to Tonga, to King taufa'ahau Tupou I on July 16, 1891, when they shared with the king the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The king, who was then in his 90s, thanked them for their views and affirmed the law of Tonga allowed every man to choose for himself which church he would attend. The missionaries went out and began to teach the gospel.
They purchased property and erected a mission home and school, and also purchased a boat to travel between islands. Although the mission was closed between 1897 and 1907, the elders had made a beginning tht would lead to success and a permanent presence for the church in the island kingdom.
