Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles recently ministered in the Pacific Area of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, visiting Papua New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand, Tonga and Fiji over a 12-day period.
He was accompanied by his wife, Sister Kathy Andersen, and joined by Elder Edward Dube of the Presidency of the Seventy and his wife, Sister Naume Dube.
And in a way, Elder Andersen also took with him the followers of his Instagram, Facebook and X (formerly known as Twitter) social media accounts as the Apostle posted multiple interviews, interactions and highlights from his March 11-22 ministry.
“You see the blessing of our schedule,” Elder Andersen told the Church News, saying he hoped the posts and videos gave a sense of the Oceania locations, his ministry efforts and the local members and their faith.
“I thought this was helpful because it shows our movement through five different countries,” he said. “Some may wonder, ‘What do as Apostles?’ And I thought this was a good example.”
The social media posts and videos — 11 as of Wednesday morning, March 25, with more expected in the near future — are representative of Elder Andersen’s various ministry efforts and events, including:
- Area instruction meetings in all five countries with presidents of stakes, missions and temples.
- Member devotionals in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea; Auckland, New Zealand; and Nuku’alofa, Tonga.
- Visits with government officials in Port Moresby and Nuku’alofa.
- Area review sessions with the Pacific Area presidency and staff.
- Meetings with missionaries from the New Zealand Missionary Training Center and the New Zealand Auckland Mission.
No dedicated film crew followed him, said Elder Andersen. “At different places, we pulled people aside and talked to them.”
He added: “I love to see the amazing members and the diversity of cultures as the Church becomes truly an international Church.”
In one video, he underscored the Church’s presence in the 20 total countries in the Pacific Area, including 11 operating temples, six under construction and four more in planning, scattered across 12 nations and territories. He also reminded that the area’s 16 missions will expand, with the creation of five more in July.
“It is a beautiful time for the Church in this area,” Elder Andersen said. “There are a lot of exciting things happening with new temples and new missions.”
In one video post, Elder Andersen and Elder Dube spoke with the three General Authority Seventies comprising the Pacific Area presidency — Elder Peter F. Meurs and his counselors, Elder Taniela B. Wakolo and Elder Jeremy R. Jaggi. Other posts were separate conversations with individual presidency members.
And in yet another video, Elder and Sister Andersen exchange greetings with Lord Fatafehi Fakafānua, the prime minister of Tonga, and Lady Krystal Fane Kite Fakafānua.
Posted photographs ranged from Latter-day Saints lining the streets as the Andersens arrive for a devotional at Tonga’s Liahona High School to missionaries gathered for group photos outside the Auckland New Zealand Temple.
However, the posts and videos also underscored gospel messages and invitations from Elder Andersen, such as:
- “Going to the temple can keep us anchored to our spiritual foundation — Jesus Christ.”
- “Faithful Latter-day Saints throughout the world are having miraculous experiences with the Savior in their lives.”
- “As evil increases in the world, the Lord is preparing the way for those who seek Him.”
- “God’s glorious work of salvation and exaltation is truly hastening here in the Pacific.”
From his only previous visit to Papua New Guinea, in 2011, Elder Andersen recalled a young, inexperienced Church membership — “more in its very elementary beginnings,” he said. He tried then to teach them, ‘How are we going to get a testimony in our hearts?’”
Of his recent ministry in Port Moresby and a devotional there broadcast nationwide, Elder Andersen said “you felt the love of the Savior. And in my meetings with the stake presidents, it was rewarding to see the strong spiritual maturity that has grown in the past 15 years. … It will be a stronghold of the Church in the years ahead.”
And in the Auckland devotional broadcast across New Zealand, Elder Andersen’s message and invitation was to “speak more of Christ.” For Latter-day Saints sharing testimony with others, he encouraged them to begin simply: “‘I know Jesus is the Christ’ — let it start with the Savior.”
