Fifty years after the restored gospel of Jesus Christ first reached the Pacific island nation of Kiribati, thousands of Latter-day Saints gathered across the country to celebrate a milestone of faith, education and growth, reported the Church’s Pacific Newsroom.
The nine-day commemoration, in October 2025, included a vibrant cultural celebration and a nationwide devotional. The anniversary weekend also marked the organization of the Tarawa Kiribati North Stake — the nation’s fourth stake — symbolizing continued spiritual and institutional growth in one of the most concentrated Church populations in the world.
Today, approximately 20% of residents are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
A celebration of culture and faith
The celebration began with a cultural program Oct. 18 at Moroni High School, a Church-operated institution that has long stood as a beacon of education and discipleship in Kiribati. About 1,000 dancers from the Tarawa Betio, Tarawa West and Tarawa East stakes and the Tarawa North District participated in 12 traditional performances that honored local heritage and gospel values.
Among the dignitaries in attendance were Taneti Maamau, president of Kiribati, and several government ministers. Maamau praised the event, recognizing the Church’s contribution to education and leadership development in the country.
Elder Jeremy R. Jaggi, General Authority Seventy and second counselor of the Church’s Pacific Area presidency, presided at the weekend events, accompanied by Elder Iotua Tune, an Area Seventy and one of the Church’s early missionaries in Kiribati in 1979.
A new stake organized
On Sunday, Oct. 19, Elder Jaggi organized the Tarawa Kiribati North Stake, comprising five wards — including two newly created — and four branches.
The stake creation required the calling of five bishops, reflecting the rapid local growth and leadership development that have defined the Church’s presence in Kiribati.
During the conference, Elder Tune reminded members that “the Lord will now bless us as we work together to build a Zion people, of one heart and one mind in preparation for the temple.”
Kiribati’s first temple, the Tarawa Kiribati Temple, announced in 2021, is under construction.
A nationwide devotional
That same day, Saints throughout Kiribati joined in a countrywide devotional to mark the Church’s 50th anniversary. A children’s choir sang “Ana Tataro te Tei” (“A Child’s Prayer”), and a youth choir from Moroni High School offered additional musical numbers.
Elder Tune reflected on the early days of the Church in Kiribati, recounting how the Lord prepared youth through education and missionary service to lead His work. “There were a lot of people chosen by Heavenly Father to lead the Church in Kiribati,” he said. “Many of our people went to Tonga to be prepared.”
Among those returning for the celebration was Saiosi George Moleni, a former missionary from Tonga who served at Moroni High School from 1977 to 1979. He spoke of his joy in returning to see the people of Kiribati “being joyful, loving their Church and their island.”
Maamau also addressed those assembled, expressing gratitude for the education and leadership development fostered by the Church. He congratulated Latter-day Saints for their contributions to the nation, including many who now serve in government and community leadership.
Elder Jaggi, who also spoke at the devotional, honored the pioneers of the Church in Kiribati, sharing photos and stories from key historical moments. He invited the youth to serve missions, continue their education and “make every day a joyous day.” His closing invitation was for all to strengthen their faith in Jesus Christ and prepare for the blessings of the temple.
A half-century of growth
According to the Church’s Global Histories, the Church’s history in Kiribati began in 1972, when Waitea Abiuta, principal of the Auriaria Kokoi Ataria School in Tarawa, contacted Church-owned Liahona High School in Tonga seeking educational opportunities for his students. In 1973, 12 students from Kiribati studying at Liahona were baptized. Two years later, the first missionaries arrived in Tarawa, and within weeks, 20 converts were baptized.
In 1977, the Church acquired Auriaria Kokoi Ataria School, renaming it Moroni Community School — now Moroni High School — and it became a center of both education and conversion. Over the following decades, the Church’s influence expanded across the islands through faith, education and service.
By 1985, of the 65 students in the first graduating class of Moroni High School, 63 had served full-time missions, with several becoming the first I-Kiribati — natives of Kiribati — to serve outside the country. In 1996, Elder L. Tom Perry of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles pronounced an apostolic blessing on the islands and organized the first stake in Kiribati.
