In what Elder Taniela B. Wakolo, a General Authority Seventy, dubbed “a perfect example of following Church President Russell [M.] Nelson’s invitation to minister to ‘the one,’” Latter-day Saints in Auckland, New Zealand, recently donated boxes of scriptures to congregations in Papua New Guinea.
During a visit to Papua New Guinea earlier this year, Elder Wakolo, who serves as first counselor in the Pacific Area presidency, noted that many members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints there did not have scriptures or the means to buy them.
The country, which comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea in the South Pacific, is one of the most rural countries in the world, with only 13.25% of its population living in urban centers in 2019, reported worldbank.org. According to the International Trade Administration, in the early 2000s less than 10% of the population had access to electricity. Although that number is increasing, access to electronic versions of the scriptures is also not feasible for many members there.
After returning to the area office in New Zealand, Elder Wakolo reached out to Latter-day Saints in Auckland for collecting “pre-loved” but quality copies of the scriptures.
Elder Jared V. Ormsby, Area Seventy, coordinated efforts with local Church leaders and collected boxes of scriptures to be sent to members in Papua New Guinea.
Elder Wakolo told the Church’s Pacific Newsroom, “These are boxes of love, and many lives will change because of this donation to the Saints in Papua New Guinea.”
He explained that the scriptures will enable Latter-day Saints in Papua New Guinea to learn of Christ, first and forever, and will also help “to prepare them to go to the house of the Lord which is currently being constructed.”
President Nelson announced a temple for the island nation in the capital of Port Moresby during October 2019 general conference. Ground was broken for the house of the Lord there on April 22, 2023. In his dedicatory prayer for the site, Elder Peter F. Meurs, a General Authority Seventy and then first counselor in the Pacific Area presidency, said, “We pray that our Church members will be inspired through the construction period to strengthen their faith in Thy Son, Jesus Christ. May they turn to Him and receive His healing and redeeming power.”
Of the effort to collect donations, Elder Ormsby said, “It has been a blessing for the youth and families of the Auckland stakes to be able to contribute and assist in this way with these scriptures that have been a blessing in their homes.”
The donated scriptures are expected to be delivered in the next few weeks.
Papua New Guinea, located directly north of Australia, is known for its cultural and biological diversity, with coral reefs, inland volcanoes and dense rainforest. It is home to roughly 38,000 Latter-day Saints in 94 congregations.
