The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Tonga
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) (Tongan: Siasi ʻo Sīsū Kalaisi ʻo e Kau Māʻoniʻoni ʻi he Ngaahi ʻAho Kimui Ní or Siasi Māmonga) was established in Tonga in 1891.[1]
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints claims it has over 60,600 members which is about 57% of the population of Tonga. According to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Tonga has a higher per-capita number of Latter-day Saints than any other country in the world.[2] However, according to 2011 census, only 18.01% of Tongans belong to LDS Church and Tongans belonging to mainstream Christian denominations represent majority of the population.[3]
Membership
The membership of the church claimed by the church is 63,065,[4] which represents approximately 60 percent of Tonga's population. However, according to the 2011 Tongan census, 18,554 people self-identify as Mormons, making it the second-largest religion in the country.[1] LDS Church membership statistics are different from self-reported statistics mainly because the LDS Church does not remove an individual's name from its membership rolls based on disengagement from the church.[5][6]
As of 2015, the LDS Church reported 63,065 members, 166 congregations, one mission, and one temple in Tonga.[4]
Missions
When the first LDS Church missionaries in Tonga arrived in Tonga on 15 July 1891, Tonga was part of the church's Samoan Mission. On 8 July 1916, the Tongan Mission was organized. The mission at the time included much of the South Pacific. The mission was renamed the Tonga Mission on 10 June 1970. On 23 July 1971, the Tonga Mission was divided and the Fiji Mission was created from it. The Tonga Mission was renamed the Tonga Nuku'alofa Mission on 20 June 1974.
Temples
The church's Nuku'alofa Tonga Temple was dedicated in 1983 and was rededicated in 2007.
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23. Nuku'alofa Tonga | ||
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Tongatapu, Tonga | ||
Notes
- 1 2 Finau Fonua, "Mormons surpass Catholics in Tonga", Matangi Tonga Online, 2 October 2014.
- ↑ ^ Jump up to: a b Church News: Country information: Tonga, lds.org, accessed 2013-12-15
- ↑ http://www.spc.int/prism/tonga/index.php/component/docman/cat_view/124-population-census/118-2011?Itemid=23
- 1 2 "Tonga: Facts and Statistics", mormonnewsroom.org.
- ↑ "Membership, Retention on the Rise", Ensign, June 2007, pp. 75–80: "Church membership growth numbers are often interpreted inaccurately, which can lead to misconceptions in the media, Brother Buckner said. Therefore, it is important to clearly understand what these numbers signify. They represent the number of Church members, but they do not represent activity rates. The Church does not remove an individual's name from its membership rolls based on inactivity."
- ↑ "Church Statistics Reflect Steady Growth". LDS Newsroom. 11 April 2007: "it is a challenge for the Church to keep track of all of its members, especially if they do not regularly attend Sunday services. The Church does not remove an individual's name from its membership rolls based on inactivity." The LDS Church removes names from membership records only by excommunication or by written request of the member.
- ↑ "Public to Tour Renovated Temple in Nuku’alofa, Tonga", Newsroom (Press release) (LDS Church), 2007-07-10, retrieved 2012-10-07
- ↑ Weaver, Sara Jane (2007-11-05), "LDS Tonga Temple rededicated", Deseret Morning News, retrieved 2012-10-07
References
- Harvalene K. Sekona, "Tonga: A Land Dedicated to God", Liahona, August 2014
- LaRene Porter Gaunt, "Tonga: A Land of Believing People", Liahona, April 2002
- "Tonga Marks LDS Centennial with Nationwide Celebrations", Ensign, November 1991: 106–07
- "Country information: Tonga", Church News, February 1, 2010
External links
- New Zealand/Pacific Islands LDS Newsroom
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - Official Site (New Zealand/Pacific Islands)
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