Suva Fiji Temple
Encyclopedia
The Suva Fiji Temple is the 91st operating temple
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).
On May 7, 1998 the First Presidency of the LDS Church announced that plans had been made to build a temple in Suva, Fiji.
The first LDS missionaries
arrived in Fiji
in 1893. It was hard work for missionaries to travel among the 100 inhabited islands of Fiji to teach the people. The work was slow and it was not until 1954 that the first small congregation was organized. After 1954 the work began to quicken and by 1993 there were more than 6,600 members in six wards and fifteen branches.
A groundbreaking ceremony and sited dedication were held for the Suva Fiji Temple on May 8, 1999. Earl M. Monson, a member of the Quorum of the Seventy, presided at the ceremony and dedication. The site chosen for the Fiji temple was 4.7 acres (19,020.2 m²) and is considered one of the most beautiful temple sites. The Pacific Ocean
can be seen from three sides of the property on one of the tallest hills in the area, and the site is located just a few minutes away from downtown Suva. The exterior of the Mormon temple is finished with Snow-white granite
from Campolonghi, Italy
and the grounds are beautifully landscaped.
The temple was open for public tours June 7 through the 12th, 2000. Just before the open house, starting on May 19, political unrest occurred in Fiji. A group of armed rebels held a group of government leaders hostage in Suva for weeks. Those held hostage included the Prime Minister of Fiji at the time, Mahendra Chaudhry
. The situation was so intense that the Church decided to send all of the Mormon missionaries in the area to the other side of the island to avoid any dangerous situations. Despite these problems and little media attention over 16,000 people toured the temple including 300 community leaders. Those who toured the temple were able to see the two ordinance rooms, two sealing rooms, Celestial room, baptistry, and learn more about Mormon beliefs associated with the temple.
The Suva Fiji Temple was dedicated on June 18, 2000 by President of the LDS Church, Gordon B. Hinckley
. Because of the political unrest that had been going on since before the open house it was decided that a small dedication service would be best and the normal four dedicatory services were abandoned. Sixty people attended the dedication, which was held in the Celestial room of the temple.
Temple (LDS Church)
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a temple is a building dedicated to be a House of the Lord, and they are considered by Church members to be the most sacred structures on earth. Upon completion, temples are usually open to the public for a short period of time...
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).
On May 7, 1998 the First Presidency of the LDS Church announced that plans had been made to build a temple in Suva, Fiji.
The first LDS missionaries
Missionary (LDS Church)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of the most active modern practitioners of missionary work, with over 52,000 full-time missionaries worldwide, as of the end of 2010...
arrived in Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
in 1893. It was hard work for missionaries to travel among the 100 inhabited islands of Fiji to teach the people. The work was slow and it was not until 1954 that the first small congregation was organized. After 1954 the work began to quicken and by 1993 there were more than 6,600 members in six wards and fifteen branches.
A groundbreaking ceremony and sited dedication were held for the Suva Fiji Temple on May 8, 1999. Earl M. Monson, a member of the Quorum of the Seventy, presided at the ceremony and dedication. The site chosen for the Fiji temple was 4.7 acres (19,020.2 m²) and is considered one of the most beautiful temple sites. The Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
can be seen from three sides of the property on one of the tallest hills in the area, and the site is located just a few minutes away from downtown Suva. The exterior of the Mormon temple is finished with Snow-white granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
from Campolonghi, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and the grounds are beautifully landscaped.
The temple was open for public tours June 7 through the 12th, 2000. Just before the open house, starting on May 19, political unrest occurred in Fiji. A group of armed rebels held a group of government leaders hostage in Suva for weeks. Those held hostage included the Prime Minister of Fiji at the time, Mahendra Chaudhry
Mahendra Chaudhry
Mahendra Pal Chaudhry is a Fijian politician and the leader of the Fiji Labour Party...
. The situation was so intense that the Church decided to send all of the Mormon missionaries in the area to the other side of the island to avoid any dangerous situations. Despite these problems and little media attention over 16,000 people toured the temple including 300 community leaders. Those who toured the temple were able to see the two ordinance rooms, two sealing rooms, Celestial room, baptistry, and learn more about Mormon beliefs associated with the temple.
The Suva Fiji Temple was dedicated on June 18, 2000 by President of the LDS Church, Gordon B. Hinckley
Gordon B. Hinckley
Gordon Bitner Hinckley was an American religious leader and author who served as the 15th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from March 12, 1995 until his death...
. Because of the political unrest that had been going on since before the open house it was decided that a small dedication service would be best and the normal four dedicatory services were abandoned. Sixty people attended the dedication, which was held in the Celestial room of the temple.
See also
- Temple (Latter Day Saints)
- List of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- List of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by geographic region
- Comparison of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsComparison of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsBelow is a chronological list of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with sortable columns. In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a temple is a building dedicated to be a House of the Lord, and considered by church members to be the most sacred structures on earth...
- Temple architecture (Latter-day Saints)