Published Items

Online

This is a curated list of published items available online, hosted via the Church History Catalog or BYU Religious Studies Center. Some items in the catalogue require a Church account to view. If you do not have an account, you can create one on the Church’s website (you do not have to be a Church member to create an account).

Index to Periodicals of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Spanning 1961 to 2004, this multivolume index includes information on articles published in Church magazines and the Church News. Articles are typically indexed by title, author, and subject. Depending on the volume, the periodicals indexed include:

• Children's Friend
• Church News
• Conference reports
• Improvement Era
• Instructor
• Relief Society Magazine
• Ensign
• Friend
• New Era

Since the digitised versions of the periodicals are not yet full-text searchable, this index is essential to finding relevant content. While Latter-day Saints in the Pacific were not the primary audience of these publications, these magazines would often contain articles about Church members from Pacific areas.

Liahona

The official magazine of the Church, Liahona, has been published in many of the languages spoken in the Pacific. While many recent issues can be found in the Gospel Library, the following link contains historical issues available through the Church History Catalog in various languages. Some of these magazines carried unique names before adopting the title Liahona.

• Vosa vakaviti (Fijian)
• Kiribati (Gilbertese)
• Kajin Majōl‌̧ (Marshallese)
• Reo Tahiti (Tahitian)
• Bislama
• Gagana Samoa (Samoan)
• Faka-Tonga (Tongan)

Liahona Local Pages

The local pages included in Church magazines offer stories from and about Latter-day Saints in specific countries and locations.

• Aotearoa New Zealand
• Australia (included Aotearoa New Zealand news until 2006)
• Fiji
• French Polynesia
• Kiribati
• Marshall Islands‌̧
• Samoa
• Tonga
• Vanuatu

Te Heheuraa Api

Te Heheuraa Api, meaning “The New Revelation,” was published by the Tahitian Mission beginning in 1907. It ran until November 1940 when the mission closed. It resumed eight years later and ran until 1961 when it was replaced by L’Etoile De La Polynesie Française.

Te Karere

Te Karere began as a Māori-language supplement to the Elders’ Messenger (soon shortened to The Messenger) of the New Zealand Mission. With the second volume, starting in 1908, they were published separately but shared issue numbering. Beginning in 1917, the two magazines merged under the Te Karere title and carried content in both English and Māori. The format eventually changed to English only, and the magazine was discontinued in 1960.

Deseret News Church Almanac

From 1974 to 2013, the Deseret News published the official Church Almanac, which included brief histories and contemporaneous statistics for the Church worldwide. Users must log in with a Church account, click on the “Request Digital Access” link and fill out the form. Viewing permission will then be linked to the user’s Church account. Physical copies can also be viewed at the Church History Library.

Regional Studies in Latter-day Saint Church History: The Pacific Isles

Published by Brigham Young University’s Religious Studies Center, this volume includes several chapters by various authors highlighting different aspects and events of Church history in the Pacific. Available online through the BYU Religious Studies Center website.

Pioneers in the Pacific: Memory, History, and Cultural Identity among the Latter-day Saints

A collection of essays highlighting various aspects of the lives of Pacific Latter-day Saints. Available online through the BYU Religious Studies Center website.

Saints of Tonga: A Century of Island Faith

This volume covers the first 100 years of the Church in Tonga. Available online through the BYU Religious Studies Center website.

The Development of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Hawaii

A master’s thesis by Richard C. Harvey, this volume looks at the history of the Church in Hawaii from 1850 into the 1970s. Available online through BYU ScholarsArchive.

On-Site

The following items are a small sampling of publications on Pacific Church history. These are not available online, but can be viewed at Church History facilities, including the Church History Library (CHL) and Matthew Cowley Pacific Church History Centre (MCPCHC). Call numbers are provided for both locations, where applicable, to help you in accessing these publications. You can also search WorldCat or your local library catalogues to see if these books are available in your area.

Battlefields to Temple Grounds: Latter-day Saints in Guam and Micronesia

This book features stories of how Latter-day Saints arrived during and after World War II, helped rebuild the damaged infrastructure, and gradually planted branches of the Church that spread throughout the islands of Micronesia. Found at the CHL under call number M278.68 B336 2023 and on the open stacks at the MCPCHC.

Build for Eternity: A History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in New Zealand

Edited by Selywn Katene and A. Keith Thompson, this volume attempts a comprehensive account of the Church’s presence in New Zealand from 1854 into the 21st century. Found at the CHL under call number M279.3 B932 2023 and on the open stacks at the MCPCHC.

Moramona: The Mormons in Hawai'i

Written by R. Lanier Britsch, this volume chronicles the history of the Church in Hawaii beginning in 1850. Found at the CHL under call number M279.69 B862m 2018.

Mormons in the Pacific: A Bibliography

Published in 1981, this volume lists collections and materials held by the Church History Library, BYU-Provo library, and BYU-Hawaii library that relate to Pacific Latter-day Saints, their experiences, and the Church in the islands. Found at the CHL under call number M201 C626mo 1981 and on the open stacks at the MCPCHC.

Southern Cross Saints: The Mormons in Australia

This volume highlights the arrival and growth of the Church in Australia spanning from 1840 to 1990. Found at the CHL under call number M279.4 N565s 1991 and on the open stacks at the MCPCHC.

Tongan Saints: Legacy of Faith

Commissioned by the Tongan Centennial Committee, this volume is a collection of personal experiences spanning the first 100 years of the Church’s presence in Tonga. Found at the CHL under call number M279.612 S562t 1991 and on the open stacks at the MCPCHC.

Unto the Islands of the Sea: A History of the Latter-day Saints in the Pacific

This volume, published in 1986, tells the story of the Church and its members in the Pacific. Found at the CHL under call number M279 B862u 1986 and on the open stacks at the MCPCHC.

Voices of Latter-day Saint Women in the Pacific and Asia

Highlighting the stories of Latter-day Saint women, this compilation includes essays of women from the Pacific and Asia. Found at the CHL under call number M243.8 V8891 2024.

Voyages of Faith: Explorations in Mormon Pacific History

This compilation contains articles discussing the Church’s history in the Pacific. Published by BYU Press. Found at the CHL under call number M279.6 V975 2000 and on the open stacks at the MCPCHC.

Zion in New Zealand: A History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in New Zealand, 1854-1977

Published in 1977 by the Church College of New Zealand, this history by Brian W. Hunt discusses the story of Latter-day Saints in the nation. Found at the CHL under call number M279.3 H939z 1977 and under NZ-01-00001 at the MCPCHC.

Kia Ngawari Trust book collection, 1859-2009

Books, periodical issues, and student papers donated to the Kia Ngawari Trust, most of which relate to Aotearoa New Zealand history, Māori language and culture, Māori legends, and the history of the Church in the country. Found at the MCPCHC under the call number NZ-01-00001.