French Polynesia, a French overseas territory, consists of five island groups (118 islands) and in 1999 had a total population of 220,000. Seventy-nine percent of the populace is Polynesian.
On 30 April 1844, three elders—Addison Pratt, Benjamin F. Grouard, and Noah Rogers—arrived at Tubuai Island, 350 miles south of Tahiti. They had been sent from Nauvoo, Illinois, in May 1843 by the Prophet Joseph Smith. They established the first foreign language mission of the Church. Pratt created branches on Tubuai, while Rogers went to islands in the northwest and Grouard went to Anaa in the Tuamotu Archipelago. Rogers returned to America in 1845. Pratt and Grouard baptized at least 2,000 Polynesians. From 1847 to 1848, Pratt went to Utah and returned in 1850 with reinforcements. Unfortunately, the French forced closure of the mission in 1852.
In 1892 French Polynesia was reopened by Elders Joseph W. Damron and William A. Seegmiller, sent from Samoa. Through the decades, international political and economic events have taken their toll on membership growth. Since 1950, however, the Church has experienced steady growth and progress. For example, the number and quality of buildings increased during the Building Missionary era of the 1950s and 1960s; temple excursions to New Zealand began in 1963; the Latter-day Saint Primary School was established from 1964 to 1982; the Tahiti Stake was created on 14 May 1972; and the Papeete Tahiti Temple was dedicated on 27 October 1983. In 1994 the French Polynesian Saints celebrated the sesquicentennial of the founding of the mission. At that time Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles dedicated French Polynesia for the preaching of the gospel. At the beginning of the year 2000, membership stood at 16,230. In that same year, French Polynesia had 1 mission (Tahiti Papeete Mission), 6 stakes, and 3 districts with 45 wards and 28 branches. The Book of Mormon was first published in Tahitian in 1904.
[Year-end 2005: Est. population, 270,000; Members, 21,567; Stakes, 6; Wards, 49; Branches, 31; Missions, 1; Districts, 3; Temples, 1; Percent LDS, 7.8, or one in 13; Source 2007 Church Almanac.]
SOURCES
Britsch, R. Lanier. Unto the Islands of the Sea: A History of the Latter-day Saints in the Pacific. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1986. 1-90.
Ellsworth, S. George, and Kathleen C. Perrin. Seasons of Faith and Courage: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in French Polynesia, a Sesquicentennial History. Sandy, Utah: Yves R. Perrin, 1994.
1999-2000 Church Almanac. Salt Lake City: Deseret News, 1998. 320-22.
R. LANIER BRITSCH
From Arnold K. Garr, Donald Q. Cannon, and Richard O. Cowan, eds., Encyclopedia of Latter-day Saint History (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2000), 399-400. Used with the permission of the Deseret Book Company. Copies prohibited by law.