Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Samoa

The missionary work of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Ekalesia to Iesu Keriso or the Au Pa'ia or Aso E Catta Ai in Samoan) in Samoa officially began on June 18, 1888 when Joseph Harry Dean and Florence Ridges Dean arrived in Tutuila. There was an unofficial beginning in January 1863, when Malter Murria Gibson sent two Hawaiian elders, Kimo Pelio and Samuela Manoa to Samoa to teach the restored gospel; they baptized fifty people. Pelio died in 1876 and Manoa married and settled on the small island of Aunuu, from where he sent letters to Hawaii and to the headquarters of the LDS Church asking for help. One of those letters asks the deans to go to Samoa from Hawaii.

The growth of the Church in Samoa has been stable since 1888. During its first few months the Deans baptized forty people and formed a branch. In 1899 the Church had 1139 Samoan members dispersed throughout the major islands. Local leaders led most of the priesthood branches and Samoans and their women served on missions. LDS Church schools were established in numerous cities and three central residential schools were set up on the islands of Tutuila, Upolu and Savai'i. The Church continued to run many schools, the most important being the Church College of Western Samoa, an institute in Apia. Meeting centers for families were founded in Mapusaga, in Tutuila (American Samoa) in 1903 and in Sainiatu, Upolu in Samoa in 1904. Temple of Apia, the 24th built by IJSUD.

In 1902 the seat was established in Pesega, near Apia, in a land donated by Ah Mu, a Chinese member. On this land are built the Temple of Apia, the Church College of Western Samoa, a stake center, mission headquarters and a mission training center. The Book of Mormon was translated into Samoan and published in 1903 and Doctrine and Covenants and The Pearl of Great Price in 1963.

On March 18, 1962, the stake of Apia was organized with Percy John Rivers, a descendant of Ah Mu, as president. On February 19, 1981, Spencer W. Kimball dedicated the floor for the creation of the Temple of Apia in Pesega and the structure was dedicated between August 5 and 7, 1983.

There are currently 67,120 Mormons in Samoa, grouped in 134 congregations. There is a mission (the Samoa-Apia mission), a temple and sixteen Family History Centers.

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