History of the Pacific Islands Commons^™

Mphs 2019 Conference

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

No abstract provided.

Unto The Isles Of The Sea: Latter-Day Saint Temples In The Pacific, Richard O. Cowan

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

Temple blessings and covenants are at the apex of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, so temples have been important to Latter-day Saints in the Pacific. To what extent has temple building in this area reflected the pattern worldwide?

Ni Ya Ta Hano Para I Temple I Guma Yu’Us, Devan Jensen

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

Micronesian Journeys to the Temple

Draft Notes by Devan Jensen based on original research and Revised Guam Travel Packet, Revised Micronesia Travel Packet

The Mariana Islands are home to one of the oldest of Pacific Island cultures, the Chamorro culture. More than 4000 years ago seafaring people from Southeast Asia settled the Mariana Islands, and they have been continuously occupied since. Over the last 400 years, Guam has been under the administration of Spain, the United States, and Japan. Spain was the first to claim sovereignty over Guam. It was the site of the first Roman Catholic mission and a …

A Comparative Look At The Dedication And Rededication Prays Of The Laie Hawaii Temple, J. Perry Christensen

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

This paper looks at the original dedicatory prayer and the two subsequent rededicatory prayers of the Laie Hawaii Temple in terms of historical settings, linguistic features, and content similarities and comparisons. The 1919 dedication and the 1978 rededication prayers are essentially the same in organization and very similar in content—almost word for word with parts of the 1919 pray either updated or deleted in the 1978 prayer. The 2010 rededication prayer is vastly different in organization and content, though an effort has been made to rearrange this prayer so that the content which is similar is presented next to the …

Hyrum Conrad Pope: Architect Of God’S Temple On This Pu’Uhonua, Hannah Fullerton

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

At night if one looks over from the Ko’olau mountain range, the sea, or the land a great light can be seen shining from the Laie Hawaii temple. For over three hundred years mankind has congratulated himself on the invention of lighthouses that bring ships in to harbor from a stormy sea. But for eternities has God created lighthouses of His own and the one that stands here has guided millions to safe harbor in a world awash in tumultuous darkness. This temple is unique for many reasons. La’ie Hawai’i temple is the first outside the continental US. This land …

James Lowe

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

Sam Lowe excused. As early as 1970, the church had decided to remodel the temple, and notified newly-called President Lloyd Walsh of their intentions. You local folks are going to laugh, but the project was delayed about 5 years because of the difficulty of obtaining the necessary building permits! Typical Hawaii.

2019 Conference Schedule

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

No abstract provided.

The Building Of The Toyko Temple, Conan P. Story

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

This is a story of the building of the Tokyo Temple, the first temple built in Asia by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is not a history, although I hope it will shed some historical light on a few aspects of this magnificent temple. It is simply my story—what I saw and did, and what I learned about this House of the Lord as it rose from the ground and was dedicated in 1980. I like to tell this story starting in 1948 because that is when the Lord began to reveal His plan for where …

The Impact Of Sharing Temple Stories And Images In The Pacific Through Social Media, Dr. Jared Hansen, Paul Wilson

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

No abstract provided.

One Hundred Years Of The Art And Architecture Of The Laie Temple

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

PowerPoint slide notes from a presentation by Sharon R. Gray, November 16, 2019, for the Mormon Pacific Historical Society (MPHS) Conference celebrating the Centennial of the Dedication of the Laie Hawai’i Temple.

Slide 1. Title Page 100 Years of the Art and Architecture of the Laie Hawai’i Temple. Image of the Laie Temple watercolor drawing by Paul L. Anderson.

Scientific Islanders: Pacific Peoples, American Scientists, And The Desire To Understand The World, 1800-1860, Roberto Jesus Diaz

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Between 1800 and 1860, Pacific Islanders sought answers to questions about the mechanics and origins of the universe, just as Americans did. But the systems of thought created by Natives addressing these matters generally would not have been considered "scientific" by Americans. Pacific Islanders and Americans, nevertheless, created extensive scientific traditions to systematically perceive, understand, and explain the nature of existence. These systems were rooted in religion, social dynamics, and other cultural norms, and manifested themselves in writing, artwork, explorations, and technologies that benefited their societies. Thus, this Thesis argues that the practice of scientific methods was not simply a …

Ancient Hawaiian Temples In LāʻIe, Cy Bridges, Tēvita KaʻIli, Brooks Haderlie, 'Ulise Funaki, Nakia Nae'ole

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

No abstract provided.

Layered Histories, Interpretive Desires, Rachelle Dang

Theses and Dissertations

I aim to excavate source material from the past and reinterpret its significance in the present through art. I merge history with the contemporary through acts of appropriation and material exploration, creating conditions for the viewer to grapple with colonial legacies in an affective space of visual experience.

“The Lolelaplap (Marshall Islands) In Us: Sailing West To East (Ralik→Ratak) To These Our Atolls (Aelon Kein Ad) Ad Jolet Jen Anij (Our Blessed Inheritance From God)”, Desmond N. Doulatram

Master's Projects and Capstones

This paper discusses the expansion of Oceania through a Marshallese indigenous lens as a focal point. It explains that decolonizing methodologies allows reclaiming of space for mental liberation and reassurement of constitutional rights. It highlights similar occurrences of decolonization practices meeting resistance in the 21st century all while strengthening the human right argument that no human deserves any less than their fellow human brothers and sisters. It argues that an indigenous imagery can only be viewed through an indigenous lens where the researches’ level of purity is retained and unfiltered. It nevertheless argues that Marshallese ethnolinguistics reveal the same cultural …

Mo'ikeha's Voyage From Tahiti To Hawaii: A Look Into Polynesian Culture, Kalea Tetsuka

Young Historians Conference

The purpose of this paper was to explore the historiography and significance of Mo’ikeha’s voyage from Tahiti to Hawaii. Traced back to around the 13th century, Mo’ikeha sailed from Tahiti to Hawaii using traditional navigational skills mastered by Polynesian voyagers. For years this was merely dismissed as a myth by European scholars, but in 1976 the Hokule’a recreated this trip using the same navigational techniques and traditional boat. Today, Mo’ikeha’s story will continue to live on, inspiring movies like Moana and proving the historical and cultural value of Hawaiian oral history.

From The Fangs Of Monsters: Gender, Empire, And Civilization In The Pacific, 1800-1850, Michael David Chavez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

As the nineteenth century commenced, contact between Pacific Islanders and Anglo-Americans increased as did the concern for what resulted from those interactions. In the United States, antebellum restrained men––those who upheld their Protestant faith, self-reliance, and familial values––used ideals of gender to combat the perceived “savagery” of Pacific Islanders and the corruption of American sailors among them. In the mission field, restrained men consciously sought after Anglo-American women’s influence often believing them to be the moral authority of a softer form of empire. This particular form of empire was not government led; nor did it entail the immediate conquest of …

Micronesia's Coming Of Age: The Mormon Role In Returning Micronesia To Self-Rule, Devan Jensen

Faculty Publications

Mormons, or members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, have a distinguished history of service in the U.S. government. During a forty-year period following World War II, Mormon politicians played vital roles in transitioning several islands in the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands from a quasi-colonial status into the self-governing Federated States of Micronesia. This article briefly traces the complicated transition through the public service of four key Mormon administrators: Elbert D. Thomas, John A. Carver Jr., Stewart L. Udall, and Morris K. Udall. They served respectively as first civilian high commissioner of the Trust Territory, …

Colonization To Construction: Bridging The Gap Between Ancient Chamorro, Spanish Colonial & Modern Architecture On Guam, Dominic J. Lizama

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Guam is an island in the Marianas that, over time, has experienced a rich cultural history brought about by its exposure to colonization, natural disasters, warfare and the continual influx of people and culture. Therefore, the architecture that exists on the island is one that divides itself into four distinct styles with each as a response to external forces that affected the island. By researching each of these styles, one is able to fully understand the holistic view of Guam’s history in order to design architecture that reflects the past with anticipation for the future. This thesis works to explore …

The Term Of President And Sister Melvin B. & Carol R. Butler Tonga Nuku'alofa Mission--July 1983 To June 1986

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

How does one begin to describe in a few paragraphs the joys, blessings, challenges, miracles, hardships and successes of the Tonga Nuku'alofa Mission during the period of July, 1983 to the end of June 1986, at which time the mission was presided over by myself, Melvin B. Butler from Salt Lake City, UT. Together with my precious wife Carol and seven beautiful children, Holly, Melony, Paul, Jill, David, Mark, and Russell, we willingly left our home, families and cherished friends to start a new life for three years in the islands of Tonga.

Mphs 2016 Call For Proposals

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

No abstract provided.

Mphs 2016 Registration

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

No abstract provided.

The Vital Apostolic Visits Of Elder David O. Mckay And Elder George Albert Smith For Tonga, Mary Jane Woodger

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

Early on in the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Savior was adamant that the Quorum of the Twelve would travel and traveling became a distinctive feature of those who became modern day Apostles. As early as 1832, the Savior made traveling a commandment. He revealed, “It is expedient that I give unto you this commandment that ye become even as my friends in days when I was with them, traveling to preach the gospel in my power.” (D&C 84:77). In this revelation the Lord acquainted traveling with power. Later in 1834, the Savior identified that the Traveling …

Lds Church History Sites In The Kingdom Of Tonga, Riley Moffat

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

The Kingdom of Tonga in the South Pacific is known as the country with the highest percentage of Latter-day Saints in the world. Out of a population of about 100,000 people in the Kingdom about 60,000 are baptized members of the Church according to Leitoni Tupou, recently released president of the Tongan mission. Of that number he says about 30,000 are active, 30,000 are less active and the other 40,000 haven’t been baptized yet. Tongan government statistics give lower figures but the fact that there are 166 congregations meeting in 106 chapels organized into 19 stakes (soon to be 21) …

President Emile Craner Dunn And The Tongan Mission: 1936-1950, Mark D. Ogletree, Ph.D.

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

Several years ago, Elder James E. Faust related the following experience. He and Elder Spencer J. Condie were in the Salt Lake City Airport and as they were walking down the terminal, they met a devoted and faithful couple that they both had known for many years. “This couple had spent a lifetime of service, meekly, faithfully, and effectively trying to build up the Church in many places in the world. Elder Condie noted, ‘Isn’t it remarkable what people with five loaves and two fishes do to build up the kingdom of God.’”1 Elder Faust then stated, “This kind of …

Nuku’Alofa Tonga Mission 1989-92

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

No abstract provided.

Mormon Intruders In Tonga: The Passport Act Of 1922, R. Lanier Britsch

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

On 29 June 1922 the Legislative Assembly in the island kingdom of Tonga enacted a law that prohibited all members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from entering that country. 1 This event occurred after considerable discussion and debate among governmental officials in Tonga, Fiji, Great Britain, and the United States. This study reviews the Latter-day Saint exclusion issue as it relates to the historical development of Christianity in Tonga, including sectarian relationships and government involvement in ecclesiastical affairs, the official attitude of the U.S. government regarding the Latter-day Saints and polygamy, and the United Kingdom's official …

Review Of Island Queens And Mission Wives: How Gender And Empire Remade Hawai‘I’S Pacific World, By Jennifer Thigpen, Margaret D. Jacobs

Department of History: Faculty Publications

In Island Queens and Mission Wives, Jennifer Thigpen argues persuasively for the centrality of women and gender to the encounter between missionaries and Native Hawaiians in the nineteenth century. ... Thigpen offers new contributions to scholarship on missionary enterprises and colonialism by offering close readings of on-the-ground relationships between missionary and Hawaiian women. She successfully shows how women’s cross-cultural relationships within intimate settings became significant sites for the building of diplomatic and political alliances. ... Through its engagement with and extension of scholarship on gender and colonial encounters, Thigpen’s manuscript is a solid and engaging piece of historical scholarship.

“We Rang The Bell”: Olonzod. Merrill’S Mission To Tonga (1892-1895)

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

No abstract provided.

A Gift Of Tongues Ermel J. Morton And The Translation Of The Book Of Mormon, Brent R. Anderson

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

Wherever the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been established, there are stories to be told and experiences to be shared. These often, if not always, include difficulties and challenges, but also blessings and miracles.

2016 Mphs Program

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

No abstract provided.