Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints visited LDS Church members, government officials and missionaries in the Pacific over the course of the last two weeks.
While in Samoa, Elder Christofferson met with the news media. According to Mormon Newsroom Pacific, he spoke about local humanitarian projects, the importance of families and how the church strives to strengthen church members' faith in Jesus Christ.
“We feel that family is the most important unit of society, that any nation depends upon the strength of the family, and we even see family as the order of heaven as we pass to the other side,” Elder Christofferson said at the meeting.
The Samoa Observer reported on the meeting.
Elder Christofferson also met with members and government officials in Samoa. Mormon Newsroom Pacific reported that Elder Christofferson met with the American Samoan lieutenant governor and the Samoan prime minister.
Part of his Pacific visit included meeting with the missionaries of the New Zealand Auckland Mission and the New Zealand Hamilton Mission. Mormon Newsroom Pacific reported that prior to the meeting, Elder Christofferson shook hands with the 500 full-time missionaries in attendance.
Elder Christofferson also met with church members in Hamilton, New Zealand. He encouraged them to be a light in their communities.
“The reason we have the church is to strengthen one another’s faith and to lift and sustain one another,” Elder Christofferson said, according to Mormon Newsroom Pacific.
Members and missionaries in the Solomon Islands also heard from Elder Christofferson, according to Mormon Newsroom Pacific. In the Solomon Islands, Elder Christofferson met with Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare.
Elder Christofferson and his wife, Katherine, had planned to visit Vanuatu but were unable to travel there due to local airport challenges, according to Mormon Newsroom Pacific.
Lindsey Williams writes for the the Faith and Family sections of DeseretNews.com