Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles recently served in four Pacific countries and territories: Australia, New Caledonia, Samoa, and American Samoa.
The countries he visited differed not only in the languages they spoke (English, French, and Samoan), but also in their culture and church development. Australia and Samoa, for example, have roots in the early Restoration. New Caledonia, on the other hand, won its first stake in 2012. Despite their differences, Elder Stevenson shared a universal message testifying to God’s love for each of His children.
“The message is the same whether it’s taught in New Caledonia, whether it’s taught in New Zealand, whether it’s taught in Germany or Argentina,” he said.
Elder Stevenson and his wife, Sister Letha Stevenson, served in the Church’s Pacific region from May 15th to May 25th. They were joined at another stop by members of the Church’s Pacific Area Presidency, Elders Peter F. Meurs, Elder Taniela B. Wakolo, and Elder Jeremy R. Jagi, all General Authority Seventies, and their wives, Sister Maxine Meurs, Elder Anita Wakolo, and Sister Amy Jagi.
In addition to meeting with government officials, including the Prime Minister of Samoa, the Governor of American Samoa, and the Mayor of Nouméa, New Caledonia, Elder Stevenson ministered to Latter-day Saint youth, young adults, missionaries, leaders, families, and friends of the Church.
share the joy of the gospel
Elder Stevenson began his ministry in the city of Perth in the southwestern corner of Australia, one of the most geographically isolated major cities in the world.
According to the church’s Pacific Newsroom, Elder Stevenson, along with Elder Jaggi, encouraged those he taught to find joy in living the gospel. “This is a work of happiness, joy, joy. It is God’s plan of happiness,” he declared.
He also participated in the regional conference for Latter-day Saints in Western Australia. Some people traveled up to seven hours to attend, Pacific Newsroom reported.
Elder Stevenson traveled east from Perth, spending time in New Caledonia, an archipelago east of Australia, then continuing east to the island nation of Samoa and American Samoa.
This service was Elder Stevenson’s first in New Caledonia, which is part of France.
In a social media post from Nouméa, the capital of the main island of Grande Terre, the elder Stevenson said the island was “beautiful” and the people “spectacular”.
During a devotional meeting with Latter-day Saints and their friends, Elders Stevenson and Moors spoke about New Caledonia being home to a variety of delicious fruits, including papaya, mango, passion fruit, banana, coconut, dragon fruit, and more.
They associated those fruits with the sweetness of the fruits of the gospel of Jesus Christ that Lehi described in his dream of the tree of life. Lehi said that the fruit “filled my soul with such great joy that I desired to feed it also to my household” (1 Nephi 8:12).
“I could see the joy on the faces of the members,” Elder Moors commented as Elder Stevenson read the above scripture.
While in New Caledonia, Elder Stevenson also presented Noumea Mayor Sonia Lagarde with a marble statue of Christus and a copy of the Book of Mormon in French. Among other topics, the leaders discussed plans for the Nouméa Temple, announced by President Russell M. Nelson on April 6, 2025.
In Samoa, in addition to meeting with local Church leaders and missionaries, Elders Stevenson and Wakolo met with Prime Minister Lauriale Maritoa Polataivao Fosi Schmidt. Over dinner and prayer, Elder Stevenson expressed his gratitude to the Prime Minister for his continued leadership and service.
The elder Stevenson’s final destination was American Samoa, just 40 miles southeast of Samoa, but he was delayed by a full day because of the International Date Line. He participated in meetings with church leaders, women, missionaries, youth, and parents.
In a social media post, he testified to Pacific Latter-day Saints of “the beauty of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the joy it will bring to the lives of all who come to Him and find His way.”
