November 11, 2025, 10:09 AM MST
Salome Strom was born and raised in Harauhuri, Vava’u Island, within the Kingdom of Tonga. She grew up singing “Folofora Mai A Seesu” (“Jesus Is the Way”) in the Tonga hymnbook of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
She cried when she heard a multicultural choir sing hymns during general conference in October 2025.
“To be honest, I was one of the many Tongans who was surprised and cried tears of joy when the choir performed Tongan songs in English,” she said. “The English translation and sound match the vocals perfectly throughout the chorus.”
Colonita Mare, second counselor in the Trenton Ward (Tonga) Bishopric of the Grand River Missouri Stake, said “Jesus is the Way” is one of those songs that almost every Tongan family knows, and for native English speakers it is the same as “I Am a Child of God.”
“‘Forophora My A Seesou’ is a beloved hymn that holds a special place in our hearts,” he said.
This hymn was written by a Tongan pioneer named Tevita Tuliakiono who first joined the church in Nuku’alofa, Tonga in 1916.
He walked three miles across the island every week to go to church. When the Tongan hymnbook was published in 1920, it included six of Tuliakiono’s hymns, including “Folofora Mai A Seesu”.
The chapter on this hymn in the Gospel Library explains that early editions of Tongan hymnbooks did not include any form of musical notation, as the tunes and harmonies were transmitted orally. Then, in 1973, tungafasi (a Tongan notation system that uses numbers instead of staff notes) was used for new hymns. This made it possible for Latter-day Saints throughout Tonga to learn and sing hymns.
“Jesus Is the Way” was added to Hymns — For Home and Church’s newest hymns in September.
Strom wrote in Church News that he felt “so humbled and joyful” to sing the hymn, which has been translated into many languages for a new worldwide hymnbook.
“This is more than just a translation, it is proof that the faith, dedication and voice of a beautiful little island nation can lift up members of the Church around the world,” Strom said.
“Jesus is the Way” 1. Our Savior Jesus Christ said, “Come in, ye, come in through me.” By other paths we are misled. Through him we are set free. 2. God’s servants teach in God’s name and live God’s gospel in power and truth. Didn’t Jesus do the same thing? He taught it and practiced it. 3. Our Savior is a precious tree that bears fruit so sweet and pure. The truth of God that sets us free forever remains the same. Chorus Enter through him, into the fold of God. Our Savior Jesus is the way and the Savior of the world.
Listen to this song here.
Sing to strengthen unity
Ms Strom, who lives in the Wellington and Hutt New Zealand Stake’s Avalon Branch (Tonga) with her husband and five children, said the hymn had a special spirit for the branch because of their different backgrounds.
“When we sing this song together, we are united. It feels like a common testimony that we all trust in the Savior and that He truly is the way for each of us.”
When men sing this hymn at home or at church, they also feel a deep sense of unity.
“The harmonies, the way the men sing the bass, the way everyone’s voices intermingle, it’s a beautiful reminder that we are all united as a family, a borough, and even a village,” Mare said.
Listening to English hymns, he said, makes him feel like “we’re all united on earth and a little bit in heaven.” And, no matter the language, “it brings to mind a sense of how songs are sung in heaven, connecting us all spiritually.”
The Strom family sings the song together in Tonga at family nights, gatherings, school events, and when driving to church, school, and the Hamilton New Zealand Temple. Strom said the song is a reminder to hold fast to Jesus Christ because true peace and direction can only come through Him. The song calls on everyone to “come in through Jesus.”
Strom is grateful that churches around the world are now singing words that were once common only in Tonga. And she feels it connects her family and Tongan-speaking chapter with Latter-day Saints around the world.
“We are reminded that the Lord values every culture, every person, and every offering of worship,” she said. “It feels like a piece of home is woven into the family of Saints around the world, testifying to the true embrace of the gospel to all nations, kindreds, languages, and peoples.”
