The Church in Guam
Latter-day Saints in the United States military were the first to bring the Church to Guam after World War II. The first Chamoru Saints joined the Church in the 1970s, leading to the translation of the Book of Mormon into Chamoru in 1989. In 2022 the first temple in the territory was dedicated in Yigo, Guam.
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History of the Church in Guam
At the end of World War II, Latter-day Saints serving in the United States military and stationed in Guam began meeting in informal groups. By the early 1950s, branches were organized for military personnel, their families, and other expatriate Saints living in Guam. With the support of missionaries from the Japanese Mission, members began sharing the gospel with their neighbors. By the end of the decade, the first meetinghouses in Guam were dedicated to accommodate the steadily growing branches.
Saints in Guam have worked closely together with their neighbors. In the midst of celebration, severe tropical weather, and cultural renewal, members have provided service, teaching, and translation. In the 1970s, the indigenous CHamoru people, whose language and culture had been repressed for generations, began to meet with members and missionaries. After the first CHamoru converts, Maria and Donald Calvo, were baptized in May 1977, Maria began working to translate the Book of Mormon into CHamoru. Maria hoped that the translation would help other CHamoru converts learn the gospel in their language and that it would contribute to the preservation of their language. When her selections were published in 1989, the Guamanian legislature adopted a resolution recognizing the Book of Mormon translation as a “major accomplishment” in the preservation of the CHamoru language.
Although war created the impetus for the establishment of branches in Guam, the Saints there have endeavored to “keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3) as they have worked together with their neighbors.
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Notes
- Cannon, William W. Beachheads in Micronesia: A View of the Proselyting Efforts of Mormon Missionaries Who Followed the Liberating Campaigns of Military Forces of the United States in Micronesia. 1997. Church History Library, Salt Lake City.
- Micronesia Guam Mission. Micronesia Guam Mission annual historical reports. Church History Library, Salt Lake City.
- Passauer, Newton R. “Guam Church historical collection, 1986–2014.” Church History Library, Salt Lake City.