[SINGING] The Pacific Area is a remarkably diverse area.

There are about half a million Latter-day Saints in the Pacific region.

[CHANTING] I have a special feeling for this country because my great-grandfather Elder Abinadi Olsen was called on a mission to come to Samoa in 1895. My great-grandfather was baptized into the Church by Elder Abinadi Olsen. My great-grandfather was one of the first people in Samoa to join the Church. Now, of course, our Church is one of the four mainline churches in Samoa--at least a quarter of the population. [MUSIC - "YOU CAN MAKE THE PATHWAY BRIGHT"] (SINGING) You can live a happy life in this world of toil and strife, if there's sunshine in your heart. Some of the challenges are quite typical of the developing Church in many parts of the world. But the Samoan people have an extraordinary spiritual quality. They are very loyal to the Lord. They love the gospel. They love the leaders of the Church. They are making good progress toward real growth and making priesthood quorums stronger. They have their eyes fixed on exactly what ought to be happening as the Church grows and matures.

The gospel will go on. The Church will grow in Samoa for years to come because of the truthfulness of it.

There have been members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in New Zealand for about 160 years. The New Zealand temple was the first temple built in the South Pacific. So it has been a focus for the temple covenants of the people throughout the whole Pacific Rim. I've been longing to go to the temple ever since I got baptized. I know that's where we should be--to be sealed and return back to our Heavenly Father again. [MUSIC - "LOVE AT HOME"] (SINGING) There is beauty all around when there's love at home. It's a difficult world, particularly for our younger people. And there are a lot of pressures, a lot of factors which impinge upon their life and their faith. I kind of get a bit saddened because there are those that don't know about it. And I just want to tell everyone that families can be together forever.

Australia is clearly a country where we have very mature Church units, multigenerational leaders and members. And I have seen thousands keeping the commandments, making the sacrifices necessary to send sons and daughters on missions. The Church is strong and getting stronger. And there's a real undercurrent there in Australia of mateship, of fairness, of giving everyone the opportunity to have a good life and do what's right. The Brethren are focusing our attention on helping others. We need to help our members to be outward focused and to build the kingdom. Our Latter-day Saints are reaching out to our neighbors and friends in other faiths. We're seeing joint community service projects, Christmas concerts, and other musical events where choirs from various churches come together and sing praises to our Father in Heaven. And as we can pray together and serve together side by side, there is so much good that can be achieved. [SINGING] The overall impression I have as I look back on 13 days in the Pacific Area is to reaffirm in my mind the understanding that the strength of the Church is not Church headquarters; it's out among the people. The testimony that I have now for the gospel is so strong that no one can break what I have. I know that the Savior died on the cross for us. He did that for my sins and everyone else's. [SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE]

I know that the gospel is true and that our Savior gave His life to show us the way we should walk to have the highest blessings that our Heavenly Father has for any of His children, which is exaltation or eternal life. (SINGING) I believe in Christ.