1996
Members of the First Presidency Meet with Tongan Royalty
November 1996


“Members of the First Presidency Meet with Tongan Royalty,” Ensign, Nov. 1996, 107

Members of the First Presidency Meet with Tongan Royalty

President Gordon B. Hinckley and President Thomas S. Monson, First Counselor in the First Presidency, recently met with members of Tonga’s royal family at Church headquarters in Salt Lake City. During the meeting, President Hinckley expressed gratitude to the king for all he does for the people of Tonga. (Some 40 percent of the 100,000 people living in Tonga are members of the Church.)

Attending the 2 August meeting were King Taufa‘ahau Tupou IV, Queen Halaevalu Mataaho, Princess Pilolevu Tuita, Princess Mele Siuilikutapu Kalaniuvalu-Fotofili and Tonga Consulate General Siosaia M. Tuita. In addition to President Hinckley and President Monson, Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Elder Alexander B. Morrison of the Seventy were in attendance.

Following the meeting, the royal party attended a luncheon held in their honor. At the luncheon the Seacology Foundation honored the king with the Indigenous Conservationist of the Year Award.

Image
illustration

President Hinckley, left, and President Monson, right, meet with Tongan King Taufa‘ahau Tupou IV and Queen Halaevalu Mataaho. (Photo by Gerald Silver.)