A History of the Church in
Micronesia
Overview
In the late 1970s, teachers from Pohnpei traveled to Lāʻie, Hawaiʻi, where they participated in educational programs at Brigham Young University–Hawaii. During their time there, they were introduced to missionaries who began teaching them the gospel. Some local people were baptized and established branches in Pohnpei after their return. Members and missionaries were soon establishing branches in other of the Federated States of Micronesia. In 1977, Charles and Odetta Keliikipi held the first Church meetings in Yap in their home. Later that same year, the first converts in Chuuk, T. M. Conrad Mailo and Nisor Cerly David, were baptized. In 1985, a small branch began meeting in Kosrae.
As the Church began to grow throughout the Federated States of Micronesia, attempts were made to stop the Church from establishing branches. Some members experienced open hostility, and some local legislatures considered proposals to ban the Church. In the face of antagonism, members of the Church responded with kindness and service. For their efforts, Micronesian Saints truly learned the wisdom of service (see Mosiah 2:17) as they participated in cleanup projects, assisted neighbors after disasters, and arranged donations to local schools, hospitals, and athletic programs. Within a few short years, legislatures throughout Micronesia issued letters of commendation for the positive contributions of Latter-day Saints to their communities.
As the Church grew, meetinghouses were built throughout Micronesia, and the Book of Mormon was translated into many of the local languages. It is now available in Pohnpeian, Yapese, Kosraean, and Chuukese. In 2014, the Panasang Pohnpei Stake was organized.