Temples are places for Latter-day Saints to worship the Savior, to make sacred covenants, and to bind families together for eternity. “In contrast to the Church’s thousands of chapels, which house regular worship services and are open to the public,” wrote Richard O. Cowan, “temples are buildings where sacred priesthood ordinances are solemnized, and they are open only to those judged worthy by their local ecclesiastical leaders.”[1] The most recent decade of Church history in Micronesia includes preparation of members for temples in Micronesia, organization of a stake in Pohnpei, creation of a second stake in the Marshall Islands, announcements of temples in both Guam and Kiribati, and efforts to help members overcome pandemic conditions and gather to worship in the newly constructed Yigo Guam Temple.

Stephen and Angela Mecham (2011–2014)

Stephen F. and Angela Mecham began serving as leaders of the Micronesia Guam Mission in June 2011. President Mecham had earned a degree in political science and law from the University of Utah, where he became friends with Michael Dowdle, Mecham’s immediate predecessor as mission president. During his career, President Mecham had worked as an attorney and as chief of staff for Utah governor Norm Bangerter. Sister Mecham had earned a degree in elementary education from the University of Utah, raised a family, and worked as an elementary school teacher in Salt Lake City.[2]

From left: Stephen and Angela Mecham with Gayla and Michael L. Dowdle.

Elder Russell M. Nelson in Guam, 2013. Photograph by Jim Dalrymple.

President Mecham reported helping members work toward a temple in Guam. Key indicators of readiness for a temple included the numbers of actively attending, full-tithe-paying members and holders of the Melchizedek Priesthood. President Mecham wrote,

Angela and I began thinking about what the Church would require to build a temple on Guam to serve Micronesia. I couldn’t get that thought out of my mind. We even discussed locations for a temple and considered the hill in Barrigada Heights where there is a Presbyterian church, and the beautiful Church property where the Dededo/Yigo Ward building was on Marine Corps Drive. Both had prominent visibility, but the Lord preferred the Marine Corps Drive location. It really didn’t matter to us. We just wanted a temple to bless the people in the mission.

As our mission progressed, we pared our mission statement to “Stakes and Temples” and emphasized the plural forms of both words. We firmly believed we had to make these the focus of our missionaries to further establish the Church in Micronesia. Six months before we arrived, Elder L. Tom Perry of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles had organized the Barrigada Guam Stake. That was a tremendous blessing for Church members in Guam and Saipan, but we were convinced we needed more stakes organized in the mission to bless more people and to qualify the area for a temple.

Every time a visiting authority came to Guam, including when then-Elder Russell M. Nelson visited in February 2013, we talked to them about building a temple there. Angela and I both felt strongly there would be a temple on the island sooner rather than later and hoped the announcement would be made while we were still on our mission.[3]

President Mecham worked closely with local leaders in Pohnpei to prepare a stake. He also sought permission for the patriarch in Guam to travel there to provide patriarchal blessings:

For several months, we had two former stake presidents and a former bishop working together on Pohnpei preparing the member district there to become a stake. In furtherance of that objective, we received permission to take Brother Chris Gittens, the recently called stake patriarch of the Barrigada Guam Stake, to Pohnpei to give members there their patriarchal blessing. Over two days, Brother Gittens gave more than 50 blessings.

As a result of . . . significant growth, the Area Presidency was able to organize the Panasang Pohnpei Stake on March 16, 2014, the second stake in the mission and the first stake in the Federated States of Micronesia. It has been a wonderful blessing to the members in Pohnpei, and with the construction of the Yigo Guam Temple, the manifestation of the beginning of our mission statement, “Stakes and Temples.”[4]

John and Kathy Zarbock (2014–2017)

John S. and Kathy Zarbock began serving as mission president and companion in July 2014. President Zarbock had earned a degree in history from the University of Utah and owned a business as a plumbing and building contractor. During their service, they prepared members for a temple in Guam. A second stake was organized in the Marshall Islands, which was part of the new mission headquartered in Majuro.

John and Kathy Zarbock with Kum Kee.

President Zarbock used lighthouse imagery to inspire the Saints to motivate members to achieve the key indicators for a temple in Guam:

As a mission, we used to say that Guam would be the “lighthouse” to draw our investigators and members and inculcate the desire to receive the blessings of the temple. Our focus was to help our members understand that if we can build the Church with stakes of Zion, we can “bind” the Lord (Doctrine and Covenants 82:10) to allow a beautiful temple in these “isles of the sea.” If there was going to be a temple erected, it would most likely be on the island of Guam, as Guam is the only island currently in this area that allows private ownership of land from nonnative people. We were fairly certain that God would not allow a temple to be built on “borrowed,” or leased, land if a secure alternative was possible.

As a part of our missionary interviews, I would have in the background the hymn “Brightly Beams Our Father’s Mercy” playing softly, along with a picture of a temple. I would discuss, and share with them, that they were essentially the “lower lights” that would help to bring the Saints and their investigators to that lighthouse, that temple, which would be erected someday on Guam. And, as such, the temple also is the lower light that brings God’s children to Jesus Christ.

We also encouraged our missionaries to purchase mirrors for their investigators that say, “See yourself in the temple,” as referenced in the conference message of Elder Cook.[5]

President Zarbock shared a story of how the branch president, his counselor, and another member had attended the temple in Manila, Philippines, during a typhoon: “They were in the typhoon and . . . ran through the heavy wind and rain to get into the underground tunnel that would take them eventually to the temple. He indicated that when they went into the temple, all the outside weather was forgotten. He said they felt safe inside the temple. He spoke of the blessings of the temple and of doing work for the dead in the temple.”[6]

Kwajalein Marshall Islands Stake presidency. Left to right: first counselor Anjok Michael, President Johannes J. Seremai, and second counselor Stimpson Kejai.

In October 2016 Elder O. Vincent Haleck Jr. organized the Kwajalein Marshall Islands Stake to serve both the Kwajalein and Lae atolls. He was joined by President John L. Larkin and Sister Robyn Larkin, who led the renamed Marshall Islands/Kiribati Mission. The new stake presidency consisted of Johannes J. Seremai, Anjok Michael, and Stimpson Kejai.[7] While one stake showed that the Church had been established in the Marshall Islands, two showed that it was here to stay.

Patrick and Wanda Poston (2017–2019)

Succeeding the Zarbocks as mission president and companion were Patrick Michael Poston and Wanda Kaye Poston of the Rigby Idaho East Stake. They had served as senior missionaries in the Marshall Islands Majuro Mission and in the Virginia Richmond Mission.[8] Highlights of their service included a new stake presidency and a new Area Authority in Guam, followed by the momentous announcement of the Yigo Guam Temple.

Patrick Michael Poston and Wanda Kaye Poston.

Just after the Postons were called, Fredivic Nicerio replaced Arthur Clark as stake president in December 2017. Nicerio was a country director for Church Seminaries and Institutes, a former bishop, and a former missionary in both the Philippines and Micronesia. He recalls feeling overwhelmed at that call. A first order of business was gathering membership data to help create new groups and branches to better serve the needs of members.[9]

In the April 2018 general conference, Elder William (Bill) Hampton Kawaiola Davis II was sustained as an Area Seventy. This was a major development in the history of the Church in Guam because he was a trusted local member with decades of experience managing the Micronesia-Guam Service Center with responsibility for human resources, real estate, and welfare/self-reliance.

Fredivic and Stephanie Nicerio family at the Yigo Guam Temple garden, May 2022.

How did the new assignment occur? In December 2017 the Davises were invited to meet with Elder Robert C. Gay, the Asia North Area President, who extended the calling to serve as an Area Seventy. Elder Davis was then serving as a bishop and as national director of public affairs for the Federated States of Micronesia National Public Affairs Council. He previously served as a branch president, district president, and mission presidency member. He was employed as the Service Center manager. He and Wanda have four children. He continued to serve for several months as bishop, so the members called him “Elder Bishop.” Elder Davis was set apart by his friend Elder Gary E. Stevenson, an Apostle who previously served as the Asia North Area President before serving as the Presiding Bishop. Elder Davis said, “It’s truly been a blessing for me to have been serving as an Area Seventy when the temple was announced in October 2018 and to participate in the groundbreaking on May 4, 2019, and the open house May 4–14, 2022, and dedication May 22, 2022.” He oversaw Guam’s first For the Strength of Youth conference in June 2022 and another such conference for the English-speaking youth from Japan and Korea in June 2022.[12]

On October 7, 2018, President Russell M. Nelson surprised many by announcing plans to build the Yigo Guam Temple. This announcement filled the hearts of many Latter-day Saints in Micronesia and throughout the world with great joy.

Elder William H. K. Davis and Wanda Davis. Courtesy of William H. K. Davis.

Dean and Janet Buck were serving a temple and family history mission in Guam and Micronesia when the Yigo Guam Temple was announced, and they were thrilled to be there for the occasion. They described their mission and the excitement of preparing members for a temple:

We had a great desire to help prepare the people of the area for the temple through teaching the importance of obtaining temple blessings and doing family history work. A small part of that work was the “We Are Temple Bound” Facebook initiative to heighten the awareness of the coming temple and the necessity of searching for and recording family history information.

We also loved meeting with local members to assist them in learning about entering their family information into the FamilySearch program to prepare those ancestors to receive the saving ordinances of the temple.

While serving our mission we learned of vital records from Micronesia that had been digitized by the Church but not indexed, so they were searchable by scrolling through thousands of images, but not searchable by name, place, or date. These were birth and death records from the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. Because of the announcement of the Guam Temple those records were approved to be indexed. Since returning home, Dean and I have assisted in that indexing and reviewing project, Dean to a greater extent than I have. Those images are now all indexed and reviewed and will soon be available online.[13]

Eric and Christina Hicks (2019–2022)

Eric and Christina Hicks, June 2019. Courtesy of Christina Hicks.

Eric and Christina Hicks were called as mission leaders of the Micronesia Guam Mission in 2019. President Hicks was working for Cigna Healthcare, and Sister Hicks was working for LDS Philanthropies at the time. They were married in December of 2016. Both had spouses who passed away after long illnesses. In April of 2017 they were asked to serve a public affairs mission for the Asia North Area. Both quit their jobs and moved to Tokyo, Japan, on September 11, 2017. In December of 2018, while still in Tokyo, the Hickses were called by President Russell M. Nelson to preside over the Micronesia Guam Mission. President Nelson told the Hickses to return to Utah to spend time with their families before leaving for Micronesia. The Hicks returned to Utah in December of 2018 to celebrate their second wedding anniversary, after having served one mission together.[14] Major highlights include a new Chuuk District presidency, major adjustments during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the completion and dedication of the Yigo Guam Temple.

In January 2020 President Hicks and Hermen Walter, a Chuukese counselor in the Micronesia Guam Mission presidency, reorganized the Chuuk District presidency. About that time the COVID-19 pandemic began to become a global concern. Sanitizing, wearing masks, and getting vaccinated became tools to protect members throughout Micronesia. Sister Hicks described other steps to protect missionaries:

As we traveled during the month of January [2020], it became apparent that Asia was becoming increasingly concerned about a new virus that was quickly spreading throughout the region. When we boarded flights to Yap, Chuuk, and Kosrae we were asked repeatedly if we had traveled to China in the past month.

When we arrived on the island of Chuuk, there was a noticeable concern for a virus called COVID-19. As we disembarked the plane our temperature was taken before being allowed to enter the airport. . . .

During the month of February, we became increasingly concerned about COVID-19. We asked zone leaders to purchase large quantities of food for each island. We asked each set of zone leaders to purchase between $3,000 and $5,000 worth of food. We also asked them to begin storing hand sanitizer and water.

Although the pandemic has abated somewhat, precautions are still in place for many members.

On March 11, 2020, President Henry B. Eyring extended a call to Marlo Oliveros Lopez and Memnet Panes Lopez to serve as president and matron of the Yigo Guam Temple. The following article records their arrival a year later:

Yigo Guam Temple. Photograph by Po Nien (Felipe) Chou.

President Lopez, a former curriculum specialist for Seminaries and Institutes of Religion, was born in Manila, Philippines to Guillermo Mendoza Lopez and Sofia Ferrer Oliveros Lopez. He served as Elders Quorum president as well as Bacolod, Philippines Mission president. He has also served as a stake and mission presidency counselor and as a bishop.

Sister Lopez was born in Mindanao, Philippines, to Sal Chavez Panes and Purificacion Patriarca Panes. She is a former mission president companion, member of the Relief Society general board, research committee member for Seminaries and Institutes of Religion, stake Young Women presidency counselor and branch Primary president.

Temple presidents are called to oversee all activities performed at the temple. They serve voluntarily, usually for a period of several years. “I am still overwhelmed with joy,” President Lopez expresses. “The very first time the call was extended to us I still feel that excitement and joy even if we have been waiting over a year now to get to Guam. I have a strong feeling that I will be keeping that joy for the entire term of our service here in Micronesia Guam.”

Sister Lopez had similar feelings, stating, “I just feel that perfect sacredness of our calling is causing me to feel very humble. The Lord heard the quiet, righteous longings and prayers of the members for a temple. I feel the temple will work its miracle on the people here in Guam and the islands.”[15]

Rendering of the Tarawa Kiribati Temple. In May 2021 the location of the temple was announced to be across from the Kiribati House of Parliament. Courtesy of Church News.

Members in Micronesia again rejoiced in the October 4, 2020, announcement of the Tarawa Kiribati Temple. The official site and design of the temple were announced on May 19, 2021. The stately structure will be located at Ambo, South Tarawa, just across the street from the Kiribati House of Parliament.[16] The former battlefields of Guam and Tarawa, where so much blood was shed to secure freedom, have become sacred temple grounds.

[13.12. Port authority employees help unload wheelchairs donated by the Church to government and health officials in Hagåtña, Guam, May 17, 2022. Courtesy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.]

During this period of temple building, outreach to the community remains a vital way to build bridges to those of other faiths and help the community, especially those in need of basic resources. For example, R. Ching Batimana, a Filipino Church member in Guam, met Timothy W. Taitano, who had lost his legs just below the knees and was using a worn-out wheelchair. Batimana contacted Guam’s Department of Integrated Services for Individuals with Disabilities to see if they would like wheelchairs donated by the Church. Elder William H. K. Davis and senior missionaries Joseph and Sister Constance Green then requested a forty-foot container of wheelchairs with composite spokes that will not rust, tubeless tires that will not go flat, and seat cushions for comfort. This led to the donation of 324 wheelchairs to community members in Guam, 124 wheelchairs in Palau, and 124 wheelchairs in Yap. Besides helping individuals in need, Batimana felt, the project also “would expand the Church’s presence on the island of Guam and indirectly would share more about our Yigo Guam Temple and its members.”[17]

Port authority employees stand with Elder William H. K. Davis, Area Seventy in the Church’s Asia North Area, center, and Elder Joseph and Sister Constance Green on the right with Ching Batimana on the left in May 2022 when wheelchairs from the Church arrived in Hagåtña, Guam. Courtesy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Masaru and Megumi Okuda (2022–)

Masaru and Megumi Okuda. Courtesy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

In 2022 the Church’s announcement of 164 new mission leaders included the call of Masaru and Megumi Okuda, of Rexburg, Idaho, as mission leaders.[18] He is a professor in the Computer Information Technology department at BYU–Idaho. President Okuda previously served in the Micronesia Guam Mission. Sister Okuda previously served in the Japan Nagoya Mission, so they understand well the cultures, languages, and geographical challenges of supervising missionary service in this vast region.

President Okuda wants to overcome the pandemic challenges and gather members to the temple, writing, “We have faith that the growth of the Church and the depth of the conversion of the members will accelerate in a way that we’ve never seen before. We are looking forward to seeing the miracle come to the people in the Micronesia Guam Mission. The Lord works in a miraculous way, in a way that we never could imagine. I have faith that things are going to work out and that the Lord will direct us.”[19]

Conclusion

Negotiating complex challenges such as the ones described in this chapter requires faith, hard work, clear communication, and cultural sensitivity. Addressing such problems is a vital part of leadership in both the Micronesia Guam Mission and the Marshall Islands Majuro Mission. Both missions continue to emphasize the Lord’s promises to islanders throughout the world: “Great are the promises of the Lord unto them who are upon the isles of the sea” (2 Nephi 10:21).

Notes

[1] Richard O. Cowan, “Temples and Temple Work,” in Garr, Cannon, and Cowan, Encyclopedia of Latter-day Saint History, 1234.

[2] Stephen Mecham, conversation with R. Devan Jensen, July 31, 2021.

[3] Stephen Mecham, email message to Richard Fee, November 25, 2020.

[4] Stephen Mecham, email message to R. Devan Jensen, July 2, 2020.

[5] John S. Zarbock, email message to R. Devan Jensen, January 30, 2021; Quentin L. Cook, “See Yourself in the Temple,” April 2016 general conference, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2016/04/see-yourself-in-the-temple.

[6] John S. Zarbock, email message to R. Devan Jensen, March 13, 2021.

[7] “Second Latter-day Saint Stake Created in the Marshall Islands,” Church Newsroom, Pacific Communication Office, October 19, 2016, https://news-nz.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/second-latter-day-saint-stake-created-in-marshall-islands.

[8] Newsroom, “New Mission Presidents Called in Mexico, Micronesia,” July 7, 2017, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/church/news/new-mission-presidents-called-in-mexico-micronesia.

[9] Fredivic N. Nicerio, interview by Clinton Christensen and Richard Fee, Church History Library, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, Utah.

[10] Fredivic Nicerio and Stephanie Nicerio, interview by Po Nien (Felipe) Chou, December 18, 2021, Barrigada, Guam.

[11] Nicerio and Nicerio, interview by Po Nien (Felipe) Chou.

[12] William H. K. Davis, interview by R. Devan Jensen, May 7, 2022.

[13] Janet Buck, email message to Richard Fee, January 9, 2021.

[14] Christina Hicks, email message to R. Devan Jensen, January 15, 2021.

[15] “New Yigo Temple President and Matron Arrive on Guam,” news release, July 25, 2021, https://news-gu.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/new-yigo-temple-president-and-matron-arrive-on-guam.

[16] “New Temple Site Locations Announced for Two Temples to Be Built in Oceania,” news release, May 19, 2021, https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/new-temple-site-locations-announced-for-two-temples-to-be-built-in-oceania. “Tarawa Kiribati Temple,” Temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, accessed July 22, 2021, https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/tarawa-kiribati-temple/.

[17] Mary Richards, “Church Wheelchair Donations Aid Mobility on the Islands of Guam and Palau,” Church News, July 17, 2022, https://www.thechurchnews.com/2022/7/27/23274541/church-wheelchair-donations-guam-palau-humanitarian-aid-mobility-islands.

[18] Newsroom, “First Presidency Calls 164 New Mission Leaders to Begin Serving in 2022,” news release, January 7, 2022, https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/first-presidency-calls-160-mission-presidents-to-begin-serving-in-2022.

[19] “New Micronesia Guam Mission President Called,” news release, February 10, 2022, https://news-gu.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/new-micronesia-guam-mission-president-called?fbclid=IwAR1aMYZZpJxY0WBZZjpHFFWA8rX8w90mYIeqfcWBJJnm51T92n1o1J4UH0Q.