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    American Samoa Click here for the Pacific Newsroom

    16,611

    Total Church Membership

    1-in-

    5

    Stakes

    44

    Congregations

    39 Wards
    5 Branches

    5

    FamilySearch Centers

    5

    History

    In 1863 Kimo Pelio and Samuela Manoa—two missionaries sent from Hawai‘i—brought the restored gospel to the Samoan Islands. Due to disruptions in the Church in Hawai‘i, the additional missionaries they expected never arrived, but both chose to remain on the islands. In 1888 Joseph and Florence Dean arrived to formally open a mission. By 1900, when Samoa was divided into a western, German-governed territory and an eastern, American-governed territory, there were over 1,000 Latter-day Saints on the islands.

    In the early 1900s, in addition to teaching the gospel, the Church organized schools and helped build up Mapusaga as a gathering center. As the Church became more established in the mid-20th century, many American Samoans learned career and Church leadership skills while serving as labor missionaries. In 1969 the first stake in American Samoa was organized.

    In 1977 President Spencer W. Kimball announced plans to build a temple in Pago Pago, American Samoa, but the location of the temple was later changed to Apia, Samoa. American Samoan Saints “gave after their ability” (Ezra 2:69) to help build the Apia temple, which was dedicated in 1983. The Church in American Samoa has continued to grow: by 2012 there were five stakes in American Samoa, and in 2019 President Russell M. Nelson announced new plans for a temple in Pago Pago.

    For Journalist Use Only

    Richard Hunter
    New Zealand
    Phone: 64(9)488-5572
    Mobile: 64-21-240-7804

    E-mail

    Africa

    Total Church Membership

    Members
    Congregations

    849,568

    Members

    2,721

    Congregations

    Missions

    45Missions

    FamilySearch Centers

    423

    Temples

    6Temples

    Asia

    Total Church Membership

    Members
    Congregations

    1,298,181

    Members

    2,113

    Congregations

    Missions

    45Missions

    FamilySearch Centers

    402

    Temples

    10Temples

    Europe

    Total Church Membership

    Members
    Congregations

    507,748

    Members

    1,296

    Congregations

    Missions

    35Missions

    FamilySearch Centers

    663

    Temples

    14Temples

    North America

    Total Church Membership

    Members
    Congregations

    9,637,503

    Members

    18,423

    Congregations

    Missions

    175Missions

    FamilySearch Centers

    3,054

    Temples

    120Temples

    Oceania (Pacific)

    Total Church Membership

    Members
    Congregations

    599,065

    Members

    1,308

    Congregations

    Missions

    17Missions

    FamilySearch Centers

    318

    Temples

    11Temples

    South America

    Total Church Membership

    Members
    Congregations

    4,320,129

    Members

    5,629

    Congregations

    Missions

    97Missions

    FamilySearch Centers

    1,355

    Temples

    25Temples