1983 Dedication of the Nuku‘alofa Tonga Temple
Before the Nuku‘alofa Tonga Temple was announced on April 2, 1980, several regional representatives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from Tonga, Tahiti and American Samoa learned during a conference in Salt Lake City that temples would soon be built in their lands.
Tonga Toutai Paletu’a, who would eventually become the first temple president of the Nuku‘alofa temple, was one of these representatives. He said that the announcement was a dream come true.
“We all cried,” he said. “We felt such joy. I was so thrilled, I had to call my wife and tell her. I couldn’t hold back the tears. I felt like my dream had come true.”
In the two weeks leading up to the Nuku‘alofa Tonga Temple dedication on Aug. 9, 1983, Church members in Tonga showed their appreciation for the temple through traditional feasts and musical and dance performances.
President Gordon B. Hinckley, second counselor in the First Presidency, dedicated the temple in the first dedicatory session, held within the house of the Lord. He then returned to the United States on Aug. 10, 1983, to fulfill other Church responsibilities, so general authorities who had accompanied the Apostle to Tonga repeated the temple dedication in later sessions. The last six sessions were held in the gymnasium of the adjacent Liahona High School, owned and operated by the Church.
Some Church members who attended the temple dedication traveled upward of two days from the 150 islands of the Kingdom of Tonga to reach the temple on Tongatapu, the country’s main island. Many of these attendees stayed on Tongatapu throughout the seven dedicatory sessions until Aug. 11, when they could begin performing sacred ordinances in their country’s very first house of the Lord.
Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “We are thankful that Thou hast touched the hearts of many by the power of Thy Spirit, that they have accepted the truth and have walked in faithfulness. We thank Thee for all of Thy faithful Saints in these beautiful islands and invoke Thy blessings upon them, that they may be blessed with love and peace in their homes, that their lands shall be productive, that they shall be prospered in their righteous undertakings, that they shall be protected from the storms of nature and from the conflicts of men if they will walk in obedience to Thy commandments.”
Read the dedicatory prayer of the Nuku‘alofa Tonga Temple here.
2007 Rededication of the Nuku‘alofa Tonga Temple
The Nuku‘alofa Tonga Temple closed in June 2006 for extensive renovations. Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles visited Tonga to rededicate the temple on Nov. 4, 2007, where he explained that going without a temple after growing accustomed to it is a hardship.
“You can’t get along without a temple for long without losing something,” he said. “Young people want to get married in the temple. If the temple is closed, they miss that opportunity. So this puts things back where they belong in Tonga.”
During the rededication, a large banner in front of the temple displayed the feelings of local Church members — it read: “Let’s rededicate ourselves.” Elder Sione M. Fineanganofo, an Area Seventy in Tonga, agreed with that sentiment at the rededication.
“There is a chapel in almost every village in Tonga,” he said. “We have the temple. We have a mission. What else do we need? We have everything in Tonga. Now we just need to remember to rededicate ourselves.”
Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “We thank Thee for the growth of Thy work here, for the many wonderful and devoted Latter-day Saints who comprise the membership of Thy Church, for their faithfulness, their leadership, and their love for Thee and for Thy Beloved Son.”
Read the rededication prayer of the Nuku‘alofa Tonga Temple here.
Timeline of the Nuku‘alofa Tonga Temple
The Nuku‘alofa temple was announced April 2, 1980, and a groundbreaking ceremony was held the following year, on Feb. 18, 1981. After an open house from July 18 to July 30, 1983, President Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the temple Aug. 9, 1983.
This house of the Lord was closed in June 2006 for renovations. Almost a year and a half later — and after a rededication open house from Sept. 29 to Oct. 20, 2007 — Elder Russell M. Nelson rededicated the Nuku‘alofa Tonga Temple on Nov. 4, 2007.
Architecture and Design of the Nuku‘alofa Tonga Temple
The 21,184-square-foot Nuku‘alofa Tonga Temple was built on 1.2 acres of land. The grounds are filled with grass fields, gardens, hedges and palm trees.
Although the temple originally occupied 14,572 square feet, it was expanded after renovations that took place from June 2006 through September 2007. Also renovated were the temple’s baptistry and architectural features.
The interior features two instruction rooms and three sealing rooms.