2000 Dedication of the Suva Fiji Temple
In early 2000, political unrest in Fiji threatened the cancellation of the Suva Fiji Temple’s dedication. However, Paul Whippy, president of the Suva Fiji Stake, told the Church News that the temple organizers were confident that the event would go well, “no matter what was happening in the community.”
Church President Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the Suva Fiji Temple on June 18, 2000. Due to the country’s unrest, the dedication included only one session with limited attendance from only Church leaders, four local stake presidencies and their wives, members of the temple presidency and their wives, and a 20-person choir of local Saints.
Also in attendance with President Hinckley were Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Elder Quentin L. Cook, a General Authority Seventy and president of the Pacific Islands Area.
After the dedication, President Hinckley said that at the ceremony, “there was a great outpouring of the Spirit, matched by the feeling of good fellowship among those in attendance.”
Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “We are grateful for this day of dedication, that Thou hast favored us with a temple in this island nation. No longer will we have to travel far across the seas to do that work which Thou hast established as sacred and necessary for Thy Saints in this latter-day dispensation. Thou hast heard our prayers and hearkened to our entreaties that this blessing might come to us. How beautiful is Thy house, O Lord. How wonderful is the great plan of happiness for Thy children.”
Read the dedicatory prayer of the Suva Fiji Temple here.
2016 Rededication of the Suva Fiji Temple
Fiji was hit by a Category 5 cyclone with winds up to 175 miles per hour, the worst storm ever recorded in its history, the day before the Suva Fiji Temple was rededicated. When deciding whether to postpone the rededication, President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in the First Presidency, said that in spite of the foreboding weather, he “got the feeling, ‘Go forward. Don’t be afraid.’”
Elder Adolf J. Johansson, an Area Seventy, also felt an impression that everything would work out OK. He said, “You cannot stop the work of the Lord. You cannot. ... That is what is giving the people of Fiji courage.”
Curfews from the government forced President Eyring and others into the mission home near the temple to avoid the dangerous conditions caused by the cyclone on the day of the rededication. It was from there, on Feb. 21, 2016, that President Eyring offered the rededicatory prayer of the Suva Fiji Temple, in which he prayed for the Fijian Saints.
President Eyring was accompanied by Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Elder Kent F. Richards, executive director of the Temple Department. Members of the Pacific Area Presidency were also at the event: Elder Kevin W. Pearson, Elder O. Vincent Haleck and Elder S. Gifford Nielsen, all General Authority Seventies.
A month and a half later, Elder Cook spoke in April 2016 general conference about the rededication’s miracle: “It was a special, sacred occasion. President Eyring’s courage and strong spiritual impressions allowed the rededication to proceed in the face of the worst cyclone ever recorded in the Southern Hemisphere. Physical and spiritual protections were provided to youth, missionaries and members. The hand of the Lord was clearly evident. The Suva Fiji Temple rededication was a refuge from the storm.”
Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “May all who come here be protected as they travel. May they find safety and protection in their covenants. Bless them that they may feel Thy loving arms and those of the Savior in whatever challenges may come into their lives and the lives of their children. Bless them with the peace Thy Son has promised His faithful disciples.”
Read the rededication prayer of the Suva Fiji Temple here.
Timeline of the Suva Fiji Temple
A temple for Suva, Fiji, was announced to local leaders in Fiji in May 1998. The groundbreaking ceremony for the Suva Fiji Temple was held May 8, 1999. Visitors toured the completed temple from June 7-12, 2000, before its dedication on June 18, 2000.
The house of the Lord was closed from Oct. 13, 2014, through November 2015 for renovations. Another open house was held for the temple from Jan. 25 through Feb. 6, 2016, after renovations were complete.
On Feb. 20, 2016, a cultural celebration was organized and performed by Latter-day Saints in Fiji. The Suva Fiji Temple was rededicated on Feb. 21, 2016.
Architecture and Design of the Suva Fiji Temple
The 12,755-square-foot Suva Fiji Temple was built on a site with views of the Pacific Ocean from three sides of the property, which is located at one of the highest points in Suva. Initially, the temple was built with an area of approximately 10,700 square feet, but it was enlarged during the later renovations.
The renovated temple includes colors and design motifs inspired by the flowers, beaches and jungles of Fiji. Decorations inside the edifice include original art glass and a hand-painted mural depicting the landscape and flora of the islands.
Interior Photos of the Suva Fiji Temple
