Mission guide
Samoa Apia West Mission
Samoa Apia West Mission serves in the Pacific island nation of Samoa, with Apia as its main city.
- Samoan
Samoa Apia West Mission shirts
Every style made for this mission, printed when you order.
Samoa Apia West Mission T-Shirt
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Samoa Apia West Mission Heart Map Shirt
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Samoa Apia West Mission Flag Map Shirt
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Choose size & color →I Glory in My Jesus, in the language of this mission
2 Nephi 33:6 as it reads in the Book of Mormon for each language spoken here.
Weak Things Become Strong, in the language of this mission
"I make weak things become strong" (Ether 12:27) as it reads in the Book of Mormon for each language spoken here.
About the mission
Samoan is the mission's main local language.
At a glance
- Country
- Samoa
- Main city
- Apia (35,974 people in the 2021 census)
- Time zone
- Samoa Time (UTC+13)
- Climate
- Tropical rainforest climate, with warm temperatures year-round and heavy rainfall from December to March
- Church in American Samoa
- 17,646 members, 5 stakes, 44 congregations
- FamilySearch Centers
- 6 in American Samoa
A short history of the area
Apia was the capital of German Samoa from 1900 to 1914. Samoa became independent in 1962 after a period of New Zealand governance. Today, Apia is a tropical city on the north coast of Upolu.
The Church here
- 1863Kimo Pelio and Samuela Manoa, missionaries from Hawai‘i, brought the restored gospel to the Samoan Islands.
- 1888Joseph and Florence Dean arrived on Aunu‘u and formally opened the Samoan Mission. Malaea became the first convert baptized after the mission opened.
- 1962A stake was organized in Apia on March 18, with Percy J. Rivers as president.
- 1974Samoa had six stakes and became the first country in the world to be entirely covered by stakes.
- 1983The Apia Samoa Temple was dedicated. American Samoan Saints helped contribute to its construction.
- 2019President Russell M. Nelson announced new plans for a temple in Pago Pago, American Samoa.
Temples nearby
Apia Samoa Temple
Dedicated August 5, 1983 · Near Apia
Savai'i Samoa Temple
Announced · About 35 miles from Apia
Pago Pago American Samoa Temple
Opening soon · About 85 miles from Apia
The Book of Mormon here
Missionaries in this mission share the Book of Mormon in these languages. Tap a cover to read it free.
Cover art is an illustration. Links open the free edition on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Before you go
Phrases to learn
- TalofaHello
- Fa'afetaiThank you
- Fa'amolemolePlease
- TofaGoodbye
Fun facts
- Mount Vaea, directly south of Apia, is the burial place of writer Robert Louis Stevenson. His former home at Vailima is now the Robert Louis Stevenson Museum.
- Apia is home to the Bahá’í House of Worship for the Pacific, which opened in 1984.
- Samoa has driven on the left-hand side of the road since September 7, 2009.
Just got the call?
Turn the opening into a game: family and friends guess where the missionary is going before the reveal.