Mission guide
Tahiti Papeete Mission
Tahiti Papeete Mission serves in a tropical island setting shaped by Tahitian and French language and culture.
- Tahitian
- French
Tahiti Papeete Mission shirts
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Tahiti Papeete Mission T-Shirt
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Tahiti Papeete Mission Heart Map Shirt
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Tahiti Papeete 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
Tahitian and French are the mission languages. Tahitian is widely used in local culture, while French is an official language of French Polynesia.
At a glance
- Country
- French Polynesia
- Main city
- Papeete, 26,654 people in the commune at the 2022 census
- Time zone
- Tahiti Time (UTC-10)
- Climate
- Tropical monsoon, warm and humid year-round, with a short dry season in August and September
- Church in French Polynesia
- 30,022 members, 11 stakes, 94 congregations
- FamilySearch centers
- 30
A short history of the area
Papeete grew into the administrative capital of the Windward Islands. Faʻaʻā International Airport opened near the city in 1962, and Papeete remains an important port of call with ferry service to Moorea.
The Church here
- 1843Joseph Smith and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles called four missionaries to take the gospel to the islands of the sea.
- 1844Elders Noah Rogers and Benjamin F. Grouard arrived in Tahiti after leaving Addison Pratt on Tubuai.
- 1852Latter-day Saint missionaries were expelled from the islands during religious conflicts between the French and English.
- 1892Joseph W. Damron Jr. and William A. Seegmiller arrived in Papeete, the first Latter-day Saint missionaries there since 1852.
- 1904The Book of Mormon was published in Tahitian.
- 1906The Papeete Branch was organized with Toae a Maire as president.
- 1972The Tahiti Stake was organized on May 14.
- 1983President Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the Papeete Tahiti Temple.
Temples nearby
Papeete Tahiti Temple
Dedicated October 27, 1983 · Near Papeete
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
- Ia ora naHello
- MauruuruThank you
- NānāGoodbye
- E aha tō 'oe huru?How are you?
Foods to try
- Poisson cru (raw fish marinated with lime and coconut milk)
- Firi firi (Tahitian coconut doughnuts)
- Uru (breadfruit, often baked or cooked)
- Mā'a tinito (a Tahitian dish influenced by Chinese cooking)
Fun facts
- Papeete’s post office was lifted from its foundations and moved as an entire building in 1902.
- A railway project in Papeete used a 12-horsepower Fowler or Decauville locomobile to help build the Faʻaiere water tower.
- Papeete’s beach is called “Ins and outs” because its steep shore makes waves break both toward the beach and out to sea.
Just got the call?
Turn the opening into a game: family and friends guess where the missionary is going before the reveal.