Attendees at groundbreaking event include Latter-day Saints who walked four days across mountains on the famous Kokoda Trail

Members and friends of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Port Moresby gathered on 22 April for a groundbreaking event to officially commence the construction of the Port Moresby Papua New Guinea Temple.

 

Elder-Peter-F.-Meurs-and-Sister-Maxine-Meurs-(back-row,-left)-with-local-leaders,-members-and-missionaries-of-The-Church-of-Jesus-Christ-of-Latter-day-Saints-after-ground-was-broken-for-a-new-temple-in-Port-Moresby,-Papua-New-Guinea.-22-April-2023.
Elder Peter F. Meurs and Sister Maxine Meurs (back row, left) with leaders, youth and young adults who walked the Kokoda Trail from Popondetta to Port Moresby (about 96km over mountains) to attend the Port Moresby Papua New Guinea Temple groundbreaking. The group completed the challenging walk in four days. 2023 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Elder Peter F. Meurs, a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and a member of the Church’s Pacific Area Presidency, presided at the service. He was accompanied by his wife, Sister Maxine Meurs.

Elder Robert Gordon, Area Seventy, accompanied Elder and Sister Meurs.

Elder Meurs spoke about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, the purpose of temples, and the faith of local Latter-day Saints, before offering a dedicatory prayer.

Excerpts from the prayer include the following:

“We ask thee to bless this site during the construction period. May it be a place of peace and harmony. May those that participate in the temple construction be inspired. May they find joy in delivering work that meets the exacting standards required for a House of the Lord. May they be protected from harm, injury, accident or sickness.

We pray for the surrounding communities. May the emerging temple become a symbol of peace and blessings for them. May it plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers and cause the hearts of the children to turn to the fathers.

We pray that our church members will be inspired through the construction period to strengthen their faith in Thy son Jesus Christ. May they turn to Him and receive His healing and redeeming power. May they reach out with love to friends that have stumbled on the covenant path and help them to return to the sacrament ordinance, where we remember the sacrifice of Thy Son and the sacred covenants, we have made with Him.”