Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the South Pacific are looking forward to the “Be One” Celebration which will broadcast globally on Friday, June 1, 2018 (but viewed in much of the Pacific on June 2) from the Church’s Conference Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.
“While the June 1st celebration will hail the history of black Mormon pioneers and reaffirm the reality that ‘all are alike unto God’ in His global family, the event is intended to be much more than a celebration. It will be a renewal of our collective commitment to pursue oneness in our relationships with each other and with heaven,” according to LDS.org.
This event comes on the heels of another event held in Noumea, New Caledonia last month which was also themed around unity.
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, community leaders and friends gathered on May 12, 2018 on Mount Coffyn which looks over the city of Noumea and the bay to commemorate an important milestone and anniversary for the Church in New Caledonia.
50 years prior on the same spot, then Elder Thomas S. Monson and local church leaders had gathered to leave a blessing of unity and peace upon the land.
They had met with government leaders and retained permission for Mormon missionaries to begin sharing the restored gospel of Jesus Christ with the people of New Caledonia.
In addition to the gathering on the morning of May 12, cultural activities were planned and held throughout the day culminating with an anniversary ball in the evening.
The theme chosen for the event was unity in spirit and purpose, as well as appreciation for the rich cultural diversity that makes up the Church in New Caledonia.
A senior leader in the Church, President M. Russell Ballard, has said, “We need to embrace God’s children compassionately and eliminate any prejudice, including racism, sexism, and nationalism. Let it be said that we truly believe the blessings of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ are for every child of God.”
Mormons believe that God loves all of His children.