The new year dawned bright and promising for members of the Church on the island of Takaroa, a flat coral atoll in the Tuamotu Archipelago of French Polynesia, about 250 miles northeast of Tahiti.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the historic LDS meetinghouse on Takaroa, which, according to Elder Douglas J. Martin of the Seventy and president of the Pacific Area, is the oldest LDS Church building still in use in the entire Pacific Area.On Jan. 6, Pres. Yves R. Perrin of the Tahiti Papeete Mission divided Takaroa Branch into two branches. Tane Puaroo, a pearl farmer, was sustained as president of the Takaroa 1st Branch; Bettey Tama, also a pearl farmer and father of two sons now on full-time missions, was called as president of the Takaroa 2nd Branch.

The division of the Takaroa Branch is a historical event for the entire Tuamotu Archipelago, where Church membership and activity have been closely linked with the island's economy. For generations, the island's economy has been based on the native black oyster that grows in the warm lagoons of the Tuamotu atolls and produces the uniquely and naturally colored Tahitian Black Pearl.

In recent years, many LDS islanders moved away because of a gradual decline in the pearl industry and a drop in the market for copra (dried coconut meat used to make oil). Most members are directly or indirectly involved in the cultured pearl industry; nearly all the island's pearl farms are privately owned by local families.

During the past two decades, developments in the cultivation of oysters and increased skill and expertise in grafting them for harvesting revitalized the pearl industry. Takaroa now enjoys an improved standard of living, biweekly commercial airline flights and satellite telecommunications. The stabilization of the island's population favors Church growth and activity.

Of great significance to the Church is that Takaroa, with a strong LDS heritage, boasts the largest percentage of Church membership of any island in the Tahiti Papeete Mission. Of Takaroa's 452 inhabitants, 308 (68 percent) are Church members, and the numbers continue to increase annually.

Church history in the Tuamotus dates back to the 1850s. (See related article on this page.)

Constructing a building the size of the LDS meetinghouse - 68 by 35 feet, with walls nearly 28 inches thick - was no small feat a century ago on a remote South Pacific island. Pres. Puraoo, whose wife is a direct descendant of the Turoa family - one of the first LDS families on the island - described how the building was constructed:

"Using a large double-hulled canoe with sails, Church members gathered large pieces of coral from the lagoon, then brought them to land where they sawed them into square blocks.

"Using a centuries old method, smaller coral stones containing lime, called pua, were used to manufacture cement. In a 20-meter long trench trees native to the Tuamotus were set ablaze, after which pua coral was added and left to burn for one week. The resulting white lime powder was mixed with sea water to form a paste, which cemented the large coral blocks together. This product, which provided great protection from the elements, was also used to plaster the walls and gave a white paint-like finish. Wood was also used to frame the vaulted windows and doors."

The building remained under construction for two decades and some of the finish carpentry work was completed by subsequent missionaries from the United States. A tin roof with wooden trusses, a wooden bell tower complete with bell, and stained glass windows were added later.

In 1906, four years before the building was dedicated, a violent cyclone swept through the Tuamotu Islands, destroying everything in its path except for the meetinghouse.

The mission's historical records state: "The village at Takaroa is all gone, the large stone church is the only building remaining." Another series of cyclones in 1982-83 ravished the Tuamotus, causing great destruction and damage. Once again the stone building on Takaroa withstood the elements, while many surrounding buildings were destroyed.

However, a century of rain, wind and salt water took its toll on the building. In the late 1980s, the historic building was renovated with its imposing bell tower, stained glass windows and handpainted exterior moldings. A classroom and office facility were built next to the building to accommodate the accelerated growth in membership and modern-day needs of members. The building was rededicated April 18, 1989, by Elder F. Arthur Kay of the Seventy and then a counselor in the Pacific Area presidency. At that time, there were 167 Church members on Takaroa.

In just under two years, that number has already nearly doubled, and the members have increasingly exhibited their faith and commitment to the Church. An example of their dedication is typified by their attendance at the temple in Tahiti. Members regularly make group temple trips, and during their last such trip, they performed some 3,460 temple ordinances in a week and a half.

Mission Pres. Perrin, who has had many years of experience in French Polynesia, re-emphasized the importance of the division of the branch. "This is an enormous blessing, and if you continue to place the Lord first in your lives, before the riches and pride of the world, before the beautiful black pearls which have blessed this land, I promise you that the Lord will continue to bless you and allow you to prosper.

"Many of you here today are descendants of valiant men and women who faced persecution and hardship in their battle to keep the faith. They have left you with an important legacy - their example and this beautiful meetinghouse built by the sweat of their brow. Let this historic building be a light to your neighbors. Let your actions and words be a light to them and motivate them to join with you in worship here."

Today, the 100-year-old meetinghouse on Takaroa, which towers above all the surrounding buildings, remains the focal point of the entire community, both visually and spiritually. For the Takaroan saints, it stands, even as it did in the aftermath of the cyclone of 1906, as the sole link to their past and as the bright hope for their future.