General Auckland Mission History from 1951-1993

  • 23 Oct 1951 Sidney J. Ottley arrives as Mission President
  • Apr 1952 The Labour Missionary programme is begun to provide assistance in constructing the Church College.
  • 27 Mar 1955 Ariel S. Ballif arrives as Mission President.
  • 22 Dec 1955 The ground is broken and the cornerstone laid for the New Zealand Temple at Tuhikaramea. For the next 28 months labour and proselyting missionaries aid in the construction of the temple.
  • 20 Apr 1958 President David O. McKay dedicates the New Zealand Temple. Missionaries from the NZ Mission act as proxies and officiators in performing baptisms for the dead.
  • May 1958 The NZ Mission is divided into the NZ North, South, and Wellington Missions.
  • 26 Aug 1958 Robert L. Simpson arrives as Mission President.
  • 1 May 1961 Reed Kohler arrives as Mission President.
  • 8 Aug 1964 C. Douglas Bornes arrives as Mission President.
  • 12 Jul 1967 Rulon G. Craven arrives as Mission President.
  • 8 Jul 1970 Leo W. Russon arrives as Mission President.
  • 1 Jul 1973 M. Baden Pere arrives as Mission President, the first Maori to be called as such.
  • 3 Jul 1976 Collins E. Jones arrives as Mission President.
  • Jun 1976 The NZ North, South, and Wellington Missions re-organized as the NZ Auckland and NZ Christchurch Missions.
  • 19 Jan 1978 The NZ Temple Pageant, the first Church pageant outside the United States, is instituted. It is entitled "Hear Him", and is based upon the Book of Mormon, the Restoration, and the coming of the Church to NZ. The entire mission attends the opening presentation. 20,000 attend the three performances and 3000 Books of Mormon are placed.
  • 12 May 1978 Due to an ailment of Sister Jones', it is announced that Pres. Jones will be released a year early.
  • 1 Jul 1978 Billy B. Cowser arrives as Mission President.
  • Dec 1978 The Mission records 1,041 baptisms for the year, setting a new record.
  • 23 May 1979 Elder and Sister Bluemel, the first couple proselyting missionaries, arrive in the Mission.
  • 1 Aug 1979 The NZAM Certification Program begins; Elders Laga and Dalley become the first certified missionaries.
  • Sep 1979 Plans are made to open up the Great Barrier Island.
  • 16 Oct 1979 Elders Shupe and Lisonbee leave for Great Barrier Island.
  • 10 Nov 1979 The NZAM records its 1000th baptism of the year. Sisters Stevens and Bartlett were honoured for this achievement with a special dinner on the 20th of the month.
  • 25 Nov 1979 The NZ Area Conference is held near the Mt. Albert Chapel, with the entire Mission attending. 10,000 attend the afternoon session from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Pre. Benson of the Quorum of the Twelve is the presiding General Authority.
  • 1 Jul 1981 Ralph G. Chalker arrives as Mission President.
  • Aug 1984 John R. Lasater arrives as Mission President.
  • 11 May 1987 Herschel N. Pederson arrives as Mission President.
  • Aug 1987 President Sonnenberg toured the NZ Mission for the first time.
  • Feb 1988 Elder Dallin H. Oaks and Elder Richard G. Scott, of the Quorum of the Twelve visit Auckland Mission. Their message was one of Dedication and Obedience.
  • 12 Dec 1988 Elder Trevor C. Hamon and Sister Marlene Hamon are called to serve in the Auckland Mission and are assigned to labour in the Cook Islands as a counselor to President Pedersen.
  • Jan 1989 Model Missionary and Matthew Cowley Missionary Awards continue to strengthen Elders in their knowledge of the scriptures.
  • Aug 1989 Douglas J. Martin, the second counselor in the area presidency, tours the Auckland Mission.
  • 1989 First Sub-Area conference with the attendance of : Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley, Elder James E. Faust, Elders Glen L. Rudd, Douglas J. Martin, and Benjamin B. Banks of the Pacific Area Presidency.
  • 29 June 1990 Charles Parkinson Lloyd and Alta Rasmussen Lloyd arrived from Salt Lake City as the new president of the NZ Auckland Mission replacing Pres. and Sis. Pederson. President Lloyd was a full time missionary in NZ during the 1948-1950 years and he and Sister Lloyd had been teacher and bursar at the Church College of NZ in 1958-1961. The plane was late so the two presidents only had about two hours together. Pres. Pederson had corresponded with Pres. Lloyd so much of the ground work had been laid.
  • 4 July 1990 Elder Ben B. Banks of the Quorum of Seventies visited the mission.
  • 22 July 1990 Sister Beverly Jones, assigned to the Northland District contracted Pancreatitis and went to the Auckland Hospital. She was near death many times. She was released to us for a few days and then she and Elder Jones flew home on the 29th of October.
  • Jun 1993 Zone Leader Training meetings were initiated again. These were held every month to the end of Pres. Lloyd's term in office. This was a most effective way of not only increasing the missionary success but many young leaders were trained with the help of these meetings. The Meetings were held in the mission home and lunch was served to the Elders before they returned to their areas.
  • 15 Jun 1991 Elder David Justin Weir from Provo, Utah, son of Dennis D. and Kathy Bird Weir was killed in a hit and run car accident while riding a bicycle on Papamoa Beach Road on the way home to Mount Maunga Nui. His companion Elder Charles Mark Openshaw was badly injured.
    Memorial services were held in Tauranga and Temple View.
    Elder Weir was a grandson of former labour missionary and mission president Stanford and Blanch Bird. His mother had attended the Church College of NZ.
  • 2 Mar1992 Elder Robert Sackley visited Rarotonga and instructed the branches and the missionaries. They were motivated by his enthusiastic message. A general authority mission tour commenced on June 13th in Gisborne with Elder and Sister Craven. Missionary meetings were held in Kaikohe, Auckland, Temple View and in Rotorua. All of the missionaries were instructed by the Cravens and Pres. and Sis. Lloyd. Elder Craven gave instructions on gaining mastery by controlling our thoughts. Stake conferences with general authorities were held in Hamilton and Rotorua Stakes on the third weekend.
  • 12 Aug 1992 Elder Jason W. Harrison and Elder McCormick Cummings were crossing Guy Road in Kaikohe, at 7:30 pm. It was dark and drizzly and two cars came down the road. The Elders crossed out of the traffic lane and continued the rest of the way while the first car passed. The second car, driven by Karl William Robert Hardisty became confused and drove into the Elders lane. Elder Harrison managed to avoid the car, but Elder Cummings was hit and carried 53 yards.
    Pres. Lloyd's first notes on the injury were that a bone on Elder Cummings left ankle was broken, and his left tibia was cracked. He had injuries to his right knee, a brain concussion and a laceration on his head in the left front area in his hair. Also he had a cut over his eye brow line.
    On the 28th of August, there was a six way telephone call between Doctor Hannin at the Whangarei hospital, Dr. Johnson, Dr. Pingree, Pres. Lloyd, and Brother King and Brother Millet. It was decided to see what the Whangarei doctors found in their examination on Monday before he was air lifted into the UCLA hospital. Dr. Johnson was able to reach Dr. Skelton at 2:00 pm just before Elder Cummings was operated on. The operation took place at 3:30 pm where his right leg was removed below the knee. After the operation Pres. Lloyd talked with Elder Cummings who reported that he was coping with the situation.
    Elder Cummings returned to the mission field 25th February, 1993. Under instructions from the Area Presidency, Pres. Lloyd organized the Northland District as part of the NZ Auckland District on October 25.
  • Mar 1993 In each of the zone conferences, the missionaries were asked to be prepared to present a discussion to Pres. and Sis. Lloyd. This went on since their return from the Area meeting. A marked improvement in the missionaries' ability to present the discussion was seen. Most of the missionaries became well versed in the scriptures.
  • Apr 1993 Pres. Lloyd travelled to Niue to re-organize the District, to train the saints, and hold zone conference with the missionaries.
  • Jun 1993 Pres. and Sis. Lloyd completed their mission assignment and were replaced by Pres. Paul Grant and Bonnie Davis Grant, long time friends of the Lloyds and professional associates of Elder and Sister Floyd Gowans who served in the mission office. For 23 years Judge Grant and Judge Gowans served in the Utah court systems together.
    This completed Pres. Lloyd's eight and one half years of Church service in NZ having served as a missionary, a founding teacher at the Church College of NZ and a mission president of the NZ Auckland Mission. Sister Lloyd completed her six and one half years of service as a NZ missionary and as the college clerk and treasurer and teacher. She had also served for eighteen months as a missionary in the Canada, Montreal Mission. They worked with over 600 missionaries, organized two new mission districts, dedicated two chapels, re-organized the Cook Island and Niue Districts, taught the stake missionaries of the 11 stakes twelve series of stake missionary lessons and held 279 missionary zone conferences.
    President Lloyd held over 4,000 missionary interviews and many interviews in the mission districts with the leaders and members. Missionaries who served with Pres. and Sis. Lloyd