Latter Day Saints celebrate 130 years of the Book of Mormon in Te Reo

Lily Smith (left) and Donna Hapuku at the hui tau. Photo / Ian Cooper

Mormons from across the country gathered in Hawke's Bay to celebrate the 130th anniversary of the Book of Mormon being translated and distributed in te reo Māori.

The church held a hui tau , (which translates as annual meeting), which is understood to be the first held since the 1950s, despite once being a common event.

It was held at Te Hauke, the first place the Book of Mormon was translated and distributed in te reo Māori.

Local Church member and Hastings District Councillor Bayden Barber said about 150 people had come from across the country for the commemorations.

The church celebrated with a pōwhiri, presentations from church historians on Saturday and a church service held in te reo on Sunday.

"That's probably a first in many, many, many decades, that's happened.

"The weekend was a very significant event, but to have the church services all in te reo Māori was a great way to finish it off."

Mormons from accross the country gathered at Te Hauke to celebrate 130 years since the Book of Mormon was translated in te reo Māori. Photo / Ian Cooper

The Mormon faith was particularly well received by Ngāti Kahungunu when missionaries arrived in the late 1800s.

Barber said several Ngāti Kahungunu tohunga (priests) had made prophecies about the coming of the church.

"When the church came, the Māori people in Ngāti Kahungunu had already been prepared."

"So they flocked to the church in big numbers.

"There is a really big backstory to the church and its history here in Hawke's Bay."

Barber said members of the church from the north have already offered to hold a hui tau, next year, meaning they will likely become an more common occurrence in the church's calendar.

People gather at the Kahurānaki marae. Photo / Ian Cooper

"What I think will happen is different parts of the country will hold an annual meeting like this where a lot of te reo Māori is spoken.

"There is already a lot of interest to do something similar around different parts of the country."

He said when the hui tau stopped happening in the 1950s, the church started to promote faith rather than culture.

"A lot of our parents missed out on the culture side of things, the language.

"But now we are seeing that faith and culture can be intertwined as one."