The Church first took root among European settlers, then
flourished among the Maoris. In recent years, it has brought
both groups together in a fellowship of faith. Roots of
Faith03243_000_011 Natives call it Aotearoa—the “Land of the
Long White Cloud.” Visitors simply call it beautiful. New
Zealand, land of pastoral peace and lovely landscapes, is the
home of the Maori people and many of their Polynesian cousins
from Tonga, Samoa, and the Cook Islands. It is home, too, for
the many pakehas, or people of European ancestry who have
migrated there. Long before white men discovered these islands,
the Maoris found their way here from other places in the vast
Pacific Ocean. God has watched over and cared for them, and in
the days since the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ, he
has fulfilled promises that were made to their ancestors by
prophets long ago. Today, the Church in New Zealand is quite
strong, well-respected, and firmly established among all New
Zealanders. It has a temple, beautiful chapels thro