Baháʼí Faith in the Samoas
The seventh tablet was translated and presented by Mirza Ahmad Sohrab on 4 April 1919, and published in Star of the West magazine on 12 December 1919.
[2] Shoghi Effendi, head of the religion after the death of ʻAbdu'l–Bahá, launched the Ten Year Crusade and during this plan, 34 years after the first Baháʼís of Australia had stopped at Samoa, a woman named Lilian Wyss, later Lilian Alá'í, pioneered to Western Samoa[8] from Australia in January 1954[3] leaving behind a position on the National Spiritual Assembly of Australia[9] at the age of 24 while her brother, Frank Wyss, introduced the religion that year to the Cocos Island.
[11] About this time Emmanuel Rock, one of the earliest Samoans to join the religion, did so prior to the beginning of the Ten Year Crusade.
[4] Many of the early Baháʼís were well educated and some had Christian theological training and after conversion sometimes held positions of high office in the religion.
[29] Samoan Auxiliary Board member Niuoleava Tuataga toured Australia giving talks to Baháʼís and Australian society on the religion in 1967.
[30] Russell Garcia and Gina, his wife, visited many islands among Samoa in 1967 and others giving concerts and classes in schools for several years[31] before ultimately moving to New Zealand.
[4] In 1969 Samoan Baháʼí women stretched social norms by personally taking trips to attempt to spread the religion.
[29] From December 1969 into January 1970 the first international youth conference of the south pacific took place in Apia drawing attendees from Samoa.
Mr. Ala'i made suggestions resulting in the inclusion of the Baha'i prayer for unity in the program and the committee secured the services of Hand of the Cause Ugo Giachery as guest speaker.
[37] By 1968, Malietoa Tanumafili II privately converted to the religion, which he publicly announced in 1973 when he wrote a letter to the convention to elect the Universal House of Justice.
In 1974, Malietoa attended the national convention and congratulated work on construction of a Baháʼí center and KVZK-2 recorded a series of three 15-minute programs to be broadcast as part of its daily show Talosaga.
[39] In 1976 the national assembly was registered with the United States,[8] the first Baháʼí center on Tutuila was raised,[40] and Malietoa visited the grave of Shoghi Effendi.
[48] In 1978 the annual convention had 30 delegates to elect the national assembly – and the elected members of that year were Sam Ale Ale, Moli Chang, Reuben Busby, Lilian Ala'i, Fuiono Aniseto, Lina Kava, Khosrow Moghelpour, Fili Pe'epe'e and Leala Tasi.
In 1983 the national assembly sponsored a conference on rural development for one hundred–ten people from Upolu, Savaii and Tutuila, at Lelata.
[4] The site of the future temple was celebrated in 1976 with a gathering of over one hundred Baháʼís and children who sang songs and said prayers for four days.
After three days of talks and celebrations, the Temple was also later dedicated by Malietoa Tanumafili II of Samoa, who was the first sitting Baháʼí head of state.
[63] Perhaps the first large event held at the temple was a special service in 1985 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the United Nations and to launch the UN International Year of Peace.
[10] On the passing of Head of State Malietoa Tanumafili II of Samoa in 2007, the international governing body of the Baháʼís, the Universal House of Justice wrote: "His service to the people of Samoa as Head of State was distinguished by the high principles, genuine compassion and personal humility that characterized the constancy of his concern for the welfare of all.
As the first reigning sovereign to accept the Message of Baháʼu'lláh, he set a record that will forever illumine the annals of our Faith, one that future generations will increasingly extol.
His great interest for well–nigh four decades in the Faith's progress was reflected in the enthusiastic affirmation of his belief whenever the opportunity presented itself and in the abiding joy with which he regarded the construction in 1984 of the Mother Temple of the Pacific Islands in Samoa...."[74]
