President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and his wife, Wendy, left Salt Lake City on Thursday for a nine-day ministry visit to seven destinations in the Pacific. Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Susan, are traveling with the Nelsons.

The global faith leaders will minister to Latter-day Saints and friends of the faith, including missionaries, in the region. They will also meet with high-level government and religious leaders and media.

President Nelson and Elder Gong will make a brief stop on the Big Island of Hawaii for an evening devotional at the Kona Hawaii Stake Center. The meeting will also be broadcast to Latter-day Saints in Hilo.

Other locations the senior leaders will visit during their ministry include Apia, Samoa; Sydney, Australia; Wellington and Auckland, New Zealand; Suva, Fiji; Nuku’alofa, Tonga; and Papeete, Tahiti.

The prophet will return to Utah on May 25.

There are 16.3 million members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints around the world, including a growing membership in the Pacific.

The geographic region, known as Oceania, is home to 10 of the Church’s operating temples. Four new temples were recently announced in American Samoa, Tonga, Guam and New Zealand. Missionaries serve in 17 missions in the area.

Newsroom will provide full coverage of President Nelson’s historic Pacific ministry, including video and photos for the media and the public.