John H. Groberg
Encyclopedia
John Holbrook Groberg has been a general authority
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) since 1976.
in 1934 and was reared there after the Great Depression
. After a year at Brigham Young University
, and shortly after the Korean War
, he served a mission to Tonga
.
After much difficulty in getting to Tonga with strikes, visa problems, and problems finding boats, he served briefly in Los Angeles
, Samoa
, and Fiji
while waiting to get to Tonga. When he finally arrived in Tonga, his first assignment was on a remote isolated island called Niuatoputapu
, which with neighboring Tafahi
, was a place whose contact to the outside world was an occasional telegraph and visiting boat. On this Island he suffered mosquitoes, a typhoon, and starvation. He spent nearly a year there. While on Niuatoputapu Groberg's companion was Feki Po'uha who would later serve as district
president on Niue
while Groberg was president of the Tongan Mission, which at that point included Niue.
He then returned to more developed islands and served as a district president supervising smaller congregations called branches. The branches he dealt with lacked unity and morality. He had little contact with his Mission President
. He nearly drowned when pushed out of a boat during a major storm and suffered exhaustion many times. He was denied an extension so he could take a group of Mormon converts to the Hamilton New Zealand Temple
. He flew home and shortly after married Jean Sabin; together, they have had 11 children.
Groberg received his bachelors degree from BYU and an MBA from Indiana University
. He was then involved in real estate in the Idaho Falls area. Groberg also served for five years as a bishop of a ward in Idaho Falls.
He returned to the islands of his mission ten years later as a Mission President and, since his release as Mission President, has been there many times as a Regional Representative. He is beloved by the people of that region. With much coaxing, he wrote a book about his mission from his memoirs called In the Eye of the Storm. His missionary experiences in Tonga became the subject of the Disney film The Other Side of Heaven
.
In April 1976, he was called to be a general authority
of the LDS Church. The changes he saw in Tonga from a missionary to church leader were documented in his book The Fire of Faith. He had other assignments besides Tonga as a general authority. In the mid-1990s he was Area President of the Asia Area of the church where he was closely connected with the initial sending of Mormon missionaries into Cambodia
. In the early years of the 21st century he served as president of the Utah South Area of the church where he was responsible for initiating programs for missionary work among the Latino population there, and attempts to make sure that English-speaking wards hometaught
the Latino members within their boundaries, even if they attended Spanish-speaking congregations. He also served as Area President of the North America West Area from August 1990 until August 1994. In this capacity in May 1992 Groberg presided over the organization of the San Francisco California East Stake, the first Tongan speaking stake of the church in United States. The North America West Area encompassed California and Hawaii.
In 2005, Groberg was given general authority emeritus
status. From 2005 to 2008 he was president
of the church's Idaho Falls Idaho Temple
.
Groberg is an Eagle Scout
and recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award
.
General authority
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a general authority is a member of certain leadership organizations who are given administrative and ecclesiastical authority over the church...
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) since 1976.
Biography
Groberg was born in Idaho Falls, IdahoIdaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
in 1934 and was reared there after the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. After a year at Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
, and shortly after the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, he served a mission to Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
.
After much difficulty in getting to Tonga with strikes, visa problems, and problems finding boats, he served briefly in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
, and Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
while waiting to get to Tonga. When he finally arrived in Tonga, his first assignment was on a remote isolated island called Niuatoputapu
Niuatoputapu
For the 2009 tsunami, see the main article: 2009 Samoa tsunami.Niuatoputapu is an island in the island nation of Tonga, Pacific Ocean. Its name means sacred island. Older European names for the island are Traitors island or Keppel island.Niuatoputapu is located in the north of the country,...
, which with neighboring Tafahi
Tafahi
Tafahi is a small island in the north of the Tonga archipelago, in fact closer to Savaii than the main islands of Tonga. It is only north-northeast away from Niuatoputapu, and fishermen communicate in small outboard motorboats almost daily between the two.Other names for Tafahi are Cocos Eylant ...
, was a place whose contact to the outside world was an occasional telegraph and visiting boat. On this Island he suffered mosquitoes, a typhoon, and starvation. He spent nearly a year there. While on Niuatoputapu Groberg's companion was Feki Po'uha who would later serve as district
District (LDS Church)
A district of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a geographical administrative unit composed of a number of congregations called branches. A district is a subdivision of a mission of the church and in many ways is analogous to a stake of the church. The leader of a district is the...
president on Niue
Niue
Niue , is an island country in the South Pacific Ocean. It is commonly known as the "Rock of Polynesia", and inhabitants of the island call it "the Rock" for short. Niue is northeast of New Zealand in a triangle between Tonga to the southwest, the Samoas to the northwest, and the Cook Islands to...
while Groberg was president of the Tongan Mission, which at that point included Niue.
He then returned to more developed islands and served as a district president supervising smaller congregations called branches. The branches he dealt with lacked unity and morality. He had little contact with his Mission President
Mission president
Mission president is a priesthood leadership position in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . A mission president presides over a mission and the missionaries serving in the mission...
. He nearly drowned when pushed out of a boat during a major storm and suffered exhaustion many times. He was denied an extension so he could take a group of Mormon converts to the Hamilton New Zealand Temple
Hamilton New Zealand Temple
The Hamilton New Zealand Temple is the 13th constructed and 11th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
. He flew home and shortly after married Jean Sabin; together, they have had 11 children.
Groberg received his bachelors degree from BYU and an MBA from Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
. He was then involved in real estate in the Idaho Falls area. Groberg also served for five years as a bishop of a ward in Idaho Falls.
He returned to the islands of his mission ten years later as a Mission President and, since his release as Mission President, has been there many times as a Regional Representative. He is beloved by the people of that region. With much coaxing, he wrote a book about his mission from his memoirs called In the Eye of the Storm. His missionary experiences in Tonga became the subject of the Disney film The Other Side of Heaven
The Other Side of Heaven
The Other Side of Heaven is a 2001 film produced by Academy Award winner Gerald R. Molen and directed by Mitch Davis and stars Christopher Gorham and Anne Hathaway .-Overview:...
.
In April 1976, he was called to be a general authority
General authority
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a general authority is a member of certain leadership organizations who are given administrative and ecclesiastical authority over the church...
of the LDS Church. The changes he saw in Tonga from a missionary to church leader were documented in his book The Fire of Faith. He had other assignments besides Tonga as a general authority. In the mid-1990s he was Area President of the Asia Area of the church where he was closely connected with the initial sending of Mormon missionaries into Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
. In the early years of the 21st century he served as president of the Utah South Area of the church where he was responsible for initiating programs for missionary work among the Latino population there, and attempts to make sure that English-speaking wards hometaught
Home teaching
Home teaching is a responsibility of priesthood holders in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Home teaching is a church program designed to allow families to be taught in their own homes, in addition to weekly church services...
the Latino members within their boundaries, even if they attended Spanish-speaking congregations. He also served as Area President of the North America West Area from August 1990 until August 1994. In this capacity in May 1992 Groberg presided over the organization of the San Francisco California East Stake, the first Tongan speaking stake of the church in United States. The North America West Area encompassed California and Hawaii.
In 2005, Groberg was given general authority emeritus
Emeritus
Emeritus is a post-positive adjective that is used to designate a retired professor, bishop, or other professional or as a title. The female equivalent emerita is also sometimes used.-History:...
status. From 2005 to 2008 he was president
Temple President
Temple president is a priesthood leadership position in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A temple president's primary responsibility is to supervise the affairs of an LDS temple in both an administrative and spiritual capacity....
of the church's Idaho Falls Idaho Temple
Idaho Falls Idaho Temple
The Idaho Falls Idaho Temple is the tenth constructed and eighth operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Located in the city of Idaho Falls, Idaho it was the first LDS temple built in Idaho, and the first temple built with a modern single-spire design.The LDS temple...
.
Groberg is an Eagle Scout
Eagle Scout (Boy Scouts of America)
Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America . A Scout who attains this rank is called an Eagle Scout or Eagle. Since its introduction in 1911, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than 2 million young men...
and recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award
Distinguished Eagle Scout Award
The Distinguished Eagle Scout Award is a distinguished service award of the Boy Scouts of America . It is awarded to an Eagle Scout for distinguished service in his profession and to his community for a period of at least 25 years after attaining the level of Eagle Scout...
.