Pesega is a village on the island of Upolu in Samoa. It is located on western outskirts of Apia, the country's capita. Pesega is part of Faleata West Electoral Constituency (Faipule District) which forms part of the larger political district of Tuamasaga. [1]
Upolu is an island in Samoa, formed by a massive basaltic shield volcano which rises from the seafloor of the western Pacific Ocean. The island is 75 kilometres long and 1,125 square kilometres in area, making it the second largest of the Samoan Islands geographically. With approximately 145,000 people, it is by far the most populated of the Samoan Islands. Upolu is situated to the southeast of Savai'i, the "big island". Apia, the capital, is in the middle of the north coast, with Faleolo International Airport at the western end of the island. The island has not had any historically recorded eruptions, although three lava flows date back only a few hundred to a few thousand years.
Samoa, officially the Independent State ofSamoa and, until 4 July 1997, known as Western Samoa, is a country consisting of two main islands, Savai'i and Upolu, and four smaller islands. The capital city is Apia. The Lapita people discovered and settled the Samoan Islands around 3,500 years ago. They developed a unique Samoan language and Samoan cultural identity.
Apia is the capital and the largest city of Samoa. From 1900 to 1919, it was the capital of German Samoa. The city is located on the central north coast of Upolu, Samoa's second largest island. Apia is the only city in Samoa and falls within the political district (itūmālō) of Tuamasaga.
The population of Pesega is 372 (2006 Census). [2]
Located in the village is the headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) in Samoa with the large white Apia Samoa Temple by the main road. The LDS Church College Pesega, is located behind the temple grounds.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often informally known as and incorrectly referred to as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian, Christian restorationist church that is considered by its members to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The church is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah in the United States, and has established congregations and built temples worldwide. According to the church, it has over 16 million members and 67,000 full-time volunteer missionaries. In 2012, the National Council of Churches ranked the church as the fourth-largest Christian denomination in the United States, with over 6.5 million members reported by the church, as of January 2018. It is the largest denomination in the Latter Day Saint movement founded by Joseph Smith during the period of religious revival known as the Second Great Awakening.
The Apia Samoa Temple was the 24th constructed and 22nd operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was the first built in Samoa and the third to be built in Polynesia. After it was destroyed by fire, a new temple was built and dedicated on the same grounds.
The Church Educational System (CES) of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints consists of several institutions that provide religious and secular education for both Latter-day Saint and non–Latter-day Saint elementary, secondary, and post-secondary students and adult learners. Approximately 700,000 individuals were enrolled in CES programs in 143 countries in 2011. CES courses of study are separate and distinct from religious instruction provided through wards. Kim B. Clark, a member of the First Quorum of Seventy, has been the CES Commissioner since August 1, 2015.
