The Sick King of Madolenihmw: Missionaries Appear “Highlighted by the Light” and Open Pohnpei to the Gospel

Pohnpei, an island of the Federated States of Micronesia, is divided into municipalities, each with a traditional king, or Nanmwarki — and the king of Madolenihmw, the highest-ranking king on the island, presided over the region where early Latter-day Saint missionaries found the most violent opposition. One of the early missionaries was almost beaten to death there.

One day the Nanmwarki of Madolenihmw fell seriously ill. He sought help from his own people, but neither doctors nor traditional medicine men could do anything for him. As the king lay bedridden, his right-hand man sat outside the house worrying about what else could be done. As he sat there, he raised his head toward the road — and at the highest point of the road he saw the Mormon missionaries, with the light shining behind them. To him, it highlighted the answer to his prayer. He ran to stop them, telling them his king was sick and that he knew they could heal him. The missionaries came into the king's home and gave him a priesthood blessing.

As they left, the king's right-hand man called them back — the king wanted to speak with them. When they went in, the king told them they now had his permission to go wherever they wished and preach their word, and that no one was to persecute them anymore. The decree of the highest king on Pohnpei opened Madolenihmw to the gospel. Ricky Joel, a Pohnpeian member who recounted the story, saw providence in it: “God … does work in mysterious ways.” Decades later, in 2014, the Panasang Pohnpei Stake was organized in that same municipality of Madolenihmw.