Go and Give Life to Vika: Tevita Muli Kinikini Restores a Dead Woman in Tonga (c. 1940)

When World War II forced nearly every foreign missionary to evacuate Tonga in 1940, local Latter-day Saints had to lead the Church themselves — a turning point when the Church in Tonga became firmly established through faithful local leadership.

Among those called was Tevita Muli Kinikini, a fisherman and gifted Tongan composer from the tiny island of 'Uiha who had joined the Church in 1932 after hearing missionaries testify that they labored without pay. Muli and his wife Le'o, with their ten children, sold nearly everything they owned to pay the fare when Muli was called to serve as president of the Kōloa Branch on the island of Vava'u. The reception from the members was cool — many were uncertain about this new local branch president.

One of Muli's first duties was to conduct the funeral of an aged Latter-day Saint woman, Vika Fatafehi. According to his own dictated history, the 105-year-old Vika had died while Muli was away fishing; before passing away she had sent for him three times to come and administer to her. As Muli was preparing to visit the grieving family, he received an extraordinary prompting. “It was as if a voice whispered to me, 'Go and give life to Vika,'” he recorded. “But the voice came again, 'Go!'”

Dressed in his Sunday best, Muli announced, “I am going to administer to Vika, that she will live.” He entered the room where her body lay and, with faith in Jesus Christ and the priesthood he held, pronounced a blessing. “I could see the faces of the people, winking at each other and mocking, but I did not hesitate,” he later recorded, “for I knew this was the Lord's commandment to me to restore this woman to life and to show his power.” To the amazement of everyone present, Vika revived — she opened her eyes and lived. News of what had happened spread all over Vava'u.

The next day, some urged the gathered mourners not to go home, mocking that Vika would soon die anyway. Through inspiration, Muli replied, “Please, pardon me, noble chiefs. … Vika will not die. What's more, as long as I serve in this village as branch president, there will not be one LDS member pass away, not even Vika.” Remarkably, Vika did live — and during the entire time Muli served as branch president in Kōloa, not a single member of the branch died. Faith spread through the village and the branch thrived, even winning a dance and choir competition at a district conference.

Two years later Muli and his family were called to the island of 'Otea, which had only two active members; through a series of miraculous healings and the interpretation of a chief's dream, he helped the branch grow. A renowned composer, Muli also wrote traditional lakalaka performances that became some of the most beloved in Tongan Latter-day Saint history, including a lakalaka honoring Joseph Smith performed at the dedication of Liahona College (later Liahona High School) and later at the Polynesian Cultural Center — still performed today by groups such as BYU's Living Legends.

Though he had been sad to see the missionaries leave in 1940, Muli recognized that their departure “was a blessing in disguise. After their departure, we had to rely on ourselves in spiritual matters.” The overriding testimony of his life, as biographer Eric B. Shumway observed, was that Heavenly Father honors the man who honors his priesthood, and there is no limit to what a worthy man can accomplish or endure.

Fuller account of this event (as retold in Eric B. Shumway, “Tevita Muli Kinikini, Man of Faith,” Mormon Pacific Historical Society (1985)):

One Saturday while Muli and his boys were out fishing, Sister Vika Fatafehi, who was over one hundred years old, passed away. She had sent for Muli three times while he was away, asking him to come and administer to her. When Muli returned and heard the news, he felt a strong impression. He said, 'It was as if a voice whispered to me, "Go and give life to Vika." But the voice came again, "Go!"' Muli dressed in his Sunday best and went to the house where the body lay. He announced to the mourners, 'I am going to administer to Vika, that she will live.' He recorded, 'I could see the faces of the people, winking at each other and mocking, but I did not hesitate, for I knew this was the Lord's commandment to me to restore this woman to life and to show his power.' He gave her a blessing, and to the astonishment of all, Vika opened her eyes and lived. The next day, some of the people were still skeptical and mocked, saying that Vika would soon die anyway. Muli, moved by the Spirit, stood and said, 'Please, pardon me, noble chiefs. . . . Vika will not die. What's more, as long as I serve in this village as branch president, there will not be one LDS member pass away, not even Vika.' Vika lived, and during the entire time Muli served as branch president in Koloa, not a single member of the branch died.