Mauritius, Réunion Dedicated for Missionary Work

The islands of Mauritius and Réunion, in the Mascarene Islands Mission, were dedicated late in 1988 for the preaching of the gospel.

Elder Marvin J. Ashton of the Council of the Twelve dedicated the two islands, located off the southeast coast of Africa. He visited Mauritius, an independent nation of 1.1 million, on November 22, and Réunion, an overseas departmént of France with a population of 500,000, on November 23.

In his dedicatory prayer at Quatre Bornes, Mauritius, Elder Ashton said, “We know this land is a link between Western and Eastern cultures. … We dedicate this beautiful island to thy lofty purposes and in accordance with thy present and future plans for not only the growth, but the prosperity and peace that the gospel can bring.” In the dedication of Réunion, Elder Ashton said, “We include in this dedication of Réunion Island those islands that will be opened in this Mascarene Islands Mission in the future, with every blessing that thou can extend to those who are called to lead the way.”

The Mascarene Islands Mission was formed on 1 July 1988 from the South Africa Johannesburg Mission. There are about four hundred members in the mission, with two branches on Mauritius and three on Réunion. President Gerard Giraud-Carrier of the Mascarene Islands Mission, President R. J. Snow of the South Africa Johannesburg Mission, and their wives accompanied Elder Ashton and his wife, Norma, to the islands.

Both Mauritius and Réunion are subtropical volcanic islands whose principal industry is producing sugar.