'Elisiva Fusipala Vaha’i

‘Elisiva Fusipala Tauki’onetuku Tuku‘aho Vaha’i was a niece of the Kingdom of Tonga’s King Tauf’ahau Topou IV (1965 to 2006). She was the second of six children born to Late Prince Fatafehi Tu’ipelehake and Princess Melenaite Tukuʻaho. She was the first member of the royal family to join the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Princess Fusipala was born on June 12, 1949, in Nuku’alofa, Tonga. She was in Santa Ana, California, visiting Sepiuta and Larripotoa Fehoko during an extended visit to the United States in 1989, where she was taught the gospel of Jesus Christ. She was taught by the president of the Santa Ana 6th branch (Tongan speaking). She returned to Tonga and accepted a call to serve in the Relief Society organization of her branch. According to the LDS Church News, “she bore her testimony of the joy she'd found in conversion.”[1] She also said that none of her family was displeased that she had joined the Church. She and her family have been invited to feasts and special Church events throughout the islands.

She was visiting in the San Francisco area of California when she was admitted to the Mills-Peninsula Medical Center in Burlingame. She passed away in the United States on October 3, 2014.

She was married to Lord Hahano-ki-Mala’e Kula-‘a Sione Ngū Namoa also known as Lord Vaha’i. They had four children. At the time of her marriage in March 1968, John H. Groberg, who was then mission president in Tonga presented the couple with a copy of the Standard Works as a wedding present.