many of the services the Baháʼís have given to the general community. Head of State Malietoa Tanumafili II of Samoa On the passing of Head of State Malietoa Tanumafili II of Samoa in 2007, the international governing body of the Baháʼís, the Universal House of Justice wrote: "His service to the people of Samoa as Head of State was distinguished by the high principles, genuine compassion and personal humility that characterized the constancy of his concern for the welfare of all. As the first reigning sovereign to accept the Message of Baháʼu'lláh, he set a record that will forever illumine the annals of our Faith, one that future generations will increasingly extol. His great interest for well–nigh four decades in the Faith's progress was reflected in the enthusiastic affirmation of his belief whenever the opportunity presented itself and in the abiding joy with which he regarded the construction in 1984 of the Mother Temple of the Pacific Islands in Samoa...." See also History of Samoa History of American Samoa Religion in Samoa References External links Official Website of the Temple S