Elder Frederic Riemer, a 1997 BYU–Hawaii graduate from Tahiti, now serves as an Area Seventy and Leader Support Manager for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in French Polynesia. With a degree in information systems and a minor in business management, his journey reflects the Lord’s hand guiding him from his mission to his education and into lifelong service.
Finding God’s Plan Through Missionary Service
Growing up in Tahiti, Elder Riemer dreamed of becoming a professional soccer player and even tried out for the national team. “I thought I was better than some of my friends, but they were selected, not me,” he recalled. Later, he also pursued becoming a sports professor, only to face the same rejection. “That’s how I realized the Lord has plans for me. I had my own plans, but they didn't turn out the way I wanted. The Lord was preparing me,” he explained.
From January 1990 to December 1991, he served his mission in Tahiti. Though he had hoped to serve abroad, he found joy in serving his people. “Who I was before the mission and after the mission are two different people,” he said. His mission president encouraged him to continue his education in Laie, a suggestion that altered his future. “Without my experience at BYU–Hawaii, it would be impossible for me to become what I became,” Elder Riemer reflected.
BYU–Hawaii: A Place to Learn, Grow, and Build a Family
After returning home from his mission in December 1991, Elder Riemer was required by the French government to complete mandatory military service. “At that time, it was not an option for us. If you didn’t go, you went to jail,” he explained. He served for eight months—shorter than the usual year—because he had already been accepted to BYU–Hawaii. “I finished on Friday, and on Saturday I was on the plane to Hawaii,” he remembered.
Arriving in Laie in the fall of 1992, Riemer found the perfect environment to continue his spiritual growth and begin his studies. “Small classes, teachers who knew us personally, and a community where we could attend the temple, serve in wards, and build friendships that last even after 30 years,” he said. He credited the small, faith-centered campus as a place that “bridged the gap” between missionary service and the challenges of adulthood. “It was the right place for me to keep building spiritually while getting an education.”
Like many international students, he worked at the Polynesian Cultural Center to support his education. “I danced for the Marquesas Village. We did the pig dance, and I had good memories there,” he laughed.
BYU–Hawaii also played a role in his personal life. In 1994, he married Jenny, a longtime friend from Tahiti who transferred from BYU in Provo to BYU–Hawaii. “My mission president told me, if you don’t try, you will lose her anyway. So, I tried and asked her out on a date, and it worked,” he said with a smile. They went on to raise five children, three of whom are graduates of BYU–Hawaii.
“BYU–Hawaii shaped me, and I learned so much over there,” Elder Riemer shared. He recalled evenings spent in faculty homes, ward family nights with bishops, and the peace of attending the Laie Temple regularly. “Those things built my foundation. Without them, I would not be who I am today.”
A Lifelong Commitment to Service and Leadership
Looking back, his patriarchal blessing also hinted at the future. “It said that I would have important callings in my life, but at the time, I thought maybe it meant becoming a bishop one day. I didn’t see far,” he explained. Looking back now, Elder Riemer recognizes how the Lord was preparing him for a lifetime of leadership.
Elder Riemer graduated in 1997 with a degree in information systems and quickly returned to Tahiti. Within months, he was called as a bishop despite not having secured steady employment. “I didn’t know why I was called a bishop when I was still unemployed at that time. But the Lord provided,” he said. By April 1999, he began working full-time for the Church, where he served in various leadership and administrative roles for more than 25 years.
His callings have been extensive—bishop, stake president, mission president, and Area Seventy since 2020. During the pandemic, when foreign leaders were unable to enter Tahiti, he was unexpectedly called to step in as interim mission president. “I was called on a Saturday and started on Monday. We had no training, just 19 missionaries left in the country,” Elder Riemer recalled. He and his wife led the mission for nearly a year, ensuring continuity during one of the Church’s most challenging times. “It was tough, but it was also sacred. The Lord sustained us in a way I had never experienced before.”
Today, in addition to his Area Seventy responsibilities across the Pacific, he serves as the President of the Board of Trustees for the temporal affairs of the Church in French Polynesia. Balancing so many roles requires prioritization. “I don’t have time for myself—no more sports,” he admitted. “But I take time for the Lord, for my family, and my calling. I delegate, I trust people, and I have my wife, who has always been a supporter.”
BYU–Hawaii’s mission continues to guide him. “[My intent was] to learn as much as I could, not only academically but also to become a disciple. Now, I help, inspire, and bless others,” he explained.
For students today, Elder Riemer’s advice is simple yet profound: “Believe in yourself and trust the Lord. Remember that it’s a blessing to be at BYU–Hawaii. It’s not the end; it’s just the beginning of something bigger.”
