Anciently known as a pu’uhonua or a place of refuge “where transgressors of the law or the native customs could come to be safe and cleansed of their transgressions before returning to society,” according to the book “Gathering in La’ie” Laie has been set aside as a gathering place for Latter-day Saints in Hawaii since 1865 Laie will influence millions of people seeking to know this town and its significance an alumnus and retired BYU-Hawaii professor originally from Arizona said he witnessed the changes and growth of the Laie community since 1968 “President Hinckley said Laie is unique in having the spiritual educational and cultural aspects that no other place in the world has,” Moffat added Moffat was the lead author in writing the book “Gathering to La’ie” that includes faith-nurturing stories and the different phases Laie went through a retired history professor at BYU in Provo and writer of the forward of the book “Gathering to La’ie” Labor missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints startedbuilding the first and second phases of the Church College of Hawaii and the construction of the Polynesian Cultural Center from 1955 to 1963 according to the book “The Polynesian Cultural Center: Ambassador to the World” With the college’s and PCC’s establishment the books says the population and economic opportunities grew in Laie for both townspeople and students the construction of the PCC provided work and income for CCH students Memories of campus lifeDuring his time as a student at BYUH Moffat said he worked as a sanitation engineer or a garbage collector and helped with landscaping for the PCC I would help with landscaping and bringing stones from the hills to build the villages in the PCC,” he added an associate professor in the Faculty of Sciences then known as the Church College of Hawaii The student body was smaller and allowed everyone to know each other were built by the labor missionaries before second stories were added to them Roughly 40 percent of the student body was composed of nonmembers Serving in the ChurchWhile serving as a bishop in Laie from July 1988 to June 1993 for the Laie Sixth Ward Moffat said general authorities often visited Laie and would sometimes show up unannounced at church Moffat said meeting general authorities were unforgettable experience Moffat was invited by the school to give him a tour around campus He gave another tour to the Prime Minister of Samoa and his party As a president of the alumni organization at BYUH in 1991 Moffat said he visited New Zealand for an alumni reunion with other BYUH leaders “The Area Seventy down there was John Sonnenberg and I had the chance to [speak alongside] him during the program,” he added One of his interesting and memorable experiences as a bishop was planning funerals but we knew we would see them again,” he added Another memorable experience for him was helping members with their mission applications his ward had 16 full-time missionaries out in the mission field Ke Alaka'iCampus News CenterBYU–Hawaii #192055-220 Kulanui Street Bldg 5Aloha Center Room 134(808) 675-3694kealakai@byuh.edu aimed at providing middle-class residential rental units for North Shore families is being put in by the development arm of the Mormon church Denby Fawcett is a longtime Hawaiʻi television and newspaper journalist, who grew up in Honolulu. Her book, Secrets of Diamond Head: A History and Trail Guide is available on Amazon Opinions are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Civil Beat’s views The Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting has issued two notices of violation to Hawaii Reserves Inc for doing construction work without permits on its proposed project to build 74 rental housing units on beachfront property it owns in Laie HRI is the land management arm of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints In a column earlier this month I reported on its proposed Laie oceanfront development (I am a member of a club that owns property along the same Laie shoreline but the club is not involved in the development.) HRI President Eric Beaver said the project was in its beginning stage with the company seeking multiple permits including an environmental assessment and a Special Management Area permit before it could start any work But the city planning department cited HRI on July 17 for jumping the gun by clearing land on part of the oceanfront property without a SMA permit and also for doing grubbing work without a permit on a road that leads into the proposed development DPP cites HRI for removing trees and vegetation The notice requires HRI to stop all work on that parcel until it gets an SMA permit or it could be fined up to $100,000 initially and up to $10,000 a day after that A second notice of violation cites HRI for grubbing without a permit approximately 16,305 square feet of land that’s part of a road widening project DPP says HRI must get a grubbing permit by Aug 19 or restore all the vegetation it removed there will be an initial fine of $50 and $25 a day after that Laie resident Faye Fukuyama told Civil Beat on June 24 that HRI had started work to double the width of the 10-foot road  “They were just going ahead and doing their own thing on our lane without our authorization,” Fukuyama said “We called the police when the backhoes and an excavator started pulling out plants and was about to take down a plumeria tree my father-in-law planted more than 50 years ago.” She has lived alongside the road for 49 years with her husband Dane then hired Honolulu attorney William Saunders Jr to write a cease and desist letter when they couldn’t get HRI to stop tearing out the vegetation Fukuyama said Friday she was glad HRI had to stop work on the road She said she felt vindicated because HRI’s Director of Property Management Kanani Tuala had sent her and the other road owners a letter June 10 saying HRI had a permit to proceed with the road widening “We now know have proof that was not true,” Fukuyama said told Civil Beat in an email: “We’ve worked directly with DPP on this project both well in advance of and during the work DPP is requiring the roadway construction and approved those construction plans back in April The vegetation removal work was done within the allowances under City Ordinances Even though we are quite surprised by these notices we will continue to work with the City to clarify and resolve these matters.” DPP spokesman Curtis Lum said although DPP approved HRI’s construction plans the company still needed a permit to start on the road work He said Friday the department is still trying to determine if the two lots in question should be considered as part of HRI’s larger project and require SMA permits.         Beaver described HRI’s project as beachfront rentals for working individuals and families with smaller households primarily from Koolauloa — an area that stretches from Kaaawa to Waimea Bay The development, called NaHale Manai maybe the first of its kind in Hawaii as an oceanfront project created for middle-class local resident families Normally,  a landowner would turn such rare open shoreline into luxury homes for the wealthy rather than rental dwellings expected to be priced for firefighters and teachers “Families want to raise their kids where they were raised,” Beaver said in the previous interview more families and individuals can have a roof over their heads.” the attorney representing the neighboring property owners said Friday he is glad DPP has responded to the concerns of neighbors about the project and that the city is starting to do serious scrutiny of HRI’s plan to transform the rural Laie shoreline into dozens of homes He added that HRI should be told by DPP to stop work on two lots it is developing next to the larger project until those lots also receive SMA permits HRI say those two lots in question do not need SMA permits and they are not part of the company’s rental housing development and the magnitude of work to be done on them does not require an SMA permit Honolulu Civil Beat is a nonprofit organization and your donation helps us produce local reporting that serves all of Hawaii Ideas is the place you'll find essays, analysis and opinion on public affairs in Hawaiʻi. We want to showcase smart ideas about the future of Hawaiʻi, from the state's sharpest thinkers, to stretch our collective thinking about a problem or an issue. Email news@civilbeat.org to submit an idea Sign up for our FREE morning newsletter and face each day more informed WAILUKU–Hawaii Governor Josh Green announced on Monday that the first Maui wildfire survivors have moved into units in the Hale ‘O Lā’ie interim housing project (formerly the Haggai Institute) in Kīhei according to a press release from The Office of the Governor The housing units were purchased by the Hawai’i Housing Finance and Development Corporation (HHFDC) in coordination with the Hawai’i Office of Recovery and Resiliency (HORR) and the state Department of Human Services (DHS) as part of the Hawai’i Interim Housing Program (HIHP) HIHP was established to provide housing relief to affected households of the August 2023 Maui wildfires eight households had received keys and were in the process of moving into the complex Three others are scheduled for walk-ins Friday and more are expected to follow this week “The objective of HIHP is to provide as many housing options as possible for Maui wildfire survivors because we recognize that each household has unique circumstances and needs,” Governor Green said “The opening of Hale ‘O Lā’ie goes a long way toward meeting that objective and building upon our focus of providing housing solutions on Maui.” Hale ‘O Lā’ie will provide approximately 150 hotel-style studios and studio suites to survivors The state is providing the units at no cost to survivors More than 500 households have started the preliminary application process and are in various stages of completion which is currently in construction in West Maui this project will offer up to 450 modular homes for FEMA ineligible victims of the Lahaina wildfires Not all sites or units are currently completed–and the matching of eligible households to available and suitable units will continue as the state makes more units available in the days Households are encouraged to apply even if they are unsure of their eligibility and those placed in interim housing will not be required to pay rent or utility bills through August 2025 While applying does not guarantee eligibility or placement eligible households will be matched with available units based on their specific needs and the availability of suitable housing “We took great care to ensure that these units were converted into living spaces where the survivors can feel at home while they deal with other challenges created by the fires,” said HHFDC Executive Director Dean Minakami “The property’s common areas and grounds were rejuvenated and new appliances were purchased so that each unit is outfitted with a compact-size refrigerator and microwave oven We urge wildfire survivors to consider Hale ‘O Lā’ie as their interim housing solution.” “We are grateful for the funding provided by the Legislature and the hard work put into this effort by Maui County our sister state agencies and our management agent which expeditiously managed an extensive maintenance program to bring the units online,” Minakami added secure and stable solution for families displaced by the Maui wildfires It has been a team effort among multiple agencies to bring this opportunity to those impacted With more than 425 applications submitted and being reviewed through the HIHP application portal we realize that there is an ongoing and tremendous need for longer-term housing,” said state Disaster Recovery Coordinator Luke Meyers visit https://dbedt.hawaii.gov/hhfdc/hawaiistaterecovers/ or call 1-808-727-1550 Translation assistance is available for those with limited English proficiency All Maui County pools on the Valley Isle will close May 14 for staff training Maui County will host a job fair with 20 different departments from police .. Copyright © 2025 Maui News Publishing Company LTD | https://www.mauinews.com | 100 Mahalani Street By Peter Boylan Crime in Hawaii A 39-year-old Kahuku woman was arrested and charged with manslaughter today for allegedly torturing and neglecting her 11-year-old adopted daughter who died in December 2023 had “multiple injuries from child abuse” and the manner of her death was a homicide head of the Honolulu Police Department’s Strategic Enforcement and Homicide Detail “deep enough to penetrate skin” and reaching her diaphragm The girl had wounds consistent with being bitten internal injuries to her neck “likely from strangulation,” two broken ribs a scalp hemorrhage and her left lung was dark which indicated pneumonia Pili-Ah You’s body tested positive for COVID Sina Pili was indicted by an Oahu grand jury today and charged with manslaughter Pili-Ah You was adopted by Pili and her husband two months before she died Thoemmes said Pili-Ah You’s adoptive father has not been arrested but remains under investigation calculated and systematic and intended to break its victims completely,” said Thoemmes who urged state lawmakers to pass pending legislation allowing law enforcement more power to intervene investigate and arrest people who abuse children Pili “slapped and punched” Pili-Ah You multiple times over a period of 30 minutes patrol officers responded to a 911 call of an unresponsive 11-year-old girl at a home in Laie Officers saw Pili-Ah You’s father giving the girl “life-saving care” in the hallway of the home before Honolulu firefighters took her into the living room and tried to revive her She was taken to the Kahuku Medical Center where she was pronounced dead Her death was initially classified as an unattended death in Kahuku and will remain in police custody before she is taken to Honolulu Circuit Court for arraignment on Thursday Pili “recklessly” caused her adopted daughter’s death on Dec Manslaughter is a Class “A” felony punishable by 20 years in prison without the possibility of suspension of sentence or probation Four additional children in Pili and her husband’s care have been placed in protective custody by state Child Welfare Services This was the second time this week that charges were filed in a child’s death on Oahu police arrested two women — Janae Perez 33 — in the June starvation death of 3-year-old girl Sarai Perez-Rivera in Kapolei and Utley were indicted Tuesday for suspicion of second-degree murder hindering prosecution and two counts of kidnapping RELATED STORY: State had ‘unconfirmed’ reports of child abuse in Sarai Perez-Rivera’s home The torture and killing of an 11-year-old Laie girl with learning disabilities allegedly at the hands of her adoptive mother was flagged by the state Department of Human Services in its 2024 Child Fatality Report The state report does not name Azaeliyah Pili-Ah You but multiple sources told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that the girl who was adopted two months before her death on Dec was one of the five child fatalities determined to be due to child maltreatment according to the report covering the states 2024 fiscal year The girl was in the custody of another family two months before she was adopted and allegedly beaten neglected and killed by Sina Pumehana Pili a behavioral health specialist and senior class adviser at Kahuku High and Intermediate School Pili was arrested on campus Friday and charged with manslaughter endangering the welfare of a minor and persistent nonsupport (function(d,s,n){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];js=d.createElement(s);js.className=n;js.src="//player.ex.co/player/bdc806f4-0fc1-40a1-aff0-a3d5239c169c";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}(document,"script","exco-player")); and protecting the well-being of children is at the core of everything we do at Child Welfare Services We are heartbroken over the tragic loss of this child and join the community in mourning read a statement to the Honolulu Star- Advertiser from the DHS Child Welfare Services Branch CWS works with its law enforcement partners and respects the need for confidentiality as the investigation in the case continues Please know that CWS is fully committed to protecting children and taking appropriate action when concerns arise Keeping children safe is a shared responsibility and we encourage everyone to report any suspected abuse or neglect Honolulu police said Pili-Ah You had multiple injuries from child abuse a scalp hemorrhage and evidence of strangulation The Child Fatality Report noted confirmed physical abuse and that the 11-year-olds death was an intrafamilial harm case Pili-Ah You was found unresponsive at home with suspicious injuries consistent with non-accidental trauma and the states Child Welfare Services Branch had no prior reports of suspected abuse The adoptive family did not receive any services from the state in the two months they had the girl because there were no prior reports for caretakers Four other children in Pili and her husbands care have been placed in protective custody by CWS but is under investigation by Honolulu Police Department detectives Like many other parents who adopt children in foster care Pili and her husband received money every month from the state to help pay expenses for the children they are supposed to protect and nurture DHS officials are barred by federal law from disclosing any information about the adoption and custody history of Pili-Ah Yous four siblings Wear a Lei was the theme of this year’s annual Kauai Museum Lei.. Members of the Waimea High School girls football team arrived home on Sunday from the 2025.. 2025 at 3:18 pm PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}According to the project's latest outline electric-powered trains will cut a four-hour trip across the Mojave Desert to a little more than two hours CA — The flow of federal for a 400-mile high-speed rail project that would carry passengers between Los Angeles and San Francisco may come to a grinding halt as the Trump administration opened an investigation into the ongoing plan on Thursday Transportation Secretary denounced that plan another project slated to take passengers between the Inland Empire and Las Vegas received surprising praise announced the federal review of the multi-billion dollar LA to SF project calling it "massively over-budget and delayed." He also noted that the project has a lot of differences from the IE's project READ MORE: Construction Begins On High-Speed Rail Project Between IE, Las Vegas "The slow progress by CHSRA contrasts with the impressive work of Brightline West to build a high-speed rail system," he said Brightline West is expected to begin service between Rancho Cucamonga and Las Vegas in 2028 — just in time for the Olympic Games Brightline did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Patch on whether the project was still on track to reach completion in 2028 electric-powered trains will cut the four-hour trip across the Mojave Desert to a little more than two hours Trains are expected to carry some 11 million one-way passengers per year with fares well below airline travel costs The IE to LV project is forecast to cost $12 billion was slated to be completed in 2020 and cost $33 billion the latest estimate for that portion has ballooned to $106 billion The plan's Merced-to-Bakersfield segment would also cost more than the original total with a funding gap of at least $6.5 billion Officials aim to determine whether $4 billion in federal taxpayer dollars should remain committed to the project whose sister company already operates 16 passenger trains per day between Miami and Orlando in Florida said last year that 218 miles of new track would be laid between a to-be-constructed terminal just south of the Las Vegas Strip and another new facility in Rancho Cucamonga "Brightline West will build on Florida’s award-winning service by connecting Las Vegas and Southern California with the first true high-speed passenger rail system in the nation," the company said the project appears to have evaded the fast-paced fiscal chopping spree driven by the Department of Government Efficiency's Elon Musk in recent weeks though it is also being supported by federal money The project's funding has included $6.5 billion from the Biden administration including a $3 billion grant from federal infrastructure funds and approval to sell another $2.5 billion in tax-exempt bonds The company won federal authorization in 2020 to sell $1 billion in similar bonds Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. The oceanfront housing project for working families is unusual but more public input is needed since it may change a longtime rural beach into semi-suburban housing The Hawaii land management arm of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is seeking permits to transform 14 mostly vacant lots on Laie Beach into 74 rental units says it is creating beachfront rentals for local working individuals and families with smaller households primarily in Koolauloa — an area that stretches from Kaaawa to Waimea Bay To disclose: I am a member of a club that owns property along the same Laie shoreline but the club is not involved in the development The development called Na Hale Manai is clearly unusual — maybe the first of its kind an oceanfront project created for middle-class local residents and families a landowner would turn such rare open shoreline into luxury homes or high-end vacation rentals for the wealthy rather than rental dwellings priced for firefighters and teachers “Our shoreline properties are the only residentially zoned open land we have to do such a project Many of our properties inland sold to individual owners,” HRI president Eric Beaver said Beaver said HRI plans to develop its shoreline lots into rentals rather than selling them for single-family homes because “we are told that all most working families and individuals can afford are rental units.” Selling the lots for homes to individuals would also attract buyers who donʻt live in the area Public criticism and comments from area residents have been largely lacking considering the development will change forever a longtime rural beach dotted with modest beach cottages into a semi-suburban assortment of townhouses A friend says the silence is because many people still don’t know about the project Beaver says he sees the proposed rentals as a way to make a dent in the pressing need for housing in Hawaii with more and more local residents moving away to seek job opportunities and homes they can afford — including his own five adult children HRIʻs office says it receives phone calls almost every day from people asking for rentals in Laie when there are more than 50 people already on a waiting list hoping that one of the company’s existing 48 rental units will become available “Families want to raise their kids where they were raised more families and individuals can have a roof over their heads,” Beaver said HRI has hired the architectural planning company G70 to prepare the multiple permit applications it needs before it can begin the housing project.  says he is working on the draft environmental assessment which is the first step in a process that eventually will require a final environmental assessment a major Special Management Area permit and further down the road building permits from the Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting Major Special Management Area permits are required for any project in the SMA that has a total valuation of more than $500,000 Beaver says the earliest HRI might begin to build the first part of the project would be between 2027 and 2028 The development — to be constructed in phases — calls for two to three structures on each of the 14 lots in the form of duplexes HRI says the structures would feature one- two- and three-bedroom rental units “to address the severe ongoing shortage of housing in the community.” HRI’s website says that although it is “impossible to predict what market rental prices will be in future years” its existing rentals in Laie run between $1,200 and $1,600 a month for one-bedroom units and $2,400 to $3,000 for three-bedroom units widespread public criticism or comment about the proposal has been lacking because the development not been widely publicized Except for individuals or groups who received letters G70 sent out as part of the draft environmental assessment process in July and October last year or who have read about the project on HRI’s website not many people I called seemed aware of it I received an alarmed call from two residents living next to the planned project on June 24 when without a permit or their permission HRI sent in heavy equipment to start work doubling the width of a 10-foot-wide private road that they and other adjacent residents jointly own with HRI “They were just going ahead and doing their own thing on our lane without our authorization We called the police when the backhoes and an excavator started pulling out plants,” said Faye Fukuyama adding the work also threatened a plumeria tree that was planted by her father-in-law 50 years ago enlisted the services of Honolulu attorney William Saunders Jr who sent HRI a cease-and-desist letter on June 30 which stopped the unpermitted roadwork Saunders said HRI needed the consent of the other private road owners to proceed and that it must stop work on both the road and two lots at the end of the road that the company wants to consolidate and re-subdivide Saunders says the lots are part of HRI’s larger oceanside rental development in a Special Management Area and require an environmental assessment and SMA permit.  Beaver said HRI does not need unanimous consent from all the road’s joint owners or SMA permit approval because the road widening is part of a separate project not related to its proposed rental development He said the road widening was required by DPP as part of HRI’s application to consolidate and re-subdivide its property adjacent to the proposed rental housing development but it is not part of the larger project Department of Planning and Permitting spokesman Curtis Lum said in an email to Civil Beat that DPP has not issued HRI any permits for any of the roadwork or initial work on its property on the private road next to the proposed rental project Lum says DPP is investigating to find out if HRI’s initial grubbing on the private road is something the company would be allowed to do without a permit and in addition if it needs an SMA permit to begin work on the road and the property at the end of the road that it says is a separate project.  Attorney Saunders argued in a follow-up letter sent to DPP on July 15 that the work on the private road and HRI’s property at the end of the road are an integral part of the larger rental housing project and cannot proceed without multiple additional permits “It is clear that the roadway alterations and the subdivision of parcel TMK# 5-5-011:004 are really part of the larger ‘Laie Rental Housing’ project That parcel was originally included as part of the larger proposal (see attachment) but was separated into another increment for tactical reasons to avoid SMA permit obligations for construction of the roadway and proposed multifamily units on TMK# 5-5-011:004,“ wrote Saunders Among the larger problems with the proposed 74-unit development that Faye Fukuyama foresees are increased traffic in Laie and HRIʻs challenge to make sure the wider local workforce of Koolauloa gets a fair crack at renting the attractive beachfront units not just employees and friends of the LDS church HRIʻs Beaver said in a phone message Monday that the units will be open to anyone who applies and ultimately qualifies to rent them. He said it is not a closed system and that HRI in all its housing initiatives complies with the Federal Fair Housing Act coastline erosion and other concerns are certain to be raised in many public hearings ahead as HRI tries to win final approval for its oceanfront rental housing initiative Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open You are visiting us because we have something you value Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more. resulting in mass destruction of property and land At least five people have died and more than 130,000 people have fled their homes but Governor Gavin Newsom described the alarming scale and pace of these fires as “unprecedented” Over 1,400 firefighters have been deployed to tackle the blazes what exactly is causing the fires to spread so quickly A prolonged dry spell combined with strong winds has created the “perfect conditions” for the fires to rage out of control wildfire scientist Maria Lucia Ferreira Barbosa said Southern California had two decades of drought followed by two exceptionally wet years The region experienced very heavy rainfall in the first half of 2024, due to the El Niño weather system The Santa Ana winds are also playing a large role These strong winds blow from inland towards the coast moving in the opposite direction of the normal onshore flow that carries moist air from the Pacific into the region The extreme lack of humidity in the air causes vegetation — living and dead — to significantly dry out and become susceptible to fire The winds also carry embers from one area to another Professor of Fire Science at the University of Edinburgh This can quickly overwhelm firefighters and “make escape challenging While it’s not yet known what started the blazes “human-caused climate change is intensifying the heat that drives wildfires” a climate change scientist at the University of California Average temperatures in southern California have increased by up to two degrees Celsius (3.6F) since 1895 2024 is set to be named the hottest year on record for both the United States and the world, capping a decade of unprecedented heat. (It was Ireland’s fourth hottest year on record.) an atmospheric scientist at Imperial College London said research shows that the official fire season in California is “widening” as a consequence of climate change “The ongoing wildfires in California are unprecedented in the sense that they are dramatic for this time of the year,”  Voulgarakis told AFP vice president for science at Climate Central said fires spread “when it is hot and dry and windy and right now all of those conditions are in place in southern California” “The clearest climate signal for those three conditions is with the temperature,” she added Contains reporting from © AFP 2025   Access to the comments facility has been disabled for this user Create an email alert based on the current article Renaming Buckingham Palace as ‘Bucking Plant-Based Ham Palace’ was enough to make the fake meat maker today’s favorite La Vie is promoting its plant-based ham with an eye-catching out-of-home campaign that is sure to get people talking There are billboard ads dotted around London while a distinctive pink-hued cab renames Buckingham Palace The copywriting on each ad is brilliantly executed is bold and taps into so many big topics that often come up with vegan products advocates for animal welfare and addresses the ongoing protein debate This campaign from Albert Albert and Andrew Dobbie is a conversation starter It’s one of those projects that will either rile people up or earn their applause but one thing is certain: it will get them talking Torrential rainfall moved through the state of Hawaii on March 8–9 causing flooding across much of Windward and North Shore Oahu Brigham Young University–Hawaii and the Laie Hawaii Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Downloadable B-roll the company that manages all of the land in the Laie area unusually heavy rain throughout the state of Hawaii caused catastrophic flooding across the state Most of the damage in Laie was caused by overflow of the Wailele Stream and occurred on Tuesday “A federal effort to solve Wailele flooding began in the mid-1990s and the Army Corps of Engineers completed its study in 2019 recommending that an improvement project move forward,” Beaver said “We are hopeful that design and construction of the Wailele flood control project will be expedited to prevent future damage in our community.” BYU–Hawaii spokesperson Laura Tevaga expressed gratitude for the safety of the school during the flooding We have some wet carpets and other clean-up we need to do Our campus drainage system worked as best as it could given the unusual amount of rain we received in such a short period of time.” described the extent of the damage to campus buildings “The Aloha Center experienced some flooding which was probably made worse by the adjacent construction site on the new campus cafeteria Other campus areas experienced small areas of localized flooding The simple summary is we that we dodged a bullet.” The Laie Hawaii Temple which is located on higher ground was not impacted “[The rain] seemed like it lasted all day,” said Dana Plomgren “There are places that are still flooded and closed off.” “Shelters were opened up for people whose homes had been flooded and people with trucks helped cars get unstuck.” it moved toward the mountains just behind the town “The rivers and canals were flooding due to the mountain water runoff and this water flooded into Laie,” Amanda said KHON2 reported that severe weather was the cause of landslides throughout the islands A statement released by Polynesian Cultural Center Alfred Grace explained that “Due to severe weather conditions impacting the island of Oahu the Polynesian Cultural Center was forced to close on Tuesday All visitor services were quickly restored and the Center resumed normal business operations on the afternoon of Wednesday “We’ve had flash flood warnings every day this week,” Nielsen said “It was kind of surreal that streets could fill up so fast but I wanted to do everything I could to help those who got caught in the flooding.” Jay Reid described how the community basically shut down during the floods to keep everyone safe “The community was urged to only travel if necessary The land management company HRI took care of the community by monitoring roads and blocking roads that were too flooded or were a hazard to drive through.” the water on the road would be pushed onto the surrounding houses creating even more damage for them,” Jay said HRI also sent crews to check on drains and keep them clean and clear for water to flow through They were the head of cleaning up streets after as well.” Along with the flooding came power outages but power was out all along the North Shore from Kahuku to Ka’a’awa and Kualoa.” You are about to access Constant Contacts (http://visitor.constantcontact.com) You are now leaving a website maintained by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints We provide the link to this third party's website solely as a convenience to you and security practices that differ from those on our website By referring or linking you to this website we do not endorse or guarantee this content If you would like to stay on the page you are viewing please click Cancel To download media files, please first review and agree to the Terms of Use Download a photo or video by clicking or tapping on it To download all photos or videos related to this article select the links at the bottom of each section Faith Thompson Ako said she was born and raised on Moana Street and left Laie at 27 with two small children She was the youngest of 15 children and described her family as a musical one She said they all played instruments and sang though they had no formal training aside from the church choir Ako said she drew inspiration for her album “Ku'u A'ina Aloha," from her childhood in Laie “I remember [songs] from the May Day programs at Laie Elementary and Kahuku High School,” she said Ako returns to the North Shore for two shows at the Polynesian Cultural Center’s Marketplace Gazebo on March 14 and 19 from 5:30 to 7 p.m She also attended BYU–Hawaii for two and a half semesters and she was exposed to music from around the world through various clubs there having found “quite a few” hula groups to work with in California Her work with various hula group directors inspired and motivated her as she worked on the album because of their passion and support for her an influential Hawaiian musician who spent part of her own childhood in Laie and was also a lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who was born in 1918 and passed away in 2008 received a National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts in 2000 Ako also spoke of her maternal grandmother She said her grandmother was blind in one eye played the harmonica and “was a firecracker!” where her family gets their musical talents When Ako’s grandparents came to Laie from Samoa Laie was a “purely Hawaiian” town with very few Samoans a “visionary woman,” was the one who prompted the move as well as the Church College of Hawaii (now BYUH) “Ku'u A'ina Aloha” contains two songs written about Laie: “Nani O Laie” (“Beautiful Laie”) The latter was written by Sam Kamauoha during the 1940s and Ako said she received permission from Kamauoha’s family Ako said it was common for Hawaiian artists to go to a certain beach hill or mountain to cultivate the feelings they needed to write their music “because I live here in Northern California it would be so much easier for me,” she said “I didn’t appreciate it until now that I’m older and have lived in California for 37 years … When I’m home in Hawaii How did I not realize [how beautiful it is] growing up here?” Many of Ako’s family members live in Hawaii she took the photo that is now the cover of her album Another topic on “Ku'u A'ina Aloha,” which took four years to record and produce and Ako’s feelings about “what our Primary teachers … [and] kupunas used to talk about.” not just “Your Love,” was inspired by “all the church leaders I’ve ever had,” including Primary and Young Women’s leaders “The Church has always been great about teaching … music from a young age,” she said “I always think of my mom as looking down on her with pride.” Moea’i said her favorite song on the album is “Nani o Laie.” “She didn’t mention it,” Moea’i said of her sister Ako’s nomination for the Hawaiian Album of the Year award “She didn’t dwell on it.” The nomination came as a surprise to Moea’i “Every album I think she’s just getting better and better,” Moea’i said Ako said she received and continues to receive a lot of support from her family with her music career Moea’i said Ako always makes them feel very appreciated said when his mom first went into music professionally He said his mother worked incredibly hard to record and produce her albums extremely proud of her for following her passion.” “She never would have thought about getting this nomination 25 years ago,” he said love “Ku'u A'ina Aloha” and play it “all the time” at his house His personal favorite songs are “Nani o Laie” and “Your Love.” His children provided vocals for the song “Keiki O Ka Hula,” but they didn’t hear the song until the album was released “I feel blessed and privileged to have her as a mother,” he said “I think this is full circle for our family and our [great-]grandparents who came to build the temple and had a vision of thriving in Laie.” “Behold Laie,” has been sung by many people before at town gatherings and functions but she and Napeahi are the first Laie residents to record it for encouraging her to record “Behold Laie,” and also thanked Honolulu-based Dave Tucciarone music producer and recipient of the Grammy Award and the Na Hoku Hanohano Award for the use of his studio and recording equipment “Behold Laie” is available to listen to on Pandora Ako will also be performing in Northern California at the Blue Note Napa on April 12 at 8 p.m She said people can get ticket information on her website faithakomusic.com Laie local and senior manager in the Student Leadership & Service Department have a vision to bridge the gap between BYU–Hawaii and the community Terry Moea’i said because he and his brother were raised in Laie they have relationships “on both sides of the wall”–with both students and community members–and would like that to be the case for more people “Everybody knows where Temple View Apartments are there is ‘Haole Mo Street,’ then there is ‘Mo Street.’ All the professors live on ‘Haole Mo Street.’” President of the Hawaiian Club Kamaua Yamamoto a senior studying marketing from North Kohala said students need to find the balance of making the local communities their home while also realizing they are guests “No matter if [people] stay here for a week or a semester Even if [they] think [they] are just doing [their] own thing it is going to affect someone who lives here,” explained Yamamoto.Yamamoto said the best way for students to respect this community is by living the honor code and getting to know the people within this community Kerry Moea’i added it is important to recognize there are cultural barriers every-where which is why it’s important to be educated about them he said he makes a special effort to address the divide between BYUH and the community in the social work department He said his mission is a phrase in Hawaiian “E kulia i ka nu’u,” which translates to “strive to reach the highest summit.” Terry Moea’i clarified the summit is a place where “the needs of both the students and the community” are honored He said one example of this gap was the party on Laie Point in September 2021 that violated COVID-19 guidelines and the honor code Terry Moea’i said the gap can be bridged by creating a “space where dialogue can happen where I can say to the students in a loving and Christlike way that what [they] are doing is hurting [the community] There could be this opportunity where truth I believe we can collaborate in so many ways.” conflict between BYUH students and the community is still happening and has been happening for a long time there has been a “constant and repetitious state of taking” due to historical conflicts between the Native Hawaiian people and newcomers including American settlers and the Church Terry Moea’i added this mindset “is really a roadblock and an obstacle” keeping the community and BYUH students from having the unity they need to have He said an inter-section between the two groups must happen to keep the conflict narrative from controlling the relationship who is an adjunct professor in the Faculty of Education & Social Work said people should not wonder whether or not this healing can happen they should simply be determined to make it happen “I feel very welcomed and respected by the Laie community within the little interactions I have had with them.” She offered her thoughts on how to bridge the gap Majors encouraged students to get to know the locals and the locals can also get to know the students “An openness from both sides needs to be exercised,” she shared Majors said the Laie community has been much more welcoming than the university she attended previously She shared an experience when a friendly man she didn’t know waved and smiled at her ‘Hi,’ to more strangers that day just because that guy was so friendly to me.” Majors said students need to be cautious not to “get so caught up in what [they] are doing” they don’t recognize the hospitality and kindness of the locals.It is more the student’s responsibility to express gratitude for living in the local communities [they] are often consuming and not really putting back into the community [They] are taking more than [they] are giving back.” The Hawaiian Club presidency got together and spelled out basic guidelines for any-one who is unsure or wants to understand how to respect Laie and surrounding communities The guidelines included a list of dos and don’ts and came down to three words According to the wehewehe website’s Hawaiian dictionary malama means “to take care of,” kuleana means “to be responsible” and aloha means more than a greeting it is “respect,” “love,” “compassion” and “family.” The following list created by the Hawaiian Club presidency outlines key ways for students to better respect the community: Pick up after yourselfTreat this like it is your homeDon’t walk barefootDon’t bring dirt insideRespect the land from the right sourcesKnow our limits and nature safetyDon’t turn your back to the waves don’t go outWear honor codeDon’t walk in the middle of the roadDon’t speed through LaieDon’t blast music especially late at nightDon’t make this your vacation you are a guestListen to our kupuna (ancestors)Have a sense of humorDon’t think you know everything The following new mission president and companion have been called to serve by the First Presidency South Jordan Utah Eastlake Stake: Hawaii Laie Mission Brother Bassett is a ward Young Men specialist and a former stake presidency counselor Young Men adviser and missionary in the Spain Barcelona Mission Sister Bassett is a ward missionary and a former stake public affairs director ward Primary president and seminary teacher to Alfred Dodge Riggs III and Kathy Lou Riggs Read more: Church creates new Laie Hawaii Mission — second in state, 408th worldwide The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is creating a second mission in the state of Hawaii and its 408th worldwide as the Hawaii Laie Mission opens mid-January 2022 The announcement was published Friday the new mission will include the Laie Hawaii Temple Visitors’ Center three young single adult stakes near the BYU-Hawaii campus in Laie and two stakes in the northeast region of the island of Oahu The Honolulu mission will cover the remainder of Oahu and the rest of the state’s islands Missionaries serving in that mission were notified of the mission division and creation on Thursday Included among the number of missionaries assigned to the Honolulu mission have been those assigned to the visitors’ center as well as many senior missionaries serving the Polynesian Culture Center and BYU-Hawaii The new Laie mission will allow those missionaries serving at the visitors’ center and in the area surrounding Laie to have closer contact with mission leaders Bassett to serve as mission president and companion of the Hawaii Laie Mission The Bassetts will also oversee the Laie Hawaii Temple Visitors’ Center On a cloudy Independence Day under the cover of pavilions the Laie community gathered to enjoy heaping scoops of ice cream while listening to the Laie Days devotional Auntie Kela Miller is a lifelong Laie community member and the secretary of the Laie Community Association The LCA hosted the Laie Day’s festivities and are modeled after the organization that started the original Hukilau which Miller explained is the celebration that inspired the establishment of the Polynesian Cultural Center She shared her thoughts with “great pride and honor” on stage recounting past memories of growing up in Laie in the 1950s She overviewed the historical highlights that made Laie the pu’uhonua “A pu’uhonua was a place where you would be safe,” she said a senior from Hong Kong studying TESOL education He said he enjoys living in a deemed “place of refuge.” From the temple to the PCC “Studying at BYU–Hawaii has been a huge blessing and I wanted to remind myself of how special this place is.” They had a hard time even finding water in Laie It’s really amazing how the Lord had a vision for the people to build a community over here.” Miller further described the condition the first Hawaiian saints faced when they were called to gather in Laie It was like a sand dune you see at Kahuku golf course.” The paradise we know as Laie was what they considered a desert Miller explained they brought their plants and trees a junior from Singapore studying hospitality and tourism management He said he admires the saints who built Laie from a desert to a paradise despite the challenge “It’s great to hear everyone's testimonies of this land and to see how they love God.” It’s wonderful to be here in this place with these students The people here really sacrificed a lot to build this little Zion.” spoke on stage of the Zion community created by the saints that live here “We’re on that road [to Zion],” he pronounced “and we’ve been told by these prophets of God there is no other place in the world where there is a better situation to make that Zion community happen May we work our hardest to fulfill President McKay’s vision of what this place can become.” Shek said he thinks the Lord has created other Zions similar to Laie in Asia and across the world “Maybe [they are] not very specific communities like Laie different wards and different branches,” he said I think the Lord has built these communities all around the world.” When Moffat took the stage at the Laie Days celebration he shared about his “love affair” with Laie which began 55 years ago when he attended the Church College of Hawaii He called these the “good ole days” when people would swim in the Beauty Hole serve in the Hukilau and watch 65¢ movies in Kahuku Miller said she enjoyed many of the same pastimes as Moffat back in the day She explained she was one of the first hula dancers at the PCC “Laie was the place where all the hula came from,” she said From Laie came many other signature Hawaiian traditions like the shaka and the steel guitar “I am grateful for my heritage,” said Miller Listeners at the devotional were welcomed with live prelude music by Misi Boy Uluave and listened to speakers and testimonies from prominent community members Junior Niutupuivaha Vic Fonoimoana and Laie Hawaii North Stake President Kevin Schlag A musical number by Lupe Funaki and Eddie Maiava and some impromptu singing and stretching kept the audience engaged under the cloudy The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is creating a second mission in Hawaii The Hawaii Laie Mission — the faith’s 408th mission worldwide — will open on January 3 It will include the Laie Hawaii Temple Visitors’ Center three young single adult stakes near BYU–Hawaii The number of missionaries assigned to the Honolulu mission includes those assigned to the visitors’ center and many senior missionaries who serve at the Polynesian Cultural Center and BYU–Hawaii The new mission will allow those serving at the visitors’ center and in the nearby area to have closer contact with mission leaders The First Presidency has called Brother Sidney J They will also oversee the Laie Hawaii Temple Visitors’ Center Those serving in the Honolulu mission were notified of this news on Thursday Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here The Laie Hawaii Temple includes several pieces of art from the friezes near the top of the temple to the sculptures around it Members of the Laie community said this art tells a story performer and senior cultural ambassador at the Polynesian Cultural Center They are a way of recording language and events.” For example he said the Laie Hawaii Temple features high-relief sculptures high-relief sculpting is a form of sculpting featuring figures appearing to stand out further from the background The Laie Hawaii Temple features four friezes which are horizontal panels used for decorating Each scene shows different scriptural periods The north side shows the story of the Book of Mormon The west side shows the people of the Old Testament while the southern face shows New Testament stories The east side shows the restoration of the gospel through Joseph Smith Tafiti said carving and art are important in Polynesian culture because it is a way to is a way to share history He explained as Polynesian cultures from various islands came together through marriages and trade tattoos and tapa cloth are all tied together All the art is intertwined and has evolved over time.” a senior from Australia majoring in graphic design echoed Tafiti’s thoughts on the significance of carving and art in Polynesian culture Mangakahia said his art helps him to stay connected to his ancestors and roots and the fun part is taking them and making it your own.” He said using the symbols and designs in his own way to tell a narrative helps keep his art fresh all of the temple’s art and sculptures tell a story He said whether it be his own or someone else’s work Freelance writer and digital media specialist based in Laie said the art in and around the Laie Hawaii Temple represents the people who attend it Foley was a member of the historical sub-committee for the Laie Hawaii Temple He said one of the motifs used in the temple is the kukui tree which has deep symbolism in Hawaiian culture Foley said the kukui tree is called the candlenut tree in English because the nuts of the tree are oily and were once used to make lanterns that lit up the darkness He said in the gospel light is very symbolic and so the kukui nut is an excellent symbol for the temple because “it’s a source of light The death has taken place of Patrick De la Ruelle, Knockakilleen, Doorus, Kinvara, Co. Galway. April the 4th 2025 after a tragic accident. He will be sadly missed by his heartbroken family, father Philippe, mother Jackie and his brother Brendan, his sister in law Annabella, his nieces Isabel and Sophie, his grandmothers Yolande and Una, his aunts, uncles, all his cousins, relatives, neighbours and his many friends. Reposing as the Corless Funeral Home, Kinvara this Tuesday evening April 8th from 5 p.m until 7 p.m. A Funeral Mass will be held on Wednesday at St. Ciaran's Church, Doorus, Kinvara at 12 noon. Followed by interment in the adjoining cemetery. The Mass can be viewed on the Ballinderreen and Kinvara Parish Facebook page. Funeral Service.css-h76uj{display:inherit;margin-right:-4px;margin-left:8px;}Date Published: CondolencesDonate to CharityWould you like to mark a birthday memorial mass or anniversary for a Loved One?You can now create a family notice on RIP.ie to remember your loved one lined the shore of Hukilau Beach in Laie on Saturday morning Aug 20 when a traditional grand hukilau was filmed for a documentary on the origin of the shaka sign Among those pulling in the huge net that filled most of Laie Bay were BYU-Hawaii President John S.K and the Laie Community Association and sponsored by Kamehameha Schools the event featured a hukilau followed by a free community luau complete with an imu Called “Shaka: A Story of Aloha,” documentary Producer Steve Sue says in an interviewed on the KHON 2 News website the film project has been three years in the making “I was interested in the shaka story like many people on this island I know that 91 percent of our population in Hawaii have no clue where it came from… I came up to this place and they start to tell me the story and they say this is important to preserve for the keiki because once they go nobody knows the story,” Sue says in the interview Cy Bridges and others tell the story of how Hamana Kalili who lost his three middle fingers in a Kahuku Sugar Mill accident used to wave to children on the North Shore and they would wave back The trailer says the now famous shaka sign or hang loose sign then island to island and then around the world Sue says once they came to the North Shore and did the test interviews and shots he knew “this needed to be made into something that is shared with the world because the shaka is Hawaii’s gift to the world.” and so I am super excited to be part of the project It’s been just this amazing collaboration among the LDS community up here It’s just amazing how people have come together and I have not had an experience of people fighting about the story They all want to contribute in a really respectful way.” One of the first converts to the Church in Hawaii was K.H who got baptized in Maui but came to Laie to help build the plantation and community Among his descendants are Hamana Kalili and BYUH President Kauwe President Kauwe said he came to participate in this hukilau because “this is an important event for the whole community but also for me personally My ancestors were some of the first people here and they were the fishermen who really ran the hukilau and would provide fish for the community.” He said this was an opportunity for him and his children to pull the nets in collect the fish and clean up the nets just like his ancestors did President Kauwe said they talk with their children about their heritage and their ties to Hawaii But taking part in the hukilau “helps them to connect to what it means to be one of the people of this land and someone who is willing to pitch in for the community.” He added it is a fun activity they have heard about from his father who participated in hukilaus in Laie too tell them stories about fishing out here in Laie and pulling the nets with the family So it’s great for them to have a chance to do that today.” Sue says in his KHON interview online the film team hopes to complete the documentary sometime in the middle of 2023 He says the documentary was originally created for classrooms at Kamehameha Schools Hawaii’s Department of Education system and other educational purposes they hope to show the shaka documentary on the film festival circuit and get it distributed online Laie Hawaii Temple President James Emerson Hallstrom Jr described the feeling of serving in the temple while being the only one there two and three of the temple reopening after being closed during the pandemic patrons experienced wonders they would not normally have groups would be really small and only one ordinance would be going on in the temple at a time “It was a wonderful spiritual experience being in the temple when it’s just you and the Spirit Hallstrom said he recognizes although the pandemic disrupted life he can still see the blessings of the temple because they “continue to flow and we’re going to look back at this time and say Temple blessingsAlthough he works hard balancing work 15 credits and taking care of his 11-month-old son a senior from Mongolia majoring in information technology said he is grateful for the reopened temple because it brings peace and stability into his life “Working in the temple helps me balance my life Even though it takes more time from my free time His testimony of temple work was enhanced by his time away from the sacred building and when I went there for the first time after the pandemic Like [the temple] is the place I should be I see the blessings.”Despite the challenge of adding one more thing to his plate “Even though I feel exhausted at the end of the day I feel encouraged and inspired because of the Spirit I feel at the temple.” He said he feels encouraged and inspired for the next three days because he feels “buoyed up” to endure the rest of the week Hallstrom said it is vital the saints’ “temple starved” vigor does not dissipate as the temple reopens “COVID taught us how much we miss the temple it’s important we don’t lose the perspective of how much we missed it.” he said they should “go to learn and to use their agency to learn how to bind themselves to him and align themselves with him.” we don’t lose the perspective of how incredibly special it is.” the Laie Hawaii Temple has gone through several unique stages,” Hallstrom explained After directing the temple through normal operation and a centennial celebration he said he then helped the temple navigate through a complete shutdown due to the pandemic only live sealings of couples were performed patrons are able to perform proxy ordinances after booking an online appointment He said they were working on transitioning leadership of the temple over to the new president the recently appointed associate academic vice president for religious education shared his testimony of the temple in the wake of the pandemic we learned the Lord is watching out for his children.” Shumway described his daughter’s wedding that took place in December 2020 at the Laie temple We had the entire building to ourselves and you could feel it It made me realize this is what temple marriage is all about.” Temple starved saintsAside from worship within the temple Hallstrom said worship outside the temple was also affected He described seeing people gathered outside the temple and the locked temple gates before the temple grounds were reopened to the public “People would come on Sundays and they’d sit outside the walls of the temple with their scriptures or their families It was wonderful to see them because they wanted to just be close to the temple and feel the feelings that were there.” Gankhuu said he started working in the temple with his wife Gankhuu said he waited anxiously to return Gankhuu said he got a call from the temple office asking for him to come and work again that I was the one to call when they needed help He talked about some of the changes made to temple ordinances announced last year “It’s a little bit different than before the pandemic,” said Gankhuu He said he knows the changes were made by the prophet “The change was necessary to abide by the COVID restrictions and keep the Spirit for the patrons so they feel safe in the temple.” “While the ordinances and the covenants have not changed some of the administrative procedures have The recent changes to temple ordinances put more focus on individuals It’s all been focused on the needs of specific individuals their work is all about creating a spiritual experience for the patrons Hallstrom said he is focused on creating quality experiences for the women and men performing the ordinances “I think the Lord is more concerned about the quality of the patron’s experience and what they’re learning to remind them of their covenants than [he is] about getting the work done for the deceased “It’s not a matter of racing to get [the work] done It’s about being diligent and getting it done but doing it in such a way that the participants can remember their covenants and understand their importance.”Sister Kathleen King Hallstrom “I think [the recent changes have] given us pauses to really appreciate more President Hallstrom said he is looking forward to the temple moving to phase four where it will return to normal operation without patrons needing a reservation to serve He said he is waiting for word from the first presidency of the Church and we’re opening more sessions and more patrons per session.” He added he hopes to see the temple move to phase four sometime this year “That would still put us leaps and bounds ahead of other temples.” President Hallstrom said the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the First Presidency are the sole decision makers When they decide to open a temple to the next phase They are constantly watching government proclamations so they can open the temple “judiciously and wisely,” Hallstrom explained He said the Church is being extra cautious because they do not want to go backwards “They’re making sure we’re on solid ground where we are at.” Hallstrom said BYU–Hawaii students can do more to serve in the temple we had some incredible ordinance workers who were students,” Hallstrom said When the students were sent home because of COVID-19 Hallstrom encouraged students who understand the importance of the temple to come and work “We need to infuse that worker pool with committed students who really understand the importance of being at the temple and would love to be there.” As the temple increasingly opens they will need more student ordinance workers there a separation from the Hawaii Honolulu Mission The new mission includes the Laie Hawaii Temple Visitors' Center three young single adult stakes near BYU–Hawaii and two stakes in the Laie area only sisters have been called as young full-time missionaries with the exception of some elders who were assigned from the Honolulu Hawaii Mission to serve in Laie for nine months The mission also includes senior missionaries serving in the area at the Polynesian Cultural Center and BYUH Differences from the Hawaii Honolulu Mission Due to the small size and close proximity of Laie the special location provides the missionaries of the new mission with unique opportunities and experiences shared all of the missionaries have grown very close together and see each other very frequently Ae said serving in this mission and being close to everyone in the area feels like a big family since everyone has each other’s backs Several missionaries who once served in the Hawaii Honolulu Mission were called to move permanently to the Laie Hawaii mission said when she was previously part of the Hawaii Honolulu Mission they had the Honolulu Mission president but at the Visitors’ Center there was a director who was over all of the missionaries in the area she explained that now the Laie Mission now has its own mission president over the whole area and the Laie Mission office is next to the Visitors’ Center Ford shared what a typical day looks like for sister missionaries in the Hawaii Laie Mission they usually spend two hours at the Visitors’ Center and then two hours at the Teaching Center where they teach online and help with the church’s Come Unto Christ website Ford added the sisters spend the rest of the day in their areas out in the field they give live bus tours of Laie on trams from the PCC for visitors and guests Favorite parts of the missionWith the new mission missionaries said they are able to connect more deeply with the diverse community of locals and BYUH students “Meeting so many different people from all over the world is my favorite part in this mission … We're just able to learn about so many different cultures and perspectives and get to experience so many different [things] and [learning] from [people's] experiences just as much as we're teaching them.” has met and been able to talk with people from Uganda and Ford has been in contact with “people in Burundi and the Philippines and all over the United States.” Sister Japrix Weaver a missionary from Utah serving in Laie and Ford’s companion explained as long as missionaries are genuine and caring about individuals' perspectives and respectful of their cultures Another special highlight for the missionaries serving in Laie is the opportunity to serve so close to the temple a full-time missionary in the Hawaii Laie mission from Utah “The temple is such a central part to this mission.” Ae expressed he loves how missionaries in Laie get to see the temple almost every single day He said he can feel the spirit of being on the temple grounds often Witnessing the power of The Atonement With Laie as a popular tourist location Laie missionaries have the opportunity to teach people from a variety of spiritual backgrounds Weaver said seeing how personal the gospel is to each person is her favorite part of her mission many people who enter just believe in Jesus Christ but aren't members of the church “They still have a good relationship with Jesus Christ and it's amazing to see how they have that relationship or even ward members It's fun to talk to returned missionaries and they share stories of how Jesus Christ helped them It's seeing how the Atonement of Jesus Christ is for every single person.” A students partThe missionaries in Laie expressed their desire for BYUH students to participate in the work of the Lord by not only sending referrals but also in more simpler ways “Be a good example wherever you go as a BYU–Hawaii student because the community and people who are just visiting here see you and it shows them that BYUH students respect and care about them.” He said BYUH students do not have to say anything special but the things the students do will make everybody feel more welcomed and invited Weaver said students being involved with their wards and participating in the activities Relief Society activities and going to Institute are ways they can contribute to missionary work “Just being there and becoming friends with your ward makes it easy [and] you can share your testimony in those activities It's a good way to just become friends with everyone Most activities have a spiritual thought and [students] can help participate in those.” Weaver said students inviting their ward members to attend activities with them is also a great way to perform missionary service BYU–Hawaii students have been waiting for the Laie Hawaii Temple to enter phase three according to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Community members shared their excitement to attend the temple again and the temple president says the temple is the Lord’s university where a person’s spiritual knowledge is grown Hallstrom said the temple is the Lord’s university going to class and focusing helps students reach the next level but the student’s understanding expands as they prepare to receive it Students won’t understand the magnitude of their experience until they reflect on it missionaries stop praying for themselves and start praying for those around them “The same happens in the temple,” he shared not realizing the change is taking place in your heart.” phase three of the temple reopening plan means limited proxy ordinances can be performed the Church also announced ordinances must be scheduled by appointment only Hallstrom said students should take advantage of any ordinances available at the temple whether as a temple worker or as a patron,” he said that’s when you’ll receive the greater blessing.” He added students should come as soon as they feel safe the temple is maintaining strict prevention protocols such as mask wearing associate professor in the Faculty of Religious Education said the temple is where the plan of salvation is taught in a more comprehensive manner He added temple worship demands self-assessment of people's character and the covenants they make at the temple deeply connect visitors with heaven He explained temple and family history work are the same since students become saviors as they identify deceased family members and perform ordinances for them in the temple “If initially your return to the temple is delayed you don’t need an appointment to do family history,” he said Hallstrom said a benefit from the temple is to draw closer to God and receive stronger revelation there President Hallstrom explained when he speaks in stake conferences he speaks on the importance of saving ordinances and then ties them to the temple “Could you experience something like that driving along the mountains or sitting at home but the Spirit is there in the temple,” Hallstrom added The temple provides a much better experience and more direction a senior from Colombia studying business management who was working at the temple when the pandemic began said he plans on returning to work there as phase three of reopening begins He said it helps that members are continuing to do family history work to prepare for the reopening of the temple “I think that after such a long time not being in the temple Tobon reminded students they should ensure their temple recommends are valid by meeting with their bishops or stake presidents He spends a lot more than He asks for,” Tobon explained Tobon said the temple is important to him because it is a place where he made covenants He added he also feels connected to his family since his father is a member of the temple presidency and his grandparents were temple workers “Our family has had constant conversations about the temple,” Tobon added “Students might not relate to that personally but I definitely feel the temple is a way to connect with your family here and across the veil." Tobon said he felt he didn’t have time to be a temple worker he said he understood the Lord would help him make up the difference Tobon added he misses being inside the temple Being separated from the world of phones and computers is great for the soul The temple helps you press the reset button so you can feel closer to God again.” He and his wife have been walking on the temple grounds and singing hymns together A picture of the temple reminds Tobon and his wife to raise their sights toward the temple Hallstrom said the energy of the student workers often spiritually confirms that Heavenly Father is in charge of the work and the students he sets apart understand the significance of the temple and whether it’s in the temple or any church calling you have the ability to touch lives,” he said Marlowe said the temple is one of the distinguishing pillars of the restored gospel “Temple work allows for potential salvation of anyone who has ever lived on this planet regardless of their earthly circumstances.” The Laie ohana gathered for the whole month of July to celebrate the community remember local pioneers and build bonding experiences with families That's what makes this place special,” said Verla Moore a lifelong resident of Laie and the president of the Laie Community Association board explained Laie Days started being celebrated around Utah’s July 24 Pioneer Day She explained the now month-long Laie Days celebration is about “honoring those who came before us.” there is a fireside on the first Sunday of the month entertainment and fireworks for the 4th of July at the Polynesian Cultural Center’s Marketplace three community sports tournaments for three weeks a kupuna luncheon at the PCC Gateway Buffet a summer bash at the Laie Shopping Center and finally a hukilau the tradition of fishing at the Hukilau Beach on the last Saturday of the month Embracing the culture of the gospel of Jesus Christ Community members and BYU–Hawaii students gathered to listen to speakers and musical numbers presented with the theme “Gathering to Laie: the Next Generation,” on the evening of July 3 at the Laie Back Chapel on Lanaihuli Street “We need to embrace the culture of Jesus Christ as these are the things that help build our community These are the things that our ancestors sacrificed for everything that we have here today,” said Pane Meatoga Jr sharing these ideas with the next generation at the fireside He explained his grandfather dreamed of a white house on the hill overlooking sugar canes fields while serving a mission in Western Samoa Discussing the dream with their stake president Meatoga said his grandparents were told the news of the construction of the Laie Hawaii Temple and they were advised to move their family to Laie He told of their contribution of building BYUH and doing the hukilau raising funds to build a new chapel after the first chapel burned down in 1941 a member of the Laie Community Association board “I am forever grateful to my ancestors who love the gospel for us and love their families the most.” “Some of the things we did was to swim at the Beauty Hole I know some of you don't know what Beauty Hole was,” but Miller said that’s something they should learn about Miller shared her generation grew up playing their ukuleles or guitars and learning the songs of Laie She also said they would go to the store to buy a pake cake and five-cent sodas before sitting down to listen to the kupunas After sharing her childhood experiences in Laie she invited the next generation “to know your community [and] to know your leaders.” She encouraged them to listen to the kupunas’ stories Renee Cabrinha said she was born and raised in Laie She and other people representing three generations of people in Laie sang “Turn Your Heart to Home” written by Janice Kapp Perry and Joy Saunders Lundberg born and raised in Laie but who now lives in Northern California Allen Anae from Laie shared his Samoan heritage by performing a song he wrote students and visitors ranging from the age of 6 to 69 participated in the 2022 Laie Days sports tournaments for volleyball basketball and pickleball at the Cannon Activities Center on campus One of the players in the volleyball tournament from Waipahu and a member of Team Kim Cheee who won second place in the gold division said he likes how the community organizes this event that brings everyone in the community together He said he feels blessed to be part of the event and to know the welcoming Laie community members He added it “is truly because of your love for God … I truly believe this is all divinely appointed.” He was invited to join in by Tia Thompson who was on the committee of the Laie Days tournament and Fidow said he wants to return and participate again next year Moore explained the Laie Days tournament Committee organized three divisions for volleyball to separate highly skilled players and create a safe and fun environment for the community an assistant manager at Hukilau Marketplace from Laie said the pickleball tournament was included last year during Laie Days and had 200 participants This year she attended the Laie Days event as a volunteer to help coordinate the pickleball tournament She shared she loves pickleball because it is inclusive for all ages and sizes “I feel like it’s accommodating to anyone.” “We are blessed that BYUH donates this facility to us during our month-long celebration [for the three-week tournaments]," said Moore our ancestors who came here [through their] faith She said it’s important to know what sacrifices they made to continue their legacy Moore emphasized the community’s need to be worthy to live next to the House of the Lord She shared the following questions to ponder: “If Jesus is your neighbor help Laie community members do things differently Laie resident Junior Ah You said the practice of being a “community that prays together stays together,” has brought Laie residents together built strong bonds and helped unify the community Ah You said he has been serving as a long-time member of the LCA board since he retired from being a college and professional football player in the 1980s he said he witnessed the community members' struggle with housing problems While seeking ways to mitigate or resolve the housing problem as the vice president of the LCA board “We were trying to organize ourselves to have a voice and that's how the [month-long] Laie Days came about.” While thinking of how they could help people to come out be informed and educated and strengthen their input on community issues they decided they could tap into the community’s passion for socializing and having fun He added it’s hard to get people to attend meetings “Our people love to socialize and have fun,” he said “They love to play.” So he said he thought With the vision of extending the Laie Days to a whole month Ah You said he sought advice and received support from his dad and his mentors Patriarch Linkee and Charles Barenaba Ray Pasi and Alfredo Cabael donated funds for Laie Days over the years National non-profit organization Affirmation LGBTQ Mormons Family and Friends began its first Hawaii chapter in the Laie community this year due to a need voiced by BYU–Hawaii students and faculty Four self-described “out and proud” BYUH students and one faculty member make up the newly formed presidency of Affirmation Hawaii Chapter 22 they said they held their opening social at a home of a community member expecting maybe a dozen people to show up but 45 people attended Affirmation was formed initially in the late 1970s in Utah the president of the Affirmation Hawaii Chapter and a senior from Fiji studying accounting and marketing said he wants the organization to give people hope and empowerment “[We want] people to find meaning in their life and realize they have more options than to either commit suicide or go away from the Church,” said Chand It’s bigger than anything we’ve ever known “The big thing about our group is that we don’t push doctrine or LGBTQ+ agendas We support them with their issues and help them feel loved … We want to bridge not only just things with the Mormon LGBTQ+ community but also we want to create a place where people can heal.” Because Affirmation Hawaii is separate from BYUH an adjunct instructor in the Faculty of Education & Social Work explained they wanted to create a good relationship with the university from the very beginning Affirmation Hawaii organizers said they met with Debbie Hippolite Wright vice president for Student Development & Services whose support gave them the confidence to push forward with their vision Our mission is something that doesn’t go against the gospel or the Honor Code,” said Chand a senior from Washington studying social work and the Affirmation Hawaii vice president of activities he heard of students within the LGBTQ+ community who told the Counseling Center they felt like they didn’t belong Kennach did not know who these students were but he wished he could reach out and tell them they do have a place “What we hope for [with Affirmation Hawaii] is to have a safe haven for the LGBTQ+ community … To have a place where they feel accepted It’s a place where they can control their own journey.” One of those people was Chand’s younger sister a sophomore from Fiji studying marine biology who they asked to be the chapter’s treasurer “[Before] I was introduced to [Affirmation Hawaii] ‘I need a female representative for the group to help us,’ I [looked at it as] an opportunity to be myself Devi said she has been more active in reaching out to others Blimes also added she noticed that Devi has become a significant source of support to others Chand said about the change he has noticed in his sister “It’s a beautiful thing to come to know yourself and love yourself To help someone in their journey to self-acceptance and self-awareness is a beautiful thing.” He added people have reached out to them seeking help and advice “Being gay is not just something that someone has to face [themselves] but their family also has to come to an acceptance with those things too we’re not just there for that particular individual Affirmation Hawaii is as much for members of the LGBTQ+ community “I think one of the reasons we’ve had such great success so far is because there are so many allies students and faculty who want to support LGBTQ+ people and haven’t known how,” added Blimes “This is a great venue for the LGBTQ+ community and allies to join together and support each other.” a junior from Hilo studying music and the vice president of public relations and resources explained members of Affirmation Hawaii are not required to state their involvement “We don’t ask anybody if they are LGBTQ+ or an ally so those closeted or in the process of questioning can come and be a part of all the allies We invite any and all closeted or questioning to come and receive strength as an ally.” a junior from California studying business management said she heard about the group when a presidency member announced it in her choir class She said she knew it was something she wanted to be a part of “I wanted people who are a part of that community to know they could turn to me if they need support but especially in that regard because I know it can be really tough,” said Prestwich “I want them to know that this is a place of love that they can come to I think that [LGBTQ+] people need to feel important but I also want them to know that they’re accepted within the Church too.” Chand said he was particularly impressed by people at the opening social who said they came because they wanted to learn how to support members of the LGBTQ+ community “There are people who are willing to learn how to help “We knew a bunch of gay people around the campus who were friends with us and we wanted to form a community so we can have a place of safety and security like everybody else.” it expanded to a small support group of friends gathering for Bible studies but efforts to start a club through Student Development & Services proved unsuccessful president for the Pacific region of Affirmation reached out to BYUH students to see if they would be interested in starting a Hawaii chapter Chand said he was determined to make it happen “I didn’t want it to be another deadbeat idea that was going to fade away Bowers said she oversees all West Coast chapters from Washington to California and reached out after reading the February 2019 issue of the Ke Alaka’i “I knew that if a church community was present in Hawaii LGBTQ+ church members would be there too.” who said she agreed to be the Affirmation Hawaii advisor because she has been concerned with LGBTQ+ issues in the Church for a long time and every year students try to start an LGBTQ+ and Allies group on campus and haven’t been able to because the university hasn’t supported a campus group so far,” said Blimes “But they’ve been very supportive of us as an off-campus group.” Bowers shared she expected she would have to be very involved in the beginnings of the Affirmation Hawaii Chapter Blimes and the rest of the presidency said they wasted no time in setting things in motion I'm used to working with volunteers who have good hearts and a desire to help but aren't realistic about their time commitments aren't organized or may not have the confidence to make decisions and lead the way,” said Bowers Ron set up a full-blown presidency with different VPs and advisors [but] we are also the Affirmation chapter for the whole state of Hawaii The group said their opening social was an opportunity to reach out to this community but their vision involves a much broader scale “With access to 70 countries here at BYU–Hawaii These are going to be the future leaders of the Church This dialogue can be impactful for the Church worldwide We have a better chance of that here than any other BYU campus in America.” Despite plans to reach out to stakes all around Hawaii and goals to push public dialogue in general the presidency frequently mentioned the importance of the individual “Our job is to help individuals come to terms with their identity and support them through whatever journey they choose to go on We [as a presidency] can be there as a source of good influence because we are church-going gay Mormons,” said Chand “We can only hope they follow that example our job is not to judge them or make them feel any less of a human being Our job is to love them and support them through whatever trial they go through or whatever joy they want to share with us.” Wilson added a quote from Tom Christofferson “Our love shouldn’t be qualified based on someone else’s repentance.” because they don’t have to qualify for love Chand said when Affirmation gave them the Facebook group to begin the Hawaii Chapter about two months ago The group has now reached more than 130 members and meets in the homes of community members The Laie Hawaii Temple was dedicated on Thanksgiving Day This year the temple celebrates its 100th anniversary.  Christensen compiled a book filled with stories about the Laie Hawaii Temple We will be sharing excerpts of these stories throughout the year leading up to the 100th year anniversary in November became the gathering place where a temple would be dedicated in 1919 The first ten elders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who waded onto the shores of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi in 1850 brought with them their witness and story of the priesthood power found in modern temples we think of Lāʻie as the gathering place for Hawaiʻi but a group of Hawaiians journeyed to Utah to receive temple blessings and eventually started a colony called Iosepa named after Joseph F Iosepa was the home for two hundred Polynesians They gave up their isles of paradise to live in the harsh West Desert of Utah “Countless descendants honor these Iosepa Saints One who remembers today is Sister Lynette Akiona Valdez currently a stake history specialist in the Hilo Hawaii Stake ‘We cannot forget the sacrifices and faithfulness of the early Saints who left their island homes and settled in Iosepa to be close to the temple these Saints marked the beginnings of temple participation for our people Leaving everything behind to be ‘close’ to the temple where they had to walk 150 miles round-trip to attend temple sessions I dare say that there is the beginning of the Laie Temple.’ “The sacrifice of the Hawaiian Saints was keenly felt and acknowledged by President Joseph F who visited his friends in Iosepa many times served an additional mission to Hawaiʻi in the 1880s and traveled to the islands later in life President Smith personally observed how thousands of Hawaiians became Latter-day Saints in the almost five decades from his mission in 1855 to when he became Church president in 1901 He also knew of the thousands of Hawaiians that had died of diseases in the nineteenth century He believed many waited in the spirit world but needed a temple for exalting ordinances to be performed on their behalf “President Smith watched tenderly like a father over the Hawaiian people seeing the maturing of the Saints and the Church there “President Smith also knew stalwarts like David Keola Kailimai who were leaving Hawaiʻi and coming to Iosepa Keola sold all of his land and belongings to purchase passageway for his family on a boat to California and make the land trek to Utah He was sealed to his wife and hanai (adopted) son but he only stayed in Utah for three months A temple is going to be built soon in Hawaiʻi I need for you to go home and help build it.’ “Kailimai returned to the Big Island with only three dollars to his name and started again He moved forward the cause of the temple in two ways he served as a missionary on the islands working with others like mission president Samuel Woolley to build in the hearts of the Saints a greater desire to be prepared and worthy for a temple This included paying tithing and keeping the commandments He and his wife decided in 1915 to return to the temple in Salt Lake after saving a thousand dollars When President Smith announced the Hawaii Temple in October 1915 they donated the money toward the building of the temple David Keola Kailimai was privileged to offer the benediction at the first session on November 27 one of the earliest converts was Jonathan Napela whose foundations still exist in parts of the islands.” Napela was baptized as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1852 “… As Napela helped Cannon translate the Book of Mormon into Hawaiian he learned about a new purpose for temples “… Napela was a temple pioneer for the Hawaiians he traveled from Maui to California and then to Utah Territory Jonathan Napela met with Brigham Young and received his temple ordinances in the Endowment House on August 2 the first Hawaiian to receive temple blessings His testimony was shared with the Saints when he returned home to the islands sparking the desire for others to go to the temples in Utah “Napela also worked hard to keep the promises to follow Christ made in the temple One decision changed his life forever and showed his Christian dedication who was diagnosed with Hansen’s disease (called leprosy at the time) and exiled to Kalaupapa on the island of Molokaʻi he would also contract the disease and die before his wife on August 6 almost ten years exactly after receiving his endowment in Utah Jonathan and Kitty would be posthumously sealed or married eternally as husband and wife in the Laie Hawaii Temple.” read “Stories of the Temple in Laie: Hundredth Anniversary,” set to be published later this year BYU–Hawaii students shared how different places in Laie have become personal retreats for their mental well-being and places where they seek peace a senior from Washington majoring in Pacific Island Studies said he seeks solace in the temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints He said he is able to confront life’s challenges by drawing strength and hope from the Lord’s presence “I love to be in the Laie Hawaii Temple because it’s a place where I can enter the Lord’s presence and find the strength and hope to face my trials,” he said a sophomore from New Zealand majoring in hospitality and tourism management said her favorite getaway is the Laie Cemetery she said finds comfort in spending multiple hours at her grandfather’s and grandmother’s grave especially since she is named after her grandmother have always been my go-to place whenever I feel overwhelmed and at the edge of a cliff mentally because it calms me down and reminds me of who I am.” a political sophomore majoring in from Chuuk said she discovers serenity at the beach while laying on her beach mat and embracing a peaceful reminder of home “I enjoy… meditating and getting refreshed at the beach while reminiscing on the peacefulness because it feels like home.” a BYUH alumna who graduated in social work and psychology from Samoa a sophomore majoring in computer science from Samoa both shared that going to food trucks at the Polynesian Cultural Center or in Kahuku bring them peace and help make them happy LAIE, HAWAII — Millions of curious people around the world who previously only had the chance to tour inside new or renovated temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints before they were dedicated during brief open house periods, can now “look inside” a spectacular new cut-away model put on permanent display in the Laie Hawaii Temple Visitors’ Center noted a team of artisans spent over eight months building the highly detailed model on the U.S After disassembling and shipping it to Hawaii they spent more than another week reassembling the model “This is a rare opportunity to ‘see’ inside this building to learn why temples are so important to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” Elder Allen said “Our most sacred experiences and our most binding promises are made to God in our temples Elder Allen explained the new display in Laie is only the Church’s fifth cut-away temple model in the world He said this is particularly appropriate as members here celebrate the centennial of the Laie Hawaii Temple which became the Church’s fifth temple on Thanksgiving Day 1919 and also the first to be built outside North America The Church currently operates 166 temples around the world (with another 51 announced the Laie Hawaii Temple served all of Hawaii (though there’s now another in Kailua-Kona) The other four existing cut-away models are located in Latter-day Saint temple visitors’ centers in Salt Lake City “Our approach here is to allow people to browse at their leisure but be available to answer questions,” Elder Allen said “We’re not intent on giving a prepared tour about the cut-away model questions will arise in their hearts and we’ll respond to those.” He also stressed that the interiors of Church temples and the ceremonies conducted therein are “sacred ‘Can we go in the temple?’ At times I’ve said you absolutely can but you can’t go into the temple until you are ready to make the promises that we make there That requires you to be a member of the Church and have reached a point in your progress where you’re willing to make these highest-level promises to God.” “We feel greatly blessed to have the model at the visitors’ center and we’re very grateful for those who made it for us,” Elder Allen said a Church Missionary Department manager who oversees fabrication and installation of visitors’ centers exhibits explained he used a 3D camera to videotape all the Laie Hawaii Temple core rooms along with reference photos and blueprints to help Clark Schaffer who worked for years building models in the Hollywood film industry before opening his own studio said they first created a “paper model that allowed us to successfully visualize the finished one and make it easier to experiment with the placement of the cut-away ‘windows.’ ” Schaffer foreman Nick Stephens said the creative team did most of the finished work by hand We did things in an old-fashioned way to create a more sculpted look We spent a lot of time and attention on the details of the artwork in the model — in part to pay tribute to the original artists who worked on the temple here 100 years ago.” The Laie Hawaii Temple Visitors’ Center is located at 55-600 Naniloa Loop or visitors are welcome to browse the center and temple grounds on their own BYU–Hawaii Academics Vice President Isaiah Walker said students and faculty must “align [themselves] to [Elder McKay’s vision] and continue to serve the amazing students of this great institution.” Using audio clips and archival images Walker presented the history of Elder David O McKay’s vision and how it led to the development of BYUH and the international expansion of the Church attended a flag-raising ceremony at Laie Elementary School with 127 children from ages 7 to 15 years old He said McKay had been “jarred by a spiritual experience” while attending the ceremony “My bosom swelled with emotion and tears came to my eyes I felt like bawling in prayer and thanksgiving.” It was then Walker shared McKay was inspired to establish a church college for the saints in Hawaii Walker added McKay lacked the full authority to manifest his vision by establishing the college and would wait 34 years to do so there was a lot of racial segregation in public schools shared McKay was moved by the thought of unity and diversity through the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ In 1955 at the groundbreaking for the Church College of Hawaii McKay announced racial segregation was considered unconstitutional “McKay is recognized as the prophet who leads the Church into an important modern phase: the rise of the international church.” Walker added McKay was “ahead of his time and forward in his thinking on the notion of integration and racial unity in education.” Walker said McKay’s revelation shifted the focus of “gathering Zion into a single place to uniting with decentralized states of Zion stretching throughout the world.” He said he is fascinated BYUH origins are linked to the international expansion of the church Teacher turned recruiterWalker emphasized the role of Ethel Helani Whitford Almadova the first director of registrar and admissions for CCH Almadova said she graduated from BYU in Provo with a degree in elementary education in 1954 she shared she started teaching at Laie Elementary School and later McKay called her to be the registrar and dean of admissions “Why was an elementary school teacher called to be a director of admissions at a college that was just starting?” She answered by explaining she had served as a student worker in BYU in Provo’s registrar’s office she said she was hired by President Reuben D to be the registrar and director of admissions where she was tasked with recruiting 150 prospective students to attend the not yet fully established school Walker said McKay was ambitious to start classes only seven months from the groundbreaking which seemed difficult for Almadova at first “How could she recruit so many students in so little time to a college that only existed in concept?” Walker said Almadova managed to recruit 153 students from throughout the Hawaiian Islands “These students were so anxious and blessed to enroll in a college that was affordable tailored specifically for them by a prophet of God.” was the one who helped her recruit prospective students She explained they had prospects eager to attend who couldn’t afford a mainland education or the University of Hawaii but could afford CCH because yearly tuition was 90 dollars and room and board was only 50 dollars per month Walker explained the Hawaiian and Samoan languages were added to the curriculum “This is historically significant because in public schools in Hawaii Hawaiian language instruction was banned.” Almadova said she resigned and resumed her passion for teaching at Laie Elementary School Family legacyCurrent registrar Daryl Whitford said she is the niece-in-law of Almadova Whitford said she learned of her aunt’s history with BYUH upon being hired as the school’s registrar nearly 11 years ago “It’s cool there is another Whitford carrying on her legacy although I’m only related to her through marriage.” said she attended BYUH in 1978 and graduated in 1984 with an associate’s degree in science She said she and her husband returned in 1995 when she was hired as a graduation specialist she shared her duties mainly focus on activating courses and class registration for students Almadova is a very loving and charitable person and she aspires to follow her example in guiding students towards success She added her husband and his aunt were close which strengthened her relationship with Almadova She’s like a second mom.” She said she hopes in following her aunt’s example international students can return to their homelands She shared she didn’t return to New Zealand after meeting her late husband who was from Laie “As an international student who didn’t go home to check up on her and ask about how the school is doing a sophomore from Fiji majoring in political science spoke at the devotional about how she was inspired to serve a mission She shared she sought guidance from her religion professor who told her she must have a desire to serve the Lord Sharma shared she met five missionaries who shared experiences that helped her visualize herself as a missionary “I know one of my purposes at BYUH this semester was to be an instrument of the Lord and build a desire to serve him and his people Being surrounded by students who have had the same desire as me to serve a mission is an immense blessing.” Sharma expressed her gratitude for the friendships she has developed as well as McKay’s vision and the opportunities it has offered her and other Pacific Islanders “Knowing I’m part of this institution [where] Pacific Islanders like me can attend and find their life purposes meet their educational goals and grow their testimonies increases my faith in Heavenly Father’s plan for each individual.” a sophomore from Maryland majoring in marine biology attended the devotional and said she now better understands the meaning behind the mural in front of the McKay Foyer “I thought it was amazing how even during a simple flag ceremony Elder McKay was able to get a whole vision from God about how to have a big school here for people from all over the world to come to.” said McKay’s vision has impacted him and his family for generations “[If McKay had not] followed the prompting to kneel and pray then he wouldn’t have received the vision that BYUH was going to be in Laie “It gave everybody a chance to further their education in a church college.” She said BYUH isn’t just any ordinary college because it was “founded on prophetic vision through David O Walker said people talk about the vision in the context of its impact on BYUH but people should “realize the magnitude of it on a much larger scale.” Walker expressed McKay’s vision is still relevant to the BYUH community today because they are a part of the institution’s story and people “should be proud to be part of a very profound prophecy.” as we prepare for the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the LDS Church in Laie we continue a series of stories about the rich history of our beloved town We express our appreciation to the Mormon Pacific Historical Society which has graciously authored these vignettes to help us remember and honor our wonderful heritage Since the earliest days of the LDS Church's existence one of its main themes has been to gather people from the four corners of the earth and bring them to Zion While that has come to mean less of a physical gathering in recent decades the theme resulted in many of the early converts throughout much of the United States ultimately to the Salt Lake Valley in Utah LDS missionaries soon found great success here in Hawaii converting several thousand people in the first few years the prospect of these converts "gathering" to Utah faced two significant challenges the cultural and climatic adjustments were far more difficult than for European converts because the Hawaiian population was already on the decline (due to the introduction of foreign diseases against which the Hawaiians had little resistance) the royal government was not supportive of emigration and had passed laws making it difficult In the face of increasing persecution of new converts from relatives and opposing ministers the Church decided in 1854 to rent a large tract of land on the island of Lanai When all missionaries were recalled to Utah by Brigham Young in 1857 the fledgling LDS community of "Iosepa" on Lanai was left in the hands of a young and newly converted flock Into this void a man named Walter Murray Gibson came (1861) and convinced the local saints that he was their new leader and mission president Gibson convinced the Hawaiian saints to sell their homes and lands and give the money to him to purchase the land on Lanai the community of Iosepa was in disarray leaving the local saints discouraged and many of them without a place to live Brigham Young called Francis Hammond and George Nebeker to search for a new gathering place in Hawaii Because the end of the American Civil War had left many speculators in Hawaii in a desperate situation Brothers Hammond and Nebeker found many parcels on the market they finally settled on an intact 6000 acre ahupua'a on the northern windward side of Oahu called Laie Hammond negotiated an agreement with the owner to purchase the 6000 acres (along with the ranch house and 1000 head of livestock) for $14,000 but to Brigham Young and the struggling Church in the desert valleys of Utah Brigham Young sent the money and gave the missionaries clear directions The community of Laie was first of all to be a place of refuge and a gathering place where the Hawaiian saints could be taught the principles of the gospel a place where they could learn skills and trades that would allow Laie to become a self-sustaining and profitable entity in support of the Church's work throughout the islands While Laie ceased to be a designated gathering place many decades ago over the past 150 years it has been a place of refuge for those who have chosen to live here It has also become an unofficial place to gather for the tens of thousands who have sojourned from all over the globe to learn and worship in the Laie Hawaii Temple And for the millions who have visited only for a day at the Polynesian Cultural Center Laie has become a source of inspiration and cherished memories Those interested in learning more about the LDS Church's gathering on Lanai are encouraged to read further in Moramona: The Mormons in Hawaii (by L While heavy rains caused catastrophic flooding throughout the islands of Hawaii March 8-9 Church-owned properties in the Laie area — which includes the Polynesian Cultural Center Brigham Young University–Hawaii and the Laie Hawaii Temple — have sustained relatively minor damage In describing the extent of harm to BYU–Hawaii campus buildings, BYU–H architect James Brown told Newsroom “The simple summary is that we dodged a bullet.” The campus sustained some small areas of localized flooding and some wet carpets The Aloha Center experienced some flooding which was probably made worse by the adjacent construction site on the new campus cafeteria Polynesian Cultural Center president and CEO Alfred Grace reported to Newsroom that the severe weather caused the center to close on Tuesday the center resumed normal business operations by Wednesday BYU–Hawaii spokesperson Laura Tevaga expressed gratitude for the safety of the school during the flooding “We were very fortunate with this storm,” she said “Our campus drainage system worked as best as it could given the unusual amount of rain we received in such a short period of time.” Days of torrential rains throughout the Hawaiian islands led to flash floods landslides and heavy flooding on Monday and Tuesday prompting Hawaii’s governor to declare a state of emergency Evacuations and road closures ensued as flood waters caused damage to homes and properties reported that most of the damage in Laie was caused by overflow of the Wailele Stream and occurred on Tuesday and this water flooded into Laie,” Amanda Reid said Hawaii News outlet KHON2 reported that severe weather was the cause of landslides throughout the islands told Newsroom that she and her roommates were a little scared during the storm “It was a little scary. We weren’t sure when it was going to let up. The Polynesian Cultural Center had to close, a few buildings on campus closed, and they had to open up a couple of on-campus residence halls to students who lived off campus and were affected by the flooding. We got a few emergency alerts, and our Relief Society president reached out to everyone to see if we needed anything.” KITC Island News reported how one Church meetinghouse in Waialua served as a donation hub for thousands of donated items for individuals affected by the week’s floods After suffering a concussion as part of a longboarding accident Michaela Eisenhut said support and help from the Laie community fellow students and the university have helped her on the road to recovery a freshman from California majoring in Pacific Island studies said she was almost home when she crashed her longboard near the temple “I was going really fast on my longboard and then took a really sharp turn going into the roundabout and I just remember flying off,” Eisenhut said She said the next thing she remembered was “waking up slightly Two Laie community members assisted Eisenhut; Luke Moffat a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and neighbor to Eisenhut along with a woman whose identity is unknown Moffat said the accident was right in front of his house “It’s funny how it all came together in hindsight If you’re going to faceplant on your skateboard then there’s no better place to than in front of a temple Eisenhut said the first thing she asked Moffat was “Are you a priesthood holder?” Moffat said he was indeed a priesthood holder and gave her a blessing Eisenhut said the next thing she remembered was “the paramedics coming and then putting a brace around my neck.” Moffat said although he had never given a blessing in an emergency with nonmembers around he felt “totally calm.” After the blessing a freshman from Florida majoring in communications Green said she “dropped everything and ran outside [and was] freaking out.” Green said she met the two witnesses who explained what they saw Eisenhut was taken to Queens Hospital in Honolulu they waited six hours for Eisenhut to be released neither of her roommates were allowed inside the hospital Friends and fellow classmates came together on social media posting requests for prayer and blessings for Eisenhut’s quick recovery a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said she felt the faith of all those who assisted “It gave me a really strong testimony of the power of the priesthood and the beauty of our town here in Laie I had so many people there to help,” she said Moffat said he was impressed by her faith and used the experience to teach his young daughters “To teach your daughter the importance of priesthood Kudos to her folks for teaching her right,” he said Eisenhut said she was concerned about her classes and getting assignments in late when she received a message from the BYU–Hawaii Dean of Students Melba Latu while she was in the hospital Eisenhut said her concerns were alleviated Latu was encouraging and told her the school is there for her Her health and safety was their top priority “I decided to withdraw from my classes this semester and start fresh next semester,” Eisenhut added She said she hopes she can share her recovery through social media Eisenhut said an anonymous fellow student delivered multiple pizzas boxes to the girls’ apartment during Eisenhut’s recovery Eisenhut and Green said throughout the entire experience both girls felt blessed by the support each individual who assisted them gave from both fellow students and non-student members in the community “I was surrounded by people who are strong in the faith I have so much support around me,” Eisenhut said Treehouse Talks is a community that meets together weekly to connect with peers learn diverse ideas and leave the meeting more aware of various topics explains its Instagram account @tree.house.talks but has expanded to five new locations including Rexburg The Laie group had its first event on Naniloa Street on Feb Strings of lights were strewn on the ground of a backyard and a projector and microphone were set up for speakers and performers The Laie group's first Instagram post says Treehouse Talks is a place to build relationships and make unexpected new ones Come and hear messages from friends from all over a junior majoring in intercultural peacebuilding from Seattle She said the purpose of Treehouse Talks is to bring “people from different backgrounds and different cultures to share personal experiences that can inspire others and bring the community together.” a sophomore majoring in intercultural peacebuilding from Kaaawa He said Treehouse Talks is all about creating a “space where people can talk about things they’re passionate about.” The Laie and BYU–Hawaii communities are diverse and want to capitalize on that by bring people together to hear each other’s stories and grow together Bridging the relationship between community and studentsShort said it took months to get Treehouse Talks in Laie going because she and Gunter wanted to make sure the local community was okay with the proceedings She said they reached out “to some kupuna in the community … to make sure [students] were respecting Laie because [they’re] guests here.” Eventually they want to include the community aunties and uncles to “bridge the relationship” between students and the community Gunter explained each Treehouse Talks location has a unique feel which is something the Treehouse Talks founders celebrate there are four speakers and one musical number which is a touch that only happens at the Laie Treehouse Talks Treehouse Talks Laie first meeting focused on overcoming trialsAbout 50 people attended the first Treehouse Talks in Laie which is a number Gunter hopes to increase; making it a place for people to network said he got involved in Treehouse Talks because of his interest in experience design a discipline that creates experiences for people to learn and grow is a really great example of experience design was the first speaker of the first Treehouse Talks in Laie He said he heard about the event from Miller and Short and thought it was a good opportunity for the community and the school to connect in which he told his story of picking a major three years into college he asked audience members what they thought they have been “uniquely prepared for in life” and then to do that as their career a senior majoring in intercultural peacebuilding from Sapporo She talked about relationships and seeing others as God’s children “It was cool to be able to share my story with people from backgrounds.” Following Kojima was a musical performance by Kaleah Liechtry She sang and played the ukulele to two original songs she said she had no nerves because she was so excited from Brazil was the third speaker who spoke about overcoming trials After not getting accepted to BYUH many times she was accepted at “the right time and the right moment.” She said she has now graduated got married and is expecting her first child After a life dedicated to service in the Church Laie Hawaii Temple Visitors’ Center Director Stephen B Allen said coming on a mission to Hawaii was inspired by the Lord and he and his wife have been following the Spirit ever since “Our only desire is to do what the Lord wants,” Elder Allen explained We know we are Preach My Gospel missionaries We are part of the Hawaii Honolulu Mission “Our purpose as missionaries here is the same purpose as all the missionaries The missionary purpose is to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and his Atonement receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end.” described how Elder Allen was “pretty much raised all over the world He was really involved in Preach My Gospel so we focus a lot on Preach My Gospel here at the Visitors’ Center.” [The Allens] have made a lot of improvements to the Visitors’ Center even with just structural stuff like getting the walls and carpets redone They’ve been waiting for that for 10 years We have been able to see some of those things start moving despite things running on Hawaiian time.” What distinguishes the missionaries in the Visitors’ Center from other missionaries is “instead of these missionaries knocking on doors Missionaries have an opportunity to engage them meet them and invite them to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His atonement and so on.” [Elder Allen] has been in on this change into digital devices for years and it was kind of fun to be able to come to some place where not only is it changed to digital devices but they’re taking calls from ComeUntoChrist.org They can take people who request to have missionaries come they try to turn it into having missionaries because you can’t be baptized without meeting with the missionaries in your ward.” allows them to see how the people they come in contact with progress through the gospel there were 26 people baptized into the Church who started with the work our sisters did in the center He described how they can use the answers provided by the caller during a screening process to build common ground and answer specific questions the caller might have The sisters can use the address provided by the caller to get them in contact with their local missionaries Using the information they gained from the phone call the sisters can help the local missionaries learn the best way to minister to the caller we direct people according to their needs as directed by the Spirit,” he said How does the Holy Ghost want to get you into this and then they stay in touch with you during the teaching process online That’s how we can tell there were 26 people [in September] who were baptized.” “The sisters are getting good at trying to make it short and follow the Spirit [Callers] have their days they would prefer to be contacted They ask [the caller] first how much time they have and respect that We have a sister who went home about six months ago She went the next week to the temple with someone she taught online.” Elder Allen described how he spent his career serving in the Church Missionary Department “I was the staff supervisor for Preach My Gospel It takes a lot of people to put that together I was the managing director of the Missionary Department for 18 and a half years “I was involved in every single facet of the missionary program I have taught missionaries all over the world I have taught mission presidents all over the world I was always under the leadership of the general authorities I know what it is to be a Preach My Gospel missionary Now we get to take the message to the whole world.” said this involvement is evident in the Allens’ life “I could tell he’s done a lot for the Church That is what his life has been geared towards You can tell they’ve been around the block as far as Church service “He’s always been very missionary-minded because he was born into that His dad was in the missionary service building chapels and then his own mission and media.” Sister Allen said they will miss the people and the aloha The aloha connection is the closest to Zion [I’ve seen].” People in the various stakes in Laie said they have utilized justserve.org to improve community life quality The Laie Hawaii Stake has completed more than 100 service projects including the Laie Cemetery digitizing project where 120 volunteers participated the site provides opportunities to relieve suffering and care for the poor and needy “The organization is not for proselytizing or publicity It is a free service to help link community needs with volunteers,” it says the Laie Hawaii Stake’s Just Serve specialist said five of Hawaii’s 16 stakes are in Laie Each stake has Just Serve specialists who are in charge of stake service projects Lewis said the Laie Hawaii Stake’s goal is to do a service project on every second Saturday “We have done more than 40 service projects for Kahuku High School,” said Lewis We also cleaned the Pounders Beach Park and did many services for a non-profit horse ranch Next month we are planning to clean and cut tall grasses at the Kahuku District Park Community members and students who want to volunteer for service can go to justserve.org and enter their zip code The search will show possible projects in the specified area The next step is to contact to the sponsor of a project to join anyone can create a project and find volunteers through the website On the site there are success stories and videos of how service projects have helped individuals and communities Justserve.org was created by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints five years ago Some cities in the United States use the website for their community service including the Los Angeles Police Department on average 30-to-50 volunteers participate in Laie Hawaii Stake service projects “We had some small projects that had only five volunteers The biggest project our stake has done so far is the Laie Cemetery digitizing project that had over 120 volunteers.” According to Lewis the Brigham Young University – Hawaii and Polynesian Cultural Center presidents and vice presidents are active members who participate in the service projects a Laie Hawaii Stake family history consultant said her stake leaders asked her if she had service project ideas She suggested digitizing the Laie Cemetery headstones for the Billion Graves app the idea was to “capture images of headstones with their GPS locations for users worldwide to access those records anywhere.” volunteers download the app on their phones and take photos of the Laie Cemetery graves and where they are located in the cemetery they transcribe the information on the headstones in the photos to make them searchable they do quality control after all the photos of the headstones are transcribed they report the result to the Laie Hawaii Stake presidency Bell said the first phase of the project went well because volunteers participated and did a good job of taking clear photos The Laie Cemetery has more than 1,900 graves she said and they took photos of all graves The Laie Hawaii Stake members are now transcribing the photos to make them searchable Bell said they also worked with Hawaii Reserves Inc which is “a land management company that manages property for the Church on the North Shore of Oahu,” according to hawaiireserves.com “We were instructed by HRI to be respectful to the graves,” said Bell “Some graves were [unreadable because of] time and weather so we brushed and cleaned them to take clear photos so we used spades to bring out the information on headstones “We made sure everything we moved was put back There were some unmarked graves HRI had information on so we will work with them to get that information.” temple and family history counselor of the Laie 2nd Ward “We divided into teams and some of us cleaned the graves and trimmed the bushes while some of us took the photos and added the locations Some families were there with their children “Rhonda Bell and Laurie Tueller were the other team leaders,” Anderson shared and Billion Graves will be a good source for people who do their family history since Billion Graves is linked with familysearch.org.” “I was amazed so many people were interested to help others find their ancestors and boost their genealogy search.” Lewis said his stake is also planning to do another Billion Graves project in cemeteries in Kahuku and Hauula Adobe Spark version of the story: https://spark.adobe.com/page/p01eKphVBoE5Q/ Junior Ah You moved from a small village in Samoa to the town of Laie Hawaii.  His parents had sold all of their worldly possessions in order to bring their family to Hawaii to be sealed in the temple.  It was his parent’s example of dedication to God and family he said that led to Junior Ah You’s life of selfless service “I come from a family that loves and serves the Lord I grew up watching my mom and dad give so freely to help the people and the Church.” Junior Ah You has acquired a list of achievements which includes an outstanding football career He has been inducted into hall of fames including Arizona State University Hula Bowl and the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame.  he is the longest standing Laie Community Association officer where he has dedicated years in unifying the community through the establishment of over 25 years of tradition The PCC has been a part of his life for decades as he performed there as a young boy.  Despite his impressive accomplishments in his career perhaps his most cherished achievement is parenting eight children and one great-grandchild with his beloved wife “It is amazing to me that a boy from a small village in Samoa came here to be sealed in the house of the Lord and was able to find success Kinglsey Ah You said even though his father played professional football for 14 years his dad made sure in his contracts during the off season he and his family could come back home to Laie “He always brought us home because our family was here but also because of his great love of Laie and all it stands for Most of the time you leave and have your career But dad made it a clear point to come back often It was this great love for Laie that inspired Junior Ah You’s establishment of various community traditions “For Thanksgiving we have all of the full-time missionaries the service missionaries at BYU–Hawaii and PCC and all of the homeless We have a wonderful Thanksgiving all together along with anyone else who doesn’t have a place to eat.” The Ah You family has been known to feed up to 400 missionaries Doing so involves cooking between 200 and 300 turkeys This event stems back to the small village in Samoa where Junior Ah You’s parents did the same thing for their missionaries Junior Ah You has chaired Pioneer Month in Laie along with anyone who is willing to give of their time hosts activities ranging from musical firesides December 2020 will mark the 30th year of the Junior Ah You Christmas Bowl Junior Ah You started this tradition when he noticed children in the community started getting into trouble during the Christmas break he started a flag football tournament known as the Christmas Bowl Every year the tournament has around 400 participants from the community with ages ranging from 3 years old to elderly community members.  Junior Ah You’s son admitted these events are hard work “We always put God and community first in our family “It is the greatest feeling when you feel it’s brought people together.” According to his son Junior Ah You’s ability to unite people is all a part of Laie’s sacred prophetic purpose to be a place of gathering.  there were wonderful people who influenced me.”  He listed local patriarchs and bishops as well as teachers from Kahuku High School who became his friends and mentors his parents have had the greatest impact on his life and that giving and helping others is what brings him the greatest joy Junior Ah You’s legacy of service and love continues on in those of his posterity “One thing I admire about my papa is his outlook on life One of the things he always tells us is that the biggest room in the world is the room of improvement.”   He said his grandpa turns almost anything into a teaching opportunity and they as grandchildren always remember the lessons they’ve learned from him I’ve looked back and realized that a lot of the things he taught me I’ve been able to incorporate into my life.”  at least 90 to 95 percent of all Church members in Hawaii were native Hawaiians is not very significant,” said Marlowe speaking at a luncheon on campus “but it’s what the people can do with it which is significant It’s hard to imagine a temple being out here There are plenty of accounts of people rounding the bend in Hauula and just being shocked there is such an edifice out here Giving an address at the April 4 BYU–Hawaii Women’s Organization luncheon in the Aloha Center Ballroom Marlowe spoke about the history of the temple and also his personal appreciation for temples Marlowe showed early Hawaiian members of the Church wearing white on the day the temple was dedicated in 1919 “These were the people upon whose faith the temple was built Temples are built based on the faith of the saints.” Marlowe proceeded to give a history of the Church in the Pacific referring to two main events in the Church’s main history One was the first-time missionaries were sent by the Church to preach in the Pacific in 1843 with the first missionaries arriving in Hawaii President Brigham Young sent Addison Pratt Pratt became the first missionary of the Church to preach in a language other than English Pratt and his companions ended up in French Polynesia and converted several thousand of its people Marlowe showed these events parallel with the events occurring on the mainland as thousands of members were immigrating to Utah the highest-ranking Church leader in the east set off for the west and stopped in Hawaii Brannan was asked to give a sermon in the church which many called the first sermon given in the Pacific Missionaries in Hawaii were called from California Marlowe then skipped to a slide showing the painting made famous by its presence in the McKay Foyer The painting depicts the brethren dedicating the Hawaiian Islands for the preaching of the gospel set against the lush painted background of the islands was given the task of finding a gathering place for the Hawaiian Saints It was barren and windswept,” said Marlowe “A sugar plantation was established as were a mission home and chapel Hawaiian saints could not emigrate to Utah so it was important for them to have a temple where they could have work done.” When the 50th anniversary of the Hawaiian mission came around in 1900 Cannon came back to the islands for a celebration since he was a missionary here Cannon began to talk more about temples in Hawaii “If anybody has a picture of the longevity of the righteousness of the Hawaiian saints “Some of the people he originally taught are still there 50 years later He sees the generations after and decides the Church needs to be giving temple blessings to these people talks about temple ordinances but he doesn’t talk about temples where he believes there will be a temple in Hawaii “I would love to have been there,” Marlowe expressed the Alberta Canada Temple had been announced and ideas are flowing in Samuel Woolley’s head and temples aren’t usually built during wars on the birthday of Brigham Young,” Marlowe continued Smith went [with] the bishop and Reed Smoot to the chapel and determined that they would dedicate the land then and there Smith and Samuel Woolley wrote to one another in cryptic letters using the words “special house” instead of “temple.” At the opening session of General Conference later in the year Smith finished his lengthy talk and announced the temple at the conference the Church and the saints in Hawaii wasted no time building the temple With a design very similar to the Alberta Canada Temple both temples were modeled after an ancient design most famously found in Solomon’s Temple only the Salt Lake City Temple had an Angel Moroni on the top; none of the others did “What was genius about the design is they maximized everything This design uses every available space [and] the efficiency of what the saints were doing Unlike the Salt Lake City and Alberta temples the Laie Temple was built using cement and crushed rocks for the structure Marlowe said he loved the idea of the Hawaiian saints using rocks from their island -lava stones- in the building of the temple Hawaiians used lava stones for constructing their temples “Looking very carefully,” Marlowe pointed out “the shape of the temple becomes a Grecian cross from a view up above The Grecian cross had a reference to the four corners of the Earth of taking the gospel to the four corners of the Earth The purpose of the gathering is to come to temples to bring people from the four corners of the Earth.” although it could not be dedicated at the time due to World War I ending and the influenza outbreak Smith eventually died of pneumonia and did not live to see the dedication The temple was ultimately dedicated on Nov As was traditional with temple dedications the leadership were the first to enter into the completed temple Marlowe showed a photograph taken the day of the dedication It depicted hundreds of people dressed in their finest clothes lining up to enter into the temple He said 300 or more people attended a session where all the Primary children were allowed to enter the temple Marlowe has written a book on the history of the temple It is called “The Laie Hawaii Temple: A Century of Aloha.” He said the book was written with support from the Church History Library in Salt Lake City and help from a committee lead by Elder Aley K the former Hawaii Area Seventy Authority.  Marlowe said the book is being edited and is scheduled to be released in September It is published through the Religious Studies Center–BYU/Deseret Book.  He is also scheduled to give a devotional address during the Fall 2019 Semester leaving the place they have considered home for years during their university journey is more than a mere change of scenery it is a heartfelt farewell to a place where they have grown and learned and a place that will forever hold a special place in their shared memories and hearts Holding Laie Point as a special place where her and her husband’s journey began Sidney Gatus from Utah who is a BYU-Idaho alumna “This is where we officially began our journey together It is bittersweet to leave as I remember my first visit to Hawaii to visit him while we were dating long distance.” Her husband a senior from the Philippines majoring in hospitality and tourism management said Laie has more beyond its beauty and landmarks I still see it as a place of refuge like those early pioneers that settled here in Laie,” he said He added Laie is more than just a place but one with a fruitfulhistory It is a special place and its people are special,” he said He said the experiences an individual will have in Laie is important and should not be taken for granted Sidney Gatus said living in Laie allowed her and her husband to learn self-reliance “We’ve really learned to rely on each other and how to grow together without the influence of family around but we’ve learned much about each other.” She added how living in a small close-knit community with the temple helped them center Jesus Christ in their marriage they experienced strength in their marriage through difficult times whether we are struggling financially or with classes and work we are somehow okay with groceries and everything ends up working out for the best.” As a professional photographer and videographer Mark Gatus said he will remember their times in Laie through every video and photo he took “Every image of sunset and sunrise that I’ve taken here will serve as a reminder to me of this place as well as friends and people I’ve met,” he said He advised students who will stay in Laie during their educational journeys to do things that will help improve the community “We owe it to them and the kupuna who live here Be a part of their community and respect and love them as your own.” a junior majoring in psychology from Texas the culture and the diversity on the BYUH campus “Prophets of God...set in place BYUH so people from all walks of life from all over the globe could come together in a time when our brains are still developing to get to know each other and learn from each other,” he said insights and cultivate a diverse community resembling a prototype of Zion Laie is a special place because of the special opportunity to learn of Christ in a community centered around Jesus Christ said she will miss the beauty and close friends she has made where the spirit of willingness to be more like Jesus Christ is everywhere and it’s sprouted like a banyan tree,” she said She expressed students have the opportunity to grow and create miracles as God’s miracle workers “I have experienced the love that God has for others because I have been willing We just have to be willing and that is something I have learned here,” she said Using the metaphor of the banyan tree’s interconnected roots people who go through Laie and BYUH come together connect and grow together and leave Laie as a better individual To commemorate the Laie Hawaii Temple dedication’s 100th anniversary later this year a scale model of the temple was placed in the Visitors’ Center a movie special-effects studio based in Spanish Fork the model boasts a high level of detail despite its small size The missionaries serving in the Visitors’ Center remarked how the cross-sectioned model assisted in teaching visitors the purpose of the temple and alleviating visitors’ misinformed ideas about temples in the Church Director of the Laie Hawaii Temple Visitors’ Center Elder Stephen B said having a model of the temple with the interior clearly presented on display helps as a teaching tool for visitors who were curious about the nature of temples “We’re happy to have this exhibit because so many guests who come here are attracted by the beauty of the building Some of them drive down the highway and see it as they pass by.” Visitors from all countries and faiths are now able to get a look inside the temple without stepping foot inside as temples of the Church are not open to the public after their dedication The bas-relief statuary on the upper parts of the actual temple was exquisitely recreated by a team of artists at Schaffer Studios guests were able to look straight into the baptismal font with the same paintings found in the actual temple recreated in accurate detail Other rooms shown include the Instruction Room Allen shared Laie was only the fifth temple to have a cross-section model in its Visitors’ Center It’s also nice to point out that the Laie Temple was the fifth temple to be dedicated and now it’s the fifth one to get a model in its Visitors’ Center.” Allen shared an instance where the model helped visitors answer their questions Greece began walking toward my wife and I and asked us what the temple was and the experience really showed me how far away some visitors come Now we have the model so curious people can see what’s inside More important than the model is the purpose of the temple we’re striving to make sure our sisters know how to talk about the temple and to explain what goes on there in non-member language.” He explained how members of the Church tend to speak in what he jokingly called “member-ese,” which included words such as covenant words which may have a different connotation or context outside of the Church “I don’t want to be [dwelling] about the past,” Allen said assuredly the average member may have been more focused on the fact that what goes on in the temple is ‘sacred,’ which translates to a non-member as ‘secret.’ the Visitors’ Center will receive the film of Elder Bednar and Elder Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles giving a tour of the recently dedicated temple in Rome “The film was very transparent about the purpose of the temple and the model is a literal representation of the transparency Guests can look inside and see the Church has nothing to hide members should remember the covenants they have made and not reveal what they have covenanted not to talk about But there is more they can talk about than they cannot The average member might be so concerned about crossing a line they don’t realize how much they can actually talk about “I think the model opens a conversation about what happens in the temple It’s a great opportunity for missionary work at the Visitors’ Center.” Two sister missionaries serving at the Visitors’ Center shared the importance the model played in sharing the gospel with visitors recalled an experience she had a few days ago when a visiting woman of another faith wanted to go into the temple very badly but that we had a model in the Visitors’ Center she could look at “We took a moment to explain the purpose of temples in our faith to her this makes me so happy looking at this.’ We told her when you look inside the temple She then told us all about her religious background and how church was her favorite thing I was able to testify to her that what she was feeling was the Spirit and it was true.” a missionary from Hong Kong serving in the Visitors’ Center “It’s important the Church be open about the temple with this model and it allows people to see what’s really inside and might prompt them to ask questions they can see and understand why the temple is so sacred to the members of the Church Every guest from anywhere in the world can receive the joy the temple is supposed to bring.” Sister Smith added how the model “shows the temple is sacred Elder Ballard actually once said ‘misunderstanding is where contention starts.’ When there is understanding visitors can have a greater understanding.” Enrolling in Hawaiʻi’s public schools is a straightforward process that involves determining school eligibility and completing an application either online or in person We are committed to providing a high-quality education for all students and we look forward to welcoming your child to our school system. Learn how to determine your school through the SchoolSite Locator App The Department provides bus service in neighborhoods around the islands to ensure broad access to educational opportunities for Hawaiʻi’s students and serves about 25,000 student riders across the state.  Students who consistently attend school are more likely to achieve academic excellence students gain access to a world of knowledge and develop the confidence to reach their full potential.  educational specialists and staff to foster equity and excellence in our public schools skilled and passionate professionals who will help bring the Department’s Strategic Plan to life stories and events from Hawai‘i public schools 1390 Miller St. Honolulu, HI 96813Main Line: 808-784-6200Email Victorian-styled Lanihuli Home was an iconic structure of old Laie a place for prophets and temple guests to visit a medical unit for the Army during WWII and lastly a BYUH alumnus who worked for BYUH and the Polynesian Cultural Center the first important historical landmark in modern Laie it represented not only the headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Hawaii but it also served as a residence and office for a succession of missionaries Laie Hawaii Temple patrons and early students of the Church College of Hawaii.” retired BYUH senior librarian and geography professor the Lanihuli Home was built in 1893 by Mission President Mathew Noall Moffat stated the original building was one story a second story was added making it a six-bedroom home “The mission home was used quite extensively When President Joseph [F.] Smith would come to visit Moffat stated there was a special room in the Lanihuli Home “Everybody would come together and sit around and share testimonies and pray together Semi-annual mission conferences were also held at the Lanihuli Home and about 500-1,000 people would stay for three days of meetings Moffat said the home served as “kind of an officer’s R&R center which some local families warned their daughters to stay away from.” Moffat added when the mission headquarters were moved to Honolulu in 1921 and those not wanting to drive back to Honolulu after an evening session at the temple A row of wooden apartments was eventually built alongside the home for additional housing “The Lanihuli was the main residence for the young ladies attending the Church College of Hawaii from 1955-1959 who were probably living away from home for the first time in this classy It represented the kind of comfortable home away from home they needed as they helped inaugurate what has become a great University amidst a hastily thrown together temporary campus “[Lanihuli] carried that aura of sanctuary for the young ladies who were participating in this great new adventure wrote on the Lanihuli Home in the BYUH special issue magazine interviews and pictures I captured have become historical over time.” He also oversaw content on the Laie Hawaii Temple centennial website and began working on a PCC historical website before the COVID-19 pandemic closed it down “I’ve sometimes thought our special community could be further blessed with a historical center architecturally patterned after Lanihuli house.” “[Lanihuli] was Victorian style with a plantation flip flare and it had this turret It had many bedrooms and kitchens and so missionaries that were assigned to the plantation lived there.” “The Lanihuli Home is one of the iconic structures of old Laie that represents the commitment the Church has made here over the past 155 years.” The Lanihuli Home was demolished in 1958 due to termite damage and it was just too much to try to maintain they tore it down and built faculty housing there and for the mission president.” Emily and Stuart Wolthuis are Laie residents who currently live on the land where the Lanihuli Home once was and I am incredibly humbled to be able to live here on this land with its history and the people that have lived and prospered in this community They have followed the prophet’s counsel and have labored in this community to make it what it is today.” “When they gave us this house and we saw the monument right here we read up a lot on it and learned of its history … It is a great honor and a pleasure to be part of this community We had a lot of gatherings here before COVID and we just feel like we have to do the same thing that took place almost 100 years ago.” To read Foley’s article, see page 27 of the special historical edition of the BYUH magazine