This Christmas season, we have had the opportunity to participate in the #LIGHTtheWORLD campaign.  There have been so many wonderful contributors that have shared their talents and ideas.  We have chosen to highlight three extremely creative bloggers who have featured some exceptional ideas showing us how we too can #LIGHTtheWORLD.

Making Life Blissful – “Finding the sunshine in the clouds of life with fun ideas, meaningful moments, and believing in miracles.”

Lisa shares simple ways to show kindness during the holiday season using Pink Cake Plate’s  “Dinner on your doorstep” printables.  They are the perfect companion to all of those holiday treats you give neighbors, friends and family. 

SugarBee Crafts – “Mandy Beyeler is a Craft and DIY Blogger who loves to blog and enjoys all things crafty, sewing, and DIY – she feels that if she can do something, you can too, and provides tutorials to help you along the way. She loves being a mom to 4 awesome kiddos and blogs from the rural Kansas City Area, where they are self-building their own home. She has been blogging for 7 years and looks forward to sharing the love of creativity.”

Mandy chose to feature one of my favorite ideas from Polka Dot Poplars.  I especially love their print that says, “Brown paper packages tied up with strings, O’ You are one of His favorite things.”  A great tag for most any gift!  Check out Mandy’s post to see how she added to their ideas.

LDS Parenting – “A place for LDS Parents to gather together and encourage and uplift each other as we rise to our callings as parents in these Latter Days. Articles, crafts, ideas, diy, recipes and so much more. Come join us and uplift and encourage!”

Jaelle details how to make “Christmas in a Box” from Brightly Street come to life.  She provides everything you’ll need to know and ideas on how you can use this as a gift idea.

History of the Church in Hawaii (Then and Now)

-Around 1820 (when Joseph Smith was receiving his first vision in upstate New York), the first Protestant Christian missionaries arrived to Hawaii. The missionaries found that the traditional Hawaiian religion had just been abandoned, and that the people were looking to find a new spiritual practice that fit with the new world. The missionaries taught christianity and set up schools and congregations across the islands. The people were eager to learn how to read and write.

-Mormon missionaries arrived in Hawaii in 1850. A decision was made to focus missionary work on native Hawaiians (1865).

Finding a Gathering Place in Hawaii

-There was a large push for the Saints to gather to Zion (SLC), the problem for the new saints in Hawaii was that the Kingdom of Hawaii prohibited Hawaiians from emigrating.

-In 1853, President Brigham Young instructed Elder George Q. Cannon to find a temporary gathering place in Hawaii, until they could prepare themselves to gather with the rest of the saints.

-In 1854, Elder Joseph F. Smith proposed that Laie be the gather place in the Hawaiian islands. Instead the elders selected the Palawai Basin on Lana’i …. Laie would have to wait. The saints began moving to Lana’i (property on Palawai) under the direction of the missionaries. The community was named “City of Joseph.” Only 5% of the members actually moved.

 

Laie is Chosen as the Gathering Place

-On December 23, 1864 Elders George Nebeker and Francis A. Hammond arrived in Honolulu for the purpose of establishing a plantation where the Saints could gather.

Elder Hammond heard about a plantation on O’ahu called La’ie. Thomas T. Dougherty, United States Vice-Consul in Honolulu, was eager to sell his ranching operations. He demanded that the sale must be effected at once.

In his quick decision on the Laie plantation, Brother Hammond prayed and had this dream:

President Young and Heber C. Kimball came and went with him over the plantation, calling his attention to the many desirable features it presented for the gathering place of the native Saints, and also saying in a very positive manner that this was the chosen spot.

All doubts were set at rest and the purchase was made.

Elder William W. Cluff shared a similar experience:

One day when I was walking along one of these paths, I saw President Brigham Young approach me. Said he, “This is the place to gather the native Saints to.” He seemed to fully comprehend the surroundings, and in that easy, familiar way, so characteristic of him, indicated the advantages afforded for a settlement. No matter what my bodily condition might have been at that time, the apparent meeting was in the open air and in the broad light of day. It was the facilities of the place as represented them, and ever afterwards that appeared to me the best place on the Islands for the gathering of the Saints.

-Elder Hammond negotiated the sale for $14,000 on January 26, 1865. Farming operations began immediately.

-President Young wanted La’ie to be a gathering place that would provide spiritual and physical well-being for the natives.

-Lanier Britsch, in Moramona, his history of the Church in Hawai’i, sums up the purpose for selecting La’ie as a gathering place…

“Laie was not to be a gathering place in the normal sense of the term. It is clear that it was to be a refuge from the world. But it was also to be a school in proper behavior, in hard work, in virtue, and in mortality. It was to be not only a place where the Saints could gather to strengthen each other in their determination to live Christian lives, but also a center for learning.” (page 26)

-The Church was growing and sugar plantations were being cultivated (and were helping the island become prosperous).

-Some people moved down coast to Kahana, some challenges to the area, Relief Society, youth auxiliary, and Primary was organized (1875-1876)

Here’s some fascinating facts around the significance of Laie for the Church.

La’ie Temple

In 1915 the Hawai’i Temple was announced. Hawai’i Mission President Samuel E. Woolley said, “Now, this particular land, the land of Laie, now owned by the Church since 1864, was a city of refuge in olden times, because that people are of the pure blood of Israel, and we find among them until this day rites and ceremonies that were practiced by ancient Israel, and they had cities of refuge and Laie was one of those, and it will be an eternal city of refuge to the remnant of that portion of the house of Israel.”

The Temple was dedicated on Thanksgiving Day in 1919 by President Heber J. Grant, which was a fulfillment of prophecy.

From the earliest Mormon missionary efforts in Hawaii, there existed the belief that a temple would be built there. Elder John S. Woodbury made the first known prophecy

Later, 1864, William W. Cluff further affirmed the prophecy of the temple. He was one of the missionaries sent to Hawaii to establish the church.

George Q. Cannon Also made a prophecy by saying that if they would only be faithful enough, the time would come when someone would be given the power to seal husband and wife for time and eternity so that their children would be born under the covenant.

During a 1915 visit, President Joseph F. Smith dedicated the land for a temple to be built.

John A. Widstoe said the location couldn’t have been more beautiful.

World War II

Pearl Harbor: On December 7, 1941, as most people in Laie were getting ready for Church in a social hall, they noticed many noisy planes flying overhead toward kaneohe. Some members claimed they saw a japanese plane attempt to drop a bomb on the temple without success.

Because of WWII, few missionaries were called to serve in Hawaii.  Laie survived the rationing and shortages better than any other place in Hawaii because of the cohesiveness of the community.

After the War (and cultural celebration)

 

After the war, members wanted to build another chapel, but could not afford to pay for it so they started to raise money. Therefore, they decided to stage a hukilau for tourists in order to help pay for it.

 

The Hukilau: Thousands of people came out to enjoy one of these in order to raise money for the new chapel. Almost 2000 visitors participated (1930).

A Hukilau includes all kinds of authentic dancing and other cultural performances.

Many of the volunteers that dedicated their time and talents to the Hukilau also ended up working in the PCC.

Church College of Hawaii later to become BYU Hawaii

President David O. Mckay was passionate about education and ever since his first visit to Laie in 1921, he wanted to do something about the education of the great people there.

For 20 years, nothing happened to the President Mckay’s vision, but finally in 1941 he returned to hawaii to dedicate the Honolulu Tabernacle. At the dedication he said: “Don’t forget Laie. That is the educational center and spiritual center of our people in these islands.”

When President McKay was made president of the church in 1951, the education of members in the south pacific took priority.

In 1954, President McKay selected Laie for the site of what would become the Church College of Hawaii (CCH)

The school taught curriculum for the last two years of high school and first two years of college.

The college opened in the fall of 1955 with a temporary campus while the permanent campus was being built. The permanent Campus was built by “building Missionaries.”  Tuition was $75 per year.

The permanent campus was dedicated 3 years after the temporary campus was built.  Many bishops, stake presidents, temple presidents, and even mission presidents and General Authorities in the pacific and Asia are products of the CCH.

We were very fortunate to get to tour BYU Hawaii the successor to CCH.

We got to meet many wonderful students and see what a special place BYU Hawaii is.

We had a great time visiting with one of the Executive Assistants at BYU-H who was originally from Hungary.  She met her husband from Mexico on campus.  Neither one would’ve been able to go to a University if it weren’t for the IWORK program offered which allows students who wouldn’t be able to afford college otherwise to be able attend BYU-H and work.  If they go back to their home country upon graduation their student debts are forgiven.  A pretty amazing program and the students are very grateful and work hard.

The Polynesian Cultural Center

The influx of new ethnic groups to Laie sparked a new twist to the gathering concept.

Elder Cowley first expressed the idea of creating a cultural center at an O’ahu Stake conference on March 11, 1951.

The idea behind this cultural was to help entertain and inform visitors as well as providing for a solid way for the students to pay for their travels and tuitions.

The PCC was dedicated in 1963 by President Hugh B. Brown. Not all of the brethren of the church were in favor of the idea of creating a revenue generating center.

Even though there were many pessimistic predictions about how much attention the PCC would get since it was so far away from other tourist attractions, it successfully became Hawaii’s most-visited paid attraction, giving thousands of students the opportunity to share their cultures with millions of visitors.

The theater went from 600 seats to 1300 seats and then a new theater was needed to be built to accommodate for 2800 spectators.

In June 1966, Elvis Presley came to film a segment of his movie Paradise Hawaiian Style at the PCC.

In the 1970s, the PCC went through a major expansion and the First presidency modified the role of the center. Priority shifted from providing student employment and financial support for CCH to fulfilling its role as a major missionary tool in giving large numbers of visitors a favorable experience with the Church.

The people who had made the former Hukilau’s successful transferred their talents over to the PCC.

Growing Laie

The newly added college and cultural center caused the population to triple.  The biggest change in Laie was a social change. It was a cost. Before the rapid growth, no one would lock their doors and people would just walk into each other’s homes.  With the additions of the PCC and College, life seemed to get a more complicated and busy on Laie.

Refining Laie

By 1973, all land in Laie that was zoned for residential housing had been filled, so the gathering had to stop. The carrying capacity of Laie is still the biggest frustration to expansion.

The bulk of Hawaii has the impression that Laie wants to stay isolated from the rest of the world. However, the church and its entities in laie have worked to change that perception and to integrate Laie into a larger world.

The legacy and history of Laie continues to get passed down by story in the families that live on the island.  This is a special city with special people.  The history and culture make Laie it amazing place to experience.

 

The Spirit of Aloha is an attitude of friendly acceptance you feel most anywhere you go in Hawaii.  When we first arrived at the Honolulu airport we were greeted by these 3 native Hawaiian students who presented us with fresh flower lays.  Their smiles and friendly welcoming is infectious.  That gave us our first small taste of The Spirit of Aloha.

The following is a letter written to the Polynesian Cultural Center shared by permission, which exemplifies our experience and the Spirit of Aloha that you feel in this special place.

Hello,

You don’t know me, but my family and I had a most wonderful visit with you on July 1^st of this year. There were seven of us; me, my wife; my 86 year old dad, our daughter and her husband and their two sons (ages 5 and 8)… so four generations on our first visit to Hawaii and the PCC. I am a retired computer engineer, my father is a retired traffic design engineer, my wife and daughter are both nurses and my son in law is a Master Chemist for a large pharmaceutical firm. I tell you this only to show even though are from West Virginia we are not what many consider to be that regions prototypical hillbillies.

We visited you using your Super Ambassador ticket and had an absolutely wonderful and most enjoyable visit. I could ramble on for hours regaling you into near comatose states with glowing descriptives of our experience and all the fun we had… but, even though it’s true, I’m sure you’ve heard all that hyperbole before so I won’t bore you with it again for the umpteenth time.

I will however tell you about three remarkable people we had the very good fortune to cross paths with and how they made our good trip into something extraordinary! And I might throw in one of two things that most impressed me and my family.

The first person was Phoebe. She was our escort and guide while we were there and she was an absolute delight. Due to my daughter and wife’s love of shopping we were late checking in and she had to hustle us along to avoid missing more than we had already missed of the canoe parade. Throughout the day she kept us moving, but was so sweet and entertaining we never felt rushed. We were very happy to find she was just a regular person with her own feelings and genuine thoughts and cares about us and our visit. In other words, she was not some glossy stuffed shirt with an artificial smile saying the spiel she’d been taught by some bean counter. We found she was a student at your nearby university with all the angst and stress of any other student and, surprisingly, she was from China. She had a remarkable life story and our one regret was we did not have more time to get to know her. She was a genuine person and freely shared her thoughts and opinions about the various exhibits and shows. Throughout our visit she explained everything and showed us the things that we were most eager to see and got us where we needed to be on time and with a minimum of fuss all while being herself and truly caring about us and our experience. Thank you for having such special people there to help and care for your guests.

Next was a show host from Samoa named Kap. As we sat through the beginnings of the show I thought him to be a bit of a clown and a mere caricature of a native Samoan. However, it took only a few moments of observation to realize this was a performance meant to lightheartedly entertain while still educating us on daily life and the customs of the Samoan people. My family, and especially my grandsons, were enthralled by his fire-starting and coconut husking skills. I sat amazed that in just a few short minutes he had shared at least a few important aspects of his native island’s culture; coconut tree climbing to harvest the nuts, cooking habits, dancing, and coconut harvesting/preparation and fire-starting. In just a few moments I had done a 180 degree about face regarding him and had to marvel at what he taught and shared about his culture all while maintaining a comic persona to keep the kids entertained. (This old kid enjoyed it too!) I had the great pleasure to meet and speak with him several times afterwards and found him to be friendly, genuinely warm and caring, and a very talented and intelligent person. I was surprised to find this showman was also an accomplished artist.

The last person was perhaps the most influential person we met. He was one of the lead players in your production of Ha Breath of Life! Sadly, we never learned his last name, but his first name was Jonathan.

Attending on Super Ambassador tickets we had literally front row seats and after the show were fortunate enough to get photos with many of the stars of this most wonderful production. Four or five of the actors showed genuine interest in the audience and their new fans. My grandsons were in awe of Jonathan and several of the other the actors for their fire dancing and fire-sword handling and the fight scenes and were bubbling with questions. (The fire dancing was very impressive and while I know the fight scenes were carefully choreographed and only intended to be symbolic of war, they are the stuff of dreams for a 5 and 8 year old.) Jonathan, the young man who played the final leading man, was most patient with them and assured them while the fire dancing was very dangerous, and not to try it at home, he and the other dancers were very well trained and were quite safe and no one was injured. He also explained the skill it takes to handle the fire swords and the months of training he got that insured neither he or any of the other cast members were hurt. He was genuinely interested in us, where we were from, how we came to be in Hawaii, what we had seen and what we hoped to see. He was interested in us. He told us about himself, his studies, and his beliefs. And most importantly to this grandfather, he selflessly spent time with us. C’mon now… He’s the star and we’re just folks from West Virginia. But, he spent time with us and was really interested in us and freely shared himself and his experiences with us. We stood and talked with him until the lights were turned out on us. Only then did we realize how late it had gotten. To his credit, his first thought was could we see to get out of the theater safely and he was graciously leading us to the exit when the lights came back on. I want to commend you for having young people like Jonathan at the Polynesian Cultural Center. He is a wonderful young man and he, to us, is a shining example of God’s word: Love your neighbor as yourself.

Phoebe, Kap, and Jonathan are credits to themselves, you, and their openly shared faith in God. Were I there I would offer them a hug of appreciation, but since I am many thousands of miles away will you please offer these fine young people my heartfelt regard and congratulations on a job well done.

There was one other thought I wanted to share… Our tickets gave us a behind the scenes tour, which was very informative and enjoyable. We were given the rare privilege of seeing the cast of the show as people in their everyday apparel and not the costumes that transformed them into the characters we grew to love and relate to during your show. While on our backstage tour we were there during the casts final meeting in preparation for the show and were honored and filled with joy to find your cast involved in a cast led prayer for their success and God’s guidance during the performance. My family and I are devout Christians. And I was thrilled to see your cast in prayer. Yes, I know a Christian church owns and operates this wonderful slice of Polynesia. But in this day of denial and hidden beliefs my family was thrilled to see your faith in action openly and unashamedly.  (See a video we took of their devotional here.)

Thank you for a wonderful experience. May God bless you richly. And until we see you again, Aloha.  Tracy G Reagan (and wife Debbie, Dad Glenn, Daughter and son-in law Karri and Ryan Hayhurst, and our two grandsons, Tucker and Tyler)

The following video is a small glimpse into the amazing experience we had, the Reagan family had and what you too can experience at the Polynesian Cultural Center.

One lucky Sugardoodle follower will win a trip for 4 to Hawaii.  Enter now here!

 

The Laie Hawaii Temple and visitors center are breathtaking. Enter to win a trip for 4 to this amazing place here.  In this picture we capture the visitors center Sister Missionaries standing in front of the temple.  Over 60,000 visitors came to this visitors center this summer, nearly double previous summers traffic average for the past 20 years.  Why you might ask?  Elder and Sister Swinton shared with us the inspiration they received to invite buses full of Tourists from Mainland China to stop and visit instead of stopping on the road out front for a quick photo and then driving past.  Hear the full story from Elder Swinton and the sisters serving at the visitors center regarding missionary work being done in the following videos:

 

It’s good to periodically evaluate where and how we use our time and make adjustments if needed.  If you’re looking for a good read, hop on over and read the whole article —-> here.

Melanie D.
xoxo