Ke Alaka'i: SPRING 2024, Gathering Israel Issue

P. 6- Being olive trees

P. 16- Gathering to Laie

P. 20- Beyond names and dates

SPRING 2024

TEAM MEMBERS

LeeAnn Lambert ADVISOR

Yichi Lu ART DIRECTOR

Abigail Harper MANAGING EDITOR

Bella Chimedbaatar MANAGING EDITOR

Emelia Mike JOURNALIST

Winslette Quiray-Santiago JOURNALIST

Karl Aldre Marquez JOURNALIST

John Andrew Quizana COPY EDITOR

Ranitea Teihoarii EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Scan to learn more about our team

Forrest Christensen GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Elinor Cash GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Malcolm Timoteo GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Moevai Tefan GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Yui Leung PHOTOGRAPHER

Emmie Siebert JOURNALIST

CJ Shinihah Notarte JOURNALIST

Myco Chillian Marcaida JOURNALIST

Mutia Parasduhita JOURNALIST

Daravutdy Si JOURNALIST

Linda Laulu JOURNALIST

Bilguun Enkhbaatar PHOTOGRAPHER

Camille Jovenes PHOTOGRAPHER

NEWS CENTER: Box 1920

BYUH

Laie, HI 96762

Editorial, photo submissions & distribution inquiry: kealakai@byuh.edu

To view additional articles, go to kealakai.byuh.edu

CONTACT:

Email: kealakai@byuh.edu

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Office: BYU–Hawaii

Aloha Center 134

ON THE COVER: Valery Katheryn Olea, a freshman from Naga, Philippines majoring in graphic design reaching out to the sky as she poses for a photo. Photo by Camille Jovenes. Graphics by Yichi Lu.

BACK COVER: A hand reaches out over the water in the reflecting pool at the Laie Hawaii Temple Visitor’s Center. Photo by Camille Jovenes. Graphics by Yichi Lu.

The Ke Alaka‘i began publishing the same year the University, then called Church College of Hawaii, opened. It has continued printing for more than 65 years. The name means “the leader” in Hawaiian.What began as a monthly newsletter, evolved into a weekly newspaper, then a weekly magazine and is now a monthly news magazine with a website and a social media presence.Today, a staff of more than 25 students work to provide information for BYU–Hawaii’s campus ohana and Laie’s community.

© 2024 Ke Alaka‘i BYU–Hawaii All Rights Reserved

Letter from THE EDITOR

Abigail Eve Harper

Dear Readers,

When I was 11 my family moved from Provo, Utah to Jerusalem so my father could teach Biblical studies at the BYU center there. It was my first exposure to intercultural dynamics but unlike what we have cultivated here on campus, it was not peaceful.

Something deep in my chest twists into knots when I think about the violence in Gaza, the war in Ukraine and the polarization, distrust and contempt growing in my home country, the United States. I often wonder what I could do to help, but I feel small compared to such big problems.

In 2018 President Nelson called the gathering of Israel the most important work happening on the earth today. I wanted to put together a magazine centered around this news.

I have come to understand the gathering of Israel as the cultivation of relationships with friends, spouses, ancestors (p. 20), ward members and more. By inviting everyone to gather into a community that lives in a way where our differences unite us rather than divide us (p. 16). However, too often I see myself and others using the gospel as a stick to hit and defend rather than as an olive branch to extend and love. This troubles me.

I’ve known people who think the tragedies in Gaza are a fulfillment of a prophecy and therefore must be what God wants. Learn more about how the gathering of Israel President Nelson speaks of is different from Israel the nation-state (p. 12). I’ve had friends feel judged for returning early from a mission. Learn more about experiences like this on page 60. And I have self-righteously been unkind to family members who think differently than me. All these actions devalue human dignity, which you can read about on page 30.

Our school was prophesied about by David O. McKay to be a laboratory for peacebuilders. Our Alumni are fulfilling that prophecy and going out and doing good in the world, including helping with the clean up on Maui after the wildfires (p. 26). Many of our students have served missions and recounted some of their funny, scary and spiritual experiences on pages 32-26. There are many ways to divide and damage, but there are just as many ways to gather and build. We will know which is which by the fruits they produce (p. 8).

I hope something in this magazine sparks a desire in you to be the change you want to see in the world. By following through on that spark you will be part of the most important work happening on the earth today.

With love,

Abigail Eve Harper Editor-in-chief

BY ABIGAIL HARPER

he paradox of humans individually being one-of-a-kind and collectively being one is the essence of gathering Israel, which is the most important endeavor happening on the earth today, says President Russell M. Nelson, the prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of

Genesis 32 tells a story about Jacob wrestling a man. Matthew Bowen, an associate professor in the Faculty of Religious Education, said the Hebrew word used for “man” in this story actually means “divine man,” and sometimes this gets translated as Jacob wrestling God.

Bowen explained this story represents Jacob’s natural man wrestling with Jacob’s divine man in an internal struggle.

After his wrestle, Jacob is given the new name “Israel,” which means “let God prevail,” because his divine self won the fight, explained Bowen. “Thus the very name of Israel,” says President Nelson, “refers to a person who is willing to let God prevail in his or her life.”

When individuals allow God to prevail in their lives, they uniquely fulfill the measure of their creation, said Bowen. As people fulfill the measure of their creation, they become one in Jesus Christ, he continued.

Allegory of the olive vineyard

The Book of Mormon’s Jacob 5 tells an allegory of an olive vineyard. It is a symbolic narrative of Israel’s fall, the atonement and God prevailing, said Bowen.

The allegory of the olive vineyard was broken into seven time periods by Paul Y. Hoskisson, a former professor of ancient scripture at BYU in Provo. In the first period, there is a tame olive tree a man nurtures and tends. The tree grows old and begins to die. Hoskisson connects this to the founding of the House of Israel in the Old Testament.

In the second period, the man cares for the dying tree until it starts to grow new branches. However, the majority of the tree is still dying. Trying to save the tree, the man takes the new branches, plants them in other parts of the vineyard and grafts branches from wild olive trees into the tame tree. Hoskisson compares this to Old Testament prophets, like Moses, Samuel, Isaiah and Lehi, trying to reclaim Israel.

After time passes, the man and a servant return to the vineyard. The tree and the new branches that were planted have good fruit on them. The servant asks the man why he planted the branches in bad soil. The man tells him he improved the soil by tending to it, and the fruitful tree proves this was a good choice.

“If I had kept trying to exert my will, I would never have found this joy.” Matthew Bowen

An exploration of what letting God prevail means according to different scriptures

Then they go to look at the one branch he planted in good soil, which has half good fruit and half bad fruit. This is the time period when Gentiles produced good fruit, like the Lamanites in the Book of Mormon, says Hoskisson.

The next time the man and servant return to the vineyard, they find all the trees and branches have bad fruit and the last branch that had half good and half bad fruit has completely withered away. The man cries for his trees. This portion of the allegory represents the Great Apostasy, writes Hoskisson.

Together the man and the servant graft branches from the mother tree into the dispersed branches. They then take branches from the scattered trees and graft them into the mother tree. The man and the servant tend to all the trees and bit by bit clear away the bad branches. The man instructs not to clear away the bad all at once because it would kill the trees. More servants come and everyone works together until the trees start to produce good fruit again, and over become alike. Hoskisson compares this time period to the latter days, or the time we live in.

The sixth time period represents the millennium, says Hoskisson. The man harvests all the good fruit, and for a time, the trees only produce good fruit. Finally, the end of the world comes, Hoskisson explains. Some of the fruit becomes bad again. The man gathers all the fruit, good and bad and sorts it. The bad gets cast away and the good is preserved. Then the vineyard is burned.

Let God prevail

In the allegory, bad fruit is a sign the tree is dying. “This is evident in biology,” said

Bowen. “When the processes of an organism are working right, the organism is healthy. When they’re not, the organism isn’t healthy.” Growth isn’t always good, he explained. The bad fruit, like cancer, is a form of unhealthy growth that threatens the vitality of an organism, or in the story, the tree, he said.

“The Lord wants so much for us to do what he has intended us to do,” said Bowen, so we don’t produce the equivalent of bad fruit. “I point to myself as much as anyone else when I say this,” said Bowen, “But [human nature] tends to want to resist. We want our will to prevail over God’s, but that’s not the story [of the olive vineyard].” It is God’s will that we become what we were meant to be, otherwise we are in danger of spiritually dying, Bowen shared.

Self-justifying scripture

Being one is not enough to qualify for Zion, said Bowen. There also needs to be righteousness and an absence of poverty, he said. “No poverty means taking care of the poor, not casting them out,” said Bowen. He said he has seen some people use scriptures like this to self-justify not keeping the commandments.

“When Jesus said we will always have the poor,” said Bowen, he was making a commentary, not a prophecy. He knew, explained Bowen, human nature tends to leave poor people in the dust rather than lifting them up. Some people don’t try to alleviate poverty because they think it would make Jesus a liar, which is the worst way of interpreting scripture, said Bowen.

Fulfilling the measure of our creation means being uniquely what God intends us to

be, said Bowen, which is different for every one. However, we are also commanded to be one. In Doctrine and Covenants 38:27, God says, “Be one; and if ye are not one, ye are not mine.” This means being united in the bonds of love, explained Bowen.

Paul explains this paradox in 1 Corinthians 12. He says members of the Church are like parts of a body. They are all one body, or the body of Christ. But at the same time, a body is made of lots of different parts. Some will be the feet, which have a different function than the hands. Some will be the eyes, and some will be the ears. There are many members, says Paul, but one body.

The privilege of a lifetime

Bowen said in his late 20s, he really wanted to be a librarian. “The doors to that opportunity stayed shut,” he said, “and I wondered why because I thought it was a good thing to want to do.” He said God showed him he was meant to feed His sheep through teaching, which he now knows is why those opportunities remained closed for him.

“If I had kept trying to exert my will, I would never have found this joy,” said Bowen. He would never have met his wife or had his three children, he said since staying at the library would mean he never went to graduate school where he met his wife. “I don’t like that alternative timeline,” said Bowen.

Despite seeking to let God prevail, Bowen said he and his family still have all the ordinary challenges like health, finances and death. While he does not know where life will go from here, he shared, “There has been so much joy” in his life. •

The growth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints BEING ONE:

The growth of the Church in BYUH’s target areas of Oceania and Asia

BY LINDA LAULU

OCEANIA (PACIFIC)

There are approximately 599,065 members and 1,308 congregations of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Oceania Pacific region at the end of 2023, according to the Church’s website. The area has 11 temples and 17 missions.

Membership

ASIA

There were 1,298,181 members and 2,113 congregations of the Church in the Asia region reportedly in 2023. There are 10 temples and 45 missions.

At the end of 2023, the Church reported the total membership to be 17,225,394 people with 31,490 congregations. There are a total of 335 temples recorded in use or being built across the globe.

Temples

Photo by Yui Leung. Graphics by Forrest Christensen.

BEING UNIQUE

Watch the video “Embrace the Diversity Within,” made by Ke Alaka’i’s team by scanning the QR code below BY ABIGAIL

HARPER

“Sisters, you have a divine endowment that allows you to literally change lives. This is particularly true as we are anxiously engaged in the divine mandate to gather Israel. Anytime we help anyone help find the covenant path and stay on it, we are helping to gather Israel. No one does this better than you as mothers, leaders, teachers, sisters, and friends. You are preparing future generations of the Lord’s church and the world.”

President Russell M. Nelson during the Worldwide Relief Society Devotional, 2024.•

SAME NAME, TWO MEANINGS

Explaining the difference between the nation-state of Israel and the gathering of Israel

BY EMELIA MIKE

The term “Israel” can refer to the nation-state in the Middle East, with Jerusalem as its capital. However, in Latter-day Saint theology, Israel has a broader and more spiritual connotation.

The concept of the Gathering of Israel is one of the central beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is not related to the politics of the nation-state, said Dr. Matthew Bowen, an associate professor in the Faculty of Religious Education.

On Oct 12, 2023, the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued a statement that says,

“We are devastated by the recent eruption of violence and loss of life in the Middle East. Violence of this nature is abhorrent to us and is not in harmony with the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is a gospel of peace. At such times, our hearts ache for all victims of this atrocity. As servants of God, we affirm that He calls upon all of us to love our neighbors as

ourselves and we pray for a peaceful resolution of all conflicts.”

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints website says the House of Israel consists of descendants of the ancient Israelites and lost tribes. The Gathering of Israel refers to Latter-day Saints gathering in Stakes of Zion, says the website. Elder Bruce R. McConkie is sourced on the webpage saying, “Zion exists wherever individuals gather together… through baptism and covenant.” •

Picture of the Dome of the Rock and the Western Wall in Jerusalem by Cristina Gottardi from Unsplash. Graphics Moevai Tefan.

Photo of President Russell M. Nelson by Church of Jesus Christ Newsroom. Graphics by Forrest Christensen.

The Gathering Place

The Church in Laie from 1850 - 2024

BY MYCO MARCAIDA & RANITEA TEIHOARII

Anciently known as a pu’uhonua or a place of refuge, Laie was once a small branch of 70 saints, “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, continues the book “Gathering in La’ie”. According to the book, Laie will influence millions of people seeking to know this town and its significance.

Laie through the years

Riley M. Moffat, 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, said R. Lanier Britsch, 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 started building the first and second phases of the Church College of Hawaii and the construc-

tion 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. According to the book, the construction of the PCC provided work and income for CCH students.

Memories of campus life

During 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. “Before the tourists came in the morning, I collected the garbage, and in the afternoon, I would help with landscaping and bringing stones from the hills to build the villages in the PCC,” he added.

Philip Bruner, an associate professor in the Faculty of Sciences, said he studied at BYUH, then known as the Church College of Hawaii, in 1966. The student body was smaller and allowed everyone to know each other, at least by sight, he added.

Bruner added the first dorms, Hale 1 and 2, were built by the labor missionaries before second stories were added to them.

Roughly 40 percent of the student body was composed of nonmembers, and there were hardly any haoles, or white people, at Church College of Hawaii, he said. When he

was a student, the college had less than 1,100 students, Moffat added.

Serving in the Church

While 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. When Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf visited Laie, 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, he said.

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, Moffat said.

“We will miss those who have passed away, but we knew we would see them again,” he added.

Another memorable experience for him was helping members with their mission applications, and at one point, his ward had 16 full-time missionaries out in the mission field, said Moffat. •

A group of pioneers in front of the Laie Hawaii Temple in 1920. Photo from the BYUH Archives and Special Collections.

Dec 12, 1850

Arrival of 10 gold mining missionaries in Hawaii: Henry William Bigler, Hiram Blackwell, George Q. Cannon, John Dixon, William Farrer, James Hawkins, James Keeler, Thomas Morris, Thomas Whittle and Hiram Clark.

1854

Active Latter-day Saints begin to move to Palawai on Lanai, designated as the gathering place for Hawaiian saints.

1855

The Book of Mormon is translated by George Q. Cannon and Jonathan Napela and published for Hawaiian saints.

January 26, 1865

Francis A. Hammond, co-president of the “Sandwich Island Mission” called by Brigham Young, negotiates to purchase his 6,000 acres plantation in Laie.

1868

Planting and harvesting sugarcane becomes the economic engine of Laie to support its LDS Hawaiian population.

1883

I Hemolele, the New Laie chapel, is dedicated in the presence of King Kalakaua.

1885

Joseph F. Smith arrives on his third mission to Hawaii. He encourages the people to stay in Laie, and prophecies of its eventual beauty and abundance.

1900

The Jubilee celebration of the Church is presided over by President George Q. Cannon who also prophecies a temple will be built in Hawaii.

1919

President Heber J. Grant dedicates the Laie Hawaii Temple. The temple symbolizes a gathering of all saints on earth and beyond.

July 21, 1954

The First Presidency announces the establishment of The Church College of Hawaii.

Feb. 12, 1955

President David O. McKay breaks ground for the Church College of Hawaii and prophesies, “ [...] from this school, I tell you, will go men and women whose influence will be felt towards the establishment of peace internationally.”

1958

President McKay dedicates the newly constructed campus.

1959

The Church College of Hawaii is licensed as a two-year institution.

1961

The CCH reached full accreditation as a four-year-degree-granting institution of higher learning.

1962

The CCH number of students registered on campus has increased by 1,000 students.

1963

President Hugh B. Brown dedicates the Polynesian Cultural Center.

1964

The CCH has a strong international representation of students from the Cook Islands, Fiji, Guam, Hong Kong, Korea, Japan, New Zealand, Philippines, Samoa, Tahiti, Taiwan and Tonga.

1967

Laie celebrates its centennial anniversary since 1865.

1974

The CCH receives a new executive head, Dan W. Andersen, and a new affiliation and name, Brigham Young University–Hawaii.

GeorgeQCannon

Timeline of

Laie Templeinthe1930s ChurchCollegeofHawaiidedica

1977

BYU–Hawaii Campus Stake is organized by Elder Marvin J. Ashton of the Council of Twelve Apostles.

1979

Rededications of the Laie Hawaii Temple by President Spencer W. Kimball after the temple’s renovation.

1981

Dedication of the Lorenzo R. Snow Administration building and the George Q. Cannon Activities Center. The BYU–Hawaii Second Stake is organized.

1987

President Alton Wade improves image of BYUH strengthening student government and community relations, and modernizing processes and facilities.

1994

President Howard W. Hunter blesses the people of Laie and rededicates the land.

199

Presided by President Gordon B. Hinckley, BYUH’s Pioneers in the Pacific conference celebrates the faith and courage of the early Saints in the Pacific Islands.

2000

Focusing on the Hawaiian values of language, aloha (love), ohana (family), ho’opono (correct behavior), and lokahi(unity), the Napela Center is started.

2003

Elder Jeffery R. Holland dedicates a new stake center building on campus.

2005

BYUH celebrates its 50th anniversary.

2007

The Area Presidencies of North Asia, Asia, Philippines, Australia, and Pacific Areas forms partnership for greater student recruitment and returnability.

2009

The I-WORK program, an international financial aid program is introduced.

2010

President Thomas S. Monson rededicates the Laie Hawaii Temple.

2011

The ground breaking of the first phase of the new construction at BYUH is presided over by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland.

2015

The 60th Anniversary of BYUH and 150th anniversary of the Church in Laie is celebrated.

2020

COVID-19 causes the discontinuing of enrollment for 2020. Support for students who couldn’t return home was provided by BYUH.

July 1, 2020

President John S.K. Kauwe is called as the 11th president of BYUH. He is the youngest president of a university owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Kauwe is a descendant of a native Hawaiian, Kaleohano.

2021

BYUH opens a remote program for the Winter and Spring Semesters. In the Fall Semester, students were invited back on campus.

October 2023

The PCC celebrates its 60th anniversary.

Photos by Mark Tabilos, Brigham Young University of Hawaii’s Archives and Special Collections.

Peace: A prophecy in progress

Generations of peacebuilders have made the David O. McKay Center for Intercultural Understanding what it is today and are its hope for the future, says faculty members

BY ABIGAIL HARPER

From left to right: .David Whippy, Maclaine Day, Chad Ford, Amanda Ford and Michael Ligaliga, from the Faculty of Culture, Language & Performing Arts.

Photo by Yui Leung.

The world needs women and men who are committed to something higher than political, religious or cultural tribalism and are committed to the vision of a community with one heart and one mind, said Chad Ford. The polarization of the world is reaching a tipping point where bad things will happen, he said, unless it is reversed by people who know how to collaborate with others who are deeply unlike them.

Ford, a professor in the Faculty of Culture, Language & Performing Arts, said he and his former students, who are now his colleagues, have created BYU–Hawaii’s intercultural peacebuilding, or IPB program to teach rising generations how to build bridges with their enemies.

Why it matters

Peacebuilding as an area of study matters for two reasons, said Ford. One is no matter

Space

what profession a person goes into, conflict will be part of their professional life, he said. “There was a Stanford Business Review article that asked CEOs what skills they wished they had or learned, and conflict resolution was the overwhelming theme,” Ford cited.

The IPB curriculum’s focus is on keeping the program very flexible, said Maclaine Day, an adjunct faculty member in the Faculty of Culture, Language & Performing Arts. “The majority of our students are double majoring in something,” she said. It’s an opportunity for students to study their interests and peacebuilding because peacebuilders are needed in every profession, she added.

The second reason IPB matters is because conflict will always be part of one’s personal life, said Ford. “[Peacebuilding] becomes the most crucial skill as a parent, spouse and ward member,” he added. The most popular IPB class is interpersonal peacebuilding that

covers conflict theory in relationships with parents, siblings, dating partners, spouses and children, Ford said.

Foundational & groundbreaking

A peacebuilding program with the combination of the tried and proven models of Western, Indigenous, Pacific and Asian perspectives and the lens of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ creates a unique space at BYUH, said Ford.

Michael Ligaliga and David Whippy, both assistant professors in the Faculty of Culture, Language & Performing Arts, “have brought to the table their own pioneering work connected to the indigenous cultures they grew up with,” said Ford.

Ligaliga shared, “A lot of my work is looking at peace and conflict theory and what aligns and doesn’t align in the Pacific.” When he was working for New Zealand’s Govern-

that has been harmed needs to be healed.

ment Centre for Dispute Resolution, he said he did a lot of research on developing frameworks of conflict in the Pacific. There are a lot of taboos with conflict, Ligaliga said, but he has used the frameworks he created to address family violence, substance abuse and mental health. During the Winter 2024 Semester, he said he took some students to New Zealand to address school suspension rates.

One of the foundational philosophies of the IPB program Ligaliga brought was the concept of va, he said. Va is a Pacific notion that all things have a relational space, he explained. Ligaliga said understanding va includes being mindful and taking care of that relational space. “That’s a very Pacific framing,” he said. Space that has been harmed needs to be healed, explained Ford. “We are not the only program that sees peacebuilding through a Christological lens,” said Ford, but BYUH is the only one thinking about it through the Restoration, he added. “To me, Jesus is about restoration,” said Ford, not just the Restoration of the gospel, but also our relationships to our Heavenly Parents and to each other.

Liberating the captive and mourning with those who mourn are the same things peacebuilders are trying to do, explained Ford. “Peacebuilders can’t heal individual sin the way Jesus can,” he said, “but we can address where so much of sin comes from.”

Ford said he believes sin comes from losing sight of the humanity and divinity of our brothers and sisters. When people no longer have what Paul calls “the eyes of the heart” in the New Testament, they feel enmity, which leads to hate and sin, explained Ford.

Defense against the dark arts

On Feb 12, 1955, President David O. McKay said in his dedication of BYUH that “from this school, I’ll tell you, will go men and women whose influence will be felt for good towards the establishment of peace internationally.”

Twenty-nine years later, Elder Neal A. Maxwell gave a speech focused on President McKay’s vision for peace at Eric B. Shumway’s inauguration as president of BYUH. “I was a junior sitting in the Cannon Activities Center

hearing that speech, and it was the first time I had heard about that stuff,” said Ford. This led President Shumway to seek ways BYUH could more directly fulfill the vision, Ford explained.

In 2005, Ford came back to BYUH as a teacher to create an academic program for peace. “It was a tough sell,” he said. “A lot of our colleagues were a bit skeptical,”he added. Toward the end of that year, Ford said, some students approached him and asked why there weren’t more peacebuilding classes. He told them to be patient with the process, but one day the same students came back with the fifth Harry Potter book, he said.

In the book, Ford explained, the school’s headmistress outlaws the class called, “Defense Against the Dark Arts” where Harry, the protagonist, and a group of students met secretly to learn anyway. Ford said the students asked if they could study peacebuilding without credit like the characters in the book. They were powerful advocates for what they were learning, he said. They talked to people and professors, Ford said, and slowly people began to warm up to the idea of an IPB program. The

program eventually began with an introduction class in 2008, he said.

Terry Moeai, the Student Leadership & Service Senior manager, was in the first group of ‘Harry Potter’ students. Moeai said there was a lot of historical baggage he and his classmates brought to their meetings. For example, one of his fellow classmates said Hawaiians were better off because of the arrival of Captain Cook. “That was really difficult,” said Moeai, because as a Hawaiian he reminded his classmate it was a Western worldview of technology. The native Hawaiians were skilled people who sailed the Pacific without any kind of modern instruments, he said, but over half of their population was obliterated because of sickness. “When we talk about worldviews, everyone has a different perception of how they see the world,” Moeai said. What kept the group together was being Latter-day Saints, he said. “Our values were unitedly the same even though our worldviews were different,” he added.

Conflict leads to progress and change, said Moeai. The dedication of the Aloha Center says the building will be a laboratory for theoretical frameworks to build peace internationally by engaging in difficult conversations, said Moeai. The conversations sound like, “I might not see the world through the lens you see

it,” said Moeai, ”but I can understand why and how you behave that way.”

Moeai said he wanted to be an influence for peace that wasn’t just the absence of war but an attitude of love and acceptance for people who think and behave differently.

Not what they expected

Day said she came to BYUH in 2014 with no intention of studying peacebuilding. She said she attended an Arbinger Institute workshop, an early form of the peacebuilding program, for extra credit. “I hated it,” she said. “I didn’t like being told I was a big contender and the source of many of my conflicts.”

What did catch her attention was hearing that the head of the peacebuilding classes, Ford, was away on sabbatical in the Middle East, she said.

“My grandfather is Palestinian,” Day added. “I wanted to meet the teacher who was doing work in the Middle East to learn more about my ancestry and what’s going on over there. I was grasping for connections to that part of my life,” she said.

She signed up for Ford’s IPB introduction class, and then another and another IPB class. One day, her advisor said Day’s major was international cultural studies with a certificate in mediation and that it was time to graduate.

Ligaliga said, “I’m a deejay. I [came to school] just wanting to learn how to download music.” After going to a workshop like Day did, he said it helped him better understand the problems in his personal life. Ligaliga added he was jumping between many majors at that time, but switched to study the closest thing to peacebuilding that was offered and stayed on track.

Whippy was similarly lured into peacebuilding through a different route, he said. One semester he was three credits short and had an afternoon spot to fill, Whippy said. “I’m a big basketball fan. If you follow basketball, you follow ESPN. If you follow ESPN, you follow Chad Ford,” he explained, referencing Ford’s other job as a basketball analyst. He signed up for Ford’s class, and while there was no talk of basketball, Whippy said he fell in love with peacebuilding.

Drinking from the well

When Day was a student, she said the IPB program was mostly mainland women. “I laugh a bit because out in the field it is male dominated,” she said. In the past two years of teaching in the program, she said she’s had students from more than 25 countries and more of a balance between male and female. “It’s not a major meant just for women, and that is

one of the stereotypes we’ve worked hard to overcome,” she said. “It’s encouraging to see our numbers reflecting that,” she added.

The future of the program aligns with the school’s target area of Pacific and Asia, said Ford. They have a good start in the Pacific, with Whippy and Ligaliga being fruits of that, he said, and there is a growing number of students in the program from the Philippines, Korea, Japan and Taiwan. Ford said he expects his students will also be pioneers in their countries. “My hope is that one or two of them will come back to our campus and pave the way for our students from Asia,” he said.

Ligaliga, the first graduate intern to come back to campus and teach after getting a master’s degree, will be taking Ford’s place as head of the program after the Spring 2024 Semester, Ford explained. “I was influential in starting the program, and my fingerprints are all over it,” he said. “But there is a point when the person who starts [a project] needs to get out of the way and let the next generation innovate and create.”

That has been really hard for him, he said, but “part of loving something is being able to open your hand and let it grow beyond you.”

There is a phrase often used in the IPB program that says, “We drink from wells we did not dig,” said Ligaliga. He explained he cannot plan the future of the program without acknowledging the past and everything Ford has done to build the program.

Bringing it home

When Whippy was a student field director, he got to travel to Israel, he said, where Ford had him facilitate an Arbinger workshop with Israeli and Palestinian children.

“I was sweating,” said Whippy, because he was so nervous. The experience “stamped in me the belief this could be taught around the world,” he said. “If I can teach peace in a space with a history of conflict like Israel, it should be easier if I take it to the Pacific and to my family.”

Whippy said his dissertation was on creating a peace education model specific to his home country of Fiji. His country’s educational system is a compulsory standardized curriculum from first to 10th grade, he explained, so he wanted to know where peace can fit in, either as its own discipline or connected to a pre-existing one. His results from survey-

ing teachers was huge positive support, he said that peace education needs to be its own subject. Teachers also wanted it to be taught in teacher training so they could create classroom atmospheres conducive to peace, he said.

Fiji has a history of ethnic conflict, Whippy explained, so the main part of the new peace curriculum would be learning about other ethnicities’ languages, cultural practices and history.

Other parts would include environmental and spiritual learning as well as conflict resolution skills contextualized from Western-centric syllabi, he said.

Talking about how he brought peacebuilding into his home made Moeai emotional. “Growing up as a Polynesian there is only one way, and it’s top-down,” he explained, “As a child in the Pacific, your life belongs to your family, and if expectations aren’t met, it usually results in some very extreme behavior towards you.”

He was going to college and raising his children at the same time, he said, and his education helped him and his wife be more aware of their children’s needs and give them more freedom to learn and experience life. •

I might not see the world through the lens you see it, but I can understand why and how you behave that way.”

Beyond names and dates

eller has been a faculty member since August 1997, teaching history for 35 years. Before arriving in Laie, he received his doctorate in history at Columbia University in New York City and taught at Bronx Community College, BYU in Provo and now BYUH, the website says.

Truman Schlag, a senior majoring in history from Laie, said he took Tueller’s history class, and it helped him identify and explain arguments and critiques about any historical topic they discussed in class. Throughout his tenure as a history major, Schlag said he learned proper academic research methods such as finding sources through legitimate websites and articles online. He added his experiences in Tueller’s class enhanced his skills in writing academic papers as well.

Elizabeth Muavaefaatasi Ameto, a senior majoring in history from Samoa, said her interest in history was sparked by a fascination with stories of the past, the intrigue of ancient civilizations and the desire to understand how historical events have shaped the world people live in today.

She said Tueller played a significant role in nurturing her interest by offering engaging lectures, encouraging class discussions and providing additional resources such as books, articles and documentaries. She added Tueller allowed her to explore various historical topics and encouraged independent research projects tailored to her interests.

Tueller said he found out his family history mostly came from Nothern Europe, Sweden, England and Scotland before they immigrated to the United States. “Knowing key contexts like this helped me appreciate who my ancestors were and researching them makes me feel that they are still loved and remembered,” he said.

Tueller said his discoveries from family history research helped him encourage students majoring in history to appreciate history through texts, stories, research and pictures.

Ameto said Tueller consistently encouraged her to think critically. She said he emphasizes the importance of examining historical sources with a discerning eye and being good at judging the quality of a source. She said he challenged her to analyze the causes and consequences of historical events. Tueller encouraged her to produce her thoughts and think deeply about how history in the past can shape the future and how she analyzes such events, she added.

Family history research

Exploring ancestral connections

Tueller said his interest in family history follows naturally from his profession as a university professor of history. He said he enjoyed reading from a young age and finding out about the past, which includes his fascination for his own family history.

In 2019, he said BYUH honored him as the David O. McKay Lecturer where he used his family tree on his father’s side as a primary source for his academic lecture. The topic he chose was the history of his ancestors who immigrated to the United States from Switzerland in the 1870s and 1880s, he said.

He said his mother saved a photo of her grandparents in their early years when they were not married yet. One of the photos was of David Leland Heywood, 1871 – 1958, and Mathesulah W. Evans, 1868 – 1951. He said this photo and his mother’s story became his primary source in his research about his ancestors.

Tueller said he has been teaching HIST 200, “The Historian’s Craft,” a historical methods class at BYUH since 2003. He said students learn how to be historians and he encourages them to use the methods to research their interests. He said the students who explore their family history, find primary sources such as firsthand or direct evidence of events and people, and read secondary sources such as sources made available by other researchers, scholars and historians, about the time and place of their ancestors often write some of the better papers.

He said he also taught the Religion 261 Family History course that focuses more on General Authority teachings about family history. In the class, students familiarize themselves with FamilySearch.org and other church-supported websites about genealogy in the class, Tueller added.

The research he is doing will be attributed to the book he is planning to publish, he said. The book will be a combination of a history and a how-to manual that includes examples and methods including research findings and personal stories that will be used to exemplify and inspire future readers to do the same, he added. •

Carlson Cousins, circa 1934. In front of Anna and John Carlson home – 74 South 400 East – Logan, Utah.

Front Row (left to right): Lorraine, Blaine, Diane, Larry, Carole Row 2: Calder, Anna, David, Leroy, Ralph, Dale, Joan,

Joseph Leland Heywood and Mary Bell family, circa 1905. Photos provided by Jim Tueller.

John and Anna Carlson family, circa 1934.

Tueller’s ancestors: David Heywood and Mat Evans.

STARTING TO LIVE

An alumnus shares his journey and encourages students to not wait but act right now on their own ideas

BY MYCO MARCAIDA

“If momentum is built, it is a lot easier to keep going.”

Norton

BYU–Hawaii provides so many opportunities for its students, said Richie Norton, an award-winning author, an entrepreneur from the North Shore and a BYUH alumnus. He said, “Everything you need can be found right here [at BYUH].”

Starting something stupid

Natalie Norton, Richie Norton’s wife, said the best way to start something is to just do it.

“If momentum is built, it is a lot easier to keep going,” she shared. Natalie Norton said both she and her husband feel passionate about not postponing the good things of life and focusing on what they can do. “BYUH brings [together] some of the most bright and wonderful minds, and if we can get going now, we can make such a difference in the world,” she said.

Richie Norton explained, “Everyone has thoughts pressing on their minds. They tell themselves it might be stupid, and they don’t have experience or money, and it is all a lie.” He added even if people fail after trying, their lives will change for good.

Natalie

Lauren Schwalger, the organizer for the leadership story event the Nortons spoke at on campus and a senior from Arizona majoring in business management, said Richie Norton creates a safe space for students to grow their ideas and makes them feel loved. “I love how he said that we have everything we need here on campus to flourish,” she added.

Sudden life challenges

Richie Norton shared with the group a photo of his brother-in-law who passed away in his sleep at age 21 in Laie and was buried here. He said, “We thought about the Plan of Salvation and the thought of growing old, but for [Gavin, his brother,] that wasn’t true.”

A similar experience of loss came years later, he shared. “Our fourth son, Gavin, named after his uncle, caught a cough and

eventually passed away and was also buried here in Laie.”

Richie Norton said both deaths changed he and his wife’s perspective on life and how short it can be. He explained how both losses his family experienced led to an idea they now call “Gavin’s Law: Live to start. Start to live,” which is a 76-day challenge to help people make their ideas a reality. Richie Norton said starting the ideas that are pressing on people’s minds right now will help them start living.

Value your time

During Richie Norton’s time at BYUH, he said he was elected student body president. He said he proposed, started and helped begin the BYUH Center for International Entrepreneurship. He added he started the Student Alumni Association and the “I Love

BYU–Hawaii” Facebook group, which helps to connect 16,000 alumni worldwide.

Richie Norton said he graduated in 2004 ,and in the following years, he has seen Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok gain popularity. He said he has pondered on the question, “Is there any way that BYUH could have prepared me and the students that graduated in 2004 for what came 20 years later?” Richie Norton explained BYUH is an institution that teaches students character and principles to prepare for abrupt changes in life. He promised, “The same way the world changed for me, the world will also change for you in the next 20 years.” •

Left: Richie Norton speaking to the attendees.

Right: Norton posing with some of the BYUH students who attended the event.

Photos by Kristian Galang. Graphics by Forrest Christensen & Yichi Lu.

Richie Norton’s

Balancing career, church and family

Six Washington state alumni share secrets to success: Build personal connections, learn from mistakes and seek out mentors

BY KARL MARQUEZ AND MYCO MARCAIDA

Lei Cummings, the BYU-Hawaii Alumni Relations manager, said she and Jacquie Alisa, a coordinator with Leadership Activities and Services, were contacted by Bernadette Pinpin to invite students to join a Zoom conference on March 27. Cummings said Pinpin is a mem-

Carlyn Sanchez from Washington works as a corporate director of Human Resources at Noble House Hotels & Resorts after she attended BYU-Hawaii from 1999 to 2003. She said she majored in international cultural studies and communications. Her academic foundation at school paved the way for her career in the world of tourism and hospitality, she said. She started working in hotels as a regular staff member and was led to become a corporate director of human resources in the industry, she added. During the mentoring session held by the BYUH alumni chapter in Washington state, she provided insights on the ever-changing landscape of any industry and the crucial roles of innovation, utilization of technology and people skills in staying ahead of any person’s career.

According to Sanchez, throughout her tourism and hospitality career, she noticed shifts in applicants’ skills and how they utilize technologies to their advantage. She said the change brought in competitiveness among applicants in the job market. She said social skills are more important than innovation and utilization of modern-day technologies. She emphasized the value of genuine connection among people.

Besides her encouragement to acquire these specific skills, she also highlighted the need for balance in both personal commitments and professional responsibilities. She said the importance of time management and prioritization helped her balance time with her family, church and work. Sanchez said she developed a personal color-coded calendar to help her track essential life events and schedules at work. She said her story and efforts leading her to where she is now testify to the intertwined connection between technical expertise and heartfelt social connections. She reminded students these are lifelong skills to be developed over time.

ber of the BYUH Washington Alumni Chapter, and the purpose of the Zoom meeting was for students to learn from experts who graduated from BYUH and one graduate from BYU-Idaho.

Gabriel Ikpaetuk from Nigeria is a recent graduate from BYU–Idaho and a software engineer at Netflix. H said his journey from school to professional life came from his proactive school engagements. He said he had internships at Amazon and Family History and learned from mistakes as he moved forward. Ikpaetuk said he also made valuable connections during his years in college that helped him find his full-time job. “As students, we were reminded to utilize websites and other school sources to look for careers. I utilized Indeed, LinkedIn, and personally emailed the people I connected with, which helped me land a job here at Netflix,” Ikpaetuk said.

While working at Netflix, he said he accidentally broke a code while working. He said he learned about resiliency and having a growth mindset. After the mistake, he configured the error and determined how it occurred. His experience at work taught him mistakes will always happen in life, he said, but it does not mean the end of the road.

“Failure is just a form of having new iterations. It means that you are brave enough to try again, have a chance to see what works best, and get closer to your desired goal or outcome in life. It has taught me to keep going and learn in every way,” Ikpaetuk said.

Besides his recent experience, he stressed the power of time management and making commitments to God a person’s top priority. He said determining what is essential to a person helps them prioritize and balance their work life, church calling, and personal time for themselves.

Shioon Kim from Washington

is a BYUH alumnus and dentist, graduated in 2001 with a major in biochemistry. He said he pioneered the major at BYUH and was grateful for his experiences while studying here. Kim said his success was measured by his eagerness to connect with people and professionals while studying. He said the school instilled values and skills for his professional success. “Without the foundation laid at BYUH, I believe I would not have achieved or made it to where I am standing right now,” Kim said.

Beyond his professional career, he said he finds joy and fulfillment in his role as a husband and a father to five children. He said his success comes from his family, which he termed as of the “utmost importance” in his life. His obligations at home made him do well in his calling at church and in his professional responsibilities, he added. One of his most cherished working moments was doing a dental drive in Guatemala and Honduras. Aside from his normal clinic schedule, he said, he dedicates his time to serving communities beyond borders. “The lifelong leadership I learned at BYUH paved the way for me to reach out to other people who are unfortunate and need help bringing their smiles back,” he said.

In the Zoom meeting, he emphasized three things he does to have a balanced life. First, he said he advocates for a deep understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel served as his compass traversing in his professional field, he said. Second, he said to be engaged with nature. He noted the importance of being out in nature and how it affects physical performance. He said taking time to care for himself through exercising in nature helped him feel rejuvenated. Lastly, he said to pursue activities that bring joy and fulfillment to a person. He added recognizing people’s passions for anything drives them to keep going. He emphasized the importance of polishing skills and talents while balancing family time, church and work.

Younghyuk Hong from South Korea graduated in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in information systems. Hong said he changed his career to education and now has a doctoral degree in school of administration.

Making friends is an essential part of the college experience, said Hong. “My wife and I had known the Pinpins for 20 years, and they helped us see things with a new perspective,” he added.

Hong said he taught his children the way he handles failures in life is to know there is always a way back whenever one fails.

Hong said to be curious about what others are doing is good when starting a career. “Come up with questions that make others want to share their experiences and thoughts, and make sure to listen.”

Bernadette Pinpin from the Philippines is a principal program manager at Microsoft originally from the Philippines, graduated in 1999 majoring in information systems. Pinpin shared three steps to success in a career.

“First, networking played a huge role in getting to where I am today,” said Pinpin. She said establishing solid relationships and positive impressions with coworkers and managers while having various roles throughout her career has helped her maintain connections.

Pinpin said communication was the second step. Her decision to transition back to a particular role led her to notify her international engineering network, both within and outside Microsoft. She showed her interest in the position. This communication led to opportunities for informational and formal interviews, she added.

“Third, I started polishing my interview skills and did mock interviews,” she said. Pinpin said Microsoft’s internal transfers involved applying for the job and undergoing a full-time interview loop. “You can’t just transfer from one job to another. You need to apply for the job and interview,” she added.

Cary Mitchell from Washington is a principal software engineer at Microsoft, graduated from BYUH in 2000. He shared how he found mentors in his life and how he mentors others.

Recalling his student years, he said whenever he bumps into people who have extraordinary skills in different areas, he makes sure to reach out to them and ask the question, “Can you be my mentor?” Mitchell said asking this question involves persuasion skills and helps him understand most people want to see a return on investment.

Mitchell said he always drives the engagement by saying, “I set up meetings with my mentee and make sure these meetings benefit us mutually.” Express gratitude for each other when ending a mentorship, he said.

Along with his advice on mentorship, Mitchell said the biggest challenge he faced in his career-seeking journey was taking the wrong role or job. He shared there is a lot of flattery when seeking jobs. “You hear all the things you want to hear. You see everything you want to see. Then you take the role, and there’s a reality that kicks in,” he added.

“In the end, the only thing you can really control is having a positive attitude. You don’t let those around you affect your attitude. Also, pray. The Lord will always guide you,” he said. •

Illustrations by Elinor Cash.

BEING PART OF THE SOLUTION

A

BYUH alumnus shares how he has helped in the cleanup efforts on Maui after the wildfires

BY WINSLETTE QUIRAY-SANTIAGO

Several months after the devastating Lahaina wildfire, about 941 of the 1,600 destroyed homes in Maui have been cleared, said Zeph McKee. He said the goal is to clear up at least 100 houses per month. Drinking water has been restored to about a third of the community and electricity is starting to be restored as well, said McKee, a BYU-Hawaii alumnus from California.

McKee said he graduated in 2021 with a degree in political science and an emphasis in international development and governance. He said he often thinks about his time at BYUH during his work as a deputy in the Debris Task

Force at the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency.

“I think what BYUH really inspired in me is a desire to be part of the solution instead of complaining about the problems that we have. We go out, engage with the community and find a solution,” he said.

McKee said he really likes the “Go forth to serve” line of the university’s motto. “It’s what I carry. I’ve been given so much. It’s my mission to give back,” said McKee. Though some days seem like there is no progress, he said he strives to make a small difference each day.

Finding a place for toxic waste

The county of Maui and some federal partners, such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, have worked together to find a place to put the toxic ash, said McKee.

“The goal of the team is to take houses that have been destroyed and remove all of the ashes that may be toxic to human health so that people can start anew and rebuild on their houses that were burnt down,” he said.

“The hardest part is sewage,” said McKee. “The debris is like five football fields stacked on top of each other. Trying to decide where

to put it once removed from people’s property took a very long time,” McKee explained. “We have to consider the needs of the community and the concerns in the environment,” he said.

McKee also said the locals get frustrated with the state and county governments as it takes a long time for the leaders to respond. “A lot of their frustrations are valid,” he said. He wished people understood that elected officials have to think about their constituents before they can make a decision. Government officials need to ensure what they decide to do with the toxic ash won’t negatively affect the environment, he said.

McKee explained they called in experts from Hawaii and the mainland to look into properties and areas that could potentially contain the ash. “We initially decided on a spot in West Maui, very close to Olowalu, where an old landfill had been built,” said McKee. The locals were very much opposed to the idea, he said, because it was so close to the community.

A survey asked the community what their most important priority was, and there were 2,000 people who responded, McKee said. “Ultimately, we decided to use that area

as a temporary site for the ash and debris,” he added. There are certain criteria that need to be met in choosing a permanent site, said McKee, such as how close it is to groundwater, residential communities, schools and hospitals.

McKee said they have conducted environmental testing and explained, “It’s worth noting that the ash itself is not as toxic as we initially thought.” Currently, the biggest concern is the heavy metals like lead and arsenic, he said. “The goal is to contain it in a large and safe landfill to make sure that it does not contaminate any other part of the island,” said McKee.

Glimmers of hope

“There are a lot of people who are still in a lot of pain and trauma. It really was a tragic and traumatic event,” said McKee. “Some people have lived in the same house for several generations. That’s been their home. To see it go down has been very painful. People lost their homes and some lost loved ones,” McKee shared. It will take several years be-

fore everyone feels healed and for some people, it might take their entire life, he said.

Pono Murray, a junior from Lahaina, Maui, majoring in Hawaiian Studies, said he was directly affected by the fire. He said when he and his family recognized the fire was getting close, they evacuated. Fortunately, he said their house was spared. Since the fire, he said there has been some rain cultivating little spots of greenery. “Everything was kind of dark and black and burnt, and then you see the green coming out of the plants. Those are the small, little glimmers of hope,” he said.

Left: Cleanup process in Lahaina on Maui. Right: Mckee smiles for the camera.

Photos by Karolis Vaiciulis, Camille Jovenes and Zeph McKee.

Murray added, “It’s so nice to see they are working on clearing the land, and we see gradual signs that the piece of land is ready for rebuilding. The restoration and the rebuilding are pieces of hope.”

Despite the loss and damage, McKee said he admires the resiliency of Lahaina and Kona, another community affected by the fire. “The amount of goodwill we have seen from the communities has been really inspiring,” said McKee. “Volunteers and organizations have stepped up. I am blown away by how selfless they are.”

“Those people who are volunteering should get the most credit for their service,” he said. “I am happy to help in any way that I can. If I can find a way where I can assist, then I’d feel honored to support them,” McKee said.

Kawena Cabatu, a junior from Utah double majoring in intercultural peacebuilding and Hawaiian Studies, visited her family in Wailuku, Maui, after the fire. She said, “There were a lot of donations for the people at the time.” Several months later she shared there were other outreach and service programs in Lahaina. “Other BYUH students went to a school in Maui to sing for them,” said Cabatu. These students were part of the Jazz Studio Orchestra, and you can read about their trip by scanning the QR code.

“It is fulfilling to be able to serve other people in big ways and in small ways. Whether it’s planned or not planned, we just need to have eyes to see those service opportunities,” said Cabatu.

McKee said he hopes people understand the Maui fire was a landmark event for Hawaii, especially for Maui. “There were a lot of negatives, but I hope people can focus on the posi-

tives,” he said. “We have seen huge community responses. We have seen people unite around Maui, and that is something to be highlighted and praised,” McKee shared. •

QR code to a website story about the Jazz Studio Orchestra performing in Maui.

Left: Maui fire cleanup. Right: Lahaina after the wildfire. Photos by Karolis Vaiciulis and Zeph Mckee. Graphics by Forrest Christensen.

Fulfilling the measure of our creation means being uniquely what God intends us to be, which is different for everyone.”

-Matthew Bowen

Laie, Hawaii Visitors‘ Center wall.

Photo by Yui Leung.

Oceanian Unity: Dignity & Freedom

Leaders and scholars collaborate to promote human dignity and religious freedom in Oceania by pledging unity and advocacy

BY JOHN ANDREW QUIZANA

Recognizing the interconnectedness of human experience and the universal longing for dignity and respect among people around the world was at the heart of the Oceanian Perspectives on Human Dignity Conference held on campus.

In a world often divided by differences and social norms, the three-day conference held at BYU-Hawaii on April 23-25, brought together leaders, scholars and students from diverse backgrounds across the Oceanian region who shared a common commitment to interact and to explore the complex tapestry of human dignity from cultural, religious and social perspectives. This function provided a platform for dialogue, reflection and collective action on the fundamental principles of human dignity and religious freedom.

Brett G. Scharffs, director of the International Center for Law at BYU in Provo, said people must be mindful of the consequences of violating human dignity. “Human dignity is the proposition that there is more that [human beings] have in common than everything that divides us,” he said

The conference

David Whippy, assistant professor in the Faculty of Culture, Language & Performing Arts, was the advisor for the Religious Freedom and Human Dignity Initiative. He drew parallels between Oceanian culture and the symbolism of fine woven mats, urging delegates to continue weaving interconnected relationships to promote peace and dignity.

Different speakers talked about how human dignity applies to various issues. The

“To live in a community, is to care for all.”

Reverend Dr. Peter Loy Chong, representing the Archdiocese of Suva, Fiji, said, “Globalization favors the rich and powerful, and human and planetary dignity does not matter. To solve this, we need to humanize globalization to serve human and planetary dignity better.”

Similarly, Reverend James Shri Bhagwan, General Secretary of the Pacific Conference of Churches, emphasized the intrinsic connection between human dignity and collective responsibility. In his address, he challenged participants to recognize that the context of human dignity extends beyond individual rights to encompass a shared obligation to protect and uplift one another within communities. “The context of human dignity is not only about individual rights, but also it is about collective responsibilities to protect others and their rights. To live in a community, is to care for all,” he said.

Robert J. Torres, the chief justice of the Supreme Court in Guam, and the keynote speaker at the event, said when people begin to ignore human dignity, they also start to disregard human rights. “The battle for justice and dignity endures despite advancements in consciousness and awareness, serving as a constant reminder of the need to continue protecting everyone’s rights and liberties. Our

commitment to dignity is what defines us,” he said. “Loss of homes and other resources should not mean the loss of human rights.”

Student’s participation

John Zenger, an alumna who majored in intercultural peacebuilding and music, was the student lead for the Religious Freedom and Human Dignity Initiative. He said more than 30 student volunteers helped with organization, driving, preparation of rooms and so on. “I hope the students who attended and the students who will read the published articles in their classes will learn that dignity is inherent in all humans... Oceania’s unique views on human dignity [which vary by region] may ring true to students in ways that Western philosophy does not,” he said.

Abish Baliwas, a alumna majoring in cultural anthropology and sustainability, shared the OPHD is a place for BYUH students to be part of an important conversation. “As students of BYUH, we strive to become disciples of Jesus Christ, and participating in both APHD and OPHD has cemented the belief that we are all children of a loving Heavenly Father, and we all deserve to be treated with respect, regardless of our race, religion, gender, social class and educational background,” she said. Baliwas added conference will help students understand that human dignity is universal and it exists on different concepts throughout the world. •

Left: Photos of some speakers at the OPHD Conference. Photos by Bilguun Enkhbaatar and Yui Leung. Graphics by Elinor Cash.

HILARIOUS TALES FROM THE FIELD MISSIONARIES:

Returned missionaries at BYU–Hawaii share comedic experiences they had during their mission

BY DARAVUTDY SI

The

sudden U-turn

After accidentally leaving their mission boundary, Chaoboran Oroum said he and his companion frantically turned their car around before the Tiwi monitoring device notified their mission leaders. Oroum is a sophomore from Cambodia majoring in business management. He said he served in Sacramento California Mission from 2015 to 2017 speaking Laos.

Oroum said he was on the mission for eight months, and his companion, Elder Page was fairly new to the mission when this happened. They were leaving a lesson and driving past the airport when Tiwi told them they were outside mission boundaries. “If we don’t get back into our area as fast as we can,” he said, “the device would send an alert to our mission president.”

Oroum said in the dark of the night on a freeway going 80 miles an hour his companion immediately tried to make a U-turn but hit the curb. They stopped the car to check the damage, he said, and found a dent on the side of the car that was only visible if you looked at it from a certain angle. Both scared and relieved, Oroum said they made a silent agreement to never tell anyone about what had happened.

Oroum said their mission president only found out about the dent a few transfers later as he announced it during one of the zone conferences they had. He added, “The mission president never found out who did it, and we still laugh about it ‘til this day.” He said this experience was so absurd he can’t help but laugh about it every time he talks with Elder Page.

The long walk

Brady Kuhn, a freshman from Arizona majoring in political science, said he served his mission in Ecuador. The political unrest led to what might have been a frightening experience, but Kuhn said he found a way to laugh about it instead.

He said he was about 18 months into the mission in an area called ‘El Quinche,’ when he and about 16 other missionaries were going to the stake center in Cumbayá to play sports.

On their way back home, Kuhn said all the roads were blocked because the indigenous

people of Ecuador were protesting to show they were unhappy with the government. Normally, they would take a 10-minute bus ride, he said, but no buses came so they had to walk.

They wove their way through the chaos, he said, of tires on fire and trees laying down to block the road. “There were hostile groups of people armed with spears and bats, some of them would ignore us and some would shout obscenities at us,” he said. He added he was the only ‘gringo,’ meaning a white person, in

the group and the yelling was mainly directed at him.

He said they started walking at 4 p.m. but didn’t get home until 8:30 p.m. Kuhn said they were laughing the whole time because it was an insane thing to be going through. He added he felt the spirit was with him and he was not afraid of the people but dogs were chasing them on the way back. He said the highlight of that day was when they got back to their area, a family who were members had a nice warm meal waiting for them.

Chaoboran Oroum.

Photos by Moevai Tefan. Graphics by Forrest Christensen.

IMPOSSIBLE

The poo incident

William Vatikani said during a transfer of his mission he lived in an apartment surrounded by pig farms that led to a smelly lesson. Vatikani, a freshman from Tonga majoring in political science, said he served in his home country of Tonga. Two months into the mission, he was in a small area called Fatai with Elder Nikua.

Vatikani said this was the first time missionaries were living in Fatai next to pig farms. “The area was surrounded by pigs manure,” he said, “everywhere, even on the road.”

He said they were going to a teaching appointment on a Monday night with a new member of the church. “We walked over to the appointment from our apartment without knowing what we accidentally stepped on because it was dark outside,” said Vatikani. He said as they got to the appointment thinking nothing was out of the ordinary and began teaching.

“After a couple minutes, my companion started smelling something strangely familiar, and he asked me if I smelled anything odd,” he said. Vatikani said he looked everywhere to find the source of the smell. “The new member noticed too,” he said, and they paused the lesson to frantically look for the suspicious scent.

Eventually Elder Nikua lifted his feet to reveal a thick layer of pig’s manure stuck to both of his shoes, said Vatikani.

“We laughed so hard, even the member was laughing, and it was hard to get back into the lesson,” Vatikani added. “I shared this experience during one of the zone conferences when I was sharing a lesson on how we need to check ourselves and be prepared before we go and teach people.”

A tale of three

Sodanin Prak, a freshman majoring in business management from Cambodia, served her mission in Perth, Australia from 20192021. Prak said, “The funny memory happened during my last transfer in Joondalup, Perth.” She said she was training a new sister missionary, Sister Tuala from Melbourne.

Prak said after a teaching appointment, on their way home by bike,“there was a dog that came out of nowhere and was barking at us.” She added the dog started chasing them so they were biking faster to outrun the dog. Prak said after about 5 minutes, they thought they were going to be okay for the rest of the ride because they couldn’t see the dog anymore.

She continued, “After a few minutes, a snake slithered past us. I was dead afraid of snakes in general so I screamed at the top of my lungs and biked for my life.” Prak said they were riding on the main road’s side and had to turn left onto a bike trail.

Her companion jokingly said, “We were just chased by a dog then a snake. What’s next? A kangaroo?” Just a minute after her companion said this, Prak said two kangaroos jumped right in front of them and said she almost fell off her bike when it happened. “We biked so fast to try and outrun the kangaroos that were not really chasing us but they were fighting,” she said.

Prak added, “A bike ride that should be at least 40 minutes ended up being only 20 minutes.” She said they laughed so hard when they got back home after these insane encounters. •

Sodanin Prak.

William Vatikani.

Scary Missionary Stories

BYUH returned missionaries share terrifying experiences they had in the mission field and what they learned from them

BYUH returned missionaries share terrifying experiences they had in the mission field and what they learned from them

BY CJ SHINIHAH NOTARTE

BY CJ SHINIHAH NOTARTE

Atwisted dream, a threatening incident and a risky street. Three BYU-Hawaii students said these scary experiences taught them valuable lessons on their missions.

Courage over fear

Growth depends on how you respond to the things you fear, said Valery Katheryn Olea, a freshman from Naga, Philippines, majoring in graphic design. She said if you let yourself do what the opposition wants, you will not progress. If you choose to overcome it, you will feel more peace and joy and trust yourself, she explained. “Sometimes choosing to conquer your fear is also an act of service to others because you are giving yourself the freedom to do what you think is right even if you are always anxious about your actions,” she added.

Olea said she served in the Philippines Manila Mission. In her last month of service, she stepped down from being a sister training leader and was replaced by a sister missionary from another zone. She said, “My previous companion, Sister F, was very sensitive and my mission president assigned me to be her companion for a special assignment.” Sister F was easily discouraged and her mission president asked Olea to help her gain confidence, she added.

Olea said she and F had good companionship and were sad when she transferred to a different area, although she was still staying in the same apartment. After a few weeks, Olea said F was getting along well with her new companion, Sister K, but K was not as sociable as she was when she first arrived in their apartment. “K was going through a lot, which resulted in her being sent home early,” said Olea. Because of this, the contention between K and F started to arise, she said.

“K began to act aloof towards F,” said Olea. She said F felt terrible because she felt as if K did not trust her. “Long story short, F asked for an emergency transfer because she couldn’t bear it anymore,” said Olea.

“The night before K went home,” said Olea, “we prepared a small farewell party for her and ended the day praying together before going to bed.”

Graphics

Olea continued, “I woke up a couple of times that night.” The first time she woke up, she said she opened her eyes and saw a dark shadow hiding behind their bathroom wall. She said she was so tired she did not give it any thought and went back to sleep. She said after a few minutes, she woke up again and saw the same dark shadow peeking behind the wall. “The shadow began to grow bigger as if there were streaks of light coming off from it,” she continued. Olea said she ignored it again and went back to bed. She said the third time she woke up, she saw the shadow moving closer to K. “That was when I began to feel nervous and scared, but I still tried to ignore it, and I went back to sleep,” she continued.

The fourth time she woke up the shadow was beside K, she said. “The shadow suddenly disappeared. I closed my eyes and hid my head under my pillow. I fell asleep again, but a sound awakened me,” she said. K was squirming and speaking in a different voice, she explained. “I looked at her face, and all I could see was anger in her eyes. I couldn’t see the sister missionary I knew,” she added.

Olea said she pinned K down on her bed and held her arms on her side. She told her that she was not afraid, she added, and she sang the 2018 Especially For Youth theme song, “Peace in Christ,” until K finally calmed down. After calming down, Olea said K thanked her.

After all that, Olea said she woke up and realized “thankfully, it was all just a dream,” she said.

She got up from her bed and saw that K had finished preparing and her companion had already cooked their food. “I told them about the dream I had, and K said she was uneasy all night,” she recalled. Olea also said she realized the feelings she had in her dream might be what was dragging K down because of the struggles she was facing. “It might have been just a dream, but I learned from that experience was never to feed your fears,” she said.

Mighty missionaries

Forrest Christensen, a senior majoring in graphic design, said he served in the Adriatic North Mission in Eastern Europe. He said because he communicated and was cautious during a dangerous experience, he was able to prevent something worse from happening.

When he and his companion were zone leaders, he said one of the areas they were over was particularly hard for sisters. He said one night, they received a message from one of their sister companionships. “They informed us that they were about to go into a lesson with an investigator, but they were worried about being troubled by the surrounding residents,” he explained.

Christensen said he advised the sister missionaries to be cautious, keep them posted and that they would be around the vicinity if anything happened. He said, “The evening progressed and their lesson went great. As the sister missionaries returned to their car, they noticed a group of men watching them from a distance.” The sister missionaries immediately left the area and drove home, he said.

“While on the road, the group of men they observed just previously pulled alongside their vehicle shouting, whooping, and catcalling,” said Christensen. He said the sister missionaries took a longer route and tried to lose the men following them. “Once they arrived at their apartment building, they quickly ran inside and locked the door,” he continued.

Christensen said they received a frightened call from the sisters telling them about what had happened. “Over the course of this phone call, the men had found the apartment where the sisters were staying and were pounding on the door, asking them to let them in,” he continued. Christensen said after hearing the cries of the sister missionaries, he instructed them to go to their bathroom, lock the door and stay on the line.

In about three minutes, Christensen said he and his companion arrived at the sister’s apartment, where they found the group of men crowding the front door. He said, “As we walked up, I approached the largest guy out of the bunch and told him in short that he and his friends needed to get lost.” Christensen said the men exited slowly while they exchanged typical remarks. When the coast was finally clear, he said they informed the sisters, who were grateful for their immediate response.

Christensen said, “We told them to pack their things while we stood watch. I called the mission president to inform him of the situation and that we would need to evacuate this companionship out of the area immediately.” He said the sisters were removed from the area that night, and they sold the apartment.

God watches over His servants

Joanne Eyo, a freshman from Nueva Ecija, Philippines, majoring in history, said she served in the Philippines Cavite Mission. She said one night, she and her companion and two other sister missionaries were on their way to a member’s home for a dinner appointment. There is only one path towards the member’s house, and for some reason, the streetlights weren’t turned on on one of the streets they needed to pass through, she added.

Eyo said as they walked towards their dinner appointment, they saw a man wearing sunglasses and a cap underneath a lamp post looking at them. “We suddenly felt uneasy because he seemed like he had bad intentions,” she continued. They carried on and when they passed by the man, he said to them, “‘Wow, you even have three bodyguards behind you,’ but there was no one behind us,” she said. Eyo said they got scared and they thought what the man might have seen was the three Nephites.

Eyo said, “Whether he saw someone with us or not, it is still a great reminder that God consecrates the performance of His servants,” she said. “God’s children are protected. Go by His way and you’ll be safe,” she continued.

Eyo said the experience they had was an assurance to her that church missionaries are protected. “In that experience, I witnessed that God truly protects and guides His servants,” she said. It increased her motivation to go beyond her missionary service by being brave and courageous to open her mouth and invite others to come to Christ. She said although their decision to keep walking that night was not a wise decision, in a general perspective, “Missionaries should not be afraid to talk to people regardless of race, culture or upbringing,” she continued.

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Mission

BYUH students share their spiritual experiences from their full-time missionary service

CJ SHINIHAH NOTARTE

Adream, a change of heart, a manifestation of love and being God’s instrument are what six BYU-Hawaii students said were miracles they witnessed during their missions and they strengthened their testimonies and their faith in God.

Love, service & dedication

BJ Nalos, a freshman from the Philippines majoring in psychology, said he served his mission in the Philippines Cagayan De Oro Mission. Nalos said the simplicity of the place amazed him. In his third area, the branch had only a handful of priesthood holders who came to church, he explained. After working with their branch leaders, Nalos said they discovered the husbands of the Relief Society members were not coming to church. That’s when they asked Nanay Awa, the Relief Society president, if missionaries had visited her husband before.

“Despite the many missionaries who visited Tatay [Awa, Nanay’s husband], there was no progress,” Nalos said. Tatay Awa was 55 years old and was addicted to tuba, a brewed organic alcohol, said Nalos. He also said because of Tatay’s daily job on their farm, he never had time to meet with the missionaries.

“My companion and I embarked on a series of fasting and prayers to seek guidance on how to touch his heart,” Nalos said. Their goal was to befriend Tatay by demonstrating genuine love and care, he continued. He said they learned about Tatay’s interests, such as farming. “We asked him about how he plants, how he harvests his crops and what strategies he uses to have better outcomes of his harvests,” he continued.

Nalos said his companion and he also helped Tatay with his farm chores. “By that, Tatay saw and felt that we cared for him and that is how we began to build trust with him,” he continued. They also visited him every day, Nalos added. “We would come by their house and ask him how his day was, and we treat him like our actual father,” he said. They also conducted family home evenings with other members and leaders to strengthen Tatay’s foundation, he continued. “With the united effort of the members and leaders, they were able to invite Tatay to investigate the church,” he added.

There were some challenges in Tatay’s conversion process, said Nalos. “Whenever we asked him to pray, he seemed reluctant or too

It does not matter who you are or where you came from. Christ invites all to come unto Him.”

shy to express himself. But his wife was always there to encourage him,” he said. Eventually, Tatay started to enjoy praying and began to attend church more often, Nalos added.

After 25 years, Tatay Awa accepted the invitation to be baptized, said Nalos. “My heart and my soul were filled with gratitude and joy when he accepted the invitation. His wife was equally moved to tears, knowing that soon they would be reunited not only in this life but also in the life to come,” he said.

Nalos said they celebrated Tatay Awa’s baptism like it was a festival. “Nanay Awa’s dedication to serving in the church over many years tested her faith and perseverance,” he said. Nanay Awa always hoped for the day when her husband would attend church beside her, he added. “Now, her love and commitment to the gospel and the church have fulfilled that wish and dream,” Nalos concluded.

A miracle in a dream

Jalini Vicky Jeyapathy, a junior from Papua New Guinea majoring in biology, said she served in the Philippines Cebu Mission. She said after completing her training, she was sent home because of the pandemic. She was then reassigned to the Papua New Guinea Port Moresby Mission with five other sister missionaries in the whole mission.

“One night, I had a dream,” said Jeyapathy. She said she saw a mountain with trees and it had yellow flowers. “Then there was this one guy who came up to me and he said, ‘Hey, I am looking for your companion,’” she said. She said asked what he wanted from her companion and the man answered that he needed to talk to her.

“I said, ‘I don’t know where my companion is. If you have a message, I can pass it on,’” said Jeyapathy. She said the man

declined and said he wanted to talk to her companion directly. She said she then asked for his name instead. “I remember clearly the name was Michael Pinoco,” she continued.

Jeyapathy said the surname sounded familiar and asked the man if he had any family or friends who were church members. She said the man replied that he just really needed to talk to her companion, “So I said, ‘Okay,’ then I woke up.”

Jeyapathy told her companion about the dream. “She had tears in her eyes and she said, ‘That is my mom’s younger brother,’” said Jeyapathy. Her companion explained that he died when he was young, but if he were still alive, he would be in his 30s. Jeyapathy said, “She was crying and I got chills and the other sister missionaries got chills.”

Six months after finishing her service, Jeyapathy said the temple site in Papua New Guinea was announced. She said, “It was on the exact mountain that I had a dream of where I met Michael.”

The gospel of change

Pua Evans, a sophomore from Mililani, Hawaii, majoring in English and TESOL, said she served her mission in the Idaho Nampa Mission. “The most impactful experience I had in my mission was in my second to the last area,” she said. They met this guy named Abel, who was in and out of jail, “doing things he shouldn’t be doing,” she continued.

Evans said at first Abel did not want to meet with missionaries despite consistent visits he had from them. She said they brought with them a member who had similar experiences to Abel. “[Abel] connected with this person and saw in him that he did not have to put up an image to be a part of the church. He learned the church is for everyone,” she continued.

Photos by Camille Jovenes. Graphics by Malcolm Timoteo.

Eventually, Abel opened up and was more receptive to the missionaries, said Evans. She said Abel’s three children were baptized first. In time, he said he also wanted to be baptized just like his children. “When I went to his baptism, I saw this light within him that something had changed,” she continued. Seeing this change in Abel, Evans said she witnessed how the atonement and the light of Christ worked within him.

Evans said, “That was such a testimony to me to know it does not matter who you are or where you came from. Christ invites all to come unto Him.” She said before her mission, she was a completely different person, and it was because of her missionary experiences and letting the atonement work in her life that brought her closer to God. “It gave me the confidence to help others and bring them unto Christ,” she said.

Healing through the gospel of Christ

Returning to visit her a week after teaching her the Word of Wisdom, Fluckiger said she had thrown away all the alcohol she sold in her small store. “She ended up getting baptized and finding so much joy in the gospel,” he continued.

He said this experience strengthened his testimony that Christ died for His children. He said, “I grew to see and know that the atonement of Jesus Christ can heal anything and anyone’s broken heart. It changes lives more than we know.” Fluckiger said it humbles him to see what the atonement can do when people give the Lord the power to touch their lives. “Hearts can always be mended, and we can find joy and peace in His gospel.”

Joshua Fluckiger, a freshman from Utah majoring in psychology, served in the Lima Peru Mission. He said in one of his areas, they met a person who was special to him. “We learned she lived close to the church building and missionaries have passed by her house many times, but she never really accepted them,” he said.

Fluckiger said one night, they stopped by her house and talked to her. “She said we could come over, and so we ended up visiting her and started teaching her,” he said. She liked the lessons but she was also going through a difficult challenge with her ex-partner, he explained. “They had a kid together, but he left them and he treated her poorly. He wanted to come back and it scared her,” he said.

They did not see her for a week and later found out she attempted to harm herself, said Fluckiger. He said they told her they were sorry because they could have been there for her. “But she said, ‘I’m so glad you guys are here now,’” he continued. Fluckiger said from that moment on, it was one of the biggest miracles he had ever witnessed.

“She would read a chapter of the Book of Mormon every day, and we did not even tell her to do it. She said it helped her feel the spirit,” said Fluckiger. She loved having them over and one night, she prepared a meal for them, he said. She offered them coffee and was surprised when she learned they do not drink it, he continued.

The prize of perseverance

Thanh Le, a sophomore from Vietnam majoring in mathematics, served in the Philippines Manila Mission. She said there was a family in one of her areas who was not active in the church. “They had family issues and they felt like they were not qualified to go to church,” she continued.

Le said they kept visiting them, teaching them and serving them in any way they could. “We helped them do their laundry and it was really fun. They did not have a washing machine, so we washed their clothes with our hands,” she explained. Le also said they had family home evenings in the family’s home and invited members to attend to help them minister. “We also helped them celebrate a simple birthday party,” she added.

“We kept inviting them to come to church,” said Le. One day, they accepted the invitation to a fast and testimony Sunday. The father shared his testimony and said he greatly appreciated the help and effort of the missionaries. That was a miracle to her, said Le.

An instrument of God

Isabelle Hancock, a freshman from Iowa majoring in elementary education, served in the Bulgaria Central Eurasian Mission and Adriatic North Mission. She said she was originally called to Russia but because of the war in Ukraine, she was reassigned to the Bulgaria Central Eurasian Mission. She said, “When we got to Bulgaria, we did the

interviews with the mission president. He asked me if it was okay if I learned a different language.”

Hancock said her mission president asked her to learn Turkish. She said she was already learning Russian, and she wondered why she needed to learn a new language. Hancock said, “The [setup of] missionary work in Turkey was missionaries live in Bulgaria but they would do Zoom meetings for Turkey.” She said they teach and attend church meetings through Zoom, and they find people to teach through social media.

“I was there for three weeks and I was thinking, ‘What does God want me to do here,’ I’m in Bulgaria pretending to be in Turkey. I was so down on myself and I didn’t know Turkish at all. It was so hard to learn,” said Hancock. She said they had a meeting with the branch president in Turkey and he was talking about a less active member.

Hancock said, “The branch president said her name and I was like, ‘Why have I heard that name before? I know this name.’” She said the branch president continued to talk about this member and she was able to recognize the things the branch president shared about her. “I looked her up on Facebook, and she was friends with about 30 people from my home ward,” she continued.

Hancock said she remembered her mom telling her about this woman from Iran who moved to Iowa. “I was remembering everything

“God really does know all of His people.”

at that moment and connecting all the dots,” she continued. The reason they were talking about her was she had not been to church for a long time and they really wanted her to come back, she added.

Hancock said she contacted the woman and introduced herself through a text message. She said, “I told her my last name and she responded and said she was my mom’s visiting teacher when she lived in Iowa.” Hancock’s companion had been trying to contact this woman for months and she never replied, bu now Hancock said they were texting back and forth like they were best friends.

“We called her, we had a Zoom lesson and she was so happy and bubbly and full of life,” said Hancock. She said they called her once a week and they would sing songs together. They would send her videos of them playing songs and the woman would send them back videos of her playing songs. “It was so cute, and we would see her on the church’s Zoom call,” she continued.

“It was really special to me. God really does know all of His people,” said Hancock. She said her current bishop said she should make sure her last big spiritual experience was not on her mission. “I love how the gospel encourages us to grow even after this life,” she continued. “It will be a part of me forever...It’s so good and it makes me happy all the time,” she added. •

The 12 Tribes of Israel

A Bible scholar’s advice on how to study the tribes and what their names mean

BY EMMIE SIEBERT

According to Matthew Bowen, an associate professor in Religious Education at BYU–Hawaii, who holds a doctorate in Biblical Studies, the Old and New Testaments were written for ancient people. The Bible, he explained, was written in a culture very far removed from today. Some examples he offered were these people ran on a lunar calendar and were heavily dependent on agricultural cycles. He said, “The world was so much darker when the sun went down. They could see so much more of the night sky,” because of that,” Bowen explained, and they were watching the heavens much more than people do now. Additionally, he said the cultural customs of the time meant that women and men did not interact.

To better understand the Bible, Bowen said, “We have to get into their world a little bit to understand.” He counseled people to learn geography and learn about Biblical people’s culture through reading books about the history and archeology of that time period.

However, Bowen added there are things common to all human beings across time. He encouraged people to read a variety of translations of the Bible, along with the King James version, to help grasp concepts in a new light.

To better understand the verses in Genesis, Bowen clarified that Jacob’s new name is Israel (Genesis 35:10-11).

Graphics by Elinor Cash.

Manasseh

Translation of the name: One who causes to forget pain. One scholar, Robert Alter, believes his name could mean, to relieved from the condition of debt.

Scriptures: Deut. 33:17, Num. 1:34-35, Josh. 13:29-31, Alma 10:3

Asher

Translation of the name: Happy

Scriptures: Gen. 49:20, Deut. 33:24-25, Gen 30:12-13

Benjamin

Translation of the name:

Son of the right hand

Scriptures: Gen. 49:27, Deut. 33:12, Gen 35:16-18, Judges 3:15

Issachar

Translation of the name: Man of the higher Scriptures: Gen. 49:14-1 5, Gen 30:17-18

Naphtali

Translation of the name: Twisting

Scriptures: Gen 30:7-8, Gen 49:21, Deut. 33:23, Gen 39:21

Zebulun

Judah

Translation of the name: To praise out of a feeling of gratitude

Scriptures: D&C 133:27-28, D&C 45, Genesis 49:8-12, Deut. 33:7, 2 Nephi 29:4, Ezekiel 37:15-17, Gen 29:35

Locations of the Tribes

Levi

Translation of the name: Joined, wrapping around like an embrace (referring to the marital relationship between Leah and Jacob)

Scriptures: Gen 49:5-7, Deut. 33:8-11, Gen 29:34, Numbers 18:2,4

Translation of the name: One who is exalted and honored

Scriptures: Gen 49:13, Deut. 33:18-19, Gen 30:19-20

Reuben

Translation of name: Look, a son!/ The Lord has seen my affliction

Scriptures: Gen 49:3-4, Deut. 33:6, Gen 29: 31-32

Dan

Translation of the name: Judge

Scriptures: Gen. 49:16-18, Deut. 33:22, Gen 30:6

Simeon

Translation of the name: Man of hearing/The Lord has heard me

Scriptures: Gen 49:5-7, Gen 29:33

Ephraim

Translation of the name: Doubly fruitful Deut. 33:17, D&C 133, Ezekiel 37:15-17

Gad

Translation of the name: Fortune

Scriptures: Gen. 49:19, Deut. 33:20-21, Gen 30:9-11

Joseph

Translation of the name: Fruitful bow or fruitful son

Scriptures: Deut. 33:13-17, Ezekiel 37:15-17, Gen 30:22-24, Gen 49:22

Gathering Minds

180+ countries

41,111 students

U.S. & Canada

50 states 24,144 students 63% 37%

BYU-PathwayConnect participants and BYUH students says the online program builds bridges to help gather Israel

BY KARL ALDRE MARQUEZ

BYU-PathwayConnect stands as a beacon of hope for individuals seeking to further their educations with low-cost tuition, said Michael Adam Caducio, a sophomore majoring in hotel and tourism management from the Philippines. PathwayConnect is a one-year, reduced-cost online program that prepares students to start or finish a degree, says The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints website. Caducio explained, “The knowledge we gain from our education helps us to be influential and eventually helps in assisting in gathering Israel.”

History

According to BYU-Pathway Worldwide’s website, the program was designed to help individuals in a flexible and affordable way to earn college credits and valuable skills in the comfort of their own homes. It says the program’s mission is to develop disciples of

Jesus Christ in their homes, the Church and communities.

The website says the program’s history started with a prophetic statement given by President Henry B. Eyring to Ricks College, the university that later became BYU-Idaho. President Eyring said Ricks College would “find direct ways to move the blessing of education… from this campus out into the lives of men and women everywhere.”

The program started in 2009 with 50 students but has now grown to 61,000 students from 180 countries.

Touching lives

Minka Sonia Otuonye, a recent graduate of the PathwayConnect program from Nigeria, said she was motivated to enroll because she loved education when she was growing up. However, because of the socio-economic problems in her country, she said she had to

stop school. The program was introduced to her country in 2018. She said during her time enrolled in Pathways, she saw how much the Church values education. It reminded her that it is a commandment from God to get one.

“I have learned valuable lessons about leadership and the principles of a fixed and growth mindset throughout my time as a student in the Pathway program,” she said, “These key learnings helped me to grow as a person and a daughter of God.”

Christian Cabalza, a sophomore majoring in accounting from the Philippines, said he enrolled in Pathways because he saw an opportunity to learn and grow spiritually and secularly. He said he was attracted to the structure of the program that allowed him to have freedom with his time while studying and a lot of real-life applications every week.

He said aside from the typical classes he took in high school, the program helped him

Photo by Christin Hume. Graphics by Forrest Christensen.

Total Served

PathwayConnect

65,255 38,798 33,238

Certificates & Degrees

value education and learn from the doctrines of the Church.

“My academic goals helped me to reap success in my classes, which led me to study and apply the same principles I learned at BYUH,” Cabalza said.

Caducio said he heard about the program after his two-year service as a missionary for the Church. He said upon learning about the program, he was eager to enroll and see what it offered him. His missionary service and experiences propelled his desire to further his skills and enroll at BYU-Pathway Worldwide, he said.

“The [PathwayConnect] semester was filled with meetings and discussions throughout the week where we had the chance to lead the discussions on assigned topics and help out with its application,” Caducio explained. The modules at Pathways had him set smart goals every semester, Caducio said,

and they helped him stretch his abilities and achieve goals within a specific time frame.

Caducio said his academic goal during his time at Pathways was to set a specific study time for his assignments. He would typically take two or three hours a day, he said, to dive in with the materials and prepare himself for the weekly discussions.

Caducio said the program elevated his study habits and gospel learning, which led to his admission to BYUH. He said his established learning patterns at PathwayConnect helped him apply the same principles in the university.

Growing in knowledge and wisdom

Caducio shared a quote from Brigham Young that encapsulates the mission of Pathway for anyone who enrolls. He said, “If you wish to become like your Heavenly Father, you must grow in knowledge and wisdom.”

Caducio said the program educates people about secular subjects and emphasizes that the knowledge acquired is crucial for the gathering of Israel.

His enrollment in the Pathway program led one of his close friends from another religious sect to look into the program. Caducio believes his friend’s experience serves as a testament to how programs associated with the Church consistently reach out to touch lives and guide people to understand the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Otuonye said she had a similar experience. “Upon finishing the course, I met with my friends who were interested to know more about the program. I gave them the link to enroll, and little did I know that I was also helping them to follow Jesus Christ.” •

Sacrificing Wisdom Teeth

A before and after the mission perspective on what it means to sacrifice

BY ELLE LARSON

Sacrificing teeth for the Lord is a strange thing we do as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In the Bible, James writes, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God.” I suppose when you lack wisdom [teeth], you can finally be part of the club.

When you go to get your wisdom teeth removed, you don’t have to be afraid of anything–except for the guy with the big scary instruments pulling out your teeth. You should be mildly afraid of him.

Preparing to serve

In 2021, I was preparing to serve a full-time mission, and as part of the application process, I needed to make sure both my testimony and my mouth were in prime condition.

So off I went to a dental clinic in downtown Honolulu. It is like a fast food-type place for dental service. Fewer than 5 minutes after arriving and filling out paperwork, a kind dental assistant ushered me into a back corner of the office and handed me some snazzy, black sunglasses to shield my eyes from the signature big, overhead dental light.

At this point, I had a moment to stress out about the impending procedure. As I sat there, my heartbeat sped up, my palms got sweaty and my new glasses fogged up from the condensation of my breath attempting to escape my mask-covered face.

When the doctor walked in, I immediately recognized him as the Gaston of the dentistry world. He sat down with perfect confidence and a look on his face that meant business. From the onset, I knew he was a “get down to the nitty gritty” kind of guy, and no chit-chat was going to happen.

That works well in most cases. However, when a man is about to stick his fingers in your mouth and take out your pearly whites, I thought it’d be nice of him to establish some rapport beforehand. Not so.

Gaston took my mission papers, signed them, told Carol at the front desk to check all the boxes, then laid me back to start the surgery. I thought, “Great! The papers are signed. Get me out of here!”

But Gaston was already at work, explaining, “These shots are no fun. Those will hurt. But then it won’t hurt. It’ll just be intense. If there’s anything sharp, tell me.You can do this.”

Then, in the same stroke that numbed my whole mouth, he began comparing his performance with another dentist’s, teasing the dental assistant who was handing him needles, pliers, chainsaws and whatever else one uses to pull teeth.

“Is he an OD? So, you’re telling me I should use a 15? I bet if he came here, I could show him a few things about taking teeth out too.”

All I heard, as he prodded and poked my gums was, “When I was a lad, I ate four dozen eggs every morning to help me get large…”

He was right, the shots were no fun, but what was worse was when everything was numb and I couldn’t speak, my doctor started bragging about his extraction skills, [“No one takes out teeth like Gaston!”], and you feel him ripping out your teeth as he pulls at your lips.

What an ordeal! Yet all the while he assured me, “This is the best way to get your teeth pulled. You’re in good hands.” Sure, Gaston. You WOULD say that.

Then, just 10 minutes later, he stood my chair up again, stuffed my mouth full of gauze, started handing me papers and prescribing me prescription painkillers.

He explained, “There are four gaping holes in your mouth. They are filling up with blood. That’s going to hurt. So you’ll need to take these drugs. Don’t use straws. Don’t swish. Don’t try to clean them. Don’t spit. High ho, cheerio! I’m off to ruin someone else’s day.” [Not a direct quote.]

Trying to remember everything he just told me, I re-masked my face, grabbed my things and stumbled with my swollen chipmunk cheeks and bleeding mouth to the front foyer where Carol held my papers. I wanted to say, ‘Thank you,’ to Gaston and his cronies, but my numbed mouth made it entirely impossible.

When you can’t speak, you realize how much you’ve been saying that you don’t need to say. On my way out of the dental office, I took a vow of silence like a monk, acknowledging it as a better way of life.

Walking alone on the downtown streets of Honolulu in a daze, I attempted to smile at the people around me, but all I could manage was a quick grimace and a creepy squint of the eyes. I finally made my way to the holy grail of all unnecessary expenditures and my drug dispensary: Target.

Inside Target waiting for my meds, I laughed and talked to Natalie, a saintly friend who was willing to drive me home. She pretended to understand what I said as I laughed at my own pathetic attempts to make meaningful conversations out of a bloody, numb, gauze-stuffed mouth. My vow of silence lay forgotten on the Target floor.

When we returned to Laie, I gave the bishop my mission papers [mission accom-

“Our sacrifices are our greatest blessings.”

- E. LARSON

plished!] and slept. After a few days of intermittent sleeping, slurping Jello and watching “Downton Abbey,” I was functioning fully again with only a sore mouth and four fewer teeth.

In the mission Field

Upon arrival to my mission in Kansas in January 2022, I could hardly remember my lack of wisdom teeth. Hefty schedules, hours of study, and loads of mission rules were the only things that filled my mind. Kansas, coincidentally, is the home of many people with missing teeth. After just a few weeks of speaking with everyone we saw on the street, I was glad I was only missing my wisdom teeth and not any more. I served 18 months, and removing my wisdom teeth was just the first of countless small sacrifices I was able to make. Every sacrifice was a blessing and an opportunity to become a little more like the Savior.

I struggled to adjust to missionary life in my first area, a tiny corner of Kansas where more cows lived than people did. I listened to general conference talks on repeat in English and Spanish while I did burpees in our back room every morning, trying to convince myself I could accomplish the challenges of the day ahead of me. In my first transfer, serving a whole 18 months seemed like an impossible mountain to climb.

The Lord knew I could use some encouragement. That general conference, almost all of the messages were focused on missionary work. That was also the conference President Russell M. Nelson announced a temple to be built in Wichita, Kansas! When my companion and I heard the prophet announce the very

first temple in our mission, we both jumped up from our seats, whooping, hollering and gleefully running around our backyard.

I found strength from the message of President Nelson. It was a call to all young adults to serve missions. The prophet said, “Dear young friends, you are each vital to the Lord. He has held you in reserve until now to help gather Israel. Your decision to serve a mission, whether a proselytizing or a service mission, will bless you and many others.”

Serving a mission is a sacrifice. Living the gospel is a sacrifice. But eternally speaking, or celestially thinking, our sacrifices are our greatest blessings. They bring us closer to Christ, He who made the greatest sacrifice of all on behalf of all of us.

God wants all of His children to experience His promised blessings. President Nelson taught, “The spiritual darkness in the world makes the light of Jesus Christ needed more than ever. Everyone deserves the chance to know about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.”

For this purpose, He has commissioned each of us, followers of Jesus Christ, to share the gospel with others. I did, and it was worth every missing tooth. •

Elle Larson smiling at the camera.

Photo by Mark Tabilos. Graphics by Forrest Christensen.

Unwavering

A junior from Myanmar stood firm in her religious beliefs despite being the only Christian among her classmates

BY LINDA LAULU

In the predominantly Buddhist country of Myanmar, Chit Shin, said she was one of the three Christians in a school with over 10,000 students.

Shin, a junior from Myanmar majoring in information technology, said, “Before I got baptized in [the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints] I didn’t understand why I was Christian and why I was the only one Christian in the classroom. I was not confident in my beliefs because my school required students to do meditation and Buddhist chanting every morning before school started.”

However, after her baptism, Shin explained, “I got to know who my Heavenly Father is and the gospel of Jesus Christ. I didn’t feel alone in my class [anymore]... [while] my friends were Buddhists. I was able to have confidence in my own beliefs and stand tall and confident in my religion.”

Searching for truth

She said her family’s decision to join the church stemmed from her father’s sincere prayer, following a thorough exploration of several other churches.

Faith

Shin’s father Shin Fawn said he took his family to various churches based on his schedule. However, he and his wife didn’t like how people in the other churches treated their family, he added. Similar to the LDS church, he said, they also had tithing commandments. “People in those churches stopped visiting or inviting my family because my family couldn’t pay tithing much,” he said.

Shin said, “The first time I heard about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints was when my parents were praying [to decide which] church we should attend,” to help her and her two siblings find true doctrine and grow up in Christ.

Recalling her first experience at the church, Shin said, “One of my mother’s friends visited our home with her friend who is a member of the church. She invited my family to the church the upcoming Sunday,” said Shin. At church, her family met Dale and Lily Simpson, senior missionaries from Utah who later taught them the missionary lessons.

Shin said the couple missionaries only spoke English, but Shin and her siblings didn’t speak English much. Then they had a translator to help them communicate with the couple missionaries clearly, she added.

Regardless of the language barrier during the lessons, Shin said, she was baptized on Nov. 9, 2010 at the age of 12 after being taught for three months.

Lily Simpson said, “It was a great pleasure to teach the Shin family…[They] were so eager to know the truth and the plan of salvation which made them come very close as a family.”

When her family got baptized, Shin said, the church building in Myanmar was a family house instead of a church building. “There were only two branches and 35 members in Myanmar at that time,” Fawn said.

Dealing with criticism

Following her family’s baptism, Shin noticed a change in her relationships with friends who belonged to other denominations. “They started avoiding me because people in other churches around her called our church, the church of Satan,” Shin explained.

Shin also shared how her relatives who were involved in other religious communities, criticized her family for joining the church. She explained her uncle who is a master of another church negatively spoke to her mother, hoping to weaken their faith and their commitment to the restored Church of Jesus Christ.”

When Shin and her older sister decided to serve full-time missions, Shin said, they faced criticism from their community again. “People around my family blamed my parents for accepting the gospel in their lives,” she added.

Regardless of these challenges, Shin said two of her cousins got baptized about 24 years ago since she joined the church.

Standing by faith

Highlighting the prevalence of Buddhism in Myanmar, she explained her school strictly educated its students to have strong faith in Buddha. “Students had to meditate, worship Buddha, recite the sutras and clean or place a Buddha statue in each class every morning,” she continued.

Run by the government, she explained the school still required every student to perform those rituals despite being Christian. Shin explained that she had to pretend to meditate or worship Buddha due to the strict enforcement by the school headmaster. “The headmaster would come to the school frequently, go around every class

and monitor everyone,” she said. “If someone didn’t do those things, the headmaster would slap the student,” Shin added.

However, after joining the church, Shin said she decided to stop pretending to worship Buddha. “As the headmaster found me not doing those Buddhist customs, he asked me why I didn’t do them,” Shin recounted. She then explained, “I’m a Christian, so I can’t do them.”

Recounting a touching moment, Shin said, “I still remember [when] the couple missionary sang “I am a Child of God” for us because I was able to understand the song, and we still sing the song during family home evenings [until today].”

Lily Simpson said, “Shin Fawn was being sent overseas so we felt we needed to keep close contact while her parents went away… It was a very hard situation because Shin’s grandparents were very hesitant for them to go to church, however, Chit Shin kept her faith and remained faithful.” •

Chit Shin pictured with missionaries at the Laie Visitors Center.

Photos by Camille Jovenes.

Graphics by Yichi Lu.

Envisioning a Reality

Following inspiration in all things, including the lens of a camera, says BYUH student, blesses his life and those he meets and photographs

BY MUTIA PARASDUHITA

Inspired by his family’s encouragement to explore positive activities during his teenage years, Kyle Abbott, a senior majoring in business management from Canada, said he discovered his passion for photography. As a typical teenager, he said he frequently immersed himself deeply into social media, particularly Instagram. His exposure to creative photographs from different photographers every day inspired him to explore photography with his junior high school friends, Abbott shared. He said instead of playing video games, he would choose to go to good locations, wear fashionable outfits and do creative photoshoots.

Remembering when he first began photography, Abbott said sometimes he felt insecure when he compared himself to other photographers. Each time this happened, he said he recalled advice that says, “It doesn’t matter whether it is good or bad for the

first time, you just need to start.” A lack of photography gear didn’t prevent him from exploring, and he said he frequently borrowed his friend’s camera to upgrade his photography skills. “The best camera that you have is the one that you have on you,” Abbott shared. “At the end of the day, art is art and you can create something beautiful with any lens.”

One day during a photoshoot, he said he photographed a statue with “Vision a Reality” carved in it. Ever since then, he said he would envision his dreams into reality instead of keeping them in his mind. He shares this mindset with his models, saying, “Wherever I am photographing somebody, I allow a space for them to show deep emotion during the photoshoot so I can capture that emotion.” He continued, “It’s about bringing what’s inside to the surface because we all have a story to share and through a photograph, a story can be told.”

“The best camera that you have is the one that you have on you.”

Pathway to Hawaii

Abbott said he went to Hawaii for a short vacation in 2020, and due to the restrictions on human interaction during COVID-19, he said he decided to capture professional surfers with his long-lens camera. His enthusiasm for the Hawaiian seas and landscapes was outwardly captured as his photography skills developed, he said. With the uncertainty of the pandemic, he said he felt prompted to cancel his return flight and find the cheapest place to live temporarily in Hawaii.

As he looked for a place to live on Facebook Marketplace, he said he got in contact with a landlord named Danny Kim, a community member from Waimea. Kim said

he had been renting his property to people for a couple years, but all of the renters left because of the pandemic. Abbott said he negotiated a weekly rent with Kim that worked with his limited money.

Kim said, “Weekly pay doesn’t normally happen, but I was fascinated that he actually asked.” As he listened to Abbott’s mission story of returning from Portugal because of COVID-19, he said he felt moved. He asked Abbott, “So you dedicate your life to serve God?”

“Yes sir, I do,” Abbott replied.

“So do I,” Kim said. “Why don’t you just bring all your bags over and have a place to stay. We can work something out. You can help me and live here for free,” Kim said he told Abbott.

Kim said although the conversation was only on the phone, Abbott’s willingness to serve God and his desire to work in any job made him believe he could be trusted to take care of his property.

Deep into photography

Soon after moving in with him, Abbott found out Kim is an expert filmmaker and photographer. He said, “[He] became my mentor and provided me with an internship.”

Kim said he has encountered people who don’t have high standards or live their life’s principles, but with Abbott, he said, “[He] holds the highest standard of the teachings of Jesus Christ. It makes it easy to teach him.”

“Kyle is the type of person who will hope for the best for everybody who comes into his life,” said Kim. He said when training Abbott in the media world, he had to remind him people will try to take advantage of his skills and expensive camera gear. But Kim said he was impressed by the way Abbott responded to his warning, saying, “It’s okay, because sometimes you are there to minister to them. Not to take their pictures, but to see them in God’s eyes, to pray for them.”

Kim said, “I know that with the camera [Abbott] is going to teach people a lot about life because he loves God as much as he loves his own life.” Kim said they are still important in each other’s life, although they don’t meet up regularly. He said their difference in church denominations doesn’t mean anything when they both share the same light of Christ through their photography talents.

“...sometimes you are there to minister to them. Not to take their pictures, but to see them in God’s eyes, to pray for them.”

Follow a prompting

Abbott said, “One of the biggest lessons I learned is to follow the prompts given by the Spirit because I believe God wants to bless us with opportunities. When we put effort in, he will reward that effort.”

Tori Nicholes, an alumna from Washington, D.C., said she visited Hawaii in October 2023 with her family and intended to take a professional picture with them. At the last minute, her photographer canceled the appointment because he got sick. The family took some pictures on the beach with their Go-Pro camera, she said, but the person taking the picture was always missing.

Abbott was at the same beach that day, canoeing with the BYU–Hawaii Canoe Club, also known as Lahui Va’a. As soon as he finished, he said he had a feeling to stay back a little longer and walk along the beach. As he took a walk, he said he saw Nicholes’ family taking pictures from afar and approached to help them.

Nicholes shared, “He didn’t only take one or two pictures, he helped us for 30 minutes. It was like an entire photoshoot session, and my family is blessed with these pictures.”

She said, “As an alumna of BYUH, I always remember the motto, ‘Enter to learn, go forth to serve,’ and I am so proud of how he put that motto to action by being willing to share his talent without knowing who I was.” She continued, “Without realizing it, Abbott shared a positive ripple of light because he wasn’t afraid to reach someone else who needed help.” •

Photos provided by Kyle Abbott. Graphics By Malcolm Timoteo.

Not mere coincidences

The coordinators and sister missionaries share spiritual experiences testifying of God’s love for all with guests at the Laie Hawaii Temple Visitors’ Center

BY WINSLETTE QUIRAY-SANTIAGO

Serving in a place of peace, the Laie Hawaii Temple Visitors’Center coordinators and missionaries said their interactions with guests, although brief, serve as a reminder of the continuous fulfillment of the gathering of Israel and the joy of sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Elder Dennis Singleton and Sister Kim Singleton, the Laie Hawaii Temple Visitors’ Center coordinators from Alabama, said every interaction with guests is a special moment to bear witness of God’s love for His children.

“All the little moments [at the Laie Hawaii Temple Visitors’ Center ] would feel like coincidences, but [they] are not. It is the Lord’s hands,” said Dennis Singleton. “It is important to look for those moments.

Sometimes, we fail to recognize that it is in everything we do,” he said.

Right here, right now

Dennis Singleton shared an experience when a Chinese couple came in, but no one was available who could speak their language then. He said he sent a message to the Chinese-speaking sisters to come, but he didn’t hear anything back.

He then shared a family who had been taking pictures outside, came into the Visitor Center. The wife asked one of the missionaries if they needed someone to speak to the Chinese couple, said Dennis Singleton. It turned out, he said, her husband served a mission in China and was able to share a message with them from the Book of Mormon.

“He was a missionary all over again. To me, that is the gathering of Israel,” said Dennis Singleton. “They were here at the right moment, at the perfect time to do what the Lord would want them to do,” he said.

Sister Streadback, a missionary at the Laie Hawaii Visitors’ Center Mission from Texas, said it is incredible to see the gathering of Israel whenever they hand out copies of the Book of Mormon in different languages. “I had the opportunity to hand out copies of the Book of Mormon in languages that I didn’t even know existed before [such as Twi, Igbo, and Amharic],” she said.

“As Visitors’ Center sisters, we are in fact emissaries of the Church because we interact with people from every continent every day,” said Sister Streadback.

Photos of a senior missionary couple, sa family and temples pamphlet, the Visitors’ Center and sister missionaries at the Visitors’ Center by Yui Leung.

“Some days there would be a family of 10 from Utah, and then there’s a sweet couple from Kenya, a family from Bermuda, and then a sweet lady from China,” she said.

“It is incredible to just meet so many people and know God organized the details so you would meet them right there, right now,” she said. She said she feels so honored she can be the reason why guests know the Savior loves them.

A unique mission

The Laie Hawaii Temple Visitors’ Center is a place where people can feel the spirit, said Sister Kim Singleton. “Prophets have blessed the entire temple ground,” she said, “and it is part of that ground.”

She said guests from different nationalities will always be pointed to the statue

of Christ during their tours. “The sister missionaries make sure guests understand everything in the gospel of Jesus Christ is centered around the Savior,” said Kim Singleton.

She said guests don’t stay for a long time. When guests walk through the doors, the sister missionaries immediately greet them with warm smiles. She said they show the guests the Hawaiian translation of the Book of Mormon, the Laie Hawaii Temple model, and if time permits, play the 90-second Christus narration. Guests can also take self-guide themselves around the Visitor’s Center, she added.

“It depends on how they feel the person relates. They try to use inspiration and know what the guests might want,” she said. “We have people come in, and the only reason

they do is because they see the temple,” said Kim Singleton. Seeing the big building and how pretty it is from afar, she said, is one thing that helps attract the guests to come.

“People [are] interested in what the Laie Hawaii Temple looks like on the inside,” said Sister Son, a Visitors’ Center missionary from Australia. She said showing the temple model as a part of the tour takes down the barrier of people thinking it’s a secret or must never be talked about.

“It shows people we are open to share why we love the temple so much, and what we can learn from the temple,” she said. Through it, she said the share that Church members love Jesus Christ and show it by worshiping in the temple.

Dennis Singleton said serving in the Visitors’ Center is unique due to some

DID YOU KNOW?

1919

instructions. He said when they talk to the guests about the temple, they make minor changes to some of the Church terms to help guests understand clearly.

For example, he said they call the endowment room as “the instruction room” to help guests understand it is where members of the Church are instructed about their relationship and covenants with Heavenly Father.

He added they also call the sealing room “the marriage room”. Elder Singleton explained they emphasize to guests the significance of a couple kneeling across the altar to make promises not only to each other but also more importantly, to God, which binds them for eternity.

Moments of tender mercies

Sister Kim Singleton said many spiritual experiences happen serving at the Visitors’ Center. One of her favorite memories, she said, is when little ones come and immediately run towards the Christus statue, saying “Jesus! Jesus!”

Elder Dennis Singleton also shared another experience when they had a young family come in. He said they were talking about the Christus statue when he asked the little girl the reason for having the Savior’s arms and hands stretched out. He said the little girl paused to think about the question, looked at the Christus, and then looked at her dad. Her answer was when her dad comes home from work, Elder Singleton said, he always stands like that and she runs and jumps in his arms.

Her dad then told her that is what the Savior wants her to do—to jump in His arms, Elder Singleton said. It is a special moment with her dad the child will remember, he added.

“Those moments of tender mercies to me are so important because that brings families together,” said Dennis Singleton.

When guests walk through the door, Elder Singleton said he sees “a visible expression in them.” “They feel something. Sometimes they just don’t know what that is,” he said.

Miracles happen at the Visitors Center every day, said Dennis Singleton. He said they have guests come in wanting to learn more about the Savior. He also said missionaries were able to get their contact information and were able to talk to them later too. He said there had also been baptisms from those interactions. “I feel joy when we help the guests feel the Spirit and let them know God loves them and is there for them,” he said. •

The Visitors’ Center was dedicated

Number of sister missionaries currently serving

Sister missionaries spent a 2-hour shift here every day, aside from the PCC and at the Teaching Center

Photo in the Visitors’ Center by Yui Leung. Graphics by Moevai Tefan.

81

Different translated languages of the Book of Mormon

280

Estimated steps from the visitors center to the temple

11,000

Average visitors per month

10

Average time in minutes of an interaction with visitors

Serving in different ways

BYUH students share how they overcame judgments and what they learned in the path of discipleship without serving a full-time mission

BY WINSLETTE QUIRAY-SANTIAGO

Aperson’s choices are between them and the Lord, said BYU–Hawaii students, including the choice not to serve a full-time mission. Jhayvee Eder, Abish Gail Torio and Belle Divine shared what they did to still serve the Lord and others in meaningful ways instead of serving a mission

Making life decisions

Jhayvee Eder, a freshman from the Philippines majoring in information systems, said he was torn between the

decision of serving a mission and getting married in the temple shortly after he was baptized.

“I was converted to the gospel at the age of 25,” said Eder. He said the Primary President told him their bishop also got baptized at the same age as him and was still able to serve on a mission and encouraged him to go on one.

Eder said he contemplated the suggestion. He knew serving a mission would help him grow, deepen his faith and testimony and help him become a better priesthood holder, he explained. However he said he and his then-girlfriend were planning and preparing to get married. Finding himself between two greatest important decisions of his life, Eder said he sought counsel from his bishop and prayed earnestly to the Lord to help him

choose the right decision for himself. “I received an answer,” Eder said. “The answer was that I should choose to be married in the temple,” he said. That same answer was also confirmed by his bishop, he added.

Several months later, Eder said he and his wife were sealed in the Manila Philippines Temple and he felt at peace.

Eder’s parents and sisters disagreed with his decision to join the Church, he said. Despite his family’s opposition, his sisters were able to attend the wedding and waited on temple grounds, Eder said. He was able to share with his family how the gospel of Jesus Christ changed his life, the importance of family and the integral part the temple has in making forever families possible, he said. “I am glad to know that Heavenly Father loves me and guided me in my decisions,” said Eder.

Prior to meeting him, Eder said there were many returned missionaries who were interested in his wife and she declined all of them. “I am my wife’s first boyfriend,” said Eder. He said his wife was a returned missionary and because of that, she knows the struggle and the fulfillment of serving in a two-year full-time missionary service.

He said there was one time he asked his wife why she chose him despite knowing that he was not a returned missionary. He said his wife simply told him that she saw potential in him. Eder said his wife assured him even though he did not serve a mission, she can see him striving to use the gospel to improve himself and treat others how God would treat them.

Eder also shared his wife always reminds him as long as he is making Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ happy, he should not be ashamed or feel bad about not serving a fulltime mission. “At the end of the day, I will

Jhayvee Edeer and his wife.

face Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. They are the ones that I need to please, not anyone else,” he said. “They are the ones who know me perfectly,” he added.

Eder said his transition to the Church was easy. “They accepted me,” he said. He was blessed to be in a ward that welcomed him with open arms, he added. “I did not feel any discrimination nor did they treat me differently than those who were returned missionaries,” said Eder.

“When people ask me why I did not choose to serve on a full-time mission, I don’t feel offended. It’s because even though I did not experience wearing a name tag, I can still become a missionary by serving God and living His commandments,” he explained.

To enrich his spirituality, he said he strives to live the gospel every single day by serving others and magnifying his Church callings. “Doing what makes Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ happy is important to me,”he said. Through ministering, Eder added, he can extend to others the love and blessings he received from Heavenly Father to everyone. Eder continued he can improve himself by keeping the covenants he had made during his endowment.

Being an instrument in God’s hands

Abish Gale Torio, a junior from the Philippines majoring in political science

said that almost every young single adult from her homeward will be called as a ward missionary. She said it is expected they all go and serve missions. Though she enjoyed working with the missionaries, visiting the members and teaching those who are interested to hear about the gospel, she said she decided not to go.

Torio said she had a realization when one of her friends joined the church. When she asked her friend why she joined the church, her friend told her it was because of her example.

“That experience was special for me,” said Torio. It meant she could do missionary work without wearing a badge, she said. “I can serve others and do it with the Lord without serving a full-time mission,” she added.

Torio said she was lucky her parents supported her decision to not serve a mission. “They told me not to feel pressured and it’s okay to find my own pace, but it didn’t mean it wouldn’t hurt,” she said.

“When people ask me why I didn’t serve on a mission, I feel judged. Sometimes it hurts because it feels like I am not going to be who they expected me to be unless I serve a full-time mission,” she explained. It took her some time to find peace, she added.

When she arrived at BYUH and met her unitmates, she said she noticed many

of them also didn’t serve missions. “Seeing their example of staying faithful, being true to the gospel, receiving their endowment and consistently worshiping in the temple all while not serving on a mission somehow healed my inner child,” said Torio.

Their example erased the negative feelings of hurt, she said. “I know myself more than others do and God knows me more than I know myself. If He showed me that I can do all this without serving a fulltime mission, then it is not something that should make or break me,” she said.

“For those of us that didn’t serve a mission, we see things differently than those who went on a mission,” said Torio.

She said it is like an analogy of a pen and a pencil. “A pen and a pencil are different from each other but they still have the same function. We use them to write,” she said.

“Just like the pen and a pencil, we both have the same purpose. We can do the same thing, we both are needed but we are just different instruments in God’s hands,” said Torio.

There is a different kind of reflection of what we can do to help other people, she continued. For her, she said it is changing her attitude, putting herself out there and being a light of Christ to everyone around her.

Abish Gail Torio at Church.

Photos by Yui Leung

Graphics by Moevai Tefan

and doing better than ever. Eventually, she said the mission office forwarded her case to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Accepting God’s will

“I’ve always wanted to go on a mission. I prepared as much as I could for it,” said Belle Divine, a junior from North Carolina majoring in hospitality and tourism management. “In April 2021, I received my mission call to serve in Ohio,” she said.

Divine said she was supposed to report to the Missionary Training Center in September 2021, but in May of that year, she had health issues. “I stopped taking medications because my family and I realized it wasn’t completely necessary for me. The mission office found out and they weren’t really happy about it,” she said.

Divine said she was told the rule is if an individual stops or starts taking medication, they have to wait for six months before leaving for a mission. She said she thought it was fine, however, the mission office declined.

Divine said she answered over 500 questions regarding her health and met with doctors and therapists. She said the medical professionals, her bishop, and even her mother wrote notes indicating that she was great off her medication, coping really well,

Divine said at this point, everything was already prepared. She said all her bags were packed, clothes ready, and she already had her missionary tag. She said they hoped and they kept fighting for it. She added her ward anticipated a homecoming talk from her brother and her farewell talk on the same day.

“It was sad when I received a letter that I wasn’t fit for the service,” said Divine, “I was just angry and bitter about the whole thing.”

A month and a half later, she went to the Temple and asked God what she needed to do. She said she received an impression that God is God and He will do what He wants. She shared she realized she can allow God to do His will in her life or remain miserable about the situation.

One of the best things she said she did was to turn herself around. “I realized missionary service starts with me and my attitude about the gospel. I cannot be a light to others if I cannot be a light to myself,” she said.

Divine shared she also felt inspired to get an education. At that time, she said classes started in six weeks. “BYUH is not the school that I thought I’d go to but God also told me to apply to this school. So in

those weeks, I found housing, enrolled in classes and bought a plane ticket,” she said.

“It took me a long time to come to terms with what happened and to trust in God again,” she said. Dealing with the rumors and the gossip circulated hurts, she said. “I realized that though I still don’t know why I am here or why I wasn’t able to go on a mission, I don’t need to know all of God’s plan for me to be happy and to serve others,” she said.

She said some of the members put such pressure on going on a mission like it’s the only way a person can get a spiritual experience and gain a firm testimony and foundation in the gospel. “I think it is really the decisions we make in our lives,” she said.

A two-year full-time missionary service is only a short time in a person’s life, said Divine. “It can definitely set you on the right track but it doesn’t set you up forever because you are still going to make choices after the mission,” she said.

She said she worked on her attitude and her mindset about life. “I tried really hard to embody the light and love of Christ for everyone around me,” said Divine. She said missionary work is all about sharing the gospel through work and through Christlike love. • Belle Divine reading her scriptures on

As a YSA, how can I feel fulfilled if I’m not serving a mission or getting married?

BY SANDRA EDWARDS FROM THE CHURCH MAGAZINES

Actively serve in your calling.

Not only does it allow you to be God’s instrument for others but magnifying your callings can help and strengthen you too.

Prepare for and receive your temple endowment.

Anyone can qualify for the blessings of the temple when they are worthy and prepared, regardless of missionary service or marital status—and those blessings are the same for everyone.

Share the gospel normally and naturally.

You can share the gospel wherever you are, not just as a full-time missionary. Whether you’re talking about the gospel, exemplifying Christlike discipleship, or serving others, it’s all missionary work!

Get involved in ministering. Being willing to serve will lead you to more service opportunities.

Develop your gifts. Everyone has something valuable to offer that no one else can offer in quite the same way.

The of doing

small & simple things synergy

English professor illustrates how everyday decisions can add up to great things – or not – by sharing stories of her ancestors and from her own life

BY LINDA LAULU AND LEEANN LAMBERT

Assistant Professor Caryn Lesuma shared during the BYU-Hawaii devotional on May 28 how her upbringing in Laie and the faith of her ancestors profoundly shaped her life and others lives through the enduring impact of making small and simple choices.

A member of the BYUH Faculty of Arts & Letters, Lesuma highlighted the lives of her ancestors, such as the faith and sacrifices of her great-great-grandfather Pinemua Soliai in American Samoa and her great-grandmother Lorraine Soliai Hill Cravens, who have significantly impacted her family’s faith and service in the gospel and the Church. Soliai was instrumental in getting his village to allow the Church’s missionaries to teach people there, and Cravens missionary service in the San Diego area brought hundreds to the Church.

“Both Papa Soliai and Grandma Noanoa died long before I was born,” said Lesuma, “but stories like these help me to feel closer to them and to understand my own responsibilities as their descendant. When I defend my faith and share the gospel, I am honoring their

legacy and setting an example for my own children and nieces and nephews.”

However, Lesuma also warned “the power of small and simple things goes both ways. It can lead to great things, or it can lead to awful things. Sometimes… the consequence comes by choosing NOT to act,” said Lesuma. She shared when she was college, she failed to do the small and simple things like regularly studying and attending her calculus class. She ended up failing a course for the first time in her life and had to retake the calculus class.

“As a former valedictorian, this was the absolute lowest point of my academic career,” she said. But how did this happen? “Well, I’ll tell you,” Lesuma recounted. “I sometimes missed class to sleep in or study for other classes. I told myself that I would cram before the final and that it would all work out somehow. I didn’t attend office hours or tutoring, and I didn’t give my best effort to my daily assignments. When it was time to study, I usually chose to go out and do fun things with my new college friends instead. Now, arguably none of these small actions would have had a big effect if they happened only once or twice

during the semester. But enacted consistently over the course of the semester, they added up to a failing grade.”

Christian Tanicala, a freshman from the Philippines majoring in mathematics and intercultural peacebuilding, referenced a scripture from the Book of Mormon included in Lesuma’s talk, specifically Alma 37:6-7. He said, “This is where she shared about ‘small and simple things, great things brought to pass.’

That begs the question of how to make small and simple things happen in our everyday lives at BYUH.”

Tanicala added, “I like how she taught us to set our mind to consider even the smallest decision. Though small, making it and thinking about it can make a big difference in our life.”

He added Lesuma’s speech clarified that decisions determine destiny, and while big things matter, small things are just as important.

Lesuma said as a wife and mother who works full-time, she doesn’t always succeed at doing the small and simple things. “But I have a testimony that as I continue to try my best, the overall cumulative impact of my willing efforts will echo positively into the eternities. I know

that each and every one of us has tremendous power to bless our families and our communities by adding our efforts to the efforts of those who came before us.”

Jezel Asong, a freshman majoring in psychology from the Philippines, emphasized the importance of maintaining a positive attitude and living as a disciple of Jesus Christ at all times. She stated, “Whatever circumstances you are in, always learn to have fun and be a disciple of Jesus Christ. After all, no matter how seemingly small our choices are, they will echo through eternities.” •

Left: Caryn Lesuma giving her speech at the devotional. Right: Lesuma interacting with BYUH students and Laie community members.

Photos by Yui Leung. Graphics by Yichi Lu.

The Mission of

BYUH student shares her journey of finding peace while navigating the complexities of returning home from a mission early

BY MUTIA PARASDUHITA

Anxiety and depression are unseen battles amidst the joys of a full-time mission, said Abrielle Uyehara. Missionaries get to witness miracles through finding, teaching and baptizing people, she said, however the greatest miracle she experienced on her mission happened within herself.

Discovery amidst chaos

Uyehara, a junior majoring in music from Arizona, said she served for eight months in Spain on a mission. Although it was shorter than expected, she said it was a good chapter of life for her to reflect upon. Not long after she started her mission, Uyehara said she had to train a new missionary. It wasn’t until she became a trainer that she became comfortable with the language. “I think Heavenly Father made my life crazy and chaotic on my mission so that I could learn how to seek for help,” she said.

Uyehara said in high school she knew something was wrong with her personally but didn’t know what. She didn’t have friends, would lock herself in her room and have panic attacks, she said, “but I thought it was normal. I didn’t realize that I had been suffering from a deep mental health issue until my mission.”

On her mission, she counseled with professionals, she said. Building relationships with therapists and her mission president Uyehara said helped recognize her mental health condition, and she was diagnosed with depression. It started when she was 12, she said, and escalated through high school. “My parents suspected i,t but it wasn’t something that we normally knew or talked about,” she explained.

Running a mental marathon

After starting therapy and medication on her mission, she said the situation got better,

What do people think happened to me?

Do they think I was unworthy and was sent home?

but it became harder for her to feel the Spirit. “I felt tired, exhausted and couldn’t think straight. I wanted to serve the Lord, but I didn’t feel I was doing a good job.”

While missionaries are told the only way to get blessings and perform miracles with exact obedience, Uyehara said she struggled to maintain a high level of obedience under the influence of the antidepressant. The medication made waking up early particularly difficult and that led her to feel guilty continually, she said, and caused problems with companions and people she worked with.

She added her interviews with her mission president were always about her mental health and not missionary work. Her mission president offered her the chance to take a medical leave until she figured out how to manage her medication, she said. “It sounded so appealing, and I couldn’t get the thought out of my head.” After fasting and praying for a week, she said

Do they know about my mental health?

Do they think that I got in trouble or I did something bad?

she felt peace about taking a leave. She said something that affirmed her decision was the thought, “I shouldn’t run a marathon when I am dying.”

Wondering why

A week after Uyehara returned from her mission early, another missionary in her ward gave a homecoming talk. However, Uyehara did not. She said no one had asked her why she came home early and it made her wonder, “What do people think happened to me? Do they think I was unworthy and was sent home? Do they think that I got in trouble or I did something bad? Do they know about my mental health?” It was difficult to navigate, she said.

She said her mission might have looked different to others, but it was still a mission that helped develop her testimony. She said she wanted people to know that despite the absence of spiritual confirmations, she was steadfast in saying her prayers and doing her scripture study. She said, “I have grown in knowledge of the gospel, love for Christ and the scriptures, a solid strong testimony of the Book of Mormon ,and it’s just like what every missionary does.”

What to do?

Francis Ching, a former mission president of the Apia Samoa Mission from American Samoa said when he sent missionaries home, he always encouraged bishops and stake presidents to consult with them and give them the support they needed. He said this would help them have more success, more likely to stay active in the Church, and transition better. He emphasized the things that help missionaries who return early are to have people who they can talk to, feel loved by and feel understand.

Uyehara explained most bishops do not want to put an early returned missionary in a high-pressure situation, which is why they don’t give homecoming talks. Uyehara said she wished the returned missionaries had options. “Let them understand that they don’t have to,” she said, “but they are [also] more than welcome to share a mission homecoming talk.”

Prior to a Face to Face event on March 2016, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland addressed concerns raised by a returned missionary who only served for four months. Elder Holland expressed his appreciation for the missionary even trying to go on a mission. “I don’t want you to apologize for coming home. When someone was asking you if you served a mission, you say, ‘Yes.’”

Drawing examples from the scriptures, he said it not necessary to explain about the length of a missionary’s service. “Missions in the scripture were longer [and] some undoubtedly shorter.” He continued, “Cherish the service you rendered. Be grateful for the opportunity to have testified, to be out in the name of the Lord, to have worn that missionary name plaque.”

Ching said when he was a mission president, he had a missionary with severe anxiety. “He only stayed for a month, but to me after working with him and [seeing how] he tried really hard, I firmly believe that he completed his mission,” said Ching.

Opening up

To returned missionaries who come home early, Ching said, “It’s okay to talk to people about your feelings. It might also help other people who are in the same situation ….The more you open up with

“ The more you open up with people, the more you will receive love and understanding from others”

people, the more you will receive love and understanding from others. Then they will be willing to support you with your situation.”

When being placed in a situation where people proudly talk about their missions, Uyehara noticed people tend to cut off the topic because they are afraid of offending her. “As a result,” she said, “no one ever asked me.” She said because of this, at first she felt excluded, but then she tried to take ownership of her mission story. “I decided to include myself,” she explained. “When I started to talk about my mission openly, I started to feel included.”

To the members of the Church, she said she understands it’s a hard to address the topic. Rather than expecting something from someone, [everyone] can choose to be accepting of their story, she said. “I think you can approach someone who just came home from their mission early by saying, ‘I know that your mission experience is so different from someone else’s, but tell me about it.’ It’s not something that is taboo to talk about.” •

Abrielle Uyehara, a junior studying music from Arizona, came home early from a mission to Spain. She says while her experience was different from others, she grew spiritually despite her challenges. Now married, she and her husband are expecting a baby.

by Camille Jovenes.

Graphics By Malcolm Timoteo.

“

When I started to talk about my mission openly, I started to feel included”

Photos

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