When my Dad served as a missionary in the Northwestern States Mission which included Washington, Oregon and Idaho, he and his companion would often visit farms where many of the workers were only on the farm a few short months before they moved to another farm. Because of this high rate of change on the farm many times they would ask the workers when they first met on the farm “Are you a Mormon?” On one visit they stopped at the main farm house where a gentleman appeared to be taking a nap and they asked, “Are you a Mormon?” The worker responded, “No I’m asleep.”
Almost 25 years later as I served as a missionary, my last companion was my younger brother Mike. We served together in a small community called Vandalia, Ohio. Vandalia is known as the “Crossroads of America,” named after a road project that intersected the United States. For me the tag line of the city was significant, “the crossroads of America.” This was a great opportunity for me to work as a missionary with my brother as our lives crossed in the mission field. One afternoon as we were proselyting in one of the more affluent Vandalia neighborhoods we came to a home with a very large door and on the door was a golden plaque with the following inscription, which had two lines of writing. On the top line was the name of the owner of the home. On the second line it read “The dude can throw a party!” No one came to the door, but of all the doors that I knocked on during my mission I have never forgotten the large wooden door with the golden plaque. That plaque described for us a little about who the owner was and what role he wanted to play for his neighbors and friends.
Today as we talk about building I would like you to think about these two stories. As you build your life will you be caught asleep? And what will be written on the plaque on your door? As the Vice President responsible to oversee the construction of the campus expansion I would like to share with you some of the background and future of BYU–Hawaii as well as presenting six principles of building that we can all use as we “build.” As we place in context the mission of BYU–Hawaii and the Learn-Lead-Build model, these six principles can be used not only to build the buildings we study and live in but also the most important structures of our life: the building of our marriages, families, communities, businesses, governments and the Church.
Many of our faculty and staff have spent much time learning the history of Laie, for you this may be a review; for the students this will be the beginning of a special understanding of where you are obtaining an education. As you know, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized in 1830. Thirteen years later, four missionaries were sent to the Sandwich Islands, as Hawaii was known at the time. In 1850 another group of 10 missionaries were sent from the California gold fields to the Sandwich Islands Mission.
Joseph F. Smith was called to serve a mission to Hawaii in 1854 when he was 15 years old. Although young, he had already lived a lifetime of experiences. The last time he saw his father Hyrum and his uncle, the Prophet Joseph, was as they were riding on horseback out of Nauvoo when he was a five year old. He led a wagon team to Salt Lake at seven with his mother and sister. His mother passed away when he was 13 of an illness, leaving Joseph and his sister orphans. He was watched over by Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball. And then at 15 he left school after stopping his teacher from whipping his sister. President Young felt it was time for a special experience for Joseph and he was sent as a missionary to Hawaii. He served three missions: Hawaii, England and he later returned to Hawaii. When the Church’s storehouse burned down in 1856 he lost his clothing, family photographs, personal papers, and copies of the scriptures that had belonged to his father Hyrum.
After his first mission he returned to Utah by way of Los Angeles. That year Johnston’s Army was on the move for Utah, and there was much excitement and bitterness concerning the “Mormons.” Just after the little train of wagons had traveled only a short distance and made their camp, several anti-mormon toughs rode into the camp on horseback, cursing and swearing and threatening what they would do to the “Mormons.” Joseph F. was a little distance from the camp gathering wood for the fire, but he saw that the few members of his own party had cautiously gone into the brush down the creek, out of sight. When he saw that, the thought came into his mind, “Shall I run from these fellows? Why should I fear them?” With that he marched up with his arm full of wood to the campfire where one of the ruffians, still with his pistol in his hand, shouting and cursing about the “Mormons,” in a loud voice said to Joseph F., “Are you a Mormon?” And the answer came straight, “Yes siree; dyed in the wool; true blue, through and through.” At that, the ruffian grasped him by the hand and said, “Well you are the (blanket-blank) pleasantest man I ever met! Shake, young fellow. I am glad to see a man that stands up for his convictions” (Gospel Doctrine 518). Joseph F. had learned how to lead.
Later in life when Joseph was now the President of the Church he visited Laie in 1915, he felt impressed to dedicate the Hawaii Temple site in Laie. This would be the first temple built outside of Utah since the saints had settled in the Salt Lake Valley in 1847. President Smith had learned how to be a builder of the Church. A year after President Smith passed away the temple was dedicated on Thanksgiving Day in 1919.
Two years after the temple dedication Elder David O. McKay was returning from a worldwide tour of the missions of the Church in 1921. On this tour he dedicated China for the preaching of the gospel. February 7th was a special flag raising ceremony held at the Elementary school in Laie, at the current location of the Stake Center next to the Temple. That day Elder McKay had a vision as he witnessed a flag-raising ceremony by elementary students of the Church school. In that little group of students were Hawaiians, Haoles, Chinese, Japanese, Portugese, and Filipinos. He listened to representatives from each of these groups pay tribute to the Stars and Stripes as the flag was pulled up there on the flagpole, and all vowed allegiance. That ceremony brought tears to his eyes. As President McKay said, “Truly the melting pot-but more impressive than that was our assembly in the old chapel that stood by. There we met as members of The Church of Jesus Christ: Hawaiian, Japanese, Chinese, Filipino-all races represented on this island. There we met as one – members of the restored Church of Jesus Christ. What an example in this little place of the purpose of our Father in Heaven to unite all peoples by the gospel of Jesus Christ. That was a Church school, and we visualized the possibilities of making this the center-in accordance with the dedication of the land years ago-of the education of the people of these islands.” Today we can see an artist’s depiction of Elder McKay at the flag raising ceremony at the McKay Foyer entrance.
Thirty three years after the flag raising event, on July 21, 1954, it was announced that the Church College of Hawaii would be established. And the next year the groundbreaking was held on February 12, 1955. One of the great missionary stories of the restored church is the Labor Missionary program that started in September. The first year class was comprised of 153 students along with 20 faculty and staff. They used war surplus buildings to start the campus. Work started on the main campus in December. When the dedication took place on the 17th of December 1958, the campus had been built with a $4 million budget and 280,000 hours donated by the labor missionaries. The campus now had 1,200 students enrolled. And three years later in 1961, 76 students graduated with the first degrees.
Here are just a few other key events and dates in the inspired history of BYU–Hawaii. In 1963 the Polynesian Cultural Center was dedicated and has been a miraculous blessing to countless students and an inspiration to millions of visitors. President Kimball made the announcement in 1974 that the Church College of Hawaii would be changed to Brigham Young University–Hawaii Campus. Our special 57-foot sailing vessel, the Iosepa, was launched in 2001. Today as you drive down Hale Laa Boulevard to the Temple and you see the row of lights, trees and manicured plants remember this was a special project that Hawaii Reserves beautified under the direction of President Hinckley in 2003. The Malekahana Bike path is another Hawaii Reserves project that the community helped build almost two years ago. The most recent building projects on campus were the Stake Center in 2002, the McKay Faculty Office in 1994, and this building we meet in today – the Cannon Activities Center – in 1981. A year ago next month on the 17th of December we had the ceremonial groundbreaking for Phase 1 of the Campus Expansion with an apostle of the Lord, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. The 17th represented 53 years to the day that this school was dedicated. President Joseph F. Smith and President David O. McKay had a special feeling for this place. And I know many of you do as well. When I think about the leaders, workers, faculty, staff, missionaries, volunteers and local Laie residents who have worked so tirelessly to bring about Brigham Young University–Hawaii, I think about the following poem.
The Bridge Builder
An old man, going down a lone highway,
Came in the evening cold and gray
To a chasm vast and deep and wide
Through which was flowing a sullen tide.
The old man crossed in the twilight dim;
That swollen stream held no fears for him.
But he turned when safe on the other side
And built a bridge to span the tide.
“Old man,” said a fellow pilgrim near,
“You are wasting your strength with building here.
Your journey will end with the ending day;
You never again must pass this way.
You have crossed the chasm deep and wide;
Why build you this bridge at the even-tide?”
The builder lifted his old gray head.
“Good friend, in the path I have come,” he said,
“There followeth after me today
A youth whose feet must pass this way.
This swollen stream, which was naught to me,
To that fair haired youth may a pitfall be.
He too must cross in the twilight dim —
Good friend, I am building this bridge for him.”
I am so grateful for those who have been building the bridge to Laie. Brigham Young University–Hawaii currently has 2,700 students enrolled representing 76 countries. Many, many more will come. Many of you have heard that this is a historic time to be at this University. President Wheelwright has named three imperatives for this campus that that also impact the expansion of Campus; first, to increase the quality. Second, to increase the number of students. And third, to reduce the cost per student. As to the Campus Expansion Building, Construction of Phase 1, the Housing Replacement Phase, has already begun. Currently under construction are two additional married student apartment buildings next to the Stake Center and the School of Education. This will accommodate 24 additional families. We have almost finished building the structural portion of the Multi-Use building located between the Stake Center and the Ceramics building. This building yet to be named will be the home of the Business School and a Stake Center. On the back side of campus between the tennis courts and Hales 5 and 6 we are building four single student buildings. Of the four buildings, three are dorms and one will be an apartment style with a kitchen for each unit. When we are finished with the current four buildings next summer we will then take down Hales 5 and 6 and in their place build four more single student dorms. At the completion of these buildings in Phase 1 we will have more students living on campus and we will increase student enrollment to 3,200 students. We are currently working with the City and County of Honolulu through the entitlement process of Phase 2 which is the Academic Replacement Phase. There are many approvals and reviews that are needed. We will keep you informed about the status. We will ask for your support at meetings and at the appropriate events. You should know that miracles are happening as we are building the campus now.
Earlier this year we invited you to sign your name on a rock that was added to the foundations of the new buildings as you become part of the foundation of the campus expansion. The next benchmark event will be the “Reach the Top” event in the coming weeks. You are invited to sign your name on the BYU–Hawaii flag located in the Aloha Center. The structural portion of the multi-use building will be complete and we will crane in place the final piece of the roof and set the BYU–Hawaii flag on the roof. Next summer we will be having the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the current buildings under construction and an open house for you to tour the completed projects. And you should know that as we are expanding campus we are using energy efficient systems and products and working on additional ways in which to create a more sustainable campus. The work of the labor missionaries was substantial, as we build we are working to respect the past as we build the future.
As we build the campus we have incorporated six principles in the process of our work. We think this will bring about success in our building. The first principle is quality. We have clear expectations for quality and have incorporated those standards in our plans, specifications and contracts. We inspect our work daily, weekly and on a regular basis with City inspectors and testing agencies. I remember reading a story about the $5 lawn when I was in Jr High. As the story goes a young man mowed a lawn for a widow in his neighborhood. When he finished mowing the first time he was paid $2, and he was happy about the payment. As he continued to mow the lawn she began talking about the perfect job taking care of a yard, a $5 job-the perfect job. After mowing and maintaining the yard many times the desire to complete the project at a $5 dollar quality level become very important to this young man. After some time and absolute commitment and effort on his part he completed the job. She thoroughly inspected the job and finally found that he had achieved the perfect job. The perfect job required mowing the lawn several times in different directions to give the perfect look. The yard was manicured by his care. I found that as I mowed the lawn for our family I cared more about how the job looked when I was finished. Edging the corners, straight lines, picking up debris and sweeping up at the completion. One summer as we finished building a home for a Parade of Homes a friend helped vacuum the sidewalk in search of that $5 dollar job. Not every time mowing is a $5 dollar job. But I knew what a $5 dollar job was. Knowing what quality is by standards that are set is the first step to building quality. As we build, we can find the specifications and plans for the quality of our life and our relationships with the Lord and others in the scriptures.
One of the most critical principles of building is the second principle of budgeting. The Lord is in need of wise stewards. As we build and budget working with the sacred tithing funds of the Church it is important that we build quality while being wise stewards with the money that is spent. We are designing appropriate sized buildings and using building products and systems that are not excessive in cost. We select contractors, subcontractors and suppliers that provide the most responsible bid. For you as you build, remember that one of the most important skills you can learn and develop is the ability to budget in your marriage and family. As we see the trends in the world we see that many, even some of those who have the sacred responsibility to manage the budgets of our governments have failed. Live within your means, pay a full tithe, save, plan for the future, prepare for a raining day, be honest in your obligations, be wise stewards over the resources you will be blessed with. As we see a divorce rate that continues to rise we see that one of the leading causes of divorce is the issue of money. I would encourage you to make the principle of budgeting and resource management strength in your life. We are taught in Ether that as we humble ourselves before our Heavenly Father…”and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them” (Ether 12:27). I am hopeful that your budgeting skills will become a great strength for you and those you lead.
Scheduling is the third principle of building. Achieving the goal of a schedule can only be accomplished through establishing goals, great coordination, strategizing, planning, collaborating financing and working to accomplish our goals. One of the remarkable stories about building to a schedule is the story of Prayer Rock near Cody, Wyoming. On a recent trip to the area with our Scoutmaster who grew up in Cody we went to the visitors’ center in that same city and learned the story of the early saints that settled in 1900. When the saints first arrived in the valley it became obvious that a canal needed to be dug and built in order for the saints to bring water to their new farms. They went to work immediately building the canal. The work was led by Byron Sessions, he would become the Stake President the following year. The work was backbreaking and they soon realized the work couldn’t be finished in a year; no food could be raised until they had water for irrigation. Serious discouragement plagued the camp. A special prayer was offered and soon a modern manna from heaven came to the saints in the form of an $80,000 contract to construct 23 miles of railroad. Half of the saints worked on the canal, the other half worked on the railroad making enough money to buy food for the saints. As the saints worked on the canal they came to a cliff with a very large rock directly in the canal right of way. President Sessions, who was superintendent of the canal construction, strategized that a large hole would be dug at the base of this rock and then with the help of explosions at the rocks base this would cause the rock to crumble and collapse into the hole. Safety began to be a major concern. Morning and evening prayers were held in camp for the safety of the men and the horses. The digging continued. It didn’t seem to be working. “One afternoon as President Sessions discussed the matter with the men working there,” his own son, Biney, expressed the discouragement that several of them were feeling: ‘We’ll never get this down. We just as well give it up.’ This seemed to anger his father, who said, ‘I prophecy in the name of Israel’s God that that rock will be in there tomorrow at this time.’ Jim George, one of the men working there, turned his back to President Sessions , pulled out his watch and said, ‘Let’s test him out.’ He said, ‘It’s just four P.M.’” The work continued the next day. They took their usual fifteen-minute break at 3:30 and had just begun working again when President Sessions called them up for another rest break, an unprecedented but quickly obeyed order. Then, without a powder blast, without so much as a tap from a hammer, “that rock began to split from top to bottom and landed right where we had all been busy working five minutes before. George, with the same watch, dumbfounded, said, ‘Five minutes to four.’” The standing half of the rock is still visible; the fallen half was buried in the outside bank of the canal which flows smoothly between the two halves. This was considered a miracle by the Wyoming saints – it was a miracle. As we set goals and work to meet schedules we need to do all we can to meet these commitments. President Eyring shared this thought with us about completing our work when we have limited time. “When we put God’s purposes first, He will give us miracles. If we pray to know what He would have us do next, He will multiply the effects of what we do in such a way that time seems to be expanded. He may do it in different ways for each individual, but I know from long experience that He is faithful to His word.”
The first three principles of building are the core principles; building to quality, budgets and schedule. The next three principles are supportive principles. The fourth principle is building with the Aloha Spirit. I think building is important, I think how we build is more important. We should be honest, fair and represent the Savior as he would want to be represented. I don’t think that means we are pushovers. I think we can be demanding and make tough requests. I think we can be kind and expect to be on budget, finished on schedule meeting our quality standards. Several years ago the following story was shared by Sister Smiley in our ward. Sister Smiley had called a young man in the ward and had explained that she needed help loading a lawnmower into her truck. She had limited time and needed another person’s help to lift the lawnmower immediately and get the machine where it needed to go, after a short phone conversation she asked the young man, “Can you come and help me load the lawnmower right now?” His response can be a lesson for all of us. He responded, “Yes I can come right now, but who is this?” Are we ready to go and be helpful when asked like this young man? One other example to me of the Aloha Spirit is driving with Aloha. I can count on one hand the number of times someone has honked at me while I have been driving in the last year. Trust me I haven’t improved my driving that much. I have found drivers more friendly. Many times as I have left this campus and turned onto Kamehameha Highway while waiting at the stop sign I have had oncoming traffic slow and motion for me to enter the highway. I have never seen that happen in my life. Driving with Aloha is an attitude, building with Aloha should be an attitude as well.
When I think of the Aloha spirit I think we can build and do so with respect for our associates, showing kindness to those with whom we work, extending assignments with clarity. When corrections need to be made, this can be done in a respectful direct way. When we have a difficult assignment, seeking the Spirit and treating others with respect should be our guide. Recently one of the BYU–Hawaii employees has become sick. As I have learned more of his situation I was touched by the Aloha spirit his associates shared with him. They worked to lighten his load and many other ways to comfort him when he was in need of comfort. The Aloha spirit to me symbolizes the spirit of brotherhood, cooperation and collaboration. We can do a great work and go about it in a way that we show respect, kindness and friendship to those we work with. Christ is our example
Sustainability is the fifth principle. Sustainability has many different definitions and meanings. I like to think of sustainability as being a wise steward and a principle or practice that when continued long term, it can be done indefinitely because the results provide a benefit that is enduring. As I think of sustainability I think it is important to clarify that others in the world may use different definitions, and that’s ok. The reason that I think sustainability is important as we build this campus is because of the impact of the buildings that we build in two ways. First, as we build we are using energy efficient products and systems. This is important because the cost of power in Hawaii is 10 times more expensive than some areas of the mainland. Sometimes the products we use are slightly more expensive because of the increased quality or technology, however, over time the product we are using consumes less energy and in this means a lower utility bill. Finding appropriate ways to reduce our fixed expenses helps us become more sustainable. The second is resource management, using products that are less impactful on our environment. For example, next year as we complete the single student dorms we will move the students out of Hale 5 and 6. We will then be taking down these long time campus buildings. A large portion of the building is concrete. We will be taken the concrete to a close location and grinding the concrete down so that it can be reused as fill material in appropriate areas of the campus projects. Or this may be an example you better understand. As students, if you were to live every day like finals week would that be sustainable. Studying until 2 or 3 in the morning, waking early for tests and additional study. Continuing this cycle for day after day. I suppose you would agree with me that this schedule would not be sustainable for the long term. We should all find a balance in life with our families, our careers, the church and ourselves. Sometimes as men and women with shortcomings we are in need of repentance and forgiveness from others. Realigning the way we live with the example of the Savior is truly sustainable. As you love your spouse or future spouse and your family, as you energetically work in your business and community, as you work to sustain and support a principled government, and as you follow the promptings of the Spirit as a builder in the kingdom, remember that being a disciple is sustainable.
The final principle of building is Hope. As members of the Church of Jesus Christ with the understanding of what has been restored, shouldn’t we be filled with hope and share that hope with others? As we build our marriages, families, communities, governments and the Church, those we associate with are praying for leaders with hope. The source of our hope is the Savior. Any other source is false. Searching the scriptures, seeking wisdom from the Apostles and Prophets and feeling the Spirit of the Temple are ways that we can draw near the Savior and the hope that he shares. With recent world events I feel impressed to share a general conference talk President Packer gave while I was in high school. I remember at the time his talk was memorable and brought me hope. “Imagine that you are attending a football game. The teams seem evenly matched. One team has been trained to follow the rules; the other, to do just the opposite. They are committed to cheat and disobey every rule of sportsmanlike conduct. While the game ends in a tie, it is determined that it must continue until one side wins decisively. Soon the field is a quagmire. Players on both sides are being ground into the mud. The cheating of the opposing team turns to brutality. Players are carried off the field. Some have been injured critically; others, it is whispered, fatally. It ceases to be a game and becomes a battle. You become very frustrated and upset. ‘Why let this go on? Neither team can win. It must be stopped.’ Imagine that you confront the sponsor of the game and demand that he stop this useless, futile battle. You say it is senseless and without purpose. Has he no regard at all for the players? He calmly replies that he will not call the game. You are mistaken. There is a great purpose in it. You have not understood. He tells you that this is not a spectator sport—it is for the participants. It is for their sake that he permits the game to continue. Great benefit may come to them because of the challenges they face. He points to players sitting on the bench, suited up, eager to enter the game. ‘When each one of them has been in, when each has met the day for which he has prepared so long and trained so hard, then, and only then, will I call the game.’ Until then, it may not matter which team seems to be ahead. The present score is really not crucial. There are games within games, you know. Whatever is happening to the team, each player will have his day. Those players on the team that keeps the rules will not be eternally disadvantaged by the appearance that their team somehow always seems to be losing. In the field of destiny, no team or player will be eternally disadvantaged because they keep the rules. They may be cornered or misused, even defeated for a time. But individual players on that team, regardless of what appears on the scoreboard, may already be victorious. Each player will have a test sufficient to his needs; how each responds is the test. When the game is finally over, you and they will see purpose in it all, may even express gratitude for having been on the field during the darkest part of the contest. I do not think the Lord is quite so hopeless about what’s going on in the world as we are. He could put a stop to all of it any moment. But He will not! Not until every player has a chance to meet the test for which we were preparing before the world was, before we came into mortality” (The Mystery of Life, Ensign November 1983). Knowing that Heavenly Father knows me and cares about me brings me hope.
Recently as I felt some hopelessness creep into my heart, I didn’t like the feeling. I attended the Temple prayerfully and left with impressions that filled my heart with hope and inspired me to a renewed study of the Book of Mormon and the founding principles of this country. Elder Holland sustained my hope when he shared the following: “The future of this world has long been declared; the final outcome between good and evil is already known. There is absolutely no question as to who wins because the victory has already been posted on the scoreboard. The only really strange thing in all of this is that we are still down here on the field trying to decide which team’s jersey we want to wear” (When Times Are Tough, 2004, John Bytheway).
We have modern day prophets and apostles who are inviting us to be builders with them. They are filled with hope, because the source of their hope is the Savior. The choice is ours. I share this poem as you think about what role you want to play.
The Builder
I saw them tearing a building down
A team of men in my hometown.
With a heave and a ho and a yes yes yell,
they swung a beam and a sidewall fell.
And I said to the foreman, "Are these men skilled?"
"Like the ones you'd use if you had to build?"
And he laughed and said, "Oh no, indeed...
the most common labor is all I need...
for I can destroy in a day or two
what takes a builder ten years to do."
So I thought to myself as I went on my way...
Which one of these roles am I willing to play?
Am I one who is tearing down as I carelessly make my way around?
Or am I one who builds with care, in order to make the world a
little better... because I was there?
As you think about this poem, consider what role you will play? A builder incorporates the principles of quality, budgeting, scheduling, building with Aloha, sustainability, and hope.
The mission of Brigham Young University–Hawaii, established by prophets at the university’s origin, “is to integrate both spiritual and secular LEARNING, and to prepare students with character and integrity who can provide LEADERSHIP in their families, their communities, their chosen fields, and in BUILDING the kingdom of God.” You will continue to hear the phrase, “Learn, Lead, Build” which has reference to the mission statement and is an easy way to remember each of our roles as Learners, Leaders and Builders in the Lord’s kingdom. You are invited to join the team and put on the jersey. Be prepared, you will be asked, “Are you a Mormon?” How will you reply? Are you asleep or are you true blue through and through. And I invite you to include “Builder” on your golden plaque over the door of your eternal home.
This is the Lord’s kingdom. This is His work. And we are building for eternity.