President Boyd K. Packer quoted President J. Reuben Clark Jr. and spoke about his remarks many times. President Clark said that “you do not need to sneak up behind this spiritually experienced youth and whisper religion in his ears; you can come right out, face to face, and talk with him. You do not need to disguise religious truths with a cloak of worldly things; you can bring these truths to him openly, in their natural guise” (“The Charted Course of the Church in Education,” J. Reuben Clark Jr., August 1938).
With that in mind, I wanted to study the “Doctrine” from the scriptures, and relate some things I have learned from experiences I have had here in Laie.
The first experience was in the Polynesian Cultural Center: the Tahiti Village devotional in June when my wife and I were here deciding to come to Hawaii or not.
In the devotional, students were invited to talk about their parents or grandparents and what brought them to Laie. The experiences of the parents were the foundation of their lives and their purpose of being here at BYU–Hawaii and working at the PCC. Those students talked about how the experiences and testimony of their parents were the foundation of their own testimony of the gospel.
The second experience is in the village of Aotearoa. The carvings over the whare (or hale or fale) Hawaiikiroa were getting old and rotting. They were the original carvings done in New Zealand from 1961 to 1963 and then brought to PCC in 1963 when the whare and PCC were originally built.
Totara trees were cut and sliced and prepared to the correct size and carved in the traditional Maori pattern by a Maori master wood carver and five others who worked under him. A Maori master wood carver not only knows how to use the tools and to cut and carve the wood, but he also knows the history of his tribe and his ancestors because the carvings tell of the genealogy of his ancestors, so the whole Maori whare in all the designs and carvings and painting tells the history of the tribe in the story of their ancestors.
Each traditional Maori whare in New Zealand of the different tribes tells the story of their family and ties in the history of each family’s common ancestors of the tribe. The history goes all the way back to their common ancestor, and each whare is the named for the common ancestor.
That is an incredible thing that all Polynesian cultures have in common. They place great importance on knowing the family genealogy. In Samoa, the most revered tulafale or talking chief is the one that knows his own genealogy the best and also knows the genealogy of other aiga or families. He can recite the genealogy of the chiefly titles and knows where the authority of the family’s chiefly titles come from.
Now because of the things I had learned and pondered as I studied the scriptures, these experiences connected to several eternal things for me. Let’s study together and liken the scriptures to ourselves and connect them to the “Doctrine of the Kingdom.”
D&C 2 is an extract from the Joseph Smith History of the night that the angel Moroni first visited Joseph and began to instruct him in his calling as the prophet of the Restoration. He quotes the prophet Malachi but changes the wording in a very significant way: “Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers. If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming” (D&C 2:1-3).
Ponder that for a minute.
I also attended the early morning ceremony in the Maori village where the Maori people dedicated the refurbished whares in a traditional way. Of course, speeches were given back and forth between the Maoris here in Laie and the Maori people overseeing the village at the PCC and the wood carvers and missionaries and all those who participated in the restoration work. This was to express thanks to all those workers and leaders, missionaries and prophets who had come before and who made the building of this place possible and also for those of us at the PCC being the beneficiaries of the great gift of craftsmanship and knowledge and abilities of the wood carvers and missionaries in their labor and efforts in the construction work. Expressing the thought of the Maori saying, “We warm our hands on the embers of the fires we never built.”
Speeches and traditional chants were given by the Maoris in the Maori language, but being here in Hawaii at the Polynesian Cultural Center, there is always deference given to the Hawaiian Culture. They are the host culture and invite all the other islands depicted at the PCC to use a portion of native Hawaiian land to house and demonstrate their culture.
Cy Bridges (the director of protocol at PCC) gave his speech in Hawaiian, reciting his genealogy all the way back to Hawaiiloa, who is the common ancestor of the Maori and Hawaiian and all of the Polynesian people.
Now, those island people who know and understand the covenants of the Lord and the Restoration of the gospel, as they liken the scriptures to themselves, surmise that Hawaiikiroa, the common ancestor, was actually Hagoth.
This is fascinating to me. The ancient history is not just lost away and forgotten but remembered in the traditions of Polynesian cultures
Hawaiikiroa is depicted in the center carving of the koruru, and the warrior depicted on top of the koruru is called the tekoteko. The depiction is of Maui-kai-ariki, the son of Hawaiikiroa and the father of the Maori people.
What is incredible to me as I ponder the meaning is that everything in the Maori whare depicts the ancestors of the tribe. Each figure represents the linage of ancestors, from the oldest in the back to the most recent in the front entrance of the whare.
The third experience that connects all these things together happened to a small-in-stature, much skinnier, palagi missionary with a full head of hair back then in February of 1976. President Spencer W. Kimball and his counselor N. Eldon Tanner and several other general authorities traveled though the South Pacific and held area conferences everywhere they went. They spoke to 1,000 saints in American Samoa on the 17th of February and then traveled to Western Samoa and over three days participated in traditional ceremonies, met with government officials, and held meetings. On the second day, they met with missionaries. President Kimball was getting a cold, so he didn’t meet with the missionaries, President Tanner presided and instructed at that meeting.
And then on the 19th of February, 15,000 Samoan saints gathered in a day of meetings, morning and afternoon sessions.
President Kimball was the concluding speaker. As I recall it, Lafi Toelupe was translating for President Kimball. President Kimball ended his talk five minutes before the hour, and Brother Toelupe turned to him and said, “President you still have five minutes,” and with that, President Kimball turned to Alma 63 and read these verses: “And it came to pass that Hagoth, he being an exceedingly curious man, therefore he went forth and built him an exceedingly large ship, on the borders of the land Bountiful, by the land Desolation, and launched it forth into the west sea, by the narrow neck which led into the land northward. And behold, there were many of the Nephites who did enter therein and did sail forth with much provisions, and also many women and children; and they took their course northward. And thus ended the thirty and seventh year. And in the thirty and eighth year, this man built other ships. And the first ship did also return, and many more people did enter into it; and they also took much provisions, and set out again to the land northward. And it came to pass that they were never heard of more” (Alma 63:5-8).
President Kimball then said that “the Polynesian people are descended from the Nephite Hagoth.”
President Kimball was reiterating the same things that were said by Elder George Q. Cannon. who served his mission in Hawaii from 1850 to 1854 and later served as counselor to four presidents of the Church. The same statements were made by President Joseph F. Smith who served his mission in Hawaii at the age of 15 in the 1850’s and again lived in Hawaii from 1885 to 1887 and became president of the Church. He visited Hawaii several other times, having a great impact on the saints in Hawaii and especially here in Laie, including dedicating the site for the temple so near us today.
President Kimball told the Samoan saints that “they needed to play an important part in the gathering of Israel.”
All of these three experiences reinforced what I have learned when I was taught about the Title Page of The Book of Mormon. We surmise it was written by Moroni, and it was one of the plates Joseph translated.
“Wherefore, it is an abridgment of the record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites — Written to the Lamanites, who are a remnant of the house of Israel; and also to Jew and Gentile—Written by way of commandment, and also by the spirit of prophecy and of revelation—Written and sealed up, and hid up unto the Lord, that they might not be destroyed—To come forth by the gift and power of God unto the interpretation thereof—Sealed by the hand of Moroni, and hid up unto the Lord, to come forth in due time by way of the Gentile—The interpretation thereof by the gift of God.
“An abridgment taken from the Book of Ether also, which is a record of the people of Jared, who were scattered at the time the Lord confounded the language of the people, when they were building a tower to get to heaven—Which is to show unto the remnant of the house of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever—And also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that JESUS is the CHRIST, the ETERNAL GOD, manifesting himself unto all nations—And now, if there are faults they are the mistakes of men; wherefore, condemn not the things of God, that ye may be found spotless at the judgment-seat of Christ.”
In Moroni’s mind, the first thing he thought about as the purpose of the Book of Mormon was:
That it was written to the remnant of the house of Israel
To show what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers - “The Blessings of the Fathers”
And that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever
“The remnant of the House of Israel” and “That they may know the Covenants of the Lord”
Let’s let Nephi writing from a thousand years before Moroni wrote the title page explain what Moroni was telling us: “In the latter days, when our seed shall have dwindled in unbelief, yea, for the space of many years, and many generations after the Messiah shall be manifested in body unto the children of men, then shall the fulness of the gospel of the Messiah come unto the Gentiles, and from the Gentiles unto the remnant of our seed—And at that day shall the remnant of our seed know that they are of the house of Israel, and that they are the covenant people of the Lord; and then shall they know and come to the knowledge of their forefathers, and also to the knowledge of the gospel of their Redeemer, which was ministered unto their fathers by him; wherefore, they shall come to the knowledge of their Redeemer and the very points of his doctrine, that they may know how to come unto him and be saved” (1 Nephi 15:13-14).
That special relationship between us, our fathers or ancestors, and God is confirmed, sealed, and cemented by the covenant relationship God has established from the beginning before the world was. That covenant was reestablished and restored to the earth by the Prophet Joseph Smith.
In the establishment of the covenants, Abraham knew the special promises made to the fathers. He wanted that for himself and his posterity.
In reiterating the covenant relationship that God had made with Adam, Enoch, and Noah, and reiterating the everlasting covenant the Lord Promised Abraham, God says, “My name is Jehovah, and I know the end from the beginning; therefore my hand shall be over thee. And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee above measure, and make thy name great among all nations, and thou shalt be a blessing unto thy seed after thee, that in their hands they shall bear this ministry and Priesthood unto all nations; And I will bless them through thy name; for as many as receive this Gospel shall be called after thy name, and shall be accounted thy seed, and shall rise up and bless thee, as their father” (Abraham 2:8-10).
As many as receive this “Gospel” – the Gospel of Jesus Christ or the Doctrine of Christ, the only pathway to salvation – are called the sons and daughters of Abraham, and our patriarchal blessings tell us that we are tied to Abraham usually through one of his third great-grandsons, and we bless Abraham because of his righteous example and desire to make the covenants available to all of his posterity.
Participating in the gospel we make covenants. Beginning covenants are Aaronic Priesthood covenants. Advanced covenants are Melchizedek Priesthood covenants, the eternal exalting covenants of the temple
Here at BYU–Hawaii, your advanced or upper division course classes add on to and extend your knowledge of the subjects you have been studying. Those upper division classes qualify you to teach others or to work in your field of expertise.
Here is how Abraham describes who he was, his feelings, and what was most important to him in the world: “And, finding there was greater happiness and peace and rest for me, I sought for the blessings of the fathers, and the right whereunto I should be ordained to administer the same; having been myself a follower of righteousness, desiring also to be one who possessed great knowledge, and to be a greater follower of righteousness, and to possess a greater knowledge, and to be a father of many nations, a prince of peace, and desiring to receive instructions, and to keep the commandments of God, I became a rightful heir, a High Priest, holding the right belonging to the fathers” (Abraham 1:2).
This is exactly as Moroni explained to Joseph Smith: “And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers. If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming” (D&C 2:2-3).
To close, let me read some verses of scriptures that explain our covenant relationship and who we are as covenant makers and covenant keepers and what our Father in Heaven expects of us.
D&C 66:2
“Verily I say unto you, blessed are you for receiving mine everlasting covenant, even the fulness of my gospel, sent forth unto the children of men, that they might have life and be made partakers of the glories which are to be revealed in the last days, as it was written by the prophets and apostles in days of old.”
D&C 45:9
“And even so I have sent mine everlasting covenant into the world, to be a light to the world, and to be a standard for my people, and for the Gentiles to seek to it, and to be a messenger before my face to prepare the way before me.”
D&C 101:12-13, 16, 39-40
“And in that day all who are found upon the watch-tower, or in other words, all mine Israel, shall be saved. And they that have been scattered shall be gathered. Therefore, let your hearts be comforted concerning Zion; for all flesh is in mine hands; be still and know that I am God. When men are called unto mine everlasting gospel, and covenant with an everlasting covenant, they are accounted as the salt of the earth and the savor of men; They are called to be the savor of men; therefore, if that salt of the earth lose its savor, behold, it is thenceforth good for nothing only to be cast out and trodden under the feet of men.”
Alma 26:5-6
“Behold, the afield was ripe, and blessed are ye, for ye did thrust in the sickle, and did reap with your might, yea, all the day long did ye labor; and behold the number of your sheaves! And they shall be gathered into the garners, that they are not wasted. Yea, they shall not be beaten down by the storm at the last day; yea, neither shall they be harrowed up by the whirlwinds; but when the storm cometh they shall be gathered together in their place, that the storm cannot penetrate to them; yea, neither shall they be driven with fierce winds whithersoever the enemy listeth to carry them.”
The following are the words of Jesus Christ to the Nephite saints and were recorded on gold plates, so they would be preserved through centuries, so the words and testimony of the prophets and the teachings of the Savior would be restored in our day.
3 Nephi 18:24
“Therefore, hold up your light that it may shine unto the world. Behold I am the light which ye shall hold up—that which ye have seen me do. Behold ye see that I have prayed unto the Father, and ye all have witnessed. And ye see that I have commanded that none of you should go away, but rather have commanded that ye should come unto me, that ye might feel and see; even so shall ye do unto the world.”
Brothers and sisters, I bear my testimony that I have learned for myself that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true. I love to teach and share the gospel and the things that I have learned as I have pondered and studied the scriptures and as all things on earth witness and testify that Jesus is the Christ. And I say that in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.