My dear brothers and sisters, Aloha!
I would like to begin today by sharing some thoughts I have regarding the Polynesian Cultural Center and also, its unique relationship with BYU–Hawaii. As most of you know, the Center recently celebrated its 60th anniversary. What an amazing experience that was!
The highlight of course was our alumni show, featuring performers from every generation including a few from our opening night more than 60 years ago. This show has been described in many ways, including some very humorous ones such as “May Day for old people,” and “brought to you by Fabric Mart.”
But most of all, it has been described, along with the devotionals, lectures, workshops, sporting events and so on, as an opportunity to honor those who dug the wells we all drink from today, and to rekindle friendships much like Alma who, and I quote “…did rejoice exceedingly to see his brethren; and what added more to his joy, they were still his brethren in the Lord; yea, and they had waxed strong in the knowledge of the truth; for they were men of a sound understanding…” [1]
A friend shared the following thought which I think sums up how we all felt:
“We have had an amazing vacation, one that I didn’t realize I needed, but one that was filled with love, laughter and the rekindling of friendships forged over the years while working at [the] PCC… [The] PCC is indeed a gathering place for many of us looking for a sense of belonging. As we move forward in life, this sense of belonging is carried to wherever we go and we ultimately continue to share the mission and vision of the center and of the Church.” [2]
Reunions are a great time for reflection and also introspection. As I looked into the beautiful faces of the few remaining labor missionaries who built the center more than 60 years ago, and also the faces of our first employees, I was reminded of how their faith and their resilience has made possible what we all enjoy today.
There were the early years when tourism experts, oblivious to President David O. McKay’s prayer that millions would come seeking to know what this town and its significance were, proclaimed the PCC would be a flop because no one would travel all the way to the other side of the island to watch a bunch of amateurs perform. It wasn’t long before they were proved wrong and the PCC recognized as, and I quote, “the flop that flipped.” [3]
The leisure tourism industry is a fickle industry heavily influenced by economic swings, exchange rates, competing destinations, airlift and so forth. The PCC had always been able to weather the ups and downs of the industry, but nothing in our past, or even our imagination, could have prepared us for COVID-19. Rather than go into any specific details, let me give you a sense of what that was like by sharing with you some entries from the first draft of the PCC COVID-19 Journal.
Elder and Sister Burbidge, affectionately known as “Nan and Pop Burbidge” and one of the very few missionary couples to remain during COVID, shared the following:
“This was a time of scarcity and heartache. People were ‘pinched’ and attempts at reducing the shock of insufficiency and unemployment continued. Neighbors, students, coworkers, and families helped one another, and were likewise helped. This was a time to demonstrate that we were all one ohana, sharing what we had.” [4]
As summer stretched into fall and state enforced COVID restrictions increased, Delsa Moe, Vice President of Cultural Presentations made the following observation:
“When President Kauwe arrived on campus that summer, with his background in medicine, he reached out and connected not only BYU–Hawaii but also PCC with a company that provided COVID testing at a fraction of what everybody else was charging, right here on campus. Testing was also made available to the community.” [5]
What a huge blessing that was for BYU–Hawaii, the PCC and our community! I am quite certain we would not have reopened the PCC as early as we did without COVID testing being readily available. Thank you, President Kauwe.
Finally, in January 2021, after nearly a year of being closed, we were given the green light to begin the slow and steady process of reopening for business. A journal entry from Eric Workman, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, captures well our thoughts and feelings at that time:
“It’s made me realize the Center is the Lord’s, and it will always be the Lord’s. He will take good care of it. He helped us see the way through this challenge which seemed impossible. There were times when we were worried the Center may never reopen, but we know it has a role, and he has helped guide us through the worst event, by far, the Center has ever experienced.” [6]
The COVID-19 lockdown taught us many things, it also reminded us that our students matter most. Delsa Moe captured this sentiment well when she said:
“When BYU–Hawaii said they were going to start sending students home, we knew there was no way we could function without them.” [7]
BYU–Hawaii and PCC Are Connected at the Heart
In assuming my current responsibilities at the PCC, I received some wonderful advice, that if I would simply consider the brethren to be like a compass, pointing the way to “true north,” all I would need to do is make sure the Center headed in that direction.
Critical to understanding “true north” is to recognize, that first and foremost, the PCC exists to support the mission and vision of BYU–Hawaii. John S. Tanner, former President of BYU–Hawaii explained it this way:
“I am grateful to be partnered with the PCC. BYU–Hawaii is bound to the PCC by myriad intimate ties—legal, historical, and human. It has rightly been said that BYU–Hawaii and the PCC are bound at the heart. PCC employees are our students and often our graduates. Their campus is an extension of ours and, as such, the PCC is able to employ our international students. It has helped thousands of students afford an education.
Its mission is also congruent with ours. We are both intended to be living laboratories in gospel-infused intercultural learning. I like the fact that the PCC has an educational as well as an entertainment mission—namely, to preserve and celebrate the cultures of Polynesia.” [8]
I should add that in my 40 years of being connected to BYU–Hawaii and the Polynesian Cultural Center, never have I felt a stronger bond between these two entities than I do now. Your current leadership deserves much of the credit for this. I have come to love and appreciate President Kauwe not only as a leader but also as someone who truly exemplifies our PCC motto “One Ohana Sharing Aloha.”
“True north” is to also recognize that BYU–Hawaii and the PCC are in turn inseparably connected to the temple. President Gordon B. Hinckley acknowledged this special connection so eloquently when he said:
"We have here something that we have nowhere else in all the Church: We have the beautiful temple and all of its environs. We have Brigham Young University–Hawaii ..., and we have the cultural center; and they work together. This becomes one great and beautiful and magnificent campus, setting forth the beliefs and practices of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
There is nothing quite like it in so small an area, really, than we have anywhere else in the world. This is a favored and beautiful and wonderful area." [9]
Are We Aligned With the Brethren?
With all that we have been blessed with on this “great and beautiful and magnificent campus,” I can’t help but feel the admonition where “much is given much is required” [10] has special application to us. A certain way to make sure we are doing what is required is to align ourselves with the brethren in both word and deed.
Of great concern to the brethren of late is the lack of civility and contentious behavior that exists in the world today, even within our own ranks. I am sure it is not difficult for any of us to recall a recent time, here on campus, at the PCC, or in our community when hard words were spoken.
President Nelson addressed this very issue at great length in his April 2023 general conference speech entitled, “Peacemakers Needed.” I will draw heavily from this speech throughout the remainder of my presentation as this is the main point of consideration that I wish to share with you today. In fact, I hope, if anything that my comments inspire you to read and really take to heart President Nelson’s counsel on this matter. In his address, he said, “I am greatly concerned that so many people seem to believe that it is completely acceptable to condemn, malign, and vilify anyone who does not agree with them. Many seem eager to damage another’s reputation with pathetic and pithy barbs! Anger never persuades. Hostility builds no one. Contention never leads to inspired solutions.” [11]
He continues, “My dear brothers and sisters, this should not be. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are to be examples of how to interact with others—especially when we have differences of opinion. One of the easiest ways to identify a true follower of Jesus Christ is how compassionately that person treats other people.” [12]
“The Savior’s message is clear: His true disciples build, lift, encourage, persuade, and inspire—no matter how difficult the situation. True disciples of Jesus Christ are peacemakers. [13]
Establishing PCC Internationally
Now this is where I get a little excited because we, and by we, I mean BYU–Hawaii and the Polynesian Cultural Center, are nearly perfectly aligned to produce the peacemakers this world needs. It’s literally in our DNA.
Let me take a moment to validate that claim. In 1955, during the dedication ceremony of this school, President McKay stated, “You mark that word, and 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.” [14]
Did you know in his dedicatory prayer for the Polynesian Cultural Center in 1963, President Hugh B. Brown said, “May all who have come here see in this Center an effort to bring people of different nations, of different races together in a better exemplification of true brotherhood.” [15]
Elder Uchtdorf, then President Uchtdorf, also added in his rededication of the PCC in 2015, “May those who come here with heavy hearts or weariness be re-energized, enriched, comforted and uplifted. May they find a place of refuge. May those who come out of a hectic world, with a hope for serenity, neighborly love and for wholesome recreational activities, never be disappointed.” [16]
Consider also that our student body is one of the most culturally and ethnically diverse to be found on any university campus; and what helps make them truly unique is the gospel-centered environment and the opportunities given to many to be peacemakers, not only amongst themselves but also for thousands of guests who visit the PCC each week.
This comment received from a guest is a good example of how that happens, “Never in my life have I ever felt so overwhelmed and in awe until I came here. I didn't know what to expect, but whatever I had in mind, got overpassed by reality. It's very welcoming here, and there are so many interactive activities for families to do! The majority of the staff are BYU students, yet they are so professional and friendly and very informed about everything. There wasn't one question left unanswered, and I enjoyed that. My tour guide Dee was incredible and played a huge factor in bringing the aloha spirit to life. I am definitely saving up to go back again!” [17]
A BYU–Hawaii student, working as a tour guide at the PCC, also shared the following story just a few weeks ago, “I took a father and his four sons on a tour last year. The father let me know that he was a former Church employee. Upon learning this, I was happy and eager to spend my day with someone who understands the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and to share my culture with him. However, when I started sharing some information about the Church here in Laie, to my surprise, he stopped me and told me they did not want to hear anything about the Church. He then told me how he just woke up one day and decided they didn’t believe in the Church anymore, so they left. I was taken aback, feeling awkward and embarrassed. Usually, when someone stops me while I’m talking, especially about the Church, I feel a bit defensive. But I didn’t. I felt calm. So, throughout the day, instead of mentioning the Church directly, we talked about our families. I shared with him how part of my family had also left the Church. He asked me, “What made you stay?” I had never really thought about what made me stay so the only words that came out of my mouth were “my testimony.” I have been in touch with him and his family ever since. Fast forward to last weekend, the father and three of his children were rebaptized as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Had I been defensive about how he stopped me at the beginning of the tour, I would never have had the chance to share with him what made me stay.” [20]
So, a temple in our midst, a diverse student body in a gospel-centered campus, millions of visitors, many of whom are seeking refuge from a hectic world, and prophets to guide us along the way. Is there any place better prepared than BYU–Hawaii, and by extension the PCC, to produce the peacemakers President Nelson is asking for?
And yet, for reasons known only to ourselves, we too frequently remove our peacemaker hats and, to echo President Nelson, “condemn, malign, and vilify anyone who does not agree with...” our point of view. We know it’s wrong, we know it almost always does more harm than good, and yet we still instigate or allow ourselves to be drawn into contentious situations.
I often walk to work along the access road next to the Cannon Activities Center. In doing so, I regularly observe most drivers slowing down before going over the speed bumps to minimize the impact on their vehicles and passengers. However, I have seen some that don’t slow down at all! Recently, I watched a pick-up truck hit a speed bump at such speed that the cargo, which included a very agitated passenger, were tossed “to and fro” in the back. While admittedly there was some entertainment value in watching this, my main concern was how seriously the passenger could have been injured, or will surely be injured in the future, if the driver persists in not slowing down for speed bumps.
I think in most situations we are like the drivers that slow down for speed bumps. We are careful not to offend or damage our relationships with others. But sometimes we get so invested in an issue or situation that we throw caution to the wind and just plow right into that speed bump with little regard for the damage our actions might cause. We know this is not right, but how do we stop?
Back to President Nelson, who offered his two counselors as an example of how we can do this. He said, “My two noble counselors, President Dallin H. Oaks and President Henry B. Eyring, are exemplary in the way they express their feelings—especially when they may differ. They do so with pure love for each other. Neither suggests that he knows best and therefore must rigorously defend his position. Neither evidences the need to compete with the other. Because each is filled with charity, “the pure love of Christ,” our deliberations can be guided by the Spirit of the Lord. How I love and honor these two great men!” [21]
He goes on to say, “Charity is the antidote to contention. Charity is the spiritual gift that helps us to cast off the natural man, who is selfish, defensive, prideful, and jealous. Charity is the principal characteristic of a true follower of Jesus Christ. Charity defines a peacemaker.” [22]
Now we could argue that it is easy for President Oaks and President Eyring to resolve their differences. They are both great men who have consecrated their lives to God’s work, and we could say that our contentions are with much lesser people.
In speaking to this point, President Thomas S. Monson said, “Charity is having patience with someone who has let us down. It is resisting the impulse to become offended easily. It is accepting weaknesses and shortcomings. It is accepting people as they truly are. It is looking beyond physical appearances to attributes that will not dim through time. It is resisting the impulse to categorize others.” [23]
It really is hard to not categorize others. Not long ago, a man outside the Hau’ula 7-Eleven asked my wife and I for some money. She apologized and said we didn’t have any cash but would get him some food if he liked. He declined her offer with an “it’s okay aunty.” I didn’t think anything more of this exchange. However, when we returned to the car, my wife immediately started searching through all the compartments for loose change. When I asked why she was going to all this trouble, she looked at me and asked, “Do you know whose son that is?” I didn’t, but upon learning who he was, a fond memory of his father quickly came to mind, and I immediately began searching through my wallet for anything I could give him.
Brothers and sisters, we may not have any fond memories or associations with the parents or families of those whom we are in contentious relationships with, but we do know that we have the same Heavenly Father who loves us; and we do know that we have the same Older Brother in who atoned for all of our sins. And we can be very certain that both our Heavenly Father and our Savior Jesus Christ are grieved when they see us “condemn, malign, and vilify” each other. [24]
To quote President Nelson one more time, “Let us as a people become a true light on the hill—a light that ‘cannot be hid.’ Let us show that there is a peaceful, respectful way to resolve complex issues and an enlightened way to...work out disagreements. As you demonstrate the charity that true followers of Jesus Christ manifest, the Lord will magnify your efforts beyond your loftiest imagination.” [25]
I echo President Gordon B. Hinckley’s sentiments, How extraordinarily blessed we are to live in this “great and beautiful and magnificent campus” where we can “set... forth the beliefs and practices of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” [26]
How grateful we should be. May a good portion of that gratitude be expressed in the way we treat each other. May we become the peacemakers we were foreordained to be.
I testify that God lives, and Jesus is the Christ; this is His Church, and President Russell M. Nelson is His prophet who guides and directs us according to the Savior’s will.
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes:
[1] Alma 17:2.
[2] Facebook, Sheena Alaiasa
[3] Steve Fidel, “Polynesian Cultural Center called a ‘flop that flipped’.” Deseret News, November 2009. See also Robbie Dingeman, “O‘ahu in 1967: The Polynesian Cultural Center Was Once Considered Outlandish,” Honolulu Magazine, October 2019.
[4] PCC COVID 19 Journal, Brinton & Nancy Burbidge
[5] PCC COVID 19 Journal, Delsa Moe
[6] PCC COVID 19 Journal, Eric Workman
[7] PCC COVID 19 Journal, Delsa Moe
[8] John Tanner, Polynesian Cultural Center & BYU–Hawaii, BYU–Hawaii Journal, Feb 9, 2018,
[9] Spirit of Aloha, October 2003, Church News, Gordon B. Hinckley
[10] D&C 82:3.
[11] Russell M. Nelson, “Peacemakers Needed,” Liahona, April 2023, 98.
[12] Russell M. Nelson, “Peacemakers Needed,” Liahona, April 2023, 98.
[13] Russell M. Nelson, “Peacemakers Needed,” Liahona, April 2023, 99.
[14] Groundbreaking and Dedication of CCH/BYU–Hawaii, Speeches.byuh.edu, David O. McKay
[15] Hugh B. Brown, PCC Dedicatory Prayer, October 1963
[16] President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Rededication of the PCC, August 2015
[17] PCC Guest Survey Comments, 2023
[18] BYUH Student Employee Commentary, Guest Services Meeting, 2023
[19] Russell M. Nelson, “Peacemakers Needed,” Liahona, April 2023, 100.
[20] Russell M. Nelson, “Peacemakers Needed,” Liahona, April 2023, 100.
[21] Thomas S. Monson, “Charity Never Faileth,” Ensign or Liahona, October 2010, 124.
[22] Russell M. Nelson, “Peacemakers Needed,” Liahona, April 2023, 98.
[23] Russell M. Nelson, “Peacemakers Needed,” Liahona, April 2023, 101.
[24] Spirit of Aloha, October 2003, Church News, Gordon B. Hinckley.