Thank you, mom. I love her so much and thank Heavenly Father for an amazing mom. And yes, my mom thrives in the spotlight—thank you for the introduction and for honoring Aunty Nisi as well. Mālō.
In Tongan, māfana describes the warm ecstasy and soul-reaching joy felt when experiencing transcendence, the sublime, the beautiful, and the divine. This sense of being and state of mind are prevalent in spaces of talanoa, of sharing, of celebration, of cultural exchange through connectedness, dance, art, and song. These are moments that are truly spiritual and of the Spirit.
Knowing and feeling this cultural concept very young made it easier for me to understand the Spirit. It also helped me to recognize māfana and the Spirit in spheres of learning and creativity that made my heart swell, my soul quiver and my mind expand. How blessed are we to have the capacities to be reminded that life is beautiful, purposeful, exhilarating, and divine!
In this space, we are blessed to feel māfana and to feel even more through the Spirit. All of our spaces and practices invite the Spirit and afford us the opportunity to feel the comforting calm of the Holy Ghost and to feel māfana. In your classrooms, seek this quickening feeling of warmth that will enhance your learning and expand your mind.
My mom shared that I love words. I do. Words root from our depths, taking audible and physical forms to convey who we are. Uttered words carry breath and life. They resonate as sound. Words in print are alive on paper or screens, and they allow us to soar and delve into the limitless to experience incomprehensible beauty. Words live beyond us. Words, like blood, carry the unique coding of who we are. Through oral tradition, we bask in the sensory delight of feeling the breath, hearing the stories, and knowing the voices of our ancestors.
Think about the act of speaking when next you utter your word. By the time your lips have shaped the word, it has gone through an intricate birth process that took root in your core as an impulse, then shaped itself as a thought in your mind before being transmitted to speech. Words allow manifestations of our souls to become tactile and audible, thus showing that our words are divine in nature because of the process.
Now, listen intently to these words: You are loved. You are of divine worth. You are beautiful. You have the potential beyond imagination to do all that you envision for yourself. You can do all things with God on your side. All these are truths. We often get in our own way, becoming obstacles, to blessings that are ours to claim. Hold firmly to these truths.
We are loved immeasurably and infinitely by our Heavenly Father who has given us the support and structure of family to thrive. Whether it is the families we are born to or the ones that have adopted us or others who have welcomed us with open arms, becoming our haven from the world, we are blessed to have supporting structures in place. The same thought is applicable to faith, knowledge, and wisdom as anchors that not only offer strong support in our lives but also serve as firm foundations of testimony.
My mom and I shared the importance of kaliloa, of mothers, even fathers, serving active roles as teachers and listeners to their children, ensuring that each child has foundational knowledge on how to see, how to be, and how to live. The scriptures reiterate this as truth as evident in Proverbs 22:6: “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” We are to learn eternal and life-saving truths from our parents and guardians.
The scriptures are filled with examples of kali loa. From Adam, Jacob, Isaac to Nephi, Mosiah, Alma, and the mothers of the stripling warriors, these parents offered the guiding light of truths to their children. Within kali loa is imbued with unconditional, transcending, and eternal love. In a letter written by Mormon to his son, Moroni, he writes: “My beloved son, Moroni, I rejoice exceedingly that your Lord Jesus Christ hath been mindful of you, and hath called you to his ministry, and to his holy work. I am mindful of you always in my prayers, continually praying unto God the Father in the name of his Holy Child, Jesus, that he, through his infinite goodness and grace, will keep you through the endurance of faith in his name to the end” (Moroni 8: 2-3). Throughout the scriptures, we witness the guiding light of truth between parent and child.
It is critical that we know our origin, stories, epistemologies, and ontologies unique to who we are and where we come from. In doing so, we realize that we are more than what we even imagine —that we root in life, truth, love, and cosmic beauty. We realize that the structure of the family isn’t by chance, but it mirrors the divine order and origin of our souls—that we are interconnected on a continuum of love created by our Maker. Within this continuum, we are able to feel the resonance of our loved ones who have passed on, even our ancestors, through the stories and truths taught to us within our homes.
By knowing our origin, we know our divine worth. I am the daughter of Tevita and ‘Amelia Mataele Pasi. My dad is from Ha’afeva, Ha’apai, and was the oldest son of Viliami and Sanilaita Pasi. My mom is from Ha’akame, Tongatapu, and was the third daughter of Penisimani and Katokala Mataele. Alongside me are seven7 amazing siblings, who exemplify traits of my parents and grandparents. I need only to look at my brothers and sisters and the goodness they’ve created in their spaces to feel the ancestral pulse of mana and ‘ofa within. I look to my beautiful nieces and nephews, as well as my extended family of amazing aunts, uncles, and cousins, and feel even more strength, support, and love spanning the globe.
I am also a child of God. All of us are children of a loving father in Heaven who adores us without end. His love is the reason why we exist. Love is the reason why His Son, Jesus Christ, is our Savior and Redeemer, whose Atonement makes it possible for us to repent, to improve, to thrive, to be forgiven, to be made whole, and to enjoy the fullness of the gospel. We understand our divine purpose and live intentionally because of the knowledge and truths confirmed by the Holy Ghost, who is our constant companion to guide, protect, comfort, and inspire us.
By knowing our origin and divine worth, we are able to rise above the challenges and hardships we encounter.
Life can be hard. It can barrage us with constant challenges and hardships that never seem to end. Many times during my life, I have paused during prayers to ask if the hardship I was facing was erroneously sent to me and if, by chance, it was meant for someone else, maybe a few houses down instead. I’ve learned that while challenges and hardships may come because of my poor choices, they may also happen randomly and without warning. At the same time, if we make poor choices, we can repent and change because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
While there are challenges that demand accountability for correction and reconciliation, the death of a loved one comes with harrowing challenges, including immense grief. Within our community, we have lost loved ones and are reminded of our mortality and the need to reorganize our priorities to focus on what matters most.
My dad was the most amazing person. He could not have been the man he was were it not for my mom, and the same for her—she was refined by their love and union. Together, they created a home of love and gifted my siblings with their ‘ofa and mana that are imprinted in who we are.
My dad was tough, but he was also gentle and loved hard. This September will mark 10 years without him since 2013. Even now, I cannot articulate the pain of losing him. The shock is oftentimes paralytic and sorrow weighs as heavily and as raw as it was when we rushed to the hospital; yet, I smile at the countless memories of joy, laughter, and craziness of having a trailblazing, innovative, and generous dad. I smile, too, at every reminder of Dad, traces that remain in this sphere, not only through my mom, siblings, and family but also within those he selflessly mentored and loved. Many of our local general and electrical contractors apprenticed through my dad, who shared his talent and knowledge generously.
And just yesterday, Tomu Naeata, another father-figure, who was like an older brother to my dad, passed away. Uncle Tomu and my dad had a special bond that was calming and heartwarming to witness. Tomu would often visit my dad and could spend hours of silence in a shared space together just resting or reading. To my Naeata family: tender condolences and ‘ofa lahi atu.
We know that death is not the end—that families are eternal through the Atonement of our Savior, Jesus Christ. By knowing this truth, grieving is manageable and we can rise from the challenges it poses and choose to celebrate love.
Embrace love. Love is beautiful. It is everything. We are not to live isolated or be alone. We are not to live in mediocrity or loneliness, neither are we to endure unnecessarily and be lost in the chaos and stress of life. We are to blaze from connections with others, as we engage intentionally and serve with compassion. In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul extols the beauty and depth of love as charity. It is pure, selfless, boundless love—and it is eternal. If we open our hearts to this love that is not self-serving but is selfless and filled with compassion, then our influence and care for others become gateways for miracles to occur because we are exemplifying the traits of a true disciple of Jesus Christ. We are made of love. We are nurtured by love. We are connected by love. When we embrace love, our hearts expand and we love without conditions. We accept people where they are, helping ourselves, in turn, to love gently and to inspire hope and light in others.
Dear students, keep the truths, stories, culture, language, and life lessons taught to you when you were a child at the very forefront of your hearts and minds. Don’t lose the stories within you. Don’t forget them. Don't set them aside, because you think there is no place for them here. Don’t ignore the resonance of love and truth that are embedded in your unique stories. Don’t forget who you are as you navigate on your journey here at BYUH.
On this stage are our university, ecclesiastical, and community leaders. They love and pray for you. They champion your purpose here as a student and celebrate your success as does my office, International Student Services. Our team of amazing advisors, student workers, graduate interns, and Church missionaries love you—and I love them for recognizing that the Lord is at the helm of all that we do, even when all seems impossible and discouragement abounds, the Lord has worked mighty miracles to ensure that the university shines in it’s unique mission to serve the students of Oceania and the Asia Rim. My heart is full because of His constant hand in the difficult but vital work that we do each day and the reminder to take care of ourselves.
We must be kind and gentle to ourselves. I struggle with this. I have grown accustomed to constant chaos, like whirling cyclones in front of me that I desperately try to manage to avoid a collision, compounding into an even greater challenge. There are times, too, when I feel incredibly overwhelmed by what seems impossible to accomplish, but I know that God is mindful of my struggles and is ever present to help me if my faith persists and I do all that I can toward the goal. I pray for closer companionship of the Spirit to comfort and sustain me. I reach for the kali loa that was given to me as a child, and I let it absorb all that I’m carrying, remembering that the truths taught by my parents are eternal. The kali loa moves me to pray more fervently, love more selflessly, exercise faith more diligently, work even harder, and trust in God. As a result, I’ve witnessed miracles that have armed me with abundant patience, resilience, and love, as well as determination to never tire of doing what is right and good. At the same time, I am reminded to be kind to myself and rest when I’m weary, knowing that all will be well. I encourage all of us to do the same.
Heed the promptings of the Spirit as another way of taking care of yourself. The Spirit will always guide, protect, and comfort you. It will also confirm everlasting truths to you.
Earlier, I had shared my fondness for words. The ultimate word is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He is the way and light. We will now be graced by a rendition of “The Lord’s Prayer” performed by my sister, Taliana Kakala, who has sung for Hawaii Opera Theatre since she was 15. She is accompanied by a family friend and BYUH student, David Kim, who is a music major.
[Music performance by Taliana Kakala Pasi and David Kim]
May our words ascend and carry our hearts' desires and pleas with humble supplication. May we always swell with the word within us that we may access divine memory of our true nature. May we continue to share our stories, celebrating our origins, both temporal and divine. May we be confident in rising above our challenges and conquering them with joy. May we celebrate and embrace love always, showing charity to all. May we be kind and gentle to ourselves, knowing that we deserve this. May we always be worthy of the Spirit, to be guided in all that we do. May you continue to reach for the kali loa that is your guiding light of truth. This is my hope and desire for all of us today.
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.