My dear brothers and sisters, Aloha. I express my gratitude to President Wheelwright and the President's Council for extending me this marvelous opportunity to speak to you this morning. The fact that this is a rare and very special assignment is not lost on me and so I have earnestly sought for inspiration from the Lord.
I thank my family especially my wife, Carolyn, my daughters and my sisters for their love, their help and patience as I prepared for this devotional.
I acknowledge my dear friends and leaders of the Laie Hawaii North Stake Presidency, President Hafoka and President McArthur who are here.
My appreciation goes out to Lila, Lisa, Denise, Monique and all those who assisted me. I thank all of you for your presence. Whatever your motivation is for attending is not important to me. What's important is that I say something of consequence that will make a difference in your life.
Thirty -four years ago, I left American Samoa and came here to study. I sat, as a student, where you are sitting today, albeit in the McKay Auditorium. I was inspired by many of the testimonies that were borne. Little did I realize that I would one day be standing here as a devotional speaker.
I pray for that same Spirit that touched me those many years ago to be in our midst so that the next few moments may be edifying for you and I.
My family owes much to this university. Carolyn; two of my three daughters, Siulia and Karess; three brothers; three sisters; not to mention nieces, nephews, brothers-in-law, a sister-in-law and many, many cousins all graduated here. This university has been a blessing to us.
As mentioned by Carolyn, I have been employed at the Temple for close to 17 years. Most of those years as the Assistant Recorder until 7 months ago when I became the Recorder.
On that day my life started to move at warp speed and it's been a miracle I've been able to stay on top of things. But as Nephi said, the Lord will not ask us to do anything unless a way has been prepared for us to accomplish it. So I acknowledge the Lord's guiding hand in my life and I thank Him for an incredibly supportive Temple President and Matron and a very efficient and dedicated staff.
The closing of the Temple has had a tremendous impact on my life. I recall waking up on Friday, Dec. 26th, the day before we closed the Temple for renovations, realizing that we would be opened for just one more day.
I found it strange that I was feeling this way especially since we had been given ample notice. Plus I had been witnessing for days the preparations for this historical event: the release of our 417 ordinance workers, the letter from the brethren indicating our temporary inclusion into the Kona Hawaii Temple District, thus allowing President Mo'o and his counselors to call ordinance workers from the 11 stakes on Oahu and the one on Kaua'i; the many meetings with our Salt Lake support team and the daily fielding of questions from concerned members.
Yet for the first time the realization of what was to transpire finally hit home. Our Temple, a place of refuge and solitude, of dedication, of comfort and peace was going to be closed for 18 long months and the life-saving work performed within her walls for both the living and the dead would cease for a season.
My thoughts were drawn to scriptural verses, which described the state of those in the spirit world especially before the Lord's death and resurrection.
"The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined." (Isaiah 9:2). "Let your hearts rejoice, and be exceedingly glad. Let the earth break forth into singing. Let the dead speak forth anthems of eternal praise to the King Immanuel, who hath ordained, before the world was, that which would enable us to redeem them out of their prison; for the prisoners shall go free." (D&C 128:22).
I felt that with the closing of the Temple I would be figuratively walking in darkness and waiting in prison to be set free.
Last Thursday, these feelings became more intense as I walked through the interior of the Temple. I saw debris and devastation everywhere. It was surreal. Nothing resembled the Temple that you and I love.
Yet amongst the destruction and chaos were things of wonder and amazement. Daniel Polister, the Temple engineer, was my tour guide. He showed me original features of the Temple that had long been hidden from view. He pointed out the quality of the workmanship that had gone into making this magnificent building. From the excellent woodwork on the walls to the beautiful high ceiling and windows, to the painstakingly cut and fitted marble on the steps and floors. I was awe-stricken.
I felt stirrings within me for this sacred building as never before. My love for it and He whose name is there grew. My respect for those men who built it amplified and my testimony of a living prophet and his counselors increased as I recalled the words of the letter they had sent announcing the renovations and its purpose "to return the Temple to its original beauty, and to bring it up to current Temple standards."
In my search for solace, I envisioned how joyous that future day will be when the Temple re- opens. My thoughts drifted back to the year 2005, to a truly incredible day, when the new Apia Samoa Temple was dedicated. I accompanied my Mother there.
We first saw the Temple at around 4:00 a.m. on Sept. 1st, the morning we arrived from Hawaii. This great and glorious edifice to the Lord had risen from the ashes of the former one. As she gazed upon it, my mother cried. I knew that the joy of seeing this Temple for the first time was now beginning to replace the sadness and the emptiness in her heart that commenced on that fateful night two years prior when as a Temple missionary she stood there helplessly and watched the old Temple burn to the ground. This was why my siblings and I were so keen on taking her back so she could have some closure. Now that she was within arm's reach of the new and completed Temple, the healing had begun.
It reminded me of the return of the Israelites from captivity to re-build the Temple in Jerusalem in the Book of Ezra and the emotions displayed by the people. "And when the builders laid the foundation of the Temple of the Lord, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the Lord, after the ordinance of David King of Israel.
And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the Lord, because He is good, for His mercy endureth forever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the House of the Lord was laid." (Ezra 3:10-11).
There was a feeling of joy and celebration in the air everywhere. It was as if a great burden had been lifted and a people who had been in bondage were now free. The House of the Lord, with all its attendant blessings was once again established in Samoa.Its lights at night as a beacon pushing back the darkness.
President George Q. Cannon explained, "Every foundation stone that is laid for a Temple, and every Temple completed according to the order the Lord has revealed for his holy Priesthood, lessens the power of Satan on the earth, and increases the power of God and Godliness, moves the heavens in mighty power in our behalf, invokes and calls down upon us the blessings of the Eternal Gods, and those who reside in their presence" (Millennial Star, 12 Nov. 1877, p. 743).
And just as the Lord told the Israelites so it has been with the new Apia Samoa Temple and eventually with our Temple, the Laie Hawaii Temple.
"and I will fill this House with glory." and "The glory of this latter House shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of Hosts; and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts." (Haggai 2:7,9).
And so I look forward with great anticipation to the day when we will once again enjoy the blessings of the Temple in our midst. What a glorious day that will be. It will be a day of re-dedication, not only for the Temple, but for ourselves.
President Joseph Fielding Smith said, "When we dedicate a house to the Lord, what we really do is dedicate ourselves to the Lord's service, with a covenant that we shall use the house in the way He intends that it shall be used." (Church News, 22 January, 1972, 3).
In the Dedicatory Prayer for the Laie Hawaii Temple, by President Heber J. Grant on November 27th, 1919, we find wonderful blessings for those involved in Temple-worship. It follows the pattern of the prayer given by the Prophet Joseph at the dedication of this dispensation's first Temple, the Kirtland Temple. It is given by revelation to a prophet of the Lord.
But what do the dedicated blessings of the Temple have to do with this campus? Why is it important to understand this dedicatory prayer whatever your role here is?
This university has always had a great faculty. Men and women who were respected in their fields and who loved the Lord. As a young student, I was motivated to learn by men and women such as these. Giants like Lance Chase, Patrick Dalton, Jack Johnson and Wylie and Lois Swapp.
They taught me these 2 essential life lessons:
First, that the most important knowledge we will garner here, is to know that Jesus is the Christ. "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." (John 17:3).
Secondly, to live worthy of the companionship of the Holy Ghost is life's pursuit. Because as the Lord said, "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." (John 14:26).
If the Holy Ghost's presence on this campus, will enhance your learning abilities and create an environment conducive to learning like no other. Then it is important to seek after it.
As the Spirit abides here, this campus will become a place where those on the administration will preside with charity, wisdom and understanding. Those on the faculty will change lives by teaching with love, power and authority. Those on the staff will contribute effectively and willingly. You, as students, will gain a secular education tempered by the principles of the gospel and a testimony of the Savior.
Temple worship then will fulfill for you the prayer of the Prophet Joseph at the dedication of the Kirtland Temple, "And thou grant, Holy Father, that all those who shall worship in this house may be taught words of wisdom out of the best books, and that they may seek learning even by study, and also by faith, as thou hast said. And that they may grow up in Thee and receive a fullness of the Holy Ghost." (D&C 109:14-15).
The dedicatory prayer for the Laie Hawaii Temple opens our understanding to the rich and wonderful blessings that we can claim in righteousness. It instills in us greater appreciation for having a House of the Lord in our midst and hopefully generate in us greater devotion to the Lord and increased participation in Temple work. Most of these blessings were to come through covenants we make with the Lord. For our God is a covenant making God and we are His covenant people. And as He has covenanted with Father Abraham and Isaac and Jacob even so will He covenant with us. All of these covenants could only be entered into in the Temple.
This almost 90-year-old dedicatory prayer is as pertinent today as it was that Thanksgiving Day long ago. In it is the voice and the will of the Lord to us. It emphasizes in no uncertain terms what should be the prevailing and motivating attitudes and performances in our lives if we are to reap the blessings.
The Abrahamic Covenant consisted of 3 blessings, which were temporal and spiritual in nature. These blessings were of lands, principalities and dominions, of posterity and of the priesthood. With this in mind, I will share with you a few of the blessings contained in the prayer, those that I have been impressed to speak on.
He blessed the Temple that His Son may see fit to manifest Himself there.
He blessed the Temple that the Lord may instruct His servants there.
He blessed the Temple that it will be a place of peace.
He blessed the Temple grounds that a sweet and peaceful influence will be there.
He blessed the Temple workers and those who come to do work.
He blessed the youth of the Church.
He blessed this land.
He blessed all of us who live here.
He blessed our country.
He blessed our country's leaders.
He blessed the Temple that His Son might see fit to reveal Himself there:
And whether this means we literally see Him, hear His voice or feel His presence it is the same. How important is it that the Savior has a place where He can come? Very important.
President Brigham Young said, quoting the scripture in Matthew 8:19-20, "And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man hath not where to lay His head."
"Because His Father had no house upon the earth, none dedicated to Him and preserved for His exclusive use, and the benefit of His obedient children 'because the House which the Father had commanded to be built for His reception, although completed, had become polluted'." (Widtsoe, John A. Discourses of Brigham Young. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1978).
The Ancient of Days, Adam, called together all the high priests and the righteous from among his posterity to a grand gathering in the Valley of Adam-ondi-Ahman where he blessed them for the last time. The Savior also appeared unto them. The Prophet Joseph said that Adam blessed his descendants because "he wanted to bring them into the presence of God." This too can happen to us in the Temple. (Smith, Joseph Fielding. Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1938).
He blessed the Temple that the Lord may instruct his servants there:
This is where we will be taught from on high and endowed with power. Where "If thou shalt ask, thou shalt receive revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge, that thou may know the mysteries and peaceable things, that which bringeth joy, that which bringeth life eternal." (D&C 42:61). This instruction can happen in many different forms. It can come through revelation, through those who preside there, through the ordinances themselves, through the scriptures or through the handbooks.
He blessed the Temple that it will be a place of peace:
This peace is promised to those who do Temple work within its walls. "May Thy peace ever abide in this holy building, that all who come here may partake of the spirit of peace." In our tumultuous times and lives, the need for a place where we can go and "Be still and know that I am God." (Psalms 46:10) is priceless. The Temple is that place. Each of us here who has performed Temple ordinances has felt this peace but it's too personal and sacred for us to speak of it.
He blessed the grounds that a sweet and peaceful influence will be there:
And that all who come on these blessed and holy grounds will feel it whether they are members or non-members. This blessing has been fulfilled many, many times.
I answered a phone call at the Temple one day and took an appointment from a brother in Europe who together with his wife were both in their 70's and wanted to come to the Temple in Laie to be sealed. I was interested to know why they would come so far when there were closer Temples to them. He replied that a few years earlier, he and his wife went on a world tour. Hawaii and the Polynesian Cultural Center were both on their itinerary. At PCC they boarded the tram to the Visitors' Center and their lives were changed forever. The Spirit of the Lord touched them there, on the grounds, and it was not long afterwards they joined the Church. They wanted to come back and be sealed here at what is a very special place for them. They did come and it was a great day for us in the Temple.
On another occasion, one of our staff saw an older man in shorts and t-shirt standing reverently in the vestibule. She approached him to see if he needed help. He was emotional and explained that his wife passed away some time ago and he missed her dearly. He said that he didn't know what happens in this building but the closer he got to it the stronger he felt her presence. He pleaded to be given a little time to meditate and then he would leave. She was touched and she left him there.
One year, during the days when we opened only in the morning and afternoon, we conducted a Temple review on the grounds. As we approached the front entrance from the south, I almost ran into a lady sitting on the steps where few could see her with her head in her hands sobbing quietly. I do not know who she was but I felt her pain. My heart went out to her and like the rest of the brethren I hurried to get past afraid that we had disturbed her moment of solitude with the Lord. Feeling like we had intruded on her private worship. The memory still remains with me reminding me of many who come seeking peace and comfort on the grounds. This is even more poignant now with the Temple closed.
He blessed the Temple workers and those who come to do work.
At this time may I ask all those who have worked as ordinance workers or volunteers or employees in the Laie Hawaii Temple to please stand. On behalf of our Recording Office and staff, I thank you for your dedicated service. You are great examples to us. I also point out to you that part of the prayer was to have the Holy Spirit rest mightily upon you as workers and upon all who come there to perform ordinances for the living or for the dead.
Most of you students are members of the Church but are not yet endowed. If you are worthy and qualified, you may come to the Temple, with your ward, and perform baptisms for the dead. This act of service will allow the Spirit to rest mightily upon you, too.
This spirit will help you as Elder John A. Widtsoe said, "I believe that the busy person on the farm, in the shop, in the office, or in the household, who has his worries and troubles can solve his problems better and more quickly in the House of the Lord than anywhere else. If he will leave his problems behind, and in the Temple work for himself and for his dead, he will confer a mighty blessing upon those who have gone before, and quite as large a blessing will come to him, for at the most unexpected moments, in or out of the Temple will come to him as a revelation the solution of the problems that vex his life. That is the gift that comes to those who enter the Temple properly, because it is a place where revelations may be expected." (A Lecture Delivered to the Genealogical Society of Utah, in Salt Lake City, Tuesday, October 12, 1920).
Each of us goes to do work for ourselves once and the rest of the time we do the work for others. As we do this work for others we come to better understand the meaning of life and the will of the Lord for us. It impresses upon us the truth that to bless our lives we must bless the lives of others. We must lose ourselves in the Lord's service. It is here too where you and I become saviors on Mt. Zion for as the Lord did for us vicariously what we could not do for ourselves even so do we do for the dead vicariously what they cannot do for themselves. The magnitude of this we will not know until we have crossed the veil.
He blessed the youth of the Church:
He petitions for their protection from wicked and designing men as well as the Adversary. Language that reminds us of the 89th Section of the Doctrine and Covenants - the Word of Wisdom, where we are warned by the Lord that it was given "In consequence of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days." (D&C 89:4). How was he to know except through revelation the challenges our youth will face today on these lands with drugs and with kava? He blessed our land:
Amongst the Lord's blessings for Abraham and his faithful descendants, is that of promised lands. Lands where if they are righteous and rely on Him they will find safety and prosperity. "And he leadeth away the righteous into precious lands, and the wicked He destroyeth, and curseth the land unto them for their sakes." (1 Nephi 17:38).
President Grant referred to this land as a beautiful and favored land and he blessed it that it will produce abundantly and also that those who live on it will prosper and be protected if they serve God and keep His commandments.
This is what the Lord meant when He spoke to the Nephites that in the last days Zion and her stakes shall be established "And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord, and great shall be the peace of thy children. In righteousness shalt thou be established for thou shalt be far from oppression, for thou shalt not fear, and from terror for it shall not come near thee, no weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord." (3 Nephi 22:13-14,17).
He blessed all of us who live here:
In his prayer the prophet petitioned the Lord to bless the Hawaiian people, a part of the blessing that I found fascinating. He asks the Lord to "stay the hand of the destroyer that they may not perish as a people" so that all the promises made to Father Lehi about his posterity would be fulfilled in them. That beginning from that moment, they will increase, as a people in virility and health, in numbers, in strength, in influence, in vigor of body and mind but above all in love for Heavenly Father and the Savior and "increase in diligence and in faithfulness in keeping the commandments which have come to them through the gospel of Jesus Christ."
President Boyd K. Packer said, "No work is more of a protection to this church than Temple work and the genealogical research that supports it. Our labors in the Temple cover us with a shield and a protection, both individually and as a people. So come to the Temple and claim your blessings. It is a sacred work." (Packer, Boyd K. The Holy Temple. Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft).
He blessed our country:
And mentioned things that are less than fashionable in today's world. Of maintaining what he referenced as the "inspired Constitution." Of overcoming everything that divides us and having the courage to do what is right and just. To increase in our loyalty, patriotism, and love of country and to always seek guidance and direction from the Lord. In return, our country will be protected against all our enemies.
He blessed our country's leaders:
And he sets an example for us to follow (one we must remember on this day when we have just sworn into office the 56th president of these United States), he prays for our government leaders then, starting with President Woodrow Wilson. He makes mention of the vice-president, the president's cabinet, senators, congressmen, and everyone who works for the government at any level. He especially asked that inspiration would be with the president constantly. How many of us, have ever prayed for President Bush? And for that matter, how many of us will pray for President Barrack Obama and his cabinet?
No one place offers us the countless blessings that Temples do. Blessings that are temporal and eternal in nature. This is why the importance of Temples cannot be over emphasized.
The blessings of the Laie Hawaii Temple are meant not only to bless us, Heavenly Father's children who live in this part of the vineyard, but to bless everyone who visits and through our efforts the lives of our families and loved ones and countless others in the world that we will come in contact with. They hold promises and blessings that will be fulfilled only through righteous living.
May we live our lives worthy of these blessings.
I do have a testimony of Heavenly Father and of His Son, Jesus Christ. I have no doubt that they did appear to the young Prophet Joseph thereby ushering in the Dispensation of the Fulness of Times. The Book of Mormon is true and so is the Church. I know with certainty that Pres. Thomas S. Monson is Heavenly Father's prophet on the earth today. I know that Temples are of God. I express my love to all of you.
And I close with these words from the prayer, "O God, our Heavenly and Eternal Father, we most earnestly pray that this sacred building may be a place in which Thou shall delight to pour out Thy Holy Spirit in great abundance, and in which Thy Son may see fit to manifest Himself and to instruct Thy servants." I say things things in the name of Jesus Chirst, Amen.