The community of Laie and BYU–Hawaii will celebrate the landmark anniversaries reflecting the influence the town and school has had in the region.
Laie is celebrating its 150th anniversary of being an LDS community, and BYUH is commemorating its 60th anniversary as a church institution in Hawaii.
The order of events are as follows:
Friday, Oct. 23: The Mormon Pacific Historical Society conference banquet at the PCC Hale Kuai at 6 p.m. will have former BYUH President Eric B. Shumway as the keynote speaker. Registration and tickets are required to attend this event.
Saturday, Oct. 24: The MPHS conference at the HGB will last from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Various community presentations will be given along with a historical marker ceremony at 11:30 a.m. at the Campus Stake Center Pavilion. This marks the location of David O. McKay’s groundbreaking in 1955. All members of the community and students are invited to the ceremony.
Sunday, Oct. 25: “Laie: Refuge from the Storm” will be shown in the PCC Hawaiian Journey Theater from 4:30–5:30 p.m. and 6–7 p.m. This docudrama by Fred Woods and Martin Anderson portrays the history of Laie.
Tuesday, Oct. 27: A special devotional by Eric B. Shumway will start in the CAC at 11 a.m. This will be followed by a book signing of “Prophetic Destiny: The First 60 Years” with authors Eric Shumway and Alf Prate from 1–4 p.m. in the Campus Bookstore.
Sunday, Nov. 1: Elder D. Todd Christofferson will do the dedication of Hales 3 and 5 at Hale 3 at 5 p.m. An evening devotional will be held afterwards in the CAC at 7 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 7: Laie Community Parade will begin at 9 a.m. “Behold Laie” Youth Pageant will be in the CAC with showings at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Tickets will be distributed via wards and stakes.
Tuesday, Nov. 10: President John S. Tanner will be Inaugurated by President Henry B. Eyring in the CAC at 10 a.m. An Inaugural Reception will follow in the Aloha Center Ballroom.
“If we remember anything as we celebrate, it’s that there is something special about this place. People feel something different here,” said Mark James, president of the MPHS and a TESOL professor at BYUH.
James said the goal of Laie citizens is to “preserve and contribute to that feeling.” James said a momentous occasion of the society’s conference this year will be the unveiling of the historical marker signifying the location where David O. McKay broke ground for the building of the campus in 1955. James said this event was essentially the “this is the place” moment for saints living in the Pacific.
“The groundbreaking took place in the middle of sugar cane fields. They just carved out a section of cane, dropped some sand in, and built a stage where the VIPs could sit,” he said.
According to James, the idea of having a school on the less-populated side of the island and building the Polynesian Cultural Center were opposed by various site selection committees.
James said, “David O. McKay saw the potential and vision for this place and said it could be built. Now it is our job to make sure that all of those prophesies come true. Every student takes something away from this place when they leave. It would be nice to also put something into it. What kind of mark are we going to leave on this community?”
James related this idea at the PCC’s opening, employees would stand near the entrance on the highway holding and waving signs in hopes of attracting visitors to the prophetic establishment. According to various tourism magazines, the PCC is Hawaii’s No. 1 paid tourist attraction.
In David O. McKay’s Dedicatory Prayer in 1955, he said, “This college, and the temple, and the town of Laie may become a missionary factor, influencing not thousands, not tens of thousands, but millions of people who will come seeking to know what this town and its significance are.”
“Laie has grown out of inspiration. It is a community based on faith in prophets,” said Michael Johanson, director of Communications and Marketing at BYUH.
“There’s a famous saying that basically says if we want to know our future, we should look to our past. I think there’s a lot of value in learning about history; especially where inspired direction has been given. This clearly doesn’t mean we live in the past or avoid change and progress of current times. But it does mean that we should strive to understand what got us to where we are today and do our best to build on that.”
Johanson said President McKay established guidelines for the purpose of the community of Laie, and the unveiling of the marker will join other markers in the community remind us of those prophetic visions.
Those wishing to attend or know more about these events can visit www.laie150.org where more information is posted about the events. Photos of the community are also posted along with a timeline of events portraying Laie’s history throughout the years.