Laie Hawaii Temple

Laie Hawaii Temple is a temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) located on the northeast shore of the Hawaiian island of Ookinaahu. The temple sits on a small hill a half-mile from the Pacific Ocean in the town of Lāokinaie, convert|35|mi|km from Honolulu. Along with Brigham Young University Hawaii and the Polynesian Cultural Center, the Laie Hawaii Temple plays an important role in the town of Lā'ie,cite journal
last = Aikau
first = Hokulani K.
title = Resisting Exile in the Homeland: He Mo'olemo No Lā'ie
journal = American Indian Quarterly
volume = 32
issue = 1
pages = 70-95
publisher = University of Nebraska Press
location = Lincoln, NE
date = Winter 2008
issn = 0095-182X
accessdate = 2008-07-18] with the temple Visitors' Center attracting more than 100,000 people annually.cite news
last = Kayal
first = Michele
title = Mormons Spruce Up Their Aging Hawaiian Outpost
work = National
publisher = "The New York Times"
date = 2004-11-27
url = http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/27/national/27religion.html
accessdate = 2007-11-18]

Laie Hawaii Temple was the first LDS Church temple built outside of the continental United States. The temple is also the oldest to operate outside of Utah, and the fifth-oldest LDS temple still in operation. The site of the temple was dedicated by Church President Joseph F. Smith on June 1, 1915, and the completed structure was dedicated by Church President Heber J. Grant on November 27, 1919. Laie Hawaii Temple was formerly known as the Hawaiian Temple or the Hawaii Temple until a standard naming convention for LDS temples was adopted in the early 2000s.

History

andwich Islands Mission

During the California Gold Rush, the first ten Mormon missionaries to Hawaii departed San Francisco on the ship "Imaum of Muscat." After 20 days at sea, the ship arrived on December 12, 1850, in Honolulu Harbor at what was then known as the Sandwich Islands (Hawaiian Islands).cite book
last = The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
first =
authorlink = The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
title = The Mormon temple, Laie, Hawaii
publisher = Bureau of Information, Hawaii Temple, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
year = 1964
location = Laie, Hawaii
pages = 1–20] A week later, nine missionaries received their assignments; two headed to the island of Kaua'i, three to Lahaina on the island of Maui, two to the Big Island of Hawaii, and two stayed behind in Honolulu. These nine missionaries formed the basis of the Sandwich Islands Mission.cite web
last = Wallace III
first = William Kauaiwiulaokalani
authorlink =
title = The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Hawaiian Islands from 1850-1900
work = History
publisher = La'ie Community Association
date = 2000-01-30
url = http://www.laiecommunityassociation.org/history.html
accessdate = 2007-11-17] The first LDS Church congregation in Hawaii was established on the island of Maui in 1851. Missionaries settled on the island of Lānaokinai in 1854, and in Lāʻie on the island of Ookinaahu in 1865.

Lāokinaie

In 1865, the Church purchased a convert|6000|acre|km2|sing=on sugarcane plantation as a gathering place for the Latter-day Saints in the area. While on a mission to the Sandwich Islands, Joseph F. Smith first proposed building a temple in Hawaii during a meeting in Lāʻie on February 15, 1885.cite web
last = BYU—Hawaii
first =
authorlink = Brigham Young University Hawaii
coauthors =
title = Office of Planning, Institutional Research, Assessment and Testing
work = The Destiny of La‘ie
publisher = Brigham Young University Hawaii
year = 2006
url = https://apps.byuh.edu/apps/pirat/Planning/docs/THE_DESTINY_OF_LAIE_AND_ITS_ENTITIES.pdf
format = PDF
accessdate = 2008-07-17] George Q. Cannon, one of the original ten missionaries, visited Lāʻie in 1900 and became revered as a prophet for promoting the idea of a new Hawaiian temple among his congregations.cite journal
last = Webb
first = T. D.
title = Profit and Prophecy: The Polynesian Cultural Center and La'ie's Recurrent Colonialism
journal = The Hawaiian Journal of History
volume = 27
pages = 127–150
publisher = Hawaiian Historical Society
location = Honolulu, Hawaii
year = 1993
url =
issn = 0440-5145] In 1915, Joseph F. Smith, then sixth president of the LDS Church, announced plans for the first temple outside the continental United States and chose Lāʻie for construction. According to Mormon folklore, precious materials arrived just in time to complete the building of the temple: Temple builders ran out of wood (a scarce commodity on the islands) during initial construction, but local members received lumber when a ship ran aground and needed to unload some of its cargo of wood. The temple builders volunteered to help the ship and were given the lumber out of gratitude. The lumber taken from the ship proved to be just enough to finish the temple.

When news of the new Laie Hawaii Temple reached Native Hawaiian converts (and other Polynesians) living far from home in the town of Iosepa, Utah, many decided to emigrate back to Hawaii. Although the Hawaiians had lived in Iosepa since 1889, the closest temple, Salt Lake Temple, was 75 miles away from the colony. Moving to Laie gave the Hawaiians the ability to be closer to the new temple and allowed them to perform sacred ordinances without having to travel great distances. By January 1917, most of the Hawaiians returned home, leaving Iosepa a ghost town.cite web
last = Poulsen
first = Richard
coauthors = Iosepa Historical Association
title = A History of Iosepa, Utah
work = The Polynesian Gift to Utah
publisher = KUED
year = 1999
url = http://www.kued.org/productions/polynesian/history/
accessdate = 2008-07-17]

LDS Church President Heber J. Grant presided over the Hawaiian Temple's dedication on November 27, 1919. Grant called the Hawaiian people "descendants of Lehi" (a prophet in the "Book of Mormon"), and saw the future of the new temple in Lāʻie as a magnet for Polynesian converts. After the temple was completed, more Polynesians moved to Lāʻie, hoping to participate in temple ordinances. Tourists were also drawn to the area, and guide books of the time compared the Lāʻie temple to the Taj Mahal.

The 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor gave rise to another popular tale about the Laie Hawaii Temple in Mormon folklore. According to variations on this story, Japanese aircraft pilots attempted to bomb or strafe the Hawaiian Temple just prior to or just after the attack, but were thwarted by mechanical failure or from an unseen protective force.cite book
last = Baldridge
first = Kenneth W.
coauthors = Lance D. Chase
editor = Grant Underwood
chapter = The Purported December 7, 1941, Attack on the Hawai'i Temple
title = Voyages of Faith: Explorations in Mormon Pacific History
publisher = Brigham Young University Press
year = 2000
location = Provo, Utah
pages = 165–190
isbn = 0842524800 ] Some stories suggest that the Japanese pilot who attempted to attack the temple was converted to the LDS Church after he saw a picture of the temple in the possession of Mormon missionaries in Japan. Although there is an eyewitness who believes he saw the attempted bombing, and a former missionary who says he met the Japanese convert, historians have found little supporting evidence that would substantiate these stories.cite web
last = Scholarly & Historical Information Exchange for Latter-day Saints
title = Japanese pilot tries to bomb Hawaii temple
work = LDS Hoaxes and Myths
publisher = SHIELDS: Scholarly & Historical Information Exchange for Latter-day Saints
year = 2001
url = http://www.shields-research.org/Hoaxes/LDSWorld_Internet_Hoaxes_and_Mormon_Urban_Legends.htm#bomb%20Hawaii%20temple
accessdate = 2008-07-17]

Renovation

Beginning in May 1976, the temple was closed for a two-year remodeling project, expanding from convert|10500|sqft|m2 to over convert|47000|sqft|m2. Church president Spencer W. Kimball rededicated the temple on June 13, 1978.cite web
last = Satterfield
first = Rick
title = Laie Hawaii Temple
work = Temples of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
publisher = LDS Church Temples
year = 2007
url = http://www.ldschurchtemples.com/laie/
accessdate = 2007-07-17] A $5.5 million renovation, renewal, and beautification project along Hale Laokinaa Boulevard leading to the temple began in 2003, lasting 14 months:cite news
last = Adamski
first = Mary
title = Dedication is set for Laie project
publisher = "Honolulu Star-Bulletin"
date = 2004-12-11
url = http://starbulletin.com/2004/12/11/features/story3.html
accessdate = 2008-07-16] Norfolk pines suffering from termite infestation were replaced with royal palms, new decorative lighting was added to the terraces, and landscaped roundabouts were put in place. At the same time, the Visitors' Center was upgraded with interactive kiosks and new displays.

The temple is scheduled for another extensive renovation to make mechanical and structural upgrades beginning December 29, 2008. The temple is scheduled to reopen in June 2010.

Architecture

Church President Joseph F. Smith wanted the architecture of the Laie Hawaii Temple to resemble Solomon's Temple referred to in the biblical canon. The temple is often compared to the Cardston Alberta Temple,cite news
last = Burlingame
first = Burl
title = X Marks the Spot: Mormon temple a Laie landmark since 1919
work = Travel
publisher = "Honolulu Star-Bulletin"
date = 2004-04-02
url = http://starbulletin.com/2006/04/02/travel/story03.html
accessdate = 2008-07-17] designed by young architects Hyrum Pope and Harold Burton. Pope and Burton's design was also used for Laie, and their work is rooted in the Prairie style architecture made popular by architect Frank Lloyd Wright in the early twentieth-century. The temples also evoke Mesoamerican architectural motifs,cite book
last = Arrington
first = Leonard J.
coauthors = Davis Bitton
title = The Mormon Experience: A History of the Latter-day Saints
publisher = University of Illinois Press
edition = 2nd
year = 1992
location = Champaign, IL
pages = 266
isbn = 0252062361] a favored theme of Burton's.cite journal
last = Anderson
first = Paul L.
title = First of the Modern Temples
journal = Ensign
issue = 6
publisher = Brigham Young University
location = Provo, Utah
month = July | year = 1977
url = http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=14701f26d596b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1
accessdate = 2008-07-19]

The temple sits on an convert|11|acre|ha|sing=on site that was once part of a large sugarcane plantation. Construction of the temple first began in February 1916. Native materials consisting of crushed lava rock were used to build the temple, along with reinforced concrete. The building's gleaming white finish was created using pneumatic stone-cutting techniques. The temple has the shape of a cross when seen from the air; the highest point of the temple is convert|50|ft|m|1|abbr=on, and it measures convert|102|ft|m|1|abbr=on from east to west and convert|78|ft|m|1|abbr=on from north to south. The front exterior was designed in the form of a Greek cross, but lacks a tower, a rarity in LDS Church temples. Apart from the Laie Hawaii Temple, only two other church temples lack towers or spires: the Cardston Alberta Temple and the Mesa Arizona Temple.

The exterior of the temple exhibits four large friezes planned by American sculptor J. Leo Fairbanks and built with the help of his brother Avard Fairbanks. Fairbanks & Fairbanks 1998, p. 16] Modeled four-fifths lifesize and cast in concrete, the bas-relief friezes depict God’s dealings with Man. The north frieze depicts the story of the "Book of Mormon". The west frieze shows the people of the Old Testament. The New Testament and the Apostasy are depicted on the southern frieze of the temple, and the restoration of the Church through Joseph Smith is shown on the east frieze. On the grounds of the temple are statues also designed by the Fairbanks brothers,Fairbanks & Fairbanks 1998, p. 2] including Joseph being blessed by his father and one of the Prophet Lehi in a scene from the "Second Book of Nephi" in the "Book of Mormon".

As visitors approach the temple and pass a number of reflecting pools, a maternity fountain sits in front of the uppermost pool. Designed by the Fairbanks brothers, this bold relief honors Hawaiian Motherhood and depicts a Hawaiian mother holding a giant clam shell while pouring water over her children. The act is supposed to symbolize mothers pouring their love, hope and care onto their children.Fairbanks & Fairbanks 1998, p. 26]

The landscaped temple grounds contain tropical gardens, with plants such as hibiscus, Brazilian plume, birds of paradise, lantana, red ginger, bougainvillea, plumeria, Ixora, and others.cite web
last = Sarafian
first = Michael
coauthors = Don Colton
title = Laie Walking Tour
work =
publisher = BYU-Hawaii Student Association
year = 2001
url = http://colton.byuh.edu/byutour/
accessdate = 2008-07-14] At the base of the temple grounds is a fountain separating an LDS Family History Center and a Visitors' Center, where a ten-foot sculpture replica of Bertel Thorvaldsen's "" stands inside the entrance.

The Laie Hawaii Temple is convert|47224|sqft|m2 and houses three ordinance rooms and six sealing rooms. Landscape artist LeConte Stewart designed many of the murals found inside the temple.

Admittance

Laie Hawaii Temple is not used for regular Sunday worship. As temples are considered sacred "houses of the Lord", only church members in good standing are allowed to enter for the purpose of participating in sacred ceremonies such as baptism for the dead and eternal marriage, a ritual in which couples and families are "sealed" for eternity.cite web
last = The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
title = Temples - LDS Newsroom
work = Official Web site of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
publisher = Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
year = 2008
url = http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/background-information/temples
accessdate = 2008-07-19] Because of these strict guidelines, non-Mormons are not allowed inside temples, but public tours of the grounds outside and of the visitors' centers are available.

ee also

* Kona Hawaii Temple
* Comparison of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
* List of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
* List of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by geographic region
* Temple (Latter Day Saints)

References

Further reading

*cite journal
last = Anderson
first = Paul L.
title = A Jewel in the Gardens of Paradise: The Art and Architecture of the Hawaii Temple
journal = BYU Studies
volume = 39
issue = 4
pages = 170
publisher = Brigham Young University
location = Provo, Utah
year = 2000
url =
doi =
id =
accessdate =
*cite book
last = Britsch
first = R. Lanier
authorlink =
title = Moramona: The Mormons in Hawaii
series = Mormons in the Pacific series
publisher = Institute for Polynesian Studies
year = 1991
location = Laie, Hawaii
pages =
url =
isbn = 0939154463
*cite book
last = Budnick
first = Rich
title = Hawaii's Forgotten History: 1900-1999: The Good...The Bad...The Embarrassing
publisher = Aloha Press
pages = 46
year = 2005
place = Honolulu, Hawaii
isbn = 0944081045
*cite paper
first = Cynthia D. Woolley
last = Compton
title = The Making of the Ahupuaokinaa of Lāokinaie into a Gathering Place and Plantation: The Creation of an Alternative Space to Capitalism
version = Ph. D. dissertation
publisher = Brigham Young University
date = Dec. 2005
url = http://patriot.lib.byu.edu/ETD/image/etd1151.pdf
format = PDF
accessdate = 2008-06-28
*cite book
last = Dorrance
first = William H.
title = Ookinaahu's Hidden History: Tours Into the Past
publisher = Mutual Publishing
date = 1998
location = Honolulu, HI
pages =
isbn = 1-56647-211-3
*cite book
last = Fairbanks
first = Eugene F.
authorlink =
coauthors = Avard Tennyson Fairbanks
title = A Sculptor's Testimony in Bronze and Stone: The Sacred Sculpture of Avard T. Fairbanks
series =
publisher = Fairbanks Art and Books
year = 1998
location =
pages =
url =
isbn = 0916095584
*cite book
last = Garrett
first = John
authorlink =
title = Footsteps in the Sea: Christianity in Oceania to World War II
volume = 2
series = Narrative History of Christianity in the Pacific Islands
publisher = Institute of Pacific Studies, University of the South Pacific. World Council of Churches
year = 1992
location = Suva and Geneva
pages =
url =
isbn = 982-02-0068-7
*cite book
last = Sterling
first = Elspeth P.
coauthors = Catherine C. Summers
title = Sites of Oahu
publisher = Bishop Museum Press
year = 1978
location = Honolulu
pages = 155-160
isbn = 0910240736
*cite book
last = Webb
first = Terry D.
chapter = The Temple and the Theme Park
title = An Anthropology of Indirect Communication. [Association of Social Anthropologists Monographs 37]
editor = Joy Hendry & C. W. Watson
publisher = Routledge
location = London and New York
pages = 128–142
year = 2001
isbn = 0415247446