Kona Hawaii Temple - Faith

On the Big Island of Hawaii, lava flows from active volcanoes into the ocean, and the youngest island on this planet continues to be born.  There is evidence everywhere of the birth of this land, as steam continues to seep from underground, and roads, fences, and buildings are built from the jagged volcanic rock.

The Kona temple is no exception.  The fence running behind the temple is constructed of the coarse black lava.  The rest of the grounds are beautifully ornate with tropical orchids and plants.

We visited briefly with a young couple, that attended the same session.  She shared, this trip to the Hawaiian islands was a gift to her and her husband, from some of their friends.  Just recently she discovered she has stage four colon cancer.  So, their friends pulled their money together and gave them tickets and money for this trip.  Her husband was a former police officer in New York, before they moved to Seattle.  They have four children.  When I expressed sympathy for her circumstances, she reassured me and testified of the faith and peace she and her husband felt.  She expressed gratitude for the blessings of the Lord to them.  I was touched by their faith.

I consider my own faith to have been realized, on this island, even before I was born.  The Big Island of Hawaii is where my father served an LDS mission many years ago.  His story is interesting, and is a reflection of the faith he had.  Upon graduating from high school, he joined the Air Force.  World War II was in full swing, and all the young men enlisted.  He served for several years, until the war ended.  Soon after returning home, he proposed to my mother, and they were married in the Manti Temple.  Soon they had a son, and with the assistance of the GI bill, my father began his studies at a university. 

A few years later, his father approached him and asked if he would consider submitting papers to go on a mission for the church.  Because of the war, many young men missed opportunities to serve missions.  His father was serving as a bishop at the time and knew that if his son would accept a calling, then perhaps others would as well.

Dad and Mom discussed and agreed they were willing to serve.  As my father puts it,  he had always wanted to serve a mission, and mother said she wanted to marry a returned missionary.  So, my father was called to serve in the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii) Mission for the next 2 years, while my mother lived with her in-laws , worked a few hours a week, and raised their son.  During the last month of his mission, my father received special permission for mother to join him in Hawaii, and participate in a 100 year celebration of the church on the island.  My father played the trumpet in a band, and they toured each of the islands to play for programs and dances, and meet with the saints.  These memories lingered with them throughout their lifetime together.

There is an interesting epilog to this story.  My father planned to receive a doctorate degree in the field he was studying.  Upon his return from Hawaii, he decided to apply directly for the doctorate program at a prestigious school on the East coast.  It was unheard of, for someone to be accepted into the doctorate program without a master’s degree.  However, my father persisted, and he was accepted. 

He considered this a direct blessing from the Lord.  In the time that would have normally taken someone to get their bachelor, master and doctorate degrees, he received his bachelor, mission and doctorate degrees.

This act of missionary service, by my parents, set the stage for the rest of their lives, and I was fortunate to become a direct beneficiary of their faith.