In this year's annual convocation, Vernice Wineera, director of the Pacific Institute, addressed several challenges facing the community of Laie and the role that BYU-Hawaii plays in the fulfillment of its prophetic destiny.
Wineera began by referencing the prophetic vision and circumstances that led to the foundation of BYU-Hawaii, the Polynesian Cultural Center and the Laie, Hawaii Temple - the three institutions at the heart of Laie.
Furthermore, she alluded to the purpose and destiny that these same institutions and the community of Laie must fulfill.
"Looking back at the prophetic visions that brought about each of these three institutions, we cannot deny that the Lord has a purpose and a destiny for our small community," she said. "Our task today, and for at least the coming academic year, is to examine ourselves through the prism of the prophecies that have shaped our university, its sister institutions, and our community of Laie.
"It is in our time and place today that we need to understand the essence of our community's destiny," she continued. "Destiny is an inevitable reality, and we will need to marshal all our strengths, skills, talents, education, cultural knowledge, the principles of the Restored Gospel and prophetic utterances to effect change where it is required, to help those in need, and to create a more safe, more beautiful, and more caring community."
Through the prism of prophecy and in light of the destiny of Laie, Wineera proceeded to address several difficult issues facing the community, namely disrespect of local cultures and community; increasing poverty and the disparity between have and have-nots; lack of good, affordable housing; shortage of employment opportunities; and high cost and inaccessibility of an education for community members.
Other persistent challenges include kava drinking, crime, drugs, violence, family breakdown, children at risk, uncontrolled growth, overcrowding, infrastructure problems, lack of basic services and facilities, and other outside influences.
Wineera recognized many efforts of the PCC and BYU-Hawaii to alleviate some of the challenges faced by the community, such as the significant financial contribution of the PCC over the years and the university's initiative to manage student enrollment and on-campus housing development.
However, she also stressed that more must be done.
"[There remains many things] that need attention, effort, even hard work, to improve what needs improving, to sustain and assist those who are being left behind or left out altogether from the benefits that the Church, our institutions, and our community provide," she said.
Wineera posed several questions to engage the university in the proactive search for solutions to the problems she delineated. Above all, however, she pointed to gospel principles as the balm to heal our wounds. She quoted "our beloved living prophet," President Gordon B. Hinckley:
"'Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.' We speak of the fellowship of the Saints. This is and must be a very real thing. We must never permit this spirit of brotherhood and sisterhood to weaken. We must constantly cultivate it. Simply put, we must be friends. We must love and honor and respect and assist one another. Wherever Latter-day Saints go, they are made welcome, because Latter-day Saints are mutual believers in the divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ and are engaged together in His great cause. We are one great family, eleven million strong."
Discussion continued later that day in an open forum with a panel including Wineera, Chad Compton, chair of the international cultural studies department, and Max Purcell, former member of the Laie Community Association board.
Both Compton and Purcell spoke to the idea that BYU-Hawaii can do more to help improve Laie through increased understanding, cultural appreciation, living gospel principles and living the spirit of aloha.
"Creating the good community" will also serve as the theme for ongoing discussion, forums, guest speakers, and other activities for the upcoming academic year.