In 1921, President David O. McKay of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints met with Church members in an old chapel in Laie, Hawaii — where he witnessed many cultures worshipping together as one.
There on the north shore of Oahu, President McKay saw how people can be united by the gospel of Jesus Christ. In a campus devotional at BYU–Hawaii almost one year ago, BYU–Hawaii President John S.K. Kauwe III spoke of President McKay’s experience and of BYU–Hawaii today. The Church’s university in Laie continues to resemble that diverse group President McKay encountered more than a century ago, said President Kauwe. He joins this episode of the Church News podcast — taped on the BYU–Hawaii campus — to talk about the vision and future of BYU–Hawaii and of his service as the university’s president. This episode is the first of a two-part series.
Listen to this episode of the Church News podcast on Apple Podcasts, Amazon, Spotify, bookshelf PLUS, YouTube or wherever you get podcasts.
Transcript:
President John S.K. Kauwe III: You think about the love that we’re asked to have for one another and the concept of Hawaiian aloha are one and the same. You come to this community that’s been based on that aloha spirit. And you think about it, and you talk about it, and you hear that word. And it means something, and it changes the way you think, the way that you view yourself and the people around you. So it reminds you of the love that you should have. And so for us, the mission is to bring those students who are doing wonderful things, who are stalwart, and give them that capstone experience where they become the spiritual and intellectual leaders that can change their communities, their families, and really, really make a difference.
0:58
Sarah Jane Weaver: This is Sarah Jane Weaver, executive editor of the Church News, welcoming you to the Church News podcast. We are taking you on a journey of connection as we discuss news and events of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
In 1921, President David O. McKay of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints met with Latter-day Saints in an old chapel in Laie, Hawaii. Hawaiians, Japanese, Chinese, Filipinos and others all worshipped together as one. “What an example in this little place of the purposes of our Father in Heaven to unite all peoples by the gospel of Jesus Christ,” President McKay said. In a campus devotional at BYU–Hawaii almost one year ago, President John S.K. Kauwe III spoke of President McKay’s experience and of BYU–Hawaii today. The Church’s university in Laie continues “to resemble that diverse group President McKay encountered more than a century ago,” said President Kauwe.
President Kauwe joins this episode of the Church News podcast, taped on the BYU–Hawaii campus, the first of a two-part series to talk about the vision and future of BYU–Hawaii and of his service as the university’s president.
President Kauwe, we’re here in Laie, in your backyard, on the campus of BYU–Hawaii. You’re the first native Hawaiian to ever take the helm of president of this university. Share some of your feelings about the job you have and the path that led you here.
2:43
President John S.K. Kauwe III: Yeah. So, I’m not sure that I ever really imagined that I would be president of BYU–Hawaii. But it’s been an incredible blessing, especially considering that my ancestors were part of the founding of Laie and have been part of families that helped lead here for generations. And so it means a lot to be back here, not just as a native Hawaiian, but as a descendant of the people who founded this community and worked hard to establish it and maintain it. So, that’s been a wonderful blessing. Thinking about the path here, especially now almost four years into this role, it’s been humbling and a learning experience to really start to comprehend that.
So many of the experiences that Monica and I have had in our lives and the preparation that we had, so many of those things were for us to be ready to be president of BYU–Hawaii in July of 2020 and today. It’s a hard thing for me to say about myself, right? But over the last three and a half years, the experiences we’ve had, we’ve really grown into the understanding that our Heavenly Father prepared us to be here in this moment and to make these tough decisions and to lead the very best we can. So I think, you know, it’s exciting. It’s been an incredible blessing. I feel like it’s a chance to honor the legacy of my ancestors, and also a chance to honor preparation that our Heavenly Father put in place for us.
4:18
Sarah Jane Weaver: When you took the helm, when you were asked to come here and serve as president, you had been in another pretty important role, not very long. What, just a little more than a year?
President John S.K. Kauwe III: Yes. Yeah.
Sarah Jane Weaver: And so this had to have come as a surprise.
4:33
President John S.K. Kauwe III: Oh, absolutely. So, I had been the chair of biology for one year, when I was asked to be the dean of graduate studies at BYU. And then I was the dean of graduate studies at BYU for — I guess it had been eight months when President Nelson and the rest of the First Presidency extended this invitation to Monica and I to serve as president of BYU–Hawaii. So, no, we had no expectations at all. It was a complete and utter shock. We had turned down some other job opportunities, and we knew that being part of the Church Educational System — and we assumed working as dean of graduate studies at BYU — would be a decadelong responsibility. Instead, it was 12 months.
5:23
Sarah Jane Weaver: Now, I want to talk about your academic background, because you’re a genetic researcher.
President John S.K. Kauwe III: Yes.
Sarah Jane Weaver: Tell us what that entails and how that led to administration.
5:34
President John S.K. Kauwe III: Yeah. So, academic background, right, I did a master’s degree at BYU in molecular biology; Ph.D. in — it’s called evolution, ecology and population biology at Washington University in St. Louis; a postdoc in Alzheimer’s disease, genetics and diagnosis at the Washington University School of Medicine after that; and at that point, really dedicated my professional life to trying to solve Alzheimer’s disease. And I came to BYU with a specific plan to leverage the Utah population database on the Church’s genealogical records to do detailed genetics research on Alzheimer’s disease and continue my work, leveraging unique BYU resources. And things went really well.
And what ended up happening was I had a career in Alzheimer’s disease genetics that was fairly successful but really built on developing interdisciplinary, often international, teams of scientists that could leverage unique resources and skills to solve key problems. And the reason I describe it that way is that often we think about a scientist, and it’s just what you do in the lab or just the code you write to analyze your data. But the way my career developed, it was really about seeing the problem, identifying all the available resources, getting to know people that I loved and trusted and wanted to work with, and making that team happen.
And so, you asked the question “How does a scientist turn into an administrator?” and part of it was that I found a lot of joy in sitting in that spot and seeing the resources and seeing the people and putting them together into a team that could really effectively do something important. So when I was made the chair of biology at BYU, I felt the same way. It was like, “This is my chance to look at the resources, look at the people and enable everybody for success.” And then dean of graduate studies, it was the same thing. I didn’t feel like my job changed from being a scientist to being a dean or a chair. I felt like it was the same kind of application of “Who are the people, what are the resources and how can we facilitate success?”
7:52
Sarah Jane Weaver: I want to talk a little bit more about your research. What did you learn about Alzheimer’s? And how is that research continuing now?
8:01
President John S.K. Kauwe III: Yeah, so, my initial work in Alzheimer’s disease genetics was studying what we call “genomewide association studies,” which is an approach where you take a bunch of people that have Alzheimer’s disease, a bunch of people that don’t, and you just compare the frequency of genetic variants between those two groups, and you find genetic changes that are more common in one group than the other. And those are often indicators that that genetic change impacts the disease in some meaningful way and could therefore tell you something new about the disease. So, my career was dedicated to finding new genes that influence either Alzheimer’s disease, or proteins and pathways that we know are relevant to Alzheimer’s disease.
And we had great success. We discovered dozens of new genetic variants, published many academic papers that are highly cited, and had really exciting things happen. Along the way, I started to think about other ways to ask questions about the genetics of Alzheimer’s disease. And one of the more interesting studies that we did was we took people who came from very high-risk Alzheimer’s disease families but didn’t get Alzheimer’s disease. So they’re, like, over age 70 but had no evidence of Alzheimer’s disease, even though they had genetic risk for it, and their families have disease. And we studied those families, and we actually were able to find genetic changes, rare genetic changes, that were protecting these people from Alzheimer’s disease. And that was a really exciting study.
9:30
So, all of my work was dedicated to figuring out: “How do changes in our DNA impact our risk for Alzheimer’s disease?” And then secondarily was: “How do we leverage that information to develop better approaches to therapeutic intervention and to curing the disease?” And over the years, as my research has evolved, we’ve been able to take some of that work where we’ve identified new genetic changes and leverage that into new therapeutic interventions. So, a drug that I helped invent is now in Phase 2 of clinical trials in humans, where we’re treating a variety of diseases in hopes that eventually we’ll be able to develop this drug to treat Alzheimer’s disease, all based on our initial genetic studies. There’s also other research as you engage yourself in a field; like, for me, as I engaged myself in Alzheimer’s disease, I learned how just devastating it is to families. I learned the impact that it has, and I became, you know, very focused on all the ways that I can help.
So, another avenue of research that we’re engaged in is developing or extending the existing tests for Alzheimer’s disease into other languages and cultures. So, for example, if you were to be diagnosed for Alzheimer’s disease, someone might ask you to draw a clock face. And that makes a lot of sense to a certain generation and certain countries, but there could be languages and cultures where someone in their 70s and 80s isn’t particularly familiar with a clock face, and that task might not be relevant. And so I’ve been engaged in research to translate those tests not just in terms of language, but culturally, to make it accessible for other populations besides the kind of mainstream Western population to be diagnosed. So, most recently, we’ve worked in developing those tests in the Samoan and Tongan languages and adapting some of the tasks to be more appropriate culturally. And that’s been really exciting as well.
11:34
Sarah Jane Weaver: And so, when you came here and took on this already all-encompassing role, you were able to continue with some of your research as well.
11:43
President John S.K. Kauwe III: I have been, and that’s been a direct — when Monica and I sat with the First Presidency and Elder [Jeffrey R.] Holland and Elder [Paul V.] Johnson, President Nelson made it clear that there had been arrangements made and that I would be able to continue my research, if I could and if I wanted to. I felt like maybe he had some empathy for me, being a research scientist himself and having dealt with the, you know, that passion that you have for making a difference in your field and the passion you have for serving wherever the Lord wants you. And I’m very grateful that he created a mechanism for me to pour my heart and soul into BYU–Hawaii but also have the opportunity to keep some of that scientific research going.
12:29
Sarah Jane Weaver: Well, on a personal note, my father died of Alzheimer’s. And as a family, we’re so grateful for the research that you’re doing, and inspired research. I remember when you were inaugurated, Elder Clark G. Gilbert described you as someone “who wants to do what the Lord directs him to do.” Can you tell us how personal revelation has influenced your life?
12:52
President John S.K. Kauwe III: Absolutely. I mean, there’s so many experiences that I could relay. I think one that just for some reason jumped to my mind is graduate school. I didn’t set off to do a Ph.D. in Alzheimer’s disease. I was just happy to study evolutionary biology and genetics and just see what happened, right? And I only applied to three schools. I applied to Emory University, Yale University and Washington University in St. Louis. If there’s any college students that are paying attention to this, you should apply to more than three schools. That’s just what I did. And I was very fortunate. I didn’t have perfect grades, but I had mentors who had worked closely with me and really believed in me. I believe it was their letters that gave me the opportunities.
But I got into all three schools. And, I mean, it’s hard to say no to Yale University, right? Emory, I had a wonderful experience there, and it’s an elite university. But I remember finishing my interview at Washington University — Monica and I were engaged at the time — and I remember finishing that interview. And I was still in St. Louis. And I woke up on Sunday morning, my flight was leaving Sunday afternoon. And I went for a walk down the street. And we’re right near the big Catholic basilica that’s there. And this is how old I am: There was a pay phone. I didn’t have a cellphone at the time. And I remember walking and just feeling so clearly that my Heavenly Father wanted Monica and I to move to St. Louis and do a Ph.D. at Washington University in St. Louis.
And I remember I had that feeling, and I got on the pay phone, and I called Monica, and I said, “Hey, you know, I feel really good. How do you feel about coming to Wash U?” And she felt good too, and we made that decision. And I reflect on that because I don’t feel like my Heavenly Father has told me what to do at every single point in my life. Sometimes I feel like He wants you to make your best choice and do your thing. But in this case, it was just so clear that He needed us to be there, to have the experiences we were going to have there, to have the career that we would have as a result of going there. That just felt so clear. And so I did it.
15:13
And actually, one of the other universities had offered me an enhanced package, right? More scholarships, more money. And I told them no. And they were just absolutely shocked because “How would you tell us no? Not only are we an elite university, but we gave you all this extra money. How could you say no?” Then for us, it was so easy to know that this is exactly what our Heavenly Father wanted us to do. I’ve had that experience a few times. I’ve been grateful for it. Sometimes it’s harder when you have a lot of good paths, and Heavenly Father’s like, “Yeah, just keep going. Whichever one you choose is great.” But at times, it’s been amazing.
And there’s sometimes sacrifices. I know, shortly before we were offered this position here at BYU–Hawaii, we were in negotiations for a job at another university. They wanted me to leave BYU. And they were offering — this was in October of 2019 — they were offering a salary and research resources that the Church Educational System would never even consider. And as a research scientist, I talked to my Ph.D. adviser, I talked to Monica about it. I knew this was the best job offer I would ever get. It was the dream job as a research scientist. And Monica and I prayerfully considered it. And the answer we received was “Stay part of CES and just do whatever the Lord wants you to do in the Church Educational System.” And we had no concept of what that could mean or would mean at the time. We just felt like, “Well, we’re the dean of graduate studies. We love the job we have, we love where we live, we love BYU, we’re good.”
And I turned that job down for no other reason than we felt that that was what the Lord wanted us to do. It would have made more sense at the time if He had said, “And I’m going to make you president of BYU–Hawaii.” And it was quite the experience just a few months later to be asked. I mean, that was in October of 2019; and April of 2020, we were sitting with the First Presidency, accepting the invitation to work as president of BYU–Hawaii. And had we accepted that job and left BYU, I just don’t see any way that that same opportunity within the Church Educational System would have been offered, and the Lord would have had to have found someone else to do this work, which would have been sad because we love it. We absolutely love the opportunity to be here.
17:48
Sarah Jane Weaver: And you came here at such a tenuous time. The pandemic is just intensifying; we’re months away from a vaccine; you’re in the islands, where there’s high susceptibility and high shutdown; and you probably had students that couldn’t go home and some who couldn’t come. How did you deal with all those challenges right out of the gate?
18:11
President John S.K. Kauwe III: Yeah, so, it was; it was right out of the gate, Day 1. President [John S.] Tanner was amazing, and he said, “Keoni, I know you were just announced, but every decision we make from this day forward is yours to live with. So we need you to be on all these Zoom meetings and get engaged.”
So, the day that I was announced was the day we started trying to manage COVID and serve our students in the context of that. So all the challenges you brought up were there, right? There is no vaccine, extreme restrictions here in Hawaii on gatherings and interactions, students who are stuck here in Hawaii and couldn’t go home, students who couldn’t come to school and were wanting to come to school. And we tried to do an online school, which is very challenging when you have students in every time zone on the planet. Very challenging when you have students who don’t have access to high-speed internet or even internet at all, in many cases.
So, we did our best, right? We managed what we could with our students that were here, we found work for them to do on campus to improve campus in that meantime. But ultimately, what happened is we started to see that BYU–Hawaii’s student population — those students that are spread out all over the Asia, Asia North, Pacific and Philippines areas of the Church — without the opportunity to be here physically together on campus, even during COVID, with all those restrictions, they were really hurting. They were struggling temporarily, they were struggling spiritually, they were struggling with their mental health.
And we realized that for our students, even in the midst of the pandemic, BYU–Hawaii was the safest place for them. It was a refuge of safety that they needed to be at. So, over time, our COVID management changed, and we realized that what we needed to do — and this was in consultation with the Board of Trustees; they realized that what we needed to do — was get our students back to campus as quickly as possible, because any experience that we could offer them while they were physically here would be a blessing to their lives.
20:19
And so we did everything we could working with the state of Hawaii, working with the federal government, because of international visa travel issues, to get our students here safely and operate safely. And there were so many considerations on our campus. It was so complex. There’s no ICU beds within an hour of campus, our campus community is small, many of the highest risk factors for COVID death are exemplified in our community. So we knew that we had to not just bring students back, but we had to do it in a way that was very careful, very responsible, and showed love and consideration for every member of our community.
So, it was an adventure. It was all-consuming. I was so grateful during that time for the counsel of Elder Paul Johnson, who was the commissioner at the time. He spent a lot of time with me at all hours of the day and night as we tried to manage the situation. But again, I kind of, referring back to something I mentioned earlier, is I felt prepared and well equipped. I understand the science, and my background is population genetics and statistical genetics and epidemiology. So, I could have those conversations, I understood what a COVID test meant, what it didn’t mean, I understood the biology behind all the different vaccines.
So, I felt very blessed to have that, to be conversant in all those issues at a very high level. And it was a blessing to our campus. I was engaged — because of that scientific background — I was engaged with the state Department of Health and the governor’s office in ways that wouldn’t have happened otherwise. And those relationships have made a difference as we’ve managed other issues and as we look at other progress on campus.
So, it was very, very challenging, but it gave me — first of all, it allowed me to start running, right? On Day 1, it’s like you’ve got to work hard, you’ve got to make hard decisions that matter. But also it helped me see the preparation that Heavenly Father had put in place and that the timing was His timing. So I felt blessed by that. And it was challenging, and, you know, I’m not sure that we did everything perfect. But I am sure that we did everything both with the counsel of the Board of Trustees and with our Heavenly Father.
22:42
Sarah Jane Weaver: I love the timing of your coming here and your background. As I have talked to people about you, they’ve described you not only as smart, but also pretty cool.
22:53
President John S.K. Kauwe III: I don’t know who you’ve been talking to about that.
22:56
Sarah Jane Weaver: You surf, you can ride a skateboard, you’re out with the students.
President John S.K. Kauwe III: Yeah.
Sarah Jane Weaver: What has being part of this community meant to you and your wife?
23:04
President John S.K. Kauwe III: Oh, it’s been absolutely amazing. You know, we’re sitting here in my backyard, and we live right in the middle of campus. Across the street is a couple thousand single-student beds, right? Where our single students live. I think, you know, for us to be able to come here, a place that is home for me, to have family in the community, cousins that I get to reconnect with or connect with for the first time, that’s all been wonderful. But for us, really, like — President Nelson talked to Monica and I when he asked us to do this job. And he told us, you know, “Your students need to see you. You need to be part of campus. They need to see your family as an example.” And I remember thinking in my head, like, “We can be an example of a family that tries really hard.”
And that’s what we’ve been, right? And we’ve tried to be part of our students’ lives to the extent that we can. And I think that in some ways we do it really well, and some ways we’re limited because we have five young children, and we have those responsibilities that are significant and important; paramount, even. But it has been fun to be part of our students’ lives in such a meaningful way. And for me, it’s been — it’s a dream for this to be my professional responsibility, because I love our students. I love education. I love the Church Educational System. I love being here in Hawaii. I love the ocean. For me, it’s been an incredible blessing, and just wearing myself out for this stewardship is a dream come true.
24:38
Sarah Jane Weaver: And we’ve talked about this today, but there is a special spirit here, a special feeling here; tenderness and a sweetness and a unity. What is it that makes this place, this land, so special?
24:51
President John S.K. Kauwe III: Well, it’s not a new feeling. This area of the island has always been known as a “puʻuhonua,” or a “place of refuge.” It’s always been a place where all were welcome and all were safe and all were protected. And President McKay came here in 1921, when he was first made an Apostle, and he was touring the world. And he had experiences here, both at a flag-raising ceremony and then in the Church, where he said was even the most impressive thing he felt was being in the chapel with people from all these different countries, one in Christ. So, you think about that, that was more than 100 years ago, an Apostle came here, and he felt something special. And what he felt was unity in Christ from a diverse group of people.
And that hasn’t changed since then. I mean, that inspired him to push for the establishment of the Church College of Hawaii, which is now BYU–Hawaii. And the temple was here, and the Polynesian Cultural Center, created after the Church College of Hawaii, all of those amplify the unity in Christ that’s felt in this place. So the reason we feel that now today is that we are taking that spirit that President McKay felt and that he asked us to amplify, and we’re fulfilling that responsibility. And every one of our living prophets since President McKay has reinforced the importance of this place.
And President McKay’s words are really powerful. He said — and I’m going to paraphrase; I should have prepared to exact quote it, but we’ve adapted his words into the vision of BYU–Hawaii, which is: “To be an example to the world of intercultural peace ... through living the [gospel] of Jesus Christ.” And I think when you say, like, you feel something special on this campus, that’s what you’re feeling. You’re feeling a place that is an example to the world of how we can be one in Christ.
26:50
Sarah Jane Weaver: I was telling you earlier, I had this powerful experience sitting on the beach yesterday with many, many of the student leaders from your clubs. They were all dressed representing different cultures on the beach as the sun came up, and one of them sat down. And we were sort of talking about the great diversity that was in front of us. And he said, “We all believe the same thing.”
President John S.K. Kauwe III: Yep.
Sarah Jane Weaver: And I thought, “Wow, this is amazing, that we’re bringing together all these cultures right here.”
27:19
President John S.K. Kauwe III: Yeah, that’s exactly right. I mean, we come together in Christ. What that allows us to do is understand, learn about and celebrate our differences without feeling divided. And it’s a beautiful, beautiful thing.
27:34
Sarah Jane Weaver: And as Elder Clark Gilbert has talked about the different roles of the different universities, he’s talked about the important role BYU–Hawaii has to play in the Pacific and in Asia. What is the mission here? What are some of the goals? What are you trying to accomplish?
27:53
President John S.K. Kauwe III: Yeah, so, our mission is to prepare students to be disciples of Jesus Christ and leaders in their families, their communities, and their chosen fields and in the Church. And if you were to ask Elder Gilbert kind of what is the role that BYU–Hawaii plays in the Church Educational System, he would say the Asia/Pacific capstone — those three words, right? And a capstone experience designates, like, some kind of special, culminating experience that really elevates and finishes off, you know, what you’ve been doing.
And so, what we view here is at BYU–Hawaii, our role is to take the work that’s been done by Church leaders all over the world, the work that’s been done by BYU–Pathway Worldwide in educating and preparing students with English proficiency and college preparation, the work that’s been done in seminaries and institutes, as well as in the Church colleges of the Pacific, and take the training and work that’s been done by those parts of the Church and bring the fruits of that here and give them that capstone experience where they become the spiritual and intellectual leaders that can change their communities, their families, and really, really make a difference.
Again, going back to President David O. McKay’s words, he prophesied that BYU–Hawaii would produce leaders that the world would hunger for. He called them “genuine gold.” And so for us, like, the mission is to bring those students who are doing wonderful things, who are stalwart, who the Church is invested in by other parts of the Church Educational System, and give them a capstone experience to where they can deliver to the world those promises that President McKay laid out.
29:41
Sarah Jane Weaver: And just the proximity of the campus itself, you’ve got the temple on one side, the Polynesian Cultural Center on the other. How do all of those work into this unique educational environment?
29:54
President John S.K. Kauwe III: Yeah, it’s amazing because those three pillars of this community, they really do work together to create that capstone experience for our students. So, a student, in order to come here from the parts of the world that many of our students come from, they need significant financial support. And the Polynesian Cultural Center creates 800 additional jobs where our students can go to work and, through our work-study programs, help to fund their education.
While our students are here, having the temple just a few hundred steps away is vital. It’s absolutely vital to this kind of Zion educational community that we have. So our students — a lot of them work in the temple, they attend the temple regularly — they are learning how to worship in the temple and help others worship in the temple. And that’s an incredible part of that training, to be leaders and to make a difference when they go back to their home countries, to their home communities.
Together, BYU–Hawaii and the temple, the Polynesian Cultural Center, create exactly the spiritual and intellectual kind of proving grounds and growing and safe growing area that our students need to fulfill the prophecies that are associated with this place.
31:11
Sarah Jane Weaver: I think people who visit here would say they felt a welcome, they felt an acceptance, they felt something that might be called the “aloha spirit.”
President John S.K. Kauwe III: Yeah.
Sarah Jane Weaver: How does that play into campus?
31:24
President John S.K. Kauwe III: It’s very, very important. So, you think about — and it’s been commented on by visiting Apostles on many occasions — the love that we’re asked to have for one another and the concept of Hawaiian aloha are one and the same. I think the difference here, it’s kind of like when you think about Christmastime; when it’s Christmas, and we’re thinking about the Savior, and we’re talking about His birth, the whole world feels elevated, right? We change the way we treat each other, the things we think about.
And that’s part of what happens here. You come to Hawaii, you come to this community that’s been based on that aloha spirit, and you think about it, and you talk about it, and you hear that word. And it means something, and it changes the way you think, the way that you view yourself and the people around you. So it’s foundational. It’s part of what you feel, is this idea that people greet you with that word, and it means more than just hello, right? That means more than just goodbye. It reminds you of the love that you should have for the people around you. And I think it makes a big difference.
32:32
Sarah Jane Weaver: Now, you’re a descendant of an early, early convert of the Church in Hawaii. What does that heritage mean to you? And what does the Church mean to you?
32:43
President John S.K. Kauwe III: So, they’re kind of one and the same, right? So, Kaleohano is the ancestor that you’re referring to. He was one of the first converts of the Church for George Q. Cannon and helped teach George Q. Cannon how to speak Hawaiian. And he’s featured in the Saints, Volume 2, I believe, and just an amazing man, amazing example. When he came here to Laie, he was one of the first families to come here. And he was the liaison between the Church and the Hawaiian monarchy because of his royal standing. He helped preserve hula and Hawaiian song. He dedicated one of the cornerstones of the first chapel in Laie. His children and grandchildren played important roles in developing the Hukilau and other aspects of Laie culture that are so important.
So, more so than all of that, what’s interesting is that he didn’t just do those things, but he left a legacy for his descendants. And so, he actually composed music, songs in the Hawaiian language that were about his faith, about his baptism, about his conversion, about the joy of the gospel. I grew up singing those songs. My kids grew up singing those songs. And so, his legacy of faith, it’s deep and real. So, you know, for me when I say, like, “Oh, I’m a descendant of Kaleohano,” or someone else says it, like, it isn’t just genealogy for me. I’ve sung the words that he composed and felt the Spirit testify to me of his testimony through those words, and I feel a deep responsibility to honor that heritage.
34:25
And that’s why it’s such a blessing to be here. It’s an opportunity to look back five generations and say to him, like, you know, “Your sacrifice, your faith, the fruits of your faith, have changed my life and helped me with my testimony.” So yes, like, the second question, “What does the gospel mean to me?” I have been blessed by both my parents’ and my grandparents’ and my great-grandparents’ desire to make and honor covenants. I know that. I’ve felt that.
I’ve been blessed by my own desire to make and honor covenants and by Monica’s desire to make and honor covenants. I’ve been blessed by my children’s desire to do that as well. For me, I’m grateful to feel that I’ve gone from faith to knowledge in that sense, as I’ve spent time on this campus and I’ve seen people live the gospel of Jesus Christ the very best they can, and seek to make and honor their covenants with God. I’ve gotten to the point where I just know that what King Benjamin taught us, right, you know, “Consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God” (Mosiah 2:41). I’ve considered on that state. It’s true. I know those blessings are real. I’m so grateful for them.
So, you know, what does the gospel of Jesus Christ mean to me? It means everything, because I know that the blessings of this life and eternal happiness come through making and honoring covenants. I think you can even extend that with the blessing of the Church. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the way that we are able to make those covenants, right? And it’s the vehicle that brings us that capacity. So, I’m so grateful for the Church as well.
36:08
Sarah Jane Weaver: It’s meaningful to me; just this morning at breakfast, I was telling my husband about my relative. My maiden name is Cannon.
President John S.K. Kauwe III: Oh, yeah, awesome.
Sarah Jane Weaver: And so, George Q. Cannon is part of my heritage.
President John S.K. Kauwe III: That’s so amazing.
Sarah Jane Weaver: That is a fun connection there.
President John S.K. Kauwe III: Yes.
Sarah Jane Weaver: As we wrap up, we do have a tradition where we, on the Church’s podcast, like to ask everyone the same question. It’s “What do you know now?” And so, as we close, I’d love to have you bear your testimony and tell us what you know now after being and serving for the last three-plus years as president of BYU–Hawaii.
36:50
President John S.K. Kauwe III: I know that there are living prophets on this earth, that President Russell M. Nelson is a Prophet of God, that President [Henry B.] Eyring and President [Dallin H.] Oaks are prophets of God, that all of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles are prophets of God. I’ve had unique experiences because of this role that have testified of that to me. Elder [Patrick] Kearon came and visited us the day he was announced as an Apostle. And we were able to see and feel that mantle of leadership and revelation come upon him. And that day, it was crystal clear. It was vivid. I’m so grateful for that opportunity. So, that’s something I know now.
Something else that I know now that I didn’t before is I had no concept of the global scope of the work of our God and of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Monica and I often say we wish everybody could do this job so they could see what our collective faith, our collective sacrifice as members of the Church is doing to bless the whole world. What a blessing it is to be here, to see what that collective work does, to see the good it does in so many people’s lives and the impact that it has across the world. So I know now just how global, just how far, our efforts reach by living the gospel of Jesus Christ.
And I think ultimately, I know of what I’ve said earlier, that when we make and honor our covenants, our Heavenly Father blesses us, and He blesses the people around us through us. And I’m so grateful for that. So, I know Jesus Christ lives, and I know that He has prophets on this earth that guide a church that is designed to love and bless all of His children in every region, every corner.
38:55
Sarah Jane Weaver: You have been listening to the Church News podcast. I’m your host, Church News executive editor Sarah Jane Weaver. I hope you have learned something today about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by peering with me through the Church News window. Please remember to subscribe, rate and review this podcast so it can be accessible to more people. And if you enjoyed the messages we shared today, please make sure you share the podcast with others. Thanks to our guests; my producer, KellieAnn Halvorsen; and others who make this podcast possible. Join us every week for a new episode. Find us on your favorite podcasting channels or with other news and updates on the Church on TheChurchNews.com.
