While travelling around the world on an assignment to visit the
foreign missions of The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints,
Elder David O. McKay, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and
Hugh J. Cannon visited Hawaii in February, 1921.
On the morning of February 7, the two men attended the Laie Elementary
School's morning flag-raising ceremony. Elder McKay was deeply impressed
by the group of children united in the Pledge of Allegiance, and he strongly
felt the need for and a divine purpose of a school of higher education located
in this community. This impression never left him, and in the early 1950's, as
President of the Church, he helped establish the Church College of Hawaii,
later named BYU-Hawaii, in Laie.
On February 12, 1955, President McKay returned to Laie to join local leaders
for the groundbreaking ceremony. The day dawned windy and rainy, but when
President McKay stood up to speak at the clearing of the cain fields, the sun
broke through and seemed to smile upon the occasion. From his speech and
dedicatory prayer come the prophetic words which have since guided the
course of the University:
"The world needs men who cannot be bought or sold, men who will
scorn to violate truth, genuine gold...From this school will go forth men and
women whose influence will be
felt for good towards the establishment
of peace internationally."
"We dedicate our actions...that this college, and the temple, and the
town of Laie may become a missionary factor, influencing not thousands,
not ten thousands, but millions of people who will come seeking to
know what this town and its significance are."
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