--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Pope, Hyrum C. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 23 number: 2 published: 1919-12 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Pope, Hyrum C., "About the Temple in Hawaii," *Improvement Era* 23, no. 2 (December 1919): 149–153.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2302unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera2302unse start_page: 149 end_page: 153 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1919-12) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2302unse publication_year: 1919 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1919, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # About the Temple in Hawaii About the Temple in Hawaii By Hyrum C. Pope, of Pope and Burton, Architects The temple in Hawaii is situated on an eminence which commands an unobstructed view of the Pacific Ocean, whose vast expanse, coupled with the luxuriant semi-tropical vege- tation of the fertile and highly cultivated land adjoining the beach, forms a foreground which, in its grandeur, could scarcely be surpassed, and which through the less exuberant growth on the foot hills gradually leads up to the back ground which is formed by the rugged mountain range that separates the leeward or western portion of the island from the wind- ward or eastern side upon which the temple stands. The last observation is full of meaning, as it calls attention to conditions which should not be forgotten, at this time, when we speak of the beautiful semi-tropical landscape of which the temple is the crowning feature. For, be it remembered, that on the windward side of the island, unlike the leeward side, the land had to be conquered by human intelligence and patient toil, just as our own fair mountain homes had to be wrested from the uninviting wastes of sage brush. But in time the faithful people of Hawaii, with the able assistance of the missionaries and under the devoted leadership of the mis- sion presidents, accomplished the task. With the land in its present stage of development no imag- ination need be required to select the temple site, but when our mind pictures the windward side of the island, as it was some years ago, then it must certainly be granted that it took prophetic foresight to foretell the present development and to dream of the event which is now being consummated. On considering the construction of a temple in Hawaii it was auite a problem to determine the material of which it other respects, should be built, for, although highly favored in However, the islands are almost devoid of building materials. rock which is readily obtainable it was known that the volcanic near the site could be crushed into an aggregate which would and was therefore finally decided make verv good concrete, it entire edifice, floors and roofs as well as the walls, to build the steel in all directions. of cement concrete, reinforced with monolith of artificial stone which after Hence, the building is a on all of its exterior thoroughly hardening has been dressed stone cutting tools, thus pro- surfaces by means of pneumatic ABOUT THE TEMPLE IN HAWAII 151 ducing a cream-white structure which may be literally said to be hewn out of a single stone. For the finishing of the interior, hardwoods have been ex- tensively used, the principal rooms being finished with Hawaii- an Koa, a native wood of the island which rivals the choic- est mahogany in the beauty of grain and color. Most of the floors are covered with carpets, but in the baptistry and in a number of other apartments Mosaic tile and marble have been ueed. As can readily be seen from the exterior design, the gen- eral ground plan of the temple is in the form of a Greek cross, the annex being at the east end. The extreme dimensions of the building from east to west are 102 feet, and from north to south 78 feet. The central portion of the edifice rises to a height of 50 feet, above the upper terrace. In this connection it may be interesting to state that if the dimensions of Solo- mon's Temple mentioned in sacred writ are properly under- stood by us, and if the now generally accepted equivalent for the cubit, the ancient unit of measure, is correct, then the prin- cipal portion of this famous edifice of antiquity had about the same cubical contents as the temple in Hawaii. It is impossible in this brief description to discuss in de- tail the architectural design of the temple, but briefly it may arrange- be said that both in exterior treatment and interior svmbolical expression of the sacred pur- ment, it is a highly pose of the edifice. Truth and simplicity have been the guid- hi" stars in every detail of the design, to such an extent that, exception of one or two features on the exterior and with the interior, there almost a total absence of architectural detail is architectural and ornamentation. The dignified character of the outgrowth of the well-stud'ed ground plan, and ot design is an surfaces of the exterior. the carefully proportioned plain wall known that this temple does not contain It is not generally assembly room in the upper stories like the temples a large of this large feature neces- hitherto built, and that the absence different shape of ground plan with *n lUnatoral sitated a The question has often been asked, Why is consequences. This question is completely it that this temple is so different?" that the fundamental answered by calling attention to the fact designing of temples have been as Principles underlying the as in any of he others, painstakingly carried out in this edifice this feature which in the but oil account of the absence of of the entire^struc- oUer °bSn« takes up almost one-half somewhat different in outward ture the result is necessarily the in agreement so far as expression although it is entirely essential features are concerned. 152 IMPROVEMENT ERA A most interesting article touching this was written by Dr. John A. Widtsoe in the September, 1916, issue of the Improve- ment Era, entitled "The Temple in Hawaii a Remarkable Ful- filment of Prophecy." In this article Dr. Widtsoe, who, dur- ing the summer of 1918, visited the Hawaiian Islands, states that during the construction of the temple President Woolley, under whose general supervision the work was carried on, was asked to speak on the subject of "Temples," and in responding to this request was led to refer to Vol. I of the Journal of Dis- courses which records on page 132 a sermon delivered by Presi- dent Brigham Young on April 6, 1853, during the laying of the corner stone of the Salt Lake temple. In this sermon President Young states that he had seen the Salt Lake temple in a vision, and therefore knew just what the architectural style of the com- pleted building would be, and that it would have six towers, and predicted that "the time will come when temples with a tower in the center shall be built and, on the top, groves and fish ponds. But we shall not see them here, at present." In commenting upon this in his article, Dr. Widtsoe states that the architecture of the temple in Hawaii fits President Young's prediction with singular exactness; that a person who had seen this temple would very likely speak of it just as Presi- dent Young did of the temple of his vision, for the upper room of the Hawaiian temple is in the exact center of the building and forms a truncated or blunt tower. Dr. Widtsoe further states that even at the time of his visit, when the temple was only partially completed it was clearly evident that it was part of the architectural design that some of the flat roofs should be overgrown with foliage, for concrete boxes to hold the necessary earth were made an integral part of the structure. A description of the Hawaiian temple would be incomplete without calling attention to the painstaking labors of Mr. Ralph E. Woolley, who had charge of the construction work, from commencement to completion, and to the splendid assistance which some of our leading artists have rendered in connection with it. The upper part of the temple was originally designed to have a number of isolated sculptured panels, but with the co- operation of Messrs. Leo and Avard Fairbanks these panels — were ultimately developed into four sculptured friezes one on — each side of the building and depicting in bold relief the outstanding events of the four principal dispensations. The subject, illustrated by the sculptors and the highly artistic interpretation of the same would really justify a much more com- prehensive description, but the brevity of this article prevents any attempt of this. — ABOUT THE TEMPLE IN HAWAII .153 The very beautiful baptismal font, and the oxen sup- porting it, form, in this temple, an integral part of the struc- ture, and were designed by Pope and Burton, the architects of the building, but were modeled in a highly artistic manner by Mr. Avard Fairbanks, who also supervised their execution in artificial stone. In the arcade of the baptistry there are seven lunettes from the brush of Mr. A. B. Wright, illustrating in an original man- ner the first principles and ordinances of the gospel by means of historical incidents selected from the Bible and the Book of Mormon. The large mural paintings in the ordinance rooms are the work of three Utah artists, Mr. L. A. Ramsey, Mr. A. B. Wright, and Mr. LeConte Stewart. The latter also supervised the gen- eral decorative work throughout the edifice. In the construction of this edifice the ideal which was ever held in mind was to erect a structure that would be as lasting as human skill could make it, and of a simple, chaste beauty which is the result of good proportions and appropriateness, rather than ornament and embellishment. As it stands today complete in every particular, this temple is a lasting monument to the faith and devotion of the Hawaiian Saints. A Christmas Prayer O God, our Eternal Father, as the heavens and the universe declare thy glory, and all thy creations obey thy will, help us, thy children, as intellectual, moral, and spiritual beings to whom thou hast granted free agency, to choose the right, and to obey thy laws revealed to us, and written in our hearts. Thus by the rectitude of our behavior, may we reflect thy glory in the Spirit and name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Life If we bravely try, we shall find joy in service. Life, whether circumstances are good, bad, or indifferent, is mostly what we make it. Our lives are so many colors in God's rainbow of earth; and to keep our colors brightest should be our aim, from birth to death. We cannot avoid sorrow, it will come; but we should meet it with cheerful hearts, bravely smiling through our tears. If we do so, we shall find rest, as the peaceful followers of Christ, the rest of the Lord. Vivian 0. Johnson. Delta, Utah