In the ancient Hawaiian culture, societies were governed by what was referred to as a “kapu” system. Kapu would translate to us as taboo. Kapu was central to their religion and government. The ancient Hawaiians believed in multiple deities. Between the pantheon of gods and the ruling class, every aspect of community living was regulated by strict rules. Breaking kapu made a person subject to punishment that often resulted in death. Examples of common kapu included separation of eating between men and women. Foods such as pork, coconut, and bananas were kapu (forbidden) to women. Commoners were prohibited to interact with members of the ruling class, to step on their shadow, etc. Personal ownership of just about anything was forbidden as all property was considered communal; you broke kapu if you took an unfair share. When a person broke kapu, punishment could be instantaneous and without mercy. The exception was if a person could escape to a place of refuge. Places of refuge, known as puʻuhonua’s were considered sacred sites and were administered under the direction of a priest. A puʻuhonua was often a tract of land that might contain a village and usually with a temple structure (heiau). A person guilty of breaking kapu could find refuge by entering a puʻuhonua as if it were a safe or free zone. Once in a puʻuhonua, he/she could not be captured and punished. At the place of refuge, one was expected to contribute to the community life and it was the priests’ duty to allow an opportunity for the individual to rehabilitate. Eventually, a person could reenter society and participate in regular activities. Places of refuge were found on all the islands.

Puʻu O Mahuka Heiau State Historic Site, North Shore, Oahu

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sent its first missionaries to the islands in the 1850’s. These missionaries, along with others who followed, formed congregations of converts to Christianity throughout the villages on the different islands. It always was, and still is an important concept within the church, to gather the Latter-day Saints, although today it is viewed more as a metaphorical idea. Today we gather as a community of Christ within our individual wards and stakes. But back in the 1860’s, the church was looking for an actual gathering place as a home for the Latter-day Saints. Through the help of its church agents in the islands, a 6,000-acre tract of land was identified, a former ranch on the northeast coast of Oahu. The church purchased the property in 1865 and began building a community. The area was known among the people of Oahu as Laʻie, and it happened to be the site of an ancient puʻuhonua, a place of refuge.

There is a simple beauty in the idea that the Latter-day Saints of God would gather to a site already consecrated as a place of refuge. What greater place of refuge can we find than where Christ would be among us.

For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Matthew 18:20

Laʻie Hawaiʻi Temple, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

In 1915, then president of the church, Joseph F. Smith announced that a temple would be built in Laʻie, the first temple constructed outside the United States. Temples are special places to members of the Church of Jesus Christ, for it is inside a temple that we form a special relationship with God by entering into covenants. These covenants establish a sacred bond. We promise to keep His commandments and in return He blesses us with knowledge and power. Temples are inherently peaceful places. When we enter the temple, we leave behind the cares and worries of our modern world. It’s a place where we can focus on the things of heaven. It quite literally is a place of refuge. The Laʻie Temple sits on a hill overlooking town. When we arrived here, we were given an apartment near the beach, probably not more than 30’ above sea level. We were told that in the event of a tsunami, we were to seek refuge on higher ground, go to the temple. The temple is literally and figuratively our place of refuge while we are on a mission in Hawaiʻi. We look to it as a place of safety, security, and peace.

Unfortunately, as powerful a symbol as it is, that beautiful edifice on the hill, it ultimately isn’t always available in the dark corners of our lives. The temple operates on a daily schedule and isn’t necessarily accessible when I need it. I can’t sleep at the temple, nor can I pick up a meal there. So how can I take advantage of the temple when I face a crisis during the off hours? I’ve come to learn that it’s not the building that offers the refuge, but our relationship with the Savior, which is forged in the temple. Ultimately, it’s the covenants themselves that provide the refuge from the world. Wherever I go, and whatever I do, I have my covenant relationship with God.

The temple is also a place of refuge, thanksgiving, instruction, and understanding, “that [we] may be perfected … in all things pertaining to the kingdom of God on the earth.” Throughout my life it has been a place of tranquility and peace in a world that is literally in commotion. It is wonderful to leave the cares of the world behind in that sacred setting.
Quentin L. Cook, April 2016

In the 1½ years we’ve been serving in this mission, I’ve truly come to appreciate the places I can find that provide a refuge from the world. I keep in touch with headlines, but I’m not a news junky. The world is in commotion. There is far too much anger and contention in daily living. It seems to grow worse each day, week, and month. This mission has provided us opportunity to seek inwards for peace, and not allow outside pressure and influences to cloud our judgement. When we return in five more months, I hope always to seek and find refuge in my own personal puʻuhonua, within my relationship to the Savior provided by sacred covenants established in the temple.