Albert N. Like
When I was asked by Dr. Lance Chase, to prepare a paper on the Kalihi Chapel, my thoughts went back to the old Kalihi Chapel at Gulick and Beckly St., where I spent my youth with other boys and girls of that area.
It was at this chapel that I learned the gospel principles and experienced some faith-promoting experiences but this was not the Kalihi Chapel that I was to write about; but it was the chapel at Kalihi and Beckly St. The general authorities must have been inspired by the Lord to select this site for a chapel.
Dr. Lance Chase invited me to visit the Church Archives at the BYU Library, to view some of the photographs where the Kalihi Chapel was built. The photographs surely shows the hard work put in by the Saints, under the supervision of Elder E. Wesley Smith, who at the time was President of the mission and assisted by Bro. Paul Elia.
The labor was performed by the untiring efforts of the Saints, the brethren, the sisters, and the young people. The sisters prepared the meals, the young, people did the cleaning away of the debris or rubbish It was team-work. The brethren worked until late at nights. On Saturdays and holidays, there was a large turn out.
When the land was purchased from the Nutch family, a church of faith and stamina was manifested. With no modem machinery or equipment to clear the grounds, trees and shrubbery, etc., it was all done by manual labor.
The next test of faith was the excavation of the grounds. The depth was eight feet deep and an area of two acres, plus, was a challenging test. They made it after several months of hard labor. The foundation became the lower floor of the building. On this floor were six classrooms, the clerk's office and the baptismal font. Under the stairway was the vault.
After E. Wesley Smith was released as president of the mission, Elder Eugene Neff became president. He saw a need for a recreation and social center for the young people in Honolulu. Since there was an open space next to the mission home, the recreational center was built there. Prior to this time the recreational and social gatherings were held during Annual Conference when the Island Saints would come to go to the temple at Laie.
They came by inter-island boats to Honolulu and by train to Kahuku and on to Laie. They would get on the sugar cane cars and travel on to Laie. I remember in April of 1921, a conference held at Laie was so exciting. The Saints of Laie were so wonderful. They took us into their homes. The Laie Plantation provided food, meat, poi, etc. These were the good old days. So the recreational hall, completed in 1928, became the social center of all the Oahu saints, dances, and concerts. Later, an addition was added to the basement of the hall, it became the Stake President and High Council and Stake Clerk's offices.
In 1962 Castle H. Murphy organized the first district High Council and Presidency. The District High Council consisted of Edward L. Clissold, Charles Broad, John Hubbell, J.W. McGuire, Henry Aki, Lanakila Pa, Arthur Keawe, Joseph Musser, Robert Plunkett, and Clinton Kanahele.
July fourth and fifth, 1935 President Heber J. Grant and President J. Reuben Clark came to Hawaii to organize the first stake outside of the continental United States. Ralph E. Woolley became Stake President with Arthur Parker and Fred Lunt as councilors.
I would like to relate an incident that happened when I was a youth attending Primary, at the old Kalihi Chapel, at Beckly and Kalihi St. It was at this chapel that I learned a lesson on "to give or not to give." It was Thanksgiving week and I needed a new suit of clothes, for Christmas. The Primary lesson of the day was "The Children of Israel Crossing the Red Sea." All the time the teacher was teaching the lesson, my mind wandered off to a "five dollar gold piece." With it I could get me a new suit. Then I thought, "No, I will give it to the Lord." I debated in my mind, what to do with the gold coin. I finally committed myself, "I will give it to the Lord."
Primary was over, my teachers, Annie Lau, Piilani Knight Needham, Sarah Parker Woolley and I walked to the transit stop. The front seats, I lingered around and sat at the rear of the transit. It was raining, so I moved to the last seat. To my surprise there was a five dollar gold coin on the seat. I can't understand how the conductor did not see it as he was going up and down collecting fares.
I thought of my new suit, but again I said, "It was for the Lord." I rose from my seat to give it to my teacher, Sarah Parker Woolley saying, "This is for the Lord." Christmas came and I did not have a new suit. During the summer, I went to Hilo to meet my grand-aunt and when I returned to Honolulu for school, I had two suits and a new pair of shoes. Since then Heavenly Father has never forgotten me, to this day. I have never been in want; the Lord provided me with all the necessities of life.
Since 1935 Kalihi became the center of the Stakes of the Islands. Oahu Stake branched into the Honolulu Stake, Laie Stake, Waipahu Stake, BYU Stake, to the islands, Kauai Stake, Maui Stake, Molokai Stake. Hilo Stake and Hana Stake.
In 1950 there was a minor renovation in the Kalihi main chapel. The ceiling was high and so they built sound boxes in the ceiling. This helped to control the sound from the pulpit. While this was being done the Sunday meetings were held in the Social Hall.
Prior to 1968, the Church changed its plans in building new chapels. Under the leadership of President George Q. Cannon, Supervisor Day and Bishop David Kaanehe of Kalihi, the old Kalihi Chapel was demolished. It did not take much faith, stamina or hard labor to demolish this chapel for they had all the modern equipment and machinery to do the job. Instead of excavating, it was the opposite, to refill the ground. The surface was covered. The new plan of the chapel was a meeting house and social hall, bishop's store house, and parking lot.
The present Kalihi Chapel also includes a Family History Center. This center is located at the most convenient place in the Stake. Patrons can come to the center from all parts of the island. Just recently the Stake added to its patio, the Stake office.
To conclude this paper, I would like to acknowledge the following presidents who contributed to the growth of the Church on Oahu, with the following events: Samuel E. Woolley of Laie, manager of the Laie Plantation; E. Wesley Smith, the Kalihi Chapel; Eugene Neff of Honolulu, social hall; William Bailey, Honolulu young people; William M. Waddoups, 1930 Centennial Pageant; Castle H. Murphy, Honolulu District Council to Stake High Council. These brethren, I knew and worked with, were truly servants of our Father in Heaven.
[Top]
[MPHS Home Page]