A goal to make the Hawaii Temple "A beacon on the hill" to all who pass by has brought about a beautification of the grounds and renewal of activity withinthe temple.

"Our aim has been to make the temple a daily inspiration to all of the Laie and Church community, particularly the youth who need all the uplifting environment they can get to counter the ills of today's weakening society," said templePres. D. Arthur Haycock.Pres. Haycock is a former personal secretary to five Church presidents. He served a mission to Hawaii 53 years ago and was president of the Hawaii Mission from 1954-57. He arrived in Hawaii as temple president with his wife, Maurine, as temple matron, on June 10, 1986. They soon became involved in beautifying the temple grounds as well as increasing temple activity. Some 61,000 endowments were performed in 1987, the most recent complete temple year.

"The grounds and temple should, in a very quiet, simple way, be breathtaking," Pres. Haycock said. "People should be able to go back home and say, `I know what heaven is like because I've been in His living room,' as one visitor described it."

Early in his service as temple president as he was exploring the nearly inpenetrable tropical growth on the hill behind the temple, Pres. Haycock found several old pioneer graves. He also found a statue by Avard Fairbanks entitled "Lehi blesses Joseph" that was in need of restoration. Historical friezes atop the temple by the same artist were also showing signs of wear and age.

Volunteer work to enhance the grounds were started immediately. Interior refurbishments began when the temple was closed Aug. 1, 1988. The project was completed and the temple re-opened Jan. 3. Today, extensive improvements on both the temple grounds and the temple make it shine like "a jewel of the Pacific."

The major improvements include:

A near-jungle on the hill of the back of the temple has been removed and the forgotten graves of nearly 200 pioneer Hawaiian members restored. "Now the area is the beautiful Laie Pioneer Memorial Cemetery, a choice place to stroll and view the spectacular panorama from temple to the distant breaking surf of the blue Pacific," said Pres. Haycock.

New statuary has been added to embellish the side patios and visitor center areas. The visitor center grounds have also been improved to better accommodate the increasing number of visitors, now nearly 250,000 each year. The Avard Fairbanks works have been restored by his son Justin, and placed in prominent display at the visitor center. Along the adjoining walls are copies of the four friezes of the temple. The friezes on the temple have been refurbished and accented in gold leaf and shine as they did when completed by Fairbanks in 1919.

A new picnic and park area has been added adjoining the new memorial cemetery and above the temple parking lot for Church groups and members to relax after temple visits. A Samoan "fale" summer house provides shelter and tropical motif.

New tile and marble pillars surround the large blue reflecting pool in front of the visitors center. The temple itself has had extensive improvements, including installation of a new foyer and entrance, an elevator, refurbished celestial and ordinance rooms and replacement of the 70-year-old jalousie-type louvered windows.

The beauty of the temple grounds, the serenity of the view, and the "Aloha" attitude of the guides and staff, combine to touch the soul of the visitor, said Pres. Haycock.

Church members who visit the temple with their friends note that, "Our custom is to take the very best of what we can provide and dedicate it to the Lord for His house," said Pres. Haycock. A visit also gives the members an opportunity to talk about eternal marriage and other blessings to the family that can be realized by worthy members in the temple."

Visitors on the temple grounds include many non-members as well as members. Trams from the nearby Polynesian Cultural Center unload every half hour with people from throughout the world. Visitors center director Lewis T. "Pat" Patterson said that in 1987, 235,698 visitors came to the center, and more than 13,000 referrals were received.

"It's amazing what one good couple with the help of the Lord can accomplish in two years," said Elder Yoshihiko Kikuchi, president of the Hawaii Honolulu Mission and a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy, when describing Pres. and Sister Haycock.

Local Church members provided much of the support for the physical improvements. A recent convert and a real estate developer, Herbert Horita, volunteered to help. Horita attended a fireside where Pres. Haycock told of finding the pioneer cemetery. Afterwards Horita volunteered the use of heavy equipment to clear the area. They originally thought it would be about an acre in size, but it turned out to be nearly 11 acres and contained about 200 graves. The area was the original location of the Laie chapel, but it was moved when the temple was started in 1915. Members who had died before that were buried in this cemetery behind thechapel.

Horita also commissioned a heroic-sized statue of Sister Ma Manuhii of Molokai. She and her husband took into their home the fever-wracked 15-year-old missionary, Joseph F. Smith, who later became president of the Church. She nursed him back to health after a three-month illness, and he never forgot her.

The statue is being created by Jan Fisher of BYU-Hawaii, and will be placed in a patio below the cemetery.

Volunteers helped in the work and cleaned headstones and identified the graves through family history research.

"We appreciate the help of Brother Horita and his hard-working associates, as well as all who have aided in this labor of love to honor our pioneer Hawaiians and to provide a place where groups of members can pause and visit and draw closer to the Lord," said Pres. Haycock.