The first-ever Education Week at BYU-Hawaii attracted more than 1,200 visitors to the campus and was so successful that next year's dates of July 30 through Aug. 2 were announced during the closing devotional address by Chieko Okazaki, first counselor in the Relief Society general presidency.
During the opening devotional Aug. 1, Elder Neal A. Maxwell of the Quorum of the Twelve encouraged the audience to "Educate Your Desires." The next day, Elder Robert E. Wells of the Seventy counseled participants to recognize the importance of each member of the Godhead. Sister Okazaki asked conference guests to be true disciples through unconditional service.With the theme, "In Search of Truth," the conference included 226 workshops by 38 presenters and a kickoff banquet at the new luau facility of the adjacent Polynesian Cultural Center. President Lester Moore of the cultural center conducted a three-day business seminar on strategic planning. Education Week attendees also had the option of participating in sight-seeing tours and visiting neighboring islands.
Elder Maxwell encouraged a large crowd at the Cannon Activities Center to distinguish between the truths that are useful and informative and those that are crucial and eternal. Then "men must obey because they desire to. We brought our desires with us to this life. They shape the mold that we are. Desires initiate thoughts, which trigger our deeds. We are what we desire. If we desire to be meek and patient we'll grow.
"But those who desire seats in the Celestial Kingdom must battle every day. Because there's so little time in this second estate, there's a compression of challenges and trials. There aren't many recesses in the education of life.
"God honors our agency. He will work with us but the initiating desire and resolve must be ours. God can correct us if we want Him to. That's why we need to educate our desires."
Elder Wells asked participants to take advantage of revealed truths about the Godhead and to appreciate each member as opposed to the "oblique blur of the Trinity" understood by most of the world.
"We need to understand the Plan of Salvation," he said. "I see and hear examples of people who don't understand or respect the importance Heavenly Father should have in our lives or the blessings of Jesus Christ.
"Likewise, I fear offending the Holy Ghost with anger. He is sensitive - He withdraws when negatives like jealousy, pride, lust, laziness and demeaning of others appear. We cannot accomplish anything without the Holy Ghost."
Sister Okazaki told the audience to "pray without ceasing so we have the companionship of the Holy Ghost in order to know what we need for ourselves and then for what others need. If you have a generous heart and spirit, opportunities for service will seek you out.
"Sometimes we make the gospel too complicated. We just need to look for a weary traveler to give a cup of water to - not get caught up trying to decide what the composition of water is or how many times water is mentioned in the scriptures."
Education Week at BYU-Hawaii was sponsored by the Division of Continuing education.
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