The First Presidency of the LDS Church has released a set of standard questions for bishops and stake presidents to use while interviewing prospective full-time missionaries. According to lds.org, the questions are intended to help prospective full-time missionaries understand and better prepare they are not only “worthy, but physically, mentally and emotionally prepared for missionary service.”

Marcus Martins, a religion professor at BYU-Hawaii and former mission president over the Sao Paulo North Brazil Mission, said he wishes these questions had been released six years ago when he was first called to be a mission president because it would have saved a lot of heartache.

“No mission president enjoys sending missionaries home before the regular time of their service is over,” said Martins. “It’s not fun. It’s heart wrenching because for us, our missionaries are like our sons and daughters. In the case of those with mental health issues, what becomes even more of a concern is the fact that it was preventable.”

The newly released questions include a number of mental health concerns including depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, attention deficit disorder and dyslexia.

“As a psychology major, I did notice a bit more of an emphasis on mental health,” said Ben Coffey, a returned missionary and a junior from New Zealand studying psychology. “It’s really good that they’re ... able to see if these are things that perspective missionaries might be facing prior to going into the mission field.”

Cody Kessler, a returned missionary and a senior from California studying psychology, said, “I’ve had plenty of friends come home because of anxiety-based issues and then they’re kind of outcasted, so at least drawing attention kind of helps focus on the church recognizing it. There are other ways to serve if you don’t meet the qualifications.”

Coffey explained how the stigmas surrounding mental health within the church and society are changing and how beneficial this can be for missionary service.

“It’s kind of one of those things that isn’t really talked about that much,” Coffey continued. “Not just in the church, but as a society in general, and the fact that they’re acknowledging that this is definitely a significant factor in your ability to serve. There are a lot of missionaries who do go home early because they face mental illness and they have issues when they’re out.”

Martins went on to talk about various missionaries within his mission who dealt with mental illnesses that weren’t taken care of before they left for the MTC that then lead to bigger problems.

“One thing I told missionaries is that there is no blame to be placed on those who end their missions early,” Martins said. “They have served to the utmost of their physical or emotional abilities. Their service will be just as valuable as those who served full term.

“You will not lose any of the blessings. Whatever time period you serve for, the Lord will accept your offer. I have no doubt that the Lord will say, ‘It’s good enough. You did everything that you could.’”

Coffey said, “Mental illness is a real thing and you can’t just pray it away sometimes. That’s what a lot of people think sometimes, like, ‘Oh, you’re sad and depressed? Just keep praying and read your scriptures and God will make you feel happy.’

“That’s not really addressing the core issue there. I think the more the church addresses that these are genuine concerns people have, the more it’s going to give us an opportunity to reach out and lift up our brothers and sisters around us. [This] breeds a much healthier environment for everyone to be open to receiving help and looking to help [each] other as well.”

Kessler said, “Realizing that, ‘Okay, if these are the certain requirements that I need to reach, then I should probably draw attention to the fact these are things my potential companion could have if I don’t experience it.’ Understanding can help. I had a companion who had bipolar disorder. He didn’t have anyone to trust, and I didn’t know anything about the issues. It wasn’t until taking classes that I recognized he definitely had bipolar disorder.

“I really appreciate that the church is starting to start a dialog about that. It’s a lot more helpful to try and help people find counseling and things for these [issues] beforehand so they have tools and things to help them out if they do continue to serve a mission later on.”

Martins concluded these questions would prove beneficial to missionary service for the church. “In the future, I see those who have a desire to serve a full-time mission, but who have physical or mental health issues, they’ll still serve, but they’ll have taken care of those issues beforehand.”

BYU running backs coach Reno Mahe and his wife Sunny joined Advancement Vice President Matthew O. Richardson for a fireside on faith, family, and football held at the BYU-Hawaii Cannon Activities Center on Sunday, Nov. 26.

“It was just really wonderful to have them here,” said Jordin Manco, a junior from North Carolina studying exercise and sports science. “What stood out to me most was probably to have a positive attitude through trials and just remember that the Lord is always there. We’re all going to be losers at some point but in the end we’re all winners of eternal life.”

Faith

Richardson began his talk by joking how he loves when people clap before knowing what’s going to happen after someone is introduced. “I love it when people clap before you even do anything special. But then I started thinking, that’s really the essence of what faith is all about.”

He went on to talk about a talk he heard 21 years ago given by President Henry B. Eyring to a group of newly-hired faculty at BYU.

“I remember trying to soak everything in and at one point, he was talking and I remember he had his arms crossed and his finger up to his lip. All of a sudden, he said, ‘Ya know, I do not know what faith is,’ and then I remember he paused for what seemed like quite a while.

Richardson jokingly admitted he thought of a number of scriptures he could have pulled up in that moment to help President Eyring out, but he stayed quiet. “And then he said, ‘But I do know what faith looks like. Faith looks like those who give their all to their God without knowing what ‘all’ is.’ That was forever recorded on my heart and mind.”

Family

The Mahes shared personal thoughts and feelings on their three-year-old daughter who passed away last year. Reno, a fromer Philadelphia Eagles running back, said, “We learned so much of the Lord’s mercy and the plan that is set forth that families can be together forever.”

Sunny, a former All-American volleyball player at BYU, said, “While her mission was much shorter than we would have hoped, we felt that confirmation that it was finished. So what about the rest of those who are still here? I thought of three specific things that pretty much all center around the plan of salvation: remember who you were, remember who you are, and remember who you will be.

“If we really knew who we were, how would that affect the way we treat each other? How would that change the way that we treat ourselves? I know that there are a great many heartbreaking trials in this life, but I know just as surely that we were never meant to stay here forever.”

Football

Reno Mahe started off his talk by giving examples from his life of trials that he’s faced in football that turned into life lessons and blessings from the Lord. He explained how he was injured the first day of the season his 8th grade year and was out the whole season, and his high school senior team lost their championship game.

“The rest I got from my 8th grade year really set me up for some hard four years of high school where I was able to perform and get a scholarship to BYU. Having lost that state championship my senior year really gave me that energy I needed going into college to make something out of my college career.”

While playing football for BYU his junior year, he said they lost the last two games after being 12-0 “thanks to Hawaii.” He ended up not getting drafted to the NFL and when he later signed on with the Eagles, they lost in the Super Bowl.

“Not getting drafted into the NFL I felt really gave me that hunger and that edge I needed to make an NFL team. It’s a blessing enough that I even got to play in the Super Bowl.”

Mahe also said this last season of BYU football has also been a trial.

“This year we were 4-9 as a football program, but the lessons I’ve learned this year as a coach and as a person through the trials of this season are blessings that nobody can ever take from me. They’re lessons I’ll be able to use for the rest of my life.”

Choosing to come to BYU-Hawaii

Written By: Courtney Bow Nielsen

While family and friends congratulate them for going to school in paradise, students said the education and environment were their primary reasons for coming to BYU-Hawaii.

“I was very excited because, I mean, it’s Hawaii,” explained Moses Rodrigues, a freshman from Mexico majoring in communications. “When I told people I was coming here for school they thought it was just for a vacation or something.”

But Olive Yee Mon, a senior from Burma studying political science and communications, said she cares more about the social environment than the elements of paradise.

“When you say Hawaii, [people are] like ‘wow,’ but after living in different countries, I just don’t really care about the fact that it’s Hawaii. I like it here because it feels like home. The weather, the people, the culture, the interactions–everything is similar to home.”

Mon studied at BYU at Provo before transferring to BYUH. She said Provo “was really nice but very competitive.”

Mon said that when she looked into BYUH, she thought it might be a more comfortable fit for her, weather included. “I like it warm and hot, not dealing with the snow. That’s one of the main reasons I transferred.”

But not all students come here for the climate. “I was never too fond of the beach or the heat when I came here previously,” said Noelani Cruz, a freshman from Oregon studying business. “When I received the notification that I had been accepted I figured, ‘Okay, why not?’... I told myself that this opportunity was given to me for a reason so I might as well take advantage of it.”

And for another student, the opportunity to come to BYUH was a surprise when other plans fell through.

“Ever since I was little, my mother had this dream of me studying at Provo,” said Mariana Rudyk, a sophomore from the Ukraine studying political science.

But before she could fulfill her mother’s dream, Rudyk had to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language, which is required for international students to study at English-speaking universities.

Rudyk said she got sick right before the test and didn’t do as well as she had hoped, but it ended up working in her favor. “I’m happy that I didn’t get into Provo and I got into BYU-Hawaii because this place is so amazing!”

Not only do students have different reasons for coming to BYU Hawaii, they also have different reasons for staying.

“It had a lot to do with the program that I wanted to go into,” said Mon. “I love the school environment and people are not competitive. I don’t like to compete because we all have our pace in life and I just want to enjoy it.”

Rudyk said, “I thought when I changed my major to political science, I would transfer [to Provo]. But Hawaii itself is a better place to live and at the same time, I think that people here are more understanding and kind.”

While some students have found a permanent place to complete their education, others still aren’t positive they want to stay.

“As of right now, I am not sure if this is the place I want to stay until I graduate” explained Cruz. “For me personally, I like being on the move and not being in the same place all the time, and the fact that we’re on an island makes that difficult for me to do.”

Three students do a one-week social media fast experiment

Written By: Courtney Bow Nielsen

After a week without any social media, three BYU-Hawaii students said they found themselves feeling happier, socializing on a deeper level, and caring less about what others think of them.

“I’m happier and more social because of not having social media,” said Allie Hunter, a freshman from California studying communications. “I was a lot more social this week.”

The other two students, Marisa Santeco and Jordan Cortez, agreed with Hunter about feeling more social. They reported having more personal connections with the people they interacted with throughout the week.

“I think not having social media as a default made me invest a lot more into people and about what their interests are,” Hunter continued. “It wasn’t just like, ‘Where are you from? What’s your major?’ and all that stuff, but more of asking funny questions and having meaningful conversations.”

Santeco, a senior from Kahuku studying graphic design also said she felt her relationships change during the fast.  

“I don’t know how to explain it, I just feel so good. I felt like I was able to have real conversations with people, like real ones. And I wasn’t over-analyzing texts on a screen but focusing on real friendships.”

Santeco said when she talked to a friend about what they had done over the weekend, the friend asked her if she had seen her Instagram story.

“I told her why I hadn’t,” Santeco continued. “I liked that I didn’t know what she did. I liked actually getting to know her in that moment.”

All three students reported being able to get homework done quicker without the distractions of checking their phones for status updates. They also reported higher levels of self-esteem and were able to focus less on the opinions of others and more on what they felt was important.

“Something I noticed was that I didn’t care as much of what people thought,” said Cortez, a multimedia journalist for the Ke Alaka‘i and a sophomore from Arizona studying biology. “I think I talked to people more on a personal level this week then I did previously so that was really good.”

Hunter said, “I think the pressure of showing the best part of yourself wasn’t there. I was able to try to be my best self without trying to prove that to anybody.”

Because she did not have social media during the week, Hunter explained how she didn’t feel the need or pressure to impress anyone with what she spent her time doing. Instead, she said she was able to gravitate towards people who like her because of who she is as a person and not because of what they see online.  

The three participants said the week-long fast was not easy. Cortez admitted to checking Instagram over his friend’s shoulder one day, but the three each agreed that the week helped them see others and themselves a little differently.

Santeco said, “At first it was really hard, but I didn’t really think much of it until day five when I started to feel emotionally different. I felt more confident with myself. I didn’t really think about what others thought of me. I didn’t feel judgmental towards others. It really helped me have an eternal perspective and really just focus on what’s real and what isn’t.”

“I think I’m just going to be changed by this whole experience,” Hunter concluded with a smile. “I’m going to look at my phone differently and treat it like I need to use it for a purpose and not just go on it because I can.”

On his way to a five-country tour in Asia, U.S. President Donald Trump visited Oahu for a day, a visit that was met with several protests and disapproval from locals, according to Hawaii News Now.

“To be honest, I didn't expect his stay to be long from the beginning because Hawaii isn't the kind of place I think he'd like,” said former BYU-Hawaii student, Hyram Navigator, from Arizona.

“However, when he did arrive, there were people here to meet him. From the pictures and word of mouth I heard, I believe many members of the military were excited for his arrival.”

Rulon Olmstead, a senior from Utah studying mathematics, said he thinks part of the reason Hawaii didn’t greet President Trump warmly to the island was because former President Barack Obama was from the state of Hawaii.

“Hawaii had a great representative over the last eight years, President Obama,” Olmstead said. “It’s really hard to beat him, especially in a place like here which is his home.”

According to LA Times, only 30 percent of voters in Hawaii cast their ballots for Trump, which is the lowest of any state.

Olmstead continued, “I think Hawaiians are hurt a little bit because they had such a good president who they cared about for eight years, and now there’s this other guy who they don’t care about so much.”

Navigator said he experienced firsthand the traffic and chaos in town and said while he understood the importance of the president traveling safely, he isn’t looking forward to Trump’s next visit.

“Honolulu city officials had tried to prepare the city for when Trump arrived,” Navigator said. “Basically, the entire freeway and entrances to Waikiki would be closed down in order to ensure his safe arrival. It was a bit stressful because there was traffic everywhere.”

Local protestors also held anti-Trump signs and gathered in Honolulu the day of Trump’s arrival. Navigator said he thought the signs were in good taste.

Navigator said, “I personally enjoyed seeing the protestors as the State Capitol because their signs seemed to be somewhat respectful but using the same kind of 'political bashing' that Trump likes to do.”

Some signs read “Welcome to Kenya,” referring to how Trump proposed that former President Obama was from Kenya and not Hawaii.

“While there weren't many protestors from what I could see, and while it was unlikely that Trump even saw them, I thought it was all in good taste and made a clear message that many do not like that Trump was here,” stated Navigator.

Olmstead also said he didn’t see the harm in the points being made by protestors. “I don’t mind there being protestors voicing their opinions against Trump. I thought it was good that they turned out in such large numbers to voice their opinions against him.”

Not all BYUH students agreed with what these protestors were standing up for. Allie Hunter, a freshman from California studying communications, said she believes Trump should have been welcomed without protestors.

“I feel that the president deserves a better welcome,” said Hunter. “Even if we do not agree with his choices or behaviors, we can all respect that he is our president and leader.”