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McKay Mosaic Frequently Asked Questions

What will happen to the mosaic?

The personal stories of revelation and sacrifice associated with the founding of BYU–Hawaii are vital to our culture and heritage. The mosaic, the foyer, and the flag circle are some of the structures that represent those stories, and as such they merit special consideration. The Flag circle will remain but shift to the north. The mosaic and foyer will be preserved, but not in their current form. The mosaic and foyer have been studied carefully by teams of architects, engineers, and artists. The results of those studies indicate moving the mosaic in its entirety comes at great direct cost and with probability of damage and failure. These studies also indicate that designing and building campus around the mosaic and/or foyer is not feasible. In other words, doing so would impose severe constraints on the functional characteristics of the campus we can deliver for the next 60+ years of students.
   

Why are only portions of the mosaic being preserved instead of the entire artwork?

The Foyer has been condemned and out of use for nearly three years. The opportunity costs of designing the entire McKay Complex replacement around the mosaic are too significant to justify that approach. Experts have strongly advised against relocating the mosaic as a whole to the front of campus due to the considerable risk it poses to the preservation of the mosaic itself. Considering these limitations, experts have proposed that significant portions of the mosaic can be preserved with higher confidence, ensuring their longevity and ability to convey the intended story indefinitely. This option was discussed with the Board of Trustees, and they agreed that a welcome center that places Christ as the most prominent feature, with the mosaic portions and other displays complementing that was the appropriate path forward.

Has the Board of Trustees been consulted on these decisions?

The BYU–Hawaii Board of Trustees has approved a plan to preserve and display significant portions of the mosaic in a new building dedicated to telling the story of President McKay and the flag raising ceremony. In addition, the building will have space dedicated to telling the story of the rich heritage of Laie and BYU–Hawaii. This includes the Church’s longtime commitment and investments, such as the contributions of students, faculty, and staff, the role of labor missionaries, and so many others who contributed to making BYU–Hawaii a special place.

Is this about politics?

  

The mission of BYU–Hawaii is to prepare students of Oceania and the Asian Rim to be lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ and leaders in their families, communities, chosen fields, and in building the kingdom of God. As the leadership of BYU–Hawaii, our stewardship is to God and to our students, present and future. We work closely with our Board of Trustees--led by prophets, seers, and revelators--to fulfill that stewardship. We do not look “left” or “right” for direction. We look “up” and seek the will of God through His prophets. 

  • The McKay Complex and the photo to a larger view of the whole building is based on a painting by Edward T. Grigware, which was inspired by this 1921 photo (from BYUH archives):

    The image is a black-and-white picture of a flag-raising ceremony with a group of students gathered around facing the American flag. Houses-like structures at the back, and also seen is the top rear view of the Laie Temple and the mountain.

    Pieces of the mosaic were cut in Italy and assemblies by Harold N. Boe, a building missionary. Labor missionaries assembled the mosaic and completed it just minutes before President McKay arrived for the 1958 dedication of the campus.

  • The 1921 flag-raising ceremony with Elder David O. McKay is an inflection point in the history of BYU–Hawaii. In 1955, President McKay spoke at the groundbreaking of the school, and talked about that flag-raising ceremony:

    My esteemed fellow workers, brothers, and sisters—this is the beginning of the realization of a vision I saw 34 years ago when one morning President Hugh J. Cannon, President E. Wesley Smith, others, and I witnessed a flag raising ceremony by students of the Church school here in Hawaii in Laie.
    President David O. McKay

    See Groundbreaking Dedication of CCH/BYU–Hawaii.

    The foundational symbol of BYU–Hawaii can be traced to that flag-raising ceremony. The vision of harmony among many cultures in an educational setting stayed with Elder McKay, and as president of the Church he was the key advocate for creating Church College of Hawaii.

  • The current McKay buildings have significant structural issues. Replacing the buildings rather than renovating them solves several problems: it’s more economical, it brings the buildings out of the flood plain, it allows the design of more effective and functional academic space, it provides for more efficient use of limited buildable land, and it makes it possible to operate campus while replacing nearly half of all the academic space on campus.

  • We have looked at how we could save the mosaic from many different angles:

    • Consultation with a mosaic art expert acquainted with Laie and the significance of the artwork.
    • Structural analysis of the current McKay Foyer.
    • Bids on moving the mosaic.
    • Designing around the mosaic/McKay Foyer.

  • We must be wise stewards of the resources the Board of Trustees provides. With all the requirements for safely and effectively planning and constructing campus it isn’t feasible to keep the mosaic as it is. The opportunity costs of keeping the mosaic where it is or moving it elsewhere are too great.

  • The flag-raising ceremony depicted in the mosaic is a foundational moment for the university. The mosaic has been a part of campus since 1958, and we want to honor it the best way we can. We welcome your ideas on ways to honor it and preserve its memory.

    We do care about history. In fact, this major construction project provides an important chance to honor our history and tell even more of the story of the university. The reason Elder McKay had such a spiritual experience in 1921 was that Laie had been a gathering place since 1865, when the Church purchased the land. One of the reasons the Church purchased the land here was that Laie was a pu’uhonua. Since 1955, Laie continues to be a gathering place, and President McKay’s prophecies are continuing to unfold. The new buildings will include representations of not only the 1921 flag-raising ceremony but many other foundational moments both before and after that important time.

  • We have been analyzing the mosaic as part of the McKay Complex for more than three years. We started talking about it with community and Church leaders as soon as it became clear that there were significant opportunity costs associated with keeping the mosaic. Here is a brief timeline:

    • October 2020: Structural assessments demonstrate that the McKay Building has severe structural deficiencies; evaluation of financial and opportunity costs associated with renovation or replacement of the McKay Complex begins.
    • February 2022: Board approves planning money for the replacement of the McKay Complex.
    • March 2022: Meeting with President Kauwe, Isaiah Walker, Kevin Schlag, Laie Community Association leadership (Verla Moore, Kela Miller), and Pane Meatoga to present and discuss benefits and opportunity costs of keeping the mosaic, including the likely conclusion that the full preservation of the mosaic would not be part of future plans.
    • April 2022: Preliminary design outcomes, including the benefits and opportunity costs of keeping the mosaic discussed with the Board of Trustees.
    • April 2022: Meeting with Verla Moore, Kevin Schlag, and Jim Brown to reiterate significant opportunity costs and that the full preservation of the mosaic was not likely to be part of future plans.
    • Aug 2022: Announcement in the Ohana Meeting that the mosaic is not part of the ongoing design planning and that significant efforts will be put into telling the story of the flag raising ceremony, and many other important parts of the history of Laie and the university.
    • Oct 2022: Statement released on website about the mosaic reiterating that the mosaic is not part of ongoing design planning and that significant efforts will be put into telling the story of the flag raising ceremony, and many other important parts of the history of Laie and the university.