As is usual whenever the Salt Lake Tribune mentions Mormonism, frothing-at-the-mouth haters are out in strength in the “comments” section. But they hardly matter.
http://www.sltrib.com/lifestyle/faith/5504732-155/usa-today-poll-lds-churchs-polynesian
My wife and I drove over to Laie today, where we had lunch with Jennifer Clark Lane and Keith Lane, of Brigham Young University’s Hawaii campus, at the still relatively new Hukilau Marketplace located directly adjacent to the Polynesian Cultural Center. Afterwards, we strolled around the Marketplace for a while, and then we went into the PCC itself, where we wandered through the “Island Villages” and some of the other exhibits, watched the “Canoe Pageant,” and caught the show at the Tongan village.
Following that, we drove around the BYU-Hawaii campus and over to take a look at the Laie Hawaii Temple, which, unfortunately, is closed for two weeks of summer maintenance.
The cynics and bigots may sneer, but the good humor, showmanship, beauty, cultural interest, and sheer quality at the Polynesian Cultural Center make the fact that tourists love it no surprise to me at all. We’ve been here several times over many years, and I’ve always enjoyed it. There were large crowds today, of varied nationalities and ethnicities, most of them almost certainly non-LDS, and they were plainly enjoying themselves. Moreover, I’m delighted that the PCC and BYU-Hawaii both showcase and (like the Temple) bless the lives of Mormons who don’t look like me.
Posted from Honolulu, Hawaii
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