BYU-Hawaii students were given a lesson in "home building" Jan. 22 by a servant of the "Master Builder."

President Thomas S. Monson, first counselor in the First Presidency, told more than 3,000 students during a campus devotional to build a house that would "meet the building code outlined in the Doctrine and Covenants (Sec. 88:119):"Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God," President Monson declared. "Where could any of us locate a more suitable blueprint whereby he or she could wisely and properly build a house to personally occupy throughout eternity?"

President Monson was accompanied to the devotional, held in the Cannon Activites Center, by his wife, Frances.

During his address, President Monson asked the students to consider each of these "architectural guidelines" on an individual basis, keeping in mind the counsel of the Apostle Paul: "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?"

President Monson then discussed the guidelines in more detail.

In speaking of building a "house of prayer," he recalled his first experience of being asked to give a priesthood blessing. He was in Navy bootcamp and, in the middle of the night, was asked to bless a member of the Church in an adjoining bunk who was very ill.

President Monson recalled, "I said a prayer to Heavenly Father. You see I had never received a blessing, I had never given a blessing, I had never seen a blessing given of that nature and I had to have help."

He was inspired to look in the bottom of his seabag where he had stowed a copy of "The Missionary Handbook" he had been given by a member of his bishopric just before he went to bootcamp. He read in the handbook how to give a blessing and then gave his first blessing ever to the sick young man. Before he could stow his gear, his bunkmate was fast asleep.

"The next morning [the young man] smilingly turned to me and said: 'Monson, I'm glad you hold the priesthood,' " President Monson recalled. "His gladness was only surpassed by my joy."

President Monson spoke of the power of building a house of fasting by recounting an experience he had as a mission president. A missionary was very ill and, after lengthy hospitalization, required surgery that he might not survive. He was in a room with five other men, none of whom was a member of the Church.

On the morning of the missionary's surgery, the hospital nurse brought breakfast in for the five men but each of them refused the food. When she asked what was going on, one of the men explained to her that their friend, the missionary, was in surgery that morning and that he had taught them about a principle called fasting and they were fasting for him.

One of the men said, "We don't know much about the Mormon Church, but we know a lot about our friend, and we want to be like him," recalled President Monson.

He said the surgery was a success and the doctor refused to accept payment for it, saying "I have never before performed surgery when my hands seemed to be guided by a power which was other than my own."

Speaking of a house of faith, President Monson told the students that "faith is a foundation stone in your eternal house."

President Monson recounted a visit to the Samoan village of Sauniatu, where he felt compelled to personally greet each of the 247 children. When he told the children's instructor of his desire, the instructor and the children smiled.

"The instructor then revealed to me the reason for his and their joy," explained President Monson. "He said, 'When we learned that President McKay had assigned a member of the Council of the Twelve to visit us in far away Samoa, I told the children if they would each one earnestly and sincerely pray and exert great faith like the Bible accounts of old, that the apostle would visit our tiny village at Sauniatu, and through their faith, he would be impressed to greet each child with a personal handclasp.' . . .

"With such firm mortar," President Monson told the BYU-Hawaii students, "the faith stones of your house will be secure."

President Monson then spoke of a house of learning, quoting D&C 88:118. "Seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith," he said. "This is your day of preparation, that you might meet the days of decision which are before you."

Continuing, President Monson talked about a house of glory. "When I think of a house of glory, I am reminded of a wonderful man I met in Tonga over 30 years ago, Brother Mosese Muti," said President Monson.

President Monson explained that during a visit to the country, he ordained Brother Muti a high priest.

"Afterward, Brother Muti said to me, 'Brother Monson, prophecy has been fulfilled today. Many, many years ago, a young apostle, George Albert Smith, came to Tonga and ordained me an elder and said that if I were true and faithful, the day would come when another apostle would come and ordain me a high priest,' " recalled President Monson. "This humble and stalwart member, Mosese Muti, had remained true and faithful. His house qualified as a house of glory."

Speaking of a house of order, President Monson talked of a man he met in Tahiti, Tahauri Hutihuti. Brother Hutihuti saved his meager earnings as a pearl diver for more than 40 years. When the New Zealand Temple opened, he used this savings of $600 to journey to the temple with his loved ones.

During a visit to Tahiti, when other members were giving President Monson presents, he spoke with Brother Hutihuti through an interpreter. "The interpreter listened attentively and then, turning to me, reported: 'Tahauri says he has no gift to bestow except the love of a full heart.' Tahauri clasped my hand and kissed my cheek. Of all the gifts received that memorable night, the gift of this faithful man remains the brightest," President Monson said.

He then spoke of three men -- each a native of New Zealand -- whose houses truly qualify as a house of God.

James Elkinton was one of the first Maori patriarchs in the Church and the father of a noble posterity. Sid Crawford possessed great leadership skills and served in many positions of responsibility, including first counselor in the presidency of the New Zealand Temple. And Price Harris, whose real name was Great Price Harris, named after the Pearl of Great Price, was a hard worker and was loved by all, he said. "Each one's life was as a house of God."

President Monson concluded by telling the students: "This then is your building project: 'Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God.' Such will be our blueprint to the Celestial Kingdom."