Abigail Kailimai was 4 years old when temple first dedicated
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Building a temple in Laie Hawaii
Abigail K. Kailimai was 4 years old when the Laie Hawaii Temple was dedicated on Nov. 27, 1919.
President Thomas S. Monson rededicated the temple in three sessions on Nov. 21. During the last session, he acknowledged Sister Kailimai's presence. As he left the celestial room in which the sessions to rededicate the temple originated, President Monson shook Sister Kailimai's hand.
Afterward, she said she had not expected to be singled out by the Church president. "When he came into the room, he looked at me and smiled," she said. "I smiled back."
She reflected a moment on the day's events, and then said, "This has been a good experience; it is something I am thankful for."
Asked if she remembered attending the dedication in 1919, she said, "My parents and a group of other members came over from Hilo on the Big Island for the dedication."
She remembers being excited about the trip and getting all dressed up. "My mother made a new white dress. I don't think I was in the room where the dedication was held; I remember being with lots of children and some adults who were watching over us while our parents went to the dedication," she said.
Over the years, she attended the Laie temple frequently. "We would come here as a group, 70 to 90 members," she said. "We stayed the whole week. We made that trip every year."
When the Kona Hawaii Temple was dedicated in 2000, she began attending there. At age 85, she directed one of the choirs that sang during that dedication.
