Monument Marks Former Utah Haven for Hawaiians

One hundred years ago, a group of Latter-day Saints from tropical Hawaii founded a settlement in the barren desert southwest of Salt Lake City. They named it Iosepa (Hawaiian for Joseph) after Joseph F. Smith, beloved for his missionary work in the islands.

Today, all that remains of once-thriving Iosepa is its cemetery—and a new marker memorializing the work and the spirit of the Hawaiian pioneers who made their town a standout among LDS settlements in its day. The new marker was dedicated by President Gordon B. Hinckley, First Counselor in the First Presidency, on August 28—one hundred years to the day after Iosepa was founded. He was among a number of speakers who talked about the spread of the gospel among Polynesians and of their strength and faith. The dedication was part of a week of centennial activities that included a fireside in the Tabernacle on Temple Square Sunday, August 27. The activities were sponsored by the Iosepa Historical Association, headquartered in Sandy, Utah, and the Iosepa Historical Society, of Laie, Hawaii.

In dedicating the monument at Iosepa, President Hinckley commented: “This memorial will stand as a fitting tribute to those who lived and died here and gave their lives as an expression of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.” Scanning the barrenness of western Utah’s Skull Valley, he said, “This was not the desert we see today. This was once a beautiful community and a part of a large mosaic of communities that our people established all over the West.” Iosepa, he said, stood among those communities as “a gem, a paradise.” During the August 27 fireside, President Thomas S. Monson, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, spoke also of the spiritual strength of Polynesian members, recalling incidents that he and other Church leaders had witnessed.

In addition to President Hinckley, Elder William R. Bradford and Elder Yoshihiko Kikuchi of the First Quorum of the Seventy attended the program on August 28 in Iosepa and spoke briefly.

Originally, the Hawaiian settlers of Iosepa had come to Utah to gather with other Saints and to be near a temple where they could take part in its sacred ordinances. Despite struggles with disease and the elements, they built Iosepa into an oasis that survived on water channeled from mountain canyons.

But the town’s future was decided in 1917 when President Joseph F. Smith announced that a temple would be constructed in Laie, Hawaii. Most of the residents of Iosepa decided to return to Hawaii to help in its construction.

A new monument stands at the final resting place of many Iosepa pioneers. (Photography by Jed Clark.)