Hawaii Interfaith Devotional Features Marie Osmond

Recording artist, entertainer and Latter-day Saint, Marie Osmond was the featured guest at the historic Kawaiaha'o Church in Honolulu, Hawaii, October 12, 2018.

She and members of the Osmond family were invited to the interfaith devotional cosponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and hosted by the Kawaiaha’o Church and the United Church of Christ. The interfaith gathering was named “The Marie Osmond and Friends Unity Through Music Devotional.”

“As the home pastor of this beautiful building, I’m just flabbergasted by how God moves, because this was never supposed to happen,” Pastor Kenneth Makuakane said. “We were so unprepared, and of course in our unpreparedness, we just had to go to our knees. And when we were on our knees was when God lifted this whole thing and said, ‘Follow me. I’ll show you the way.’ It was incredible.”

The interfaith devotional included Osmond brothers Jay, Merrill and Alan, along with nephew David Osmond (Alan’s son). Alex Boyé, also a Latter-day Saint recording artist and performer originally from London, England, also joined the Osmonds at the event.

Marie Osmond explained she chose to hold her 50th anniversary in the entertainment industry concert in Hawaii the following night “because my parents loved this place.” She added that her parents, the late George and Olive Osmond, served as senior volunteer missionaries at the Church’s Laie Hawaii Temple Visitors’ Center in Laie in the 1980s.

“We are all Christians,” she said. “We are united in God and through our Savior Jesus Christ, and we are His children — His ‘ohana,’” which means “family” in Hawaiian.

“I believe that standing together, strong, and showing the world the teachings of Jesus Christ are not only timely, more than ever, but are timeless,” she said. “Tonight, I love that we are uniting together in this celebration of song, love and passion for our beloved God and our Savior, Jesus Christ.”

While the interfaith evening was free, the audience was encouraged to donate a can of food to the Kawaiaha’o Church food pantry program for those in need. Full-time Latter-day Saint missionaries from the Hawaii Honolulu Mission assisted with the donated provisions.

Alex Boyé delighted the audience, singing a special rendition of “How Great Thou Art.” He explained how his mother had encouraged him for years to “put some of your African roots into your music.” Boyé’s music and video performances have garnered nearly a billion views on YouTube.

The interfaith devotional was blessed with many local musical talents as well, including the St. John Apostle and Evangelical Catholic Church choir from Mililani, Oahu; Gabby Pahinui, the grandson and namesake of a well-known Hawaiian slack key player and singer Gabby “Pops” Pahinui, from New Hope Windward Church in Kaneohe; the Samoan Seventh-day Adventist men’s choir from various congregations across the island; Musical Truth, a Laie choir led by Jolene Kanahele with members from throughout Oahu; and well-known ukulele master and teacher Roy Sakuma.

Link to devotional as streamed

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRko_xRXs-U&feature=youtu.be