Recently, my husband and I have been helping our students look at American colleges to apply for. Being Chinese students with no particular geographic ties, any state is up for grabs. Hey, why not Hawaii? But why is this one called "Brigham Young University Hawaii"? Our hearts sank. I don't want to be offensive to Mormons, but we love our young students so much, that we're protective and want the best for them. We looked into it to be fair, but the school requires religious classes, ones like REL 235 "Achieving Eternal Marriage." Is it fair to advise a Chinese student with basically no exposure to religion to go to BYU-Hawaii? If I'm honest with myself, I must admit that I fear that they would be forced into the Mormon faith without considering other possibilities. They live in a country where they're always told what to do and how to think. They would be easy targets for conversion. This is not how a spiritual journey should go. My husband invited some Mormons to speak with speak with him a couple times and they danced around his questions. They claimed they don't reveal everything to new converts just like you give a baby only a little milk at first and move onto the bread later. We don't agree with this manner of conversion. I'm all for freedom of religion and a person's right to choose, but I cannot advise a non-Mormon to go to BYU.
Non-Mormon's shouldn't go to BYU.
By bungeecord - Posted on March 27th, 2008
Only 5% of BYU-H students are non-Mormon. All students are expected to observe a standard of behavior in keeping with the Church of LDS, and attend weekly religious services (see https://help.byuh.edu/faq/index.jsf) and, as part of the "Honor Code," refrain from drinking coffee or tea.
If you have ever humored Mormons in an exchange of ideas and theology you can only imagine what it would be like to attend BYU-H, a Mormon factory; constant proselytizing.