Laie is a quiet, well-kept, largely Mormon town. Mormons established their church here in 1865, and in 1920 a beautiful temple was dedicated the first such structure to be built outside Salt Lake City. Laie is also home to Brigham Young University-Hawaii.
Just down the road is the Polynesian Cultural Center, where thousands of visitors a year learn about Polynesian culture and enjoy an authentic luau. The Center is owned and operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.