MORMON COUNTRY LANDMARKS GENOA. NEV. A n Mormon landmark, called the Mormon Station, is located fa this small picturesque community at the bottom of the foothills near Lake Tahoe; little-know- It was nere . in 1845 that Hampden S.' Eeatie and six companions established a trading post and built the first dwelling .in the state of Nevada. At the time, the area was called Carson Valley and was a . . part of the Deseret Territory. The trading post was established to sell supplies to emigrants passing along the California trail. "Later in the fall of 1849, Mr. Beatie returned to Salt Lake City, and John Reese, his brother Enoch, and his nephew, Stephen A. Kinsey, moved to Carson Valley. They purchased the existing structure, a roofless, flooriess, building and established the first permanent settlement in what is now the state of Nevada. two-roo- According to written histories of the area, Mr. Reese and his men built a store and hotel of logs, two sides of which formed part of a stockade. It was made especially strong to resist Indian attacks and to protect the animals. The trading post provided the emigrants with meat, bacon, bread, flour, butter, eggs, sugar, grains, seeds and fresh vegetables, according to Nevada state history. Prosperity came from supplying those traveling to California in search of gold, and those coming to Nevada's silver mines. Mr. Reese expanded his facilities to two-sto- .A restored Mormon Station, now a Nevada State Historic Monument, is open for visitors on a seasonal basis. Camping facilities are available. ry include a grist and saw mill, and a blacksmith shop. Many members of the church came into the valleys of what is now western Nevada during the years which followed the establishment of Mormon Station. ' On Jan. 17. 1855, the Utah Legislature passed an act creating Carson County. The first county government in Nevada 'was organized in May 1855. Orson Hyde,-member of the Council of Twelve, was appointed to carry out the mandates of the territorial legislature. He was also1 the probate judge and spiritual leader of. the community. In the spring of 1856, a colony of 60 to! families were sent to Carson Valley; from Salt Lake City. That year, they laid out streets and had lots surveyed at Mormon Station. They also renamed the town Genoa, in honor of the birthplace of Columbus. 70 a In September of 1857, all the Mormor settlers were called home to ready themselves to defend Salt Lake City against the U.S. Government. Nearly 1,000 pioneers answered the call, and either sold or abandoned tfieir property. Mormon Station is now a historic Some of the original buildings-arstill standing in the community, according to Keith L. Lee, former state controller. Fijian Says I estimony Is Missionary Tool LAIE, HAWAII The Bible and the Book of Mormon of interesting stories to many of my people, but nothing touches the hearts and understanding of the most primitive Fijian villager like giving a personal testimony of Jesus Christ and His restored church. are just collections Speaking was Mereoni Ranadi Robson, a convert to the church from the small Fiji town of Ra. She is a student at the Church College of Hawaii. In speaking of testimony, Mereoni knows whereof she speaks. She is the first young woman of Fijian ancestry to e mission for the church. . serve a She considers her testimony to be her most valued possession, and, is eager to share it with anyone she meets. We Fijians have just been touched by modem life. As Fiji develops, the church will grow rapidly, just as fast as the peooutple learn about all that is good in the side world. Thats why I am now attending the college here. I had heard about the many new educational programs at the college, and these sounded good to me. I felt that I should go to CCH and get a good educa-- , tion in business, so that when I graduate I can go home and help mv people im... prove themselve, That way, my friends and neighbors in Fiji will be able to put wnat we missionaries told them, together with what they learn themselves, and be more receptive full-tim- to the gospel teachings and the promptings of the Holy Ghost," she explained. Mereoni recalled her first contact with the church. I had hurt my knee playing tennis,1 and the doctors couldnt do anything to cure it. I lay at home, sick with that bad leg, for more than two years, she said. One afternoon she noticed two young men in white shirts who looked like ministers visit her neighbors. Mereoni asked her neighbor to introduce them to her. I felt immediately that I should ask them if they could heal my bad leg. They asked me if I believed they couid, and I looked at them for a little while, and they just looked like they had special powers, so I said yes', and they gave me a blessing. My leg immediately started getting so remarkable, I better, and this was asked my mother if I could invite the missionaries back. I took the lessons, and I was grateful for the missionaries giving me the blessing, but it still took me two years before I finally joined the church. I look on that miracle as a great blessings for me and my family, because' through it my stepfather; mother and' brother and sister now are members of " the church, she said. ; u 1 She talks of her mission as a great opportunity, both for her and for the people of FijL It was a wonderful thing to be able to help teach the gospel in Fiji. In Fiji, it is difficult or many to develop an interest in the gospel, because it is so different from what they are familiar with, though they are basically good and kind people, with talents and curiosity like ev-- , eryone else. In fact, although I will admit there were some villages in the bush country which my companion and I were very frightened to visit, we found that everyone was cunous about why we strangers', were visiting them. Now civilization has reached just about everywhere in Fiji, but many of e our people still observe the customs, and they are very insulted if you enter a village and start talking to just' anyone. We were very careful to pay our, respects first to the chief of each village, taking him a bag of kava, a traditional offering in recognition of his status, she explained. When the chief, and other villagers, saw that Mereoni and her companion,' strangers from another part of Fiji,' obeyed the local rules of good manners, they were always given wptcome in ' ' v' old-tim- everyhome. . l ! J - - .m" Mereoni Robson, student at CCH, is first Fijian lady missionary. WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 9,1972 CHURCH- -7 t.