Show conference IN NEW ZEALAND I 1 take this 0 opportunity ap pp anity of forwarding ito to ayou ou a brief report of two bonfe conferences re aces uces held in new zealand you no doubt noticed in vie the report of our general australasian conference last april that the district of the bay of islands which at that time was very large was divided into three districts viz the Whan whangarei garel bay of islands and whangaroa Whang aroa since that time elder angus T wright has been appod appointed nt president of the australasian mission to succeed our beloved president william who labored with untiring zeal and energy for the spread of truth and righteousness among this strange and peculiar people the maoris laoris Ma oris although he has now re turned returned to his hia mountain home enjoying the fond associations of his family and hosts of friends his aa name is often mentioned and will ever be remembered among this people president wright since his appointment has been traveling among the people of this the northern part of the island and has enjoyed himself greatly he states that he found the saints faints although young and not so far advanced in the principles of the gospel as those in the southern part desirous of lea learning ruing and living their religion and continuing faithful in the goo gospel I 1 of our lord and savior jesus christ t als ala that there are many not of our faith who seem quite favorable and he thinks there will be an additional number of baptisms in the near future on the afternoon of september president wright and two elders arrived at Wal Wai karethe place of conference and on the following day four other elders arrived some of whom had traveled on foot ninety miles to attend conference but notwithstanding this we were all enjoying the best of health and rejoicing in our spirit to seethe see the great preparations our native brethren had A made to make things comfortable r for those who attended conference the food surpassed anything we had seen among the natives and was both prepared and served in the latest european style we were also provided with good comfortable beds we have so few of these luxuries out in this far off land that 41 I 1 can assure you kind rea reader derwe we are just the ones to appreciate them on saturday sept 1889 a few minutes before 10 a m the bell was rung for meeting and soon the large room where we assembled was crowded with natives from different parts of the district and the following elders from utah were present angus T wright president of the australian mission G W davis president of the whang rel rei district jas S nye president of the bay of islands district al strict J J jackson president of the aban whan aaroa district and the following traveling elders jos P waldron H J wagstaff fund 0 D romney president 0 W davis called the meeting to order and stated this is the first conference of the whan garol district and its object Is if to hear bear the reports report of the dit different Ferent branches and to be more fully taught the principles of life and salvation during our two days conference at this place there were seven meetings held all were well attended and great was the manifestation fe of the spirit and power of god Ores president ident A T wright in his pleasing and able manner in speaking the maori language addressed the congregation by the power of god upon various principles of the gospel especially did he exhort the saints saints to continue faithful and ever remember the covenants they made at the edge of the waters of baeth m elders nye and jackson also being fluent speakers in this strange language a addressed the saints upon different principles of the gospel as revealed through the prophet joseph smith in these the last days and by their many biblical quotations proved that the gospel as it was formerly preached reached by christ and his apostles gas has been restored to the earth with all its gifts blessings and powers all the elders being able to speak in the language of the natives and their I 1 instructions chions being prompted by the spirit of god were greatly enjoyed by those present the testimony meeting held by the saints will long be remembered by those who were presen tso greatly were the spirit and power of god made manifest both male and female old and young bore strong and faithful testimonies to the work of ged and the sweetness and solemnity of their songs and praises unto the lord are beyond my power to describe monday morning the conference having adjourned most of I 1 he natives lett left for their kain gas 12 or homeland homes home sand and four of the elders started for Pau toro the place of our next conference president wright and the other two elders intended to follow them the next morning but a heavy rainstorm which commenced shortly after they left made it impossible the whole country next morning was flooded with water the foundation of the house where we were stopping was buried in water two feet deep and it looked as though we were at sea this will give you some idea of the nature of the heavy rains in this country in the afternoon the storm abated and wednesday morning we left for Pau toro after three long but pleasant days travel we arrived there and found the other elders all well the natives at this place had gone to considerable labor in building chares wh ares or houses to accommodate the large number of natives who bad already gathered there was one 11 built after the old maori custom size feet in this building we elders both ate and slept with over one hundred natives instead of having things served in the latest european style as we did at our Whan whangarei garel conference it was more after the old maori fashion of placing a pan of meat and potatoes before us and everyone helping himself X 1 j Y at 10 am on saturday sept 28 1889 the floor or rather the ground as there was no floor in the building was crowded with natives and the seven elders who attended the Whan whangarei garel conference were present and occupied a rough bench at one end of the building the first conference of the bay of island district was called to order by president james 8 nye who greeted the assembly in the love of jesus christ and expressed his great pleasure in seeing so many attend the hui 11 he invoked the blessings of the lord to rest u upon pon all assembled president A T wright addressed the congregation in a spirited manner upon the divine authenticity of the book of mormon he greatly interested the natives in proving it to be a record of the of their tup unas 8 or foret forefathers athers from jerusalem to the land of america the principles lee of the gospel were well handled by the elders also good instructions were given to the saints during the two days conference six meetings were held all of which were well attended and the spirit of god was felt in abundance the showing of the statistical report was vry very good and the saints in general feel well and express themselves as desirous of contina ing faithful ever praying for the welfare anti and triumph of zion over her enemies I 1 reman your brother in the gospel of christ 0 D RoAiN FY clerk of conference TAU ToRo new zealand septem 1889 |