Show australasian conference the conference of the australasian mission was held at the kapanui town hall christchurch Christ church canterbury new zealand dec 1883 present from utah elder vf T stewart president of f the australasian mission and elder ephraim ralphs travelling Tra velling missionary also elder P J nordstrand president of canterbury conference and christchurch Christ church branch elder bennett clark president of alford forest branch and elder C Pete rete petersen raen president of timaru kimaru branch with a good proportion of other off officers leers and members from the branches represented 11 a in after singing and prayer president stewart made appropriate opening m remarks the branch presidents reported the condition of their respective charges the saints throughout the mission were feel feeling ingwell well weli and endeavoring to live up to the requirements of thedos the gospel some little trouble had arisen in the Ma makarowa makarewa karewa branch but several of their number had expressed a desire to be re baptized and it was deemed advisable to reorganize organize re the branch the gift rf of prophecy had been enjoyed in z i the Christ christe christchurch church arch branch in connection with gathering to zion speedily and considerable faith is manifest among the saints that the promises thus given give n will be realized the waikato district branch had been visited by prest stewart atcon it consists entirely of natives whom he found to be in a very unsettled condition this was owing to the excitement consequent upon the lands courts affairs in which they have been engaged for some time past and the facilities for obtaining intoxicating intoxication liquors added to the pernicious Iou lou iffla ence once nce of those by whom they were sur rounded As the elders who were laboring with them vere verc were unacquainted with the native language and their influence considerably weakened thereby he had deemed it wisdom for the presen tto remove them hoping that in tile the near f future the way would be more effectually opened by the contemplated visit to them of some of the influential chiefs of the wellington district who had embraced the gospel and who are staunch men A letter received by president stewart from elder A greenwood president of the wellington district read as follows MANAIA dec dear brother your letter dated the oth dinst and telegram dated the dinst both sent f from rom auckland were r received only today to day on my return to carterton carverton Car I 1 re regret ret not having recel received v them before lowcher however it would ha have ve been almost impossible for me to have met you last sunday as we wc were very busy confirm confirming ing and ordaining some mabries who were baptized tae the previous day on the same day we organized a branch of the church atte creore still I 1 vented froni from meeting you as you requested much labor in our district will also prevent bro hinckley or myself from attending the general conference to be held od at christchurch Christ church having av in made a arrangements to attend a maori mabrl 9 gathering at e rill g 75 73 in miles iles lles north of here hero in company co mp with many any of the tile maori brothers rot h e r s an and sisters we leave tomor to mor row to attend said meeting since my last to you we have been instrumental in the hands of god in baptizing 27 2724 mabries and 3 europeans blessed 10 children 4 mabries and 6 europeans ordained 3 elders 5 PrIests Priest sS 3 teachers and 1 deacon and organized two branches of the church one at papa other at to tc so go you will see from this that our hands are full the natives are very anxious to learn and they are like clay in the hands of the potter ready to be in any shape we have work to do in getting these branches under headway this goabel being something new to them they have to be taught very minutely yet they appear very apt in comprehension many of the male adults who have embraced the truth are staunch men and will assist in helping to effectually opening the gospel to the aborigines of these Island sif the work is thoroughly prosecuted in taking advantage of tile the prospects the spirit of god seems to be working among many of them dear brother we would appreciate your presence very much which would is some inquiry among the white people still it is very meagre I 1 trust that you will have a a good time in luu your conference and that much good will result brother hinckley Hinck ley icy and saints of all colors join me in lo 10 love iove ve to you and the saints your brother in the gospel of peace alma alala gime in australia there appeared to be a wide field of labor for missionaries but the people eople though friendly manifested tre the greatest indifference for the gospel two elders had been laborin laboring there for several beveral months but with no apparent result as yet throughout the mission there had been ever tracts distributed the following is ia the statistical report high priests 1 seventies 3 elders 36 30 priests 15 teachers 7 deacons 4 members chi children laren under 8 years of age grand total baptized 20 10 deaths 2 cut off 1 children blessed 14 of this number are natives viz 13 officers 89 members and 25 children under eight years of age increase since last conference 50 the elders have been travelling tra velling from branch to branch doing much good and the saints also aiso in all the districts round about allaying much prejudice but the people scein to have no desire to receive the truth the climate is rigorous and changeable and where there are no branches of the church the elders are at times exposed to much privation but by faith and through perseverance they have endeavored deavo red to warn the people people wherever they hey have tra travelled veiled preaching the gospel el wherever they have an opportune opp opportunity t in n many towns they have not been ab abl abi to to public places to preach in 1 n but have warned the people c by distributing tracts etc pm after sin singing nf and prayer the sacrament was administered elder ralphs addressed the meeting upon the blessings derived through partaking of the sacrament and gave a short account of his ex experience clience during his mission he and llis ilis his co laborers had met with little success though they llad had earnestly earnesti sought to present the principles of ake the gospel intelligibly to the t le people they had travelled many thousands of miles distributing distribution tracts and otherwise warning the inhabitants of this island and whenever they could obtain a place to preach in they had availed themselves of the opportunity he spoke s oke gratefully of the kindness extended towards him by the saints the brethren and sisters then bore testimony to the goodness of god president stewart presented the first presidency and nd otner general authora authorities and traveling elders who were unanimously sustained by bynote vote concluded with singing and benediction at conference again convened when a number of strangers were present after the opening services elder ralphs for a short time addressed those assembled upon the general prin caples of the gospel president stewart occupied the c remainder of the time in a plain and lucid manner lie he showed the condition of the people of this age to correspond with the prophecies of apostle paul with reference to the last days he reviewed briefly briefly the dospel gospel as taught by the savior anc and his hist apostles t po tle tie 8 comparing it with modern christianity showing conspicuously the absence of of tha the gif gifts ts and blessings enjoyed by the primitive christians lie he spoke of the apostasy apo stacy and the ion lon long iong reign of darkness that followed wren when ge the authority to officiate in the ordinances of the gospel was taken from the earth and concluded his remarks with an account of the restoration of the gospel in this age with all its gifts and blessings by t the c prophet joseph smith ile he was listened to with marked attention by those present sin singing in benediction the peaceful spirit which prevailed throughout the entire proceedings of the conference will be ion lon rong fong remembered by all who participated therein W T STEWART prest krestof Pre of cission his bis mission sion slon ARTHUR artnur PORTER clerk of conference |