Show FRON FROM NEW ZEALAND gratifying progress of 0 the gospel in that land elder elias johnson jahnson Juh of provo reached this city yesterday on his return from a mission to new zealand he left lef t utah in april 1885 and hence h haa been absent over three years he first labored in poverty bay district about a year and a half traveling in different parts of it he had been there about eight months when he was taken prisoner by the natives in company with elder magleby the two missionaries sion aries were bound to a fence ant and kept in that position some hours the maori chief telling them that unless aney would promise not to visit that region anymore any more he would kill them immediately they were kept in confinement tor for three days when they were lioe li De rated after about eighteen months spent in 10 poverty bay district elder johnson Jo tinson took a trip to Waira rapa district visiting different districts qu on the way he was absent about three months and returned to poverty bay and attended a conference confere ace held there cheri in march 1887 at which be was appointed traveling companion and interpreter to president wm for the next six months he traveled in various parts of the island when he was appointed to preside over the bay of islands district early in october last he labored in that district in company with elder G george 0 e Romney Jr until released elver elder johnson returns in good health save that he be feels some ill III effects of his journey ot of the new zealand mission in general he states that the progress now being made is excellent and future prospects are very encouraging in the bay of 0 islands district in particular the success of the elders has been remark able during daring the last five months of elder johnsons labors there he and elger elder romney baptized souls among them machi kawiti kawitt the leading maori chief of new zealand at a great meeting held at waitangi Wai tangi after tits hla conversion he was attacked by ministers of the church of england on account of having left their church to become a mormon he told them that the reason why he had bad done this was because when those ministers first brought their religion to that land they told the natives to look up to heaven and while the natives were looking towards heaven the ministers stole tae land from under their feet he further defended the mormon elders and the doctrines they taught and manifests considerable zeal la in his bis new religion elder george romney jr succeeds elder johnson in the presidency of the bay of islands district |