| Show australasian MISSION I 1 herewith forward you an account of the annual conference of the australasian mission which was held at to te mauke hauke a maori pay pa or village situated twenty seven miles southwest of the town of napier N Z during the past year the native saints had been looking forward with great te reat expectation to what they call t the hul hui tau or general conference as they are much given to gathering together in large assemblies whenever they can have good things to eat however other motives prompted them this time namely to worship the lord on march president arrived at the place of conference having made a 9 very successful visit to all the districts on the island holding conferences and meetings among the saints and outsiders the following week was fully I 1 spent in drawing up reports etc and making arrangements for the entertainment of the large number of people who would attend the different branches of the hawkes bay district had each completed arrangements range ments to supply certain quantities of food etc during the week they were engaged in hauling in loads of potatoes flour sweet potatoes fish and firewood the saints belonging to the pal pa l had also been busy preparing houses hou ses in which to sleep eat and cook of course the houses were not quite as modern as those in salt lake city they had also prepared ovens in which to bake bread and cook other food by digging a large circular hole in the bank or of a stream the flooring being bei n lined with brick this they cover covered el over leaving only an aperture in order to place the fuel in position and another in the roof to allow the smoke to escape when it was sufficiently heated the fire was withdrawn the bread cakes meat etc were placed in the heated bricks and the apertures aper tures closed up until the food was cooked this arrangement produced excellent bread it was quite a novel experience to us the younger members were likewise busy but in another direction practicing ini K a series of dances and pongs bongs with which to welcome the Ll visiting saints each day small companies of saints arrived until april 3rd ard when the elders from the north accompanied by a large number of natives came in sight this was the sign for the young people to prepare to greet them they formed two companies of about fifty each and marched out for some distance from the pa 11 when the visitors were within good hearing distance the first company which was principally composed of females commenced to sing their po whirl or song of welcome dancing and waving their arms i in n unison keeping time to the measure of th the song and at each repetition of the song they would dance backwards towards the pa the visitors advancing having kept this up for some time the first company withdrew and company no 2 came to the front they consisted entirely of men who had bad decorated their faces with red paint and provided themselves with imitation maori weapons they at once commenced haka 11 1 1 this a partakes akes somewhat of a war dance the he one who can come nearest to making his tongue touch his ear his eyes jump from their sockets and shout the loudest is considered the leading man they also cause their bodies to twit and take peculiar shapes evidently with the intention of frightening people away rather than bid them welcome this was kept up for some time when the two parties united and with another variety of dance led the strangers kito into the pa 11 the same afternoon the elders and saints from the southern part of the island arrived in the evening a general meeting was held at which a good spirit pre prevailed making us feel that everything was prosperous for the conference the following day the elders in company with the saints from the districts on the east coast arrived and received a similar welcome As one year had bad elapsed since the elders met you may imagine the good time we had and the brotherly love that was manifested it was a J joyous OY meeting we had also to bongi 11 or rub noses with our kind kaarl maori friends and when it was over there was a general complaint about sore noses as the greater the love the more severe is the 0 ordeal on saturday april ath 1889 at 10 am the fourth annual conference was called to order by president william who offered the opening prayer in which he dedicated all to the lord asking askin that influences foreign to the gospel pe should be bound so that peace unity and harmony might prevail he then addressed the large assembly saying s a y I 1 1 I greet you in the love of jesus je s u s arist christ because you are the ch children illren of god I 1 re rejoice joice because we have met in conference ference and I 1 thank god for his mercies and blessings to you you all look brighter and happier than those who are am not in the church more like the children of god even as the gospel makes the elders look different from the white people in this land so 0 o you are di different ff rent in appearance from the other maoris laoris the prophet and saints are transacting the business of the church in zion today as WO we are I 1 am glad there are am so many present in excess of last year the church was organized fifty nine years ago with six members today it numbers hundreds of thousands we are living in the days of the salvation and redemption of zion I 1 know this is the church of god that the little stone is rolling zt and will fill the whole earth shou should we not rejoice that we are members of this church I 1 know you do during the day the districts were reported in the past year there lias has been an increase of or over last years yearns increase the most noticeable additions have taken place in the north where have been added it is a new field and ft a great interest has been manifested the native population in that section is about eight thousand in the middle and southern parts of the island it is different when the gospel was first presented about five years ago large numbers flocked to the elders call caltoft of repentance AS many as fifty or sixty were baptized at a time now they have gone back into the their irold old careless ways and though the majority will adan admit they believe our principles yet they put the elders off by saying 4 wait awalt a 9 little we will come into the church when we feel like it in the afternoon we were made happy by the arrival of a company of five ve new elders direct from zion their names are jos groesbeck J H burton heber S cutler H ID haight and E johnson there were many questions put to them about things at home at a priesthood meeting in the evening president said 1 take pleasure in welcoming those who have Wern assembled bled together antho in tue fear of the lord I 1 can teu tell you that J there has never been a gathering on this island similar to this and an I 1 know that the angels of god are wito with us for god has a great interest 10 us having been ordained to ills priesthood I 1 also know that brothers joseph and hyrum aj laboring inthe in the work of god ano and although they are in the spirit world horld j they are still interested in this great grefor latter day work the least among you is greater in the sight of GO than the greatest potentate 1 I av thankful to be able to present to you the book of mormon so that YOU ya mairead may read of the promises of god to t your fathers at the time when thol they were a white and de delightsome arelt pea pie ae we are living in the lays days those promises be fulfilled TWO tb book will be the means of bringing brin giD many to a knowledge of god and I 1 A feel in my heart to praise and aa thank you for the work you have na done A financial report of the printing prin tiDe of the book of mormon was then ane read and accepted A number v of the Banga Ranga tiras tims spoke compa the elders upon the honor able manner in which every penny of the sum collected and expended had ad been accounted for this was the he antipodes of what their former lurches churches had done Sl sunday inday april ath was principally devoted evoked to the elders who spoke vw tn th much power while laying d own the principles of life and salvation president offered a 8 few remarks on the sacredness of the we sacrament saying this is an ordinance established by christ and w are to partake of it in kemem brance rance of nis his death until the time otties when we will do so in the kingdom of heaven our hearts aust be pure and free from hard feelings clings towards anyone we also testify tiby our desire that gods holy fiat will dwell with us at all hies I 1 hope we will partake of it with th sincere hearts in remembrance of the great sacrifice 11 during t the he forenoon services a native c chief hi ef denare who has oas devo devoted ted much time and means ln connection with the fhe ton of the book of mormon said 1 I 1 rejoice that I 1 have come to this place this conference was not called aed by man but by god I 1 greet you in the love of the gosp th that at was revealed by god to oseph smith I 1 belle believe the words 0 o ye into all the world and preach eh the gospel I 1 also believe oat the elders have been sent out m accordance with those words I 1 know ow that god takes the weak things ings of the earth to establish H his is purposes Pr poses he also showed the na ives that though all the people fall yet the church would forever another powerful chief pilipi 13 e a few interesting remarks in relation bionto to his becoming identified avith ith the church and in an able ul t powerful manner spoke on the of the dream of cebu Ohad aad nezzar monday april 8 the elders revived their appointments viz v aira rapa president angus P V wright traveling elder joseph 8 S beanie sin sine president david 8 cuir r traveling elder JOB Jos N ahey hey hawkes bay president john A sutton beek atton traveling elder jos JOB P lahla hia president john P F traveling elders hugh 8 des and J H burton poverty bay president john W tait py traveling elder latinus 0 president ezra T stev BOW OD traveling elders elders J H apson and H A haight larranga la uranga president boyd stew j trav traveling e ling elder alex bul haurani Ha 1 president jos H bur tess 88 ela elder r thos C oun g with wit ephraim arai johnson ft 11 8 cutler school teachers Vai kato president john 8 traveling elders chas cohao onson 11 and W reid r pe 0 Whai rangi Prest president dent geo davis avis traveling ng elder jos P F waldron Soki anga pr president Prep ident james 8 nye y traveling eling elder heber J W wagstaff whangaroa Whang aroa a president jos JOB J jackson traveling elder orson oreon D romney Sou south island president nelson S bishop traveling elder jos groesbeck australia president S D 0 chipman b traveling elders A LS lster t ew art G E woolley and wm win bromley george romney jr general president of the pe Whai rangi i I 1 Ho Hoki klanga anga and whangaroa Whang aroa ds districts william president of the mission the statistical report showed the total membership to be 2812 being mabries Ma ories there have been baptisms during the year children have been blessed two new districts added and 15 branches established sunday schools have been organized since last conference in most of the districts the saints are taking quite an interest in them so far as practicable practicable they are conducted as at home ome each school has at least three classes and upwards old and young oung attend the D Deseret eser et sunday su aday school school union kindly sent out a large supply of sunday school cards in the maori language which have done much good in a few districts the saints have mastered them and anxiously ask when the authorities of the sunday schools in Zion will send them more now that at the book of mormon is printed p anted in their tongue they have better matter from which to study the great event of the conference was the coming forth of the book of mormon in the maori language at the annual conference in march 1887 elders ezra F richards and sondra sanders jr were set apart to translate the work through the great blessings of god they comp completed feted the eight months assisted by two native brethren denare and they revised and presented the word to the saints at the april conference 1888 it was then deemed advisable to make another revision this was accordingly done and the work ark prepared for the press the people are generally poor they donated liberally of their means and with the blessings of our heavenly father an edition of 2 2000 copies has been issued from the press it was decided to give each person who donated a copy but no they would not allow this de desiring a fund on hand to print other church c works so that when the books were distributed a great many paid for them it was pleasing to see the joy with which they received the record of their fathers not until some of the leading chiefs had bad made speeches of welcome would they allow the people to come forward and receive their treasures it took an immense quantity of food to feed the people and as it will undoubtedly be interesting I 1 will give a few figures as follow potatoes lbs ibs sweet potatoes 1050 lbs ibs eels 2000 lbs ibs sugar 2080 shell flah fish 1600 flour ho hogs 98 1 19 sheep 58 and 4 beeves desidee a number of other kinds of lood food before separating the elders elden held a private testimony meeting in which the power of the holy bioly ghost was poured out most freely it was a time long to be remembered we felt to bless our beloved president for his fatherly watchcase watch care eare over us we felt to say god speed to these who will shortly return to home sweet horne home Y we desire to go forth in the power authority and majesty of our callings warning the people of the coming of him who has the right to reign f calling on all men to repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand the health of the elders is good at present though the climate affects some of us ever praying for the triumph of zion over her enemies joun JOHN F clerk of conference new zealand april 1889 |
