| Show THE SOUTH PACIFIC SEAS ISLANDS 81 south pacific acab january 1893 in my to you dated in october luet hist it was intimated that during an absence i f forty years foreign missionaries the branch of the church of jesus jeaba christ of latter day salute that was established on oa these islands had become entirely annihilated this I 1 desire to rectify by giving the following account of our artt experience on the ot of september 1892 Pres president prescient tient james B S brwn brown accompanied oy elder W A left tahiti lor for the tapuai islands after a disagreeable voyage of five days daya they breached fre reached ached their destination illy to learo learn atiat all ajl members save one 17 year old girl birj on that land had recent recently Jy been misled from the true church by a reorganized probe lyter for two weeks the elders were treated with great indifference and were in need cf a friendly hand to provide food sufficient to appease their appetite meeting houses closed against them and the jo powers were of satan raged against their every effort yet god moves in a mysterious way I 1 his wonders to pei forna form ss after eldur anoe perseverance and prayer the tables turned several natives who had been acquainted with prett brown while on his former mission to these island fi came to him and expressed their doubts of laith faith and after being convinced of their error by him who brought them the truth aruti over 40 years ago they demanded baptism bap tiam this opened the doors for others other sand and ina in a short time the eldern baptized sixty five person which lu in eluded the majority of proper subjects for baptism many were refused the privilege on account of not having prepared then themselves nelves for the he reception of the gospel after a sojourn of two months on tapual leaving elder in chair charge ge of the renewed branch pros prest brown returned to tabith th hi ti aged an and crippled as he is ie his bis only chance fur for passage was on the debit of a small schooner loaded heavily with cocoa nut bute 1 in a space of 2 x 3 10 fet t he sat pst in a cramped condition for seven days rud and nights in sunshine and ancl rain the spray ot of the bridy ocean would then envelope his form from over the cocoa cocoanuts nuts that were heaped up lip on either side of him blin in tight sight of land they were five days and nights bights in alternating storms and clouds walting ig 9 for the wind to wait waft them thein onward to the desired land tahiti W while president brown was visit ing n g tapual elders J W damron and T J jones met with a mr mapuhi from t tho the h 0 islands he being the owner of several offered free passage to those islands his kindness and hospitality were thankfully accepted on november lot let the elders landed on the island of and ana were escorted by manubi to his own neatly arranged home heme where they received every attention possible for their contort con fort on this island we found a branch of over church members mem berf who after a consultation concluded to receive us as from the correct church ut of christ we began our labors in earnest and baptized thir y abree new members on the ir land atland learning that there were branches anchet br of the church on several different islands and on finding that a confer euie eme had been bc en appointed to convere e january ath on the islaub of faite president art jarnes james 8 brown suit and son elando eland 0 were notified by letter and speed ly joined the brethren at roe roa all started for the conference together and landed ou on faite december 1892 the number ju ot of boats anchored in the lagoon was proof iba many had gathered before we arrived arri vei veo nut not many minutes after lauding flauding we were visited by a delegat delegation ioa headed beaded by an aged and blind veteran cailao Wai bailies lies who has ha for a lung time acted as aa president over the church members on the different islands of this group his first question to co president brown was this are you the real lakube james that brought us the gospee forty years ago second are you tow representing the same dospel as before foreve various was the questions pro pounded and finally to satisfy himself that it was the real lakebo la Is kobo kobos he asked the loe joe tion of different villages on ans ana the island where elder brown labored while on hia former mis nion ilion being convinced he said bald with unspeakable joy we receive you as our father and leader but had bad you not come back personally we woul have refused to receive any foreign missionaries as an so 80 many MADY irise teachers have been in our midst and from the gospel goabel of christ 1 he then related how they had prayed to god to again send bend them missionaries as ot of yore and to t give them his hia holy spirit to keep them in the light and truth of the gospel goepel conference AT jan ath 1893 1898 congregation called to order by prest frost jas jag B S brown singing by the saints prayer by elder elando brown prest jas brown addressed addre ased the imparting good he explained the possibility f satan and his bis servants being transformed it to argele of light and warned the saints to shun all evil powers that will lead into darkness the speaker having been a missionary to the islands over 40 years ago suggested that all persons in the congregation who had seen and known own him formerly would arise ariee to their feet the response ws w 8 that 17 ariy haired veterans immediately protruded above the seated assemblage the following report of church members was given from the islands as follo follows follow wt fr number of saints on ana 25 faite 36 86 Fak arava 60 50 Tu barva 11 baraka 27 ara tika 21 katin kalid 20 tapual 66 65 tahiti 10 total elder J W damron spoke briefly and the meeting by singing beautiful s translated and taught to the native saints by elder damron benediction by elder T jones the afternoon session was called to order by president brwn brown singing prayer by elder singing remarks were made by elder J W camrod Da naroD who spoke on the of christ to the spirits in prison I 1 he speaker also read and explained the christ comparing the wise man to him who hullt his bis house upon a rock president derit brown then spoke i f the importance of a vicarious work being doi e for the dead singing benediction by elder maiher cot coi forence ference continued january jtb 1893 elder james A brown exola explained ined the dream of king nud the interpretation given by the prophet daniel elder damron exhorted the sai sainta ts to be diligent and to hod hec u the bigna cf A the time 8 occurring iu the the latter days as aa predicted by the prophet of god brother tehina of ana was waa ordained an elder as aa was also brother carere of kadlu I 1 benediction by elder elando brown afternoon session january ath ca led to order by president of mission elder Ta facan fanan of ana adder essed th e conference and waa followed by elder damron who dwelt principal prin cipa ly on the personality of god elder J ja S brown spoke encourage angly for a short abort time and closer the conference to assemble again at ana on the ath of april 1898 singing the spirit of god like a fire is burning translated benediction by eller eljer james 8 brown JAS JAB 8 clerk of Ul J ference |
