Show written for aa paper UTTER LETTER FROM SAMOA SAMA savan SAVAII samoa october 24 1894 having many relatives and friends in zion aon and laboring in the same glorious cause with elders who are similarly situated I 1 now take the time to write to the many readers of your valuable paper that they may be informed concerning the labors of the wandering mormon b boys ys on samoa I 1 will endeavor to give a little of the history of a few of us the past six months six months ago now I 1 left fagalii Faga Fag alii iii upolu and went alone to Faga tuli savaii about one hundred miles west of fagalii Fag Faga alii iii it was just a few days before our beloved president R M stevens left us for his heavenly home that I 1 parted with him his lovely wife sister hilton and several brethren for my western field of labor how well I 1 reme piber enber the last remarks and actions of our late beloved president stamped upon my memory never to be erased while life or immortality endure it was a month after leaving fagalii before I 1 heard from any of the brethren I 1 but at last the sad account ot of our presidents death arnved how terrible it seemed at first but after duly consider ins ing the matter I 1 had to say thy rhy will 0 0 lord be done give us strength to trust in thee though some might think foolish I 1 have many times thought I 1 J would welcome the day when I 1 am called to go to preach on the other side if I 1 could be worthy to reunite with elder stevens in preaching the gospel to the departed to the old samoan lathers who have died since they lost the knowledge of the gospel in the days of old after their flouris nourishing bring so long loag in the light of truth and united in great ancient america after the ap of our savior to them but I 1 am yet a sinful man I 1 must wait to learn and gain experience that it may be said of me he has fought a good fight and finished his work in righteousness then and not till then hen do 1 I wish to go that I 1 may be able as here to unite with my brethren in carrying the gospel to gods children offering salvation at their doors to return to my story I 1 spent seven weeks ot of the happiest days of my life laboring at Foga tuli tuti together with J A my companion there we healed each other and healed others when afflicted by the power of the priesthood which brought joy and great comfort coln fort to us knowing that the lord accepted our weak efforts to serve him june irth we were surprised b by the sudden appearance of elders 7 J W beck and IS 5 W walker at our door they brought our mail but I 1 was so anxious to know their business that I 1 1 forgot to ask about the mail until two hours had bad passed away i was greatly impressed that my field of labor would soon be changed and so eo it was for on the morrow about lo io a m brother beck took me for his companion and left brother walker to labor with elder we were three days journeying from the west to my destination I 1 was requested by elder beck to do my best towards erecting a meeting house in this branch valti elder eider J C knudsen for a companion compani on we soon were wart bushy engaged aa our our new ner ap and at last through the blessings oi of the lord in opening up the foreigners heart to desist us and giving us excellent health and strength we have our labor completed the house being finished and dedicated the ath instant at our conference which was held here at that time we are happy and glad ad to say is the best on the mission ang and cost the church to 10 thus the lord has blessed and to him all praise we give I 1 wish to state here in favor of foreigners here on samoa especially on this island that they treat us elders with all the kindness and respect that we could wish for many from whom we buy give us things at wholesale sale prices and some without even charging the freight mr D kenison and sons and mr allen alien of this place mr peter jensen of malailua Sal ailua and the burgess family of Fa lalima are among those who will ever be remembered batall elders of this island because of their helping us in so many ways therease there Ther eare are others who are equally as kind whose names I 1 will not give our prayers are that they will receive the reward that the savior promised those who assisted his servants in any way surely they will in ih no wise lose their reward for they have given us much more than a cool glass ot 01 water when we have been in need As to our experience alter after conference at monday the ath instant after the morning meeting had closed the saints of saleaula soon got ready and were not long sailing home ward about noon eider bider silver and the writer took brother beck out to the schooner of mr allen alien brother beck wished to go to upolu to visit his old fild fi ld of labor before the ga gathering therin of the elders at fagalii Fag Faga alii iii the xyth of 0 the present month however the schooner returned at 5 p m and on learning the cause of its quick return we were surprised that the captain of f the boat was overcome by fear because of the rough sea in the straights tuesday the ath elders and silver started on their journey over land to saleaula to spend a week before going 0 to U upolu alu bros beck and walter walker r remained mai with us until saturday the lath when they left in mr Keni sons vessel for upolu monday the irth bros and silver returned from saleaula they found my companion and me very bu busily s ily engaged hel helping ing our friend F beni kenison on to to put a root on his stone kitchen the the next day we four elders spent the day very pleasantly together on wednesday the mr D keni son returned in his bis schooner from apia abia but we were very much put out to learn that his boat ran over the reef the night before and so damaged it that he would not be able to take us to Fr Fraga agaid iii the boys then looked to me for a way to go to upolu so I 1 sent my comp companion onion with two natives to Tu asive five miles to get a boat that had been promised us if we wished it they returned about noon and before sunset we had the boat all rigged up and at sunset with a gentle east wind we four elders and two natives ives set sail for upolu As the last rays of the sun faded away we passed through the savaii reef we found the sea very smooth to our great delight and thus it continued until we reached Upolu about I 1 a in we rested at laloli until day began to lawn dawn when orgain we again started for bagaw fagalii in the boat beat we e rowed along ah thi i morning with very little wind until V we ve matua malu out oat half hal way RY point from laloli thi the last mile W was very hard rowing rowing owing to a heavy beavy head hend wind and our empty storn stomachs actis at malua we left the boit boat and on going boing to the L M Socie tys teacher at his house on business I 1 was received and treated very kindly by the minister returning to the elders I 1 was accompanied by the reverend gentleman who gave us a very pressing invitation to come to the house and take dinner with himself and companion who was then at his class I 1 sent the brethren back with him but went on with the natives I 1 was soon overtaken however by a native who said alii na fai mai le ie misi sei fai mai which means that the principal wished me to return I 1 returned and was very kindly greeted by the rev prof meriot who said we must by no means continue our journey until after dinner being very hungry we allowed our appetites to overcome our pride although we were dressed in in our rough traveling suits so we remained a couple of hours and were treated with all the courtesy that we could ask for we were entertained for an hour before dinner by a young pleasant intelligent looking school mistress from new zealand it made us think of and feel like home to converse with this pleasant lady but when our eyes would drop upon our long worn clothes we feet feel so much at home malua is the old established normal school station of the london missionary society where they educate and train natives for the ministry it is situated fifteen miles west of apia abia we were rethe the first of our elders to have visited there and we feel very much favored that we were so kindly treated by those who formerly treated us with such hatred thus again fulfilling the promises promises ot president woodruff at the dedication of the salt lake temple when he said those who have been bitter towards us will turn to us with favor ando and the elders in the missionary field will be treated with more kindness than has hitherto been known for the spirit of hatred will vanish away from this time forth etc we traveled by land on foot fi from om malua to fagalii where hwe arrived before dark we were very much pleased indeed to shake each other again by the hand band such joy is only known to elders of israel who have labored in the field we ne were also very hagy happy to greet the new missionary of elder der hilton and wife who was born bom four day before our arrival but alas his bis mission was short here on earth he was taken sick near the midnight hour of friday night the xyth instant and near eleven saturday night the aoth his littler little spirit took its night flight to return to the god od who gave it to reunite with those pure beings with whom it parted such a short time before in vain we strove to save the little souls life by faith and prayers to god in its behalf but its days were numbered we could not change the divine will of jehovah indeed it was a sad baiting with our little brother and son yet we now feel to shy say rhy will 0 lord be done sunday morning we began conference and the exercises of the day were very interesting monday and tuesday forenoon we held hela meetings in which valuable were given both in 16 english aad the native tongue to in the evening we went upon the plantation e engaged aged in lax racing acing to amuse ourselves wednesday 24 we are now waiting tor for boats and anxious to return to our various fields of labor with best wishes to the NEWS I 1 am your brother L B BURNHAM |