| Show conference IN NEW ZEALAND N Waira rapa now new zealand july 1895 the past few months having been a season ot of great rejoicing in this portion of new zealand both among the elders and saints I 1 take this opportunity and liberty of penning a few lines to you and the saints of zion concerning the cause of fad fact thinking also that perhaps it ma maj 7 be of interest to those who rejoice coo con in the work of the lord among the different nations of the earth while upon this task I 1 hear bear the good advice given by our beloved president of this million resounding redounding redound ing in my sere saying say ins be B brief in all your correspondence idealizing that it is good counsel especially rn to an elder to lo israel who Is engaged in promulgating the everlasting everi ast gospels gospel I 1 will endeavor to put the game ame into practice on june I 1 left my district for the purpose of escorting president wm win gardner who was waa in the district into the portion of the lord lords a vineyard owing to neglect of a post postoffice ioe office official we were put to much inconvenience and expense having to travel exceedingly long distances in order to reach Grey town where our semiannual semi annual conference had been appointed to be held bold traveled sixty miles one day forty of which was done on foot though tired on reaching resu bing our journeys lourney our to end and we soon became well paid for the haste we had made to enable us to fulfill our appointment it 11 ever there was a time when the saints desired earnestly to be spiritually fed with the word of life lit and salvation it was upon this occasion though the maori land court was in busy session the abe saints arranged their affairs and eagerly made it a point to be in prompt attendance at the time specified for our hui to commence at 10 a m on june elder george bowl as called the large congregation to order and we commenced what eventually proved to gob be one 0 of the largest and best beat con conferences ferone es ever hold held in Wair araps there were present the following from vow elders elder william gardner president ot of the australasian mission george bowles president of the conference and james barrow lee bradford george jarvis jar vis and john walker good and encouraging reports were given in by the several branch presidents from which could be very satisfactorily 9 gleaned leaned that the saints both european and maori were striving to fulfill their callings as an saints indeed elders barrow and a ad bowles reported the district as a whole whale from their report it could be seen that much good work was wa being done by them and their companions among both races of people that many were on the verge of enter ing into the gospel goepel also aleo many who were seeking flecking to know knew for themselves as to the truth of no 0 balled mormonism niem the following report will partially speak peak for itself as am to how bow the inkabi tants tanta of this district are feeling toward the church and its if or the principles taught by the servants of the true and living gou goo since april last twenty six aix have been initiated by baptism and four by bles blessings pings according to the which our savior while he sojourned sojourn ed in the flesh during the con conference terence session see sion eight meetings were hold held conducted entirely in maori though a number of pa kehas 10 were present interpreters being chosen to translate unto them the many good and valuable instructions which were delivered before thov as emblem em sem bled many principles of the gospel were dwelt upon and explained clearly cearly by the many fillers and maori brethren who were called upon to ad dress drees us tue saints were especially urged to live worthy lives that they might secure every blessing blea eing promised unto those who keep the commard ments of god that they might also in the lords lorda due time be gathered out from the midst of babylon unto zion to fit and prepare themselves to become saviors on mount zion if it so be the lords will for them to so ao be beame ome A very notable fact was witnessed in the attendance of a large number of non saints who listened very attentively to all ail said the outcome is that they are at present busily engaged in searching the and endeavoring to assure themselves that we are in the possession of the one faith and one baptisms baptism which the apostle paul spoke of in his epistle to the be ephesians Ephe stans after we had all been fed with an abundance of gods word the saints dispersed for their several homer home selina feeling thankful for the blessings which the gospel had bad brought them in these latter day determined also in their hearts to serve tue lord in righteousness ricker elder bowles was called to accompany elder gardner to the south islands for the purpose of proclaiming the gospel unto the laoris maoris who resided in the different differ eat near Christ christchurch church we left wellington per S 8 Bot a large anu and stately vessel after enjoying our supper we concluded that it would be advisable to go to bed lest eat we might entertain a love for the fishes and food feed them with the she delightful repast which we had just partaken partaker par taken of yet how bow lg ig borant we were concerning the mighty deep how rudely we were awakened from our brief slumbers and literally forced to feed those fishes to part company with that which we desired to retain how we wished we could got get offend off and walk but no we must con dinue on an to our destination and treasuring a hope within us u that we might be able to endure all thione IP our mission proved to be a very enjoyable one both temporarily and spiritually meeting with splendid receptions opening their heir halls balls and karakis meeting house to us and attending in larger numbers to bear the principles doctrine doctrin sp etc of the latter day saints expounded unto them during daring the time of our visit to a maori pah which has ao an eventful history of itself a certain european minister who had evidently never had the privilege of meeting a mormon elder came to listen to the discourse of elder eider gardner at the close of the meeting privilege was wa given all to ask questions if they desired the minister at once arose and requested that he be be allowed to address his bis glown own congre congregation astion 11 1 even the one which had gathered together to listen to elder gardner he was permitted to do so and after trying in his hie supposed suppo eed superior knowledge and power to tear and pull down our doctrines upon out our heads head and expecting our discomfiture he be stopped fu fully ly expecting to see b h la Is desire manifested in having us bin binis lebed bed forever from the presence of his hia congregation elder gardner then turned to refute all the false accusations which had bad been made by the power of the holy spirit of god which was poured down upon him be proved from holy writ that the church and gospel which we represent is in the true and only plan of salvation that it Is built upon the rook of revelation that it is of divine origin not dot of man and thus will stand forever great was the perplexity and discomfiture of that minister more especially especial ally 7 as it occurred before his hia own flock book his hill accusations were that the book of mormon was written by a woman and purchased by bj joseph smith for the sole purpose or of moneymaking money making the ibe old old illusion of polygamy trying to show to his big bearers what a blot it was upon the ully framed constitution of the united states the incorrectness of the bible when compared with the greek translation yet he himself had bad been and was teaching from king jamess translation he went so far as to say that jesus condemned polygamy when he was upon the earth upon being asked for chapter and verse he could not furnish same thus suffering another defeat he eventually had to leaves leave crestfallen indeed leaving the humble bumble elder master of the situation who turned and gave unto god all the honor bonor and glory alory realizing that it was through him above that truth had bad over fal falsehood ethod many members of that flock are at present investigating our principles they have acknowledged them them ti be scriptural and have expressed themselves as an being desirous of entering into the told of christ in the he near future it would be encroaching upon the val valuable uble space apace of your paper to report all our travels suffice it to say that we returned as aid we the seventies of old rejoicing exceedingly and hope that we have sown gown many good seeds upon good ground to eventually grow mature etc president gardner left this dist district riot on july on kilo bis way north to auckland a long and tedious journey upon too foo horse borse and steamer expecting to reach the above named place sometime in september we who are laboring in raps have greatly enjoyed the visit of our beloved president and foal feel renewed and strengthened in our high callings to work hard bard and also earnestly while the day lasts our hearts feel ead and at the lae premature release of our co laborer elder john walker who on account of ill boalts is unable to perform his hie labors jabore it was therefore deemed advisable by president gardner to release him to return home may he speedily recover on his arrival at our mountain home the NEWS comes frequently to hand is ia read with interest by the elders eldera sino ano saints and is then mailed or handed to non nob saints who are friendly towards us and investigating the he gospel which we represent may zion prosper and fl erlih as an the habitation of the saints of god HOBI |
