| Show GOSPEL TO THE MAORIS POCATELLO idaho april 1896 during the past thirteen years I 1 have read in the deseret NEWS and other church publications letters and reports of returned missionaries about the work among the natives of that far off land new zealand many times I 1 have thought I 1 would state facts in connection with the opening of that mission and noticing another error in your semiweekly semi weekly of march ath I 1 have felt that I 1 would correct the error by sending in the correct dates of the opening of that mat mission if you think they are worthy of publication or any part of them please do so the work among the natives commenced with success in the town of cambridge hundred miles south of auckland on december 1882 and not in 1883 as stated by elder william M bromley president of the australasian mission william J mcdonnel who was a resident of auckland and thomas L cox of cambridge the place where the work commenced these Thes etwo two brethren had come to pay me a visit elder bromley B ley by special request elder mcdonnel being impressed to pay me a visit come came up early on the morning of the aidt afaf breakfast we all SP spent t the among g the natives a and arranged bm tar meeting ng with them in the evening was held at the house ot of a chief hare Tei maua A large number hi natives had been notified of the ui and the house wasi crowded and appeared to be interested the was continued UMI a late hour so so that my wife began to think thing was wrong as we had not hedw home before leaving we arranged fy another meeting to be held on the ev ing of the then bidding the w goodbye good bye turned our faces home hom before we had bad got far we were back by the chief who told us he M a child sick nigh unto death she va given up by all the doctors in town who had declared it was impossible forta to recover and the natives had fathead around the taeyoung young maiden to her take her last breath which was walt bitable sight for one to witness as an she am lay straightened out on the floor m mitt W north east corner of the room ewer bromley told the chief that the gifts power of the gospel were in the chup just as we had bad laid before them that night and if he desired we should AM our hands bands upon the maiden we wo do so but whatever the result to god R the he glory and praise not haift oil at our command we were only ab able to attend to one half the ordin sum immediately after we raised up eur ear bodies it was seen by all present atu the girl was much improved we aann bid them good night and went on vw way rejoicing arriving home the As president told sister cox of the gad sickness and how the lord had bad bl bleff I 1 the laying on hands of his ser servants servant vaut a I 1 as we did not go to bed until y the morning she arose at an early how hojar provided some little nourishment aad went off to the little invalid by her care and attention and the help he lp of the 40 lord within three days she walked 4 jf my house which was fully three fo of a mile away where she remained for several days december we ment before mentioned which appa I 1 aart again to a late hour but we were wu paid for our labors by the conle ako that they were sinners of chiet chief raw har Tei maua his bis wife pare Tei Te imana maua m aada hanu makere who demanded at our hands believing we were servants of the lord and had power to them for the remission of their si sin to confer upon them the holy elder william J Mc mcdonnel Donuel b them in the river the two mer being confirmed by elder killpa M bromley and the latter by say when this was accomplished it W W nearly midnight sunday december at a meent held at my house in cambridge eier william M bromley presiding it ww s unanimously agreed to sustain elder thomas L cox as president ot of waikato district elder cox was wasl to set apart under the hands of elaw william M bromley and william V mcdonnel january six more souls jiwa added to the church in the usual tonal moaner the above brethren officiating the next day elders bromley and McDunn mcdannel el left for auckland leaving me alone in the work my wife wife and rendered me valuable assistance up to february 1883 some sixty IW natives were baptized and seventeen hadren dren blessed at a meeting held at my house in e waikato Wai kato february esth Areka tera te puni was unanimous f sustained and ordained to the office a priest this was the first native to ave ive the priesthood he was ordain by myself assisted by elder J C liams hiams the first native branch of church ot jesus christ of latter r saints was organized with Areka tera puni as pre president silent at same place and i by the die above named brethren branch was named te and organized with a membership of ty ity seven baptized and one child sed A correct record was kept of all items sai importance from the commencement loathe ae work until I 1 was released by resident dent stewart in 1884 the records atre then handed banded over to my successor elder r william gardner now president the australasian missi mission ont and inthe if the 1 imorde za of the waikato district are as t now as they were then they hia I 1 tell of all the items before men timed d ij vp up to this date many times the power agod god had bad been made manifest in I 1 carious ways among the people in ha seclusion I 1 will give a copy ot of a few 1 cords that elder william M bromley yas inspired to write they are as Ui follows lows Is on december 1882 elders M bromley thomas L cox va rind william john mcdonnel presented ahe gospel to the maoris laoris near cam abridge dge new zealand and on the follow lag day december hare Tei maua riso hi bis s wife pare and hanu hann jw were baptized by elder william H 4 mcdonnel in the waikato river the wa former were confirmed by elder ri william I 1 liam M bromley and the latter by elder r thomas L cox the foregoing elders being privileged to be the first vinder under the blessings of god to present ue the gospel to the mabries on the waikato river new zealand sister hanaah cox nursed a maori girl named mary who was very ill and through her kindness made an imbres sion upon the maoris laoris which will be lasting she truly has proved herself ao to be an angel of mercy and her name mill willbe be remembered in connection with bose who under the providence of god first amt presented the gospel to the natives 0 o the waikato Wai kato william M bromley president ident of the australasian Austra lasion mission ot of the abe church of jesus christ of latter suy saints december aoth 1882 I 1 remain one interested in the above THOMAS L cox |
