MIRACULOUS HEALING—MEET AND CONFOUND THE JOSEPHITES—FURTHER MISSIONARY SUCCESS—MEET A NATIVE WHO WAS PRESENT WHEN I WAS SENTENCED TO BE BURNED—ELDER JOHN LAYTON'S GRAVE—ARRANGE TO RETURN TO TAHITI—DISAPPOINTED—PREACH A FUNERAL SERMON—FORBIDDEN TO HOLD PUBLIC MEETINGS—BLIND WOMAN ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY YEARS OLD—HER TESTIMONY—ADMINISTER TO HER FOR HER EYESIGHT, AND SHE IS ENABLED TO SEE A LITTLE—SHE PRAISES THE LORD—PREACHING AND BAPTIZING—SAIL FOR PAPEETE—AN ODD CARGO—HARD VOYAGE—HELD BY A CALM—LAND ON TAHITI—SAIL FOR AVAROA—ON A WELL-ORDERED SCHOONER—CALL AT VARIOUS ISLANDS—LANCE A CARBUNCLE—CHRISTMAS DAY AT SEA—WATERMELONS—A BEAUTIFUL RESIDENCE AND CORDIAL WELCOME—PERFORM THREE MARRIAGE CEREMONIES—CONFERENCE OF SAINTS IN THE TUAMOTU ISLANDS—MEET A NATIVE CHILEAN—VISIT VARIOUS PLACES—PUBLIC WELCOME—FISHING—ON THE ISLAND OF ANAA—VISIT WHERE I WAS IMPRISONED—GRAVES OF THOSE CONCERNED IN THE TROUBLE THEN—WARRANT SERVED ON ME—SUMMONED TO THE GOVERNMENT HOUSE—WARNED AGAINST CREATING A DISTURBANCE.
IT was on October 6, 1892, that the first case of miraculous healing after our arrival occurred. We were becoming recipients of greater kindness from the natives, and that day Roai, the oldest man on the island, was brought to us, shaking violently with a chill. He appeared to be dying. Some cocoanut oil was brought—no other was obtainable—and we blessed it and anointed and blessed him, when the chill immediately left him. He rested well, and next morning was in his usual good health.
On the 7th there was quite an argument among the people as to whether the Josephites or the Mormons should have the meeting house. The decision was in our favor, and we were also offered a house in the village of Taahuaia. The Josephite preacher, Tapuni, wanted to hold joint meetings with us, as we both followed the same form of baptism; but we refused, as we could not make any alliance with him. We represented the true Church of Jesus Christ, while his organization was by persons who had been excommunicated, and had not divine authority.
When Sunday came we held three meetings, blessed fourteen children, and took dinner with the policeman. Next day, the 10th, we ordained Ote an Elder, and added nine persons to the Church by baptism. On the 11th we met a man—the fourth on the island—who was on the island of Raivavai when the natives had built a fire to burn me, and when I was delivered by the power of God. They claimed to have been present when I was sentenced, but denied taking any part in the proceedings.
Friday, October 14th, we bade the Saints of Mahu farewell (having, the day previous, ordained two Elders, two Priests, one Teacher and one Deacon) and went to Taahuaia, where the people were quite indifferent to us. From time to time, however, we were able to converse with some of them, and baptized several. On the 23rd, the governor gave us permission to hold meetings, and we began doing so. I visited the grave of Elder John Layton on the 24th, and on the 25th arranged to leave on a schooner for Tahiti. My health had been quite poor for some time. I did not go on the boat, however, for it was so heavily laden that there was no room, so it sailed on the 27th without me. Monday, October 31st, I preached the funeral sermon of a little girl.
On the 5th of November, the Josephite preacher and his wife called on me. In the evening a special meeting of the people was held, the purpose of which was kept secret from us. That night I dreamed I was on trial and the judge said he knew I was not guilty, but because of the demand of the people he would have to give judgment against me and assess a fine of twenty dollars, which the court would pay. I awoke and told Elder Seegmiller the natives had made a decision against us, as we learned the next day, when the governor withdrew from us the privilege of holding meetings.
We went to Mataura on November 7th, to see a man possessed of a devil. The evil spirit was dumb, and for three years the man had not spoken to anyone, but sat or laid around. We also visited the school where there were about thirty students, and the teacher called one pupil to the blackboard, where the exercise in writing required of her was well done. Then we called on Tetuatehiapa, the oldest woman on the island. She was one hundred and twenty years of age, and had been blind for eight years. The people said she had insisted that she would live till the servants of God came from Salt Lake City. When told who we were she rejoiced greatly, and exclaimed, "I always said you would come again! The Lord has brought you, and has prolonged my life till you came. I rejoice exceedingly at the mercies of the Lord!" On November 8th, we baptized her with seven others, and on the 10th administered to her for her blindness by laying hands on her head and blessing her. When we had attended to the ordinance she stated that she could see a little, which was more than she had done for eight years. "God be praised for His mercies," she said.
Sunday, November 13th, I preached twice to large congregations at Mahu, where we arrived on the 11th. We also had a number of applicants for baptism, and on the 14th eight members were added to the Church by the ordinance, and we blessed two children. A Catholic priest called on us, and I had a pointed discussion with him on authority in the Church, and the true Gospel. We parted good friends, he promising to come again next day, but he did not do so; although he passed by the house, but never looked towards us. On the 16th we added five more souls to the Church by baptism.
Our missionary labors continued in different villages, and on November 23 Elder Seegmiller baptized the school teacher at Mataura, also two of the governor's daughters. On the 21st the captain of a schooner that had called at the island told us we could go to Tahiti on his vessel, starting on the 24th. Elder Seegmiller aided me in preparing for the voyage, and I bade farewell to the people, who were very much attached to us. I shook hands with the governor, when his eyes filled with tears, he kissed me, and was so full of emotion that it was difficult for him to speak. In due time the vessel sailed, Elder Seegmiller going on it to Mataura, three miles down the coast, where he went ashore, as we had agreed, and I was alone so far as a missionary companion was concerned.
At Mataura the French police justice and his wife, a Marquesas woman, came aboard, and at 6 p.m. we weighed anchor. The schooner was very much crowded, the cargo including four women, two children, fourteen men, three horses, twenty hogs, one goat, one dog, about one hundred chickens, eight or ten turkeys, eleven thousand cocoanuts, and a lot of other things. The most comfortable place I could find was on the companion-way, where I sat, as I was not able to use my crutches on the vessel. The first night out I found I could not sleep in my berth, as it was too cramped and the tobacco smoke and foul air were too much for me, so I camped on the companion-way with my blanket, and was very seasick. The next night I fared about the same, and it was pretty hard on me; but the third night, Saturday, I went below before the others did, and obtained a fairly good nigh............