The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-11-01
A NEW MORMON PROPHET.
WAITER VI. GIBSON REBELS AGAINST
BRIGH1M YOgNG.
Revoiutionizing the Sandwich Islands
Preuching n New Religion brigham VIC
toriOus aud Kipikona sadly Kctires.


toriOus aud kipikona sadly Ketires.
From ne San Frdncisco CArontcie.
The struggle for religious supremacy In
the South Seas, and especially in the Sandwich
Islands, forms a chapter in history which Is full
of the essence of romance. The natives OF the
latter group at the time Of their discovery were
mourning for their god Lono, who will return In
the shape Of n white man. This lingering super
sttion has been used to advantage by adventur-
Gus whitcs, who, at one time OF another have
attempted to gain the religious mastery OF the
Hawaiians. And in two instances shrewd ma
tives cast OF all missionary influences and set
up a religion OF their own more adapted, a. they
believed. to the wants OF the Hawaiisns.
Their ambitious schemes will be developed
in time to our readers, but we will intro
duce the modern Sandwich Island Moham med
In the person Of Walter Murray Gibson, editor
Of the Nuohou This remsrkabls man was edu-
Gated for the Catholic priesthood, but oweet-
SSe tSn wssa a IL, . dnm pSr hero e
Then like ULYSSES, he wandered about on tn
gre,t deep, teinpss'tosssd Ai.er various sn, a5 Nv
brigham Young to the Sandwich Islands The
| this they translated into Kipikona, as being the
| sound nearest resembling the English.
In three months from his arrival Mr. Gibson
spoke the Haw aiian language quite well In ak
months he addressed native conversations In
their language with astonishing nuency. other
| missionaries had been on the islands for twenty
| years. aud but few of them could address the
Kanakas in native; some ike old Father Da.
| mon-one OF the oldest Protestant missionaries
| on the islands-ccud not speak It at all. Glib
sons mastery Of the language in 80 short time
| Kipikona looked upon this idea Of inspiration
| like all learned men who know that inspiration
purpose. lie m ade converts RAPIDLY. Tne nrst
four years OF Mohammed's labor brought him
| only four followers, while the nrst four months
| OF Gibson's missionary work gathered to the
fold $50 Hawaiian Arabs.
lie announced TO his followers that he
would retire for seven days and seven nights TO
asscluded SPOT on the island OF Lanai, where he
the Kdhuna o ka nni. or prophet OF heaven
(qod). Then he would return aud bring them
eiSted from, fasting and prayina and calling his
followers together. announced that he had re-
ceiyed new revelations.
Kiptkona was to be the only prophet, and he
there and then announced himself as that
prophet. chorus OF amens, IN solemn chant,
greeted the announcement. Gibson readily per
ceiyed that he made a ten-strise, which he fol.
| lowed up by making a twelve-strike In the way
ed from the wealthiest and most intelligent ma
tives. He sent them forth among the islands Of
the archipelago, ana they preached with great
success. Gibson acted as the true and only rep.
resentatve OF 81. Peter on the Sand wich Islands
or elsewhere, and held the keys Of heaven In his
grasp, so FAR as earthly mortal could hold the
mysterious articles. His ambition so far was
re1lized m its fullest extent. After few years
OF proac ~ he had over thousand converts
ktpikona determined To build grand and I'm
posing religious temple and SELECTED the islnnd
OF Maui, being tue most central OF ths kroup, as
the place for, his sacred edihce. This ternpl,
was to be p.odelled after Solofnons, as far as L
was possible to do SO, ii threw thenl inti
! ecst-cles. They wsnt 10 work with viii. ant
, IN very: hI;cf time the foundations of .th'
temple an & were lid p{Y one THOUSAND kanskas
] Ndh .s.oles In their hands, were In attendance
= Among the religious works imbedded In the cor
{ ner stone were the Book OF Mormon aud thu
o Bible, In tho Hawaiian and the English Ian
b guages, and the Koran, In the native Arabic a
written 10y the Prophet. After the ceremonie
n white Mormon missionaries faithful to Brig
n ham, with their followers, were alarmed At IN
r advances of the new Prophet. They had writ
J. ten 10 their master, Brigham, detailing the pl Il
Il Gibson dared to lay the found atoms Of the TEN
pie that brigham was aroused to the serlou
a contemplation OF Gioson's conduct
lie first issued his bull Of excommunicatio
e, az inst kipikona and cursed him as an AMI
II christ. Then he sent true and tried disciples 4
nauau, utnuu. them George O. Cannon, tn
|, present Mormon Delegate To CongIess, to com
bat the heres!es of his rival and denounce hin
e moved the whole Kingdom. The otner religion
e stcts were alarmed at the way Mormon mis- sion
> iries were carrying on lnmbs aud sheep frou
their 0oCk, so that the whole little kingdom U
D, mon factions continued the hght for three yea
Gibson leading his cal ant little band OF fol- ow
ers with mastery tactics and against -reat odds
brigham forces pressed him mtn and none
wue seat from Salt Lake yet he fought th
battle hravcy. But In every human contes
!" there must be conquerOrs and Vlnqus he'd ther
must be an cnd To The struggle. Gibson aftg
three years. finding his finances exhausted, hi
J. followers decmate ed aud his victors still stron
T. in men ana money. carried MS uncAptured ban
a ncrs from the field ana the enemy quickly too
possession, me amhitiDI- prophet OF iCNneri
retired to MS estate On the island " Lama. He
y awakened from ms lofty prophetic dreams = .til
q ed from the editorial cnnir and the stru.glin
;. world to lead the lie of shepherd.