Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-03-06
ELDER HIsTzEs MISSION
A Personal Narrative Of Hi. Journ.,
to Palestine.

day had pleasant interview will
Elder F. +. HintEe, of Big Cot
eonwood, who has recently returned
from a mission to Asia and the
Holy eand. In the course of a
mos; Interesting conversation Elder
hintze said:
| left Utah in April 1854. on a
nlission TO Scandinavia, and was
appointed 10 s-6or in. the Aalbory
20" ference by President (noyT
Apostle) A. II. Lund. / labored
there for one year with some snc.
cess, bat was one of the first of thosa
hanished from that place Inv the
authorities OF Denmark. for NV
LSlous views. l was then appointed
70 80 TO Norway, where remained
as missionary for one year, having
oeeh released in June, 1856. 10 re.
turn home. arrived here the fol-
lowing month. ~
Shortly afterwards, haweyer I
was again called iipoh hy the authn-
II.ies OF the Church to start on n
mission TO Turkey and Palestine
snu accordingly departed ON Novem,
vt Isl, 1855 Afier remaining in
boIndoa (England) for about six
SeesAs, awaiting the neceipt of INV
rs port, proceeded on my journey
70 70 Sonstsntiaepls, shortly after New
ears L reached Constantinople
On January 10th, and was there
most kindly received by Elder ]. NJ.
tanner. A month or 50 later was
instructed by Precedent J. Spori and
Elder Tanrrt to learn the Turkish
language and work among the ma
yves, the other missionaries being
generally engaged among the Chris
tlans In that part Of the country.
| Jonrneyed forthwith to a plac,. |
known as kum-kspu, where | took
up my quarters with an Armenian
family, with whom / remained
some ben months, diligently study
ing The Turkish tongue and |
forming acquaintance among the
people. / soon learnt sufficient |
OF the language to be able |
70 bear my testimony of the truth |
OF the Gospel TO the -Armenians. l |
was not long in finding, however.
that the people OF Constantinople
possessed very little sincerity, and
that they had no great desire for
religious truth. But having become
acquainted with some Of the dwell
lers in the interior Of Asia Minor
chiefly through the medium OF cor
respondence-I learned that the
missionaries were wanted i'm thar
quarter. Accordingly / communi-
Gated with the home authorities of
the Church, recommending that
more Elders be sent out to assist
us. AS result We were Joined by
Elder James Glove. During the
next season we arranged for n trip
through Asia Minor, in order to
present the Gospel to the people.
and so that we might become better
with their wants and
Of life.
left ConsLantinople in the latter
part of August and journeyed TO
a port on the Black Sea.
l proceeded to Sivas. the
;apital Of the State OF that name.
Here l was generously welcomed
~ Brother Dekrau Shahabian, who ,
vas not, however, at that time n
member of the Churcs, but who
oined it soon afterwards. l con-
inued at Sivas for about a month.
'earing my testimony to the people,
lext started for Palestine, and there
anded on December Goth, having
'3ssed through a great many cities
n the course Of travel of over five
hundred miles, and bearing my
TO the Gospel as 0ppor- !
unities offered. !
| found the people somewhat re-
igiously inclined and rather in
uisitive, their great desire being 10 y
.arn the objects and belief Of the
-atter-day Saints / had no diff
ulty whatever in getting before the
eople, because 30 soon rs they
card | was in their midst they
'ould az once flock together, come
D me in 4 bOiy, and in this way,
fter few days labor, was en-.
bled TO place before them the first :
rinciples Of the Gospel. =
I discovered the Armenians to be
father unstable race, of decidedly 4
turn of mind. When the
1bjects which we discussed ap- ID,
cared 70 have been exhausted, they !,
IOuld turn leislrely away. and our u
was seemingly Of but 4
tile profit. But l found some Il
eaDy good men among the num- s.
er, and some Of these embraced
ne Gospel In fact. throughout the .
ntire mission about thirty persons b'
ERE baptized into the Church. e
he missionaries likewise meet with "
great many very staunch friends,
no are looking forward 10 the day ="
deliver3nce, when they will be u
Die to accept the truth. Il
Although there is religious liber- 3,
: in that country according to \,
laws, yet it exists :"
1ly in a very contracted degree.
ecause every denomination has 10
E recognized by the govern te
tent; hence n certain form OF m
ONE rule. The churches become III
to the government for the VI
ayment OF taxes. and for the good sc
rder Of their community. In this ot
'ay, men who change their re- U
gious opinions are sometimes sub OF
cited 10 very severe persecution. u
.xcessive taxes are imposed upon
ZEN, and in various ways they are M
nnDyed by the older denomina- b;
ons. The government recognizes III
o individual except in n church oc
opacity. Hence rs we could offer ar
o temporal protection TO anyone m
no was willing 10 join us, il was ex- DC
hard for men 10 sever their ar
witt the old churches N
nd embrace the "AIormon1 faith. III
mt may here siy that conversed OF
it'll many who are looking forward sa
some change whereby they may
E liberated f1om their present state Je
bondage and I've male free in the eli
ord Jesus Christ. W
found a great deal Of good IN
nong the people They possess aN
ANY virtues which others might VIC
iopt with profit. The great fault sc
it'll the peOple-especially among =.
Re Christials-is that they are GU
ven 10 lying. and, on this account,
e unreliable. You can hardly ever on
pend uDOn what they say, and re-
is often produces a feeling of dis pe
uragement among the Elders who Al
among them WI
In Palestine 1 had the privilege WI
travelling through the greater lal
Ut Of the land in company with Sel
-Others Sjohdal and Grau, and oe
yether we visited many Of the an ca
ent places Of interest mentioned in su'
e scriptures. L observed that IA,
ere was a good deal OF land un.
led and unoccupied which, with th'
oper energy expended upon it, llit
uld be made productive and capa- SUI