Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-03-28


Indeed that wa the failing Of III the
South Sea Islanders. But there Wofe
ihsfu among thrm who were honest ln
heart AMI DESTROYS Of doing the right
Tie dictionaries realized, all the time,
that they were naturally bright and
Intelligent, more 80, In fact. than the
world imagined. aud, further The
Elders WHO lnhorcd among them
us their shepherds had found
lt necessary TO exercise love
and charity TO great extent and
when they I'D this thuy were well re-
paid by seeing the operations VI the
Spirit NJ Cod In thuii hearts.
The ways Of living VI The SnmQans,
their habits ami customs, wore entirely
different rom oura, and O. wan nvcca-
sAfy, Therefore, Tor The Eldora tu pr0-
coed gradually. itdld not 10 10 take
onn thing from them without giving
something better w ia place. lie be.
lieveu that was a correct principle. IL
was said "Au idle brain b. tho dovi's
Workshop and idlones- was tue cause
OF greet deal Of trouble IN the
samoan islnnda. The SamOnns had sU
liliirtO occupy their minds ami turn
their attention from things that woro
not good that, as cons''
guencr, they were continually
jaring or qunrreliug among them.
sclves, holding council meetings nud
talking about wam md umofs Of wan,
having nothing better o. do OF talk
about. Some would ask, GLOW Il 10
they ARE NOT occupied In getting tho
ncccgsarits N liie.n Well Samoa Ind
q tropical climnte, everything IN slc
vegetable kingdom grow very easily
aud rapidly and ~ the nntlvcs had but
httlo work 10 10 20 tho raisinV of thtir
products, such "a their mode Of living
required. The ro.i u their timc they
spent IN different ways.
The speaker referred 10 the erroneous
seotnfian doctrines taught among the
Snmoans before tho Lattcr.day Saint
missionaries entered this field of labor,
aud suld their general belief until the
Elders wont among them was that
God was a Bein. without body, parts
or passions. The Elders, " course,
taught something very different from
TINT. The same might he said a. 10
many principles promulgated by mod.
ern Christians, because they were not
suhltantiatcd by the Holy Scriptures.
lie was pleased 10 say that the Elders
were treated with universal kindness
and consideration by the natives,
whethcr Protestant, Catholic or be-
longing TO no church at all. Asa poo
pie they were one of the most h0spit.
able on the face Of the globe. They
had often been told on the samoan ~
lands that their lnhors. would be In
vain, ~ thure were too many churches
there already. The luvnrilhlu answer
to this was that while the latter part Of
the statement might betrue,the Elders
had come there 20 stay M long a. the
Lord desired, and that they Intended
10 do the very best they could IN liia
cause. The Lord had asslaod them,
and through His blessing They had
obtained q foothold on these Islands.
There were now about 900 baptized
converts, although the missi0n had
been organized ABOUT four years only.
Elder Lee touched briefly upon the
mission work In the islands adjacent.
lie then went on to relate IA cOuvcf-s-
tion which chad with tho British Min
istcr Ia Samoa short time before his
return home. Said the Minister g. him;
"Nr. Lee, there Is one thing caunot
understand concerning you people. |
/ 30 not understand how sou eau leave
your homee, families and friends, and
| come hero 10 Samoa and preach the
Gospol without any salary. Why do
you do II. Have you any natural
reasons for oblooting to receive pay
ment; or why II itGn Ho endeavOred
10 explain the reasons 10 him, one oi
| them holng that the Lord required u at
| their hands In order to prove their
! sincerity In their belief; alal that
/ AL
ing the Gospel "without money aud
without price," No that all the world
might know that they were not preach
ing for hire.
There vere about 5000 natives IN
Samoa aud between $50 anil 800
forciruors. The latter treated the
Elders well, and they always received
warm welcome from them. They
were engaged, ~ rule, In trad ing
among the natives AMI managing
plantations. The speaker gave brief
but Interesting account Of the export
trnio OF the samoan ISLANDS. The
Germans ptotominatg, nc said, anon.
the foreign element; next came the
Engllsh, aud then the Americans
Tho chief articles Oi food among the
natives included the cocoa nut, the
bread fruit, the banana, hah aud
various dishes made up from
their own prolucie. The natives
were very clUauiy IN their habits anl
their hospitality was proyerblal.
Aftor expressing thanks 10 hll
Heavenly Father for permitting him
self and fellow labofers To return II
safety 10 their muun,ah nome, Eldel
Lee concluded by roclting u long piece
In the samoan tongue.
ELDER 90. rHE,
recently returned from the Southern
States mission, was next called upoI
10 recount his experiences Of the pas,
two years In that Held Of labor, which
he said had been OF most interesting
and plonsumble nature. The puopl,
were very hospitphlc, uni looked upOf
n preacher Of the Gospel In the tTuC
Hght-as servant Of God, placing II
him a great deal uf confidence. The
work Of tho Lord was making good
progress, and the people We're payiuf
lar more attention than formerly Il
tho doctrines advocated by tho Elders
They realized the fact that those VIII.
were among them protesting TO be min
listers Of the Gospel Of Christ taught ia
correct doctrines, and that their sol,
object seemed 10 be- TO get what ihuy
could In the way Of money out Of them
The people In tho Southern State,
were worry poor, az a rule, anu had Il
work very hard for u livelihood. tlenc,
they hni but little TIME, US u were, Il
devote to the Gospel. ll,'they wer,
quite religious IN their way, and IN,
Bible occupied a prominent place N
every homo which the Elders visited