The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1895-08-17
THE WORDS OF AN ELDER.
A MORMON CHURCH AUTHORITY
GIVES AN INTERESTING ARTICLE.
Early visit of the Saints to Hawaii
Their Present Standing Here
Statistics Given.


/ EDITOR HAWAIIAN STAR;
DEAR SIR:-ln your issue of the Both
of May last, read an editorial under
the caption "Mormonism" which led Inc
to think that you as the editor of
the leading paper OF Honolulu would
perhaps not be averse TO receiving from
a reliable source few data and facts in
regard to the Latter-Day Saints, com.
monty called "Mormons." In reading
the article referred to 1 was particularly
impressed with the spirit of fairness ex-
hibited 10y the writer; and though, there
were inaccuracies, they were apparently
not made Intentionally, nor with view
misrepresent our people or do them any
injustice Perhaps, Mr.. Editor, you are
not aware of the fact that the
Enormous" were introduced To Honolulu
fully one year before any of their num-
her ever saw the valley of the Great
salt Lake. such. however. il the case.
On february ith, 1916, the ship Brook
Ign. Captain Richardson. sailed from
New York with 235" Murnons' onboard.
They were u culonizing company, well
supplied with implements OF husbandry
and necessary tools for establishing a
new settlement. After doubling Cape
Horn this ship arrived in Honolulu June
Goth. 1916, 1856 days from New York.
After stopping for repairs and replenish-
ing prov sons ten days, the Brooklyn
sailed for California on the Both OF June,
and on the 3lst of July following she
arrived and landed her passengers at the
little Spanish town Yerba Buena, " here
now stands the great city San Fra cisco.
In February, 1SiI, correspondent to
The Friend, n Honolulu paper. states
that the "Mormons" at that time
constituted the majority of the
white population Of Yerba Buei a, " no
seemed to he an industrious peoule."
They we're the immigrants landed from
the Brooklyn. The same writer in speak
ing phrophetically, as it were, says:
THE town of Yerba Buena, situated in
the bay of san Francisco. in all proba-
bility will be the principal seat of bust
ness in California" And he was right.
A few months later Yerba Buena became
San Francisco, and press and printing
material which the Enormous" had
brought with them in the ship Brook
Ign from New York were used for
printing the first paper ever published
in California. The little sheet was call
ed the California Star.
For several years past | have been
engaged in the labor of compiling
material and gathering data for very
complete and detailed summary of the
Mormon Church to be published
at some future day; and
in that connection have visited almost
every Mormon settlement in America
from Canada in the northt to Mexico in
the south, and have now started on
prolonged visit to all our missionary
fields throughout the world for the pur-
pose of obtaining historical dates and
information. On my trip l expect to
visit Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, the Society
Islands, New Zealand, Australia, Pales-
tine, Asia Minor, Italy, Switzerland,
France, Germany, Holland, Denmark,
Sweden, Norway, Great Britain, etc., in
all of which places we have missionaries
laboring at the present time.
On the Hawaiian Islands we have had
missionary field since December l2th,
1850, on which date the first Elders ar
| Great Salt Lake. Including
the 10 who are laboring here at present.
nearly 100 Elders, who have remained
here all the way from two to eight years
each have filled missions here. Nearly
all of these have acquired the Hawaiian
language 10 greater or less degree of
| perfection. In 1865, tract of land
containing about 5000 acres was pur-
chased on the Island of Oahu, in the in
| terest of the native "Mormons," which
has ever siLce been sort of a gather
ing place and Church headquarters. The
place is known as the Laie Plantation,
and is situated near the northern ex-
tremity of Oahu, 32 miles from Homo
lulu. But only about 800 out of 1899
Later. Day Saints on the Hawaiian
Islands are at present residents of Laie;
the rest live in a scattered condition
throughout the entire group. Thus we
have 1913 members on the island of
| Oahu, 1888 on Kauai, li64 on Maui, Mo-
lokai and Lanai, and 1914 on Hawaii.
Altogether we have 81 regularly organ
lied branches, where services are held
every Sabbath, and in many, Sunday
schools also. At the head of each Of
these branches stands local president,
who generally has two counsellors
to assist him. In forty-two Of the
branches we have church buildings
or houses of worship. In forty-two
there are regularly organized Sun
day schools, which as rule hold
their sessions in the forenoon. In
forty of the branches there are Relief
Societies or Benevolent Institutions or
ganized and maintained in the interest
of the poor, or for charitable purposes.
In twenty seven branches there are also
associations organized specially in the
interest of the young people. They are
called Mutual Improvement Associa-
tions. The exercises in these are not
confined to religious topics, but en-
braces many other studies calculated to
benefit and elevate the young in the
scale of intelligence and morality. In
addition to all these there are Primary
organizations in some of the branches
in which young children receive such
instructions as is adapted to their capa-
city and ages.
The idea has obtained among some OF
the white inhabitants here that the
Mormon Elders are inducing the natives
to emmigrate to Utah. This is not correct.
The few natives who have gone to Utah
have done so as matter of choice and
not because any improper influence was
brought to bear upon them by our
Elders. That some of those who emmi
grated to Utah became dissatisfied and
returned to the islands again, is not due
to any neglect on the part of the Mormon
Church to provide for or assist them IN
their new home. To my certain
knowledge more has been done for then
than any other class of immigrants who
has ever arrived in Utah. Thus, a few
years ago, the Church bought Tin,
ranch in a place called Skull valley
in western Utah, which ranch ever since
its first purchase has been worked ant
utilized for the exclusive benefit of thu
Hawaiians, at quite an expense to tn
: Church, who employs one of its LEADING
elders Ia man who formerly labored a
missionary in the Hawaiian language
[ to superintend the affairs of the ranch
I | have visited the place myself, bav
written its history and can thu
testify by actual knowledge tina
! there is no foundation for the re-
port circulating in certain quarter
here that the natives of the Hawaiian
a Islands who have gone to Utah hav
not been properly treated. But, of course
, Utah is not the paradise of the Paci
S fic." From your personal experience
\ there you know something of its climat
its cold winters and hot summers
And still Utah is very desirable local
ity for most people to live in. Tn
natives who embrace "Mormonism" o
r these Islands have perfect liberty, so ia
4 as any undue religious influence on on
i part is concerned, to remain in their oil
8 homes, gather to Laie or 20 to Utah
Il Just as they like; and the statistics tina
u have given you shows beyond dout
n that more of them choose to renal
upon the various islands wher
they perhaps were born and raised an
! to which they may feel themselves al
tached, the same as other people VIII
love their native lands.
l may say in this connection that Oh
"Mormons" in America are continual
increasing in number. Our settlement
are by no means confined to Utah, bu
| we have PROSPEROUS communities