Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1896-05-15
ABOUT THE MORnONs.
Great success-in ProseIytizing In the
AustraIian Colonies.

Australians Colonies.
EDITOR BULLETIN: Mormon
ism has been neither scotched nor
killed by the Edmunds law. ~
On the contrary, the work of
proselytizing by the Latter Day
Saints is going apace with more
vigor than ever before in the his
tory of that church. The admis-
sion of Utah into the sisterhood
of States appears to have more
than Offset the risk of loss which
the prohibition of polygamy in
volved.
At least such is the impression
gathered by the writer in con-
versation with Mormon elder on
board the Canadian. Australian S.
S. Warrimoo which arrived in
port today from Sydney en- route
to Vancouver. Among that ves-
sells passengers are party of
thirty Mormous, bound for the
Promised Land of their Church,
and recruited from all parts of
Australia. Men, women and
children, they are a fine lot of
humanity and will represent a
substantial figure in the transfer
of brain and sinew from John
Bull to Uncle Sam, which is al
ways going on. But what is Aus
tralia's loss will be Americas
gain. According to Elder Pond,
who is in charge of the party, it is
but the first instalment of
an immense movement from
Australia to Western America.
Over three thousand people are
said to have made up their minds
to transfer themselves and their
homes from New Zealand, Tas-
mania, Victoria and New South
Wales to Utah and the neighbor-
ing States! This result has been
brought about by the labors of
Elder Pond and three others, who
have been working for the past
two years in the Colonies.
The success of the Latter Day
Saints in New Zealand especially
has been astounding, according to
Mr.. Pond. He asserts that his
church has now a membership in
the two islands alone of between
5000 and 1000. OF these oIe-half
are said to be Maoris, who are,
however, not likely to join in the
movement Utah-wards. Other
wise they are as devoted adherents
of the gospel according to Joseph
Smith as any living within the
borders of Utah. The white con-
verts are expected to all come
across the Pacific in course of
time, in fact, arrangements have
been made with the Canadian
Australian line for the transport
of several parties during the next
six or eight months. The hard
times in New Zealand may have
had something to do with this de-
cision on the part of the converts;
but it is much more likely to be
due to the Inauguration of a vi
gorous immigration policy by the
heads of the Mormon church.
At the present time there are
no less than rs Mormon mission
aries laboring in the Australasian
colonies. Until within quite re-
cent years their work has been
confined to New Zealand, but now
they have begun aggressive oper-
ations in Australia itself. AL
ready a large number Of converts
are said to have been made, espe-
cially around Sydney, where a
large mission has been opened.
Among the first fruits of the Sgd
ney campaign was the conversion
of a lady of considerable property
who sold all that she had, includ-
ing flourishing retail business,
to follow the Mormon apostles to
the Promised Land. Victoria,
too, has just been invaded and
hopes are entertained that as
much success will be achieved
there as in New Zealand. The
continued depression in the Colo
nies is factor decidedly in favor
of the missionaries, for just now
the average Australian will jump
at any opportunity by which he
can get away from the land of
distress and unemployed.
All this active work on the
part of the Mormons points to the
conclusion that the heads of that
| oh,,nah ko.,o Ioko,,.,s,o l. -