Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-02-20
prFIcE OF THE FIRST PRESIDENCY OF
THE CHURCH OF lEsus CHRIST OF
L.ATTER-DAY SAINTS.
SALT LAKE CRY, Utah,
February II, 1897


annual Conference in Wairlrapa the
Lord will abundantly bless you We
have read with much interest oil the
zeal and hospitality OF the Maori people,
and returned missionaries have reported
the large attendance and good feeling
which is always manifest on such occa-
sons We understand that your con
ference at Papawai will in all probabil.
iy be attended by a large number Of
Elders and Saints, and that many
Maoris who are not members OF our
Church will assist in making it a success.
We especially appreciate The efforts OF
our friend Tamahau in his preparations
for receiving and welcoming the Saints
We therefore send loving greetings to
all of you:
To the Latter-day Saints that God
will bless and strengthen you and en-
able YOU to be true and faithful TO your
covenants with God tina, your lives may
bear testimony 10 the restoration OF the
Gospel in the latter-days.
To all others, who may not have
Joined the Church Oi Christ members
OF the Church of England, Catholics,
Wesleyans, Hauhaus, or by whatever
name known, we extend our greetings
also to You.
We exhort YOU all to live righteously
abstain from all evil, refrain from adult
cry, drunkenness, gambling and other
vices. Seek to know the mind and
will OF God our Eternal Father and
search the Scriptures diligently that
you may learn the truth.
We wish to impress upon the minds
OF our Maori brethren and sisters that
the condition OF the Church as a whole
depends upon the condition OF tine in
dividuals composing II; as are its COM
ponent parts, SO 1t Is in its entirety, II
the individual members OF people are
wise, Just, intelligent, honest, honorable
and pure, that community VIII be dis
tinguished among its fellows by those
peculiar virtues To apply the lesson
to ourselves, each one Tor himself, II we
wish to see the Church ol Christ pre-
pared as bride for the Savior, we must
individually, live our religion and exem'
pliiy in our own lives, those virtues
which we know must adorn the bride
before she can enter the presence OF the
Lord This matter OF personal purity,
faith, diligence and good works is one
that we cannot delegate to our neighbor
or place on the shoulders OF other men
and women; but each must do his duty,
each bear his own responsibilities, each
set his own house in order each mag
nifty his calling, each live near unto
God II he expects God to draw near
unto him.
BE il our lot TO live as Saints, to
maintain every principle OF virtue, OF
honor, Of truth and integrity, TO keep
sacred the covenants we have made
with God and with each other. and to
obey in all things the word OF the Lord
So shall we and our families be blessed
OF the Lord IN time and throughout the
eternities that are to come
we are pleased 10 recognize the faith
full and earnest labors OF many OF the
Elders who have retusned from New
Zealand and who have organized them
selves into a society called "Zon's
Maori Association - Semi-annual re.
unions of this association ere held, thus
enabling the Elders to meet their old
associates and also the fanatics and
friends OF those who are now laboring
amongst you. Weekly meetings also
are held which are conducted IN the
Maori tongue, and two OF the Elders
meet with our Maori Saints al each
gathering. Elder HiTini iVhanga and
others VINO have gathered to Zion are
still residing in SAT- Lake City anu they
are very Jealous in attending their meet
ings They also continue TO labor faith.
fully in Gods holy Temple for the saliva
ton OF their dead We understand that
Brother Hirini writes many encouraging
letters each month to his friends and rel.
atives in Maoriland.
For many months past committee
consisting OF Elders Goddard, Ezra
Y. Stevenson, John NJ Hendry aud
Sondra Sanders have been busy trans
lating into the Maori language pam
phet entitled "The Latter-day Saints +"
Part OF it is now finished and in the
hands of the printer lions Maori AS
sociation has decided to publish five
thousand copies which will be forwarded
TO New Zealand as soon as completed
We feel confident that this tract will
prove valuable aid IN spreading the
Gospel in that part OF the Lords vine
yard in which you live.
\ One of the most interesting gather
fngs held during the past year was our
{P9iynesian Reunion. A committee
Consisting OF Elders John I Game rep
yesenling the Hawaiian, w. o Lee,
representing the Samoan, Is Goddard
representing the New Zealand, James
Brown, representing the Tahtian, and
alvin Butler representing the Tongau
missions, with Elder JOS ii Dean as
secretary. was appointed and about u
thousand Saints and returned Elders
responded to the invitation
In addition to boating and other
sports, an excellent program was rem
dered and Elders from the various
groups OF islands gave addresses, sang
songs, etc, in the language of their re.
spective missions and in various ways
illustrated the customs OF the natives,
New Zealand was well represented by
Hirini, Mere and Apikara Whanga and
families, who took part in the cxer
Cises.
We hear favorable reports OF your
Sunday Schools and other Institutions,
and we feel to abundantly bless The
brethren and sisters who SO diligently
and faithfully labor therein Tor the in
struction OF our youth. We desire to
encourage all engaged in these duties to
continue with undated zeal and disin-
terestcdness in these lahors OF love and
mercy, that the institutions under their
charge may rise 10 yet greater heights
pi excellence and usefulness aud the
fcope OF their influence Tor good conlin-
tally increase, and upon parents We
Erge the wisdom and desirableness Of
Fostering by their faith, influence and
fLamDle these admir-. i,lta tuetitutiDue for