Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-05-20

richest and most influential native In
this French colony.
The Marluises group lies TO tho north
OF Tahita between seven degrees and
eleven degrees south latitude and are
consequently much warmer than the ~.
lands In this vicinity. The natives arr
generally thought 90 be In the lowest
social condition OF any Islands In the
Pacific, Many Of them arc idolatsra.
The Gospel has never been carried
therc. Most u those who have accept
ed Christianity are of Catholic per-
Fuaslon. Although very remote group,
the Elders Will have fair mail service
a. the American mail vessels call there
each month ON their way TO Tahiti.
In few days Elder Osborne Widtaoc
and ". w. Davis viii leave Tahiti. on
the steamer Ovalau. FOR the Cook Is
lands. They have been appointed to
begin the work ~ opening up that
group. These islands are under Eng
ilsL protection and have never been
prusciytcd by our Elders.
Elders ". a. Dnwdio ana g. ]. Han
son lately arrived from Zion VIII re-
main ON Tahiti for some time ana study
the Language. For some months past
four ~ our Elders via. u. r. Miller.
David Men. ". II. Chamhorlin and !.
u. Wiley have been busily engaged In
trauglhtinE the Hook Of Mormon and
Doctrine and Covenants. This proves
tn BE- mofc extended task than was
at FIRST anticipated. However. II II cx-
pccted that the work viii b. complet-
Cd In the near future. Having no re-
liable aids IN the study ~ the language
except the nlhlc. MS translated hy the
cnfly Christian missionaries the trans.
iatlng work requires close study 81
the language. Tho labor has already
ELECTED much energy. william u. Tay-
Tor has labotcd faithfully In copying
a.
ficaldca the above named Elders who
are NJ present In the Tahltlnn CONFER
cncc. there arr i've Elders In the Lee
ward Islands. Elders a. n curtis. l..
". Kennnrd. W. 9. McGrcgor. a. r.
Rnpplcye and Uaurdelio brown have
held a conference with the Haints ~
that group on the island ~ Horahora.
that part We have not yet received q
report from that part. This u the frut
conference ever held there nH the field
IL n new one. having been opened only
about a year and a half
Another conference was held At Hao.
one Of the islands ~ the TuamotuH.
Elders v. 7. Hatch ana Andrew Nor
tenaon are conducting that conference
which II no doubt well attended hc-
cause n II among tho Islands whore We
have the greatest following. Elder
Hatch has been laborinF among those
ISLANDS Tor year ana u nnlf inc last
year he has been travelling alone.
Tho reason 20 many conferences are
hold n due 10 the fact that the island
groups are 20 far anaft. For ali 10
meet az the same place In conference
would necesHltate. In some Instances
nearly a thousand miles travel by wa
tor.
Elder Yoaica Il iaboring alone on Tu-
buni. caring Tor the branch on that r..
land We have q thrifty branch there
although IN the last year an In
fiucntial member has strongly
opposed the policy % the
white Elders and has succeeded In
leading away others. ak ~ whom have
been accommodated. Since the ar
rival ~ the Elders at Tahiti number
" Priesthood and testimony meetings
have hccn held. The Elders all have
q spirit ~ love and respect one for an
other and are enjoying their iahorr
notwithstanding the isolation. inc0n-
vonisnre ~ travel on small boats. poor
natl service and the sifanFe customs
and nature Of the pcoplc.' During the
part year eighty bnntiHmr have been
performed and fnrty-fivc children have
been blessed.
The French government does not In
terferr with our work among the ma
ilvcs. although n II generally under
stood that the French officials In the
colony have nntlnathv for all American
missionaries and Interests In tho colony,
y. y. WILEY.