The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-10-08
|MORMONS IN
CONVENTION
Delegates From All the
Islands.
IA BIG MEETING At LA|E
President Woolley in Charge and
Much Religious Zeal
Manifested.

The conference OF the Church Of Jesus
Christ of Latter Day Saints held at the
prosperous Mormon settlement at Laie.
on the Waialua side of the Island, Is
over. The conference of the converts
of the entire group to the Mormon
faith, opened auspiciously Saturday
morning and continued until last even
ing.
President Woolley, who has long look
ed after the spiritual and temporal
wants of the people who have en-
braced the Mormon religion, presided
at it's deliberations. Had it not been
that the main body of the quaint meet
ing house was filed with natives one
could almost believe himself in one of
the Mormon settlements of Utah and
close to Salt Lake City. Utah. the City
Of Zion, from which emanates the
strength and force of the zeal which
carries the missionaries of the religion
into every land.
The delegates from the various ISL
to add their testimony to their abiding
faith in the strange religion which
Joseph Smith expounded nearly 20
years ago and for which he gave his
life. On Saturday morning when the
conference opened the auditorium and
gallery OF the meeting house were filled
/ with the converts. In the speakers pull
pit sat President Woolley, Elders Mus
space reserved for the young mission
aries from Utah: who are laboring in
the Islands, sat dozen young men,
many of them hardly 81 years OF age.
Stamped upon their faces were the un-
mistakable signs Of religious zeal and
devotion to the work for which they
had been chosen by the Presidency Of
the Mormon Church at Salt Lake City,
many thousands Of miles away from
Hawaii.
The young men have, for the most
part. mastered the native tongue so
that the services were entirely conduct
ed in Hawaiian. 1t Is marvellous how
the young Mormon boys master the
language of the country to which they
are sent In such short time. Some of
those who sat in the missionaries Sec
ton have not been in Hawaii more than
a year. yet despite the fact they have
to work their way through the Islands,
preaching here and there, expounding
the gospel of the Book of Mormon in
English and doing their utmost to
spread the temporal kingdom of Brig
ham Young, they have studied the ma
tive language with rare success. The
result Of their work is manifest in the
number Of converts who are added
from time to time.
Reports from the Islands were read
by the delegates. These were upon the
development of the missionary work
among the natives and nearly all show
ed that the Mormon missionaries had
not labored in vain. Men. women and
children participated in the conference
work. Reports were read by both sex
es. addresses were made ard the out
side delegations were given the oppor-
tunities for explaining the results of
their work. The Waikiki delegation
from Honolulu excelled in many partic-
ulars in explaining many portions of
the Book of Mormon and the Cove
nants, by reciting them in answer to
questions propeunded by an elder. The
work Of this delegation was by far the
most interesting and showed careful
training.
President Woolley in speaking to ar
: Advertiser representative of the Nor
mon Church in Hawaii. and the quiet
ness vita which it was all accomplish
| ed. said smilingly: Yes, it Is one raj
with us that we do everything quietly
; and without announcing our every
. movement with trumpets. Our young
men go into the missionary field K
labor and convert the people witt
whom they come in contact, with the
tacit understanding that they must b,
!. Jealous workers. 1 presume it is strang,
: that you do not generally hear of GU
b missionary work. But here" and h.
pointed TO the array of young Mormon
+ boys from Utah, ARE a lot of younl
!. men who have been sent here to worl
!. under me. They have been sent hithe
!. and thithsr and they have done VOL.
= In explanation of this statement !
. may be said that all young Mormon
= men, as soon as they begin to attaIi
/ their majority are carefully observed
4, Lrst by the Elders of the district i
7. which they live; then by the Bishop
L. OK the wards. then by the Presidents O
, the various Stakes (divisions). then b
n the Quorum of Seventies, then BY tn
]. Twelve Apostles, and. finally by tn
:. President and his advisers, by whor
:. they are selected to go out into tn
!" world without scrip or purse" an
teach the gospel which they hay
- known from childhood. A missio
Id usually lasts two years and the youn
IS. religious enthusiast Is supposed to SUI
"a. ply his wants in that time, with the e.
- ception Of paying his railroad or steam
I, or fare to and from Salt Lake Cit,
n. Thus thousands of young men from Il
J. cities, from the farms and from II
J. mines are detailed to go into every 70
40 eign land. Once chosen there is 20 {,
~ cuse by which they can be freed fro
8 the will of the Church. Married or sil
"a gle, rich or poor, all young men a
~ alike In the eyes of the Church. and
they must. 1t is by this means TIL
such q law abiding settlement hi
grown up at Laie, where the sugi
lrfantaffou though small Is in an g