The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-03-27
MIRACLES
DONE HERE:
LONG AGO
Mormon "reminiscences
of Joseph Smiths
Two Visits.


President Joseph F. Smith of the
Mormon church, whose outspoken ad-
missions in the Smoot inquiry at Wash
ington have made a sensation through
out the country, was certainly caught
young enough for the making of a
zealot. He was full-hedged mission
airy of the Mormon faith in the Hawai-
ian Islands when he was only fifteen
years of age.
This was the second mission of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day
Saints to this archipelago. Mr.. Smith
is a nephew of Joseph Smith, founder
of the church upon the basis of the
alleged discovery of the Book of Nor
mon. There were five members of an
ecclesiastical commission sent to the
Hawaiian Islands by Brigham Young,
and Joseph F. Smith was one of three
who remained for some time to con-
duct a propaganda of the faith. Tradi-
tions of that mission. commonly known
and implicitly believed as household
words among the Mormons here today
are as replete with accounts of miracles
of the Son of God.
Whether the written records of MGR
monism in Hawaii, which are sedulous-
ly preserved at Laie, bear out the tradi-
tions or not cannot at this writing be
said. Samuel E. Woolley, manager Of
I.aie plantation and head of the Nor
mon colony there, is the chief presiding
elder of the communion in this Terri
tory. Being in town Friday evening to
conduct services at the Mormon church,
I,uzo street, Punchbowl, Mr.. Woolley
was seen at the Mission house on the
premises by the writer and asked if he
could relate some incidents of Presl-
dent Smiths first mission to the Is
lands. He declined to venture into de-
tails responsive to the request without
having the records at hand, yet never
theIess gave some general Information
on the subject. His narrative was sub
stantially as follows
.sYes. it is true that Joseph F. Smith
came here in 1854. He was then fifteen
wears of age. Mr.. Smith stayed four
years and visited Hawaii twice in later
years.
.eThe members of the mission were
Ezra T. Brown, Lorenzo Snow, Almy
Smith, Joseph F. Smith and VIM. Cluft.
The Smiths were brothers and remain
ed here with Mr.. CIuff.
Joseph F. Smith and Mr.. Cluff We're
chosen as committee to secure a place
for the people that had been deprived
of their lands by Walter Murray Glib
son. That is when Laie on this island
was secured They We're appointed as
such committee by Brigham Young.
when Elder Smith came first he Ia
( bored on Maui and procured knowl-
edge of the Hawaiian language in
very short time. He went through the
exercises and delivered his first dis
| course in the native tongue on the nun
1 dredth day after his arrival. during
! much of the time ne was Ill OF 1eVer'
so that it was less than three months
of actual time which he took TO pro-
cure a knowledge of the language en-
abling him to speak it.
Elder Smith returned here in 1856
when he stayed two and a half years
He visited the Islands again about 1879
or 1899.
..There are fifty-three places of wor-
shin on all the inhabited islands to-
| gether, Niihau and KahooIawe being
! the only ones having none" Elder
Woolley said in answer to a question
AT our last census, taken December
81, we had 1900 souls. :"
plural marriages have never been
carried on in these islands, Mr.. Wool
4 Iey?"
Never, never" was emphatically an
swered.
To anyone who looks at events in
/ broad perspective it may be regarded
as almost a miracle that new reh-
eion. introduced after the Protestant
and Catholic missions had gained much
headway, should in half century nave
secured spiritual dominion over nearly
one-ninth part of the nominally CHIls-
! tan portion of the population of Ha-
waii.
The Mormon chapel on Punchbowl
bas large auditorium and a base
n,ent. 1t bears an ornate medallion
upon it's facade, beneath a taperine
spire. inscribed in English and Hawai-
ian with the title, House of Worship
of the Church of Jesus Christ of Lat
ter Day Saints" and the motto. 'Hoii-
ness to the Lord together with the
"AT-seeing Eye" emblem and the
| words. Erected 1888"
Elder Abraham Fernandez, borT
Hawaiian member of the Latter Day
Saints. recounted some of the tradi-
tions of the mission that first prough
president Smith to the Hawaiian Is
lands.
Elder Smith came here in 1854 Mr
Fernandez said.
"That was not the first mission Il
thu Islands. however, as Elder Georg'
10 cannon came and started the churci
in 1850. You will remember that Eide
Smith visited the Islands four or hv'
wears ago. to hold the Hawaiian JUDI
lee of the Saints.
in his first mission Mr.. Smith labor
ad or Maui and Kauai. There wer
evc in the party and they went L
Tarai to cut Mr.. Gibson out of III
communion.
"They landed at Lahaina. and on
~ the boats capsized. and one Of tn
elders. Lorenzo .Snov ,as drowned
(Continues on ge s.