The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1910-11-25
MORMONS To
CELEBRATE SOON
Sixtieth Anniversary Of Arrival
Of First Missionaries Next
Month.

Preparations are being made for tho
celebration Of the sixticth anniversary
of the landing of the Mormon mission
aries in Hawaii, aud very interesting
program is being arranged for the spe-
cial exercises to be held in the church
of the Latter Day Saints ON Luso street
on Sunday, December IL, Ernest L.
Miner, presiding elder, in charge.
A historical account of the Mormon
Church in Hawaii, now being compiled
for the coming event shows n remark.
able growth of the Mormon interests
in these Islands. From very small
beginning, the church now has mem
bership of between 1000 and 5000 and
prosperous missions in almost every city
or village in the Territory. CONNER
cially there has also been advancement
for the members of the church. many of
whom are prominent in tho business
communities in which they reside.
Among tine visiting delegates to the
coming celebration will be members
from the Mormon colony at Laie, where
the church has maintained sugar
plantation since 1865 with excellent sue
cess, There is home there where any
member of the church may go and work
on the plantation This is said to be
one of the most satisfactory Mormon
communities in the United States, and
it has also been profitable to the church
While the coming celebration will be
quite an important epoch in the history
of the church, it will not be quite as
elaborate as was that of the Jubilee
celebration of ten years ago, when the
founder of the church in these Islands,
George @. Cannon of the First Presi.
dency, was present and assisted in the
special exercises at the church and at
the old Orpheum Theater on Fort street
Upon that occasion Bishop Cannon
made memorable address, in which
he recounted his experiences in the
founding of the Mormon Church in
these Islands.
cit is with feelings that have no
words to express, +" said he at that time,
''that | stand before this assemblage
today, beholding in this bountiful and
blessed fruit the result of the weakling
seeds planted by myself and my com
panions fifty years ago.
"It seems but a little while since
that day when myself and my nine
associates came to these beautiful Is
lands to bring the message of redemp'
ton. And we came, my friends, to
bring the blessed message to the white
men who were then here; we hoped to
do great work among them, but we
found them very few and very unre-
sponsive. We labored hard among them
until our scant means were gone and
my companions became discouraged. One
day they said they would no longer
stay, that our work was unfruitful and
our energies wasted.
cit was then that ] protested and
declared myself determined to stay in
these Islands and labor among its peo-
ple-for | had come to know them and
love them. The little handful of white
men whom we had come to carry the
message to were scattered and would
not listen; but had found a people
who were willing to listen and eager
TO learn. declared that | would stay
among them to teach them the blessed
knowledge and that | would do it alone
if there were none who would remain
with me. Two of the brothers | in
duced to stay, and we took up the work
And glorious work it was, for within
the period of three and n half years
we worked there were upward of four
thousand converts. How well do l re.
member my first three conversions and
the baptisms in the surf on the shores
of Maui And again the glorious day
when one hundred and fifty souls turn.
ed toward the light. 1t was indeed a
day of rejoicing. We performed the
rites of baptism and sent them forth
to spread the tidings among those still
in spiritual ignorance.
Many changes have come to pass
within the time | have been absent
among other fields. Fifty years has
done much for the Hawaiian Islands,
and the marks of time and change are
all about; we see them on every hand,
in the headstones of the dead, in the
growth Of children to man and woman
hood, in the progress and outspreading
of the cities hereabOut-but, God be
praised, there is one thing that is still
the same. The blessed gospel is stiIl
unchanged. As on that first day, fifty
years ago this morning, the gift of
redemption is free, the spirit is within
the reach Of all, and God Is blessings
are bestowed the same.
"Fifty years ago today ] was
young man, twenty-five years of age.
have now been spared to reach three
score and ten, and my hair is white,
but of all the experiences in the inter
vening years there are none more dear
to my memory than the blessed expert
ences of those three years upon the
Islands, where / saw the miracles Se
the gospel repeated in the healing Of
the sick, by faith and the laying on
of hands; where grew strong in my
own duties and certain of the divine
help of God; where the sowing of the
seed brought so bountiful a harvest. II
was then that was filed with prophecy
for tba f,,turn NJ Hawaii and nv