Closing the Mission.--Elder Jabez Woodard writes.--Leaves
Malta.--Elder Obray succeeds him.--A vision related.--Commendatory
of Elder Malan.--Extract from Elder Obray's letter.--From Western
Hindostan.--Opposition.--What a soldier dared.--The result.--Military
oppose Missionaries.--A Branch organized in Poonah.--The "Voice
of Joseph," by Elder Lorenzo Snow.--"The Only Way to be Saved"
republished.--A remarkable vision.
Writing, as we are, more particularly for the benefit of those yet
unborn, in order to make a record as complete as possible, we compile
the following extracts, and with this chapter close the synopsis of
Lorenzo's eastern mission.
Praissuit, Angrogna, Pignerel,
Piedmont, July, 1852.
_Dear President Richards_:
Elder Obray has probably informed you of my departure from Malta,
after we had organized a branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints. I could not help feeling deep regret in leaving that
devoted brother in a country with whose customs and climate he is yet
unacquainted; but he keeps the Word of Wisdom, which will preserve the
life of many an Elder when exposed to blighting winds and burning suns.
You see by the heading of my letter, that I am in the field of my
former labors, and letters bearing that address will be pretty sure of
reaching me, in whatever part of this land I may be working; in fact,
I ought now to be in two or three places at the same time, and it is,
therefore, with the greatest pleasure I hear from Elder Snow that
assistance is coming, and I shall be happy to hear from the brethren
who are nominated for Italy.
With regard to the present condition of this mission, I cannot
do better than transcribe the words of a friend who received the
following, in the visions of the night: "I beheld, and lo! the form of
one that was exceeding tall and great. The face was smiling and lovely,
and while yet I gazed, became so resplendent with glory, that I was
forced to look down towards the earth. Then I saw dark clouds wrapped
around that gigantic body, leaving only a few places here and there,
penetrated by the rays of light. And the Spirit said unto me, This is
TRUTH IN ITALY; and behold, at present the light just shineth in the
midst of the darkness, but the days will come when all in this land
shall be penetrated by the power of Truth, either unto their salvation
or destruction." * *
I have commenced preaching, baptizing, etc., and have also pruned
the vineyard--cutting off dead branches. But I feel to commend the
faithfulness of Elder John D. Malan, who held the Presidency during my
absence in Malta. "The Saints in Italy salute you."
Yours in the New and Everlasting Covenant,
--_Millennial Star. Jabez Woodard_.
Extract of a letter from Elder Obray:
124 Strada San, Dominico Malta,
August 18, 1852.
_Dear President Richards_:
It is beyond my power to make known the difficulties attending this
mission. I have not only to encounter Catholic, but Protestant, who are
circulating lies as fast as a horse can run, in order to stop the work
of God on this island; but God be praised! I am enabled to say that I
have added two since I last wrote to you, which make twenty-two members
of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints here, rejoicing in
God.
Last Sunday, the 17th, I ordained a good man an Elder, by the name of
George Burrage; he leaves Malta for England this day week, to get his
discharge, when he will return to Malta. * * *
Extracts from letters of Elder W. Willis, dated Calcutta, Aug. 3, 1852:
"Elder Joseph Richards, late of the London Conference, arrived here on
the 20th last month. He left London in January, on board the Elizabeth.
He is, I am happy to say, in the best of health and spirits. He is
under counsel from President Snow to assist me here, which I have
realized to a most pleasing extent already, and have every hope that we
shall, by the help of the Lord, pull well together. His presence and
counsel have inspired me and the brethren here, with fresh hopes and
courage.
"Elder McCune, on the 25th of last month, delivered his farewell
address, before leaving for Burmah, where he has gone to fight the
battles of the Lord while he officiates in his military capacity of
staff sergeant, in the 'Company's Bengal Artillery;' and we feel to ask
an interest in his behalf in the prayers of the Saints at home.
"Last Saturday, Elder Richards led Mr. William Sheppard into the
beautiful limpid tank at Acra Farm, and baptized him for the remission
of his sins, in the presence of many of the Saints. His son, also, and
a young native of the medical caste, named Unnoda Persad Sen Gooptoy,
who is very fluent in Bengalee and Hindostanee. He is a young man of
great promise.'"
The following is from Elder Findlay, in Western Hindostan, as published
in the _Millennial Star_, dated Poonah, September 13, 1852:
_Beloved President Richards_:
Trusting that the letter I addressed to your office for President L.
Snow, bearing date of June last, has been received, although detained
one month on account of the steamer bearing mail having put back to
Bombay, short of coal. I am doubtful that Elder Snow's communications
have miscarried, as I have received none from him, save one from Malta,
dated the 11th of March. In the absence of other instructions, I beg,
with your permission, to communicate through the medium of the _Star_
what might be interesting to him and others who love the cause of Zion.
In the letter referred to, I gave a brief outline of the combined
opposition, military and ecclesiastical, which met our first operations
in Bombay; these two powers combined leave little play for the
privileges of the civil constitution.
The majority of India's European population are of the military class,
the chaplains not excepted, who, by dint of their sacred offices, in
their varied grades, or, as the natives of the country would say,
_castes_, bear great sway. All are hand in hand, jolly good fellows to
keep out every invading foe; and, as "Mormonism," although it makes no
interference with constitutional governments, either in military or
civil affairs, save to honor and obey them; still, claiming spiritual
authority to teach heavenly principles, and to call upon all men to
repent of their transgressions of the laws of the Lord, and to obey the
Gospel of the Son of God; which duty cannot be faithfully accomplished
without revealing the vile corruptions of man-made schemes--this
constitutes it a most formidable foe to the usurped pretentions of the
holy orders of the various contending systems, the pride, imbecility
and inconsistencies of which have left a stench in the noses and a
prejudice in the hearts of India's children, against the Christian
religion, which will not be easily eradicated.
When an English commanding officer told me in Bombay that I should
remember that I was not exactly under English law in India, I expressed
the idea as a piece of petty tyranny; but we are always learning. _Now
I know it is so_.
As I mentioned in my last, I left Bombay for this place on the 24th
of June, in company of Elder Tail and family, and after one night's
sailing and three days and two nights' travel by bullock wagons, in
alternate rain and sunshine, we arrived at Poonah in the evening of
the 27th. My first work was to hire a room to live and preach in; this
was soon obtained; but the next and greatest difficulty was yet to be
surmounted, viz: the possessing it; the grant of which rested with the
military authorities, this being a military cantonment, hence under
military law. Our position proved the more precarious on account of the
Bombay interdict from entering the military boundaries, the news of
which, with many of the newspapers, having reached here in so ludicrous
a form that they were almost amusing, only that they were aimed against
a cause so sacred.
However, in this extremity the Lord wrought for us; we therefore, after
some difficulty, got permission upon the consideration that "the less
these people are opposed, the less harm they will do."
I was only about two days in this new habitation, when about a dozen
soldiers called, as a deputation from their regiment, to ascertain
whether I had come to purchase the discharge of all who would join our
Church, and send them to California, as such reports had gone through
their lines, and there were about two hundred of their comrades who
were ready to fall in with these conditions. I mention this farce
because I believe it was a deep laid plot of the enemy to have me
turned out of camp; this conviction has of late been more confirmed
from the circumstance of a certain colonel on meeting one of his men
saluting him thus: "Where are you going, sir? Are you going to the
'Mormon' meeting?" On receiving a negative reply, he added: "You must
not go there--they will send you to California."
A soldier of another regiment dared to place one of our tracts (The
Only Way to be Saved) on the table of the public library. Upon
information of this act being borne to the chaplain, the commanding
officer was written to, Sunday as it was (the better the day the better
the deed), the unfortunate librarian was first arrested, but, upon the
black sheep being found out, orders were issued to arrest and imprison
him the moment he set foot within the lines. Next morning, arraigned
before the seat of judgment, he was well taunted as a "Mormon," in
the low slang of the common hue and cry, until he told the commanding
officer that he was not a "Mormon," neither did he care for any
religion. Jamieson's code being well ransacked, no military law could
be found to condemn him; he was in consequence dismissed from the bar
with an admonition.
The same colonel, we are told, has issued an order that none of his men
are to be allowed to come to our meetings; and if any are seen with
one of our tracts, they are to be severely punished. The chaplains
and missionaries are diligently distributing a scurrilous publication
purporting to be written by a J. G. Deck, in England, which they have
honored with a reprint, and a large and gratuitous circulation here
and at Bombay. As this tract has gained so great celebrity amongst the
people, I have written a reply to the assertions of its author, in a
tract of twelve pages, now in process of publication. But, to cap the
climax of this array of opposition, the reverend father, in the bosom
of the old "Mother," has publicly threatened to curse every mother's
son or daughter of his flock who will dare to set their feet in our
meeting house.
You may realize from the above outline that they are all in a stew
here, and we mean to keep them so, so long as the truth will do it; and
we only desire to have wisdom from the Lord to keep outside of every
snare that may be laid to entrap us.
Notwithstanding the attempt of the wicked one to thwart our purposes,
the Lord has been with us, and has so far prospered our labors that we
had the happiness of organizing a branch of the Church of Christ at
Poonah last Sunday, composed of twelve members, including three Elders
and one Teacher. This little company are of a mixed birth, Europeans,
Eurasian and native, but one in spirit, and the first fruits of that
spirit, love and union begin to show themselves, as the evidence to all
that we are of God; a contrast to the fact that the joint chaplains at
this station so heartily hate one another as to be unable to speak to
each other. "Herein shall all men know that ye are my disciples."
Your brother and fellow servant,
Hugh Findlay.
The following we copy from the _Millennial Star_ of November, 1852:
"We have just published an edition of the 'Voice of Joseph,' a brief
account of the rise, progress and persecutions of the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints, with their present position and future
prospects in Utah Territory. By Elder Lorenzo Snow. It is printed in
new, clear type, on superfine paper, and is adapted for extensive
circulation among honest inquirers after truth, being peculiarly
calculated to impart a general idea of the foundation, history and
persecutions of the work of the last days."
We insert the following item, which owes its importance to some extent
to the circumstances of the situation in which the writer was placed:
Lausanne, September 16TH, 1852.
_Dear President Richards_:
Nearly two years have passed away since I left parents, wife and
children to join the Italian mission. During that long period I have
experienced many changes in these foreign lands.
One day I sat down in a solitary place, and melancholy thoughts began
to occupy my mind. Then a strange sensation swept over my spirit. Did
I fall asleep and dream, or did the visions of futurity beam around?
The world seemed spread out before me, and revolution after revolution
passed over the nations.
I saw Jerusalem inhabited by happy multitudes. The children were
playing in the streets, and old men leaning upon their staves. The
curse brooded no longer over Judah's ancient land, for the midnight
shades of sin and sorrow were replaced by the brightness of the
Millennial morn.
Jesus had visited the earth again, and all nature smiled as if
conscious of her Creator's presence. Myriads of noble beings came from
tower and temple, and stood near the holy city. Then the Savior came
forth, and every eye rested upon His glorious countenance, while every
knee bowed in reverence. He raised His right hand, and, pointing to
Calvary, thus addressed the mighty host which worshiped at His feet:
"Two thousand years ago I died upon that Mount for the sins of the
world, but now my Father hath given me the crown of universal empire.
Thus shall it be known through all His vast creations that _sacrifice
and obedience bring forth honor and immortality_."
Then I started as from a trance, and lo! instead of the palm trees and
flowers of the "pleasant land," I was surrounded by the rocks and snows
of the Alpine wilds. But all was not fled, for those words, "sacrifice
and obedience bring forth honor and immortality," left a soothing balm
upon my spirit which will never be forgotten.
Yours in the New and Everlasting Covenant,
Jabez Woodard.