Interview With the Dignitaries of the Kingdom--Return to Napela's House
at Wailuku--Hundreds of People Baptized--Elders Become Famous All Over
the Group--A Remarkable Peculiarity
Not satisfied with bringing religious influences to bear against
us, the missionaries (of whom mention was made in the last chapter)
stirred up the owners of the land and the officer having it in charge
to stop the meetings and to threaten the people with punishment if
they persisted in holding them. This officer assembled the people, and
called them out individually, and tried to make them promise that they
would not attend any of our meetings again. To accomplish his design,
he used both persuasion and threats; he said that if they met again,
he would have them bound and either carried to the capital of that
island--Lahaina--or to the seat of government--Honolulu.
In consequence of these interruptions and persecutions, of which Elder
Keeler brought me word, at Kula, where I then was, it was deemed best
for me to go to Honolulu, and, if possible, see the king, or some
officers of the government.
Elder Philip B. Lewis, who was then living at Honolulu, and was
president of the mission, and I saw several of the king's ministers.
The American Commissioner espoused our cause very warmly, and demanded
of the government all the rights for us which were extended to any
preachers. We did not see the king, his health being very poor; but
afterwards, at Lahaina, I had an interview with the two princes, who
have since been kings, and from them received assurances of protection.
The visit, altogether, was satisfactory and resulted in good.
I have found that nothing is ever lost by Elders standing up for
their rights. People respect others who are spirited in claiming the
privileges which belong to them; and no Elder should ever forget that
he is the ambassador of the King of heaven, and that he should maintain
his calling. If he be firm and respectful, he will be respected.
We succeeded in building a fine meeting-house at Keanae, and in all
that region faithfully preached to the people.
I told you in a previous chapter about the manner in which I had been
treated by the missionary at Wailuku, the place where Napela lived. His
persecution had been so strong that I thought it wise to withdraw from
that place for awhile; but the time had now come for me to return; I
felt impressed to do so; and, in company with Elder Francis A. Hammond,
I reached there one evening. We did not know where to go to obtain
quarters for the night; for the missionary who lived there had used
every means in his power to frighten the people against entertaining
us. Even Napela, who had previously afforded me a home, was under
heavy condemnation for his kindness towards me. I felt delicate about
going to his house again, thinking, probably, he might be reluctant to
entertain us in view of the opposition which would be sure to follow.
When we got to the edge of the town in the hills, one of us went and
prayed for the Lord to open our way and raise us up friends, while the
other watched to prevent interruption. We felt led to go to Napela's
house, thinking that if he received us kindly we would stop with
him, but if he appeared cold and distant, we would go elsewhere. We
found him in conversation with four or five intelligent natives; most
of whom had been classmates of his in the high-school. One of them,
Kamakau, which translated means the _fish-hook_, was a preacher, a
very well-educated man, and said to be the best native orator in their
church. They were questioning Napela about our principles, arguing with
him upon them, he defending them to the best of his ability.
Our arrival seemed most opportune; he was glad to see us, gave us a
warm welcome, and soon transferred the conversation to us. At this
time, Brother Hammond's knowledge of the language was very limited, so
I found myself the principal spokesman. We sat up until the roosters
crowed in the morning, conversing upon our principles and reasoning
from the Bible. For some time they were disposed to combat our views,
but finally were silenced and sat and listened to what I said,
occasionally asking questions.
This was the commencement of a great work in that region. The preaching
of the gospel created a great excitement; the people flew by hundreds
to hear the testimony, and I had the satisfaction of seeing the
missionary who had treated me so badly and who had so bitterly opposed
and lied about the work, almost deserted by his congregation; they
having left his church to hear us preach, and see us baptize.
I confess that to see him thus treated pleased me; I did not wish him
to receive any bodily injury, but I had hoped and prayed the day would
come when he would see his followers desert his church, embrace the
truth and leave him to himself.
We baptized a large number of people at Wailuku and the adjacent towns,
erected a large meeting-house at that place and smaller ones at the
other villages, and organized large and flourishing branches of the
Church.
When Elder Hammond and his wife came to the island they had one child.
Several children were born to them on the mission before they returned.
After we had been successful in organizing branches at Wailuku, Waiehu
and other places around there, Elder Hammond brought his family from
Lahaina, where they had been living, to Waiehu. There they lived for
some time. Afterwards, through his labors, a branch was raised up in
Lahaina, and they moved there. All the Elders who labored in that field
have reason to remember their kindness to them. Under their roof we
always found a warm welcome, and it was home--a home which men who
were constantly speaking the native language, living in the native
houses and having to conform, to some extent at least, to their modes
of eating, could appreciate. Sister Hammond's unvarying kindness, her
patience and cheerfulness in the midst of privation, and her unsparing
labors in our behalf, to sew and do other work for us, which, among
such a people we had need to have done, as well as his constant efforts
for our comfort, will never be forgotten by those who enjoyed their
hospitality.
The contrast between my position then and what it had been when
formerly at Wailuku, was to me a constant cause of gratitude to the
Lord. He had revealed unto me that it was my duty to remain on the
islands, acquire the language and bear testimony of His great work
to the people. He had given me many promises connected therewith.
And now I began to feel how true His words had been. Many and many a
time, when I sat in the meetings and heard the people speak in the
demonstration of the Spirit of the Lord, filled with its power and
its holy influence, bearing testimony to the truth of the gospel, to
its restoration and to the gifts which had been bestowed, my joy was
so great that I could scarcely contain myself. I felt that, however
devotedly I might labor, I could not show the gratitude to the Lord
which I felt, at being permitted to receive the Priesthood and to
exercise it for the salvation of the children of men. Surely, never
were men happier than we who labored in the ministry among that people
in those days; we had a fullness of joy, and it seemed as if there were
no room for more.
The people, too, with all their faults and weaknesses, were greatly
blessed. The power of God rested mightily upon them, and many a time
their faces would glisten and appear almost white under the influence
of the Spirit. They knew that Jesus was the Son of God and the Savior
of the world, and that Joseph Smith and Brigham Young were Prophets and
servants of God. This knowledge had come to them through obedience to
the commandments.
The report of what was being done went through all the islands.
The natives frequently went from one island to another. They are a
talkative, gossipy people, and exceedingly fond of telling news, which
never loses anything after its first recital. I afterwards traveled
all over the group, and I found myself well known by name to all the
people. This was frequently embarrassing to me, because I felt that I
could not meet the expectations which had been created respecting my
skill in the language, etc., etc.
The king and his nobles all heard of us, and of what we were doing, and
though we were often misrepresented, we could not blame the Hawaiians
for much of this. If left to themselves, they had but little of the
spirit of slander and persecution so common to the white race. They
were naturally kind and hospitable. Had there been no priestcraft
among them, misleading them and poisoning their minds against the
truth, and tempting them with worldly advantages and popularity, the
entire nation, I am convinced, could have been readily brought to
receive and believe in the principles of the gospel. But everything
was done to have them shun us, to inspire them with suspicion, to make
us unpopular. These influences with those vicious and destructive
practices which are fast hurrying the nation to extinction, were
against us. But for all this, we had wonderful success among them.
Like our Indian race, the Sandwich Islander is being destroyed and
blotted from the face of the earth, by too much of what is called in
Babylon, civilization.
There is one remarkable feature of the Hawaiian character which I will
here note. Among all the races of white men of which I have yet heard
where the gospel is preached, the practice of sin, and especially with
the other sex, is attended with the loss of the Spirit; and unless
there is deep and heartfelt repentance, such sinners are apt to become
enemies of the truth, and are frequently bitter in their opposition to
the work of God and His servants. Not so with the Hawaiians, so far
as my observation extended. It is true that by indulging in sin they
would lose the Spirit; that could be plainly seen; but I never saw that
bitter apostate feeling among them which is so common among white men
who apostatize. They were not given over to the spirit of unbelief as
other races are.
This difference struck me, and I account for it in two ways; first,
because of their ignorance the Lord does not hold them to so strict
an accountability as He does us; and second, they are of the seed of
Israel, and to them peculiar promises have been made. I believe the
same characteristics will be found among the Lamanites; but that can be
better told by those who have experience in laboring among them.