| 1087 English missionaries, forbidding them to receive any missionaries or teachers, unless they brought letters from them; that all who had not these letters were Popa havare, (lying Catholics.) Consequently they had passed a law that no white man should live among them. From there I went to the island of Ruruto, where they told me the same story. So I found that the missionaries had written to all the islands in the group to prevent our landing. The Lord reward them according to their works. I then returned to Tahiti, where I received letters from Bro. Grouard. He had landed on the island of Anama, one of the chain group. This group consists of thirty or forty low coral islands, with no vegetable but cocoanuts [coconuts], but they have plenty of fish and hogs. The population of Auana is about four thousand. Bro. Grouard had baptised [baptized] twenty of the principal men and many were investigating the work. Bro. Grouard thinks that twenty or thirty elders might be well employed on this group; he will probably do a great work in those islands. The productions of the society Islands are bread-fruit, bannana [banana], oranges, 'aii, plantains, yams sweet potatoes, taro, viies, guovas, &c. &c. Cattle and horses have been brought here, and hogs, dogs, goats, sheep, and fowls are here also. The natives are tall, well proportioned and muscular; of an open, intelligent countenance, dark olive, or copper color, quick of apprehension, of a mild disposition and very friendly. Finally on the third July 1845, I left for home in ship "Free Brother," Capt. Mitchell; on the sixth, made the island of Tooboui; went on shore, but was much disappointed not seeing Bro. Pratt, who was on the other side the island, six miles distant. A native immediarely [immediately] run to carry him word of my arrival, but the Captain would not wait; so I was obliged to leave without seeing him. I learned that he had baptized eight or nine Americans who were building the schooner, and about forty natives, in all fifty or more. After staying on shore about an hour, and obtaining a few vegetables and hogs, we went on board and stood away for Cape Horn; after passing which the captain gave me leave to preach, which I did four or five sundays; the result was that seven or eight believed, two of whom I baptised [baptized] in Philadelphia. The Captain himself believed, but finding that he must obey also became very bitter, which renderd [rendered] some part of the voyage rather disagreeable. After a passage of one hundred and thirty days from Tahiti, I arrived at Nantucket, Massachusetts, on the sixth November, and on the twenty second arrived in Philadelphia, where I staid [stayed] two days ands baptised [baptized] three. On the twenty fourth left for Nauvoo, where I arrived on the twenty ninth of December. Thus, after an absence of two years and a half, I have circumnavigated the Globe, to build up the kingdom of Christ, and prepare a way for the spread of the gospel among the islands of the sea.
NOAH ROGERS.
From the Book of Covenants, Page 431
"Send forth the elders of my church unto the nations which are afar off; unto the islands of the sea; send forth unto foreign lands; call upon all nations; firstly, upon the; Gentiles, and then upon the Jews. And behold and lo, this shall be their cry, and the voice of the Lord unto all people: Go ye forth unto the land of Zion, that the borders of my people may be enlarged, and that her stakes may be strengthened, and that Zion may go forth to the regions round about: yea, let the cry go forth among all people; awake and arise and go forth to meet the Bridegroom: behold and lo the Bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet him. Prepare yourselves for the great day of the Lord.
Watch, therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour. Let them, therefore, who are among the gentiles, flee unto Zion;. And let them who be of Judah, flee unto Jerusalem, unto the mountains of the Lord's house. Go ye out from among the nations, even from Babylon, from the midst of wickedness, which is spiritual Babylon. But verily thus saith the Lord, let not your flight be in haste, but let all things be prepared before you: and he that goeth, let him not look back, lest sudden destruction shall come upon him."
The Times and Season, Is Printed and Published about the first and fifteenth of every month, on the corner of Main and Kimball Streets, Nauvoo, Hancock County, Illinois, by JOHN TAYLOR, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR.
TERMS.-TWO DOLLARS per annum, payable in all cases in advance. Any person procuring five new subscribers, and forwarding us Ten Dollars current money, shall receive one volume gratis. All letters must be addressed to John Taylor, editor, POST PAID, or they will not receive attention.
(page 1087) |
