PRESIDENT'S OFFICE
CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST.
OF
LATTER-DAY SAINTS
P.O. BOX B.
Salt Lake City, U. T. .
President William Paxman,
New Zealand.
Dear Brother: It was with great pleasure that we read your communication
of April 11th. We have much joy in the progress of the work of the Lord in the
lands where you have charge; and we believe that the publication of the Book of
Mormon in the native tongue will have a highly beneficial effect among the natives.
Yiour course in reporting to them your receipts and expenditures will also greatly
add to the good feeling of the Saints. The Maoris have evidently had their confi-
dence shaken by the methods of sectarian missionaries in financial matters. We
msust do our utmost to build up confidence in their hearts towards us, that they
may not only know that the Lord has revealed His gospel in these last days and
made us its ministers, but also that is fruits are manifested in our lives, and
that we have learned that all men are the sons of God and should be treated as
brethren in all the relationships of life.
We are pleased also to discover that you are establishing sunday scholols
in the branches wherever practicable. The fact that you have twenty-five such
schools now in active operation in New Zealand tells its own tale, and affords us
much encouragement with regard to the future of the Maori Saints. These institu-
tions should be carefully nurtured, that the children of the native brethren and
sisters may early learn the truths of the gospel, and the false traditions and
superstitions of their ancestors be thereby so much lessened in influence in their
after lives.
We cannot give you any other counsel with regard to the emigration of
the natives than we have hitherto done. We do not regard the present as an oppor-
tune time for such a movement. Their childlike and confiding natures would un-
doubtedly be terribly shocked by things that they would now-a-days see and hear
in the midst of the Saints. They must learn to abide in patience until the time
when the Lord signifies that some change should be made in our present instructions.
Encourage them to live their religion, and the Lord will accomplish all His purposes
with regard to them in His own time and in His own way. [Doctrine and Covenants 88:68]
We should be pleased to have you take whatever measures you and the Elders
deem wise and prudent to counteract the organized efforts of the ministers of the
various denominations to injure your influence and impede your labors amongst the
natives. Show, wherever you have opportunity, how they have progressed in true
civilization since your advent among them; that they are more virtuous, more
sober, more cleanly, more industrious, and in every way better citizens since
they listened to the teachings of the "Mormon" missionaries. You can vindicate
your calling and labors by the fruits that have followed, and prove that your efforts
have been as priaiseworthy as the truths that you teach are impregnable.
As we hoped, the United States Supreme Court at Washington has reversed
the decision of the local courts in the case of Brother Hans Nielsen, taken up on
habeas corpus from Provo. He was first committed and sentenced for unlawful co-
habitation with a polygamous wife, then for adultery. The Supreme Court holds that
two separate crimes were not committed by his living with a plural wife, and sent
down an order ordering the discharge of Brother Nielsen from the penitentiary. He
had served his term for unlawful cohabitation and was serving out the one for
adultery. We understand that Preosecuting Attorney Peters and some other officials
are much chagrined at this decision. They had hoped to introduce the segregating
system in a niew and very odious form. Now they must elect which charge they will
proceed on. No doubt, wherever the evidence makes it possible, they will proceed
against the brethren for adultery, as the penalty, on conviction, is so much the
heavier. Arrests for the infractions of the Edmunds-Tucker law are still frequent
in the remoter portions of the Territory, but not so numerous as at one time. It
is said that there are at present more Territorial prisoners in the Utah penitentiary
thayn at any former time. The number of United States prisoners is less than it was
some time since. The total number is now 211; at one time it reached 252.
President Harrison has lately given considerable attention to Utah. He
has appointed a new Governor and Secretary and two new members of the Utah Commis-
sion. Our new Governor is Mr. Arthur L. Thomas, once Secretary of the Territory,
and more lately one of our Commissioners; the Secretary is Col. Sells, a lumber
merchant of Salt Lake City. The removal of Commissioner Thomas and the resignation
of Judge Carlton made two vacancies in the Board. These the President has filled
and the Commission now consists of Messrs. Godfrey, McClernand, Williams, Robertson
and Saunders. The last named was at one time Governor of Nebraska. The two
Democratic members are Messrs. McClernand and Williams; though Mr. Williams shows
very little true democratic principle in his dealings with Utah and her people.
There has been much apprehension felt throughout this region that water
for irrigation would be very scarce during the coming summer, and as a result
the crops would be exceedingly light. But these fears have been set at rest by
abundant rains in the valleys and snows in the mountains during the present
month. Already, in Salt Lake City, nearly two inches more rain than the average
has fallen since the commencement of May. In some neighboring valleys the differ-
ence has been even greater. As a consequence of so much rain and snow, the weather
is cooler than usual at this time of the year. In April—before the stiorm came—
it was considerably warmer than the average.
As requested by you, we have directed that a draft for £90.0.0, on the Union Bank
of Australia at Auckland, be sent you to pay the return fares of Elders A. L. Stewart,
Alexander Bullock and H. J. Burgess.
To recur again to the question of the emigration of the Maoris, we
find ourselves perplexed as to what arrangement to make for the Sandwich Islanders
who have emigrated to this city. There is quite a large number of them now here,
and the mode of life here is not suited to their proper training, and we have
felt very much exercised for their welfare. Three of the brethren who have labored
among them on the Island—Brothers W. W. Cluff, F. A. Mitchell and H. H. Cluff—have
been appointed, with three native brethren, to examine various locations that
would be suitable for them to settle upon. We desire to have them separated, to
some extent at least, from the temptations of city life, where they can be trained
to better advantage than they can here. If we find a suitable place, they will
move there; and we may find it necessary to appoint one or two Elders who are
familiar with the language to labor among them. When we have disposed of this
question in a successful manner, we can then perhaps take into consideration the
question of moving the Maoris also. They are kindred races, and the course that
will be taken with the Sandwich Islanders can also be adopted for them.
We feel that you should be released from your mission. You have
performed a lengthy and faithful mission, and we do not think it wise to have
you continue there any longer. But before you leave we desire you to appoint one
of the Elders to take charge of the Mission, and notify us who it will be. We
hear Brother Angus T. Wright very well spoken of, and the brethren generally who
know him think he would be a very suitable Elder to take charge of the Mission
when you leave. If your views agree with ours, then you are at liberty to appoint
him and transfer the business of the Mission to him. Set him apart to preside
before you leave, and then you can return as soon as you feel led to do so.
Two of us—Presidents Woodruff and Cannon—returned a day or two ago
from a vnisit to the Sanpete Stake Conference. We had a very enjoyable time and
held ten meetings during our absence, one of which was at Nephi. We saw your
son there and other members of your family, and they were in good health; and
while in Sanpete we met your returned wife and child, and were very glad to see her.
She was in good spirits and health, as well as the baby.
We havo just got word that Judge Zane has been re-appointed Chief Justice
of the Territory. This, we hoped, would not occur, and have done what we could
to prevent it. It has not been our wish, nor for want of any exertion of ours
against him, that he has received the appointment. But the Lord will control his
acts for His glory and, no doubt, for our salvation; so we accept it with resig-
nation.
With love to yourself and all the Elders and Saints, and praying the
Lord to bless you and them in all your various labors for the advancement of the
cause of Zion,
We remain,
Your Brethren,
Wilford Woodruff
Geo. Q. Cannon
Jos. F. Smith
First Presidency.