^^
President Wilford Woodruff & Councillors,
Salt Lake City, Utah.
Dear Brethern.
In compliance with your request I cheer-
fully place on paper my report of the Turkish mis-
sion, and hope I may be able to so write as to
give you a proper and comprehensive understand-
ing of the work of the Lord in that part of His vineyard.
I left Utah for my field of labor in Turkey on
the first day of Nov. 1886 and arrived in Constanti
ple on the 16th of Jan. 1887 remaining about 6 weeks in
England in order to obtain a passport. Shortly af-
ter arriving at Constantinople I was appointed
by Prest. Jacob Spori & Elder J. M. Tanner to the
Armenian quarter of Stamboul there to live and
study the Turkish language and to become better
aquainted with ^the^ natives and their customs.
I at once began studying the Turkish langu-
age which I was quite successful in acquiring
for the purposes required. We, however, found
but little response among the people in Constan
tinople, but it soon became evident that
we could do some work in the interior
of Asia Minor, wherefore, I recommended 2 more
Elders to come to my assistance. Shortly after,
about Nov. 1887, Elder James Clove arrived, who
after staying about 2 year became sick and was
released to return home. In the winter between
1887 & 1888, at the reuquest of Brother Markow I went
to Hungaria to baptize his parents. His brother and
sister-in-law, but as they needed some more
information I waited a couple of days during
which time I and Brother Markow testified to
many in the villige of Serb Czernia, Hungaria.
But on the third day I was called before
the preist, a Greek orthodox, and then sent to
the magistrate by whom I was ordered to
leave the country forthwith. I failled
in my attempt to open ^up^ the gospel in that
land at that time, but I firmly believe that
good will yet be realized from my labors there.
I there ordained Brother Markow and Elder and
appointed him to labor as best he could and thus
intdirectly my labors resuleted in the Gospel being ope-
ned up in Belgium. Of the work done at Antwer-
ben you are, I beleive, fully advised. Brother Markow
has since been been requested to come to Hungaria to
baptize his parents. In the latter part of Aug. 1888 I
left Constantinople for a trip through Asia Minor
with a veiw to see the people and what the prospects
were for opening up the door of life there, and also
to visit the saints in Palestine. In the spring of
1889 in company with Elder J. M. Sjödahl I visited
the Holy land, Palestine, and in the summer the
same year I returned to Constantinople preach
ing by the way. I baptized 6 persons on this trip,
I3 of which were local preachers and one a young
teacher. I baptized was released in Dec. to return
home by President George Teasdale having been
in Turkey 3 years within a few days. Altogether I
injoyed my mission very much and felt I was
very much blessed of the Lord and feel sure that
our united labors in that field will yet result in
much good.
Several elders have been sent to labor in
Turkey since I arrived, but according to the best
of my knowledge most of them are either released
or soon will be, some because of sickness others
because of lack of means and, perhaps, but little
faith in that mission. There has been about 30
baptisms in that mission and we have many warm
freinds.
The difficulties in establishing the Gospel in Turkey
are many. In order to preach the Gospel success-
fully there we should be recognized by the Govern
ment. We have petitioned for recognition but have
obtained none cheifly because no means were
at our command to pay our way.
Printing could not be done to any appriciable
extent because we were not recognized.
While wvisiting Palestine I became convinced
that in order to successfully preach the Gospel in
the orient and to do those people any marked good
that it would be nessesary to colonize there. Some
of my reasons for this wevirew are these. The Turkish
^mission^ is so far from our mountain home in Utah that
the expences to thouroughly prosecute a long and
successful mission are very heavy, hence Elders are
few who can meet that demand, and the expences toge-
ther with the strange customs and habits of the
natives tend to discourage the brethern. Then
it is far for the poor saints to emigrate, and they
are but poorly prepared to come to Zion as they are
but not at all acquainted with our customs
and mode of living. Again, it is prohibited by law
to emigrate from Turkey; and that to-gether with
the jealousy of our own nation would be against
oriental emigration to Zion. But on the other hand
could we obtain a home in that ancient land of
promise, we could there educate the saints to our
ways and prepare them to receive both temporal
and spiritual progress. The saints there are
fully imbued with the spirit of gathering,
wherefore they are anxiously looking forward
to the day they may be priveleged to gather with
the saints to Zion. That land is also the destiny of the
Jews, and inasmuch as we are destined to do a great
work ffor them, we will be there prepared to do them
good and to assist them in every way at our command.
My impressions respecting Palestine as a land to
sustain life are very good, and though but little
can be said of the signs of the fruitfulness of the land
returning, yet there are sufficient demonstrations
that if God had a people there whom he felt to
especially bless the land would be a good land much
to be desired. There is a good deal of vacant
land in various parts of Gallelee and alto
also on the Jordan and on the other side in the
country that Reuben, Gad & the half tribe of Manassa
inherited. [Deuteronomy 29:8] This land may be obtained by ferman
from the Sultan, and much easier if it can
be had through the natives as we will be able
to do, as the Turks are more or less afraid of
foreignors.
There is no price on land in Turkey. It is
cheifly disposed off in Turkey as gifts and in order
to obtain these land gifts, backshish, or money
gifts are nessesary. The heaviest expences are
here, hence we have no certainty how much it may
cost. It will, however, not depend on the quantity of the
Land only to advance the backshish.
I have no idea that we can do much less
than 30,000 dollars and it may take much
more. And then it will take something to cover ex
pences pending the transaction which generally takes
long in Turkey as they are a slow, easy-going people.
First a permit would be nessesary to go to Palestine
to locate land and to make the nessesary surveys.
Then we would have to return to Constantinople to
finish negotiations which would take some time
because in obtaining land and title it would be
nessesary to have our rights and privileges as
a religious body properly defined.
Should an effort on our part to build up the
land of Israel at this time be right before the Lord
and His servants, I would suggest that the Brethern
appointed to locate lands and to negotiate for
their purchase make it a point to be there about
March or April, because the heat is oppressive in
summer and the country almost impassable in
the rainy season in the winter. Some time would
also be necessary to obtain the nessesary papers from
the Sultan & Sorte to travel and locate lands, for
this reason time should be alowed from home
in order to prevent rushing.
For the good of the work of the Lord in the
Orient, I would respectfully ask your early
consideration regarding this matter, as I
do not see how we can do much there
until we do something permanantly
for the redemption of the Land of Israel and
thus come into closer communication
with the people. There are many millions of peo-
ple to whom we can testify, and for whom we can
do much good if we become in closer contact with
them; and then we could do much of the mission
work with native help.
I feel that a sufficient number of good
familyies should be called from Zion to go to Palestine
to settle permanantly & not expect to return
very soon at any rate. The land is good and a
land of promise, and I see nothing to which any one in
terested in this great Latter-day-work could ofbject to
so far as moving there to live is concerned. It will
furnish a new and interesting feature in our
mission work, and if honestly & faithfully engaged
in cannot fail to bring down the smiles and
approbations of our heavenly Father.
In conclusion let me say I feel specially
blessed and privileged in my labors and that
I feel indevidually much benifited and hope God
will give me grace to put it to good use.
Praying God ever to bless you with His
Holy Spirit and to protect you from all evil,
and ever praying God to deliver His oppressed
people, I am as alway your humble servant,
F. F. Hintze.
Salt Lake City.
Feb 6th 1890.
F. F. Hintz
6 Feb. 1890.