Letter to John Taylor and Council, 15 September 1879

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Letter to John Taylor and Council, 15 September 1879
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    Indian [Mission] Sunset, Apache Co., Arizona, Sept. 15th, 1879. President John Taylor and Council: Dear Brethren: I arrived on Saturday night, the 13th inst., all well and in good spirits and found Brother Lake, of Brig- ham City and Brother Btates, of pleasant Vallety, very sick. They had been to the Verdie, baptizing some and administering to the sick. Brother Lake has been looked upon as dangerous, but was some better yesterday. In ...
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    race. While I have been standing in the midst of that noble minded people, teaching them the Gospel, I could not make myself believe I was standing in the presence of American Indians or Lamanites, neither was I. The Islatus of which I speak is a village twelve miles be- low Albequirke, on the Rio Del Norte, containing 3000 souls that stand at the head of this class of men that I calol the Nephites. They occupy forty villages, containing a population of 32,000, speak- ing sixteen distinct languages ...
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    ever saw, representing Christ, the apostles and angels. I went all through the village and, for the first time in my life, I had a view of the white Indians called Albinos. Their hair, face and limbs were nearly as white as milk, much whiter than any Americans. I met with many who had been baptized and they were very glad to see me. They had 2000 acres of corn, looking well without irrigation. XOn the day following, we visited their bvillage at their farm clalled Fish Springs. I was here introduced to Brother
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    the next hour was one of the best meetings we had. We all felt in- spired, missionaries, Nephite men, women and children. I spoke and Birother Tenney interpreted. I never felt the want of tongues more than on this occasion. I taught the things of the kingdom of God and found hearts capable of receiving it. All were deeply interest- ed and the seeds we had sown in the hearts of that people will bring forth fruit. At the close of the meeting, the man who spoke in the meeting came to me and said, "WHhen ...
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    cost $1000.00. There was much more wealth than I would have looked for in as obscure a place as Albequirke. We spent the day in the place and left in the evening and camped five miles below on the banks of the river. On the 27th of August, we entered the village of Islatus (Ysleta), being the day before the great annual feast of this people. Brother Ammon M. Tenney had visited this people three years ago and had madde friends in the place. We called upon ...
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    $25,000 of other wealth, real estate, lends many houses in the city, and this is an ensample of many of the Islatus nation. They allow no white man or Mexiacan to mix with them in the blood; all their marriages are in their own tribe. Our friend (Reylocero) said the Americans had called them wild men. If they were wild, they were honest and virtuous. It was very seldom that a case of seduction of a wife or daughter was ever known in their tribes. Whenever such a case did occur, the penalty of death ...
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    They have also twenty-one vineyards bordering on their city and 1000 vines to each vineyard, some of them 60 years of age, all kept per- fectly clean and loaded with the finest of fruit, and as heavy a crop as I ever saw in St. Geotrge, and the vines stand from two to four feet in height and, in the fall of the year, each vine has a mound of earth formed around it, until it is covered out of sight. In the spring it is covered and the earth leveled. This is an immense work ...
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    erial, for they still hold the art of making and painting. We vis- ited quite a number of the fzamilies at the village and were kindly entertained. Among others, we visited Mrs. Pascual Avieta, a Neph- ite lady, I should judge 50 years of age, a large portly woman, with a large, fine home; floors neatly carpeted, settees covered with Navajoe blankets, wiorth $15 each. She was neatly dressed. I was introduced to her by Brother Tenney and her daughters and sons. She received me and treated me with all the elegance that any ...
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    carousal. Thus, dear broethren, I have given you an outline, merely, of the field of labor which I consider the God of Israel has opened unto us and which I consider the revelations of God require us to pefrform. I think there is element sufficient for forty good, faithful Elders to be employed to convert them to the Gospel of Christ and quite a good number of missionaries called at the October Conference who can speak the Spanish langyuage, or who will be able to learn it. I have al- ready sent Brother Taylor a small ...
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    for us, to open the way for the introduction of the Gospel among this branch of the house of Israel. But I have already lenghtthened out this communication much further than I intended at the commencement. I learned of the release of the Apostles from prison from the "News," which has given joy to all the faithful Saints of the land. The devil is making a hard struggle to stop the building of Temples and the work of God, and the wicked are helping him, but, brethren, God reigns and will stand by you to the end. The ...