invited to organize schools—catholic priests displeased at mormon success—good attendance at the schools—threats by the priests—discomfiture of the latter—feast and address of welcome by the natives to the writer—preaching and baptisms—catholic priests seize a schoolhouse belonging to the saints—disturb a saints' meeting—more baptisms—further annoyance by catholics—people decide against them—town officials appealed to—they uphold the decision in favor of the mormons—priests write to governor bonard, making false charges against me—a peculiar dream.
on august 7th i was solicited by the chief men of putuhara to assist them in organizing a school. indeed, the whole people were anxious to have me aid them in this, therefore i took hold as requested. they had no school at that time, and were looking for a white elder to start one, as they themselves had but a vague idea of the proper order or rules to govern such an organization. the writer did not have the remotest idea that he would meet with the antagonism of the catholic priests in this matter, as there was a unanimous desire for him among the people, who had rejected the offer of the priest stationed at that place. however, i soon heard that the priest was displeased because the people had rejected him and supported us by sending their children to our school, and by feasting me and showing me marked preference in many ways. our house was crowded to its full capacity every evening, while the priest sat alone in his studio.
on august 12th we had thirty-six students; by the 14th the school had increased to sixty-five. the priest came to the door, looked in, then turned short on his heel, and went away without speaking, yet showing his displeasure in his manner. soon he got a house to run opposition in school work, but he failed to get pupils. then he became very cross and snarly at every one he came in contact with; at least, so said the people.
in company with some of my friends, i went to otapipi on august 15th. we met a man with a letter from the head catholic priest, for me. it was in the tahitian language, and began as follows: "iarran iatobo, i te atua" (james, how do you do in the lord?) and continued, translated into english: "this is what i have to say to you: do not trouble our schools, and we will not trouble yours. if you do so again, i will send for the governor's aide de camp, and we will have you tried before him. you must not trouble us any more." it closed with "tidar paran iaraan ae, tavara" (that is all the talk. good bye to you.) as we had not knowingly interfered with their schools we did not make any reply, but continued our journey to otapipi, and held a prayer meeting at that place at 3 o'clock p.m. while there i saw a priest and his two attendants coming across the lake. they landed, and came straight to the house where we had put up. the priest walked in without hesitation, and politely offered to shake hands. we met him as politely, and took his hand. then he asked if we had received a letter from the priest below. we informed him that we had. "well," said he, "we don't want you to interfere with our schools, and we will not with yours." at the same time he threatened me with the governor's authority, if we did not "walk straight." after some discourse, i asked him what kind of a god he worshiped. he said a spirit without body or parts; but he failed to find any scripture to support his belief, and the people who had gathered around laughed at him, making him feel very much out of temper. on august 16th he called a few children together and spoke briefly to them in latin or some language that i did not understand. then he departed for another village.
soon after this, the people prepared a feast in honor of our visit. the food consisted of roasted fish and fowl. many little presents were also brought, such as could be made from the fiber of the cocoanut husk, mats, shells, etc. when all was laid before us, the spokesman said, in substance, in the tahitian language: "james, as a token of our great love and respect for you, the servant of god, we, the people of otapipi, anaa, have collected of all the varieties of food that our land affords, and a few articles of use. here is a pig, there is a fish, and fowl, and here are cocoanuts. this is meat and drink for us, and all that is produced in our land. we wish you to accept it from all of us as your true friends, and we wish you to eat and be full. be our president and teacher in the gospel, and a teacher of our children; for we are glad to have you come to our land as a father and guide. our hearts are full of gladness that god has sent you to our land, that we may be taught to love the true and living god, for we have always been in the dark, and did not know there was a true and living god to love and worship. now we have no more to say. amen."
the foregoing is a fair representation of the addresses made to us on occasions such as that was. that night the house could not hold all who came to search the scriptures and sing sacred hymns. three persons offered themselves for baptism, and were put off till sunday, the 17th, when i preached on faith, repentance, and baptism for the remission of sins. at the afternoon services, i exhorted the people to be faithful, told them the conditions on which they could be admitted into the church, and said that all who felt to accept those conditions might be accommodated that evening, as i had three candidates to wait on at the close of the services.
when the meeting was over, the whole congregation gathered down by the seaside. we sang a hymn and prayed, and i went down into the water and remained there until i had baptized thirty-five souls. when these were confirmed, the people remained together to a late hour before they would disperse. on august 18th, agreeable to the request of the people and with the approval of the rulers of the village, i opened a school, classified the students, and chose teachers for each class, then laid down rules to govern them. the feasting was continued from day to day to august 24th. on sunday, the 25th, i preached from the second chapter of the acts of the apostles. at the close of the meeting three persons presented themselves for baptism, and we attended to the ordinance. one of those baptized was mahia, who, forty years later, presided over the entire mission, being, at the latter time, totally blind. besides the three mentioned, sixteen others were baptized, and all of them confirmed.
on the 26th, the school was continued in good order. that day the news came that the catholic priest had taken charge of our meeting house at temarari, although the house was built and owned by the latter-day saints. the priest claimed the right to control it in the interest of his church; and the saints requested me to come and help them regain possession of the house. with two of the natives, i started on the 27th, quite a company, male and female, following us. when we arrived a feast was prepared; the people gave us a perfect ovation. we held meeting that evening, the 28th, and i preached from the twelfth chapter of luke.
at the close of the meeting the bell was rung for school. in came the priest to take charge, but as he had no right to the hour, and the people did not want him to teach, but desired me to take charge, i told them that when they settled the dispute about the house, if it was desired by the whole people and their officers that i should proceed, i would do so. they arranged to settle the matter in a day or two.
on the 30th i received a letter from elder t. w. whitaker, of tahiti, and i wrote to the white elders. the same evening i had a call from two of the catholic priests, whose names were tavara and harara. evidently they were very much disturbed in their feelings, as the people were still feasting with and showing every respect possible to me, while they passed the priests by with a cold nod.
sunday morning, august 31st, i preached on the attributes of god. at the close of our meeting the priests rang the bell and came marching in with their lamps and images, demanding possession of the house. we told them we had business matters to attend to, and were not ready to give up the place. nevertheless, they piled their things on the table in front of me as i sat writing. they had as much as two or three men could carry. they crowded their things right into my way, so i asked what they meant by such conduct, and who had invited them there before we got through with our business. they replied that it was their time for meeting, and demanded the house, claiming it was a public building, and that they had a right to hold their meetings in it. i said that it had been built and was owned by the mormon people, and that we did not propose to be disturbed by the intruders until we had finished our business. at that they flew into a rage and threatened us with the law, as they had done before, but finally they cooled down, carried their things out, and waited until we were through and had left. then they held their services. i do not think they had over six persons in their congregation. they dispersed quietly, and at 10 o'clock a.m. we held meeting again. i preached on faith and baptism. one hundred and thirty people attended our meeting. in the evening i baptized and confirmed twenty-five persons.
on monday, september 1st, i took up school by request of the people and their peace officers. on the 4th we had thirty students. on the 5th, two native elders went with me to tuuhora. we received a call from a priest; also held a prayer meeting, but few people attended it. on sunday we held three meetings, administered the sacrament, baptized nineteen souls, and confirmed them. on monday, the 8th, we organized a school with fifty students, and with the peace officers selected a teacher for each class. the catholic priest called on me and forbade me changing his hours of school. as i had not attempted to interfere with him or his schools, i came to the conclusion that he was seeking an occasion against me under the law, as they had threatened me with before. i knew they were jealous, for where i stopped the people would throng around me and the priests were left alone.
when the older people had gone through some morning exercises that day, desiring on my part to prevent further trouble with the priest, i sent him word that as soon as we got through with the younger classes he could occupy the building, but not before, as he had threatened to do. just as the messenger returned, the priest rang the bell most spitefully, and then came rushing into the school room, his eyes flashing angrily. our school was greatly disturbed. i advanced, and asked him civilly if he wished to attend our school. he said yes, evidently misunderstanding me. i pointed him to a seat, saying we were much pleased to have our school increase, and would he please give me his name. i must confess that i felt a little mischievous, and to retaliate slightly for their constant meddling in our affairs. he saw the point, flew into a rage, and sent for the landholders of the place to have me put out of the house. the landholders came, and told him they did not wish to have me disturbed, as they had sent for me to come and take up a school; that the people preferred me to him; that he was the one who had made the disturbance, not me, and that he must give way and cease his interference.
not satisfied with that decision, the priest sent for the governor and chief men of the town, who came, and with them a large crowd of citizens. when the governor had heard both sides, he confirmed the decision of the landholders, and called for a vote of the people to say which of us should teach school. the vote was unanimous against the priest. then the governor told him that as the people did not want him he must leave the house at once, and not disturb me or my school any more, for none of the people had any use for him, as he had witnessed; they had all voted against him, and all wanted iatobo.
at this, the priest took up his books and slates, and after accusing me of everything that was mean and low, and calling the mormon people the vilest names, he withdrew. later, he wrote a letter to governor bonard, of tahiti, and circulated it for signatures. we learned afterwards that he got thirty signers. i believe that eleven were french traders, and the other nineteen were natives whom the traders had in their employment. we also learned, at the cost of inquiry, that the priest's letter contained the charges upon which i was subsequently arrested. but at that time we continued our school in peace.
on september 12th i was feasted in royal style by non-members of the church. they called on one of the native elders to deliver the address, which he did in a most eloquent manner. i responded in the usual way, and accepted their kind offering. the cook disposed of the spread to the great satisfaction of the whole assembly, on such occasions all present being directly interested in the distribution of the eatables.
about this time the writer had a remarkable dream. he dreamed that god appeared, and told him to go to a field of his earthly father's, and replant where the birds and squirrels had destroyed the grain. then his father appeared and showed him where to begin the labor. when he had been furnished with seed and a hoe, he went to work, and the replanting was soon done. then he was shown a field of wheat that, in the spring of the year, was about eight inches high. the ground was quite wet, and the grain was growing nicely. while he was gazing on the bright prospects, a herd of cattle came in, breaking down the fence. they seemed to trample everything they came to. then he heard a voice say, "drive them out;" and as he attempted to do so, a fiery red bull made a charge toward him so that it seemed impossible for him to escape being gored to death; but as the animal lowered its head to make the deadly thrust, the writer seized it by both horns and bore its head to the earth. the animal was coming with such force that it turned a somersault, both horns being sunk to the head in the earth, and the bull's neck being broken. then a black and white bull, very peculiarly marked, came up in the same fierce manner, only to meet with a similar fate. at that the herd cleared the field, but not until much damage had been done.
when he awoke, the writer felt that there was more trouble ahead for him, but he did not know from what source it would come. of the priests who had given so much annoyance, one had fiery red hair, and another was white and dark spotted, or freckle-faced.
