Transcript

Transcript for Andrew Jenson, "Society Islands Mission," Encyclopedic History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Salt Lake City: Deseret News Publishing Co., 1941), 804-06

SOCIETY ISLANDS MISSION (since 1907 called the Tahitian Mission) comprises four groups of islands lying in the South Pacific Ocean, known respectively as the Windward and the Leeward Islands of the Tahitian group and the Tuamotu and Tubuai archipelagoes, all being under French protectorate. These groups contain a great number of islands, but only a comparatively few of them are inhabited, and of these many are deserted except during the pearl diving seasons. Many of the islands are of coral structure, comprising a circular coral reef upon which land has formed and luxuriant vegetation grows. Inside the reef is a lagoon and the ring usually has one or more breaks through which vessels may pass into the lagoon. As these reefs are not entirely covered with vegetation, many of the main islands have the appearance of being composed of many islands; this is particularly the case in regard to the Tuamotus. Others of the islands are strictly volcanic formations and have lofty mountains which appear at some points to rise immediately out of the sea. In the lagoons are large quantities of pearl oysters and mother-of-pearl-shells for which the natives dive, and which are largely exported. On the islands cocoanuts grow in great profusion and serve as the chief article of diet. Copra also is exported in large quantities.

The Tuamotu group, according to the government year book for 1895, contained eighty islands, but only a part of them are inhabited. Of the islands somewhat prominently associated with Latter-day Saint missionary work are the following: Ragiroa, Arutua, Kakura, Neau, Apataka, Manaeha, Fakarava, Anaha, Arataka, Faieta, Takapoto, Takaroa, Hau and Kakahina. The principal islands of the Tubuai Archipelago are the islands of Tubuai, Rorutu, Rimatara, Vavatu, Rivivi and Raparopara. The principal islands of the Marquesas Archipelago are Nukehiva, Huapu, Uauka, Eiao, Huahuna, Hevaoa, Tauati and Fatuheva. Of the Cook Archipelago the principal islands are Raratongo, Atiau, Mangara and Uaeitupake. The principal islands of the Leeward group of the Tahiti Archipelago are Borabora, Huahine and Riata, and of the Windward group, Tahiti, Morea, Maieti (or Taturoa) and Mahitai.

The mission is divided into four conferences, or districts, namely, Tahiti, Tubuai, Upper Tuamotu and Lower Tuamotu. The headquarters of the mission are at Papeete, on the island of Tahiti, where there is a L. D. S. chapel and a mission home. Stone chapels have been erected on Takaroa, Mohu, Taahuia and Huahine (Tubuai), and lumber chapels at Rotoava on Takaroa and on the islands of Takapoto, Morokau, Hau and Hikueru.

On June 1, 1843, Noah Rogers (a High Priest) and Elders Addison Pratt, Benjamin F. Grouard and Knowlton F. Hanks (Seventies) left the city of Nauvoo, Ill., U. S. A., for the Sandwich Islands, having been appointed to labor there as missionaries. Having reached the Atlantic Coast on Oct. 9, 1843, these Elders boarded the ship "Timoleon" at New Bedford, Mass., but while enroute, Elder Hanks died of consumption Nov. 3, 1843, he being the first L. D. S. missionary to die at sea while on a foreign mission. On May 4, 1844, the other Elders landed on the island of Tubuai, where they were so well received by the natives that Elder Pratt, whose knowledge of the Hawaiian tongue enabled him to understand their language, decided to remain on Tubuai. On July 29, 1844, he organized the first branch of the Church on Tubuai and in due time he had made converts of nearly all the natives on the island.

Meanwhile Elders Grouard and Rogers had left Tubuai for other fields of labor. They landed on the island of Tahiti, where they commenced their missionary work and succeeded in converting and baptizing a number of white men, whom they organized as a branch of the Church. Among these was John Hawkins, who later rendered efficient aid as a missionary. Elder Rogers also made a trip to the Leeward Islands and did some missionary work on Raratea, Borabora, and other islands, but without much success, his way being hedged up by missionaries of sectarian churches. Finally, being an elderly man, he returned to America and arrived in Nauvoo just as the saints were being expelled from that city, and he died from exposure, being the first man buried at what afterwards became the famous Mormon cemetery at Mount Pisgah, Iowa.

After doing successful missionary work on Tahiti, Elder Grouard extended his labors to the Tuamotu group, meeting with great success on the island of Anaa and some other adjacent islands, where he organized several branches of the Church. Being unable to continue the work alone, he sent an urgent request to Elder Pratt on Tubuai to join him, which he did, and together these two Elders succeeded in baptizing over 2,000 converts on the Tuamotu group. Finally, it was thought expedient that one of them should return to the headquarters of the Church and report their labors. As Elder Grouard had married a native woman, Elder Pratt was the one selected to go, and he sailed from Papeete, Tahiti, March 28, 1847, for America.

After the departure of Elder Pratt, Elder Grouard commenced to labor on Tubuai, where he was received with joy and gained the confidence of the king or chief of the island to such an extent that he was made practically the chief man, next to the king, on the island. Nearly all the natives became members of the Church.

In May, 1850, Elder Addison Pratt returned to Tahiti on a second mission, having been appointed by Pres. Brigham Young to preside over the Society Islands Mission. He was accompanied by Elder James S. Brown and was joyfully received by the native saints and by Elder Grouard, who joined them soon afterwards. On Oct. 21, 1850, Bro. Pratt's wife and family, three other Elders from Zion with their families, and three unmarried Elders arrived on the islands to labor as missionaries, but of these only Sidney Alvarus Hanks, Jonathan Crosby and Simeon A. Dunn remained long on the islands. These three Elders and Elder James S. Brown, with the first missionaries, will always be closely associated with the early history of the mission.

Elders Pratt and Brown, on the Tuamotus, met with great success and it is estimated that there were 900 members of the Church on that group at that time. To assist them in their labors, the Elders built a schooner, which was called "Ravaii" (the Fisher); Elder Grouard was placed in charge of it. Thus the missionaries continued their missionary work until 1853, when, on account of a change in the local government of the islands, the American Elders were banished from their fields of labor. The native saints also suffered severe persecution, and in order to protect themselves, gave other names to their community organizations, such as "Church of Christ," "Abraham's Church," "The Sheep," etc., and, being as sheep without a shepherd, fell into error. "Reorganite" or Josephite missionaries also came among them and drew most of them away from the true Church.

In this condition the natives were found by Elders Joseph W. Damton and Wm. A. Seegmiller, who arrived from Hawaii, their field of labor, forty years later. These Elders in 1892 met with a cold reception, except on the island of Takaroa, where a branch of one hundred faithful saints was discovered. Elders Damton and Seegmiller finding it difficult to prove to the natives that they had been deceived by the "Reorganite" missionaries, the First Presidency of the Church sent one of the former Elders, James S. Brown, to preside over the Society Islands Mission; he was still remembered by some of his old friends. He arrived at Papeete, Tahiti, Sept. 20, 1892, and by the end of 1892, with the assistance of Elders Damron and Seegmiller and Elders Elando Brown (his son), and Thomas Jones, who had accompanied Elder Brown, a Church membership of nearly 500 was raised up. Elder Brown remained on the islands until July, 1894, and performed a wonderful mission, the labors of the missionaries being, however, mostly centered on the Tuamotu and Tahitian groups. In 1896 Elder Andrew Jenson visited the mission in the interest of Church history. In 1898, more missionaries having arrived, the work was extended to the Leeward Islands, and to the Cook Islands and the Marquesas group.

In 1904 the Book of Mormon was published in the Tahitian language from a translation made by Elders Daniel E. Miller, William H. Chamberlain, Israel E. Willey and David Neff, with Wm. B. Taylor as copyist.

At the close of 1930 eleven Elders from Zion and one missionary sister were laboring in the mission, which had a Church membership of 1,181, including 98 Elders, 43 Priests, 17 Teachers, 3 Deacons, 797 lay members, and 195 children.

Following are the names of the presidents of the Society Islands Mission: Noah Rogers, 1844-1845; Addison Pratt, 1845-1847; Benjamin Grouard, 1847-1850; Addison Pratt (2nd term), 1850-1852; native Elders, 1852-1892; Joseph W. Damron, 1892; James S. Brown, 1892-1893; Joseph W. Damron (2nd term), 1893-1895; Frank Cutler, 1895-1896; Daniel T. Miller, 1896-1899; Wm. H. Chamberlain, 1899-1900; Edward S. Hall, 1902-1905; Franklin J. Fullmer (pro tem.), 1905; Edward S. Hall (2nd term), 1905-1907; Frank Cutler (2nd term), 1907-1908; Wm. A. Seegmiller, 1908-1911; Franklin J. Fullmer, 1911-1914; Ira Hyer, 1914-1915; Ernest C. Rossiter, 1915-1919; John McCullough, 1919-1920; Leonidas H. Kennard, 1920-1922; Ole B. Peterson, 1922-1925; Herbert B. Foulger, 1925-1926; Stanley W. Bird (pro tem.), 1926; Alma S. Burton, 1926-1929, and George W. Burbidge, 1929-1930.