Transcript

[page 1] During the year 1875 the Book of Mormon was translated to the Spanish Language by Meliton G. Trejo, and selections were made there from and published in pamphlet form preparatory to establishing a mission in Mex ico, under the presidency of D. W. Jones. On the 15th of Sept, of the same year Elder Jones, with a pack train of eighteen animals and accompanied by Helaman Pratt, J.Z. Stu art, R. H. Smith, A.M.Tenney and A. W. Ivins and Wiley C. Jones, started to Mexico on a mission, and taking with them about 1500 copies of the published extracts. They traveled sough through the sett lements to Kanab, holding meeting in most of them, asking and receiving contributions from all for the support of the mission and to pay for translating the Book of Mormon and publishing the extracts. After leaving Kanab they traveled on the road made by our Brethren of the Colorado Mission in 1873 as far as Moan Cappy, They then traveled east to the Oriba and Moquis villages, then due south to the Little Colorado at which point they struck the Arizona Mail line, running to Prescot on which st they traveled to near Prescot, when they turned south to the Sals and Gila Rivers, Here they met protions of the tribes of Pimas, Maricopys and Papigo Indians to whom they explained the object of their mis [page 2] sion and to a limited extent the princip les of the Everlasting Gospel, which was listened to with much interest on the part of many of them, They traveled from the Gila to Tucson at which place they were kindly treated by the Govern civil authorities and an in the Gov ernor extended to them an invitation to preach and proffered suggested the Court House by invitation from the Governor held meeting in the Ccourt shouse, They traveled from Tucson east to Las Cruces on the Rio Grande in New Mexico, and crossed at Mesilla a few miles below, and went down the river to El Paso, Texas, and recrossed to El Paso, State of Chihuahua, Mexico, From this place Bros. A. M. Tenney and R. H. Smith were sent by Pres. Jones to Ysleta New Mexico to labor among the ind ians, for which place they started on the 14th of February 1876, After laboring among the Ysletas a few weeks they went to the Tenneys of whom by the blessings of God they baptised 130, The remaining five stayed in El Paso about two months studying the Spanish Language, & while here Bro. Jones assisted by his son & Bro Ivins worked some at the saddlers trade & Made forty or fifty dollars to aid their our support. On account of opposition frm the Catholic priests they were not able to accomplish much on the border, except to distribute our [page 3] extracts, although several meetings were held across the river in El Paso and San Elizario, Texas, On They traveled from El Paso to the City of Chihuahua and there found more liber ality, The Governor promised them protection and invited them to preach, After passing about ten days in Chi huahua they went to Concepcion where there was more indian blood and where they found not only a willingness by an anxiety on the part of the people to hear the principles of the Gospel, [page 4] In this plart of the country the opening is good and the prospect favorable, They remained in Concepsion about two weeks and held one or two meetings and then started to come return to Utah having distrib uted most of the Extracts, sending some to each Governor and Alcalda of note. in Mexico. They arrived at Kanab on the 23rd of June J. Z. Stewart Aug 8th 1876,