Chapter 11.
On Oahu Again.—John Hyde's Apostasy.—I Meet Him in the Presbyterian Church.—At Waialua.
On October 6, 1856, all the Elders of the mission met in conference at Wailuku, island of Maui. Here I met my brother Franklin W. and John Brown, an old playmate. They had just arrived from Zion. Our conference was a truly happy one. I was appointed to labor on Oahu, under the presidency of Edward Partridge.
October 12, 1856, with a large company of Elders, I walked over the mountain, forty miles, without water, to Lahaina, getting there at 3 a.m. At 4 p.m. Elders Pack, Brown, Thurston, Cluff, Alma L. Smith, and Franklin W. Young sailed on the Manuokawai (ocean bird) for Hawaii, their field of labor for the next six months. At sunset President Partridge and Elder West and I sailed on the John Boyle for Honolulu. We went deck passage at two dollars each. The schooner being large, and having but few passengers, we were not crowded into a jam, as often happened. She was also dry on deck so we were quite comfortable.
On October 14th, at 8 a.m., having reached Honolulu, we learned that Elder John Hyde was in the city. For some reason he had not reported his arrival. On Friday, October 17, 1856, an article from John Hyde appeared in the Polynesia, slandering the Latter-day Saints. I therefore called on him demanding his Church recommends and his temple clothes. He gave them to me, but was very bitter in his attitude toward the Church. Sunday, October 26th, he delivered a public lecture in the Seamen's Bethel, as he said, "Exposing Mormonism." The hall was crowded, and the speaker was liberally applauded. To me it was a strong testimony that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God.
Mr. Hyde was a bright, well-educated man. He had been in the Church nine years, and much of the time he had been associated with some of our ablest Elders. Surely, I thought, if there is a weak spot in our Gospel armor, he has been able to detect it, and can expose the fraud to a listening world. The people came, and he "tickled" them; but he did it by repeating old tales, and sickly community gossip! Not one sensible reason did he show for leaving the Church.
After the meeting, President Partridge called a council of the Elders in our conference house, and it was decided that I should follow Mr. Hyde, in his lecture tour around the island, and give him battle.
On Monday, October 27, 1856, eating an early breakfast, I shouldered my pack, and walked forty miles to Waianae. I was warmly received by Kaholokahiki and the Saints of that little branch; and great was my joy at being again in the house where, when a boy, sick and afflicted, the vision of God had comforted me, healed my eyes, and loosened my tongue.
On Wednesday, November 5, 1856, I met Mr. Hyde In the Presbyterian Church at Waialua. Several clergymen and about fifty white people were seated on the stand, while the body of the church was packed with natives.
Mr. Hyde lectured on the "Evils of Mormonism." He commenced by saying:
"The Mormon Elder will tell you that plural marriage is a heaven-born institution, calculated to bless and exalt the human family. If this is true, why did not God in His infinite wisdom, make in the morning of creation a dozen wives for Father Adam, and thus forever set the question at rest? In France, Apostle John Taylor denied being a polygamist. At that time he was the husband of five wives. As that took place nine years ago, John Taylor stands before the world, a liar of nine years standing. My Christian friends, what confidence can you have in the testimony of a liar of nine years standing? (Prolonged applause). I went to France, and converted thousands of the French people to the Mormon faith. Alas, today, I awake, as from a dream, and find Mormonism to be false."
During his long talk, which was interpreted by the Reverend Mr. Emerson, a dry reed, many of the Kanakas had gone to sleep. When Mr. Hyde closed, I sprang to my feet, and asked permission to reply. The chairman refused to let me talk; but several gentlemen demanded fair play. At length the chairman gave me fifteen minutes' time; requesting me to speak in English and let Mr. Emerson interpret to the Kanakas. This I refused to do for the reason that our Elders have visited the homes of the white people, have borne testimonies to them, and have given them tracts explaining the restored Gospel. I feel that we have rid our garments of their blood; but we are under obligations to the natives—I shall speak to them.
I then said in substance: "Mr. Hyde asks why did not God make a dozen wives for Father Adam, and thus forever set the question of plural marriage at rest. I am surprised that a man of Mr. Hyde's intelligence should ask such a question. Your Bible, King James' translation, says God made man from the 'dust of the earth,' then caused a deep sleep to come upon him, and took a rib from his side, of which He made woman. Now, I will answer Mr. Hyde's argument by asking him a question. If God had taken twelve ribs from Adam, out of which to have made twelve wives, would not Adam have been a weak reed for the twelve women to lean upon?
"He says he went to France, and converted thousands of the French people to the Mormon faith. I never knew before that thousands of the French people were converted to the Mormon faith. I understand that our Elders met with poor success; in fact, that they had to leave France to avoid arrest. But grant for argument's sake, that Mr. Hyde converted thousands of them. In the next breath he tells you that he has awakened as from a dream, to find that Mormonism is false. So he confesses that he persuaded thousands of people to believe a lie. My Christian friends, what confidence can you place in a man who has persuaded thousands of people to believe a lie?"
Here they interrupted me and closed the meeting. I walked across the street, mounted a horse block, and preached for an hour to an interested audience. This was my first experience in debate. Opposition strengthened my faith, and added members to the Church.
On Sunday, November 9, 1856, two foreign gentlemen, evidently of the wealthy class, called on me and asked if Joseph Smith and the Mormons believe in a plurality of wives, and a plurality of Gods. I answered yes; to which they replied: "The moral sense inherent in man compels us to reject such doctrines." I answered that the moral sense in man caused the pious Jews to reject Jesus Christ; yet He was the Son of God, all the same. Mormonism, moreover, is the power of God unto salvation to all who receive it.
In the afternoon meeting Brother Kiama asked forgiveness for having starved me on my first arrival here. I forgave him, especially when he explained that he had been living in Mr. Emerson's house, and that this pattern of piety had threatened to turn him out if he kept me. I called later upon the reverend gentleman, told him of his unchristian-like conduct, and said, "If I get into the Kingdom of Heaven first, I will stand at the door and keep you out until you make this thing right with me."
On Friday, March 13, 1857, I made Mr. Goodale, my mother's cousin, a present of a "Voice of Warning," and Spencer's Letters; I also baptized a German by the name of John De Grais. On April 6th following, I attended conference on the Island of Lanai. We had an enjoyable time. Edward Partridge was appointed president of Maui, and his assistants were William W. Cluff, John R. Young, William Naylor, Thomas Clayton, and Robert A. Rose. Thus for the second time I had the privilege of laboring under the presidency of the son of the first bishop of this Church; a man who, like his father, was without guile: a righteous man whom I learned to love.
In Maui it was our practice to hold meetings in the morning before the natives went to their labors. On the morning of May 14, 1857, I did the preaching; and after meeting we separated for active labor; President Partridge remaining at Wailuku, Elders Cluff and Naylor going to Waienae. Elder Rose to Kula to teach an English school, while I went to Waiohue. My labors at this time required much walking, often forty miles in a day; and frequently I had to swim the mountain streams, which, when swollen by rains, were rapid and dangerous.
On May 27, 1857, in company with Elders Partridge, Cluff and Rose, I visited the extinct crater of Haleakala. Its crest is eleven thousand feet above sea level. Brother Kaleohano, with a pack horse, accompanied us as guide. For commissary, he had a calabash of poi and a string of red peppers. The ascent was steep, the soil rich, and vegetation rank and beautiful.
An hour's walk brought us to the cloud belt, after which we were enveloped in vapor, thick, cold, and chilly. At 5 p.m. we arrived at the big cave, within a mile of the summit. Here we camped for the night.
As I stood upon a high cliff and gazed upon an endless ocean of white clouds one thousand feet below me, I thought I had a vision of the Christian's heaven, which, they say, lies "beyond the bounds of time and space." Such a heaven would not suit me. The scene, strange and sublime though it was, brought no joy,—rather a feeling of unrest, mystery, and doubt; and I felt relieved, when the sun sank below the horizon, for then the clouds settled down, and gave me a pleasing view of West Maui, and the Island Lanai, Molokai, and Oahu.
We arose early the next morning, having passed a sleepless night. The air was damp and cold, the mountain being swathed in heavy clouds. Our pack horse was gone. Fortunately for us, a strong wind sprang up, and soon we had a clear view of Maunakea on Hawaii, rearing its snow-crowned crest nineteen thousand feet above the sea.
There are nine pots, or cone chimneys to this ancient crater. We descended into one of them; and having spent half a day in explorations, returned tired and hungry to the cave where we rested until Kaleohano broiled a bird that he had snared. For our ravenous appetites it proved only a morsel. On our way down the mountain, a rainstorm completely drenched us, and we were glad to reach our guide's hospitable home, and enjoy the rich treat of standing before a cheerful fire while our wet garments dried.
On Saturday, May 30th, I accompanied President Partridge, on horseback, to Honuaula, where we met Elder Kanahunahupu. He had been one of the first six to embrace the Gospel on these islands. He was a firm, intelligent man and an eloquent speaker. Our meeting the next day was well attended. President Partridge, Kanahunahupu, and I spoke, and a good spirit prevailed. Before closing, Brother Partridge, arising a second time, said he was impressed to make a few remarks on the mysteries of the Kingdom. You know we all love to hear things. Pohihihi! "Well," said he, "Elder Young needs a pair of shoes, and that is something that you do not seem to comprehend."
I want to finish this shoe story. I went barefoot for several weeks, actively engaged in preaching, and sometimes to large congregations, when Brother Poaono of Kipahule gave me a pair of Russian leather slippers. They were two inches too long for me, as hard as a board, and as tough as iron. Some of the Saints scolded the old man for giving them to me; but I checked their fault-finding, then laid my hands upon his head and blessed him.
That night Elder Cluff slept with me. Toward morning I had a curious dream. A person came to me, and taught me several trades. At last he said there was one more trade that I should learn—shoe making. "Suppose you have a pair of shoes that are too long. It is the simplest thing in the world to cut them in two and splice them short."
When I awoke it was just breaking day. I reached at once for the shoes, and taking my pocket knife, cut them in two. Then during the day I made a last, and a pegging awl out of a horseshoe nail, using a piece of lava rock for a file. I next made some pegs, and spliced them up short; and that pair of shoes, and the pair I traded them for, lasted me until I reached my father's home in Salt Lake City.
One incident more, then I am done with these little temporal matters. I was traveling with Elder William Naylor, of Salt Lake City. I still had in my care a little mule that Brother George Raymond had furnished me. In going from place to place in the mission, we would take turns riding. In that way the patient animal was of great help to us.
One day it was raining hard, and the creeks soon became swollen. On coming to a large stream, we were confronted with the awkward fact that Brother Naylor could not swim. Near by, however, stood a Catholic village and I went from house to house, beseeching the people to let us stay until the water went down. But they all refused, saying their priest had told them we were false prophets, and that God would be displeased if they took us into their homes.
Coming back to our outfit, I took our hats, coats, and shoes, and tying them firmly to the saddle, fastened one end of my stake-rope around the mule's neck; then going up stream the length of the rope, I plunged in and swam across. Brother Naylor held to the mule's tail with both hands, while I pulled both mule and missionary through the rushing flood, much to the amusement of a hundred people who had come to see us make the dangerous passage.
Brother Naylor had on a pair of white linen pants, which had too long done good service. As we walked on in our wet clothes, I noticed that his trousers were bursting in strips. They soon looked like a bifurcated dishrag, and taking them off, he threw them away. For the next week we had but one pair of pants between us. He was five inches taller than I; and when he would put on my nether garments to take the air, as he did every day he would look comical.
Want of clothing was not our only privation those days; we often suffered for want of food. I have walked many a day along the sea shore, gathering moss off the rocks to satisfy my hunger. But these things were as trifles to us; for we were rich in the Spirit of the Lord.