Upon many other occasions when meeting and school-houses were closed against us, when we were threatened to be attacked by night, and pistols were handed us for our protection, never upon one occasion, when we took time to investigate, did we fail to trace the cause of these persecutions to a religious source. The persecution of the Elders in the Southern States is commonly of a more sanguine nature than in most other parts of the world. And though this is so, on the other hand our friends usually are as determined to protect us. Here the the Southerner sallies out against the "Mormon" Elder with hickory withes, knives and pistols. In the Northern States, for example, it is of a milder nature, as being rotten-egged, tarred and feathered, etc. Here, also, our host usually says, "If they injure you it will be over my dead body," while elsewhere the Elders' friends are often half-hearted; though even here there are exceptions to the rule, for I myself have had firearms handed me for my protection, while the family retired to a back room.
In October of 1881, I was called upon to assist President John Morgan in the correspondence of the mission. The headquarters were then at Nashville, Tennessee, and much of my time subsequently was spent in that city, especially during the absence of President Morgan, when I was expected to look after the general affairs of the mission.
In the spring of 1882, I was appointed to preside over the East Tennessee Conference. During the summer I traveled into middle Tennessee, in Hickman county, and spent a pleasant month with "Uncle" Robin Church, who embraced the truth many years ago, and upon one occasion went hunting with David Patten when he was preaching through the south.
In the fall of the same year I was called upon to accompany a party of Saints to Colorado. Accordingly, about the middle of November, I left with over one hundred emigrants, and after a tedious journey of five days, we reached Manassa, Colorado, where the Saints were settling, and were met at the depot by the people, who received us with the hospitality proverbial of the southern people. Though the valley, the San Luis, had been but newly settled, still much headway had been made, and the people were enjoying themselves both temporally and spiritually.
I spent the remainder of the winter in Chattanooga and the northern part of the State of Georgia, looking after the general affairs of the mission, during Elder John Morgan's absence to Salt Lake.
In the spring of 1833, I was honorably released from my mission to return home at my earliest convenience. I took a trip up through the Carolinas to Philadelphia, visited Independence Hall, etc., and then up to New York. In the latter city I met a number of our Utah people, among others, Bishop John Sharp, John W. Young, and Elder James Hart. I accompanied the latter to Williamsburg, and addressed the Saints there on Sunday afternoon. From New York I took train for Auburn, Ohio, to visit my relatives. I found many of my father's cousins in good circumstances, financially, but not desiring, as a rule, to investigate the truths of the Gospel, though I was treated with marked respect and attention. After spending about three weeks with my father's relatives in Ohio and in the city of Chicago, I left for my "mountain home," not perhaps with such haste as Irving describes Ichabod Crane—that a game of marbles might be played on his coat tail, but it seemed the cars moved westward slowly indeed. I reached Salt Lake in time to attend April Conference, having been absent on my mission just two years to a day. A. H. Snow.
CHAPTER LVII.
Introductory.—Letter from Lorenzo's son-in-law on the Sandwich Islands.—The weather.—Cane crop.—Five hundred and forty-nine baptisms.—King David Kalakauna is coming to visit the Saints.—Great preparations for his reception.—Houses decorated.—Inscriptions.—Breakfast is waiting.—The steamer comes.—The King is escorted between two files of men, women and children.—Cheers.—Introductions.—Breakfast, then to the meeting house.—Reception.—Singing choirs.—Dedication prayer by President Partridge.—The King speaks approvingly of the Saints.—Meeting adjourned.—A "big feast" prepared by the natives.—What composed of.—How the King was seated.—How he ate.—How they all, numbering one thousand, ate.—The King escorted to the steamer.—A national custom.—Splendid conference.—Number of the Saints.
As an incidental jotting of the present, and as a family historic item in connection with the preceding reports of missionary labors, we here introduce a letter which my brother has received from a son-in-law, now on his second mission to the Sandwich Islands. When sent on his first mission to the isles, he was quite young, and went as a lone boy; now he has his family, consisting of a wife (my brother's daughter), and two children with him. He was called at the last April Conference, and started soon after its close. This is Morris Young's third mission abroad.