My First Mission

by George Q. Cannon

I have found that nothing is ever lost by Elders standing up for their rights. People respect others who are spirited in claiming the privileges which belong to them; and no Elder should ever forget that he is the ambassador of the King of heaven, and that he should maintain his calling. If he be firm and respectful, he will be respected.

We succeeded in building a fine meeting-house at Keanae, and in all that region faithfully preached to the people.

I told you in a previous chapter about the manner in which I had been treated by the missionary at Wailuku, the place where Napela lived. His persecution had been so strong that I thought it wise to withdraw from that place for awhile; but the time had now come for me to return; I felt impressed to do so; and, in company with Elder Francis A. Hammond, I reached there one evening. We did not know where to go to obtain quarters for the night; for the missionary who lived there had used every means in his power to frighten the people against entertaining us. Even Napela, who had previously afforded me a home, was under heavy condemnation for his kindness towards me. I felt delicate about going to his house again, thinking, probably, he might be reluctant to entertain us in view of the opposition which would be sure to follow.

When we got to the edge of the town in the hills, one of us went and prayed for the Lord to open our way and raise us up friends, while the other watched to prevent interruption. We felt led to go to Napela’s house, thinking that if he received us kindly we would stop with him, but if he appeared cold and distant, we would go elsewhere. We found him in conversation with four or five intelligent natives; most of whom had been classmates of his in the high-school. One of them, Kamakau, which translated means the fish-hook, was a preacher, a very well-educated man, and said to be the best native orator in their church. They were questioning Napela about our principles, arguing with him upon them, he defending them to the best of his ability.

Our arrival seemed most opportune; he was glad to see us, gave us a warm welcome, and soon transferred the conversation to us. At this time, Brother Hammond’s knowledge of the language was very limited, so I found myself the principal spokesman. We sat up until the roosters crowed in the morning, conversing upon our principles and reasoning from the Bible. For some time they were disposed to combat our views, but finally were silenced and sat and listened to what I said, occasionally asking questions.

This was the commencement of a great work in that region. The preaching of the gospel created a great excitement; the people flew by hundreds to hear the testimony, and I had the satisfaction of seeing the missionary who had treated me so badly and who had so bitterly opposed and lied about the work, almost deserted by his congregation; they having left his church to hear us preach, and see us baptize.

I confess that to see him thus treated pleased me; I did not wish him to receive any bodily injury, but I had hoped and prayed the day would come when he would see his followers desert his church, embrace the truth and leave him to himself.

We baptized a large number of people at Wailuku and the adjacent towns, erected a large meeting-house at that place and smaller ones at the other villages, and organized large and flourishing branches of the Church.

When Elder Hammond and his wife came to the island they had one child. Several children were born to them on the mission before they returned. After we had been successful in organizing branches at Wailuku, Waiehu and other places around there, Elder Hammond brought his family from Lahaina, where they had been living, to Waiehu. There they lived for some time. Afterwards, through his labors, a branch was raised up in Lahaina, and they moved there. All the Elders who labored in that field have reason to remember their kindness to them. Under their roof we always found a warm welcome, and it was home—a home which men who were constantly speaking the native language, living in the native houses and having to conform, to some extent at least, to their modes of eating, could appreciate. Sister Hammond’s unvarying kindness, her patience and cheerfulness in the midst of privation, and her unsparing labors in our behalf, to sew and do other work for us, which, among such a people we had need to have done, as well as his constant efforts for our comfort, will never be forgotten by those who enjoyed their hospitality.

The contrast between my position then and what it had been when formerly at Wailuku, was to me a constant cause of gratitude to the Lord. He had revealed unto me that it was my duty to remain on the islands, acquire the language and bear testimony of His great work to the people. He had given me many promises connected therewith. And now I began to feel how true His words had been. Many and many a time, when I sat in the meetings and heard the people speak in the demonstration of the Spirit of the Lord, filled with its power and its holy influence, bearing testimony to the truth of the gospel, to its restoration and to the gifts which had been bestowed, my joy was so great that I could scarcely contain myself. I felt that, however devotedly I might labor, I could not show the gratitude to the Lord which I felt, at being permitted to receive the Priesthood and to exercise it for the salvation of the children of men. Surely, never were men happier than we who labored in the ministry among that people in those days; we had a fullness of joy, and it seemed as if there were no room for more.