Life of a Pioneer: Being the Autobiography of James S. Brown

by James S. Brown

That evening Elders Joseph W. Damron and Wm. A. Seegmiller, missionaries from Utah, came on board and asked if there were any Latter-day Saints there. I introduced myself, then my son Elando, and Elder Thomas Jones. Elder Damron insisted that we go on shore with him for the night, which we did, and my son and I were comfortably located at the home of Tiniarau, where we remained some time. The other Elders went to a house about three miles distant, but next day moved to Mr. Atwater's place. For some days I was very tired and in poor health, and remained at the house talking to people who called.

CHAPTER LXIV.

FIRST SABBATH IN TAHITI—MEET SEVERAL PERSONS WHOM I KNEW OVER FORTY YEARS BEFORE—HOW THEY REMEMBERED ME—SEEK PERMISSION TO HOLD PUBLIC MEETINGS—WIDOW OF MY OLD FRIEND, JOHN LAYTON, CALLS ON ME—OTHER FRIENDS—PREACH TO THE JOSEPHITES—GOVERNOR REFUSES TO PERMIT US TO HOLD PUBLIC MEETINGS—GET ADVICE OF THE UNITED STATES CONSUL—A LAWYER'S COUNSEL—JOSEPHITES TELL OF B. F. GROUARD—I EXPLAIN HOW HE HAD TURNED INTO THE WRONG PATH—THE CHURCH NEVER DISORGANIZED—MISSIONARY LABORS—GREETING A FRENCH ADMIRAL—EARLY MISSIONARIES TO TAHITI—THEIR SEVERE EXPERIENCES—SIXTY-FOURTH ANNIVERSARY OF MY BIRTH—LEARN OF MORMONS WHO WERE HANGED FOR HAVING KILLED A POLICEMAN IN THE TROUBLE WHEN I WAS ARRESTED ON MY FIRST MISSION TO THE ISLANDS—MEET A NATIVE OF PITCAIRN'S ISLAND—HIS STORY—VISIT TAUTILA—SEVERE VOYAGE—A BAPTISM—SAIL FOR TUBUOI—AMONG STRANGERS—CELEBRATION OF A FRENCH FETE DAY—DINE WITH THE GOVERNOR—PEOPLE BECOME LESS UNFRIENDLY TO US—BREAKING OF THE CLOUDS—BAPTIZE TWENTY-FOUR PERSONS—ENCOURAGING RESULTS OF MISSIONARY EFFORTS.

OUR first Sabbath in Tahiti (June 5, 1892,) we attended the Josephite meeting. The service was very brief, and the people seemed worried. Next day several of the Josephites called on me, and after a lengthy conversation told me they knew I spoke the truth to them. I was also visited by a number of friends who were young when I was on the islands before, but who remembered me. One who came from Anaa said he was present when I first landed on that island, and he knew of my labors and my having been arrested by the French. He remembered me by my voice, and said the people who heard me then would know me in the same way, if they did not by seeing me. Many natives came and said they were glad to see and hear me, though they had been born since I left the country.

A Mr. Henry, a son of a former minister of the Church of England, called, and I loaned him a Voice of Warning. He invited me to spend the evening with himself and wife, but I had an appointment. I went next evening, however, and passed a very enjoyable time, as I did on several occasions afterwards. During that week I was visited by very many people. Mr. Atwater gave us the privilege of holding public meetings in his house, but we understood it was necessary to get the permission of the director and secretary of the interior for the province, so Mr. Atwater and I called. That official said we were to submit the application to the governor, and he would notify Mr. Atwater of the reply. On Saturday evening I talked on the market grounds to a large number of people, several of whom recognized me as having been on the island forty years before. That evening, at the wharf, I also met with an aged man from Anaa, who had known me on my former mission, and who said that if I would go there the people would follow my teachings.

On Sunday, the 12th, who should come to see me but Mrs. Layton, a native, the widow of my old friend John Layton. I had seen her in San Francisco. My own sister could not have been more pleased to see me, and I was very glad to meet her. She gave me the best history of my former friends on the islands that I was able to obtain. Next morning I took a short stroll, then returned to the house. The other Elders distributed tracts among the English-speaking residents of Papeete, and I received another call from Mrs. Layton, who brought her little granddaughters and also a man—the son of an old friend of mine—who said that on my former visit to the island I had named him Iatobo, after my own Tahitian name.

It was while taking breakfast, on the 14th, with a Mr. Mervin, some of whose children had been blessed in the Church, that an old lady who came up, recognized me, and shook hands so persistently that it seemed as if she did not intend to let go, and did not do so for some minutes. She had seen the French officers take me away from Anaa. The old lady had known me on sight, though forty years had passed. The same day I met an aged man who also recognized me from having known me before. That same evening I was given the privilege of addressing the Josephite meeting and told them how and by whom the Gospel had been brought to them, and which was the true Church. I tendered my services to preach in their meeting house, but my offer was not accepted.

On the 16th I started with Elder Seegmiller to visit the old prison where I had been incarcerated by the French, but the distance being too great I had to give up the journey. Next day we received from the governor a reply to our application for permission to hold public meetings. Our request was denied, the reason assigned being that we believed in polygamy. We had no disposition to let the matter rest there, so we called on the United States consul for advice. He told us to make application in writing for permission to preach, and if refused to submit it to him. This we did on the 20th, and next day received an unfavorable answer. The governor asked what we taught, and we told him. We stated that we did not teach polygamy. The reason he then gave for refusing us the permission desired was that there were enough religions there and he did not want another established. Mr. Atwater suggested that we consult with Mr. Bonett, formerly director and secretary of the interior, and an able lawyer. We did so, and he informed us that it was not necessary to get permission to preach, but that we must notify the mayor or justice of the peace of the time and place of our meetings.

To return a few days: On Sunday, the 19th of June, we attended a Josephite meeting, where all were friendly but the presiding officer; yet after meeting he told us to come and eat, sent a half-caste to wait on us, and otherwise was quite attentive. After dinner we talked to the audience, who appeared well pleased. They said B. F. Grouard had set native songs to American tunes, and that he had also sent letters endorsing the Josephite church; he had been one of the first to preach the true Gospel to their fathers, as I had been, and they were confused at my coming, for they could not refute what I had said. I was under the necessity of telling them how that Grouard had turned into the wrong path—an action which they admitted was quite possible. After our talk this day we felt that we had done our full duty towards those Josephites in explaining to them the true condition of affairs.

On the afternoon of the 20th my old friend Mahana Toro called, but did not seem so friendly as in former times. He was about seventy years of age, and very much broken in health. He also had joined the Josephites under the misapprehension that they were of the same Church as I was. I told him the difference, that the Josephite organization was distinct, and was not the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which never had been disorganized. He then seemed to feel more kindly towards me, and visited me on subsequent occasions, bringing gifts of oranges.