I was the last Elder called upon to speak, and only a few minutes were left for me to occupy. Being full of the good feeling and spirit of the meeting, I commenced, not only to bear my testimony to the truth, but to prophesy of the future of some of the sons of Zion who were then going forth as her ministers.
I predicted that, through faithfulness, the wisdom of heaven would increase with us; that while the wicked became weaker, the Elders of Israel would grow wiser; that the nations of the earth would begin to look towards Zion for counselors and statesmen, and that, if the Elders now going forth to the ends of the earth were true to their calling, they would not all fill their missions until some of them would be called upon to give counsel to some of the rulers of the lands to which they were sent.
After closing my prophecy and remarks, and I had time to ponder on what I had said, I began to doubt the possibility of my predictions being fulfilled, and began to be troubled in mind.
For a time I could not divest myself of the feeling, that my prediction was ill-timed and not by the spirit of the gospel. I would sometimes query if the brethren did not regard me as a false prophet, or, at least, as an enthusiast.
When we arrived on the Sandwich Islands, we found the work of the Lord progressing. The Elders who had been laboring there were greatly rejoiced to see us.
After a general mission conference, most of the brethren left Honolulu for their fields of labor on the different islands. I was left at this capital city, in charge of the foreign interests of the mission, to preside over a small branch of Saints, which had been gathered from the foreign residents on the islands, and to preach to the people as I might find opportunity. I also assisted Elders Lewis and Cannon, in raising funds for publishing the Book of Mormon in the native language.
Owing to the conflicting interests of political and religious parties in the Hawaiian kingdom, it was in a weak condition. The various missionary interests had nearly changed into political ones. Dr. Judd, one of the missionaries sent out by the American Board of Foreign Missions, had long been the king's prime minister. Another missionary, by the name of Armstrong, was Minister of Public Instruction, and other Americans filled the offices of Minister of Foreign Relations, Chief Justice, Attorney General, etc.
This missionary-political power began to cause great jealousy, especially in the case of Dr. Judd. Through his political advantages he had acquired much wealth, and, apparently by its use, raised himself up to be a power behind the throne, greater than the throne itself.
King Kamehameha III., like George the III., of England, had not reached a high standard of virtue, or political economy. It was said that, for money borrowed of Dr. Judd, he had given a mortgage on the royal palace.
As he had no children of his own he had adopted as next in succession, two sons of his sister, who were princes of the realm. About this time two projects were deeply agitating the public mind. One was the annexation of the islands to the United States, the other, a British protectorate over them. Neither of these projects suited the interests of the young princes, or pleased the majority of the people.