Remarks by Angus T. Wright

(Newly Appointed President of the New Zealand Mission) ¶

It seems unnecessary for me to say that it is a great pleasure to be with you this morning in the service of the Lord. While I look upon your faces and recognize very few of you as acquaintances, yet I feel and know that you are my brethren, you are my sisters, in that great cause which has been revealed in these last days. ¶

I rejoice in this work, I rejoice to know that I have been counted worthy to be called to go forth again to carry this glad message to the nations of the earth. Thirty odd years ago I was called to New Zealand . When I was called I hardly knew where New Zealand was. I had to get a map to find out, and when I got that map I found a small spot away off in the south Pacific Ocean, seven or eight thousand miles away, and it seemed an awful long way from home, but I was called to that mission. I never questioned for a moment but what it was a call of the Lord. His servants had called me; his servants had laid their hands upon my head and blessed me. They told me that I should go in peace and return in safety, and I believed as firmly in that promise as I believed that the sun would rise upon the morrow. I had several narrow escapes while there, but God blessed me with his Spirit, he preserved me in health, he preserved me in strength ; he blessed me that I was able to perform, to some extent, the mission that was expected of me. ¶

Before leaving my home a rather peculiar thing happened to me. ¶

President Lewis W. Shurtliff, then president of our stake, said : "Brother Wright, I desire to give you a blessing before you leave." And I told him I should be very glad indeed to have it, and he, with my fatherin-law, Charles F. Middleton, came to my home, and President Shurtliff blessed me, adding, as has been stated by the brethren previously, when I was set apart, that I should go in peace and return in safety, but he made this additional promise. He said: "You snail go and assist in the translation of the Book of Mormon." Now, I didn't know that the Book of Mormon was being translated. He, no doubt, had heard of it, but I remembered that promise, and when I landed in Auckland, with seven other elders, and was met by President Paxman, he selected me from that entire number to go down to that particular part of the island where this work was being done by Brother Ezra Richards, of Farmington, and another brother from Salt Lake City, and while there I had the privilege of assisting as scribe. I read the manuscript, that had been corrected, to Sister Marriott who rewrote it for the brethren. And afterwards I was called to go to Auckland and there I proof read and published the Book of Mormon in the Maori language. Now, it was a rather convincing thing to me that President Shurtliff should make this promise to me, at that special time and that President Paxman, who had no way of knowing of this particular promise, should select me from that number to go to that particular part of the island and assist, as had been promised, and it was surely a testimony to me that, at least, I had been called by the proper spirit. There was no question in my mind when I was called whether I would go, or not. Sure, I didn't know where I was going. Some of my outside friends, and I had a lot of them, said, "Well, there are cannibals down there, but there is one satisfaction for them in eating you ; they will get a whole mouth-full because you arc built that way." ¶

But they didn't eat me. However, we met cannibals. I met one old gentleman in particular who admitted to me that he had been a cannibal, and he told me that the flesh was sweet and very much like pork, so there you are! ¶

I was somewhat surprised, I will admit, at this second call. I will say, however, that I also had the privilege of presiding, the last year of my mission there, as I relieved President Paxman, who was released to return home, and I had the privilege of directing the labors in that mission for one year, but it is thirty-three or thirty-four years since, and I am getting old, so they tell me. That is the only objection that anybody has ever made to my present call, they thought I was getting too old, but I can not realize that. I feel yet that I am only a kid, and my mind is just as alert — I couldn't ride a horse just as well as I did then. I couldn't, perhaps, walk just as far as we had to sometimes, but otherwise I feel just as capable, just as alert, just as much filled with that desire and that ambition and that Spirit of God, as I ever have been in my life, so I think these friends who would like ¶

lo relieve me on account of my age are mistaken. I don't feel that I am in that class at all. ¶

When President Ivins spoke to me about going, he said my name was under consideration, several have been named, but he said, "I can not get my mind on anybody else but you." President Ivins and I had1 the privilege of laboring togther on the State Board of the Agricultural College as trustees, and he said : "I have become pretty well acquainted with you in these past five or six years, and you, having been tbere must yet remember part of the language. I feel that you are the proper man. Will you go?" "Why," I said, "President Ivins, you should not ask me that question. You ought to know that I will go, and with pleasure." "Well, but," he said, "you are a business man, and if it will interfere in any way with your business, with your financial affairs, and you feel that you can not go, say the word and we will find someone else." "President Ivins, all that I have belongs to God, and I am only his steward. I haven't so very much, but what I have is on the altar and at your service. What few years I have left, if necessary, I am willing to devote to this great cause, which I know is true," and he gave me his hand, and the shake of that hand that I got at that time I never will forget, and the spirit that I seemed to receive from him has been with me ever since. I used to be afraid, 1 used to be nervous. I used to take a back seat. I admit business men usually are a little backward about coming forward, but since that day, why, it has been a pleasure to come and speak, it has neen a pleasure for me to pray, it has been a pleasure for me to meet with the Saints, and I have taken more joy and satisfaction in this short month, or month and a half, than I have for many years, and it is a testimony to me that it is the work of God. My wife, God bless her, is going with me. She is not quite as old as I am, and don't look nearly as old. She is not as white-haired as I, but she has been spared for some good purpose. She has been ill, she has had serious operations, but today she seems to be in perfect health, and I can't help but believe, and she believes, that she has been spared for some good purpose. She is a noble woman. I say it sometimes in her presence, and I say it here, because I know she is over in the other building, but she is a noble beinc. She will make a mother to those elders, as she said last night. We had a li'tle meeting telling us goodby, and she was asked to speak. She said: "I will be a motber to ihose bovs, and if thev get holes in their s'ockings T will help them darn them," and she will; she is built that way ; she is a perfect mother. ¶

Now I must not take up to much time, but I assure you that T feel to rejoice. I feel my weakness in being classed with these veterans who have been in the field, as Brother T'ennion savs, for ninefeen vears, while I have been trying to accumulate dollars, he has been laying up his treasures in heaven; mine are where thieves sometimes break through and steal, but I am willing, my brethren and sisters, to spend part of that little in the service of the Lord. I feel to rejoice. ¶

I know that we are going in safety and we are going to return likewise, because we have been promised. Not only that — let me say, just to be exact, a rather peculiar incident happened. The occasion that I spoke of when President Ivins first asked me if I would go was on Friday, February 16. On Friday, March 9, President Grant called nie on the phone and confirmed this call, and asked if I could go, and I said, as I told President Ivins, "Brother Grant, you know I will go. While I am weak, while I am not a preacher, I am willing to devote my time, and if God will help me and with the prayers of you good brethren, I feel that I shall succeed." That is the great satisfaction for me. No matter which one of the apostles I have met, or any of the other authorities of the Church, they have shaken me by the hand and said: "Brother Wright, I believe you are the right man in, the right place; we have confidence in you." And oh, what a joy, what else on earth could give one so much joy, so much joy to know that one has the faith, the confidence, the love, the respect and esteem of these good men, and I say, God bless them. But, getting back, I have said now, there are two Fridays, Friday, February 16, Brother Ivins spoke to me; Friday, March 9, Brother Grant confirmed the call. On Friday, mind you again, we were set apart, and we sail on Friday, in a room or cabin numbered 13. You cannot tell me but what we are going in safety, and we are coming in like manner, after all that, because all these negatives must make a positive. ¶

It is almost time to close, and I regret it, because I have a lot more I would like to say to you. I certainly received a great testimony of the truth of the gospel when I was in the field before. I did not know the power that was within me as a servant of God. In one field that we were opening up, the power of darkness preceded us. It took possession of a weak sister, and tried to confound us, to prevent us from opening up this mission on this adjacent isle. It was in the form of a man. He talked to me through this sister. He told me his name, that he was a cannibal, that he was a bad man, that he was there with thousands with him, and they were going to prevent us from opening up that mission, he was going to prevent these people whom he called his from, entering into the waters of "Mormon" to be baptized. But by the power of the holy Priesthood, by the authority of Jesus Christ, we rebuked that evil influence, that evil spirit, and we wrere enabled to go forth and perform the ordinances of baptism to thirty-five of them; we blessed fifteen children ; we organized a branch, and we left them happy and contented, and I know it was by the power of the Priesthood of God, and I have rejo;ced in that testimony ever since. ¶

May God bless you, my brethren and sisters. I hope you will remember us sometimes, in that far-off land, and I know that the prayers of the faithful accomplish much, and we sincerely ask for them. And I bear you my testimony, my brethren and sisters, that I know and am satisfied that this is the work of God. Why, look ! who could deny it, when you see its effects? You shall know a tree by its ¶

fruits. See how Zion is growing. Go into any of the branches, or the wards, see the interest that is being taken. They are crowded as never before. We are dividing our stakes and sub-dividing our wards, and yet wour meetinghouses will hardly hold the Latter-day Saints because of that great awakening, the great spirit, the great desire, to serve God, which seems to have come literally upon them, and I rejoice in it, and may God bless us, I ask it in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶