Tahitian Mission Report

My dear brothers and sisters* it is indeed a great responsibility for me to occupy this position. I pray that during the few moments I stand here I may have the Spirit of the Lord to help me. ¶

I am indeed grateful to have had the honor to labor for seven years in the Tahitian Mission among some of the most wonderful people on this earth. I am thankful for the many things that they have taught me. I love them as I do my own kin. I bring you greetings and best wishes from them. The greatest desire in their hearts is to have the honor some day of meeting in person the General Authorities of this Church. They would love to come to our temples to do the work for their dead. They are praying every day for that opportunity. ¶

Our people are faithful and sincere. They have the faith of a small child. They kneel in prayer in absolute — I was going to say, knowledge that their prayers will be answered. I have seen their sick healed almost instantly. ¶

Our missionaries in that field are doing a splendid work, although we have many hardships to contend with, and much traveling. Those in our ranks have been few, but they have been faithful. They have done a splendid work. They are still doing a splendid work. ¶

We were certainly happy to have Brother Woodbury come into the field to direct them. He is a splendid man, and he is loved by those people. His good wife, I am sure, will do much to help the work along in that mission. ¶

The last four years have been years of depression, but notwithstanding that condition our people have been faithful. They ¶

have faithfully paid from their earnings their tithes and offerings, although they have not amounted to much in dollars and cents. In the last four years they have constructed five chapels in the mission. Many of the rocks used in construction were carried for long distances, upon the shoulders of our brothers and our sisters. I am sure, if you understood the conditions under which those chapels were erected, you would admire the faith and devotion of those dear people. ¶

You fathers and mothers who have sons in that mission, peace be in your hearts. Your sons are well. They are happy. They are glad to have had the opportunity of going to that mission. They have burning in their hearts a testimony of the divinity of this Gospel. They are loved by the people. There is no place in this world where the missionaries are more dearly loved or where their labors are more appreciated than they are in that field. I say the responsibility of our missionaries is great, but notwithstanding that condition they are continuing to go forward. ¶

I remember an incident that happened just about a year ago. I was talking to one of the leading attorneys of those islands, and in the course of our conversation he said to me : "Mr. Mallory, you know I have a son who has now reached the age where he must leave this colony to go to school." He said : "I would like to send him to America. I would like very much to place him in the home of some good Latter-day Saint family." By the way, this gentleman was not a member of our Church. He said : "I know that in that home he would be taught the things that my wife and I would like to have him taught. If some day in the future this boy could return to us as fine, as clean a man as your missionaries who have come to this field, my wife and I would be the most happy parents in this world." ¶

Another time the Governor of French Oceania was making an inspection tour of the Lower Tuamotu group. He called on one of the islands on which is located one of our largest branches. As his ship pulled up to the wharf he was met by our twenty-seven piece L. D. S. band. He was escorted through the town, which he found clean, and the houses well painted. He found no drunkenness. He found the people tending to their business. He asked the Chief how it was, and who had taught them to do those things. He was told the Mormon missionaries. He called the people together and said to them : "You people — it makes no difference to what denomination you belong — I ask you to listen to the advice and counsel of these Mormon missionaries. I promise you that if you do so you will continue to grow, to prosper, to have beautiful homes, a beautiful city, a nice place to live." ¶

Another time the same Governor was making a trip to another island. He wanted a certain man to be chief of that island. This man happened to be one of our Elders, a native missionary who was ¶

laboring on that island. In fact, he is the only man belonging to the Church on that island. ¶

When I visited the island, some time later, I asked him how it was that he had been chosen chief of that group of people, there being so many people from different organizations there. He told me when the Administrator came he asked : "Is there any member of the Mormon Church here?" This man told him that he was a member. He said : "I would like to talk to you." The result was he was chosen as chief of that island. The Governor stated : "I want a man on whom I can depend, a man who does not drink. I know the Mormon people meet these requirements. ¶

May the Lord bless us here at home and help us to carry on the good work, as our missionaries are doing in the field. May we ever heed the advice and counsel of these noble men who have been chosen to direct this great work. May we ever be worthy and willing to do the things asked of us, in our different branches, in our different wards, in our stakes, and ever be found in the line of duty, I pray, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶