First Mission to the Lamanites

FIRST MISSION TO THE LAMANITES. BY JOHN JAQUES, ASSISTANT CHURCH HISTORIAN.

The American Indians are of the house of Israel. The Book of Mormon is a history of their forefathers, whom it terms Laman- ites and who came originally from Palestine to America. That book, revealed by an angel to Joseph Smith, the Prophet, and by him translated into English by the power of God, and published to the world in 1830, says that the Lamanites once were "a white and delightsome people," and that they will be again through obedi- ence to the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, their dark upon them by the Almighty for their skins being a curse inflicted sins many That book also states that a great generations ago. work will be done among the Lamanites in regard to the Gospel in the latter days.* Since the organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Lat- ter-day Saints, in 1830, numerous missions have been engaged in to and amongst the Indians, in different parts of North America, with varying success. In some instances many have believed in the Gospel restored through Joseph Smith, and have been baptized for the remissionion of their sins. In the summer and fall of 1830, after the publication of the Book of Mormon, several of the Elders manifested a great desire concerning the Lamanites in the west, hoping the time had come when the promises of the Lord respecting them were about to be fulfilled. It was agreed that Joseph Smith should enquire of the

Lord respecting the propriety of sending Elders among them.

Read II Nephi 30: 3-6.

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which was done accordingly, and in September, a revelation was received, of which the following is a portion, relating to Oliver Cowdery: "And now, behold, I say unto you, that you shall go unto the Lamanites and preach the Gospel unto them; and inasmuch as they receive thy teachings, thou shalt cause my Church to be established among them." In the same month a revelation was given through Joseph to Peter Whitmer, on the same subject, the following being an extract: "Behold, I say unto you, Peter, that you shall take your journey with your brother Oliver, for the time has come that it is expedient in me that you shall open your mouth to declare my Gospel; therefore, fear not, but give heed unto the words and advice of your brother, which he shall give you. "And be you afflicted in all his afflictions, ever lifting up your heart unto me in prayer, and faith, for his and your deliverance: for I have given unto him power to build up my Church among the Lamanites." Another revelation, in this connection, was given in October of the same year, through Joseph, to Parley P. Pratt and Ziba Peterson, of which the following is a part: "And now, concerning my servant Parley P. Pratt, behold, I say unto him, that as I live I will that he shall declare my Gospel and learn of me, and be meek and lowly of heart; "And that which I have appointed unto him is, that he shall go with my servants Oliver Cowdery and Peter Whitmer, Jun., into the wilderness among the Lamanites; "And Ziba Peterson, also, shall go with them, and I myself will go with them and be in their midst; and I am their advocate with the Father." The four brethren named immediately began to make prepar- ations for their journey, from Fayette, western New York, to the borders of the Lamanites, which were then on the western bound- aries of the state of Missouri and of the United States, some fif- teen hundred miles distant. As soon as the missionary brethren were ready, they bid adieu to their relatives, brethren and friends, and commenced their journey late in October, 1830. They started on foot, "preaching by the way, and leaving a sealing testimony

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behind them, lifting up their voices like a trump in the diiferent villages through which they passed." This was the first mission through the western states and to the Lamanites since the organ- ization of the Church. As stated in the revelations, the missionaries were Oliver Cowdery, Peter Whitmer, Jun., Parley P. Pratt and Ziba Peterson. When near Buffalo, these missionaries called on an Ijidian nation and spent part of a day with them instructing them in regard to their forefathers. The Indians received the brethren kindly and manifested much interest in their message. Two copies of the Book of Mormon were given to certain of the Indians who could read. The missionaries continued their journey and about two hun- dred miles further called on Mr. Sidney Rigdon, living about two miles from Kirtland, Ohio, who was a former friend and instructor of Elder Parley P. Pratt, when in the Reformed Baptist Society. Mr. Rigdon entertained the missionaries cordially and hospitably. They presented him with a Book of Mormon, which he received with much interest. The missionaries remained in Kirtland and neighborhood a con- siderable time, visiting from house to house, preaching the Gospel. Their labors resulted in Mr. Rigdon and a number of others being '

converted and baptized. In two or three weeks one hundred and twenty-seven souls were baptized in that region, and the number in a short time afterward increased to one thousand. After ordain- ing several brethren to the ministry, the missionaries took leave of the Saints and resumed their journey westward. Fifty miles west of Kirtland, the missionaries found some people who wished to entertain them and hear them preach, while others were much opposed to them. Simeon Carter kindly took them in, and entertained them. In the evening, while they were reading to him and explaining the Book of Mormon, there came a knock at the door and an officer entered with a warrant from a magistrate, named Byington, to arrest Elder Pratt on a frivolous charge. He and another of the brethren accompanied the officer

a couple of miles in the dark to the place of trial before false wit- nesses and a judge who boasted of his intention to put the mission- aries in prison, to test the powers of their apostleship, as he said.

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Elder Pratt concluded to make no defense. He was ordered to prison, or to pay a sum of money which he did not have. But the two were kept in court till near midnight and urged to settle the matter by paying the money demanded. At Elder Pratt's request, Brother Peterson sang the hymn, "Oh how happy are they," which exasperated the court still more. Elder Pratt proposed that if the witnesses would repent of their false swearing and the magistrate of his unjust and wicked judgment and of his persecution, blackguardism and abuse, and all kneel down together, the two brethren would pray for them, that God might forgive them. "My big bull dog pray for me," said the judge. "The devil help us," exclaimed another. The court adjourned, and Elder Pratt was taken to a public house near by and locked in. In the morning the officer took Elder Pratt to breakfast. Afterward, while waiting for him to be taken to prison, his fellow missionaries came along and called to see him. He told them to pursue their journey and he would soon overtake them. The following is from Elder Pratt's Autobiography: "After sitting awhile by the fire in charge of the officer, I requested to step out. I walked out into the public square, accom- panied by him. Said I, 'Mr. Peabody, are you good at a race?' 'No,' said he, 'but my big bull dog is, and he has been trained to assist me in my office these several years; he will take any man down at my bidding.' 'Well, Mr. Peabody, you compelled me to go a mile, I have gone with you two miles. You have given me an opportunity to preach, sing, and have also entertained me with lodging and breakfast. I must now go on my journey; if you are good at a race you can accompany me. I thank you for all your kindness — good day, sir.'

"I then started on my journey, while he stood amazed and not able to step one foot before the other. Seeing this, I halted, turned to him and again invited him to a race. He still stood amazed. I then renewed my exertions, and soon increased my speed to something like that of a deer. He did not awake from his astonishment sufficiently to start in pursuit till I had gained^ perhaps, two hundred yards. I had already leaped a fence, and was making my way through a field to the forest on the right of

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the road. He now came hallowing after me, and shouting to his dog to seize me. The dog, being one of the largest I ever saw, came close on my footsteps with all his fury; the officer behind still in pursuit, clapping his hands and hallooing, 'Stu-boy, stu-boy

take him, Watch —lay hold of him, I say — down with him,' and

pointing his finger in the direction was running. The dog was I

fast overtaking me, and in the act of leaping upon me, when, quick as lightning, the thought struck me to assist the officer, in sending the dog with all fury to the forest, a little distance before me. I

pointed my finger in that direction, clapped my hands, and shouted in imitation of the officer. The dog hastened past me with redoubled speed towards the forest; being urged by the officer and myself, and both of us running in the same direction. "Gaining the forest, I soon lost sight of the officer and dog, and have not seen them since. I took a back course, crossed the road, took round into the wilderness, on the left, and made the road again in time to cross a bridge over Vermilion River, where I was hailed by half a dozen men, who had been anxiously waiting our arrival to that part of the country, and who urged me very earnestly to stop and preach. I told them that I could not then do it, for an officer was on my track. I passed on six miles further,

through mud and rain, and overtook the brethren, and preached the same evening to a crowded audience, among whom we were well entertained." After several days' travel, the missionaries arrived at Sandusky, in western Ohio, where the Wyandot tribe or nation of Indians resided. The missionaries called on them and were well received, spending several days with them and laying before them the record of their forefathers. The Indians rejoiced in the tidings, bade the missionaries God speed, and desired them to write regarding their success among the tribes further west, who had removed to the Indian Territory, where the Wyandots expected soon to follow. Leaving that people, the missionaries continued on to Cincin- nati, where they staid several days, preaching, though not with much success.About December 20th, they took passage on a steamer for St. Louis. At the mouth of the Ohio, the river was blocked with ice and the boat stopped. They landed and went on foot about two hundred miles, halting for several days in Illinois,

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about twenty miles from St. Louis, in consequence of a severe storm of rain and snow lasting a week or more, the snow falling in some places [nearly three feet deep. Although in the midst of strangers, the missionaries were kindly entertained, found many friends, and preached to large congregations in several neighbor, hoods. Elder Pratt continues: "In the beginning of 1831, we renewed our journey; and, pass- ing through St. Louis and St. Charles, we traveled on foot for three hundred miles through vast prairies and through trackless wilds of snow —no beaten road; houses few and far betwen; and the bleak north-west wind always blowing in our faces with a keen- ness which would almost take the skin off the face. We traveled for whole days, from morning till night, without a house or fire,

wading in snow to the knees at every step, and the cold so intense that the snow did not melt on the south side of the houses, even in the mid-day sun, for nearly six weeks. We carried on our backs our changes of clothing, several books, and corn bread and raw pork. We often ate our frozen bread and pork by the way, when the bread would be so frozen that we could not bite or penetrate any part of it but the outside crust. "After much fatigue and some suffering we all arrived in Independence, in the county of Jackson, on the extreme western frontiers of Missouri, and of the United States. "This was about fifteen hundred miles from where we started, and we had performed most of the journey on foot, through a wilderness country, in the worst season of the year, occupying about four months, during which we had preached the Gospel to tens of thousands of Gentiles and two nations of Indians; baptizing, confirming and organizing many hundreds of people into churches of Latter-day Saints. "This was the first mission performed by the Elders of the Church in any of the States west of New York, and we were the first members of the same which were ever on this frontier."

Two of the misssionary Elders began to work as tailors, while the others crossed the frontier and commenced their mission among the Indians or Lamanites, passing one nightamong the Shawnees, and the next day crossing the Kansas river and going among the Delawares.

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Inquiring for the residence of the principal chief, the mission- aries were introduced to an aged and venerable looking man, who had long stood at the head of the Delawares, and had been looked up to as the great grandfather, or sachem, of ten nations or tribes. His lodge was a two-roomed cabin, and he was seated on a sofa of furs, skins and blankets, before a large fire in the center of" the room. His wives were neatly dressed in calicoes and skins, and wore many silver ornaments. As the brethren entered the cabin, the chief took them by the hand with a hearty welcome, and motioned them to be seated on some blankets or robes. At his bidding, his wives set before the brethren a tin pan full of beans and corn boiled together; very good eating, although the three brethren had to use alternately the same wooden spoon. The missionary brethren, through an interpreter, made known their errand, told of the Book of Mormon, and asked the chief to call the council of his nation together and give the missionaries a

full hearing. He promised to consider till next day, meantime recommending them to the care of Mr. Pool, their government blacksmith, who entertained them kindly and comfortably. Next morning the missionaries again called on Mr. Anderson, the old chief, and spoke further of the book. He did not want to call his council, made excuses, and then refused, as he had ever

been opposed to the presence of missionaries among his tribe. But the conversation continued, and finally the chief began to under- stand the nature of the book. Then his mind changed, he became suddenly interested, sent a messenger, and in about an hour some forty men assembled in his lodge, shook hands with the mission- aries, and sat down in grave and dignified silence. The chief then requested the missionaries to proceed, and Elder Cowdery addressed the council as follows: "Aged Chief and Venerable Council of the Delaware Nation: we are glad of this opportunity to address you as our red brethren and friends. We have traveled a long distance from towards the rising sun to bring you glad news; we have traveled the wilder- ness, crossed the deep and wide rivers, and waded in the deep snows, and in the face of the storms of winter, to communicate to you great knowledge which has lately come to our ears and hearts, and which will do the red man good as well as the pale face.

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"Once the red men were many; they occupied the country — from sea to sea from the rising to the setting sun; the whole land was theirs; the Great Spirit gave it to them, and no pale faces dwelt among them. But now they are few in numbers, their pos- sessions are small, and the pale faces are many. "Thousands of moons ago, when the red men's forefathers dwelt in peace and possessed this whole land, the great Spirit talked with them, and revealed his law and his will, and much knowledge to their wise men and prophets. This they wrote in a book, together with their history and the things which should befall their children in the latter days. "This book was written on plates of gold, and handed down from father to son for many ages and generations. "It was then that the people prospered, and were strong and mighty; they cultivated the earth, built buildings and cities, and abounded in all good things, as the pale faces now do. "But they became wicked, they killed one another and shed much blood; they killed their prophets and wise men, and sought to destroy the book. The Great Spirit became angry, and would speak to them no more; they had no more good and wise dreams, no more visions, no more angels sent among them by the Great Spirit, and the Lord commanded Mormon and Moroni, their last

wise men and prophets, to hide the book in the earth that it might be preserved in safety and be found and made known in the latter day to the pale faces who should possess the land, that they might again make it known to the red men, in. order to restore them to the knowledge of the will of the Great Spirit and to his favor. And if the red men would then receive this book and learn the things written in it, and do according thereunto, they should be restored to all their rights and privileges, should cease to fight and kill one another; should become one people; cultivate the earth in peace, in common with the pale faces, who were willing to believe and obey the same book, and be good men and live in peace. "Then should the red men become great, and have plenty to eat and good clothes to wear, and should be in favor with the Great Spirit and be his children, while he would be their Great Father, and talk with them, and raise up prophets and wise and good men among them again, who should teach them many things.

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"This book which contained these things was hid in the earth by Moroni in a hill called by him Cumorah, which hill is now in the State of New York, near the village of Palmyra, in Ontario County. "In that neighborhood there lived a young man named Joseph Smith, who prayed to the Great Spirit much, in order that he might know the truth; and the great Spirit sent an angel to him and told him where this book was hid by Moroni, and commanded him to go and get it. He accordingly went to the place and dug in the earth and found the book written on golden plates. "But it was written in the language of the forefathers of the red man; therefore this young man, being a pale face, could not understand it, but the angel told him and showed him, and gave him knowledge of the language, and how to interpret the book. So he interpreted it into the language of the pale faces, and wrote it on paper, and caused it to be printed, and published thousands of copies of among them; and then sent us to the red men to it

bring some copies of it to them, and to tell them this news. So we have now come from him and here is a copy of the book, which we now present to our red friend, the chief of the Delawares, and which we hope he will cause to be read and known among his tribe; it will do them good." The chief was then presented with the Book of Mormon. The council conversed together in their own tongue, and then the chief replied to the missionaries as follows: "We feel truly thankful to our white friends who have come so far and been at such pains to tell us good news and especially this new news concerning the book of our forefathers; it makes us glad in here [placing his hand on his heart]. "It is now winter, we are settlers in this place, the snow is deep, our cattle and horses are dying, our wigwams are poor, we have much to do in the spring —to build houses, and fence, and make farms. But we will build a council house and meet together, and you shall read to us and teach us more concerning the book of our fathers, and the will of the Great Spirit." The missionary brethren lodged again at Mr. Pool's, told him of the book, and he became a believer in and advocate of it.

For several days they instructed the old chief and many of his

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tribe, who became increasingly interested from day to day, until nearly the whole tribe felt a spirit of inquiry and excitement on the subject. As several of them could read, they were presented with copies of the book, with the explanation that it was the book of their forefathers. Some rejoiced exceedingly and told the news to others in their own language. The excitement spread to the frontier settlements in Missouri, stirring up the jealousy and envy of the Indian agents and secta- rian missionaries to such a pitch that the Elders were ordered out of the Indian country on the wolf and lamb pretense that they were disturbers of the peace, and they were threatened with the military in case of non-compliance. Being thus arbitrarily compelled, the Elders left the Indian country and commenced laboring in Jackson County among the white people, by whom they were well received, many listening to them, and some were baptized and added to the Church. Elder Pratt says: "Thus ended our first Indian mission, in which we had preached the Gospel in its fullness and distributed the record of their fore- fathers among three tribes, viz., the Catteraugus Indians near Buf- falo, N. Y., the Wyandots of Ohio, and the Delawares west of Mis- souri. We trust that at some future day when the servants of God go forth in power to the remnant of Joseph, some precious seed will be found growing in their hearts, which was sown by us in that early day."

By the 14th of February, 1831, the cold, north wind was fol- lowed by a milder breeze from the south, the deep snows settled down, and spring appeared to be returning. Elders Cowdery, Whitmer, Pratt and Peterson, also F. G. Williams, who had accom- panied them from Kirtland, assembled in council at Independence, Jackson Couny, Mo., and concluded that one of them should return to the Church in Ohio and perhaps to head-quarters in New York, to report to the Presidency of the Church. • Elder Pratt was selected for that purpose. He accordingly took leave of them and other friends thereabout and started on foot for St. Louis, about three hundred miles distant, arriving there in nine days. By this time the snow had melted, the rivers were breaking up, and the country was covered with mud and water. After

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spending a few days with a friend, in the country near St. Louis, where he had stayed on his way out. Elder Pratt took steamer in St. Louis for Cincinnati, landing there in a week. Thence he trav- eled on foot to Strongville, Ohio, forty miles from Kirtland, making the journey from Cincinnati, about two hundred and fifty miles, over very bad, muddy roads, which caused Elder Pratt to be much fatigued and sick. Hearing that some brethren lived in Strongville, Elder Pratt sought to find them and try their hospitality to a sick and weary stranger. He went to the house of an old gentleman named Col- trin about sundown and asked if they could entertain a weary stranger who had no money. The old gentleman looked at the *

tired and 'weather-beaten traveler, soiled with the toil of a long journey, besmeared with mud, eyes inflamed with pain and a visage lengthened by sickness and extreme fatigue." After a moment's hesitation, he bade Elder Pratt welcome and invited him into the house, where several ladies were at tea, who received him with a smile of welcome and insisted on his sitting down to tea with them. Then ensued a conversation something like the following: "Stranger, where are you from? You certainly look weary; you must have traveled a long distance!" "Yes; I am from beyond the frontiers of Missouri; a distance of twelve hundred miles." "Ah, indeed! Did you hear anything of the four great prophets out that way?" "Prophets! What prophets?" "Why, four — men strange men —who came through thia country and preached, and baptized hundreds of people; and, after ordaining Elders and organizing churches, they continued on west- ward, as we suppose, to the frontiers on a mission to the Indians; and we have never heard from them since. But the great work commenced by them still rolls on. It commenced last fall in Kirt-

land and has spread for a hundred miles around; thousands have embraced it, and among others, ourselves and many in this neigh- borhood." "But what did they preach? And why do you call them prophets?" "Why they opened the Scriptures in a wonderful manner;

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showed the people plainly of many things to come; opened the doctrine of Christ as we never understood it before; and among other things they introduced a very extraordinary book, which they said was an ancient record of the forefathers of the Indian tribes." "How were they dressed and in what style did they travel?" "They were dressed plainly and comely, very neat in their

persons, and each one wore a hat of a drab color, low, round crown and broad brim, after the manner of the Shakers, so it is said; for we had not the privilege of seeing them ourselves. "However, these fashioned hats were not a peculiarity of this people; but were given to each of them by the Shakers at the time they passed through this country; so they wore them. As to their style of traveling, they sometimes go on foot, sometimes in a car- riage and sometimes, perhaps, by water; but they provide them- selves with neither purse nor scrip for their journey, neither shoes nor two coats apiece." "Well, from your description of these four men I think I have seen them on the frontiers of Missouri. They had commenced a mission in the Indian territory, but were compelled by the United States agents, influenced, no doubt, by missionaries, to depart from the Indian country, although well received by the Indians them- selves." "You saw them, then?" "I did." "Were they well?" "I believe they were all in good health and spirits." "Will they return soon? 0, who would not give the world to see them?" "Well, I am one of them, and the others you may perhaps see." "You one of them! God bless you. What is your name?" "My name is Parley P. Pratt, one of the four men you have described, but not much of a prophet; and as to a sight of me in my present plight, I think it would not be worth half a world." Elder Pratt says: "The rest of the conversation I cannot write, for all spoke, all laughed and all rejoiced at once. The next morning I found

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22 IMPROVEMENT ERA. myself unable to arise from my bed, being severely attacked with the measles. I came near dying and was confined for one or two weeks among them, being scarcely able to raise my head. I was watched over night and day, and had all the care that a man could have in his father's house. As I recovered in part, being still very weak, I was provided with a horse on which I arrived at Kirtland. Hundreds of the Saints now crowded around to welcome me, and to inquire after my brethren whom I had left in Missouri. Here also I again met President Joseph Smith who had, during our ab- sence come up from the state of New York." The following is part of a letter from Oliver Cowdery, dated, Kaw Township, Mo., May 7, 1831, and shows how little was then generally known of the Lamanites or Indians in the great west: "I am informed of another tribe of Lamanites lately, who have abundance of flocks of the best kinds of sheep and cattle; and they manufacture blankets of a superior quality. The tribe is very numerous; they live three hundred miles west of Santa Fe, and are called Navashoes. Why I mention this tribe is because I feel under obligations to communicate to my brethren every informa- tion concerning the Lamanites, that I meet with in my labors and travels."

BE,