A Testimony

A

TESTIMONY. . BY ELDER R. E. CLOWARD, OP THE SAMOAN MISSION. After your testimony cometh wrath and indignation upon the people; for alter your testimony cometh the testimony of earthquakes that shall cause groanings in the midst of her, and men shall fall upon the ground and shall not be able to stand, —Doctrine and Covenants, sec. 88: 88, 89. It is a common saying that history repeats itself; but whether it does or not, it is not our purpose to discuss at length at this time. But we read in the Bible that at one time the earth was inhabited by a numerous host of people, men of large stature, and as they began to multiply, 'God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." "And the Lord said, I will destroy man that I have created from off the face of the earth." Noah, however, found favor in the sight of the Lord, and was sent to warn the world of the judgments of God that were about to come upon them. He was also commanded to build an ark for the righteous to take refuge in. For more than one hundred years did he preach and prophecy. The world scoffed and ridiculed his idea; called him foolish and fanatical, but in all, it did not stop the flood. His words were vindicated. "The waters prevailed exceed- ingly upon the earth," and "every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground. Only Noah and his family escaped. ' On another occasion "a foolish fellow" claimed to have had an interview with angels from on high. He was told to take his wife and daughters and flee into the mountains, —that the cities were about to be destroyed. The sanctimonious bigots and "good church people, laughed him to scorn." "We have our gods and our temples, what more do we need." "Foolish that angels would visit men. Why leave this beautiful city with its grandeur and go to the

A TESTIMONY. 219 mountain just because foolish Lot claims to have had a revelation?" However, Lot left' with his wife and daughters and were the only ones who escaped the fire that destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. The Bible and the Book of Mormon are replete with such stories, showing that those who believed and harkened to the voice of God and his servants escaped, while those who depended upon their own wisdom and reasoning were destroyed. But space will not permit me to mention them all. I call attention to these two because they are so significant. Now for my story. The Latter-day Saints are a gathering people. They want to be together; because the Lord has commanded it for one reason and for another, because their interests are mutual, and they, like all other birds of a kind, like to be together. That work is going on, here on Samoa. A nice tract of land has been purchased by the Church for the Saints to gather to, and build them homes "more perfect. It was in the early dawn of 1905, when the first leaves were cut. The rumor went out that the "Mormons" were going to start a colony and build a town away up there in Saluapatu valley, in that thick forest. "How people did laugh, and scoff and mock." "Impossible! the natives won't go; they can't leave their Samoan customs; and, then, what about their land?'' The Saints in Saleaula were among the first called to leave their old homes and build them new ones. They doubted. Some snickered and sneered and refused to go; others said, "wait." Time after time did the elders make special visits to them, and used all their influence and power to get' them to go, but no. We will stay here. We have our lands and our nice little church, we can worship the Lord as well hfre as there. At the April conference, 1905, a general call was made to all the Saints on Upolu and Savaii to come to the new gathering place which was given the name of Sauniatu, which means, prepare to go forth. The Saleaula Saints were mentioned in particular, but still they doubted. On the 8th of August, the whole island of Savaii was shaken by a tremendous earthquake. The dogs howled, roosters crowed,.

220 IMPRO VEMENT ERA. horses whinnied, and people screamed with fright. It seemed that the whole island was being lifted up by some giant. The clouds gathered low, the thunder roared, and the rain fell in torrents. Fortunate that there are no brick and very few rock houses on Samoa, or the death list would have been great. A volcano had broken out only a short way from Saleaula. The people were in consternation. Day after day did he belch forth his streams of fire, and send his deadly sulphurous breath into the air. Wise men came from the various islands, and also from Australia, to look at it. A Protestant missionary predicted that when the lava reached a certain place it would stop. Comforting speeches were made, and words of consolation were sent out over the island, "not to worry, it would soon quit." The people were consoled. Flattery suited them; the truth hurt. Elder George A. Lewis and Talagoa were driven from village to village in the Alatele, and were at last told to leave the district —that a council had been held, and another ''Mormon" meeting should never again be held there, until time ends. The volcano is still burning; a river of fire is pouring from its mouth. Saleaula is burned and buried, and where the Alatele was —the Eden of Savaii—there is now a vast sheet of smoking lava more t*ian twenty feet thick. The people fled from Saleaula for their lives—their all is destroyed. Scattered from place to place over the islands, they are now living on the charity of others. The Alatele —what a change! One short year ago nature smiled in all its beauty. Where fruits and nuts and flowers grew in profusion, where the crickets hummed their sweetest melodies, and the birds sang their sweetest lays, where the lazy natives sat under the beautiful palms and sang their songs of love and war, it is now desolate. Thousands of acres of the most beautiful land in the South Seas are destroyed, burned and buried. Surely another meeting will never be held there. The gathering is still going on. Cne by one they are coming. The forest is gradually turning into [a fruitful plantation. The thoughtful are becoming more serious; the scoffers are looking on in wonder. How useful is foreknowledge to those who believe! Tuasivi, Savaii, Samoa, September 25, 1906.