--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Hart, Charles H. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 30 number: 9 published: 1927-07 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: "Hart, Charles H., “God’s Answer to the Indian,” *Improvement Era* 30, no. 9 (July 1927): 801–803." source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera3009unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera3009unse start_page: 801 end_page: 803 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1927-07) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera3009unse publication_year: 1927 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1927, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # God’s Answer to the Indian GOD'S ANSWER TO THE INDIAN By Charles H. Hart, of the First Council of Seventy, and President of the Canadian Mission I met here today Elder C. Gordon Whyte, of Regina, Sasch., Canada, who told me the following story, which I think will be of interest to the readers- of the Improvement Era: About six years ago (1921), I was impressed to drive over to the show grounds of Regina, where a number of Indians were en- camped. The Department of Indian Affairs allows Indians to supply so many tepees from each reserve, representing the tribes (the tepee represents the family) . The Exhibition Board grants space for them to camp on the exhibition ground. In driving up to the camp ground, I stopped and walked over to where they were encamped and conversed with an Indian named John Gambler, who was able to speak English fluently. I started to tell him about a book, which book contains a record of his people. At first he thought I was a book agent, but I assured him that I was not selling the book, as it was a history of his ancestors. At once he became interested, and invited me out to the reservation. I promised to comply with his request, and shortly afterwards drove out fifty miles to the Muscowtetung Reserve. On arriving at Mr. Gambler's home, there were about fifteen Indians gathered to hear about the book I had previously mentioned. I started to tell him the history of the Book of Mormon; where it originated, and how the Prophet Joseph Smith had translated it by the power of God. I preached the gospel to them in its simplicity for about three hours, and they were very attentive and greatly interested. They asked to borrow the Book of Mormon, and requested that I return at the earliest possible date. It was agreed that in about two weeks I would come out and preach to them again. On arriving at the Indian's home the second time, there was a large number of pure-blood Indians present, both old and young. I perceived immediately that it would be necessary to use an interpreter, and asked John Gambler if he would act. After certain ceremonies of welcoming me, they requested that I talk. After speaking about half an hour, I noticed one man wished to say something, and I discontinued my discourse. This is the story he told: "About eight or ten years ago [previous to my visit], a Cree Indian, on the Moose Mountain Reserve, by the name of Tom Pacapace, had a great sorrow come upon him in the death of his wife. His great love for his companion was such that he became great- ly disturbed in his mind as to whether he would ever see her again in the 'happy hunting ground.' Being of a religious turn of mind, he started to pray and fast and he continued this practice for four 802 IMPROVEMENT ERA years, and the tribe clothed and fed him during this time. The two things he desired to know was, who the God of his fathers is, and whether he would meet his wife in the next world. At the end of four years, he said, an angel came down to hi9 tent one night and took him into heaven toward the east. He did not know whether he was in the body or out of the body. When they arrived at a great temple, the angel opened the door and bade him enter. He did so and saw before him countless numbers of spiritual beings, and one who seemed to be in great authority, sitting upon a throne, and who, he perceived, was a man like unto himself. The glory was so great that he could look upon him only a moment. The one in authority asked him this question: Why was it he prayed and fasted for the last four years? And he answered, because he desired to know for himself who the God of his fathers is, and whether or not he would see his wife again who had previously died. He was then ushered out of the temple, and the angel took him back to his tent. This experience happened four nights in succession. He said he was taken up into the east, the west, the north, and the south. The fourth night, the Being who was in authority then said, 'Do you see that pool of water near your tent?' He said he could see it very plainly. 'Now,' he said, 'in the morning, you go down to that deep pool of water and disrobe yourself and cleanse yourself; then go down into the water; come up out of the water. After you have done this, you will rub your body all over with sweet grass.' (Sweet grass is the emblem of purity to the Indians.) Then he said, 'Do you see that little hill a little way from the pool?' The Indian said he could see it very clearly. 'You will go over to that hill and stand there, and you will find out what you want to know.' "In the morning, he did as he was directed, and, on reaching the hill, he stood there a minute or two, and nothing happened. All at once he heard a rushing wind in the heavens, and in looking up he saw a beam of light coming down out of the heavens, and in a moment an angel stood in his presence, about two feet off the ground. The angel said he had been sent of God to tell him what he wished to know. 'Now,' he said, 'the Man or Being you saw in authority in the great temple is the God of your fathers, and he is a man like unto yourself; but through the transgression of your ancestors your people lost the knowledge of God. The angel asked him to look west. He said he looked toward the west, and he saw darkness for many generations. Then the angel asked him to look toward the east, and he saw the sun just coming up, and he saw the truth spread upon the earth, and that finally his people would hear the truth in its fulness. The angel told him that he would see his wife in the spirit world; that he, himself, would be an instrument in the hands of God to begin the work of preaching the truth to the different tribes. For eight years he had traveled in the different reserves, telling them what knowledge he had gained through prayer." On the reserve where Elder Whyte was preaching to them, there GOD'S ANSWER TO THE INDIAN 803 were thirteen families at that time who accepted him as the leader, believing what he said. Some years previous to the visit of Elder Whyte, the Indian had prophesied to these very people that the day would come when a white man would visit them, and would be a different kind of a white man from those with whom they usually came in contact, and that he would not talk with a forked tongue; that whatever he would say would be the truth; that this white man would have a book, which he would offer them without price and that the book would be a record of their people. He also told them, Elder Whyte said, that the white man who was to come would have authority to preach the gospel to them and perform all the ordinances of the gospel, and that he would be humble and would show by his works that he was. a friend of the Indians. According to them, on the second visit, they could not keep this information to themselves any longer, and they were all sure that Elder Whyte was the man they had been looking for during those several years, and that the book he brought was the very record of their people. During the course of the meeting, Elder Whyte sang, "Oh, my Father," and John Gambler interpreted the song from the book. Be- fore he got through the second stanza, old men of eighty-five to ninety years of age were weeping like children, and fifty or sixty Indians who were present received knowledge through the inspira- tion of the Holy Spirit that our heavenly Father had not forgotten them. These Indians would join the Church, if the way were opened up to do so; but, due to certain government regulations, it is not ad- visable to create a disturbance, which might follow, if this were done now. Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Assurance of Faith Who cares that all earth's living verdure goes To its own soil from which its sap now flows? Who cares that all the bodies of mankind Alike the self-same destiny shall find, As kindred of the meadow and the world, Returning ever to the lowly mould? Can man within his vain philosophy Evade concurrence of this dread decree? Is there for him a purpose or a plan To change this order for the race of man? Not any! — lest he feels the inner sense That oft declares a better recompense — Where faith brings him assurance to assume A better life beyond this common tomb! Maywood, Calif, JOSEPH LONGKING TOWNSEND.