From the Pacific Ocean

THE WORK COMMENCED AT

TAHITA AND TOOBOUI.

Tahita, August 15, 1844.

DEAR BROTHER YOUNG:-

An opportunity having presented itself of sending letters to America, and believing, also, you would like to know how the work of the Lord prospers in this distant land, we thought we would address a few lines to you, giving an account of our prosperity, and also a brief sketch of the political state of affairs here.

To do this, it is necessary to go back to the time we first made the island of Tooboui, which is a small island about three hundred miles South of this. The circumstance of our making that island was one quite unexpected, and one which the captain had tried to avoid, but unsuccessfully. His object being to recruit the ship, however, before arriving at Tahita, he though he would send a boat on shore, and learn if it afforded anything he wanted; the result of which was, he could obtain every thing he wanted. This gave us an opportunity of going on shore, which we gladly embraced after being shut up on board our ship for almost seven months. We found the natives very friendly, and very religiously disposed, although there was no white missionary on the island, neither had there been for a great length of time. As soon as they learned that we were missionaries, they were very anxious to have one or more of us stay with them. There was a number of very respectable American mechanics residing on the island, who were also anxious to have one of us stay. There being an effectual door opened for us, it was thought prudent for one to do so. The lot fell upon Br. Pratt by his own choice. After a short stay, we bid him adieu, and sailed for Tahita, where we arrived on the 14th of May. Circumstances certainly looked very unfavourable [unfavorable] when we arrived, but we could do no better than stay, as there was no way open for us to go any where else.

The circumstances which we will briefly state, were as follows: The French, as no doubt you are already aware, had taken possession of these islands, dispossessing Queen Pomare, and established their own government

here; which indeed has been a most fortunate thing for us, for had the native government been in full force when we arrived, most likely the missionaries (who hitherto have been mighty men in this kingdom) would have so influenced the natives against us, as to prevent us from landing. But thank the Lord, their greatness has had a downfall, and a mighty one to, in this land. There had been one battle fought when we arrived, and the natives were still under arms, threatening daily to come down upon the French and annihilate them. Under these circumstances it was that we obtained permission from the French government to land as missionaries. There being no convenient place in town for us to stop at, we moved into a missionary station, about four miles below it. This was rather grieving to the pastor of the flock, to think the wolves were coming so near without his being able to drive them away; but such was the case, that is, if he was a mind to call us wolves, and he could not help himself.

He shortly came to see us, and we had quite a chat together. He said he should not believe Mormonism however, though he should see two or three raised from the dead,-hinting at the power of godliness in the church. We told him he need not be alarmed, as probably he would never be troubled with the sight, while he was in his present mind, at any rate. He though it very strange of our coming here, where there were so many missionaries already, and thought we had better leave for some other place where we were more needed. We told him that as to there being so many here already, we had nothing to do with it; if God sent them here, well and good; if not, they must look to that themselves. As for us, God had sent us here, and we believed God knew where we were needed as well as he did, and we did not intend turning Jonah yet awhile, at any rate, but calculated to do the erand [errand] the Lord had sent us on, which was to warn the people of the great things that awaited them, and make known the way for their escape, which was by repenting, and embracing the covenant that God had renewed in these last days, which would entitle them to all the gifts and graces, ever enjoyed by any people on earth. These things he tried to make light of, but they came with such an overwhelming flood of Bible testimony that he could not bring a single argument against them of no kind but ridicule.

But I must hasten. After we had been here about six weeks, (during which time we had not obtained the privilege of preaching once in public,) the French forces went up into the next missionary station above us, where the native forces were encamped, and gave battle to them. During the engagement, an English missionary, who was residing there, was killed. Whether this circumstance alone started them or not, we don't know; but at any rate, shortly after it, the news came that they were going to leave, all but two; some for the Navigators, and some for England.

Thus we see, the Lord is working for us, and that to, in a way we least expected, and could hardly have hoped for. They have not all gone as yet, but are doing so as fast as possible, and the quicker they are off the better we shall like it, and the better it will be for us, for they are continually operating against us with every energy of their souls.

We preach in english every sabbath at present, and, considering the few European inhabitants here, our meetings are well attended, and good attention is paid. There is considerable interest awakened among the people; four have already been baptised [baptized], and we hope ere long, many more will be; we feel that the Lord is working with us. Our labours [labors] among the natives as yet, have necessarily been very limited, owing to their unsettled state of affairs. They are also in a most deplorable condition in a moral point of view, notwithstanding the fifty years labour [labor] of the missionaries.

We have just received a letter from Br. Pratt. He writes us that several of those Americans, who I mentioned as living there, have been obedient to the Gospel, and have taken hold of the work in earnest to assist in building up the kingdom. He also states that he has had a call from an adjacent island to come and preach to them. And indeed were we divided into a hundred different parts, and each part an efficient preacher of the gospel, we should have as much as we could attend to, and more too; so great is the work in these islands. How many saints will be made out of them is hard to tell; time and labour [labor] alone can prove that. But one thing we think is certain, and that is, they will take hold of it almost to a man. It may be hard in some cases to obtain a foot hold; but when it is once obtained, we think there is not much difficulty in making them believe the truth.

We have not as yet heard one syllable from home since we left. It is certainly very unpleasant to be shut up on a lone island of the sea, and debarred as it were from all communication with the world, especially when so many, who are near and dear to us by the strong and tender ties of the everlasting covenant, are exposed to the relentless persecutions of their unmerciful enemies.

Please write us on the receipt of this, what to do and how to act, for we feel to stand in

need of your counsel. Our love to all. We request an interest in the prayers of the church.

NOAH ROGERS,

BENJ. F. GROUARD.

P. S. Br. Pratt, also, writes that many of the natives, on that island, are now already to be baptised [baptized], and all he is waiting for is to acquaint them more fully with their duty after being so.