--- title: Times and Seasons description: Issues of 1845 to 1846. authors: - Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints editors: - Ebenezer Robinson - Don Carlos Smith - Smith, Joseph, Jr. - Taylor, John collections: - periodicals tags: - newspaper - times-and-seasons - nauvoo - nineteenth-century periodical: Times and Seasons volume: 6 number: 5 published: 1845-03-15 publisher: E. Robinson and D. C. Smith; later John Taylor publisher_place: Commerce and Nauvoo, Illinois language: en type: article reference: "“From the Society Islands,” *Times and Seasons* 6, no. 5 (March 15, 1845): 835–838." printed_title: FROM THE SOCIETY ISLANDS. source: url: https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1845-03-15_6_5 transcription: Text from the Centerplace.org transcription (https://www.centerplace.org/history/ts/v6n05.htm), with its page breaks; this Internet Archive scan is the reference copy (its OCR was used only as a witness for OCR repair) identifier: per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1845-03-15_6_5 start_page: 835 end_page: 838 curator_note: A Mormon newspaper published by the church in Nauvoo; included for historical study. Inclusion does not imply endorsement. rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1845 (Nauvoo, Illinois); published before 1931, so public domain in the United States source: https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1845-03-15_6_5 publication_year: 1845 --- # From the Society Islands Tahiti, Sept. 18, 1844. DEAR AND RESPECTED WIFE:- I take my pen again to write a few lines to you, as there is a chance of sending by a French ship, by the way of Panama, which is across the isthmus of Darien, which is much the quickest way for letters to go to you; or from you to us. If you would send your letters from Nauvoo to New York, to be sent to us by way of Panama, we should get them, I think. You would have to pay the postage to New York. We have not had a letter, or any news from home since we left, which makes me almost despair of ever hearing from you again. One thing to comfort us is that we have good health and tolerable good spirits. We, that is, Dr. Grouard and myself, are begining [beginning] to talk the language considerable. Br. Grouard thinks of preaching to the natives in public soon. The natives that are acquainted with us, think a great deal of us; and some begin to take quite an interest in the work, notwithstanding the priests say all they can to injure us. We have baptised [baptized] four foreigners only, but soon expect to baptize more. Truly this place is one of the worst sinks of iniquity that I ever saw. It is full of abominations of almost every kind, which I cannot write now, but when I return I will tell you about them, for I think I shall come back to you again and behold you in the flesh. We are in hopes of doing a good work here by the help of the Lord, although we have not much chance at the natives, in consequence of the unsettled state of affairs. The French hold the place that they have got, and the natives are back in the mountains. How the matter will terminate I cannot tell. The natives appear to be firm and determined not to give up to the French: however there appears to be two parties of the natives. Some few of the principal men have signed to the French, but the Queen, and the majority of them, stand out and say they never will come under French protection. They expect that the English will help them to drive the French away from their land. There has been several battles fought since we have been here; in one engagement, which was in sight of where I live, and I could hear every gun that was fired, there was an English missionary shot in the head, and killed by accident, on the part of the French; and on the part of the missionary worse than foolishness, because it is said that he was drunk and went out and exposed himself, and the consequence was death. This may seem strange that so righteous a man as the priests of the sects of the day, should be drunk at so critical a time.-They are so righteous that they could not talk to us about Mormonism on the Sabbath. I will tell you a story that one of the missionary's daughters told me that she had known them to get so drunk, when they went to hold meetings, that they went to sleep in the middle of their prayer, and another had to go and finish it. That there was not any of them but what would drink, and some of their women will get drunk, I know, because I have seen them so from day to day; and while the priest in the meeting house is attending to service their sons are out in the bush playing the whore; [wore] so says the natives. And now if their teachers are in this situation, what situation do you think the natives must be in? This part of the story I will leave for you to judge for your selves. In my last letter I told you that we left Br. Pratt about five hundred miles to the south of this, where there are no missionaries to disturb him, where he has done a big business, for he has baptised [baptized] all of the white inhabitants on the Island; and the last account we had from him, he had baptised [baptized] quite a number of the natives, and has organized a branch of the church, and things seem to prosper in his hands, which makes us rejoice. He has got the advantage of us, because he has no priests to fight him; and the white men on this island, can speak the native language well, and have interpreted for him from the begining [beginning]. Dear wife and friends, if you knew how lonesome we are, it seems to me that you would try very hard to get us some papers or letters, or some kind of news to cheer us in this place of iniquity. We know not where you or the church are; whether they are in Nauvoo, or whether you are scattered to the four winds. I know that when we left the states, they were making a fuss at Carthage, about the saints. I want to see you and the children very much; but I cannot at this time. I want you to write about them, and all the neighbors, and all the church. Tell Chandler to write, and Noble, and William if he is there with you. I want you, and all the church, to pray for us. We feel that the Lord is with us and prepares the way for us. Br. Grouard sends his love to you and says, God bless you. Give my love to all. Tell them to pray for us, and may the God of Abraham bless you, and prosper you, and feed and clothe you, is the prayer of your friend and husband. So I am for ever yours, NOAH ROGERS. TO EDA ROGERS. Tahiti, Sept. 19, 1844. DEAR BROTHER LEWIS: I make bold to embrace the present opportunity of addressing a few more lines to you, believing that any information respecting this mission, which you so liberally contributed to, to assist onward, would be interesting to you, though it is but about two months since I wrote; but as there has several changes taken place, no doubt it will be interesting to you to know what they are. In the first place I would say, we still continue to enjoy the best of health and spirits, for which we feel truly grateful to the giver of all good gifts. But I assure you, notwithstanding our spirits are good, we feel that they could be greatly improved by receiving a few words from home, which we have not had the pleasure of doing since we left America, no, not so much as one syllable. But we live in daily hopes and expectation of receiving some, which keeps our spirits up. I said considerable in my former letter respecting the difficulties existing here between the French and natives, which I am sorry to say, have not, as yet, been terminated. There has been several battles faught [fought] since I wrote you before, one of which took place close by us, and in which one of the English missionaries, owing to unnecessary exposure of himself, was shot dead upon the spot. Whether this was the cause of their future movements or not, I don't know; but at any rate it was but a few days afterwards that we heard they were all, or nearly so, going to leave the Island which we learned to be true from their own lips, a few days afterwards. This certainly was very agreeable news to us, for which we felt to give thanks to our heavenly father, inasmuch as he was ordering events for the establishing of the gospel, and the rebuilding of his kingdom upon this land. There were, when we landed here, no less than fourteen missionaries upon this Island, and formerly they possessed almost unlimited power, notwithstanding they were the most corrupt set I have ever heard of, who made such high professions as they did. But I have neither room nor a disposition to enter into a detail of these abuses at present; suffice it to say, the Lord has so ordered events that all but three have left the Island; a circumstance which, when we arrived, the most sanguine could not have anticipated. They have done, and are still doing all they can, to destroy our influence with the natives; but I do not think they have succeeded much, for the natives that we have an opportunity of talking to, tell us that the missionaries tell them great lies about us-things which they know are false, because they have seen and heard for themselves. We received a letter from Brother Pratt, a few days since, who, I told you in another letter, was on a small Island, a short distance from this. He writes us glorious news, I assure you-news which gladdens their hearts, and gives us fresh courage. I forget whether I told you or not, in my former letter; but at any rate, there were, when we arrived there, on our way here, eight or nine American mechanics residing there, who were building a schooner. They had gone from Tahiti about six months before our arrival, for this purpose. He has baptised [baptized] all of them but one, and ordained the three owners of the schooner, one an Elder, one a Priest, and one a Deacon. Thus, you see, Br. Lewis, the Lord is with us, and working for us, not only in a spiritual, but in a temporal point of view also; he is preparing the way, no doubt, for the gathering of the saints from this side of the globe. Br. Pratt writes, that the vessel bids fair to be a first rate craft of about one hundred tons burthen [burden]. If all things are prospered she will be ready for sea in about twelve months. He also writes that he has baptised [baptized] five natives, and several more have given their names for baptism; among which is the king and one of the head chiefs, and there appears to be a general interest excited among them; every one is enquiring [inquiring]. We, upon this Island, have not, as yet, been blessed with the privilege of baptising [baptizing] any natives, and only four white persons. Yet we hope and trust the time is not far distant when we shall. Those that we get an opportunity of talking to are very believing, and much interested. One grand cause, and I may say almost the only one, of our slow progress, is the difficulties which have and do exist here; but we pray that they may have a speedy and favorable termination, which we think will be the permanent establishment of the French government, at least every thing has that appearance at present. There are quite a number of white persons here, who are very believing, and probably ere long will be baptised [baptized]; some of which speak the native language. According to every appearance, when peace is restored, we shall not be able to answer one of twenty calls on this Island, let alone the surrounding ones, and this group is but a speck as it were, in comparison to the almost numberless Islands in this Ocean. So you may judge of the vast extent of the field of labor, on this side of the globe, and the great number of laborers required in it. As my sheet is about used up, and all the news I can think of told, I must draw my letter to a close. Give our love to your wife, and all the saints. We request an interest in your prayers. If you will be so kind, Br. Lewis, I wish you would tell my wife I have written her a letter, the same date as this, and enclose it in a letter to her mother with directions to forward it on to her at Nauvoo. We want you to write to us, and also to interceed [intercede] to have some papers, that is Times and Seasons, sent on to us. Br. Rogers sends his love to all the saints, and requests an interest in all their prayers. Yours, in the bonds of the new and everlasting covenant, BENJ. F. GROUARD. Huahine, Oct. 27, 1844. DEAR WIFE AND CHILDREN: Again I have an opportunity of sending you a few lines by a Whale Ship, bound to Long Island, which opportunity I gladly embrace, and I would gladly come with it if I thought that I had done what the Lord required of me. But this work is not done as yet, and when it will be done I know not. When it is done here I shall, with all speed, come to you, for I long to see you, and the children, very much, and all my friends and neighbors, as I have not heard a word from you nor the church since I left New Bedford. I am very anxious about you and my prayers are continually offered up to God for you and all the saints, that you all may be preserved from the enemy; that you may have food and raiment, and every needy blessing. I would exhort you to be patient and prayerful, until I come, which will be before a great while I hope. You will perceive, by the date of this letter, that I have left Tahiti, and am on the Island of Huahine, which is about ninety of one hundred miles distance. The work on Tahiti has got a good start. We baptised [baptized] several whites, and several more said that they believed and would be baptised [baptized] soon, and several natives told me when I left Tahiti, that they meant to be baptised [baptized] soon. I left Br. Grouard there, who has got the language very well, and I have no doubt of his faithfulness, because he is a firm and faithful brother, and seeks the good of the kingdom of God. I have no doubt but there will be a great work done there. Br. Pratt is still on the Island of Tooboui, and the last account we had from him, he had baptised [baptized] all the white inhabitants of the Island except one, and four of the natives, in all something like twelve in number. So you see that the work has a good hold there, and there is no missionary there to stop the progress of the work; and more than all this, some of the men that have been baptised [baptized] speak the native language well, and have been ordained Elders, and have gone to work preaching the fullness of the gospel to them. So you can see that the work is prospering there. If we had five hundred elders here there would be plenty of business for them. I have been on Huahine but one week as yet, and have not preached, as I am but a stranger. But I expect soon to obtain a house and preach, as there is one or two that show some disposition to assist me in getting one. Almost every white man on this Island keeps a grog shop and a gambling house, which is a very bad example for the natives. If you say any thing to them about it, they will say that the whites learned us. That is all you get out of them. They are full of licentiousness, which the sailors are very willing to encourage. When I look around me and see so much iniquity and abomination, it makes me sick to the very heart, and I wonder that the Lord has spared the world so long as he has. There is but one missionary here, who rules the Islands, as it were. All the people say that he is a very nice man; but I cannot say so much of him as he refuses to talk with me. I met him once and introduced myself to him, and told him that I was a servant of the Lord, and had come to bring good tidings to the people if they would hear, and offered him my hand, which he took very reluctantly, and very slightly bid me good bye. I told him I would walk along with him, which I did for a short distance. I told him I would like to see him when he had leisure; he told me he was always busy, giving me to understand that he did not want to talk with me; but notwithstanding, I invited him to call on me, to which he made no reply. By this time we had got to the house where I boarded, he bidding me good bye, which thing he had done as much as four or five times, since we had met, which did not exceed twenty minutes. I have not been able to speak to him since. I feel that the work of the Lord will be established here notwithstanding the wickedness of the people, and their priest to help them. One thing is, I mean to do all in my power and leave the event with God. It is a hard place and no mistake. I am well and in good health, and so were the rest of the brethren at the last accounts from them. I weigh about one hundred and seventy pounds. In Br. Pratt's last letter, he says that on board of some ship there were steelyards that drew two hundred pounds and that they would hardly weigh him; so you can see that we are not very poor as to flesh. My spirits are tolerable good, though I would be glad to get back among the saints and with my family and friends. No one can tell how sweet the society of saints and friends is, but those who are deprived of that blessing. What makes it worse is that we cannot ever hear from them. I hope that these few lines will find you, and all my brethren and sisters, enjoying good health and spirits, peace and plenty. Give my best love to all enquiring [inquiring] friends. Tell them to pray for us. God bless you all, is my prayer for you, and so as ever your husband and friend. NOAH ROGERS. MRS. EDA ROGERS, Nauvoo.