THE MCMASTER BOYS AND GRANDPA and GRANDMA MAC
MOM & DAD in HighSchool (Earl & Joyce McMaster)
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Monday, September 29, 2014
Sunday, September 28, 2014
John Alexander Nelson, JR.
(I found this article online on a blog)
The Gifts of the Holy Spirit
One of the persistent themes in the fascinating story of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint in Tonga is the remarkable Tongan language skills acquired by the foreign missionaries. Taken from the history of John Alexander Nelson, Jr., the following story represents the collective experiences of hundreds of foreign missionaries to Tonga over the last century, who have become poto vave ‘I he lea faka-Tonga (fluent very quickly in the Tongan language). The gifts of language and healing among bothe the foreign and local missionaries have profoundly influenced the quality of missionary service in each generation.
On March 12, 1910, 21 year-old John Alexander Nelson, Jr., arrived in Pago Pago to begin his service as a missionary in the Samoan Islands. In 1013, just a few days before he was to return to his home in Canada, he received another mission call, this time to be the president of the Samoan Mission which still had jurisdiction over the Church in the Tongan Islands.Young, nervous, and unable to speak Tongan, President Nelson made his first 600 mile voyage to Tonga three months after his formal appointment as president of the mission. This visit among the Tongan Saints was less than satisfying. “There seemed to be some discontentment about my being chosen as the Mission President,” he later wrote in his personal history. “I did not have the understanding of the Tongan language. They felt they were being discriminated against by not having their own president.”
President Nelson felt so keenly their disapproval of the “man from Samoa” who could not speak Tongan that, when he returned to ‘Apia, he wrote directly to the First Presidency, the Joseph F. Smith, Anthon H. Lund, and Charles W. Penrose:
Dear President Smith and Counselors,
I have just returned from a tour of the Friendly Islands, or the old Tongan Mission and everywhere I went, this question was put to me: “Why can’t we Saints in Tonga have a mission of our own and a president who can speak our language?”
Sincerely your Brother,
John A. Nelson
The First Presidency responded by saying that the time was not right to divide the mission and instructing him to continue handling the affairs of the Church in Tonga from the Samoan Mission headquarters: “We want you to go back to Tonga, in the course of your travels, the Lord will bless you.”
President Nelson’s next visit to Tonga occurred in the latter part of 1913. Upon his arrival he was invited to speak that very evening to a large congregation of Wesleyans on one of the outer islands, possibly ‘Otea. Feeling deeply his inadequacy in the language, President Nelson initially turned the invitation down. “I do not know enough language to do you any good,” he said to Elder Jaynes who was pressing him to make an appearance at the meeting. Elder Jaynes persisted, however, and he reluctantly yielded. In his heart, he pondered the promise of the First Presidency of the Church: “The Lord will bless you.”
When they arrived at the little island, the villagers with their minister were already filling the large thatched Wesleyan chapel. President Nelson describes the event:
Elder Jaynes took a seat with me at one end of the large hall, near the only door where a person could enter standing up. The little bench, on which we sat, was the only seat in the Church…After a second song was sung Elder Jaynes gave a discourse on the first principles of the Gospel. When he had finished his sermon, he told the people that President John A. Nelson was going to speak to them in the Samoan language, since he did not understand or speak Tongan. These people did not understand Samoan anymore than I understood Tongan.
As I arose to speak, a woman appeared in the doorway to my right. I motioned for her to come inside. Since she was a Tongan woman, I assumed she had come to attend the meeting. She shook her head, indicating that she did not wish to sit down. Consequently, I left her standing near me in the doorway. Elder Jaynes later said that he did not see her.
I had thought I would give a few sentences of greeting in the Tongan language then switch to Samoan. Just as I had ended the few sentences I knew in Tongan, intending to switch to Samoan, the woman in the doorway seemed to give me the words of the Tongan language. It was as though as I could see the words as they came from her mouth, from her lips, to me and I grasped them and went right on speaking Tongan.
It was a revelation to these 300 or more people who were sitting on the grass and in the chapel. Those who were sitting on the outside began to come in. They realized that I had not known the Tongan language, as Elder Jaynes had announced this fact as he introduced me.
When the Lord gives a gift, he doesn’t do it haphazardly. It is given in its complete form. I was speaking the Tongan language as fluently as any native. There was no hesitancy in my speech. The natives were astonished. Elder Jaynes looked at me in great wonderment to realize that I was speaking in Tongan.
I bear my testimony to you, that I spoke to that group of people for nearly an hour, in their own language. I told them of the restored gospel. I told them of the Prophet Joseph Smith. I told them of their lineage; that they were Israelites and the Lord loves them. Because of this love, he had called missionaries to come 7,000 miles from America to teach them the great plan of salvation. This plan had been restored to the earth in these latter days, through the instrumentality of the Prophet Joseph Smith.
After the people sang one more beautiful song, Elder Jaynes closed the meeting with prayer. He thanked the Lord for our being there and for the experience we had just witnessed: the gift of tongues to a humble servant of the Lord. It is one of the greatest testimonies of my life.
After the meeting, the minister came up and congratulated me. I told him that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has all of the gifts and powers that were in the Church when Christ was upon the earth. I told him that the gift of healing and all of the other blessings enjoyed by the prophets of old, had been re-established and sent to the earth again for the benefit and blessings of mankind. He seemed to enjoy our discussion. However, I realized that people do not join the Church just because of a miracle. I never saw the woman in the doorway again. Elder Jaynes repeated that he had never seen her at all. There was a beautiful spirit and wonderful feeling of friendship and love felt and expressed by many.
The next day at our conference, I spoke fluently in the Tongan language, not lacking for a word. I did not need an interpreter. The letter that I had received from the First Presidency of the Church, which said, “Return to Tonga, and the Lord will bless you” was certainly true. He did bless me.
As we traveled from island to island and from branch to branch, many of the people followed us. They were so eager to hear the words of their Mission President, who had been given the gift of tongues, the gift of the Tongan language. This was not only a blessing to me, but also tot he Tongan people. I learned to read the Bible translated into the Tongan language and I studied so that my pronunciation would be perfected.
From that time on, I never needed an interpreter to deliver my messages to the Tongan saints. I never heard again the request, “Why can’t we have a mission president who can speak our language?” As true as I live today, I bear testimony that the gospel of Jesus Christ as revealed to us in this day and time, through the instrumentality of Joseph Smith, is true. It is the one and only true plan of salvation that God has revealed tot he people on earth today.
When I returned again to Samoa, I wrote the First Presidency of the Church of my gift of the Tongan language, for it was indeed, a gift. I have always recognized this experience as the most precious testimony and gift that the Lord has ever given me.
President Nelson recorded an additional testimony in a letter to his daughters June 15, 1959:
My dear daughters:
I have been thinking about a testimony that I desire to write to you about. I have thought of it a hundred times, but have never told it in public. It is very sacred to me and I have always given the Lord the credit for the accomplishment of a very wonderful blessing bestowed upon a very faithful Samoan sister.
In the month of June, 1914, while I was presiding over the Samoan and Tongan Missions, I called a Samoan man and his wife, Afatasi and Losa, to go on a mission to the Tongan islands, six hundred miles from the Samoan group, where they had to learn a new language.
Afatasi was an Elder and a very powerful speaker in his own tongue. Losa was a wonderful mother of several children and a good Latter-day Saint. However, she was blind. We had just finished a missionary meeting in the chapel, where these lovely people were both set apart for their missions to Tonga.
I had gone upstairs tot he office. The mission office and several apartments for the missionaries were on the second floor. For some reason, I arose very suddenly from my chair in the office and walked to the head of the stairs, just as Losa was coming up, feeling her way alongside the wall. Just as she was about to take the last step up, I reached down and put of fingers of my right hand on her eyes and in the name of Jesus Christ, I commanded her to receive her sight.
The outcome of this was she went on her mission with the full vision of her eyes. She could read and write as well as any school girl. She performed a wonderful work among the Tongan women and the Lord gave her another special blessing, the gift of the Tongan language, as well as the gift of her eyesight. Her dear husband was also a wonderful missionary and did a great work among the Tongan people.
I testify that I was but an agent for the Lord. It was not my power that bestowed her eyesight, but the power of Jesus Christ. I heeded the Spirit’s direction and was the instrument in the Lord’s hands to perform this sacred miracle.
I know the gospel of Jesus Christ is true. I bear this testimony to you, my dear daughters, in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior, Amen.
Saturday, September 27, 2014
Thursday, September 25, 2014
written in 1956 Book of Remembrance by Vera Wilcox Nelson
I was born March 25, 1889, in a little log house on the Snake River at Sunny Dell, Idaho. My father, Samuel Allen Wilcox was a pioneer in that Co. having moved from Dingeldell, Ida. in the Spring of 1886 to the Snake River Country. I was the eighth child in the family. My brothers were Adrain, Frank, Orrin, and sisters Chloe, Minnie, Maud and Ada. Seems my earliest recollections are when our 9th baby was born. A sweet black eyed baby girl, Hazel. I am sure I can remember being taken to my mothers' room and how I loved that baby girl. I was 3 in March and she was born in July 1892. then three years later came our baby brother Lorin and I would gladly stay at home from a ball game or anything if I could just old him all alone in my little rocking chair.
My childhood days were spent in a log house at Lyman about 7 miles north of where I was born. Ours was a happy home. Sunday morning I was always up and trotted to Sunday School with my father, ahead of the rest of the family. He was the Bishop and there were no telephone in those days. So he was always at church (a large one room building separated by curtains for classes.) early to see that the big stove was hot and the house warm for the crowd. Sometimes the Deacons were there and had a fire but my pa could make the best fires in the world. He was one grand man and loved by everyone large and small
I think my first teacher in Sunday School was Effie Robison. I can still remember the pretty little cards we used to take home with a nice little verse on them for us to learn. I can remember Theo Osborn (Aunt Jean Miller's niece) She was deaf and could not talk, but on testimony day she loved to get up and make gestures and try to talk. Some fo the kids laughed and I got up and stood by her and held her hand and tears streamed down my cheeks. Seemed like that sorta shamed the class and Theo. always loved me and I loved her too. She visited Jean Miller about 1936 and was happy to see me. She had learned to talk, but was still deaf. Her mother was always Aunt Rosella to me.
I was really my father's BEST BOY! You see there were five girls in a row so I used to ride a horse and get the cows at night and run the calves away from the cows after they had their share of the milk. (no separators in those days hence no calves to feed.)
My father had a large farm and had sheep. The sheep were kept in the foothills in the summer and the ewes and lambs brought to the farm for winter. I used to herd the sheep to keep them off the alfalfa. I was paid 5 cents per day. My dad use to tell me I'd die poor0because when the sheep behaved well I didn't feel I had earned my money. I would sit in the shade of a tree or straw stack and play make believe-sometimes I was a poor little rich girl who had no friends and sometimes as I was a fairy. I was never lonely cause I would make believe I was a nice princess and had many beaus.
There is one story in my life I am rather ashamed of-but here it is. My sister Ada three years older than I was, never was well. The dr. couldn't tell what her trouble was but she spent much of her childhood days at hime, ill. Mom and dad would take her to town. (Rexburg-5 miles No.) and ring home a big bottle of bitter root or some other junk for her to take-Well, they always brought some nice gift for her to bribe her to take this tuff. Of course I didn't understand this and one day they brought her the cutest little blue lamp. I had never seen one before. I think I was about five years old at the time. Well, the green monster was turned loose. I cried and got myself into such a state I really thought I was going to die. No one seemed to know why I was so naughty. My sister, Chloe, who was always my very beset friend let me sleep with her and so some way I made her know what the matter was. She made me understand for the first time how wonderful it was to be well. I am sure she helped me conquer jealousy, but I was at least fourteen years old before I really can say I was cured. the rest of my life I spent in trying to make up to my little sick sister for some of the mean feelings I had suffered.
When I was ten years old my baby sister Hazel and I had diphtheria. I was not nearly as sick as Hazel was and we lost our sweet baby sister. I can remember so well the night before she really was bedfast. I went out to the barn-stripping my favorite cow and she came toward me hopping on a broom stick. I asked her what ailed her and she said "if you won't tell ma I'll show you. She showed me her little legs and privates. I screamed and ran and told mother. She brought Hazel in the house and put her in a tub of warm water. I think it was kidney trouble or it could have been scarlet fever, anyway that darling just slept herself away. She wouldn't try to gargle her throat and there were no doctors except one 30 miles away. He came twice and just called it diphtheria. Anyway, I am very grateful for the knowledge that has come into he world in this day and age. I am writing this the 7th day of Jan., 1954. I have seen many wonderful changes in my life.
My mother never seemed to get over Hazel's death. we all used to tell her Hazel was too good for this world. I can remember the wonderful times we used to have every summer. The family and all the friends would Hi away to the mountains to pick huckleberries. Oh what a wonderful time we had. The food cooked over the camp fire and the songs and stories by the big fire at night and then to sleep in the back of the white top buggy on a feather bed. The women and children had the wagons and buggies and the men slept on pine boughs.
I used to htink that was the best time of the year. My ma use to brag on me then and say what a good little berry picker I was.
Once when we went, Lillian Young (just my age) was asleep after dinner so they left her int he wagon thinking she'd sleep at least 2 hours. She woke up and was rescued by a panther crying. Someone ran to the sound and killed the panther. that was a scary night but someone kept the campfire burning brightly all night so we were safe. In those days the mountains were the home of many wild animals, bears, mt. lions, panthers, wildcats, etc. Now those lands are all under cultivation.
I remember when I was a small child a little girl Nellie Anderson went to the mountains with her mother and father where her brother Samuel was herding their sheep. She wanted to stay a day or so and did. Samuel went to round up the sheep for the night and told Nellie to stay at the camp wagon. It was just before sundown and she saw a butterfly and followed it into the pines and became lost. Darkness came and she was out all night. Her brother went to a nearby camp and found Archie Galbrath there with a horse. He rode to the village about 15 miles away and every man was on his way by midnight to search for Nellie. She found a road and followed it to the Lime Kills and was taken in and put to bed and no one found her til noon the next day. It was about 6:00 a.m. when she found the house. She said she just asked God not to let the bears get her.
My first school teacher was Agnes Southworth, who later married my brother Adrain. She boarded at our house and Adrain was on a mission. I remember before Hazel died we had a letter form him. He was gone 3 years to the Southern States. Ma always cried when his letter came. Those were hard days too. Two of his companions were tarred and feathered. He was hid in the loft of a house 3 days and nights with the mob outside, ready to nab him. ONe day I missed Hazel and went to find her. She was crying back of the house and said it makes me sick at my stomach to read Adrains' letters. She was about 4 years old then. the worries were plentiful for the Missionaries in those days, but they learned the gospel. Adrian coverted a family and they came to Idaho (Bro. & Sis. Shirley) Patten, Adrean-girl named for my brother) Grandma and Aunt Rose.) they were very nice people and my folks sure surely good to them.
(this is all the story I have of her life history)
The Red Jacket Shaft Mining Accident
Edit Story
Accident No. 9. - This was one of the most appalling disasters that ever occurred in the history of mining in Houghton county. By the oversight of an engineer caused by the supposed disconnection of a number from an indicator band ten men were hurled to instantaneous death at the Red Jacket shaft of the Calumet and Hecla mine on the 14th day of May 1893 viz: John ODGERS, timberman with assistants Allen CAMERON, Andrew EDNIE, John HICKS, James COCKING, Joseph POPE, Con S. SULLIVAN, Robert WUOPIO, James TREANA and Michael SANDRETO. These men entered the shaft as usual to timber up and secure the shaft that was being sunk during the week. Everthing went well during the forenoon. Several buckets of timber had been lowered down the shaft for the men to put in place to secure the sides of the shaft and nothing while the work was in progress happened to create the least suspicion that the machinery in every detail was not in perfect order. It is customary among the men working in the shaft to go to the surface for dinner and when the noon hour arrived the unfortunate fellows got in the bucket and gave the proper signal to hoist men and both the lander and the engineer according to their testimony at the inquest received the signals correctly. Mr. Ernest TULIN was running the engine and James ASHTON was landing. Both are men of experience in their line of duty and had the confidence of the men working in the shaft. When the signal to hoist was given the bucket containing the men was hoisted up the shaft at the rate of seventy strokes a minute. The speed for hoisting rock is ninety strokes a minute and a standing order was given to the three engineers employed in running the engine at the Red Jacket shaft when men are riding up or down the shaft not to run any more than half speed or forty-five revolutions per minute more than allowed equal to 550 feet faster than the allowed rate but owing to the fact afterwards brought out at the inquest that the fatal number became detached from the indicator band and fell off the engineer lost his reckoning and supposed the bucket was 900 feet down the shaft at the time when it reached the surface consequently the bucket and men were hoisted up against the timbers on top of the shaft house where they struck with a terrific crash snapping asunder the steel bolt connecting the bucket to the wire rope and precipitating men and bucket down the shaft a distance of 3,000 feet. The indicator is a number attached to a steel band operated by the engine and serves to designate the location of the bucket in the shaft and the number attached with a set-screw. When the bucket is far down the shaft the number disappears from veiw under the stand or casting in which it is operated. How the number became detached from the band is a mystery which never may be solved. Of the two numbers attached to the band at the time of the accident one was to govern the landing of the north and the other of the south bucket. The number that fell off was to govern the landing of the north bucket and its loss was not noticed when the south bucket was being hoisted in which the men were riding up the shaft until the top of the frame was reached in which it was operated. See letter C on cut of indicator. The number that governed the landing of the south bucket came in full view at the bottom of slot A. The bucket was then 350 feet down the shaft. Letter B shows the point of landing the south bucket or mouth of shaft. An inquest was held before Coroner MACDONALD. The jury after due deliberation rendered the following verdict. We find that the deceased men, John ODGERS, John HICKS, Allen CAMERON, Andrew EDNIE, James COCKING, Joseph POPE, Con S. SULLIVAN, Robert WUOPIO, James TREONA and Michael SANDRETO came to their deaths by accident and we exonerate the Calumet and Hecla Mining Company and its engineer from all blame but we suggest that a new system of indicating be adopted. The recommendations of the jury have been complied with.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)