1

Marjorie Newton – References to Te Whatahoro – my notes about John A. Jury from Hoagland and
Magleby Papers and Lambert Journal in Church History Library, Salt Lake City, July 1992 and June
1995.

A. Hoagland Papers – MS 6545. Louis Gerald Hoagland, Papers, 1915-1941 Church History
Library, Salt Lake City.

Louis G Hoagland to Pres Benjamin Goddard, Bureau of Information, 5 Apr 1923. Outlining what
had happened to the four volumes of Maori lore. From two recently-returned Elders I learned that
some of the Jury books had been loaned and taken away from the Mission vault that Pres Lambert
had made; and one of the Elders also reported he saw some of the books, and that the Elders who
were cleaning up the vault considered that the books were junk and taking up valuable space.
Nitama being the President at this time I reported the matter to him. He suggested that I talk it over
with Rufus and let Rufus take it up with you and he thought that you and Rufus would get the
matter before the Church board who have to do with historical matters.
The items were gone over with Rufus. He with James was of the opinion that the books ought to be
brought here and placed with the Church Historian. He said, however, that there was no Presidency
or Executive Committee for you had resigned. I recall that also for you told me that when I asked if
they? we? might be favoured with a talk from you at George Young's farewell. After several weeks
other letters came from the Mission re the same items so I reported the . . . to the Church office.
From the fact that James was president then, and also from the fact that Rufus as they reported has
just been talking with Bro Lund regarding the Charles Hardy library and the Jury records,
suggesting that they all be brought here, it was thought proper by them that Rufus, James and Ruihi
met with them and come to some understanding.
At the meeting I reported the Jury records, then Rufus spoke of the Hardy library. He wanted that
brought here also. He states that Bro Hardy gave this library to him also, and he desires the Church
to have it. At this meeting Rufus asked permission to offer a suggestion which was that Bro Jury -
considering his loyalty to the Church and the assistance given the elders by him - should be invited
by the Church to come to SL, bring the books here, and while here, with the help of Elders here,
translate the native records. At the conclusion of the meeting we three were requested to draft a
letter covering the items discussed and to return it when signed. This we did the day following. The
items discussed were: the four large Jury records; and the Charles Hardy library. As I recall it, you
said that the details of these two items were gone into at the Hui held at the home of Elder
Stevenson. If however you decide to peruse the items in detail, as contained in our signed report, I
think that Rufus would be glad to let you read his copy - he had one made. Or if you would like to
read mine, I will be glad to let you use it.

Copy. SLC March 22 1923. [To?] Elder Joseph Fielding Smith, Historian, Church of etc. Dear
Brother, In accordance with your request of March 21st, we respectfully submit the following
memorandum concerning books now [in?] the NZ Mission which we feel could be more
permanently and securely safeguarded by being in your possession than they can be in their present
location.
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These books consist of a set of four large volumes of the traditions and history of the Maori race, as
relates to their origin and their various migrations to their present location in the islands of NZ.
These records deal with 119 generations to the time of Io-Matuakore (Io, the parent-less, or without
an earthly father) (= Jesus [pencilled in]. They deal with
the first mortals
the great world flood
Tawhaki's death and his ascent to heaven (Christ perhaps)
the first murder
the seerstone that led the people in their migrations
the stars that guided them over the Pacific
their ancient temple
the creations from darkness
the assemblage of spirits
the creation of the garg?? of life in man
the sun, moon and stars are worlds and many other traditions as handed down from generation to
generation as the great priests of the tribe have taught succeeding ones chosen to become priests in
the place of their teachers.
These records were written and prepared in the following manner:
Two priests, wise men of each tribe of the Maori people, were selected to represent their particular
branch of the Maori race, and called to a conference at Papawai on the banks of the Huahine River.
At this place, a council house had been erected, in which, in accordance with Maori custom, for
assemblages of such moment, no food had ever been permitted to enter, nor had women been
permitted to enter.
During the winter months of the years 1863, 1864 and 1865, these priests, or chieftains of their
tribes, under the leadership of two great men, one of whom was Te Matorohanga, (perchance the
chief sage of the entire race), met each morning at daybreak and deliberated until high noon without
partaking of food. When the sun reached this position they crossed the river to their village to break
their fast, and to repeat again on each succeeding day their deliberations, which according to their
hopes, was to be an authentic, sacred and secret history of their people.
Each morning, when it was light enough to read, the chief scribe of this gathering who was no other
than our much respected and beloved brother, Te Whatahora (John A Jury) read the decisions and
conclusions of the labors of yesterday and when, by the unanimous voice of the entire body they
were pronounced carried, each page of mamuscript was stamped with the official Maori seal. The
seal represented two men in the act of shaking hands and was symbolical of a complete union and
oneness of all the race.

13 July 1925 SLC to Pres Angus T Wright, Ogden, Ut. [Almost illegible]. Since your return from
NZ haven't had a chance to see you. The one thing that concerns me most is re, the records that I
secured from Te Whatahoro, John A. Jury. I presume that you are conversant with the manner in
which they came to me, for the church, and the precautions taken to guard them until such time as
we could have them translated. I fear however, that you may not know a few of the details and for
this reason I will in brief state a few items to you.
Bro Jury related to me the whole story of the manner of the giving of information by Te
Matahoranga, the aged priest of Waiapawa? Waipu? and Jury's writing, assisted by Apori . . . [can't
 3

read]. The story is indeed voluminous. I have it all written so I will not here go into detail.
I took precaution to have written in the front of every book . . . that they were his personal property
and that he had given them to the Church and this was witnessed and he signed them by Pres
Wallace Campbell of the Waikato Conference . . . He also signing under Jury's name that he was
present, saw the books delivered and saw Jury sign the statement.
On arrival in Auckland I learned more of their value, then conferred with Pres James N Lambert. He
too was convinced of their great value for historical matter and temple work and at once prepared to
make them safe. He ordered that I bind them all together and mark on the package that they were of
great value etc. He had a vault made under the chapel where he placed them. . . did not end here.
He felt they should be translated right soon and took steps to that end. He did not send them to Salt
Lake, no-one at that time felt that this was the place for them any more than your Mission records or
journal should be any place other than the Mission Office. After this it did appear that the better
place for them could have been in Hiona [Zion] but conditions changed. This I mention from the
fact that Pres Lambert has been quite severely criticised because he did not send them right over
here. When two years later it was decided to have JUry come here, that put a different aspect on the
matter.
Bro Ezra Stevenson was the one that said to me, "Why did you not bring them here with you and
place them with the Church Historian?" My reply was that I did not have any authority to bring
them here. President Lambert had made ample provision for it was decided that Jury, Wi Duncan,
Stewart Meha and Bro George Bowles do this . . . but he could [not?] get any action from home.
They did not seem to realise the importance and month after month passed by and nothing was done
...
[two paragraphs illegible]
Now when your report came to the Home office and President Grant said to three of our Elders who
went to the office, "Well, Brethren, you have let this go too long, you are too late, Jury is not able
and the Government have requested the records." You may feel, e hoa, as some of the Elders, who
had to do with this, felt when they discovered that the President felt they had let some duty slide.
This all could have been avoided if someone here were made responsible to see that they [were?]. . .
acted upon and not laid aside. They are too busy to attend the details of this matter.
[Part of the illegible paragraphs says he tried to get action through other sources} . . . knowing as I
did that Jury was getting up in years and that delays were dangerous. I informed President Rudger
Clawson of the matter and he sent me to Joseph Fielding Smith Jr. He apparently decided action
should be taken at once, laid the matter before the Presidency and the Twelve and they decided that
Bro Jury should have his way paid here and bring the books here and translate them here. This order
was made known to you, President Wright, as you were leaving for NZ. You see, e hoa, the bad
thing of the matter was that no-one seemed to have to do with it that knew the vital importance of
quick action thus at the time of your departure 3 1/2 years had passed and not a thing done; though
the request of President Lambert - which had been pigeonholed - had been called time and time
again to the presiding officers. I feel they did not do this from any lack of interest only that they did
not feel the importance. Most of these matters seem to have been left to Bro Gibbs and he oftimes
assumes a good deal.
On what pretence did the Government secure the books? Did the Mission attorney feel they
ought to have them? Are they going to return them or furnish us with a copy? if a copy, do you feel
that they will delay, if not urged or forced, till some new officers come into power - like in the case
 4

of the Treat of Waitangi - and tell us to go to the wahi? . . . [more Maori not taped].

Letter 31 May 1937 cc SLC To President Moroni O Woods

Tells about Jury books - how they were written. Jury, then a very young man, was selected as chief
scribe and Bro Aporo Kumeria as assistant, Major Brown or E Kangaranga which is his native
name was the chief stamper, placing the native Maori seal at the foot of each page when proof-read.
Jury guarded these books from that time till he delivered them to me at Tiroa in Waikato in 1918.
There were four large volumes bound in leather with red leather binding tips on corner and back.
We took them to Auckland, built a fire-proof vault in the Auckland Chapel for them. Jury urged that
they be translated. He knew the meanings of the obsolete words used by the two aged . . .
President Lambert and I went into the matter and decided it be done. Lambert wrote to President
[Heber J.] Grant, recommended the return of a certain Elder well-informed in native lore to be
called back to NZ to take lead in this translation, to have Jury, Wi Duncan and Tuati Meha to work
with him. An elder was sent to Laie Temple with a view to going to NZ say every six months and
gather a new company of Temple Saints and while in NZ work with Duncan, Meha. This elder went
to Laie and made ready for NZ trip. President McKay then visited Hawaii on trip with Hugh J
Cannon around the world. They were to have gone direct to Samoa and NZ but President Grant told
them they might come home to SL for the Conference and then go to NZ by way of Tahiti and San
Francisco. So the elder selected to go from Laie, Maori [-speaking?] Elder and meet Duncan, Jury
and Tuati, or the translation, and then take another company of Maoris to the temple, was told by
Bro McKay to wait at Laie till he got word from SL the date that McKay and Cannon would leave
for NZ. They would tell him so he could go on and meet them there in NZ but the word never came
so this Elder spent all his time helping at the Laie Temple and only got to contact Maoris when they
came once in a long time to Laie. Then Lambert had gone home and the matter of translation was
delayed and delayed. At last I contacted Joseph Fielding Smith and told him Jury was over 80 and it
was now or never to get the translation done and that Jury being scribe was the only [one] left that
knew the now obsolete words that were used by the ancient native historians that dictated to Jury.
He was quite alarmed at this delay of over two years since I received the records, you see he knew
the value [of] action in this matter while Bro McKay and the President did not. So Joseph Fielding
called a number of us Elders in a special meeting. It was thought that considering the long service
Jury gave to the Church it would be a fine thing to have him and his wife come on a visit to
America at the expense of the church, have his endowments here and while here form a Committee
to do the translating with Jury with us.
p.2 Expressed my joy to think that Jury might come here but also expressed my misgivings on two
phases, first the time had been delayed so long and Jury has suffered total loss by fire of his home in
Wangaunui and this had at his age been quite disquieting to him and second it was not definite that
we would be allowed to bring those books from NZ, for some ten years before the NZ Parliament
had passed a law prohibiting anyone from taking away any old Maori writings from the Islands. Just
at this time President Angus Wright leaving for NZ he was informed of this meeting. Wright was
give charge of arranging matters for Jury to come over. On his arrival he found that the two most
valuable books were not in the vault and that President George Taylor had let Wi Duncan take one
away down to Dannevirke and the other loaned to Mr McDonald book-keeper of the Auckland Big
Book Store. Some quick work on Wright's part replaced the books in Auckland in safe-keeping
again and then President Wright set in to visit Whatahoro but on arrival at Auckland he made the
 5

mistake of telling Elders and some native Elders about authority given him and that he was going to
send Jury and the histories to America. This in almost no time got to some of Jury's folks and then
to Major Brown the native who was the chief stamper. Brown rushed to Wellington for two things,
to persuade the Government men not to let Jury leave the Colony and also to block the removal of
these books from the Dominion and Wright soon after Dr Buck came to Auckland with an order
from the Government to get the histories. Prest Wright told him they were given to our Church and
we had use of them for temple work and the like and then showed Buck the inside of the binder
board of the books where I had taken great precaution to have Jury write that now the LDS were the
owners of the books etc and had him sign each book and Elder Wallace Campbell, Presiding Elder
in Waikato signed that he had witnessed Jury turn them to me and saw him sign his name and
President Woods, can you not go to Wellington and contact Dr Buck? He is quite a student of Maori
whakapapa and has written a book on it and why not give this mana to Tuati Meha and give him
authority to carry it on for the Church?
So as said because of the fire and the age of Jury he was done for. His memory began to fail. When
Prest Wright visited him he could not recall or remember and died soon after the visit. Both Dr
Buck and Dr Pomare promised the return of the records to us or a certified copy with the Pakeha
translation. By the way, is there in the Mission Office two red Maori books entitled Kawairanga and
Kawairero? In these books are a good portion of the history that was in the Jury records. We placed
them in the library. They are both in Maori and in Pakeha. Most profound things are in those
volumes wherein they tell of the majesty of God and his works etc etc. I have a set at home and also
I placed a set with Bro Lund in the Historian's Office. To be sure there should be in the Mission
Office files in the book or books that served as Mission Journal an account of the travels and huis
attended by our mission presidents. Prest Wright had quite a number of conversations with Dr
Pomare who by the way was a very good friend to us mission presidents and to our native Saints. Of
course they were his people. As to Sir Ngata, he tended? to be somewhat two-faced. He lived with
one of our hungatapu girls, and had a tamaite or two by her. A hua pure arua. Her home was in [the]
section where the Halls lived. Mary Hall Bean's people. Dr Buck comes into the picture later, after
the time that Jury gave the records to me.
In case the former presidents have left no complete records and file I will make a few
quotations to put you on the proper path so that you and Tuati [Meha?], in case you are willing to
give him this honour, to continue it when you leave the Mission. We should make them [the
Government] live up to their sacred promise given by Pomare and Dr Buck when we let them ask?
take?] the records. In any event a complete copy with a translation. Of course they keep stalling,
saying they have not yet had time to do the translation, but they may never try to do the translating.
p.3 I know from what Jury told me that to him and Bro Aporo Kumeroa then young men only were
given the meaning of some of the obsolete words used by the two native priests. If we could only
have impressed on those in authority the importance of those things, etc.
Dr Pomare confirmed in writing to Wright "With reference to your interview with me on
16th July 1923, I have to confirm in writing, my promise, that I would arrange for the four volumes
of the W H Whatahoro, receipt of which I hereby acknowledge, to be examined by the experts of
the Dominion Museum. I have also arranged for the mss to be printed and when it has been done,
the volumes, or a certified copy thereof, will be forwarded to you."
Pomare underscored the "to be printed" as I copy on this line above. Pomare's letter was
reply to Wright's letter of 24 July 1923 in which Wright wrote in part: Sir Maui Pomare, on 16th
 6

July 1923 I delivered to your secretary, (Dr Buck) the Four volumes of Maori Lore
which were written by W H Whatahoro and presented to the LDS Church - Bishop Louis G
Hoagland receiving it for the Church - as proven by presentation note attached to inside cover of
each volume, which was signed by said H Te Whatahoro, and duly witnessed by two separate and
disinterested parties. The volumes were delivered to your office to your Department, by request of
the Minister of the Interior, for investigation and expert examination, with mutual agreement that
after a reasonable time being for said work of inspection, that the volumes intact, and without
mutilation, be returned, or a certified copy thereof, to assist us (the Church) in our labor of love in
collecting genealogies for the people of the world. Kindly acknowledge receipt of these four
volumes, and your affirmation to the terms as expressed in this letter. Angus T Wright.
Reply of Sir Maui above.
Is it not true that the reasonable time has passed long ago and they have not done the translation?
Can you not persuade them to make the copy now or they may never do the work? Again, they have
us to thank for the records. That was our business, gathering history and tradition and Jury knew
that and gave them to us and again had Jury retained them they would have been burned in their fire
that destroyed all he had and we saved them. Again, for years, the Government knew that Jury
owned and had written the records. Mr Percy Smith, a surveyor, a native student of Maori and a
writer, and a Govt man also, had access to these records and discussed them with Jury, yet they
made no attempt to secure or protect them; but when we secured them and made a fireproof vault
for safety, they come and demand them. They have had the records now, fourteen years. We must
have this; we need it as a portion of our history work. If you have glanced through the index in the
rear of the two red books, Kawahanga [Kauaerunga? esoteric lore] and Kawarero [Kauaerara?
traditions], in the Percy Smith books taken from Jury's books - the work of Jury and Smith, you will
be astounded and this is only a portion of its contents. By the way, when you get a look at these
books, do look, first to the front of the books not on the fly-leaf of the book but on the inside of the
cover and see if the Govt men have been true to their word not to change or mutilate . . .

[George Bowles apparently was the Elder in Hawaii].

cc SLC Utah 8 Dec 1938 Hoagland to Andrew Jenson, Assistant Church Historian. Talking about a
conversation he had had over a year ago with him about history data of the lives of a goodly number
of the Maori elders, natives, that were among the first to enter the Church and assist the home elders
in the preaching of the gospel. You had said that the history of your [Jenson’s] native land had not
and your early converts to the Church in those lands had not been written up. That is their histories
but you were trying your best to [get] all the information that you could so they might be properly
chronicled in Church history. You may recall that when I spoke of my intimate knowledge of the
lives of the first men [converts in New Zealand] you thought that I owed the NZ Mission a duty to
write up notes on the lives of these men. You made a brief search while I was there and said there
seemed to be but little on record of the activities of these men. I may tell you that while on my third
mission there I collected pedigrees of many native elders, tracing many back for generations with
John A Jury, half-caste called Te Whatahoro. I have data back 109 generations and used a
conservative [estimate] of 30 years for generations. You see they mature younger so genealogists
there use . . . 35 for whites. For some time I have been getting data re the lives of these early Church
defenders and the part they played. It is my purpose to present them to your office as soon as they
 7

are in proper shape. I have suggested to some of the officers of our home Maori Association that we
have a project, purpose, to collect items of work done in NZ and also do Temple work for these
early friends of ours and put the NZ natives and their labors in the Church archives. To do justice to
the white membership a great deal might be done for them. You will recall Bro Charles Hardy,
president of the Auckland Branch and whose home was at Mt Albert, beyond Mt Eden. I have quite
a bit on his life. I am now doing his temple work. His father, grandfather and great-grandfather, also
his six brothers and three sisters with their husbands and wives.
Bro Jenson, did you get any date from him as to the time he joined the Church, which you will
recall was first in Sydney. He was born 21 March 1832, as a very young man came to America to
San Pedro, then San Bernardino, when that was the outfitting place for the Church, then was on the
way to Utah with other Saints that came at the same time from Sydney when some way on the
journey over the desert, perhaps Mojave Desert or some place near that place, they met Amasa
Lyman or his son, F M Lyman, on the way back to San Bernardino on one of their trips - Hardy
asked about employment in the Valley, and was told there was not much doing that year. Hardy told
Lyman that the skipper of the sailing vessel had made him a good offer to make the round trip to
Sydney and back and that he would pay him well. So Bro Lyman counselled him to accept the offer
which he did. When back at Sydney he was made a good offer of employment for a year at a very
good wage. Recalling what Lyman had said re very little work in SL, he thought it best to accept
and then go to Zion with quite a sum of cash in his pocket. Well, before the end of the year he met a
girl, and this girl delayed the trip. They married and he never saw the Elders again till he met them
at a street meeting on Queen Street in Auckland. Now I'm trying to find out which sailing vessel he
came on to San Pedro. You may recall that F M Lyman's wife came from Sydney, as I have it in the
same company. Bro Lyman first met her either at San Bernardino of the desert. Can you find if there
is any record in the historian's office of Saints in those early day that came to Zion? If so we might
get the ship and the data re Bro Hardy. Louis G. Hoagland.

Conclusion of a cc of a letter from LGH to David O. McKay, typed.

. . . native priests there were ceremonial words not understood by Jury. He would? ask and receive
instruction as to the meaning. For this reason I did all in my power, in writing, to Taylor, and
Jenkins, urging them to have this done while Bro Jury was able to help them. Prest Jenkins was in
close communion with Mr Hislop and Sir Maui Pomare, but they kept putting this off until Pres
Jenkins just felt that were he to urge them further, they might become impatient with him.
Pres Jenkins, however, did prevail on Mr Hislop, and secured 17 pages - a commencement of the
translation - and sent it to me, for us to file with the Church historian. This I showed to Bro Joseph
Fielding Smith but he made no comment on it. It seemed that all on his mind was disappointment
because we did not get the records back. Here the transcription stopped - at least they did not send
any more to Prest Jenkins. I have faith that we will get them back, if we work without delay, as soon
as the Govt have completed the copy but, Bro McKay, what I think ought to be done is to urge Pres
Magleby to hammer at this until he is victor. I read a cablegram in the papers on[e?] Joseph Ward is
now Premier and Mr Ngata is Native Minister. So this relieves from office Sir Maui Pomare and Mr
Hislop. Ward is a Catholic and Ngata is a Methodist. There is a reason why Mr Ngata is obligated to
help us. With these two men in, the Protestant Ministers' forces at Wellington will not have the
power against us that they have had.
 8

John E Magleby is beloved by the natives and there is no better Maori linguist. He has made a
success of his own business at home and will be able to take care of the weighty matters of the
Church in NZ. His whole life at home has been spent in farming, cattle and sheep raising - not sheep
alone. Some parties, who have not sided with him as to College matters, have suggested "that all he
knows is sheep" but this is not true.

Ms 6545 fd 2
John Jury to Louis G. Hoagland, 12 Feb 1919.
[Re safe keeping of the Jury history records and his dream and vision of Jesus, and his preaching
tour with Prest William Thomas Stewart to Waipu.] I gave to Bro Ivan A Lund for Church
Historian's Office a translated copy of this. [All above handwritten, over top of a typescript. Then
folded back and page photographed again.]

English translation of Maori letter by Te Whatahoro to Louis G Hoagland. Elder Hoagland was in
Auckland. Datelined Mangapaehi P.O., Tiroa, NZ. Date -12 Feb 1919 - added in ink in LGH's
printing.
To Louis G Hoagland, Auckland, NZ.

Dear Friend, Greetings to you. Your letter arrived and was received by me on 3rd Feb 1919. In it is
your request that I relate to you in detail the dream that was shown to me by one unknown to me.
Yes, it is true that I did have a dream; or to be more exact there were three dreams, or three
divisions of the dream. Here it is: My first dream showed me a house, standing with the side walls
only - no top, just the walls. People were entering it, and I joined the concourse and entered the
house. I saw that the people were worshipping and praying. I also joined and prayed and just before
I awoke the thought came to me "Perhaps this means that I will join the Hauhau Church." (Note:
Many natives who for some years had tried to understand the conflicting doctrines of the Christian
sects were now joining the Native (Hauhau) Church. The doctrines of this new native church were
composed of teaching of the old native priests and doctrines from the Bible, as read by them, from
doctrine taught by recently appointed "Pakeha" ministers.)

Following this dream I met a "Mormon" Elder. It was in Papawai, Wairarapa. He was presiding
over the work among that white people of this islands. (Note by LGH: I here divert to add the name
of this Elder, Hyrum Groesbeck. He is not in this letter of Jury to me but was given to me by Bro
Jury on 4 Oct 1918 at Tiroa by the Mangapaehi Post Office in King Country, Elder Wallace
Campbell, president of Waikato Conference was with me. Signed Louis G Hoagland: "I first heard
the Gospel of the Latter-day Saints in Papawai, Wairarapa. Hyrum Groesbeck was the first Elder I
ever met and conversed with. He was preaching the Gospel to the whites. This Elder Groesbeck
came and lodged at the home of Bro Manihera Rangitaka-i-Waho who by the way, is the father of
Bro R H Manihera, known to the early Elders as Pou." Now to return to the letter of 12 Feb 1919,
from Tiroa, Waikato.)

He baptised the first Wairarapa Maoris - Ihaia Manihera being the first one with other natives of his
tribe. The elder spent two weeks ("weeks" struck out and corrected in ink, "nights") teaching me the
doctrine of the Church. I said to this Elder, "If you come to Gisborne, you ask the whites there to
 9

direct you to the home of John A Jury. Anyone there can tell you where I live. You be sure and
come and stay with me."

Following this and after my return to Gisborne there arrived in NZ another Elder, William Thomas
Stewart, the first Elder I met in Papawai (Bro Hyrum Groesbeck) had returned to America. In the
course of time Tuati (William Thomas Stewart) came to my home in Gisborne. He taught me and
mine the gospel, remaining with us two days. During this visit of Elder Tuati, I had my second
dream, it was this:

I beheld the heaven, and it was very clear, transparent; there were myriads of stars; then another and
more bright star, in the East, appeared and wended its way through the other stars until it was right
above me and then it paused. Then it took on the shape of a person; the head, the body, the feet, all
in perfect likeness of a human; then I beheld this person held a saw in his hand and the thought
occurred to me, Why this must be the carpenter Joseph's son. And then I awoke and my whole soul
was thrilled and I said to myself, "Now I know that the Mormon Church is the true one; this
doctrine taught by Thomas Stewart to me is the right one." Then I gathered my native people to me
at one place, that he might preach to them also. He taught us and at the conclusion of his speech we
all were truly converted and were baptised into the Church. This was in the year 1883.

Dear friend Ruihi, I hear say that this dream converted me - or rather confirmed - that the preaching
of Tuati was true and Church of our Master Jesus Christ was with us and this was my reason for
entering the Church and thanks to you for writing and asking me to write and tell you about my
conversion to the Gospel and about this dream. I testify that I did have the dream, that it is true.
Now, e hoa, I have a matter that I desire you to tell me about. It is about the Pukapuka Whakapapa
(Maori books of history and tradition which he gave me and which I took to Prest James N Lambert,
to be placed in the Church's keeping at the Mission chapel in Auckland). Old native histories that I
gave you and that you took away with you. Where are they, are they properly taken care of?
Goodbye dear friend in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ. Yours truly, H T Whatahoro Jury of
Tiroa.

Ruihi, tell me the road to the coming April Conference to be held at Nuhaka. Which is the good
road to get there and what is the fare by train? Again goodbye, e hoa.

Note typed: This is the first of a series of notes regarding the opening of the gospel message in NZ
among the Maoris. The information has been secured from John A Jury, Aporo Kumeroa, William
Duncan, Toi Te Huatahi, Piripi Te Maari, Paratene, Hirini Whaanga, Mere Whaanga and others.
Signed Louis G Hoagland, SLC.

Original of letter from Jury all in Maori, handwritten.

Long letter from McDonnel, datelined Waiohiki, Taradale, Napier, Hawkes Bay. Jan 23 1929.
Addressed to Louis G Hoagland, SLC. I received your greeting card and letter. Sorry to learn that
some of my good and kind friends have passed away - Lambert, Angus Wright, George S Taylor. I
am sure they will be rewarded.
 10

We have missed our dear brother Wi Tikana but his good works are among us. I was sorry at the
departure of our Prest J. Howard Jenkins, his nice wife and family as they were loved by all the
Saints but I am just as pleased to meet Pres and Sis Magleby who are with us here now also. All the
Elders are doing their best for the Master's cause. I have given up my business and engaged in land
claims on behalf of the natives p.2 Now my dear brother, you were inquiring about those Maori
carvings with the hands represented as three fingers. Now this is a secret among the Maori people
and they don't like to confess it to foreigners but you are not one so I will try and explain as it relates
to sex principles father or male, mother or female and child, son or daughter.

The three fingers are supposed to remind the ancient Maori people of the three branches or baskets
of knowledge called by them uru-uru-matua ceremony of peace, goodness and love.

Muru-uru-rangi ceremony of prayers used by mankind

uru-uru-tau - ceremony of agriculture or of success etc.

The old teachers refer to the original teachings that they were derived from the first created thoughts
which were good alone: but it was afterwards that evil thoughts came into being according to some
of the old arikis. The Creator first gave man eyes in order to distinguish good from evil and then the
ngakau heart was to hold such knowledge. There are other meanings in connection with the three
fingers. I think each tribe has its own sentiments and even their own pattern of the whakairo and
also their own tohu of the moko: as regards to a book on Maori carvings I think that Hamilton's
Maori Art on whakairo and also another interesting book, p.3 is Te Ika a Maui or New Zealand and
its Inhabitants by Richard Taylor. Then on the hei tiki, the greenstone ornaments, it is really a sort
of charm. [Pencilled or inked in in LGH's handwriting or printing: charm for expectant mother or
girl that she might charm and her birth . . .]. I understand it is in memory of the first human person
of the Maori race, Tiki, whose wife was Hine-titame-ama and her child was Tiki Tepora Mua. The
twelfth person Toi came to NZ in search of his grandson Whatonga? but as far as I can understand
the great Kupa came from Tahiti about eight generations before Toi Tehua Tapi? I think there was
two persons by the name of Toi . . . [great detail]. Perhaps one came to NZ about 150 years before
the other, namely, Kupe Nui, the navigator. I also find that there are two persons named Paoa. One
was the great navigator of the Howoweta> canoe and the other is the son of Hekamaru and the
former lived about 400 years before the latter person. There are lots of inaccuracies in the Maori
genealogies - false names entered, genuine names left out and so on. People entered twice because
they are known under two names. This happened by a common line of descent, intermarriage of
different hapus or families, also the practice of naming children after some noted ancestor to
preserve the fame and deeds of that person. Sometimes one tribe trying to outdo another inserted
additional names etc. I understand the Mormons are the only people doing this great work as a
record of our Maori people but you need to understand all these problems. Also some of the
tohungas deliberately recited them wrong to confuse other people. I am present[ly?] compiling a
dictionary of Maori/English and English/Maori, have been about four years at it and hope to
complete it shortly. Some of the works published by the Dominion Museum by Elsdon Best have
been much exaggerated to get more sales. A. F. McDonnell.
 11

Mission letterhead paper from Magleby, handwritten to LGH. March 13, 1930. By two mails ago I
sent to Apostle David O McKay two more copies of the Whare wananga Lore. We expect you to
take care of these however. We are keeping a copy here.

By this mail I am enclosing a copy of our monthly letter and a copy of the oration which took first
place at the close of the MAC. I had copies of two other orations but they are all gone.

Bro Goddard has a copy of all three, see him . . .

The watch came but not the Sharp? medal. The watch came just in time and without any duty. They
have had a very successful school year. We have the farm looking entirely new, never before has it
been so neat. So the old folks say. If there is anything I do know, it is what to do on a farm. I can't
just have my way with the livestock, the circumstances will not permit. We have made a fair . . .
with our Uncle Sam notwithstanding the grim protest from the Hawkes Bay County Council. Our
friends put up their bill eliminating our ten acres from rates. This will save us at least $200 each
year. I sure had to laugh when the bill passed over the heads of the Opposition who fought like lions
but were out of order. . . of law. You may remember the Supreme Court ruled against the MAC
once, so to go through Court would have been a long, expensive road. I am sending you two paper
clippings in words of the Governor-General in our favor. He surely speaks up and waits for the
Ministers to kiss his feet. At the close of this year we will be down to sixteen Zion Elders. Are you
run out? Well, our activities are going to show nearly as good as when they had sixty elders in the
field so we are happy and plodding along.

Thanks for the good things you said of the Maori boy. Your words will come out in the Karere. Say,
why not the returned Elders subscribe for our local paper and help the Mission as well as theirselves
[sic]? Preach our cause as to the watch, a $25 one will suffice as well as a dearer one and the medal
need not be expensive at all. Whether the Committee at home cares for the school or not our hearts
are right with respect to them. No trouble at all. They have just imagined something. Like the
Maoris who fancy they are . . . and prepare to die. Before you finish reading all this I am sending
you will be sleepy. So I am going to say goodnight.

March 21 1932 Typescript. Writer not identified but on NZ Mission letterhead to LGH.
Your letter of Feb 14 came and we have read and reread the contents which is in itself quite a
history of the NZ Mission. I don't think I can help you much getting any information from Mr
McDonald for I do not know where he lives. [Hoagland note on side: A F McDonald the former
Auckland Bookstore man]. If he turns up at the Hui Tau I will mention it to him. Interesting to read
your report with respect to the College ground. Investigations made with the results and all that.
However it is now all finished, and there is nothing more to be said. The dormitory is razed to the
ground, nearly all buildings are moved off, with the exception of the Chapel which is being
rehabilitated; the nine acres of ground upon which these buildings stood has been turned to the
Saints of Korongata as something for them to occupy and have as their own, only that the Church
will continue to hold the deeds. So that we have now said goodbye to all the college. . .

. . . I was in hopes of hearing from you with respect to someone to succeed us here as the
 12

Presiding officers of this Mission but neither you nor anyone else says anything, so we are just left,
having been here now for four years, making altogether 18 years of missionary service that my
family has given to NZ, and 27 of missionary work to the world.

As to the three fingers on the Maori carvings, and the twisted looking tiki, I will say that Elder
Hodge took home with him for safe-keeping in the Church library, all the books we had at the
Maori College, dealing with Maori mythology and history. I think you can find quicker there what
you want than I can write it. [On side: George - you will recall on the teko teko images we see only
three fingers. There is a deep meaning understood by old native historians.] [After President
Magleby came back home, he got these books from the President's office. They came from
Auckland to Church Historian's Office by Robert B Hodges as he came to go to University of Utah
in 1929-1931] [sic – wrong dates?]

2nd page of a letter from Magleby to LGH, dated 19 Sep 1930.

I have loaned sheet No. 1 to Waddoups 4 Aug 1929. This is p.2. Reason of a new election and we
have it all to go over again. If there is any translation to be done, it will necessarily need to fall back
upon those who learned Maori for there are no Elders now in the Mission or coming to it that learn
any Maori to speak of, nor does it seem possible for them to do so. Just last night I noticed a piece in
the local paper wherein a certain person was drawing this matter to the attention of the Government
officials that the Maori language in its native condition was dying out, that while it is pretended to
be taught in school, they are doing nothing with it. It also said that these English people did not and
could not correctly speak the Maori, so it does look like the Maori language will in a very few years
become practically extinct as far as the living races are concerned so that such as yourself, Rufus
Hardy, Matt Cowley and some others who have a knowledge of the Maori language will need to
retain it for the purposes mentioned in your letter, for we shall not be able to produce any more such
Maori students. Even the old Maori people themselves I find are half-casting their language or
korero. Just what interest the old Maori legends would be to us I do not know. It could not be much
more than just a confirmation of what was already made perfectly plain in the Book of Mormon. To
the creation of the world and things of such nature as the Flood, which is stated by the Maori in a
rather indefinite way, rather camouflaged to make it conform to the Maori tohunga sensational
influence. All we can hope to get out of it now is an original reprint of the original Maori as written
by Jury himself and Sir Apirana Ngata tells me that the manuscript is very dimly written insomuch
that they have to substitute and fill in. So when we get what they print for us it may be altogether
different and very much changed from the original purposes stated by the old Maori chief and
written by John Jury.
Do get the copies. Look over them. You and Elder McKay can then take the matter up with the
Brethren and give me definite instructions which I shall try to carry out.

MS 6545 fd 3 12 items. Louis Gerald Hoagland, Papers, 1915-1941

Typed 2 cols. 15 May 1940. Pres. Joseph Fielding Smith. Inked on "Hoagland's copy." Original sent
 13

endorsed with letter 15 May 1940.

Items here noted have to do mostly with the Church Genealogical Dept of the Church Historian's
office. Pertains to Maori personal cards.

No.1 Personal temple index cards for all temple works done and sent to Laie Temple. Too many
duplications. Not kept up.

No. 2. A very valuable library of about 1500 - a life collection by Charles Hardy of Auckland - was
presented to LDS Maori College in 1906 [?]. When Maori College after the big quake, Pres
Magleby sent two large trunks of books here to Utah to Church Historian's Office. Were received
by one in charge. There these books were sent to the BYU Provo. Now these books are not to be
found even there.

No.3 Lost also: Charles Hardy, Prest. of Auckland Branch, fearing that he might not get to Zion to
do his own work and also work for deceased relatives sent money here to SL to be given to the
Temple or to Utah Genealogical Society to do the work for him. He died 1914 in NZ. The Elder to
whom the money was entrusted said he brought it and that he gave it to some Church officer or
perhaps the Temple. Your Genealogical Office made search and the Temple made search, both say
no money received for this account. Most peculiar thing is that the Elder makes no attempt whatever
to prove that he turned it over. He does not remember to whom.

No.4 John A July 4 volumes of ancient Maori history and pedigree. You will recall the ones that
Prest Lambert and I discussed with you and the man whom Prest Angus T Wright was to have come
over here but it was too late. You may know that someone or perhaps a number of parties have laid
the loss as to neglect of Elder Hoagland. In fact one evening at the Temple Bro Waddoups said to
me, "Oh, you say that the Jury histories that you secured, but do you not mean the Jury records that
you secured and then you lost?" So glad he told [me] what was going about.

No.5 [No.4 listed between 7 & 8]. It was my good fortune to have been set apart by your father
when I went on the third mission to commence the first systematic effort to collect and compile and
teach the NZ Saints the art of completing records for the temple work and also to prepare the first
company to come to the Temple at Laie. We then decided in NZ that we were going to prevent
endowment duplications by having individual card. This we commenced in 1918, two years before
used here at home. See our card enclosed.

No.6 Following this first company to the Laie Temple, I went into the Bay of Islands, worked some
46 different pedigree lines for future Laie visits but only six of this lot have gone through with their
lines. I have the other 40 pedigrees with me. I gave them copies. Followed by Bro Bowles . . . was
to follow. He was kept at Hawaii and not as your father had consented the NZ worker was to do,
keep up the file and people prepared.

No.7 Another loss and failure to keep up a file by reason of no-one to represent NZ on the
genealogical line was in 1916 when 160 people were baptised in the SL Temple then sheets were
 14

sent for correction and more data before presenting to be endowed. The same presiding officer who
brought the money home for Charles Hardy's work fumbled with these sheets. He kept them in a
vault in the city for 22 [years?] and thought they were done. They have not been endowed.

Typed cc, summary of NZ Temple work. For 17 years NZ was denied representation to direct work
and these are the results of the losses. Seventeen years and no successor to Bowles. The three large
volumes of ancient history back 109 generations taken from the Church by NZ Govt can be filmed
now. Lost by four years delay from annex[a]tion 1919 to 1923. John A Jury lost his chance to come
to the Temple and be endowed. Late 1923 belongings burned, mind became weakened as a result.
Translation of the Jury sacred records and the [obscure?] meanings could have been given by Jury,
also the Committee that was to help Bowles. NZ Temple file commenced by Elder Stirling. . . was
not kept up.

Commencement of 42 separate family lines commenced by Hoagland 1918-19 never carried

through. Bowles was to have continued them. Records of the Charlotte? Hall lines baptised well
back 20 years not yet endowed etc etc. [has "lost" written over them all.]

Things that need to be done: 1) A Maori genealogist must be appointed to take charge.

2nd Get . . . Mere [Whaanga?] and others what they can. . . Decide a tribal heir for each family
organisation and 5th [no third or fourth] divide the Te from the personal name or set off by bracket.
Take out the ko and the koti and the konga as placed before the proper name. Also the nga - and
where one has names that run together, the first and second names divide these and place proper
capital before. Also the Nga and other signs that do not belong to the names. This will be a full time
job. Only a Maori Elder and one who knows his genealogy can function here.

NZ Missionary Society letterhead paper. Underneath in brackets (Zion's Maori Association).

Officers: Benjamin Goddard, president
George Bowles, vice president
Louis G Hoagland, secretary-treasurer
George E Thurgood, assistant secretary.
Executive Committee: Ezra T Stevenson, Heber K Aldous, Rufus K Hardy, Parley G James, James
N Lambert, Orson D Romney, Ashley H Wallace.

Weber Co Committee: T S Browning, M O Woods, Willard D Ellis. Utah Co Committee: George S.

Taylor, Heber C Jex, George W. Turner.

Valuable books secured. [Records Hoagland securing the four books and that their value cannot be
computed in money. Lambert had fireproof vault made for them. The NZ Govt and also private
parties have tried to get them - they were secured by me from Bro John A Jury.
 15

Summarises story - ex-presidents Rufus K Hardy, James N Lambert and others are with me asking
that these four books containing the above which I secured be brought to SLC and placed in the
Church fireproof vaults. Bro Madsen recently returned tells us that some of these books have been
loaned and taken some 500 miles from the vault in the Mission Home. Their former repository, the
home of Bro Jury, has recently been destroyed by fire. Will you and your brethern [sic] kindly act
on this and have them sent for? [no date on document? letter to First Presidency?]

No.4 Typed. No date.[Calculate date of this letter from date of fire given in other sources, also Jury
was born in 1841 according Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, and was aged 82 when this
letter written and he died in 1923, so it may have been written in 1923 shortly before his death].
]
Re Bro John A Jury. Frequently mentioned in these notes. He is now nearly 82 and is mentally alert.
Has been a wonderful character in the Church. Has been true to the church from the first landing of
the Elders there.[LGH obviously unaware of Farnham, Cook arriving 1854). His photo now hangs
in the Salt Lake Temple - an oil painting. On his mother's line he comes through a long line of chief
men back to Rongokakau?, seventeen generations. His father, James Mills Jury, a very-well
respected Englishman who came to NZ in 1838 and married Miss Te Aitu o-te-Rangi and by her
reared a splendid family. Of the many good deeds of the Hon John A Jury here are a few:

1) He was a member of the English NZ Parliament under Queen Victoria's rule.

2) He took the first Elders in the South to preach to the native people - Elders Greenwood and
Stewart. [Groesbeck? See above]
3) He broke into the Catholics and opened the work there so that we got a footing.
4) When Elder Magleby of South Sevier was bound and about to be killed it was Jury that wired to
Premier Ballance and persuaded him to come to the East Cape and release the Elders. (Note: This
story much exaggerated – not about to be killed – see Mormon and Maori, ch.3]
5) He defended us in the Parliament and made friends for us.
6) He was one of the translators of the Maori Book of Mormon.
7) He was the chief scribe under the aged sage Te Mato Rohanga.
8) His home was HQ for Elders for 36 years. Sometimes as high as ten there at one time.
9) His home for years was the hospital for ill elders.
10) He has dreamed for years of coming to Zion to have his endowments. He was once wealthy but
has spent his means in doing good to others.

The Hon S Percy Smith, FRGS, says the following: "I can say with certainty that John A Jury is the
most learned man on native subjects that it has been my lot to meet."

Note typed on left: We who have presided in NZ appeal that this worthy man be brought here to
have his endowments. Prest George S Taylor will, we feel, recommend him. Prest Taylor writes me
by this mail that Jury has suffered the loss of his home by fire.

Unsigned ms given to Louis G Hoagland, Papawai, by R H Manihera in August 1918. Handwritten

on LDS Maori Agricultural College letterhead paper.
 16

Ira N Hinckley and Alma Greenwood were the first two elders who brought the gospel to
Wairarapa, NZ. This was done in 1883. The first home they entered was that of Manihera Rangi
Taka e Waho, the father of a native elder R H Manihera ("Pau"). They spent several weeks in the
vicinity and went to Waiatapu. First native to be baptised was baptised at Waiatapu his name being
Paua. There was a big native gathering in session at Waiatapu at the time. Preaching resulted in the
baptism of the man named above. Many desired to be baptised. Jury was present at this gathering.

Ms 6545 fd 5 Item 1 - List of Polynesian names showing similarities.

Item 2 More Maori genealogy and names. Pictures, drawings of carvings etc. Photo of College
chapel from printed paper.

fd 6 Item 10 Baptisms and endowments. Jury genealogy sheet and endowment sheet.

NB On same film are pictures of the Sonoma and its interior.

Previous letter from Magelby continues - one I thought not signed. It is signed at end of this.

As to the Maori lore, Te Whatahoro manuscript, I will say I have gone over your letters very
carefully and have looked up all information on file in this office and am now much better prepared
to take hold of the this matter. When at Wellington in December I called on Maui Pomare who
volunteered to say he had promised Pres Wright a copy of the four volumes but they were only just
now beginning the work of printing. I am to be in Wellington again on Jan 14. We will then see if I
can find the original and inspect? them secure? ? ?

B. Magleby Papers. John Ephraim Magleby, Papers, 1885-1937, MS 1557, Church History
Library – Marjorie Newton, notes about John A. Jury (Te Whatahoro) taken July 1992 and
June 1995

p.125 Auckland Wed Dec 26 1928 Got a letter from Pres Hoagland, drawing my attention to the
Whatahoro whare-wananga manuscripts of Maori lore, which were taken by the Government from
Pres Wright and now held by the Government. I have kept myself interested in this matter and will
call on the Government again concerning them.

Fri Jun 27 1930 Wellington p.136.

Made a trip to the Parliament Building where I met and interviewed Sir Apirana Ngata on securing
him to present a bill special eliminating 10 acres of our school land covered by buildings from
taxation. He promised he would on recommendation of the Hawkes Bay Council. I also procured 2
volumes of their reprinting of the Wananga Lore by T Whatahoro - John A Jury.

C. Lambert Journal MS 6457 James Needham Lambert, Journals, 1916-1919, Church

History Library. Marjorie Newton, notes about John A Jury (Te Whatahoro) taken June
1995.
 17

Tues Feb 13 1917 p.178 Went to Palmerston, met by Te Whatahoro, a half caste, John A Jury is his
Pakeha name. He is anxious for us to baptise him and the woman he is living with and then marry
him . . . he recognised me and I knew him as soon as I got off the train although we hadn't seen one
another for 20 years. He is now 76 years old and although he has been somewhat obstreperous in
the past, claims he will be good in the future.
Jury booked us? into the Braybourne Hotel, the nicest one I have been in in NZ. As soon as the meal
was over we went to Bro Jury's home or rather where he is staying, a very dilapidated old place.
Had a talk with him and the woman who is living with him told me that he and 38 others own a tract
of land of 30,000 acres. He and his brother control the greater part of it and are anxious to get
someone to invest some money in it. In the south part of Waikato and might do for a colony for the
Church. He claims it would be necessary to spend at least $1000 to get things started. He did not
know if it could be purchased outright or not. Te Whatahoro used to be quite an active man in the
Church. He assisted in the translation of the Book of Mormon. Of late years he has been on the back
track.

Wed Feb 14 p.180 Decided to marry them about 10 a.m. and have Elder Thurman? baptise them
later in the day either at the Baths or in the river at high tide. Went to Te Whatahoro's home and
performed the ceremony, making John Alfred Jury and Hera Rongo Rakau man and wife.

Wed Oct 23 1918 p.638 Got back to Auckland. Found Elder Hoagland, who arrived from Thames a
week ago had fixed up a desk in my room and was busy typewriting genealogical data he had
secured. He showed me some books Brother Te Whatahoro had given him that contain the history
of the Maori race. The Government has been after these books for a number of years and at times
the natives have given permission for parts of them to be published but never would they give the
books up. Now Bro Te Whatahoro has turned these books over to the Church and they are to be
kept in our care. They are all in native, p.639, mostly written by Te Whatahoro over 50 years ago
and from a Maori standpoint are most valuable.