| 502 temptations thrown around him, while acting as a traveling elder in America, can stand what he may meet here. But, because a man may or ought to stay here two or three years, and because it would be unjust to separate man and wife that long, it would be best to send a man and his wife. If any can help pay his own way, so much the better; but I must have help, and that, too, at once. The conference has given that power to you and the Bishop, and the missionary in charge. Not any sort of a man will do. No fastidious, overdainty, self-important, rash, and overzealous man will do. He must be "apt to teach," of good memory, and capable of learning the language. It is not at all difficult for anyone with a good retentive memory. There are but few rules to learn. I can talk well enough to get along with them in conversation, but can not preach yet. But I have been compelled, because of the nature of the instructions to be imparted, to employ in every place an interpreter; and when I am not talking I am writing, either letters for the Herald, or on works to be translated, so that I have had no chance yet to take lessons from any one. Still I have grasped a great many words, and twice as many more that I do not. An elder coming here then who had nothing to do but to preach, could have learned to speak by this time. I am literally worn out with work. I do not weigh as much as when I left California by fifteen pounds. I must have help, and two elders at least. If the mission is not worth keeping up to that extent, it is not worth my efforts and time. The longer I stay, and the more branches I establish, the more is help necessary. Pray over this, I beseech you, and advise the church accordingly.
There are several native missionaries at work; but they are not where I want them, or where I would put them if I had the help of several white men. I would ask for four or five if I had any reason to even dream that they would be sent.
I am preparing a work in form of questions and answers, covering every subject connected with our faith. It will be of incalculable value to the natives. There are some of our tracts that ought to be translated, and a hymn-book should be made; and, O, dear, the work to be done in the translating line! I wish the Lord would put it into the hearts of several hundred Saints to send the Herald Office a dollar apiece, or that some two or three good souls would be prompted to give a hundred dollars apiece, to help us in that matter. This question-book I will sell, and send the money to the Herald Office, if the printing is done there. It costs so much here. We need a hymn-book badly. These people are musical, and many of them are splendid singers, and many of their tunes are delightful. They have a good variety. Their singing is harmonious, and in no sense discordant. To convey the idea more clearly, they sing the original tune of "The Spirit of God like a fire is burning;" they sing "Lenox," "Come, come away," and a number of others. They will sing for hours if I want them to. If some elder could come here who is a good teacher of music, and learn their language, he would do a vast amount of good here.
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