This tribute, written by President Joseph F. Smith shortly after the 1891 death of Solomona Piipiilani, tells something of the life of a “worthy, faithful, and true-hearted Latter-day Saint.”

A VETERAN IN THE CHURCH

By Joseph F. Smith

By letter from Elder William King, President of the Hawaiian Colony, in Skull Valley, I am informed of the death on the 25th of October, at 5:30 p. m., at that place, of Elder Solomona Piipiilani, at the ripe old age of more than ninety years. He was born on the island of Hawaii, Sandwich Islands, prior to the advent of civilization in those beautiful islands of the sea, hence the exact date of his birth cannot be told, but according to the best data at command he must have been, at the time of his death, very nearly one hundred years of age. He was one of the first to receive the gospel under the administration of President Geo. Q. Cannon, in 1851, and was soon afterwards ordained an Elder, and became an active laborer in the local ministry. He was a fluent speaker in his native tongue, a close and careful reasoner, a thorough scriptorian, and a conscientious man.

I first became acquainted with him in 1854, and since then have been more or less familiar with his course of life. To the best of my knowledge he has never wavered in his devotion to the cause of truth from the day he was baptized, nor were his good character, and his standing in the Church ever called in question; he was exceptionally clear of the vices and the many weaknesses so common among the Hawaiians, possessing, as he did, unusual stability of character and integrity of purpose.

He was among those who helped to establish a gathering place at Palawai, on the island of Lanai, in 1854, and was always reliable and trustworthy.

When W. M. Gibson took possession of Palawai, in the name of the Church, he was one of his right hand men, but was one of the first to perceive the errors of Mr. Gibson, when he began to mislead the Saints, and promptly withdrew from him and rallied to the true standard when it was again restored by Apostles L. Snow and E. T. Benson and their associates in 1864.

When Laie, on the island o Oahu, was purchased by Bros. George Nebeker, F. A. Hammond and others, in 1S65, and a gathering place for the Saints was established there, he and his family were among the first to gather to that place, where he continued in the service of the Plantation, and in the ministry as directed, until he emigrated to Zion, in the year 1879, I think. His wife died at Laie previous to his coming to Utah. Although very aged and sometimes quite feeble in health, he succeeded, by industry, perseverance and economy, in maintaining himself, in buying a small piece of ground in the Nineteenth Ward of this city, on which he built himself a small, but convenient and suitable home, where he resided until the “Iosepa Agricultural and Stock Company” was organized, and a gathering place for the Hawaiians was established, in 1889, at Iosepa in Tooele County. He was again one of the foremost to dispose of his little property in Salt Lake City and gather to the appointed place. On the 2Sth of August, 1890, the first anniversary of the colonization, at that place, of the Hawaiians in Utah, was celebrated with appropriate and interesting ceremonies, including a regular Hawaiian feast, at which Presidents Woodruff and Cannon, and others of the leading brethren were present. He obtained a city lot in the townsite of Iosepa, made some improvements upon it, again built him a comfortable little home and supplied it with needed comforts suited to his tastes, condition and means, and enjoyed it until the hour of his death.

Besides maintaining himself by his own industry and frugality, since he has been in Utah, he sent the means to Hawaii for the immigration of a grand-son, who was his only companion in his little house at Iosepa, a grand-daughter who accompanied him to Utah, when he came himself, having died a number of years ago in Salt Lake City.

Solomona Piipiilani, in his younger days, was a vigorous, strong man; while not so brilliant as some of his early companions in the Church, he was the peer of any Hawaiian I ever knew in integrity to the cause. His life and labors for forty years in the Church prove his stability and the strength of his convictions. He had a thorough knowledge of the Bible and Book of Mormon, and of the principles of the gospel therein contained. Although very old when he came to Utah some twelve years ago, as near as I can recall, he was determined to receive, if possible in life, the benefits of the ordinances of the house of God; therefore he came to Zion. He made frequent visits to the Logan Temple in the interests of his kindred dead, and accomplished all in his power for their deliverance and redemption, he having received all the blessings bestowed in the house of God; the first and, so far, the only one of his race who has been so fortunate. There are others who are coming along and who are as worthy, and in time will obtain the blessings.

One of the objects of this hastily written narrative is to show that even the Hawaiian may, if he will, gather to Zion, and, under changed conditions — and, to him, very disparaging changes in many things — may thrive and prosper; and to show that many white people, far more favored with divine and natural gifts, who are apt to look upon the dark-skinned Islanders as “heathens,” may well follow the noble example of this worthy, faithful and true-hearted Latter-day Saint.

[Juvenile Instructor, 15 November 1891, 699-701]