A Very Early LDS Document Written From Hawaii And Signed By Two Pioneering Members Of The Church

GEORGE Q. CANNON (1827-1901) was an early member of the LDS Church. He served under four Presidents and was Utah’s territorial delegate to the United States Congress. In the early 1850s, he served for four years in Hawaii, FRANCIS ASBURY HAMMOND (1822-1900). Hammond went to Hawaii in 1850 and arrived the next year. He kept a valuable diary of his time there. JOHN E.B. WINCHESTER. Winchester, a friend of Francis Hammond, was a ship’s carpenter. He landed on Hawaii and was baptized into the LDS Church in November 1851 and ordained an elder in January 1852 (as this document attests); a month later, he was appointed presiding elder of the Makawao Branch. ADS. 1pg. 8” x 5 ½”. January 15, 1852. Makawao [Hawaii]. An autograph document signed “Geo Cannon” and “Francis A. Hammond”. The text states: “Makawao, Jan. 15th/1852 To All Whom It May Concern, This is to Certify that John E. B. Winchester has been regularly ordained an Elder in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints, and as such we recommend him to the confidence of all saints, and to all men among whom his lot may be cast. Francis A. Hammond, Geo. Cannon.” The document is written on light blue paper with folds and one pinhole that affects little. Any early LDS materials from Hawaii is very scarce in the open market. This same document sold at Godspeed’s in 1961.