Comments on: “Conspicuous Service, at the Risk of Their Lives”: An American Consul Praises LDS Missionaries, 1906

By: Gerald Faerber

Gerald Faerber — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 15:21:44 +0000

My point was I would be happy to share the better picture. I have pictures of Venus Rossiter from the 1915-1919 era too. You wrote a nice article about her recently. Was your picture published in a newspaper? I would be interested to find out how you got the missionary names.

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 15:13:30 +0000

Oh, rub it in, why doncha, that I’m usually limited to scanning microfilms, photocopies, and poor newsprint reproductions of photos! Really, thank you for your comment, and for noticing that I seem to have a special fondness for the Tahitian mission area. I don’t know where that comes from — never been there, don’t know anyone who has — but it’s a genuine fondness.

By: Gerald Faerber

Gerald Faerber — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 14:50:57 +0000

Great story. Two granddaughters of Edward S Hall recently gave me a better copy of the picture. It was wonderful to get the names of the missionaries. Thanks for your ongoing stories about Tahiti.

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 19:54:55 +0000

I haven’t found the Washington-bound letter yet (haven’t looked in Washington, and haven’t found it reprinted in any local sources). His brother Jacob Lamb Doty (born in Brooklyn in 1869, and an Episcopal priest) was the consul at Papeete before William F., and JLD does show up in my files on the aftermath of the 1879 State Department circular to foreign countries asking for their help in eliminating Mormon immigration by preventing Mormon emigration from their countries and by arresting and imprisoning Mormon missionaries. JLD handled several Mormon-related issues in Tahiti, always in a diplomatic language that makes it impossible for me to judge his personal feelings. You’d expect the Protestant clerical angle would make the Dotys tend toward anti-Mormonism, but you don’t see it in this 1906 instance.

By: Mark B.

Mark B. — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 19:23:14 +0000

I’ve tried to learn something of Mr. Doty’s origins–without success. There was a James D. Doty who was governor of Utah Territory from 1863 to 1865 (and Wikipedia says that Mormon relations with the Feds improved during that time), but there’s no evidence whatever of any family tie to William F. Doty.

Have you seen a copy of his letter to his superiors in Washington? Was it similar in detail and tone to the letter to the Church?

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:28:00 +0000

I’m just a-thinkin’ that it would have been very easy for a man in Doty’s position to report to Washington: “Building washed away — send lots of money for a new one. I saved the records with the assistance of some unspecified Americans residing temporarily at Papeete.” Especially when he was dependent upon political patronage to advance in his career, he would have had incentive not to want to be branded a “Mormon lover.”

As for the missionaries, this is probably a case where it’s a good thing their mothers couldn’t know what they were doing until after the danger was well past!

By: Mark B.

Mark B. — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:17:28 +0000

Well, he was in that department of the government that aspires to be diplomatic.

By: Researcher

Researcher — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 17:48:46 +0000

Nice of Mr. Doty to send a letter.

By: David Y.

David Y. — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 17:10:53 +0000

Great story. And yes, the consul’s determination to report a good (Mormon) deed is impressive!

By: Bruce Crow

Bruce Crow — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:42:51 +0000

Wow! On my mission we did some service after storms, but never during. Absolutely amazing.