Nathan Tanner and Elders Miraculously Guided and Sustained in Hawaii

In June 1853, Elders Nathan Tanner and Thomas Karren, accompanied by a native Elder named Kahumoku, departed from Honolulu aboard a schooner with the intention of traveling to Hilo to preach. The voyage, expected to last three days, instead extended to eight days as the ship encountered a severe gale that tore away its sails, rendering the vessel unable to reach their intended destination. As the situation grew dire, the captain sought counsel from the missionaries. Guided by the Elders' direction to 'run before the wind' to the best of his ability, the captain steered the ship to a safe port at Kohala, Hawai'i, rather than Hilo. Upon their arrival, the missionaries immediately began preaching, with the mission experiencing significant growth; a report noted that forty-eight people were baptized in that area within a few days. During the harrowing journey, the Elders suffered from severe hunger. Reflecting on the trial, Thomas Karren later remarked that he suffered more during this specific voyage than he had during his entire period of service in the Mormon Battalion. The event occurred during a period of intense missionary expansion in the Hawaiian Islands, as noted in the journal entries of George Q. Cannon.