This speech by Red Jacket, a Seneca warrior, was given in 1805

The American Indians


(This speech by Red Jacket, a Seneca warrior, was given in 1805 at a council of chiefs of the Six Nations, after a white missionary had addressed them.)

Friends and Brothers: It was the will of the Great Spirit that we should meet together this day. He orders all things and has given us a fine day for our council. He has taken His garments from before the sun and caused it to shine with brightness upon us. Our eyes are opened that we see clearly; our ears are unstopped that we have been able to hear distinctly the words you have spoken. For all these favors we thank the Great Spirit, and Him only.

Brother, this council fire was kindled by you. It was at your request that we came together at this time. We have listened with attention to what you have said. You requested us to speak our minds freely. This gives us great joy; for we now consider that we stand upright before you and can speak what we think. All have heard your voice and all speak to you now as one man. Our minds are agreed.

Brother, you say you want an answer to your talk before you leave this place. It is right you should have one, as you are a great distance from your home and we do not wish to detain you. But first we will look hack a little and tell you what our fathers have told us and what we have heard from the white people.

Brother, listen to what we say. There was a time when our forefathers owned this great island. Their seats extended from the rising to the setting sun. The Great Spirit had made it for the use of Indians. He had created the buffalo, the deer, and other animals for food. He had made the hear and the heaver. Their skins served us for clothing. He had scattered them all over the country and taught us how to take them. He had caused the earth to produce com for bread. All this He had done for His red children because He loved them. If we had some dispute about our hunting ground they were generally settled without the shedding of much blood.

But an evil day came upon us. Your forefathers crossed the great water and landed on this island. Their numbers were small. They found friends and not enemies. They told us they had fled from their own country for fear of wicked men and had come here to enjoy their religion. They asked for a small seat. We took pity on them, granted their request, and they sat down among us. We gave them com and meat; they gave us poison in return.

The white people, brother, had now found our country. Tidings were carried back and more came among us. Yet we did not fear them. We took them to be friends. They called us brothers. We believed them and gave them a larger seat. At length their numbers had greatly increased. They wanted more land; they wanted our country. Our eyes were opened and our minds became uneasy. Wars took place. Indians were hired to fight against Indians, and many of our people were destroyed. They also brought strong liquor among us. It was strong and powerful, and has slain thousands.

Brother, our seats were once large and yours were small. You have now become a great people, and we have scarcely a place left to spread our blankets. You have got our country, but are not satisfied; you want to force your religion upon us.

Brother, continue to listen. You say that you are sent to instruct us how to worship the Great Spirit agreeably to His mind; and, if we do not take hold of the religion which you white people teach we shall be unhappy hereafter. You say that you are right and we are lost. How do we know this to be true? We understand that your religion is written in a book. If it was intended for us, as well as you, why has not the Great Spirit given it to us, and not only to us, but why did He not give to our forefathers the knowledge of that Book, with the means of understanding it rightly" We only know what you tell us about it. How shall we know when to believe, being so often deceived by the white people"

Brother, you say there is but one way to worship and serve the Great Spirit. If there is but one religion, why do you white people differ so much about it'? Why not all agree, as you can all read the Book"

Brother, we do not understand these things. We are told that your religion was given to our forefathers, and has been handed down from father to son. We also have a religion which was given to our forefathers and has been handed down to us, their children. We worship in that way. It teaches us to be thankful for the favors we receive, to love each other, and to he united. We never quarrel about religion.
Brother, the Great Spirit has made us all, hut He has made a great difference between His white and His red children. He has given us different complexions and different customs. To you He has given the arts. To these He has not opened our eyes. We know these things to he true. Since He has made so great a difference between us in other things, why may we not conclude that He has given us a different religion according to our understanding" The Great Spirit does right. He knows what is best for His children; we are satisfied.

Bother, we do not wish to destroy your religion or take it from you. We only want to enjoy our own.
Brother, you say you have not come to get our land or our money, but to enlighten our minds. I will now tell you that I have been at your meetings and saw you collect money from the meeting. I cannot tell what this money was intended for, but suppose that it was for your minister; and, if we should conform to your way of thinking, perhaps you may want some from us.

Brother, we are told that you have been preaching to the white people in this place. These people are our neighbors. We are acquainted with them. We will wait a little while and see what effect your preaching has upon them. If we find it does them good, makes them honest, and less disposed to cheat Indians, we will then consider again of what you have said.

Brother, you have now heard our answer to your talk, and this is all we have to say at present. As we are going to part, we will come and take you by the hand, and hope the Great Spirit will protect you on your journey and return you safe to your friends.

IN SEARCH OF "THE BOOK FROM HEAVEN"

IN SEARCH OF "THE BOOK FROM HEAVEN"
by Cecil Abbott


A delegation of four Chiefs, three Nez Perce and one Flathead, came to St. Louis, Missouri in 1831 to see Governor William Clark. Two of them died during their stay, and the survivors took passage up the Missouri the following year on the steamboat, Yellowstone. George Catlin was on board and painted a portrait of the two Indians. Beyond these agreed-upon facts, the story is moot. Interpreters for these seldom-seen tribes in St. Louis were scarce, making understanding difficult. Why did these Indians come from so far away, from west of the Rockies? Historians claim: Probably for better “medicine.”

Historians also claim that: Protestants and Catholics alike, taking the red men's presumed request for religious instruction as a divinely inspired thirst for Christianity, seemed to let their enthusiasm run away with them; in their imaginativeness they likely invented a speech the Indians were too handicapped by language to communicate. Knowing all of this; believing that the historians are wrong; and believing that the words of the Nez Perce chief speak for themselves; here are the words said to Governor William Clark upon their departure:

“I came over the trail of many moons from the setting sun. You were the friend of my fathers who have all gone the long way. I come with one eye partly open, for more light for my people who sit in darkness. I go back with both eyes closed. How can I go back blind to my blind people? I made my way to you with strong arms through many enemies and strange lands that I might carry back much to them. I go back with both arms broken and empty. Two fathers came with us. They were the braves of many winters and wars. We leave them to sleep by your great water and wigwams. They were tired of many moons and their moccasins wore out.

My people sent me to get the white man's Book of Heaven. You took me to where you allow your women to dance, as we do ours, and the Book was not there. You took me to where they worship the Great Spirit with candles and the Book was not there. You showed me the images of the good spirit and the pictures of the good lands beyond, but the Book was not among them to tell us the way. I am going back to the long sad trail to my people in the dark land. You make my feet heavy with gifts and my moccasins will grow old carrying them, yet the Book is not among them. When I tell my poor blind people, after one more snow, in the Big Council, that I did not bring the Book, no word will be spoken by our old men or our young braves. One by one they will rise up and go out in silence. My people will die in darkness, and they will go on the long path to the hunting grounds. No white man will go with them and no white man's Book will make the way plain.”

In looking back at the history of the Restoration and the “First Missionary Trip” to the Indians, I would say that we as Latter Day Saints have much to repent of. It seems obvious to me that the Nez Perce and Flathead tribes received a revelation from the Lord, telling them to go in search of the Book of Heaven.

At the same time, in late October, 1830, the early Restoration church received sections 27 and 31 telling the four missionaries, Parley P. Pratt, Oliver Cowdery, Ziba Peterson and Peter Whitmer to go to the borders of the Lamanites, preach the gospel and establish the church among them. Anyone who is familiar with the story knows that the missionary effort of 1830 failed, with Oliver Cowdery and Parley P. Pratt being run out of Indian Territory by the Indian Agent and the Army, under threat of their lives not to return.

My original question was: “Why would the Lord ask those four missionaries to go do a job that was impossible?” The answer is clear that He (the Lord) would not. Then why did the 1830 Missionary effort fail? The four men didn't do what they were told when they were told to do it. Instead of going straight way to the borders of the Lamanites as they were instructed, Parley P. Pratt wanted to stop at Kirtland, Ohio, to evangelize and baptize 127 people, among them being his mentor, Sydney Rigdon. They spent eight weeks at Kirtland, then another week lost at Cincinnati trying to evangelize everyone there caused them to lose two more weeks near St. Louis because of a severe snowstorm. The 11 weeks lost threw the four missionaries behind schedule and their mission failed because they arrived too late. Permits had already been passed out to the missionaries of other denominations and our men simply didn't have the proper permits allowing them to remain in Indian territory.

I can't help but ask myself what would have happened, had our four missionaries done what they were told and gone straight way to Indian territory and attempted to establish the church among the Tribes. Would the church have been in place when the four chiefs from the Nez Perce and Flathead tribes came through there. You know that the four chiefs had to have come right through what is now the Kansas City-Independence area. They would have followed the Missouri river down, just as they followed it back to go home.

I believe that the four Nez Perce and Flathead Chiefs, would not have had to continue on to St. Louis in search of the "Book of Heaven." And that they would have returned home with both eyes open, full of light and truth, carrying the Book of Mormon to their people. I believe their mission failed because our mission failed. So you can see that we have much to repent of. I only pray that the Lord will allow us a second chance to redeem ourselves; that we may go among the Nez Perce and Flathead and apologize for causing their missionaries trip to fail; and for so many of their people who have gone the long way to the hunting grounds without the “Book of Heaven” to lead their way. Forgive us Lord, for in our ignorance, as a people, we knew not what we had done. Help us Lord now to right those wrongs.

By The Voice Of Thunder He Calls Unto His People by Charles Premoe

By The Voice Of Thunder He Calls Unto His People by Charles Premoe


In the eyes of the great one; all are brothers, for in his word we find this truth: It is he "that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, " and it is he "that hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; that they should seek the Lord, if they are willing to find him, for he is not far from everyone of us; for in him we live, and move, and have our being." And again, "for as the body is one and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ. For by one spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one spirit."

I pray thee my red brothers that you would listen; not to my words, but to the words of those of your own people. Listen to the words of those who have given their lives to secure the promise unto future generations, listen to the cry of the ancient ones as they speak to you from beyond their graves. Hear the words now as they are spoken unto you from your sacred records.

"Yea, after the Lord God shall have camped against them round about, and shall have layed siege against them; and after they shall have been brought down low in the dust, even that they are not, yet the words of the righteous shall be written, and the prayers of the faithful shall be heard, and all those who have dwindled in unbelief, shall not be forgotten; for those who shall be destroyed shall speak to them out of the ground, and their speech shall be low out of the dust, and their voice shall be as one that hath a familiar spirit; for the Lord God will give unto him power, that he whisper concerning them, even as it were out of the ground; and their speech shall whisper out of the dust." A waken yourselves my bothers and listen again; "wherefore, the Jews shall be scattered among all nations; yea and also Babylon shall be destroyed; wherefore, the Jews shall be scattered by other nations; and after they have been scattered, and the Lord God hath scourged them by other nations, for the space of many generations, yea, even down from generation to generation, until they shall be persuaded to believe in Christ, the son of God, and the atonement, which is infinite for all mankind; and when that day shall come, that they shall believe in Christ, and worship the Father in his name, with pure hearts, and clean hands, and look not forward anymore for another Messiah, then, at that time, the day will come that it must needs be expedient that they should believe these things, and the Lord will set his hand again the second time to restore his people from their lost and fallen state. Wherefore, he will proceed to do a marvelous work, and a wonder among the children of men."

"Wherefore, he shall bring forth his words unto them, which words shall judge them at the last day; yea, behold, ! say unto you, that these things are true, and as the Lord God liveth, there IS none other name given under heaven, save it be this Jesus Christ of which I have spoken, ~ whereby man can be saved. Wherefore, for this cause hath the Lord God promised unto me that these things which I write, shall be kept and preserved, and handed down unto my seed, from generation to generation, that the promise may be fulfilled unto Joseph, that his seed should never perish as long as the earth should stand."

These words are not my words; these words are taken as I said from sacred writings which were written by your forefathers. Do not be quick to shun these truths but read them and read them again until the spirit shall reveal unto you, my brothers, the truth of this great mystery; for you are a chosen race of people soon to rise up unto victory; victory over unbelief,  victory over oppression, Victory over loss; loss of life, loss of land, loss of identity. .Do not believe me, but search among your people, talk to the old ones and search among your wise men and see if there be one who is able to tell you the story of your people of how they came across the many waters to the choice land, a land of promise, a land which has been prepared for you who are the covenant people of the Lord, you who are a remnant of the house of Jacob, you who are of the seed of Joseph of old, you who have been scattered these many long years. Do not I lose hope my brothers for the prophecies are being fulfilled even .now as you look upon. these words. Soon, very soon, the Lord will establish this people in this land, unto the fulfilling of the covenant which he made with your father Jacob; and the powers of heaven shall be in the midst of this people, even the Son of God shall come among you and dwell in the midst of you. And he will establish you and give unto you once again the land of your fathers, for an inheritance, and none shall be able to stay his hand. Continue to pray that thy people shall awaken unto these truths and know, that as you do so, that there are those of us who shall be united in prayer also, with you, our beloved brothers.

Indian Legend by Richard Hensley

Indian Legend by Richard Hensley


It is known by stories from the old ones and legends from many different tribes that once there were mighty nations or civilizations upon the land. The people were strong and had an abundance of crops and food for their families. There was peace upon the land and things were good among the people.

These ancient ones had holy men who taught the people the ways of their religion and wrote a record of the Great Spirit and how He led this mighty people. This record was passed down from the spiritual ones to another Medicine Man who walked close to the Creator. Sometimes the record was entrusted to a son of a chief who would guide the people after the chief's death. It is said that there was never such a blessed people upon the face of the earth.

After many years there began to he divisions among the people and many felt that they were better than their brothers and sisters. Some began to he proud in their hearts and not share in the Indian way. Others began to war with different clans and soon this great civilization began to break up into tribes. These things began to happen because the people would not listen to the old ones and the holy men. Soon great wars broke out among the people and they began to scatter. Now the Creator looked down upon His people and was sorry in His heart that His people had departed from the ways He taught them by the prophets and holy men.

There was a mighty warrior who walked in the ways of their religion, who had kept the sacred written record of their history and the great prophecies given to this people. Because of the great wars and because the people would not listen to the holy ones, the Creator told the mighty warrior, who's name was Moroni, to hide these sacred records in mother earth until such time that the Creator would bring them forth.

The wars became very great and the people divided and continued to divide. There were a few ancient ones who tried to keep alive the religion which brought such peace into the hearts of the people. but they did not have the written language so they told stories to try and revive their religion of the Great Spirit who was known by many names: Woconda, Wonca Tolka, etc. Many of these stories have been passed down by the grandfathers to the children even today. "

In the record which was hid up by the mighty warrior, Moroni, were many great prophecies. One prophecy told of the white man coming over the great waters and taking from the Indian that which was his -- the land. It told of how the white man would make war and afflict those who lived upon this great land.

One of the most beautiful prophecies was that of the Son of the Creator who was to come down from the Great Spirit and walk among the native people. The holy men who witnessed this great happening wrote the words which the Son of the Creator gave them in the Sacred record. This was how they received their religion, which helped them to grow peace and great love for each other. The prophecy goes on to tell how they would
leave their religion which the Morning Star visitor, or the Creator's Son, had given them and began to have great wars among themselves, brother against brother, tribe against tribe.

The Creator, looking down with great sadness, saw all these wars and the white man coming in many boats from many lands causing hurt upon the native people. Soon the native people were in bondage, like slaves to the white people. The white man did not understand the ways of the native people and had no respect for his Mother Earth and did not do the things that their religion told them to do. They talked of the Great Spirit as loving only the white man's ways and the Indians (as they were called) had to become as the white man and forget all their own culture and ways.

The white man would tell great lies and cheat the Indians; and yet the white man's beliefs from their God told them these things shouldn't be done. Soon the buffalo and other game which the Creator had provided were hardly to be found.

The Creator looked down and was sad because of what the white man was doing to the native people. The Creator said, "It is time for the sacred record to come now from out of Mother Earth; that the children of men may know the true religion and how to respect the land and animals; and that this land belongs to my native people." The Creator said to His son, "The record must first go to the white man, that he may know of the correct religion, that he may repent of his evil ways and help the native people to have their land and live as true brothers and sisters."

"Yes" said the Creator, "the true record will go first to the white man, to give him his chance to repent and change his ways. If he does not, I will bring great destruction upon him. I have made many promises to my native people and the sacred record will go back to them, that they will know again of their true religion, that wars will cease and peace will once more come upon the land and the sacred circle will be made complete once again. All tribes will come together to complete the sacred circle. The land will go back to the native people who will know their true religion.

The white, black, red and yellow people of the earth will learn the true religion and peace will come. When these days come then will the Son of the Great Spirit will walk once again on the earth, as He has promised to return.

My Vision of Christ by Charles Premoe

My Vision of Christ by Charles Premoe


For many years I can remember having a special feeling in my heart for my Native American brothers.

Sometimes I would dream, or try and imagine what life would be like if I were taken from my family by a bunch of Indians to be raised in the Native American traditions. I guess way down inside I had a desire to learn the "old ways." Because of my great love of the outdoors, God's creation, I somehow felt that there was a mystery to be learned that I could not learn any other way than to associate myself with the Indian people of the country. And so began my search to unlock the mystery that surrounds an almost unknown and nearly forgotten group of people whom we call the Indians.

A couple of years ago I was privileged to be able to take a trip to Pinon, Arizona, upon the Navaho reservation. There were several of us who had gone out there to hold a baptismal service for thirteen of our Native American brothers and sisters. All the while we were out there visiting some of the homes of the people and holding church services, I kept asking the Lord if he would give me something in the way of a testimony that I could bring back to our people in the centerplace. I wanted something that I could tell our people that would help show them just how important this work was that we were doing out here. Each day I would ask the Lord to please give me anything that would be a good enough reason for traveling such a great distance to such a remote area of the country. In away, I suppose I was trying to justify in my own mind that I was doing the right thing. Finally, the last day had arrived. We had all gathered at a very beautiful lake that morning to conduct the baptismal service that we had planned for that particular weekend. God's spirit was there with us that morning. I had not received any response from the Lord up to that time, so I thought I would ask one more time to see if the Lord would give me a testimony of just why I was out there. I walked out away from the crowd of people just prior to the baptism to ask one last time. As I knelt upon the earth and began to ask the Lord for the testimony, He spoke to my mind and said; "This is for them, and not for you." What he meant by that was that as one who held priesthood, I had gone there for the soul purpose of bringing the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ, and not to be ministered to! I felt ashamed because I had asked for something, which was more for personal reasons than for the welfare of the very people that we had gone out to bring ministry to. Needless to say, I admitted that my intentions were a bit selfish. I asked for his forgiveness and as I turned to view the first individual that was about to be baptized, for a very brief moment, I watched Christ slowly appear above the baptismal scene. With outstretched arms I saw him smile and I knew that he was pleased with what was taking place.

I would have you know that the miracle that took place that morning was not seeing Christ appear above the crowd. The miracle that took place that morning was that Christ had wrought a change in the hearts of thirteen people that bright and shiny day; and in spite of myself, the Lord was able to reveal his truth as to why we had traveled such a great distance to such a remote area of the country. That was as his holy priesthood, we were to bring ministry and not to be ministered unto.

May God bless you as you seek to do his will in all things.

"The Story Of The Sacred Stones" by Richard Hensley

"The Story Of The Sacred Stones" by Richard Hensley


When the first white settlers began to move in and homestead around the vicinity of what is now the Independence area, there were a lot of Indian people in the area. It was common knowledge of a very large pile of stones located on what is now designated as the temple lot. The Indian People had a special reverence for this spot where the stones were. Some of the older Native Americans told the story as to why this area was sacred to them. The story goes like this:

This area in Missouri was very abundant in wildlife, water, herbs and wild foods which the natives depended on, especially in times of winter. In this region there were major trade routes which were used extensively by a lot of different tribes. It appears a dispute about which tribe was to control the area erupted. When the dispute could not be settled by councils, the beat of war drums seemed to be the only solution.

A great gathering of warriors with their chiefs assembled to settle the dispute. As the warriors placed themselves in position, anxious to prove their bravery, they awaited the signal from their war chiefs. Suddenly a personage of glorious light appeared in the middle of the warring tribes. They stood transfixed and frightened, wondering what sort of sign this was. Then the strange visitor beckoned them to come closer, and sat them down in a council circle. He spoke to their chiefs and told them this was sacred ground, and no blood should ever be shed upon it. The divine visitor told them that they were brothers and should not war one with another. His message was one of peace and they should love one another and live together in peace. He commanded the chiefs to send this message to all the surrounding tribes, and they should make a covenant of peace among themselves. When he finished his teaching, he vanished, as mysteriously as he had appeared.

Those tribes present, in obedience to the command, made peace and a covenant that they would obey the teachings of the Divine Visitor. As a token of their covenant, they placed stones upon this sacred spot to commemorate it. Then to carry out the instructions given them, they dispatched runners to all the surrounding tribes to tell them of this marvelous happening. As the word spread among the other tribes they came each year on the anniversary day to hear the words of the Divine Visitor repeated again. As their token of the covenant, they to would bring a stone to place upon what became known as a sacred spot to the various tribes. This is why many of the stones in that pile were not native to Missouri or the immediate surrounding area.

As the years passed by the pile of stones grew quite large. With the increasing presence of the white man and their hostile attitude toward the Indians, the sacred council was held in secret. Eventually, fearing the desecration of the sacred spot by the white man, they discontinued the council meeting and would send a runner bearing a stone in remembrance of the Divine Visitor.

The early settlers as well as many of the early saints remember the strange large pile of stones.  As building progressed by these pioneers, they used these stones for foundations, footing and cellars. Many were used for road beds in the Independence, Missouri area.

Native Americans have their own testimony of the visitation of Jesus Christ, and a call to come together in the sacred circle.

The Prophecies Of Handsome Lake taken from Seneca Legend by Cecil Abbott

The Prophecies Of Handsome Lake taken from Seneca Legend by Cecil Abbott


In the late 1700's in an area that is now part of the Allegheny National Forest, the Seneca Indians resided. Halfway between where we now find Jamestown, New York and Warren, Pennsylvania near the New York Pennsylvania state lines was the town of Cornplanter named after the Seneca Chief, Cornplanter.

Chronic alcoholism had long been known among the Delaware who had lost their lands two generations earlier, but until now it had been rare among the Iroquois. The Iroquois often referred to as the Six Nations are: Onondaga, Onieda, Mohawk, Seneca, Cayuga and the Tuscaroras. Many of the most honored men among the Six Nations became known as drunkards. Among those was Cornplanter's brother, Handsome Lake.

Following the American Revolution Handsome Lake saw the defeat of his people and the loss of their lands. In spring of 1799 he and several other men returned from a hunting trip of some six months. Having sold their furs at Pittsburgh and purchased supplies that included several barrels of whiskey they lashed their four canoes together and headed upstream back home to Cornplanter town. The men began to partake freely of the whiskey and arrived in Cornplanter in a drunken state not knowing the turmoil of their town. The Quaker missionaries had the town divided over the teaching of English to their children. When the men arrived and ran thru the town wrecking havoc, tearing doors off of hinges, beating their wives and abusing their children, the residents of the town fled for fear of their lives and camped in the bushlands.
Part of the time in the days that followed, Handsome Lake was depressed and melancholy and knew he was evil and loathsome in the eyes of the Creator. Other times when he had whiskey and got drunk, he would sing sacred songs and resolve to never touch alcohol again. He was brooding over the loss of his niece, Cornplanter's daughter, who was thought to have been killed by a witch. This old woman had the reputation of poisoning the families of her enemies and now she was threatening the life of a newborn baby in the Cornplanter household. Belief in and practice of witchcraft, love potions and abortion/sterility medicines were common among the people.

On the morning of June 15, Handsome Lake had his first vision. He had taken to his bed sick and dying. He was in this state when his daughter heard him exclaim "Niio!" (So be it) and come out of the cabin as "yellow skin and dried bones." She caught him as he stumbled and fell into her arms. When his nephew, Blacksnake, and Cornp1anter, Handsome Lake's closest male relatives arrived, they asked, "Is he dead?" There was no breathing or heartbeat, the body was cool to the touch. Upon examination, Blacksnake discovered a "warm spot" on Handsome Lake's chest. After about half an hour his breathing began again and the warm spot spread and after two hours he opened his eyes and began to speak. He described his vision.

Handsome Lake had heard his name called and left the house. Outside he saw three middle-aged men dressed in fine ceremonial clothes with red paint on their faces and feathers in their bonnets, carrying bows and arrows in one hand and huckleberry bushes
in the other. Handsome Lake collapsed from weakness, but the angelic messengers caught him and told him they were sent by the Creator. He was told to join his kinfolk the next day at the Strawberry Festival and tell them how things should be on earth. He was told the Strawberry Festival should always be held. The message to his people was "four words" concerning the evil practices of men about whom the Creator was sad and angry. The words are Whiskey, Witchcraft, Love magic and Medicine that kills unborn babies. People were told to repent and never sin again. Handsome Lake was charged with getting drunk and told to never drink again. The messengers left but promised to return.

Handsome Lake continued to be in poor health. He told Cornplanter the three angelic messengers mentioned a fourth that would visit him. During the night of August 7 he dreamed the fourth angel was coming to take him on a .journey. The next morning he put on his best clothes and told his brother not to prepare him for burial even if he appeared to be dead. That evening he fell into a sleep that lasted about seven hours. His body was again cool and his breathing slight. This second vision, called the sky journey, was led by a guide in sky blue clothes. He and the three angels were standing on earth with Handsome Lake viewing a series of scenes while the guide made moral comments. When they met Jesus bearing the nail scars on his hands and feet, Jesus said that his people had slain him in their pride and that he would not return to help them "until the earth passes away." On the second part of the journey they saw human souls being directed onto the narrow road to heaven and the wide road to hell. It was mostly children that went to heaven. The third part was a tour of hell where they saw the nature and punishment of evil with its sadistic torments to fit the crimes of the prisoners. They then visited the lands of Gaiwiio and Handsome Lake saw his niece and his son and grandson. The guide then admonished him to help his people because the Great Spirit sees all things and , they needed to mend their ways.

The third vision took place six months later on February 5, 1800. Handsome Lake's health was much improved and he had been able to share this "new religion" with his people. The three angels advised that the Great Spirit was troubled over the condition of the Indians and that the revelations should be written in a book. Handsome Lake was told the children should be taught about Gaiwiio and the people should keep up their Old form of worship and never quit it, particularly the Midwinter Ceremony. Handsome Lake was advised to devote half his life to his family and half to the new religion. This third vision was to prepare his people for salvation.

By the 1840's the dreams and visions had been retold many times. Preachers who knew the material and could recite the teachings were called upon at the two great annual festivals. Blacksnake, now an old man organized the moral teachings in "twelve commandments" that prohibited: whiskey, witchcraft, love magic, abortion, divorce, adultery, premarital sex, refusal of the wife to live with her husband's parents, failure of parent to discipline unruly children, unwillingness to love all mankind, feelings of hostility and gossip.

Many of the Seneca now practice the religions of the modern world but if they return to their reservation they will observe the ways of the Gaiwiio, the teachings of the Great Spirit. They still keep the festivals because of the visions of the three angelic messengers.