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Changed!
“The
Mutiny on the Bounty.”
Many recognize these words as the title of some
well-known novels and movies. Clark Gable and Charles Laughton starred in a movie of the
same name in 1935. Another Mutiny
on the Bounty was released in 1962, starring
Trevor Howard and Marlon Brando.
More recently, Anthony Hopkins and Mel Gibson
starred in The
Bounty in 1984.
Each of these movies and other novels are based
on actual historical events.
The
mutiny on the Bounty
was a mutiny aboard a British Royal Navy ship, the HMS Bounty, on April 28, 1789. The mutiny was led by Fletcher
Christian against the notorious captain, William Bligh.
Bligh and 18 of his loyal followers were cast adrift
in a small open boat; they later made it to safety.
Fletcher
Christian and eight fellow mutineers, along with six
Tahitian men and 11 women, set sail in Bounty
hoping to elude the British Royal Navy.
On January 15, 1790, they rediscovered Pitcairn
Island, which had been misplaced on the Royal Navy's
charts. The passengers of the Bounty settled on the
island, and to prevent the ship's detection, the ship
was burned on January 23, 1790, in what is now called
“Bounty Bay. “
Although
the settlers were able to survive by farming and
fishing, the initial period of settlement was marked
by serious tensions among the settlers.
In just a few short years, alcoholism, murder,
disease – even a civil war – took the lives of
most of the mutineers and all of the Tahitian men.
John
Adams and Ned Young were the last two surviving
mutineers. In
order to establish a new and peaceful society among
the remaining inhabitants of Pitcairn Island, they
turned to the Bible as their guide.
Adams and Young sought to follow
the principles of Christianity and taught the children
to read and write using the Bible. When Young died of
an asthmatic infection, Adams continued his work of
educating
the women and children using biblical principles.
On
September 17, 1814, the crews of two British ships,
the Briton and Tagus, found the
community on Pitcairn Island.
John Adams, nine women, and some children were
the sole inhabitants.
The British commanders were charmed by the
physique, simplicity and piety of the islanders.
What
they witnessed in the lives of Adams and his
“congregation” is testimony of the power of
God’s Holy Word!
When
God’s Word is taught and obeyed, lives are changed.
The Bible tells of God’s love for mankind.
He loves us so much that He gave us His only
begotten Son to die for us so that we can have
forgiveness and be set free from the tyranny of sin
(John 3:16; 8:32).
This is the Gospel – the Good News – that
is the power to change our lives and save our souls
eternally (Romans 1:16).
God
will save those who obey the Gospel: believing
in His Son (Acts 16:30-31), turning from their sins in
repentance
(Acts 17:30-31), confessing
Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and being baptized
(immersed) in His name for the forgiveness of sins
(Acts 2:38). When
we obey the Gospel, we become new creatures (2
Corinthians 5:17), with a new standard of living (2
Timothy 3:16-17), and a new hope for life eternal
(Titus 1:2).
YOUR
life can also be changed IF you will
read God’s Word and obey it!
David
A. Sargent,
Minister
Church
of Christ at Creekwood
1901
Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama 36695
* Information gleaned
from Wikipedia.com and the website of the Government of Pitcairn Island: http://www.government.pn/Pitcairnshistory.htm
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