Senator Tina Rose Muña Barnes	Senator Rory J. Respicio	Senator Antoinette Sanford

Senator John M. Quinata	Senator Frank Blas Aguon, Jr.	Senator Joanne M. Salas Brown	Senator F. Randall Cunliffe, Esq.
Senator Carmen Fernandez, Ph.D.	Senator Mark Forbes	Senator Lawrence F. Kasperbauer, Ph.D.	Senator Robert Klitzkie
Senator Lou A. Leon Guerrero	Senator Jesse Anderson Lujan	Senator vicente c. pangelinan	Senator Ray Tenorio

The first (1^st) of three Chamorro Bible Resolutions sponsored by Senator Tina Rose Muña Barnes and adopted on October 31^st, 2003 ChST by I Mina'Bente Siete Na Liheslaturan Guåhan in full legislative session (LS). The resolution was offically presented by Senator Tina Rose Muña Barnes, I Mina'Bente Siete Na Liheslaturan Guåhan Legislative Secretary and Chairwoman of the Committee on Community, Culture, Recreation and Public Broadcasting on Wednesday, January 28^th, 2004, at approximately 12:00 Noon ChST in the Public Hearing Room of I Mina'Bente Siete Na Liheslaturan Guåhan, Hagåtña, Guam. The resolution's text is available in HTML (using the legislative Certificate format), Certificate (Microsoft Word) or Working (Microsoft Word) format.

Note: The Commentary for Resolution No. 87(LS), which follows the resolution text below, contains important clarifications.

Resolution No. 87(LS)
As amended.

Relative to acknowledging and recognizing the late Reverend Francis Marion Price and those who assisted him and contributed to the translation of the “Gospels”, “Psalms” and “Acts of the Apostles” of the Holy Bible into the Chamorro language.

      WHEREAS, “God’s Word”, the Holy Bible, was originally written in the languages of Aramaic, Hebrew, and Greek; and

      WHEREAS, many of the various peoples of the earth believe they should be able to hear “His voice” in their own language and, therefore, the Holy Bible should be translated into every language; and

      WHEREAS, Chamorro is the language of the Chamorro people indigenous to the island of Guam and to the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, which in addition to English is an official language of Guam; and

      WHEREAS, the majority of the Chamorro people are Christians, who have a great and continuing interest in the “Word of the Lord”; and

      WHEREAS, the late Methodist Missionary Francis Marion Price of Richland, Indiana, who served in China and Chuuk with the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions during the late 19^th century, was the first (1^st) Protestant missionary in Guam, arriving on November 27, 1900, with his wife, Mrs. Jennie Martabel Price (nee Reeves); and

      WHEREAS, the late Reverend Price was born on December 9, 1850, joining the Methodist denomination in 1865, receiving his Bachelor of Arts in 1882, and Bachelor of Divinity degree in 1883, both from Oberlin College, and married Sarah Jane Freeborn on July 3, 1872; and

      WHEREAS, the late Reverend Price and Mrs. Price translated the Catechetical Life of Christ (Catechism on the Life of Christ) into Chinese, which was published in 1890; revised the Old Testament biblical books of “Genesis” and “Exodus”; and translated the Old Testament biblical books of “Leviticus”, “Ruth”, and nearly all of the “Psalms”; and

      WHEREAS, in letters to friends, the late Reverend Price wrote that “a knowledge of Chamorro is absolutely necessary if we are to reach and instruct the people”, and he felt “that the one great crying need of Guam is for the Holy Scriptures”; and

      WHEREAS, determined to learn the Chamorro language, the late Reverend Price enlisted the aid of a language teacher who was most likely the late Mr. Jose Mendiola Taitano, and with his training he wrote A Catechism of Christian Doctrine: A Practice in Chamorro; and

      WHEREAS, the late Reverend Price, who was also competent in the Hebrew and Greek languages, translated into Chamorro the complete Old Testament Book of Psalms, using the Westcott-Holt Greek Testament and the complete New Testament biblical books “Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Acts of the Apostles”; and

      WHEREAS, in a recently discovered photograph originally published in the July 1908 issue of the Bible Society Record, the late Reverend Price is seen with five (5) yet unidentified Chamorros, the photo’s caption reading “Francis M. Price and Chamorro Islanders, Who Aided in the Translation of the Chamorro Scriptures”; and

      WHEREAS, the title of the volume containing portions of the Bible is Y Cuatro Ebangelio Sija Yan Y Checho Y Apostoles Sija Gui Testamento Nuebo Y Sennotta Yan Y Satbadotta Si Jesucristo Yan Y Salmo Sija. Un Trinanduse Y Fino Griego Yan Hebreo Gui Fino Y Tano Guam Pat Y Chamorro, and is also called the 1908 Chamorro Bible; and

      WHEREAS, in 1908, the American Bible Society published the translated Bible books of Y Salmo Sija, Y Ybangelio Seg’un San Mateo, Y Ybangelio Seg’un San Marcos, Y Ybangelio Seg’un San Lucas, Y Ybangelio Seg’un San Juan, and Y Checho Y Apostoles Sija in a single volume in diglot or bilingual format with Chamorro on the left page, and the English King James Version on the right page in a quantity of about one thousand (1,000) copies; and

      WHEREAS, the late Reverend Price regarded the translation of portions of the Bible into the Chamorro language, “as the best work I have ever done, most valuable to the kingdom of God on earth”; and

      WHEREAS, the above facts regarding the Chamorro Bible are contained in information located in the American Bible Society Archives in New York, the Oberlin College Archives, the Congregational Library of the American Congregational Association in Boston, and the Richard Flores Taitano Micronesian Area Research Center at the University of Guam (Unibesedat Guåhan), Mangilao, Guam; and

      WHEREAS, the late Reverend Price, who saw “the earnest desire of all in Guam that the translations should be published in English & Chamorro”, passed away on September 5, 1937; and

      WHEREAS, many religious individuals believe that “God the Son”, who is “Jesus Christ”, for thousands of years has miraculously preserved “His Word”, the Bible, in written form; and

      WHEREAS, “Jesus Christ” says “Aligao y tinigue sija sa y jinasonmiyo iya guiya nae inguaja y linala na terjinecog; ya sija todo ufanmannae testimonio nu guajo” Juan 5:39; and

      WHEREAS, “Jesus Christ” says to each inhabited island, “Si Jeova Jagobiebientna, polo ya y tano umagof; polo ya y minegae y isla ufansenmagof” Salmo 97:1, clearly indicating that “He” has never forgotten about the Chamorro people; and

      WHEREAS, many believe that in “His” wisdom “Jesus Christ” thankfully gave the late Reverend Francis Marion Price generous linguistic abilities and prepared the way for “His Word” to be translated into Chamorro through the Taitano family, which also excelled in different languages, including Chamorro, Spanish, and English; and

      WHEREAS, Mr. Clarence L. Thomas, IV, as principal researcher, preserved Y Cuatro Ebangelio Sija Yan Y Checho Y Apostoles Sija Gui Testamento Nuebo Y Sennotta Yan Y Satbadotta Si Jesucristo Yan Y Salmo Sija. Un Trinanduse Y Fino Griego Yan Hebreo Gui Fino Y Tano Guam Pat Y Chamorro in written form so that it may be distributed in electronic form available at the web site address http//www.chamorrobible.org; now therefore, be it

      RESOLVED, that I Mina'Bente Siete Na Liheslaturan Guåhan does hereby, on behalf of the people of Guam, acknowledge and recognize the heartfelt work of the late Reverend Francis Marion Price on the translation of the Chamorro Bible; and be it further

      RESOLVED, that I Mina'Bente Siete Na Liheslaturan Guåhan does further acknowledge and recognize the invaluable assistance provided by the late Mr. Jose Mendiola Taitano in the original translations and Mr. Clarence L. Thomas, IV, in preserving the valuable document and making it available to everyone; and be it further

      RESOLVED, that the Speaker certify, and the Legislative Secretary attest to, the adoption hereof and that copies of the same be thereafter transmitted to the family of the late Reverend Francis Marion Price; to the family of the late Mr. Jose Mendiola Taitano, including his great-grand daughter, Ms. Janet Taitano Flores and his grandson, Mr. Carlos Pangelinan Taitano; to Mr. Clarence L. Thomas, IV; and to the Honorable Felix P. Camacho, I Maga'lahen Guåhan.

DULY AND REGULARLY ADOPTED BY I MINA'BENTE SIETE NA LIHESLATURAN GUÅHAN ON THE 31^ST DAY OF OCTOBER, 2003.

5^th WHEREAS: Francis Marion Price, Missionary of the American Board for Commissioners for Foreign Missions, arrived in Guam on November 27th, 1900, with his wife Mrs. Sarah Jane Price (her maiden name is Freeborn). She died on August 2nd, 1916. Francis Marion Price married Jennie Martabel Reeves (a widow) on September 18th, 1918. Francis Marion Price was (also) a member of the Congregational denomination (see Commentary for Resolution No. 87(LS): 6th WHEREAS). Vinton Books of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, Volume 1: Francis Marion Price and The Year Book of the Congregational and Christian Churches, Statistics for 1937: Price, Francis Marion document his July 1st, 1883 ordination by the Congregational Council in Oberlin, Ohio. See the Congregational Library of the American Congregational Association and Oberlin College Archives documents in the Francis Marion Price (1850-1937) section at ChamorroBible.org (http://ChamorroBible.org/francis-marion-price.htm).

6^th WHEREAS: On Francis Marion Price's Oberlin College alumnus form dated April 4th, 1905, item number 8 requests, "Date of Church Membership?" and "Denomination?". Francis Marion Price's responses are "1865" and "Methodist", respectively. Moving forward to his April 21st, 1915 alumnus form, item number 12 asks two questions: "Are you a member of a church?" and "Denomination?". His responses are "Yes" and "Congregational", respectively. See the Congregational Library of the American Congregational Association and Oberlin College Archives documents in the Francis Marion Price (1850-1937) section at ChamorroBible.org (http://ChamorroBible.org/francis-marion-price.htm).

7^th WHEREAS: In Ruk (also called Truk or Chuuk), Caroline Islands, Francis Marion Price revised the Old Testament biblical books of Genesis and Exodus, translated the Old Testament biblical books of Leviticus, Ruth, and nearly all of the Psalms, and began a revision of the New Testament in the Caroline Islands language. See Chamorro Scriptures for the Island of Guam (Bible Society Record, July 1908, Volume 53, Number 7, published by the American Bible Society in New York, New York), the Oberlin College Archives documents, and the May 9, 1905 letter from Francis Marion Price to William Haven, D.D. located in the Francis Marion Price (1850-1937) section at ChamorroBible.org (http://ChamorroBible.org/francis-marion-price.htm). Consult the Federated States of Micronesia map at ChamorroBible.org for the geographical location of the Caroline Islands.

10^th WHEREAS: The phrase "using the Westcott-Holt Greek Testament" is corrected as follows: "using the Westcott-Hort Greek Testament".