Geronimo was born in
1820 near Gila River, close to present-day Clifton , Arizona . His father was Taklishim and his
mother was Juana. Geronimo would grow to become
one of the most feared Chiricahua warriors and the last Apache Chief. He
was a master warfare strategist and was held in awe by his own people for
his supposed medicine powers. On September 4, 1886,
Geronimo surrendered to General Nelson A. Miles. The small band of
Apache warriors, including women and children, along with 394 other
tribesmen, were loaded into railroad cars and shipped to Fort Marion
and Fort Pickens , Florida Fort Sill , Oklahoma
was buried in the Fort Sill
surmounted by a stone
eagle was placed over his grave.
In 1903 Geronimo was
thrown from his horse and severely injured. For a
while he was giving
deep thoughts to Christianity. He had seen many of his
warriors make
professions and saw their lives change, including Chatto and
Naiche. In July of
1903, a "camp meeting", was held on Medicine Bluff Creek
and many Apaches
attended. Geronimo slowly made his way to the meeting
and sat inside the
tent, with Naiche taking a seat beside him.
Geronimo spoke in Apache and Benedict Jozhe interpreted: "He says that he is in the
Geronimo spoke in Apache and Benedict Jozhe interpreted: "He says that he is in the
dark. He knows that
he is not on the right road and he wants to find Jesus."
At this, as the
missionaries remembered it, "Naiche's fine, strong face
blazed with joy."
blazed with joy."
During the succeeding
days, they spent much time with Geronimo,
explaining the tenets
of their faith, and at the last service by grace he
received it. "I
am old," he told them, "and broken by this fall I have had. I am
without friends, for
my people have turned from me. I am full of sins, and I
walk alone in the
dark. I see that you missionaries have got a way to get sin
out of the heart, and
I want to take that better road and hold it 'til I die."
One of the missionaries examined him and found that underneath his apparent
One of the missionaries examined him and found that underneath his apparent
indifference he had
long been listening and learning. He was baptized a week
later. After the
ceremony his people crowded around him. Naiche embraced
him, and the women
and children clung to his hands. As the missionaries told
it afterwards,
"his face softened and became bright with joy."
Geronimo believed
Christianity to be superior to his own religion and advised
all of his people who
were not Christians to study that religion, because, he
said, "It seems
to me the best religion in enabling one to live right."
The gospel of Jesus
Christ is the only way for salvation from sin. The gospel
message of the
Eternal, Sinless, Son of God coming to earth, being clothed
with human flesh to
die a cruel death on Calvary 's cross, then
being buried
and rising again the
third day and ascending to the Father's right hand, being
highly exalted,
"is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth."
By W.G. Carter