THE APOSTLES SAIL FOR ENGLAND--GROWTH OF THE BRITISH MISSION DURING
HEBER'S ABSENCE--LABORS OF ELDERS WOODRUFF AND TAYLOR--FIRST COUNCIL
OF THE TWELVE AMONG THE NATIONS--WILLARD RICHARDS ORDAINED AN APOSTLE.
Journeying eastward, the Apostles arrived in New York, where they
tarried for some time, preaching the Gospel and adding new members to
the Church in that city. On the 19th of December, 1840, Apostles John
Taylor and Wilford Woodruff, with Elder Theodore Turley and others,
sailed for Liverpool on board the _Oxford_. Three months later to a
day, Apostles Young and Kimball, Parley P. Pratt, Orson Pratt, George
A. Smith and Elder Reuben Hedlock followed in their wake on board the
_Patrick Henry_.
After a very stormy passage, they reached Liverpool on the sixth of
April, the anniversary of the organization of the Church, ten years
before. They there found Elder John Taylor with about thirty Saints
who had just received the Gospel in that place. A day or two later
they went on to Preston by railroad, where Heber and his companions
were warmly welcomed by a multitude of Saints who had assembled there
to meet them. They arrived in Preston on the anniversary of Heber's
departure in 1838.
It will now be proper to take a brief retrospective view of the
progress of the British Mission during the two years interim between
the departure of Elders Kimball and Hyde for America, and the return
of Heber to the scene of his former successful labors. The most
important event that had taken place in this interval was the planting
of the Gospel standard in the great manufacturing town of Manchester.
This opening was made by Elder William Clayton, in October, 1838. The
branch in that place grew so rapidly as to soon rival Preston, and in
a short time it became the headquarters of the whole British Mission.
Scotland had also been opened by Elders Mulliner and Wright, though
the work had as yet taken little root in that land.
In and around Preston and the other towns and villages opened during
the first mission of the Elders to England, the work had gradually
spread under the presidency of Elders Fielding, Richards and Clayton.
During the stormy period which had just spent its fierceness upon the
Saints in America, the Church in England had not escaped persecution,
though, compared with the sufferings of the former, the trials of the
British Saints were a mere bagatelle. A novel incident connected with
the death of one of the Saints--the first death that occurred in the
mission--is thus related:
"Sister Alice Hodgin died at Preston, September 2nd, 1838, and it was
such a wonderful thing for a Latter-day Saint to die in England that
Elder Richards was arraigned before the Mayor's Court at Preston,
October 3rd, charged with 'killing and slaying the said Alice with a
black stick,' etc., but was discharged without being permitted to make
his defense, as soon as it was discovered that the iniquity of his
accusers was about to be made manifest."
The arrival of Apostles Taylor and Woodruff at Liverpool on the 11th
of January, 1840, opened the second period of the British Mission.
They were welcomed by Mr. George Cannon, brother-in-law of Elder
Taylor and father of George Q. Cannon, the present Apostle, then a
mere youth, and not yet connected with the cause in which he was
destined to play so important a part. Sunday they spent in Liverpool,
and the next day proceeded on to Preston.
At a council held at the house of Willard Richards, after the arrival
of these Apostles, it was arranged that Elders John Taylor and Joseph
Fielding should go to Liverpool, and lift the standard of Mormonism in
that important city; Hyrum Clark to Manchester, where Elder Clayton
was given charge of Church affairs; and Wilford Woodruff and Theodore
Turley to the Potteries in Staffordshire, and to Birmingham if the
Spirit so led. Elder Richards was to have the privilege of "moving
wherever the Spirit directed." The Elders were instructed to report to
their respective presidents.
On the following day, January 18th, after meeting and blessing each
other, the brethren separated and departed for their various fields of
labor.
The marvelous success of Apostle Woodruff in Staffordshire and
Herefordshire, in the latter of which counties, in a little over one
month, he converted several hundred souls, including upwards of forty
preachers of the United Brethren; with the important labors of Elder
Taylor in Liverpool and vicinity, and of Elder Turley in Birmingham,
(which town became a Mormon stronghold second only in importance to
London) would fill a volume in themselves. We can barely glance at
such achievements in following the individual history of Heber C.
Kimball.
Immediately upon the arrival of President Young and the Apostles who
accompanied him, a council of the Twelve and a conference of the
Saints was called to convene at Preston on the 14th of April.
At this gathering there were present of the Apostles, Brigham Young,
Heber C. Kimball, Parley P. Pratt, Orson Pratt, John Taylor, Wilford
Woodruff and George A. Smith. Brigham Young was called to the chair,
and was unanimously sustained as the standing President of the Twelve.
Willard Richards was ordained an Apostle and added to the quorum by
unanimous voice, and according to previous appointment by revelation.
It was moved by Heber C. Kimball and seconded by Willard Richards that
twenty of the Seventies, or more at the discretion of the President,
be sent for to assist in the work of the ministry.
On the second day of the council Heber C. Kimball was the presiding
Apostle. The various branches of the Church in England and Scotland
were represented, showing an aggregate membership of 1671 souls,
including the Priesthood. The official numbers were as follows:
Elders, 34; Priests, 52; Teachers, 38; Deacons, 8. Total of
Priesthood, 132. President Kimball laid before the meeting the
importance and propriety of ordaining a Patriarch to give patriarchal
blessings to the Saints, and Bleazard Corbridge was accordingly chosen
for that office.
It was decided that the Saints who wished to emigrate should receive
recommends from the Church in Britain to the Church in America, and
that no persons should receive such recommends who had money, unless
they assisted the poor according to the counsel of the Twelve.
It was further determined that a monthly periodical be published, to
be known as _The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star_, with Parley P.
Pratt as its editor; and that a committee of three, namely, Brigham
Young, Parley P. Pratt and John Taylor be appointed to make a
selection of hymns for the use of the Saints.
The conference closed on the 16th of April, having been in session
three days.
The time had now come for the Apostles to separate, to go into
different parts of the Lord's vineyard. It was thought wisdom for
Elder Heber C. Kimball to visit the churches which he had built up
while in England on his former mission; for Orson Pratt to go north on
a mission to Scotland, John Taylor to continue his labors in
Liverpool, Parley P. Pratt to proceed to Manchester to begin the
publication of the _Star_, George A. Smith to go into the Potteries,
and Brigham Young and Willard Richards to accompany Elder Woodruff
into his field of labor. These arrangements were at once carried out
by the brethren, and the work spread on every hand, with redoubled
energy and multiplied success.