HEBER VISITS THE BRANCHES RAISED UP DURING HIS FORMER MISSION--HIS
REPORT OF THEIR CONDITION AND STANDING--FIRST GENERAL CONFERENCE AT
MANCHESTER.
Pursuant to the appointment of his quorum at the conference, Heber
visited the Saints whom he had brought into the Church during his
former mission. Elder Willard Richards accompanied him, pending
preparations for his mission to Herefordshire.
They first visited the branch in Walkerfold, the home of the Rev. John
Richards, whose daughter Jennetta Willard had married, in fulfillment
of Heber's prediction. They found Sister Richards in a very low state
of health, but after they had anointed and laid hands upon her,
according to the ordinance of the Church, she immediately began to
amend.
The Reverend Mr. Richards, who was feeling very sorely the effects of
the preaching of Mormonism in his pastorate, on seeing Elder Kimball
in his house, ordered him to leave. Heber meekly complied, much to the
grief of Sister Richards and her aged mother, who wept aloud at his
departure. The Walkerfold branch, though small, had suffered more
persecution in proportion to its numbers than any other, but its
members, with scarcely an exception, had remained steadfast in the
faith.
Heber's report continues:
"From thence we returned to Preston, where I left Brother Richards to
prepare for his mission to Herefordshire, and proceeded from thence to
Dauber's Lane and Eggleston. We found there two branches rejoicing in
the Lord. After a short visit with them, I returned to Preston; and
after two days I started on a visit to the north. I went alone, by way
of Walkerfold, on my way to Clithero, where I held meetings on the
Sabbath, and administered the sacrament to nearly two hundred Saints.
It was a time of refreshing to them and to myself, as I had not seen
them for more than two years. It had been said there, as in other
places, that I would never return to them again; but they now saw me
again, and knew that myself and many of my fellow laborers had come;
and that our message and our zeal were the same as formerly, and
therefore I was received with greater joy than ever. I stayed at Elder
T. Smith's, where on Monday I was joined by Elder Fielding from
Preston.
"On Wednesday we went to Chatburn and held meeting in the evening.
There was great joy in the place. The next day we went to Downham and
held meeting that evening and many came to hear. We bore testimony to
the Gospel, and of the work of the Lord in these last days. The people
were very attentive. When we had closed, a certain man wished to ask a
few questions; he appeared much agitated; in fact we were reminded of
the prediction in the Book of Mormon, that 'men would anger and
tremble because of the truth.' He demanded some evidence of the truth
of the Gospel, or message, of which we testified; but would not tell
us what evidence would satisfy him, so we could only repeat our
testimony to him, and let him go, with no other evidence than what
ourselves and tens of thousands of others had believed and were
satisfied with. The Saints had a time of rejoicing. On Saturday we
returned to Chatburn and held meeting, after which three persons were
baptized and added to the Church. On the Sabbath the meeting was held
in a large barn, no house being sufficiently large to convene the
people. There were many to hear, who were very attentive. We ordained
two Priests. In the evening four others were baptized. Some who had
left the society, wished they had been faithful, and some of them
returned by humble repentance and being re-baptized. There appears to
be something peculiar in the people of this place; others had tried in
vain to enlist them into their folds; but on hearing the first
preaching of the fullness of the Gospel they were overwhelmed in tears
of repentance, and more than twenty were immediately baptized. It is a
small village, but the number of members soon increased to about
ninety. They have mostly stood fast. We have never received anything
like an insult all the time we visited the place, and we feel bound to
bless them.
"On Monday we returned to Clithero; after meeting five more were
baptized. On Tuesday evening two were baptized in Waddington. Since
then we have heard that eight more have been baptized, and others
ready.
"The next day we started for Ribchester, calling at Walkerfold on our
way, where we found Sister Richards in good health. We reached
Ribchester on Friday, and held meeting in the evening; the Saints were
comforted. The next day we returned to Preston. I consider that I have
never seen the Saints in better spirits. They say it seems like old
times; they can receive their patriarchal blessings under the hand of
Brother Mellin, as he is ordained to the office of an Evangelist. Some
speak in tongues and prophesy, and others have visions, etc., as was
foretold by the Prophet Joel, concerning the last days. We can truly
say the Lord has begun to restore all things, as spoken by the
prophets.
"After this we went to Longton, and held meeting, and the next day
started for Southport, many of the brethren accompanying us as far as
the river Astlam. There was no bridge, and to save us the trouble of
going round, a brother carried us over on his shoulders. We held one
meeting in Southport, and one in Churchtown. At Southport there was a
sister sick and not expected to live. She was healed by administering
the ordinance, and next day she went with us two miles on foot. We
ordained one Elder and one Teacher, and on our way back preached to
the Saints in Longton, exhorting them to have their lamps trimmed and
burning, ready to go forth to meet the Bridegroom. We then returned to
Preston. On Saturday we met the officers in council, and on the
Sabbath met with the Church as usual.
"On Monday evening a number of the Saints met at Brother T. Moon's, in
Penwortham, to receive their patriarchal blessings. We were with them,
and gave them such instruction as was necessary.
"Wednesday, I accompanied Elder Clayton to Manchester; found Elders
Young, P. P. Pratt and J. Taylor there; tarried there with them till
Saturday the 30th, when Elders Young, Taylor and myself took the train
for Liverpool; met with the Church there on the Sabbath, and had a
good time, the Saints rejoiced, and others believed.
"A number of the Saints had taken their passage for America on board
the ship _Britannia_. We spent some time with them for several days.
June 5th we took leave of them. They were in good spirits, expecting
to move from the dock at 2 p.m. We blessed them, and commended them to
the Lord. I then took leave of Elders Young and Taylor, and returned
by train to Preston. I found Brother Fielding and the Saints rejoicing
in the Lord. At this time I can truly say that I never felt more to
rejoice than I have done in my late visits to the churches. The
Saints, in general, as they have been baptized into one body, are
partakers of one spirit, whether they be Jew or Gentile, bond or free.
I also take this opportunity to say, that I have lately received a
letter from my wife, giving us good tidings from America. The work is
moving steadily, but not slowly through that land, bearing on its way
through the states and cities of that vast continent. The Saints are
getting over their pains and sufferings, at least in a great measure,
and are enjoying health. I would say to my brethren in the ministry
that their families are well, and I feel to congratulate them on the
hope and glorious prospect of one day not far remote when we shall
rest from our labors in the kingdom of God. It is evident our labor is
not in vain in the Lord. In almost every branch I have visited the
numbers are increasing. The stone is actually growing into a mountain,
and we know that it must soon fill the whole earth. May the Lord
hasten the time. Amen."
Heber rejoined his quorum at Manchester, where a general conference
convened on the sixth of July. The meetings were held in "Carpenter's
Hall," a building almost as famous in the history of the British
Mission as the celebrated "Cock Pit" in Preston.
The Apostles in the mission were all present excepting Orson Pratt,
who was in Edinburgh, unable to attend on account of the great
distance, and his arduous labors in opening the Scottish Mission.
Parley P. Pratt was chosen to preside.
The new hymn-book was introduced and received the unanimous
approbation of the meeting. A number of brethren were ordained to the
ministry and then President Young called upon those officers whose
circumstances would permit them to devote themselves entirely to the
work of the ministry, and who would volunteer to do so, to stand up,
when the following names were taken: B. Young, H. C. Kimball, John
Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, Willard Richards, G. A. Smith, Wm. Clayton,
Reuben Hedlock, H. Clark, Theodore Turley, Joseph Fielding, Thomas
Richardson, Amos Fielding, John Parkinson, John Wytch, John Needham,
H. Royle, John Blezard, D. Wilding, Charles Price, Joseph Knowles,
William Kay, Samuel Heath, Wm. Parr, R. McBride and James Morgan.
President Fielding and his counselors were relieved of the charge of
presiding over the mission, and several Elders were appointed to
various fields of labor in England, Scotland and Ireland.
President Young gave administrative directions to the Elders previous
to their separation. He then blessed the congregation and the
conference adjourned.