MY JOURNEY TO HEREFORDSHIRE--INTERVIEW WITH JOHN BENBOW--THE WORD
OF THE LORD FULFILLED TO ME--THE GREATEST GATHERING INTO THE CHURCH
KNOWN AMONG THE GENTILES SINCE THE ORGANIZATION OF THE CHURCH IN THIS
DISPENSATION--A CONSTABLE SENT TO ARREST ME--I CONVERT AND BAPTIZE
HIM--TWO CLERKS SENT AS DETECTIVES HEAR ME PREACH, AND BOTH EMBRACE
THE TRUTH--RECTORS PETITION TO HAVE OUR PREACHING PROHIBITED--THE
ARCHBISHOP'S REPLY--BOOK OF MORMON AND HYMN BOOK PRINTED--CASE OF
HEALING.
On the 3rd of March, 1840, in fulfillment of the word of the Lord to
me, I took coach and rode to Wolverhampton, twenty-six miles, and spent
the night there.
On the morning of the 4th I again took coach, and rode through Dudley,
Stourbridge, Stourport and Worcester, and then walked a number of miles
to Mr. John Benbow's, Hill Farm, Castle Frome, Ledbury, Herefordshire.
This was a farming country in the south of England, a region where no
Elder of the Latter-day Saints had visited.
I found Mr. Benbow to be a wealthy farmer, cultivating three hundred
acres of land, occupying a good mansion, and having plenty of means.
His wife, Jane, had no children.
I presented myself to him as a missionary from America, an Elder of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who had been sent to him
by the commandment of God as a messenger of salvation, to preach the
gospel of life unto him and his household, and the inhabitants of the
land.
Mr. Benbow and his wife received me with glad hearts and thanksgiving.
It was in the evening when I arrived, having traveled forty-eight miles
by coach and on foot during the day, but after receiving refreshments
we sat down together, and conversed until two o'clock in the morning.
Mr. Benbow and his wife rejoiced greatly at the glad tidings which I
brought unto them of the fullness of the everlasting Gospel, which God
had revealed through the mouth of His Prophet, Joseph Smith, in these
last days.
I rejoiced greatly at the news that Mr. Benbow gave me, that there
was a company of men and women--over six hundred in number--who had
broken off from the Wesleyan Methodists, and taken the name of United
Brethren. They had forty-five preachers among them, and had chapels and
many houses that were licensed according to the law of the land for
preaching in.
This body of United Brethren were searching for light and truth, but
had gone as far as they could, and were continually calling upon the
Lord to open the way before them, and send them light and knowledge
that they might know the true way to be saved.
When I heard these things I could clearly see why the Lord had
commanded me, while in the town of Hanley, to leave that place of
labor and go to the south, for in Herefordshire there was a great
harvest-field for gathering many Saints into the kingdom of God.
I retired to my bed with joy after offering my prayers and thanksgiving
to God, and slept sweetly until the rising of the sun.
I arose on the morning of the 5th, took breakfast, and told Mr. Benbow
I would like to commence my Master's business, by preaching the gospel
to the people.
He had a large hall in his mansion which was licensed for preaching,
and he sent word through the neighborhood that an American missionary
would preach at his house that evening.
As the time drew nigh many of the neighbors came in, and I preached
my first gospel sermon in the house. I also preached on the following
evening at the same place, and baptized six persons, including Mr. John
Benbow and his wife, and four preachers of the United Brethren.
I spent most of the following day in clearing out a pool of water, and
preparing it for baptizing in, as I saw many to be baptized there. I
afterwards baptized six hundred in that pool of water.
On Sunday, the 8th, I preached at Frome's Hill in the morning, at
Standley Hill in the afternoon, and at John Benbow's, Hill Farm, in the
evening.
The parish church that stood in the neighborhood of Brother Benbow's,
presided over by the rector of the parish, was attended during the day
by only fifteen persons, while I had a large congregation, estimated to
number a thousand, attend my meeting through the day and evening.
When I arose in the evening to speak at Brother Benbow's house, a man
entered the door and informed me that he was a constable, and had been
sent by the rector of the parish with a warrant to arrest me.
I asked him "For what crime?"
He said, "For preaching to the people."
I told him that I, as well as the rector, had a license for preaching
the gospel to the people, and that if he would take a chair I would
wait upon him after meeting.
He took my chair and sat beside me. I preached the first principles
of the everlasting gospel for an hour and a quarter. The power of
God rested upon me, the Spirit filled the house, and the people were
convinced.
At the close of the meeting I opened a door for baptism, and seven
offered themselves. Among the number were four preachers and the
constable.
The latter arose and said, "Mr. Woodruff, I would like to be baptized."
I told him I would like to baptize him. I went down to the pool and
baptized the seven. We then met together and I confirmed thirteen, and
broke bread unto the Saints and we all rejoiced together.
The constable went to the rector and told him if he wanted Mr. Woodruff
taken up for preaching the gospel, he must go himself and serve the
writ, for he had heard him preach the only true gospel sermon he had
ever listened to in his life.
The rector did not know what to make of it, so he sent two clerks of
the Church of England as spies, to attend our meeting, and find out
what we did preach.
But they were both pricked in their hearts and received the word of the
Lord gladly, and were baptized and confirmed members of the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The rector became alarmed and did not dare to send anybody else.
The ministers and rectors of the South of England called a convention
and sent a petition to the Archbishop of Canterbury, to request
Parliament to pass a law prohibiting the "Mormons" from preaching in
the British dominion.
In this petition the rector stated that one "Mormon" missionary had
baptized fifteen hundred persons, mostly members of the English church,
during the last seven months.
But the archbishop and council, knowing well that the laws of England
gave free toleration to all religions under the British flag, sent word
to the petitioners that if they had the worth of souls at heart as much
as they had the ground where hares, foxes and hounds ran, they would
not lose so many of their flock.
I continued to preach and baptize daily.
On the 21st day of March I baptized Elder Thomas Kingston. He was the
superintendent of both preachers and members of the United Brethren.
The first thirty days after my arrival in Herefordshire, I had baptized
forty-five preachers and one hundred and sixty members of the United
Brethren, who put into my hands one chapel and forty-five houses, which
were licensed according to law to preach in.
This opened a wide field of labor, and enabled me to bring into the
Church, through the blessing of God, over eight hundred souls during
eight months, including all of the six hundred United Brethren except
one person; also including some two hundred preachers of various
denominations.
This field of labor embraced Herefordshire, Gloucestershire and
Worcestershire, and formed the conferences of Garway, Godfield Elm and
Frome's Hill.
I was visited by President Young and Dr. Richards.
Brother Benbow furnished us with £300 to print the first Book of Mormon
that was published in England: and on the 20th of May, 1840, Brigham
Young, Willard Richards and I held a council on the top of Malvern
Hill, and there decided that Brigham Young go direct to Manchester and
publish 3,000 copies of the Hymn Book and 3,000 copies of the Book of
Mormon, this being the first publication of these books in England.
The power of God rested upon us and upon the mission.
The sick were healed, devils were cast out, and the lame were made to
walk.
One case I will mention: Mary Pitt, who died in Nauvoo, sister of Wm.
Pitt, who died in Salt Lake City, had not walked upon her feet for
eleven years. We carried her into the water and I baptized her.
On the evening of the 18th of May, 1840, at Brother Kingston's house in
Dymock, Elders Brigham Young, Willard Richards and I laid hands upon
her head and confirmed her.
Brigham Young, being mouth, rebuked her lameness, and commanded her to
arise and walk, in the name of the Lord. The lameness then left her,
and she never afterwards used a staff or crutch.
She walked through the town of Dymock next day, which created a stir
among the people; but the wicked did not feel to give God the glory.
The whole history of this Herefordshire mission shows the importance
of listening to the still small voice of the Spirit of God and the
revelations of the Holy Ghost.
The Lord had a people there prepared for the gospel. They were praying
for light and truth, and the Lord sent me to them, and I declared the
gospel of life and salvation unto them, and some eighteen hundred souls
received it, and many of them have been gathered to Zion in these
mountains. Many of them have also been called to officiate in the
bishopric, and have done much good in Zion. But in all these things we
should ever acknowledge the hand of God, and give Him the honor, praise
and glory, forever and ever. Amen.