"December 3rd found my wife very low. I spent the day in taking care of her, and the day following I returned to Eaton to get some things for her. She seemed to be sinking gradually, and in the evening the spirit apparently left her body, and she was dead. The sisters gathered around, weeping, while I stood looking at her in sorrow. The spirit and power of God began to rest upon me until, for the first time during her sickness, faith filled my soul, although she lay before me as one dead.
"I had some oil that was consecrated for my anointing while in Kirtland. I took it and consecrated it again before the Lord, for anointing the sick. I then bowed down before the Lord, prayed for the life of my companion, and in the name of the Lord anointed her body with the oil. I then laid my hands upon her, and in the name of Jesus Christ I rebuked the power of death and of the destroyer, and commanded the same to depart from her and the spirit of life to enter her body. Her spirit returned to her body, and from that hour she was made whole; and we all felt to praise the name of God, and to trust in Him and keep His commandments.
"While I was undergoing this ordeal (as my wife related afterwards) her spirit left her body, and she saw it lying upon the bed and the sisters there weeping. She looked at them and at me, and upon her babe; while gazing upon this scene, two persons came into the room, carrying a coffin, and told her they had come for her body. One of these messengers said to her that she might have her choice—she might go to rest in the spirit world, or, upon one condition, she could have the privilege of returning to her tabernacle and of continuing her labors upon the earth. The condition was that if she felt she could stand by her husband, and with him pass through all the cares, trials, tribulations, and afflictions of life which he would be called upon to pass through for the gospel's sake unto the end, she might return. When she looked at the situation of her husband and child she said, 'Yes, I will do it.' At the moment that decision was made the power of faith rested upon me, and when I administered to her, her spirit re-enteredher tabernacle, and she saw the messengers carry the coffin out of the door.
"On the morning of the 6th of December, the spirit said to me, 'Arise, and continue thy journey,' and through the mercy of God my wife was enabled to arise and dress herself; she walked to the wagon, and we went on our way rejoicing.
"The weather being very cold, on the night of the 11th I stopped for the night at an inn. I there learned of the sudden death of my brother, Asahel H. Woodruff, a merchant of Terre Haute, Indiana. I had anticipated that the following day I should have a joyful meeting with this brother; instead of this, I had only the privilege of visiting his grave, in company with my wife, and of examining a little into his business. I was offered the position of administrator of his affairs, but I was leading a company of Saints to Zion, and could not stop to attend to his temporal business. Strangers settled his affairs and took possession of his property; his relatives obtained nothing from his effects but a few trifling mementoes.
"I left this place on the 13th of December and crossed into Illinois, arriving at Rochester on the 19th. Getting information there of the severe persecutions of the Saints in Missouri, and of the unsettled state of the Church at that time, we concluded to stop at Rochester and spend the winter there.
"Thus ended my journey of two months and sixteen days. I had led the Fox Island Saints to the West, through all the perils of a journey of nearly two thousand miles, in the midst of sickness and great severity of weather. In the spring I took my family and removed to Quincy, Illinois, where I could mingle with my brethren; and I felt to praise God for His protecting care over me and my family in all our afflictions."
CALL TO GREAT BRITAIN, 1838.
Mobocrats Seek To Prevent the Fulfillment of a Revelation Given Through the Prophet Joseph Smith, but Are Disappointed.—Temple Cornerstone at Far West Laid.—Wilford Returns to Illinois.—The Prophet Joseph Liberated from Prison in Missouri.—A Survivor of Haun's Mill Massacre.—Selection of Nauvoo as a Place for the Settlement of the Saints.—A Day of God's Power.—Many Sick Are Healed, and a Dying Man Raised to Life.—Incident of Wilford Receiving a Hankerchief from the Prophet Joseph.—Instructed as to What He Shall Preach on His Mission.—Lesson in Humility.—Warning against Treachery.—Wilford Starts on His Mission, Sick and without Money.—Experience of His Journey to New York.—Sails for Liverpool, England.
The revelation calling Wilford Woodruff to the apostleship, and directing him, with others, to engage in missionary labors abroad, fixed a time and a place for the departure of these apostles on their mission to Great Britain. It was the declared purpose of the mob to prevent the fulfillment of this revelation. When the word of the Lord was given on this matter, all was peace and quiet in Far West, Missouri, the city where most of the Latter-day Saints dwelt at that time; but before the day of fulfillment came, the Saints had been driven out of the State of Missouri into the State of Illinois, under the edict of Governor Boggs; and the Missourians had sworn that if all the other revelations to Joseph Smith were fulfilled, this one should not be. But man cannot stay the purposes of God; this occasion was no exception to the rule, and it affords one of many notable instances that show how the Almighty maintains a special guidance over the work of this dispensation which He has committed to the Latter-day Saints. In this revelation, given July 8, 1838, He said:
"Let them take leave of my Saints in the city of Far West, on the 26th day of April next, on the building spot of my house, saith the Lord. Let my servant John Taylor, and also my servant John E. Page, and also my servant Wilford Woodruff, and also my servant Willard Richards, be appointed to fill the places of those who have fallen, and be officially notified of their appointment."
Of this period, Wilford writes in his journal that, "it seemedas though the Lord, having a foreknowledge of what would take place, had given the revelation in this manner to see whether or not the Apostles would obey it at the risk of their lives. When the time drew near for the fulfillment of this commandment, Brigham Young was the President of the Twelve Apostles, Thomas B. Marsh, who had been the senior apostle, had fallen. Brother Brigham called together those of the Twelve who were then at Quincy, Illinois, to see what their minds would be about going to Far West in fulfillment of the revelation. The Prophet Joseph, his brother Hyrum, Sidney Rigdon, Lyman Wight, and Parley P. Pratt, were in prison in Missouri; but Father Joseph Smith, the patriarch, was at Quincy, Illinois. He and others who were present did not think it wisdom for us to attempt the journey, as our lives would be in great jeopardy. They thought the Lord would take the will for the deed. But when President Young asked the Twelve what their feelings were, all of them, as the voice of one man, said the Lord had spoken, and it was for them to obey. It was the Lord's business to take care of His servants, and they would fulfill the commandment, or die trying.
"To understand fully the risk the Twelve ran in making this journey, it should be understood that Lilburn W. Boggs, governor of the state of Missouri, had issued a proclamation in which all the Latter-day Saints were required to leave Missouri or be exterminated. Far West had been captured by the militia, who really were only an organized mob; the citizens had been compelled to give up their arms; all the leading men who could be got hold of had been taken prisoners; the rest of the Saints—men, women, and children—had to flee out of the state as best they could to save their lives, leaving their houses, lands and other property, which they could not carry with them, to be taken by the mob. The latter shot down the cattle and hogs of the Saints wherever they could find them, and robbed the people of nearly everything they could lay their hands on. The Saints were treated with merciless cruelty, and had to endure the most outrageous abuses. It was with the greatest difficulty that many of them, especially the prominent ones, got out of Missouri, for at that time many people of that state acted as though they thought it no more harm to shoot a Mormon than to shoot a mad dog. From thisbrief explanation it will be understood why some of the brethren thought we were not required to go back to Far West, to start from there upon our mission across the ocean to Europe.
"Having determined to carry out the requirements of the revelation," continues Wilford Woodruff, "on the 18th of April, 1839, I took into my wagon Brigham Young and Orson Pratt; Father Cutler took into his wagon John Taylor and George A. Smith, and we started for Far West. On the way we met John E. Page, who was going with his family to Quincy, Illinois. His wagon had turned over, and when we met him he was trying to gather up with his hands a barrel of soft soap. We helped him with his wagon. He then drove into the valley below, left his wagon, and accompanied us on our way. On the night of the 25th of April we arrived at Far West, and spent the night at the home of Morris Phelps. He had been taken a prisoner by the mob, and was still in prison.
"On the morning of the 26th of April, 1839, notwithstanding the threats of our enemies that the revelation which was to be fulfilled this day should not be fulfilled; notwithstanding ten thousand of the Saints had been driven out of the state by the edict of the governor; and notwithstanding the Prophet Joseph and his brother Hyrum Smith, with other leading men, were in the hands of our enemies in chains and in prison, we moved on to the Temple grounds in the city of Far West, held a council, and fulfilled the revelation and commandment given to us. We also ex-communicated from the Church thirty-one persons who had apostatized and become its enemies. The 'Mission of the Twelve' was sung, and we repaired to the southeast corner of the Temple ground, where, with the assistance of Elder Alpheus Cutler, the master workman of the building committee, we laid the southeast chief cornerstone of the Temple, according to revelation. There were present of the Twelve Apostles: Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Orson Pratt, John E. Page, and John Taylor; they proceeded to ordain Wilford Woodruff and George A. Smith to the apostleship.
"Darwin Chase and Norman Shearer, who had just been liberated from Richmond prison, were then ordained to the office of seventy.
"The Twelve then gave the parting hand to the following Saints, agreeable to revelation: A. Butler, Elias Smith, Norman Shearer, William Burton, Stephen Markham, Shadrach Roundy, William O. Clark, John W. Clark, Hezekiah Peck, Darwin Chase, Richard Howard, Mary Ann Peck, Artimesia Granger, Martha Peck, Sarah Granger, Theodore Turley, Hiram Clark, and Daniel Shearer.
"Bidding good-by to this small remnant of the Saints who remained on the Temple ground to see us fulfill the revelation and commandment of God, we turned our backs on Far West, Missouri, and returned to Illinois. We had accomplished the mission without a dog moving his tongue at us, or any man saying, 'Why do ye so?' We crossed the Mississippi river on the steam ferry, entered Quincy on the 2nd of May, and all of us had the joy of reaching our families once more in peace and safety. Thus the word of God was complied with.
"While on our way to fulfill the revelation, Joseph, the Prophet, and his companions in chains were liberated, through the blessings of God, from their enemies and prison, and passed us. We were not far distant from each other, but neither party knew it at the time. They were making their way to their families in Illinois, while we were traveling to Far West into the midst of our enemies; so they came home to their families and friends before our return.
"May 3rd, 1839, was a very interesting day to me, as well as to others. In company with five others of the quorum of the Twelve, I rode to Mr. Cleveland's, four miles out of town, to visit Brother Joseph Smith and his family. Once more I had the happy privilege of taking Brother Joseph by the hand. Two years had rolled away since I had seen his face. He greeted us with great joy, as did Hyrum Smith and Lyman Wight, all of whom had escaped together from their imprisonment. They had been confined in prison six months, and had been under sentence of death three times; yet their lives were in the hands of God. He delivered them, and now they were mingling with their wives, children, and friends, out of the reach of the mob. Joseph was frank, open, and familiar as usual, and our rejoicing was great. No man can understand the joyful sensations created by such a meeting, except one who has been in tribulation for the gospel's sake.
"After spending the day together we returned to our families at night. The day following was May 4th; we met in conference at Quincy, the Prophet Joseph presiding, his presence causing great joy to all the Saints. On Sunday, May 5th, Joseph Smith addressed the assembly. He was followed by Sidney Rigdon and the Twelve Apostles. The spirit of the Lord was poured out upon us, and we had a glorious day.
"On May 6th I met with the seventies, and we ordained sixty men into the quorums of elders and seventies. Brother Joseph met with the Twelve, and with bishops and elders, at Bishop Partridge's house. There were with us a number who were wounded at Haun's Mill; among these was Isaac Laney, who, in company with about twenty others, had been at the mill when a large and armed mob fired among them with rifles and other weapons, shot down seventeen of the brethren, and wounded others. Brother Laney fled from the scene, but they sent a volley of lead after him, piercing his body in many places. He showed me eleven bullet holes in his body. There were twenty-seven bullet holes in his shirt, and seven in his pantaloons. His coat was literally cut to pieces. One ball entered one armpit and came out at the other; another entered his back and came out at the breast; a ball passed through each hip, each leg, and each arm. All these were received while he was running for his life; and, strange as it may appear, though he also had one of his ribs broken, he was able to outrun his enemies, and his life was saved. We can acknowledge this deliverance to be only through the mercy of God. President Joseph Young was also among the number who escaped at Haun's Mill. As he fled, the balls flew around him like hail, yet he was not even wounded. How mysterious are the ways of the Lord!
"Before starting on our mission to England, we were under the necessity of locating our families. A place called Commerce, afterwards named Nauvoo, was selected as the site on which our people should settle. In company with Brother Brigham Young and our families, I left Quincy on the 15th of May, arriving in Commerce on the 18th. After an interview with Joseph, we crossed the river at Montrose, Iowa. President Brigham Young and myself, with our families, occupied one room aboutfourteen feet square. Finally Brother Young obtained another room and moved into it; then Brother Orson Pratt and family moved into the same room with myself and family.
"While I was living in this cabin in the old barracks we experienced, with the Prophet Joseph, a day of God's power. It was a very sickly time; Joseph had given up his home in Commerce to the sick, and had a tent pitched in his dooryard and was living in that himself. The large number of Saints who had been driven out of Missouri were flocking into Commerce, but had no homes to go to, and were living in wagons, in tents, and on the ground; many, therefore, were sick through the exposure to which they were subjected. Brother Joseph had waited on them until he was worn out and nearly sick himself.
"On the morning of the 22nd of July, 1839, he arose, reflecting upon the situation of the Saints of God in their persecutions and afflictions. He called upon the Lord in prayer, the power of God rested upon him mightily, and as Jesus healed all the sick around Him in His day, so Joseph, the Prophet of God, healed all around on this occasion. He healed all in his house and dooryard; then, in company with Sidney Rigdon and several of the Twelve, went among the sick lying on the bank of the river, where he commanded them in a loud voice, in the name of Jesus Christ, to rise and be made whole, and they were all healed. When he had healed all on the east side of the river that were sick, he and his companions crossed the Mississippi River in a ferry-boat to the west side, where we were, at Montrose. The first house they went into was President Brigham Young's. He was sick on his bed at the time. The Prophet went into his house and healed him, and they all came out together.
"As they were passing by my door, Brother Joseph said: 'Brother Woodruff, follow me.' These were the only words spoken by any of the company from the time they left Brother Brigham's house till they crossed the public square, and entered Brother Fordham's house. Brother Fordham had been dying for an hour, and we expected each minute would be his last. I felt the spirit of God that was overpowering His Prophet. When we entered the house, Brother Joseph walked up to Brother Fordham and took him by the right hand, his left hand holding his hat.He saw that Brother Fordham's eyes were glazed, and that he was speechless and unconscious.
"After taking his hand, he looked down into the dying man's face and said: 'Brother Fordham, do you not know me?' At first there was no reply, but we all could see the effect of the spirit of God resting on the afflicted man. Joseph again spoke. 'Elijah, do you not know me?' With a low whisper Brother Fordham answered, 'Yes'. The Prophet then said: 'Have you not faith to be healed?' The answer, which was a little plainer than before, was: 'I am afraid it is too late; if you had come sooner, I think I might have been.' He had the appearance of a man waking from sleep; it was the sleep of death. Joseph then said: 'Do you believe that Jesus is the Christ?' 'I do, Brother Joseph,' was the response. Then the Prophet of God spoke with a loud voice, as in the majesty of Jehovah: 'Elijah, I command you, in the name of Jesus of Nazareth, to arise and be made whole.'
"The words of the Prophet were not like the words of man, but like the voice of God. It seemed to me that the house shook on its foundation. Elijah Fordham leaped from his bed like a man raised from the dead. A healthy color came to his face, and life was manifested in every act. His feet had been done up in Indian meal poultices; he kicked these off his feet, scattered the contents, then called for his clothes and put them on. He asked for a bowl of bread and milk, and ate it. He then put on his hat and followed us into the street, to visit others who were sick.
"The unbeliever may ask, 'Was there not deception in this?' If there is any deception in the mind of the unbeliever, there was certainly none with Elijah Fordham, the dying man, or with those who were present with him; for in a few minutes he would have been in the spirit world, if he had not been rescued. Through the blessing of God he lived up till 1880, when he died in Utah; while all who were with him on that occasion, with the exception of one (myself), are in the spirit world. Among the number present were Joseph and Hyrum Smith, Sidney Rigdon, Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, George A. Smith, Parley P. Pratt, Orson Pratt, and Wilford Woodruff.
"As soon as we left Brother Fordham's house, we went into the home of Joseph B. Noble, who was very low. When we enteredthe house, Brother Joseph took Brother Noble by the hand, and commanded him, in the name of Jesus Christ, to arise and be made whole. He did arise, and was healed immediately.
"While this was going on, the wicked mob in the place, led by one Kilburn, had become alarmed, and followed us into Brother Noble's house. Before they arrived there, Brother Joseph called upon Brother Fordham to offer prayer. While he was praying, the mob entered, with all the evil spirits accompanying them. As soon as they entered, Brother Fordham, who was praying, fainted, and sank to the floor. When Joseph saw the mob in the house, he arose and had the room cleared of both that class of men and their attendant devils. Then Brother Fordham immediately revived, and finished his prayer.
"The case of Brother Noble was the last one of healing upon that day. It was the greatest day for the manifestation of the power of God through the gift of healing since the organization of the Church. When we left Brother Noble's, the Prophet Joseph, with those who had accompanied him from the other side, went to the bank of the river, to return home.
"While waiting for the ferry-boat, a man of the world, knowing of the miracles which had been performed, came to Joseph and asked him if he would not go and heal twin children of his, about five months old, who were both lying sick nigh unto death. They were some two miles from Montrose. The Prophet said he could not go; but, after pausing some time, said he would send some one to heal them; and he turned to me and said: 'You go with the man and heal his children.' He took a red silk hankerchief out of his pocket, gave it to me, told me to wipe their faces with the handkerchief when I administered to them, and they should be healed. He also said to me: 'As long as you will keep that handkerchief, it shall remain a league between you and me.' I went with the man, did as the Prophet commanded me, and the children were healed. I have possession of the handkerchief unto this day.
"On the first of July, 1839, Joseph Smith and his counselors, Sidney Rigdon and Hyrum Smith, crossed the river to Montrose, to spend the day with the Twelve, and to set them apart and blessthem before they started upon their missions. There were twelve of us who met there, and we dined in my house.
"After dinner we assembled at Brother Brigham Young's house for our meeting. Brother Hyrum Smith opened by prayer; after which the Presidency laid their hands upon our heads and gave each of us a blessing. President Rigdon was mouth in blessing me, and also blessed Sisters Young, Taylor, and Woodruff. The Prophet Joseph promised us that if we were faithful we would be blessed upon our mission, save many souls as seals of our ministry, and return again in peace and safety to our friends; all of which was fulfilled.
"Brother Hyrum advised me to preach the first principles of the gospel; he thought that was about as much as this generation could endure. Then Joseph arose and preached some precious things of the Kingdom of God unto us, in the power of the Holy Ghost, some of which I here copy: 'Ever keep in exercise the principle of mercy, and be ready to forgive your brethren on the first intimation of their repentance and desire for forgiveness; for your heavenly Father will be equally merciful to you. We ought also to be willing to repent of and confess our sins, and keep nothing back. Let the Twelve be humble and not be exalted, and beware of pride, and not seek to excel one another, but act for each other's good, and honorably make mention of each other's names in prayer before the Lord and before your fellowmen. Do not backbite or injure a brother. The elders of Israel should seek to learn by precept and example in this late age of the world, and not be obliged to learn by sad experience everything they know. I trust the remainder of the Twelve will learn wisdom, and will not follow the example of those who have fallen. When the Twelve, or any other witnesses of Jesus Christ, stand before the congregations of the earth, and preach in the power and demonstration of the Holy Ghost, and the people are astonished and confounded at the doctrine and say, "those men have preached powerful sermons," then let them take care that they do not ascribe the glory unto themselves, but be careful to be humble, and to ascribe the glory to God and the Lamb; for it is by the power of the Holy Priesthood and the Holy Ghost that they havethe power thus to speak. Who art thou, O man, but dust! and from whom dost thou receive they power and blessings, but from God! Then let the Twelve Apostles and elders of Israel observe this key, and be wise:Ye are not sent out to be taught, but to teach.Let every man be sober, be vigilant, and let all his words be seasoned with grace, and keep in mind that it is a day of warning, and not of many words. Act honestly before God and man; beware of sophistry, such as bowing and scraping unto men in whom you have no confidence. Be honest, open, and frank in all your intercourse with mankind. I wish to say to the Twelve, and to all the Saints: profit by this important key, that in all your trials, troubles, temptations, afflictions, bonds, imprisonments, and deaths, you do not betray Jesus Christ, that you do not betray the revelations of God, whether in the Bible, Book of Mormon, or Doctrine and Covenants, or in any of the words of God. Yea, in all your troubles, see that you do not this thing, lest innocent blood be found upon your skirts, and ye go down to hell. We may ever know by this sign that there is danger of our being led to a fall and apostasy when we give way to the devil, so as to neglect the first known duty; but whatever you do, do not betray your friend.'
"The foregoing are some of the instructions given by the Prophet Joseph, before the Apostles started upon their missions.
"Inasmuch as the devil had been thwarted in a measure by the Twelve going to Far West and returning without harm, it seemed as though the destroyer was determined to make some other attempt upon us to hinder us from performing our missions; for as soon as any one of the Apostles began to prepare for starting he was smitten with chills and fever, or sickness of some kind. Nearly all of the quorum of the Twelve or their families began to be sick, so it still required the exercise of a good deal of faith and perseverance to start off on a mission.
"On the 25th of July, I was attacked with chills and fever, for the first time in my life; this I had every other day, and whenever attacked, I was laid prostrate. My wife, Phoebe, was also taken down with the chills and fever, as were quite a number of the Twelve.
"I passed thirteen days in Montrose with my family, afterI was taken sick, before I started on my mission. The 7th of August was the last day I spent at home in Montrose. Although sick with the chills and fever most of the day, I made what preparations I could to start on the morrow on a mission of four thousand miles, to preach the gospel to the nations of the earth; and this, too, without purse or scrip, with disease resting upon me, and an attack of fever and ague afflicting me once every two days.
"Early upon the morning of the 8th of August, I arose from my bed of sickness, laid my hands upon the head of my sick wife, Phoebe, and blessed her. I then departed from the embrace of my companion, and left her almost without food or the necessaries of life. She suffered my departure with the fortitude that becomes a saint, realizing the responsibilities of her companion. I quote from my journal: 'Phoebe, farewell! Be of good cheer; remember me in your prayers. I leave these pages for your perusal when I am gone. I shall see your face again in the flesh. I go to obey the commands of Jesus Christ.'
"Although feeble, I walked to the banks of the Mississippi River. There President Young took me in a canoe (having no other conveyance), and paddled me across the river. When we landed, I lay down on a side of sole leather, by the postoffice, to rest. Brother Joseph, the Prophet of God, came along and looked at me. 'Well, Brother Woodruff,' said he, 'you have started upon your mission.' 'Yes,' said I, 'but I feel and look more like a subject for the dissecting room than a missionary.' Joseph replied: 'What did you say that for? Get up, and go along; all will be right with you.'
"I name these incidents that the reader may know how the brethren of the Twelve Apostles started upon their missions to England in 1839. Elder John Taylor was going with me; we were the first two of the quorum of the Twelve who started upon that mission. Brother Taylor was about the only man in the quorum who was not sick.
"Soon a brother came along with a wagon, and took us in. As we were driving through the place, we came to Parley P. Pratt, who was stripped to his shirt and pants, with his head and feet bare. He was hewing a log, preparatory to building a cabin. He said: 'Brother Woodruff, I have no money, but I have an emptypurse, which I will give you.' He brought it to me, and I thanked him for it. We went a few rods farther and met Brother Heber C. Kimball, in the same condition, also hewing a log to build a cabin. He said: 'As Parley has given you a purse, I have got a dollar I will give you to put in it.' He gave me both a dollar and a blessing.
"We drove sixteen miles across a prairie, and spent the night with a Brother Merrill. The day following we rode ten miles to a Brother Perkins'. He took us in his wagon to Macomb, and from there to Brother Don Carlos Smith's. During the day I rode four hours over a very rough road of stones and stumps, lying on my back in the bottom of the wagon, shaking with the ague, and suffering very much. We held a meeting in a grove near Don Carlos Smith's, and there Elder Taylor baptized George Miller, who afterwards was ordained a bishop. At the meeting the Saints gave us nine dollars, and George Miller gave us a horse to help us on our journey.
"I rode to Rochester with Father Coltrin, and there had an interview with several families of the Fox Islands Saints, whom I had brought with me from the Fox Islands in 1838. I spent several days with them and at Springfield, where Elder Taylor published, in pamphlet form, fifteen hundred copies of a brief sketch of the persecutions and sufferings of the Latter-day Saints, inflicted by the inhabitants of Missouri. We sold our horse, and, in company with Father Coltrin, Brother Taylor and myself left Springfield and continued our journey. I had the chills and fever nearly every other day. This made riding in a lumber wagon very distressing to me, especially when I shook with the ague.
"On the 24th of August we rode to Terre Haute, and spent the night with Dr. Modisett. I suffered much with the chills and fever. Up to this time, Elder John Taylor had appeared to enjoy excellent health, but the destroyer did not intend to make him an exception to the rest of the apostles. On the 28th of August he fell to the ground as though he had been knocked down. He fainted, but soon revived. On the following day the enemy made a powerful attack upon his life. He fainted several times, and it seemed as if he would die. We stopped several hours with him at a house by the wayside. We then took him into the wagon,drove to Horace S. Eldredge's and spent the remainder of the day and night doctoring him. In the morning he was so far recovered that he thought he would be able to ride; so we started on our journey on the morning of the 30th, traveled forty miles to Louisville, and spent the night with the family of Brother James Townsend. We felt terribly shaken up, being in such a weak state. Brother Townsend was away from home, but we were kindly entertained by Sister Townsend. In the morning, Elder Taylor, though very weak, felt disposed to continue the journey, and we traveled fourteen miles to Germantown. Elder Taylor was quite sick that night, and a bilious fever seemed to settle upon him. I was also very feeble.
"The day following being Sunday, September 1st, Brother Taylor concluded to remain for the day, and hold a meeting. It was a German settlement. He wished me to speak, and I did so, dwelling upon the first principles of the gospel. He followed me, and spoke until he was exhausted. After we returned to the inn where we were stopping, I was taken with a chill and fever, and had a very bad night. Brother Taylor also was very sick.
"The next day, September 2nd, was a painful day to my feelings. It was evident that Brother Taylor had a settled fever upon him, and would not be able to travel. Father Coltrin was resolved to continue his journey, and, in conversing with Brother Taylor, the latter thought it better for one sick man to be left than for two, as I was so ill with chills and fever that I was not able to render him any assistance, nor, indeed, to take care of myself. Under these circumstances, Brother Taylor advised me to continue my journey with Brother Coltrin, and make the best of my way to New York.
"After committing Elder Taylor into the hands of the Lord, I gave him the parting hand—though painful to me—and started. I left him in Germantown, Wayne County, Indiana, in the hands of a merciful God and a kind and benevolent family who promised to do everything in their power to make him comfortable till his recovery. This they did, though he passed through a severe course of bilious fever, and was sick nigh unto death. Through the mercy of God, however, he recovered from his sickness, and continued his journey. We next met in the city of New York.
"I continued on with Father Coltrin, and reached Cleveland on the 18th of September. There we took steamer for Buffalo, but were in a storm three days before we made the harbor. We landed at midnight, and in doing so ran into a schooner and stove it in. From Buffalo I traveled to Albany in a canal boat, and had an attack of the ague daily. At Albany I took a stage in the night, and rode to my father's home in Farmington, reaching there on the 21st of September. I was glad to meet with my father's family, and the other members of the small branch of the Church which existed there upon this occasion, as I found them all strong in the faith of the gospel, and glad to meet me. I was still suffering with the ague. On the 27th of September, my grandmother (on my mother's side), Anna Thompson, died at Avon. She was eighty-four years of age. It was a singular coincidence that she, with her husband, Lot Thompson, also Mercy Thompson, and Samuel Thompson, all of one family, died when they were eighty-four years of age. I was not able to attend my grandmother's funeral.
"On the 4th of October, 1839, my uncle, Adna Hart, died, aged forty-three years. I had visited him in his sickness, preached the gospel to him, and he was believing. I had been associated with him from my youth up. On his death bed he sent me a request that I preach his funeral sermon. I was having the chills and fever daily at the time, attended with a very severe cough, so much so that my father thought I would never leave his home alive; but when they brought me the request of my dying uncle, and the day came for his burial, I told my father to get his horse and buggy ready, as I was going to attend the funeral. He thought I was very reckless about my own life, as I had suffered with chills and fever some fifteen days, and to attempt to speak in my weak state, and to begin at the same hour that my chill was to come on, seemed to him foolhardy. My parents were quite alarmed, yet according to my request my father got up his team, and I rode with him and my stepmother five miles, through a cold, chilly wind, and commenced speaking to a large congregation at the same hour that my chills had been accustomed to come on. I spoke with great freedom for over an hour; my chills left me for that time, and I had no more attacks for many days.
"On the Monday following, October 17th, I felt sufficientlyrestored to health to continue my journey. I took leave of my father and sister, and left for New York, where I arrived on the morning of the 8th of November. I spent two months and seven days after my arrival in New York, in traveling and preaching in that city, and in New Jersey and Long Island, a portion of the time with Parley and Orson Pratt. During this period I had frequent attacks of the chills and fever, but I preached almost daily.
"On the 13th of December, I attended our conference in New York City, with Elder Parley P. Pratt, who prophesied that the mission of the Twelve to Great Britain would be known to all nations, as it surely has been. On this day Elder John Taylor arrived in our midst. It was a happy meeting; he had passed through a severe siege of sickness after we parted, but through the mercy of God had been preserved, and was able to continue his journey. He informed us that others of the Twelve had suffered a great deal of sickness, and that it was with difficulty that they could travel.
"After spending six days in New York, Elder John Taylor, in company with Elder Theodore Turley and myself, sailed out of New York harbor on the 19th of December, 1839, on board the packet ship Oxford. We took steerage passage, which cost fifteen dollars each. We had storms and rough weather, but most of the winds were favorable to a quick passage. While on the ship, a Methodist minister got into a discussion with some Catholics who were in the company, and the arguments of the minister ran rather more into abuse than sound argument. Elder Taylor told the Methodist minister that he did not think it was becoming in a daughter to find so much fault with the mother; for, as the Methodists came out of the Catholics, Elder Taylor thought the mother had as much right to enjoy her religion unmolested as the daughter had. That ended the argument. Our company consisted of one hundred and nine souls, composed of Americans, English, Scotch, Irish, Welsh, and Dutch."
While in New York preparing for his departure for Europe, Elder Woodruff twice saw his wife in a dream. The second time she was weeping, and both times was in great affliction. Upon his inquiring after their little daughter. Sister Woodruff answered, "She is dead." The warning in this dream received fulfillment on the 17th of the following July, the child dying on that date, while he was in England.
MISSION IN GREAT BRITAIN, 1840.
Wilford's Arrival in England.—Missionary Work Begun.—Casting Out a Devil.—Directed by the Spirit of the Lord to Another Field of Labor.—Meets with the United Brethren.—Many Conversions to the Gospel.—Ministers Hold a Convention To Ask Parliament for Legislation against the Mormons.—First Publication of the Book of Mormon and the Hymn Book in England.—The Millennial Star.—In the British Metropolis.—Unable to Secure a Hall To Preach in, the Elders Hold Street Meetings.—First Baptism in London.—Opposition from Preachers.—Work of God Makes Marvelous Progress.
The voyage across the Atlantic ocean was made in twenty three days, and Wilford Woodruff and his companions landed at Liverpool, England, on the 11th day of January, 1840. After visiting George Cannon, father of President George Q. Cannon, and family, they left Liverpool on January 13th, going to Preston, where a branch of the Church had been built up in 1837, by Elders Heber C. Kimball, Orson Hyde, and Willard Richards. The latter had remained in England, while Elders Kimball and Hyde had returned to America. The meeting with Elder Richards was very pleasant. On January 17th a council was held at his home to determine the future actions of the elders.
"After consultation as to the best course for us to pursue," says Elder Woodruff, "it was finally resolved that Elders John Taylor and Joseph Fielding should go to Liverpool; Elder Woodruff, to Staffordshire Potteries; Elder Theodore Turley, to Birmingham; Elder Richards, wherever the spirit might direct him; and that Elder William Clayton preside over the branch in Manchester. After various principles of the Church had been expounded by the Apostles present, the council adjourned. Elder Willard Richards had been called to be one of the quorum of the Twelve Apostles, but had not yet received his ordination.
"On the day following I parted with Elders Taylor and Fielding, who went to Liverpool, and with Elder Richards, who tarried in Preston. Elder Turley and I went to Manchester; it was the first time I had visited that city. There I met for the first time Elder William Clayton. As soon as I was introduced to him, he informed me that one of the sisters in that place was possessed ofa devil. He asked me if I would not go and cast it out of her. He thought one of the Twelve Apostles could do most anything in such a case. I went with him to the house where the woman lay, in the hands of three men, in a terrible rage. She was trying to tear her clothing from her. I also found quite a number of Saints present, and some unbelievers, who had come to see the devil cast out and a miracle wrought.
"Had I acted upon my own judgment I should have refrained from administering to her in the company of those present; but as I was a stranger there, and Brother Clayton presided over the branch, I joined with him in administering to the woman. The unbelief of the wicked who were present was so great that we could not cast the devil out of her, and she raged worse than ever; I then ordered the room to be cleared, and when the company, except the few attending her, had left the house, we laid hands upon her head, and in the name of Jesus Christ I commanded the devil to come out of her. The devil left, and she was entirely healed and fell asleep.
"The next day being the Sabbath, the woman came before a large congregation of people, and bore testimony to what the Lord had done for her. We had a large assembly through the day and evening, to whom I preached the gospel. On Monday morning, the devil, not being satisfied with being cast out of the woman, entered into her little child, which was but a few months old. I was called upon to visit the child, and found it in great distress, writhing in its mother's arms. We laid hands upon it and cast the devil out; the evil spirits thereafter had no power over that household. This was done by the power of God, and not of man. We laid hands upon twenty in Manchester who were sick, and most of them were healed.
"On January 21st, I arrived in Burslem by coach, and for the first time met Elder Alfred Cordon. This being my field of labor, I began my work there. Elder Turley stopped in the Pottery district some eight days, then went to Birmingham, his field of labor. On the 10th of February I received a letter from Elder John Taylor, who was at Liverpool, saying they had commenced there, and had baptized ten persons.
"I labored in the Staffordshire Potteries, in Burslem, Hanley,Stoke, Lane End, and several other villages, from the 22nd of January until the 2nd of March, preaching every night in the week and two or three times on the Sabbath. I baptized, confirmed and blessed many, and we had a good field open for labor. Many were believing, and it appeared as thought we had a door open to bring into the Church many in that part of the vineyard.
"March 1st, 1840, was my birthday; I was thirty-three years of age. It being Sunday, I preached twice during the day to a large assembly in the city hall, in the town of Hanley, and administered the Sacrament to the Saints. In the evening I again met with a large assembly of the Saints and strangers, and while singing the first hymn the spirit of the Lord rested upon me and the voice of God said to me, 'This is the last meeting that you will hold with this people for many days.' I was astonished at this, as I had many appointments out in that district. When I arose to speak to the people, I told them that it was the last meeting I should hold with them for many days. They were as much astonished as I was. At the close of the meeting four persons came forward for baptism; we went down into the water and baptized them.
"In the morning I went in secret before the Lord, and asked Him what was His will concerning me. The answer I received was that I should go to the south; for the Lord had a great work for me to perform there, as many souls were waiting for His word. On the 3rd of March, 1840, in fulfillment of the directions given me, I took coach and rode to Wolverhampton, twenty-six miles, spending the night there. On the morning of the 4th I again took coach, and rode through Dudley, Stourbridge, Stourport, and Worcester, 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 to him and his household and the inhabitantsof the land. He 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 them.
"I also rejoiced greatly at the news 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 for religious services had chapels and many houses that were licensed according to the law of the land. This body of United Brethren were searching for light and truth, but had gone as far as they could, and were calling upon the Lord continually 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. After offering my prayers and thanksgiving to God, I retired to my bed with joy, and slept well 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 in his mansion a large hall 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 at the same place on the following evening, and baptized six persons, including Mr. John Benbow, 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, as I saw that many would receive that ordinance. I afterwards baptized six hundred persons 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, HillFarm, 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 meetings through the day and evening.
"When I arose 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. For an hour and a quarter I preached the first principles of the everlasting gospel. 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 the 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 into the pool and baptized the seven. We then came together. I confirmed thirteen, administered the Sacrament, and we all rejoiced together.
"The constable went to the rector and told him that if he wanted Mr. Woodruff taken 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. They both were pricked in their hearts, 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 venture 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 dominions. In this petition the rectors stated that one Mormon missionary had baptized fifteen hundredpersons, mostly members of the English Church, during the past seven months. But the Archbishop and council, knowing well that the laws of England afforded 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 valued 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 Kington. He was 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 for labor, and enabled me to bring into the Church, through the blessings of God, over eighteen hundred souls during eight months, including all of the six hundred United Brethren except one person. In this number there were also some two hundred preachers of various denominations. This field of labor embraced Herefordshire, Gloucestershire, and Worcestershire, and formed the conferences of Garway, Gadfield Elm, and Frome's Hill. During this time I was visited by President Young and Dr. Richards."
On the 14th of April, 1840, Elder Woodruff records the ordination of Willard Richards to the apostleship. Two days later the Twelve, in council, voted to publish a Church periodical in Great Britain. Elder Woodruff proposed that it be called the Millennial Star, and it was so named.
"Brother John Benbow furnished us with £300 to print the first edition of the Book of Mormon that was published in England," wrote Elder Woodruff; "and on the 20th of May, 1840, Brigham Young, Willard Richards, and I held a council on top of Malvern Hill, and there decided that Brigham Young should go direct to Manchester and publish three thousand copies of the Book of Mormon and the Hymn Book.
"The power of God rested upon us and upon the mission," said Elder Woodruff, in our field of labor in Herefordshire, Worcestershire, and Gloucestershire. "The sick were healed, devils were cast out, and the lame made to walk. One case I willmention: Mary Pitt, who died later in Nauvoo, sister of William Pitt, who died years after 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 Kington'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 in the name of the Lord, and commanded her to arise and walk. The lameness left her, and she never afterwards used a staff or crutch. She walked through the town of Dymock next day, and created a stir among the people thereby; 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 people were praying for light and truth, and the Lord sent me to them. I declared the gospel of life and salvation, 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. In all these things we should ever acknowledge the hand of God, and give Him the honor, praise, and glory, forever and ever. Amen.
"On the 11th of August, 1840, I took the parting hand of the Saints in Herefordshire, and started on a mission to London, in company with Apostles Heber C. Kimball and George A. Smith. We rode from Leigh to Cheltenham, where we tarried for the night, and in the morning took coach and rode forty miles through a most delightful country, which everywhere wore the golden hue of plentiful harvest. We passed through Oxfordshire, in sight of Stowe, the family residence of the Duke of Buckingham, and at Farmington station took train for London, where we arrived at 4 p. m. We changed conveyances and went to the center of the city by omnibus, walked across London Bridge into the Borough, and called upon Mrs. Allgood, the sister of Elder Theodore Turley's wife. She treated us with kindness, gave us refreshments, and then directed us to a public house, the King's Arms, King Street, Borough. There we tarried for the night.
"We were now in England's great metropolis, to sound thereinthe first proclamation of the latter-day work. Heber C. Kimball, George A. Smith, and myself were the first three elders in London to preach the gospel and establish the Church of Latter-day Saints. We took a walk into the city, passed London Bridge twice, and returned and spent the night at King's Arms. On the following day we called upon the Rev. J. E. Smith, Lincoln's Inn Fields, also visited John Pye, 16 Curiosity Street, Chancery Lane. He was a strong believer in the prophecies of Joanna Southcott, and was one of the society. We then returned and had a view of St. Paul's Cathedral, the largest in the world except St. Peter's at Rome. We crossed London Bridge, took tea at 19 King Street, then went to Union Chapel, Waterloo Road, and heard a comical sermon delivered by an Aitkenite preacher. I spent the night at 58 King Street, at Mrs. Loftus.'
"The next day, August 21st, was the most interesting sight-seeing day in my life. I started in company with Elders Heber C. Kimball and George A. Smith for a walk over the city of London. We crossed London Bridge, passed through King William Street and several other streets, and visited Covent Garden; then through St. Martin Street and Court, Leicester Square, Sidney Alley, Coventry Street, Picadilly, Glass House Street, and through most of Regent Street—one of the most splendid streets in the world. We passed through Langham Place and All Souls' Church—which has a spire naked from its base to the top—then through Oxford Street, and returned by way of St. Paul's, ending our sight-seeing of the day by visiting the noted monument erected in commemoration of the great fire in London in 1666, and built under the direction of that famous architect, Sir Christopher Wren. We entered a door at its base, paid sixpence on entering, and ascended three hundred and forty-five black marble steps, which brought us up two hundred feet into the air, and about one hundred feet higher than the highest houses. We stepped on the outside of the pillar, which is surrounded by an iron railing, and there was presented to our view on every hand the wonderful scenery of the greatest city in the world, a city that boasted of a history covering nearly two thousand years. At our feet, as it were, lay a historical panorama, stretching out to our view in all directions.
"We were located so as to overlook nearly every part of the city. East of us lay the ancient Tower of London; east of us also lay the Mint; north the Mansion House of the Lord Mayor of London; northwest, St. Paul's Church; west, Westminster Abbey and the House of Parliament; south lies the river Thames, with five of the large bridges across in full view, and one not seen from the monument, making six. These six bridges are fine sights in themselves. They are the architectural monuments of the Thames, and our view of them from our high pinnacle, with their crowds of moving and everchanging human masses, and cabs, omnibuses, carriages, drays, etc., which dash along, presented to us a picturesque sight. In addition to all this, within our view was London Borough, on the south of the river, and all around us hundreds of churches, chapels and spires, standing in the midst of one universal mass of buildings, covering six square miles of ground. While viewing this prospect on a clear day, we conversed with a Prussian traveler, a citizen of Berlin, who had traveled much over Europe and Asia and other parts of the world, and he declared that there was not, to his knowledge, another spot on the face of the earth that presented to view such a grand scene as that before us.
"August 23rd we went to Zion's chapel and heard the celebrated Rev. Robert Aitken preach two sermons. He delivered a powerful warning to the Gentiles, and presented some of the most sublime truths I ever heard from a sectarian priest; but he was building without the foundation. On the 24th we removed our lodgings to Mr. Robert Merryfield's, No. 15 Gloucester Row, Grange Road, where we obtained a room for all three of us.
"On the 25th of August we attended a meeting of the Temperance Society, at their hall, which we secured for the 7th of the next month. Brother Smith made a short speech. On the following day we started out in quest of places in which we might preach. Brother Kimball went to one part of the city and Brother Smith and myself to another. We called upon two Baptist ministers and asked one for his chapel. In the evening we attended a Methodist meeting in Long Lane.
"Next day we again went to the Temperance Hall, in St. George's Road, near the Elephant and Castle, and by the requestof the committee I addressed the meeting upon the subject of temperance. I was followed by George A. Smith. We gave out an appointment to preach the gospel at that place September 7th.
"The day after, we all started to go through the city of London to see if we could find a man with the spirit of God; and after wandering through the city, not knowing whither we went, we came upon a man whom we stopped, and to whom we spoke. Brother Kimball asked him if he was a preacher. He said he was. He seemed to have a good spirit, and informed us that he had been in America, and had come to London for the purpose of going to South Australia, but had just buried one child and another lay at the point of death. Brother Kimball told him his child should live. He gave us some information where we could preach. On the same day we called upon him and found his child better, but he was not at home. We then went and heard a Calvinist preach, and he gave us an invitation to call and see him. Next day we again went over the city to see if we could find any of the children of God. We found one man and his household who received our testimony, and he opened his doors for us to preach. We appointed a meeting at his house for Sunday evening. His name was Corner, and he lived at 52 Ironmonger Row, St. Luke's Parish, near the church.
"We had spent twelve days in going to and fro through London, trying to find a people willing to receive our testimony; but finding the doors shut against us, we determined to go into the streets and lift up our voices in the name of God. Accordingly, Elders Kimball, Smith, and myself started on Sunday morning, August 30, walked three miles, and stopped in Tabernacle Square, Old Street, where we found an Aitkenite preaching to the people. He was followed by a Presbyterian. Just as the latter was about to begin, Elder Kimball informed him that there was a preacher from America present who would like to speak when he got through. The preacher then informed the people that there was an American minister present, and proposed that he should speak first. Elder George A. Smith got into the chair and spoke about twenty minutes; then the Presbyterian spoke. George A. had informed the people that there were two other American preachers present who would like to address them, and, when the Presbyterian closed,Elder Kimball asked him if there would be any objection to our preaching there at 3 o'clock. He answered, 'No, not at all. To what denomination do you belong?' 'To the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,' was the reply. 'Oh, I have heard of them,' he said; 'they are a bad people; they have done much hurt; they divide churches; we don't want to hear you.' He then mounted the chair again and said to the people: 'I have just heard that the last man who spoke belongs to the Latter-day Saints,' and he began to rail against us. Elder Kimball asked him to let him step into the chair to give out an appointment for a 3 o'clock meeting, but he would not. Brother Kimball then raised his voice and informed the people that some American preachers would speak there at 3 o'clock.
"At the appointed time we were at the place. The conduct of the preacher and the excitement upon the subject brought a large congregation to hear us. I opened the meeting by singing and prayer, and spoke about twenty minutes, from Gal. i:8 and 9, and was followed by Elder Kimball, for about the same length of time. The people gave good attention and seemed to be much interested in what they heard.
"After meeting, Mr. Corner invited us home; but soon after we arrived at his house Elder Kimball felt impressed to return to the place where we had preached. When he got there he found a large company talking about the things which they had heard, and they wished him to speak to them again. He did so, and addressed them at considerable length, and afterwards several invited him home to their houses. While he was away, a man who had been a preacher came to Mr. Corner's; I gave him a brief account of the great work of God in the last days, and he and the others who were listening received the things which I spoke unto them. Mr. Corner offered himself for baptism; he was the first man in London to do so. We appointed the next evening as the time to administer the ordinance of baptism to him. After supping with him, we returned home. I was weary and ill during the night, but felt thankful unto the Lord for the privilege of preaching to the inhabitants of that great city, and of having gained one soul as a seal to our ministry.
"On the 31st of August we reaped the first fruits of ourlabors, and laid the first living stone of the Church of Jesus Christ in England's great metropolis. We walked into the city and called upon Mr. Corner, who went forward with us to the public baths, and received the initiatory ordinance of the gospel. Returning to the house of Brother Corner, Elders Kimball, Smith, and myself laid our hands upon his head and confirmed him a member of the Church. We returned to our homes that night, thankful to God for His goodness in blessing our labors even thus much.
"On the 2nd of September I was quite ill. I had not been well for several days, but now I was obliged to keep in my room. Elders Kimball and Smith went into the city to visit the people, and found some who hearkened favorably to them. By this time we had learned that London was the hardest place for a mission that we had ever undertaken; but we did not feel discouraged in the least, and were determined in the name of the Lord to set up the standard of Christ's Kingdom in that city. The following day I was still confined to my room most of the time, but on the next, Elders Kimball and Smith went to Debtford, and I took a walk into the city, called upon Brother Corner, and found him in good spirits. I also called upon Mr. Panther, 17 Warf, City Road, Basin, who was a director of a Methodist chapel; I asked him for the chapel to preach in. He said he had a schoolhouse which would hold two hundred persons, and I might have that on Sunday, so I gave out an appointment at Bowl Court, 137 Shoreditch. I conversed with several others who received my testimony, and one woman said she would be baptized.
"Next day I wrote to Elder Browett of my Herefordshire field of labor, walked to Brother Corner's and visited several other friends. Two offered themselves for baptism. I visited St. Paul's, then returned home. Elders Kimball and Smith had just returned from a visit to the Rev. Robert Aitken. He received them kindly, acknowledged their doctrine to be true, but was afraid of deception. His mind was in a disturbed condition. In the evening we held a meeting in the Temperance Hall; but we had almost the bare walls to preach to, there being only about thirty present. I preached to those for about an hour, and Elder Kimball followed me. After paying seven shillings and sixpence for the use of the hall, we returned to our lodgings.
"On September 9th I paid my bills, called upon friends in company with Brothers Kimball and Smith, and on the day following I parted from the brethren and friends in London to return to Herefordshire. We had spent twenty-three days in the great Babylon of modern times, and had found it harder to establish the Church there than in any other place we had ever been. We had baptized one man, and ordained him a priest; six others had given in their names to be baptized on the following Sunday; and at this time there was some little prospect of the Rev. Robert Aitken receiving the work. I therefore left London, feeling that our mission and labors had not been altogether in vain.
"I was rejoiced on my return to the churches to find that in Herefordshire the work was rapidly progressing. In some cases it was even reaching the nobility, and a lady of title had become convinced, through our ministry, of the work of God. Lady Roberts was of the nobility of England, and a lady of wealth; she had withdrawn form the Church of England and had traveled much in search of truth, looking for the fulfillment of the prophets. She became acquainted with the fulness of the gospel through a female servant in the employ of Squire Dowdswell, and began to investigate the subject. The spirit of God rested upon her and convinced her of the truth of the work. She obtained the four published numbers of the Millennial Star, and, fearing that she would not be able to obtain them for herself, copied the whole of them with her pen. She also read the Book of Mormon and copied a part of that, and became perfectly convinced of the truth of the work of which she read; she said she would go a thousand miles if necessary to see some of the Twelve and be baptized under their hands. Hearing that I was in London, she was about to take a journey there to see me and the other brethren, and be baptized. She had two brothers who were ministers of the Church of England.
"On the 21st of September, 1840, we held the Frome's Hill conference, at which were represented 24 churches with 754 members, 14 elders, 51 priests, 9 teachers, and 1 deacon. The Bran Green and Frome's Hill conferences were now composed of 40 churches, 1007 members, 19 elders, 78 priests, 15 teachers, and 1 deacon. These two conferences, with their forty branch churchesand over a thousand organized members, under the direction of one hundred and thirteen ordained officers, had been raised up within six and one-half months. Surely the work of God had been marvelous—unparalleled perhaps in the history of any new religious movement.
"I meditated upon these things, and in my journal of September 21st, 1840, I wrote thus: 'This has been a busy day with me. After standing upon my feet from morning till evening. I am called to shake hands with hundreds of Saints who have glad hearts and cheerful countenances. It is with no ordinary feelings that I mediate upon the cheering fact that a thousand souls have been baptized into the new and everlasting covenant in about half a year, in one field which God has enabled me to open. I pray Him to accept the gratitude of my heart for His mercies and blessings unto me in this thing, and to enable me to stand with these Saints and all the righteous in His celestial kingdom.' This day I stood upon my feet eight hours in conference, conversed much of the time in suggesting, speaking, etc.; ordained about thirty, confirmed some, healed many who were sick, shook hands with about four hundred Saints, walked two miles, and ended with about four hours chimney-corner preaching. I then lay down to rest, and dreamed of catching fish.
"The church ministers in this region were stirred up very much at this time, because of the success of the work of God in the midst of the people, and every exertion was made by them to stay its progress. They were finding that the Lord was delivering their flocks out of their hands and giving them unto the shepherds of the Church of the Saints. They were alarmed, and were holding conventions and meetings to contrive plans and adopt means to overthrow the latter-day work of God, which they understood not, and believed not, yet feared its power. And well indeed they might; for in some instances they did not have more than ten or fifteen at their churches on the Sabbath, while around them on every hand they had seen forty branches of two organized conferences of the Church of Latter-day Saints spring up in about six months, with over a thousand members and between one and two hundred offices ordained to scatter the seed of the gospel everywhere in this prolific field.
"On the 25th of September I again took leave of the Saints in my Herefordshire field of labor, to attend the Staffordshire conference which was held at Hanley. The day after the conference I baptized one, and preached at Tunstell; and on the next evening I preached at Burslem to a crowded house. The power of God rested upon me, and great solemnity pervaded the congregation. The spirit of God was moving the people, and they felt that the Lord was doing a work in their midst."