The Women of Mormondom

by Edward W. Tullidge

One part of this prophesy the reader has seen exactly fulfilled in the mission of Parley P. Pratt to Canada, enlivened with some very interesting episodes. It falls upon Heber himself—the father of the British mission—to fulfill, with the brethren who accompany him, the supreme part of the prophesy referring to Great Britain.

It will be remembered from the sketch of Vilate Kimball, that Mary Fielding gave to Heber five dollars to help him on his journey, and that she with her sister and her sister's husband, Elder R. B. Thompson, were on their way to Canada to engage in the second mission to that Province, while Heber, Orson Hyde, Willard Richards, and Joseph Fielding, with several other brethren from Canada, pursued their course to England.

It was July 1st, 1837, when these elders embarked on board the ship Garrick, bound for Liverpool, which they reached on the 20th of the same month.

On their arrival in that foreign land the three principal elders—Heber, Orson and Willard—had not as much as one farthing in their possession, yet were they destined to accomplish marvelous results ere their return to America.

Having remained two days in Liverpool, these elders were directed by the spirit to go to Preston, a flourishing English town in Lancashire, to plant the standard of their Church.

It generally came to pass that some singular incident occurred in all of the initial movements of these elders, opening their way before them, or omening their success. So now, the people of Preston were celebrating a grand national occasion. Queen Victoria, a few days previously (July 17th), had ascended the throne. A fitting event this to notice in a woman's book. The "Woman's Age" dawned, not only upon England, but, it would seem, upon all of the civilized world.

A general election was being held throughout the realm in consequence of the ascension of the Queen. The populace were parading the streets of Preston, bands were playing, and flags flying.

In the midst of this universal joy the elders alighted from the coach, and just at that moment a flag was unfurled over their heads, from the hotel, bearing this motto in gold letters: "Truth is mighty and will prevail!" It was as a prophesy to these elders, as if to welcome their coming, and they lifted up their voices and shouted, "Glory be to God, truth will prevail!" By the way, this flag proclaimed the rise of the temperance movement in England.

That night Heber and his compeers were entertained by the Rev. James Fielding, the brother of the sisters Fielding. Already was the other half of the prophesy uttered over the head of Parley being fulfilled—that the gospel should spread from Canada into England, "and cause a great work to be done in that land."

Previously to this the Rev. James Fielding had received letters from his brother Joseph, and his sisters, who had, as we have seen, embraced Mormonism in Canada; and these letters, burdened with the tidings of the advent of the prophet of America and the administration of angels in our own times, he read to his congregation. He also exhorted his flock to pray fervently that the Lord would send over to England his apostles, and solemnly adjured them to receive their message when they should come bearing their glad tidings. Thus in England, as in Canada, a people were "prepared" according to the prophesy.