Life of Heber C. Kimball, an apostle

by Orson F. Whitney

"While we tarried, a council was held with Brothers Kellogg, Moreton and others who took the lead in Kirtland. We proposed that some of the Elders should remain there and preach for a few weeks. John Moreton replied that they had had many talented preachers, and he considered that men of such ordinary talents as were on this mission could do no good in Kirtland. He thought probably Brother John Taylor might do, but he was not sure."

CHAPTER XXXIX.

THE APOSTLES SAIL FOR ENGLAND—GROWTH OF THE BRITISH MISSION DURING HEBER'S ABSENCE—LABORS OF ELDERS WOODRUFF AND TAYLOR—FIRST COUNCIL OF THE TWELVE AMONG THE NATIONS—WILLARD RICHARDS ORDAINED AN APOSTLE.

Journeying eastward, the Apostles arrived in New York, where they tarried for some time, preaching the Gospel and adding new members to the Church in that city. On the 19th of December, 1840, Apostles John Taylor and Wilford Woodruff, with Elder Theodore Turley and others, sailed for Liverpool on board the Oxford. Three months later to a day, Apostles Young and Kimball, Parley P. Pratt, Orson Pratt, George A. Smith and Elder Reuben Hedlock followed in their wake on board the Patrick Henry.

After a very stormy passage, they reached Liverpool on the sixth of April, the anniversary of the organization of the Church, ten years before. They there found Elder John Taylor with about thirty Saints who had just received the Gospel in that place. A day or two later they went on to Preston by railroad, where Heber and his companions were warmly welcomed by a multitude of Saints who had assembled there to meet them. They arrived in Preston on the anniversary of Heber's departure in 1838.

It will now be proper to take a brief retrospective view of the progress of the British Mission during the two years interim between the departure of Elders Kimball and Hyde for America, and the return of Heber to the scene of his former successful labors. The most important event that had taken place in this interval was the planting of the Gospel standard in the great manufacturing town of Manchester. This opening was made by Elder William Clayton, in October, 1838. The branch in that place grew so rapidly as to soon rival Preston, and in a short time it became the headquarters of the whole British Mission.

Scotland had also been opened by Elders Mulliner and Wright, though the work had as yet taken little root in that land.

In and around Preston and the other towns and villages opened during the first mission of the Elders to England, the work had gradually spread under the presidency of Elders Fielding, Richards and Clayton.

During the stormy period which had just spent its fierceness upon the Saints in America, the Church in England had not escaped persecution, though, compared with the sufferings of the former, the trials of the British Saints were a mere bagatelle. A novel incident connected with the death of one of the Saints—the first death that occurred in the mission—is thus related:

"Sister Alice Hodgin died at Preston, September 2nd, 1838, and it was such a wonderful thing for a Latter-day Saint to die in England that Elder Richards was arraigned before the Mayor's Court at Preston, October 3rd, charged with 'killing and slaying the said Alice with a black stick,' etc., but was discharged without being permitted to make his defense, as soon as it was discovered that the iniquity of his accusers was about to be made manifest."