The arrival of Apostles Taylor and Woodruff at Liverpool on the 11th of January, 1840, opened the second period of the British Mission. They were welcomed by Mr. George Cannon, brother-in-law of Elder Taylor and father of George Q. Cannon, the present Apostle, then a mere youth, and not yet connected with the cause in which he was destined to play so important a part. Sunday they spent in Liverpool, and the next day proceeded on to Preston.
At a council held at the house of Willard Richards, after the arrival of these Apostles, it was arranged that Elders John Taylor and Joseph Fielding should go to Liverpool, and lift the standard of Mormonism in that important city; Hyrum Clark to Manchester, where Elder Clayton was given charge of Church affairs; and Wilford Woodruff and Theodore Turley to the Potteries in Staffordshire, and to Birmingham if the Spirit so led. Elder Richards was to have the privilege of "moving wherever the Spirit directed." The Elders were instructed to report to their respective presidents.
On the following day, January 18th, after meeting and blessing each other, the brethren separated and departed for their various fields of labor.
The marvelous success of Apostle Woodruff in Staffordshire and Herefordshire, in the latter of which counties, in a little over one month, he converted several hundred souls, including upwards of forty preachers of the United Brethren; with the important labors of Elder Taylor in Liverpool and vicinity, and of Elder Turley in Birmingham, (which town became a Mormon stronghold second only in importance to London) would fill a volume in themselves. We can barely glance at such achievements in following the individual history of Heber C. Kimball.
Immediately upon the arrival of President Young and the Apostles who accompanied him, a council of the Twelve and a conference of the Saints was called to convene at Preston on the 14th of April.
At this gathering there were present of the Apostles, Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Parley P. Pratt, Orson Pratt, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff and George A. Smith. Brigham Young was called to the chair, and was unanimously sustained as the standing President of the Twelve. Willard Richards was ordained an Apostle and added to the quorum by unanimous voice, and according to previous appointment by revelation.
It was moved by Heber C. Kimball and seconded by Willard Richards that twenty of the Seventies, or more at the discretion of the President, be sent for to assist in the work of the ministry.
On the second day of the council Heber C. Kimball was the presiding Apostle. The various branches of the Church in England and Scotland were represented, showing an aggregate membership of 1671 souls, including the Priesthood. The official numbers were as follows: Elders, 34; Priests, 52; Teachers, 38; Deacons, 8. Total of Priesthood, 132. President Kimball laid before the meeting the importance and propriety of ordaining a Patriarch to give patriarchal blessings to the Saints, and Bleazard Corbridge was accordingly chosen for that office.
It was decided that the Saints who wished to emigrate should receive recommends from the Church in Britain to the Church in America, and that no persons should receive such recommends who had money, unless they assisted the poor according to the counsel of the Twelve.
It was further determined that a monthly periodical be published, to be known as The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star, with Parley P. Pratt as its editor; and that a committee of three, namely, Brigham Young, Parley P. Pratt and John Taylor be appointed to make a selection of hymns for the use of the Saints.