"Two days after, in the evening, we baptized four persons—Mr. and Mrs. Morgan, with whom we lodged, Christopher Smith, their apprentice, and Henry Corner, Jun. Dr. Copeland spent the afternoon of the following day with us; he received our testimony, and in the evening we preached at our meeting place.
"I visited Rev. James Albion several times, and gave him an account of the rise and progress of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He believed in our mission and offered me his chapel, which would seat about a thousand persons. On Sunday morning we accompanied our reverend friend and convert to his chapel, and were introduced to the committee, one of whom was a preacher who had traveled much in Russia and other parts of the world. At the close of the meeting the Rev. James Albion gave out an appointment for us to preach on the next Sabbath evening. In the afternoon we met with the Saints, had a full house, and confirmed four new members; in the evening we preached again, and a good feeling prevailed. After meeting, the Rev. James Albion called upon us at our room and told us that he had given out our appointment to preach in his chapel; he also had informed his congregation that he was a Latter-day Saint, and would be baptized and join our Church, and that they need not longer consider him a member of their body unless they joined the Saints with him. He told us this made a division among the committee; some were for going with him, and some were against following their pastor into the true fold, which he had found.
"On the following Sunday evening we preached, by the appointment of its minister, in the Independent chapel, to the largest congregation we had ever before addressed in London. There were present priests and people of many denominations. I addressed them for the space of about one hour. A Wesleyan minister arose and opposed me; this had a good effect, for the congregation, seeing the spirit he was of, turned against him, and the committee refused him permission to speak there again. I was much bound by the opposing spirit; still the conduct of the enemy gave us friends. The next evening we attended what was said to be the largest temperance meeting ever held in London; and the next two days brought us to the close of the year.
"I give here a synopsis of my travels and labors in 1840: places visited or labored in—Liverpool, Preston, Manchester, Newcastle, Tunstall, Burslem, Hanley, Stoke, Longton, Stafford, Wolverhampton, Birmingham, Worcester, Hereford, Ledbury, Malvern Hill, Gloucester, Cheltenham, Oxford, London. I traveled 4,469 miles, held 230 meetings, established 53 places for preaching, and planted 47 churches and jointly organized them. These churches chiefly comprised the two conferences raised up in Herefordshire, consisting of about 1,500 Saints, 28 elders, 110 priests, 24 teachers, and 10 deacons. The baptisms of the year were 336 persons under my own hands, and I assisted at the baptism of 86 others. I baptized 57 preachers, mostly those connected with the United Brethren, also two clerks of the Church of England. I confirmed 420 members, and assisted in confirming 50 others; ordained 18 elders, 97 priests, 34 teachers, and one deacon; blessed 120 children, and administered to 120 sick, by prayer, anointing and the laying on of hands, and in many instances the sick were healed, and devils cast out. I assisted in procuring £1,000 for the publication of 3,000 copies of the Hymn Book, 5,000 copies of the Book of Mormon, for the printing of the Millennial Star, and to assist 200 Saints to emigrate to Nauvoo. I wrote 200 letters, and received 112.
"The new year, 1841," continues Wilford Woodruff, "found Elder Kimball and myself in the metropolis of England, in the enjoyment of good health. We celebrated New Year's day by baptizing two persons into the fold of Christ. The Church in London now numbered 21 members. The next Sunday we held a meeting in the Academy, confirmed two, and partook of the Sacrament. During the week I baptized the daughter of the Rev. James Albion; the day after this, Elder Kimball started for Woolwich to break new ground. On Sunday he preached there for the first time, when four persons offered themselves for baptism. Next day they came to London, and we immediately repaired to our private bath in Tabernacle Square, where Elder Kimball baptized five persons, one of whom was Dr. Wm. Copeland. This was indeed an interesting occasion, and we felt thankful to God to see the cloud beginning to break; for we had struggled hard to do the little which had been done.
"On the 15th of the month we baptized three more of Brother Morgan's household, and on the following Sunday I preached to a full house and to many new hearers. Several offered themselves for baptism; during the week there had been seven souls added to the Church.
"Next day Elder Kimball received a letter from President Young, who wished us to be ready early in April to set sail for home. Several days later, I baptized the Rev. James Albion and Mr. Hender, and before the close of January I baptized three others into the Church. I visited Greenwich and Woodwich, where Elder Kimball had raised up a small branch of the Church, then I returned to London with Elder Kimball. On Sunday we communed with the Saints, and in the evening we both preached to a large congregation.
"On the 8th of February, having a package of twenty Books of Mormon and two dozen Hymn Books, Heber C. Kimball and I went to Stationer's Hall and secured the copyright of the Book of Mormon in the name of Joseph Smith, Jun. We left five copies of the book, and paid three shillings for the copyright. In the evening we baptized four persons, one of whom was the wife of the Rev. James Albion, who already had received the gospel.
"Elder Brigham Young, per letter, informed us of the large emigration of that season. There were to go on one ship 235, and on another 100. To the reader acquainted with the immense emigration of the Saints in later years, the fact that we considered three or four hundred as a large emigration will be noteworthy.
"Elder Lorenzo Snow arrived in London on February 11, to take charge of the Church after our departure. I was truly glad once more to greet him, for I had not seen him since 1837. On the same day Elder William Pitt also arrived at our lodgings, and we had an interesting meeting in the evening. Brother Snow preached, and Elder Kimball and myself followed him; the next day Brothers Heber and Lorenzo went to Woolwich to give impetus to the work of God in that important town.