Kimball baptized the minister himself.
Heber visited Woolwich, where he preached once and converted four persons, who immediately offered themselves for baptism. They wandered up and down the Thames until 9 o'clock at night, seeking for a suitable place to administer the ordinance, but were unsuccessful owing to the mud and ice on the banks of the river. Next day Heber brought his converts to London and baptized them at the public baths in Tabernacle Square. Dr. William Copeland was also baptized that day.
Concerning this time, Heber writes:
"The waters have begun to be troubled, and I pray that they may continue until the Lord gathers out His people from this city. I can say I never felt a greater desire for a place than I have for London; it is the metropolis of the world and the depot of wickedness. All manner of debauchery that can be thought of is practiced here.
"But the ice is broken in London, and the Gospel has got such a hold that the devil can not root it out."
Satan, however, continued to do all that he could in opposition to the Elders, by stirring up the wrath of sectarian priests and bigoted people against them.
It seems that prior to starting on this mission, Heber had been promised by the Prophet that he should see the Queen of England. The fulfillment occurred as follows: On the 26th of January Victoria opened the British Parliament. Apostles Kimball and Woodruff, with Dr.
Copeland and several other friends, started out for the purpose of witnessing the royal pageant. Arriving at St. James' Park at 10 a.m., they beheld an immense concourse of people, extending in two unbroken lines from Buckingham Palace to the House of Lords. It was estimated that from three to four hundred thousand people were assembled.
Through the courtesy of one of the Queen's life-guards--and no small favor was it on that day--Heber and his party succeeded in getting a place in the front line, past which the grand procession was to move.
The royal cortege passed within ten feet of where they stood, so that they obtained a fair view of Her Majesty, both going to and returning from the Houses of Parliament. The Queen sat in a gorgeous state carriage, drawn by eight cream colored horses, richly caparisoned. At her left hand sat Albert, the Prince Consort. Following were six carriages, each drawn by six horses, containing members of the royal family, lords and nobles.
Says Heber: "We saw her, as the Prophet Joseph had told us. She made a low bow to us, and we returned the compliment. She looked pleasant; small of stature; with blue eyes; an innocent looking woman. Prince Albert is a fine looking man. All things went on pleasantly. No accidents."
It was on this occasion that Heber C. Kimball blessed Queen Victoria, with the tradition of which so many of the Saints are familiar.
Passing so close to them, and seemingly bowing directly and personally to the Apostles, Heber returned the royal salute with a hearty "God bless you," addressed to the Queen as she passed. Her Majesty of course is not aware of the fact that on that day she received an Apostle's benediction, but no one who has noted in faith the prophetic potency of Heber C. Kimball's words uttered on less occasions, will doubt the efficacy of such a blessing, even on the head of a queen of England.
Baptisms continued in London, and the Elders now had good congregations. Heber organized a branch in Woolwich of those whom he had baptized there.
On the 8th of February a package of the Book of Mormon was received, when Elders Kimball and Woodruff went to Stationers' Hall and secured the copyright of the book in the name of Joseph Smith, Jun.
At this time there was a strong probability of war between Great Britain and the United States, and the Elders began to think of returning to their native land. President Young wrote to Heber and Wilford to prepare for an early departure.
The cause of the threatened war was the imprisonment of Mr. McLeod, a British officer, in Lockport jail, New York, which state was trying him for arson; and the Americans seemed resolved on executing him. The case at issue was the burning of the _Caroline_ on Lake Erie, in 1837, during the troubles in Canada. Great Britain maintained that he was acting under British orders and demanded his release.
On the 11th of February, Elder Lorenzo Snow arrived in London to take charge of the Church there after the departure of Elders Kimball and Woodruff. Heber and Lorenzo together visited Woolwich, which was fast developing into an important branch, and on their return the first London conference was held in Barnett's Academy.
It was Sunday, February 14th, 1841. On this day the London Conference was organized. There were present at the organization Elders Heber C.
Kimball, Wilford Woodruff, Lorenzo Snow, William Pitt and four Priests. The meeting was called to order by Elder Kimball, and after singing and prayer the President called upon the official members to represent their respective branches. They were as follows:
The Church at Ipswich, represented by Elder Pitt, consisting of twelve members, one Elder, one Priest and one Teacher.
The Church at Bedford, represented by Robert Williams, Priest, consisting of forty-two members and one Priest; seven had moved and two died.
The Church at Woolwich, represented by John Griffith, Priest, consisting of six members, one Priest.
The Church in London, represented by Elder Kimball, consisting of forty-six members, one Elder, two Priests; generally in good standing; excellent prospect of a continued increase.
James Albion was ordained an Elder; Thomas Barnes a Teacher; R.
Williams an Elder to oversee the Church at Bedford; Richard Bates a Priest in the Church at Woolwich; John Sheffield a Teacher in the branch at Bedford and A. Painter a Teacher at Woolwich.
The above named persons were ordained under the hands of Elders Kimball, Woodruff and Snow.
It was then moved by Elder Kimball and seconded by Elder Woodruff, that Elder Lorenzo Snow be appointed President of the London Conference, and also to take the superintendency of the Church in London.
Much valuable instruction was given by Apostles Kimball and Woodruff in relation to the duties of the official members, and the conference then adjourned to Sunday, the 16th of May.
Immediately after the conference Heber started for Manchester to join President Young. He had just received a letter from his wife, Vilate, saying that the Prophet Joseph was very anxious for the return of the Twelve, as both countries were then in the greatest excitement over the prospect of war. As for the Apostles themselves, they could not but realize that their situation as American missionaries was very precarious, and that their immigration of that year was in imminent danger of being interrupted by the British government.
CHAPTER XLIV.
HEBER ORGANIZES THE BIRMINGHAM CONFERENCE--MEETING OF THE APOSTLES IN MANCHESTER PRIOR TO RETURNING TO AMERICA--ORSON HYDE PRESENT ON HIS WAY TO PALESTINE--THE EXTENSIVE WORK OF ONE YEAR.
On his way to Manchester Heber tarried a few days at Bedford, strengthening the Saints in that place, and adding new members to the Church. He also visited Birmingham and there organized a conference.
One hundred and seven members were represented, and nine persons ordained to the ministry. Elder Alfred Cordon was appointed president.
The Birmingham Conference became one of the largest and most important conferences in the mission.
On the 6th day of April, 1841, the Apostles met as a quorum in Manchester, for the transaction of business prior to their departure for America. The meetings, which were open to the Saints, were held in Carpenter's Hall. The members of the quorum present were Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Orson Hyde, Parley P. Pratt, Orson Pratt, Wilford Woodruff, John Taylor, Willard Richards and George A. Smith.
Orson Hyde had lately arrived from America on his way to Jerusalem, whither he had been sent on a mission to the house of Judah.
The representation of the churches and conferences throughout the mission being called for, it was found that thirty-three conferences and branches were represented, aggregating a membership of five thousand eight hundred and fourteen, with one hundred and thirty-six Elders, three hundred and three Priests, one hundred and sixty-nine Teachers, and sixty-eight Deacons. This enumeration did not include some fifty members not connected with any branch, and nearly eight hundred Saints who had emigrated to America during the year.
Several ordinations were performed, and the following business was transacted:
"Resolved, That Manchester, Stockport, Dukinfield, Oldham, Bolton and all the neighboring branches be organized into one conference to be called the Manchester Conference.
"That the church in Brampton, Alston, and Carlisle be included in one conference;
"That the churches of Liverpool, Isle of Man, Wales, viz., Overton, Harding and Elsmere, be organized into one conference, to be called the Liverpool Conference;
"That the Macclesfield Conference include Macclesfield, Northwich, Middlewich, and Lostock;
"That the Edinburgh Conference include Edinburgh and vicinity, and that the conference of Glasgow include Glasgow, Paisley, Bridge of Weir, Johnston, and Thorny Bank.
"Resolved, that G. D. Watt preside over the Edinburgh Conference; that Thomas Ward preside over the Clithero Conference; that Lorenzo Snow preside over the London Conference; that J. Gaily preside over the Macclesfield Conference; that A. Cordon preside over the Staffordshire Conference; that J. Riley be ordained a High Priest and preside over the Birmingham Conference; that J. McAuley preside over the Glasgow Conference; that Thomas Richardson preside over the Gadfield Elm Conference; that Wm. Kay preside over the Froomes Hill Conference; that Levi Richards have the superintendence of the Garway Conference; that P. Melling, Patriarch, continue to preside over the Preston Conference, and that J. Sanders preside over the Brampton Conference."
The above resolutions were adopted unanimously. Elder J. Albertson was then given a patriarchal blessing, under the hands of Father Melling, after which he was himself ordained a Patriarch by the Apostles.
During the meeting a very richly ornamented cake, a present from New York, from a Sister Adams to the Twelve, was exhibited and then divided among the congregation. While the distribution was going on, several appropriate hymns were sung, and a powerful and general feeling of delight pervaded the meeting. Under the inspiration of the moment, Elder Parley P. Pratt composed the following lines and handed them to the clerk who read them to the congregation:
"When in far distant regions As strangers we roam, Far away from our country, Our friends and our home; When sinking in sorrow, Fresh courage we'll take, As we think on our friends, And remember the cake."
Several discourses were then delivered, and this memorable and happy meeting--the first and last at which so many members of the early Twelve met together in a foreign land, came to a close.
The Apostles next issued their first general epistle to the Saints in England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales and the Isle of Man. It was a well-worded, even eloquent document, full of wise counsel and timely instruction. Having now set in order the affairs of the Church throughout the mission, the Apostles, all save Orson Hyde, who was bound for Palestine, and Parley P. Pratt, who was left to preside over the British mission, prepared to return to America.
A great work had been accomplished by these faithful and devoted men of God, during the past year. The mission founded by Heber C. Kimball and his brethren in 1837, was now established upon a broad and permanent basis, and the mighty stream of Israel's emigration from foreign shores set in motion.