Part 28 (2/2)
LONDON, December 3rd, 1840.
MY DEAR VILATE:--
”I feel to rejoice to hear from you once more. Elders Young and Woodruff and myself have been traveling all day to see some of the sights of this great city. We visited the Tower of London. We entered into one room 150 feet by 33; there, arranged in regular and chronological order, were no less in number than twenty-two equestrian figures, representing many of the most celebrated kings of England, accompanied by their favorite lords and men of rank, all of them, together with their horses, in the armor of the respective periods when they flourished,--many, indeed, in the identical suits in which they appeared while living. There were 500,000 stands of arms, and cannon, taken from all parts of the world, in their conflicts with other nations; and all the jewelry and crowns of the kings and queens. I wish you could see them, for we can see better than we can write about them. We went to see the Thames tunnel; from thence returned home to our lodgings. Mrs.
Morgan presented me with a letter from you, dated Oct. the 11th. *
* * I felt to rejoice at hearing from you, that you are still alive and in good spirits, and to hear of the good times that you have in Nauvoo, and the good tidings that President Smith is laying before the Saints; I should like to be there if it was right in the sight of G.o.d. But I feel no liberty as yet to come home, but I think I shall soon. I want to see you and my little children, and I want to see Brother Joseph, Brother Rigdon and Brother Hyrum, and all of my old friends that have gained my affections, that have stood through thick and thin, through evil reports as well as good; they are the ones that I wish to live with on earth, and I believe I shall; for I have no desire for anything else but to press forward for the celestial world. I don't expect to find much rest this side of that, but I feel to prepare for the worst and hope for the better. I have strong sensations of what is coming on the earth. I shall not be disappointed if I get home about the time to have a little sport with my brethren. As you say, a hint to the wise is sufficient. I am sorry to hear that some of our brethren have denied the faith, that is, some of them that went from this country, but it is just what I expected, and told them so; they thought they were going to be fostered by the Church in that place; they might have known better, for they knew the Saints had been driven, and robbed of all their goods, and they could not expect help from them, but rather the reverse. I don't know but they think it will hinder the work of the Lord if they turn away; they are mistaken there, for it will advance the work just as much for them to turn away as it will for them to remain; so it is all the same with the Lord. The Savior says we cannot do anything against the truth, but for it. I have got so I feel perfectly easy about these things, for they are the work of G.o.d and not the work of man. I know no other way than to be subject to the powers that be. I pray my Father will give me this disposition, for I wish to be in the hand of G.o.d as the clay in the hands of the potter. The Lord has His own way of doing His own work, and we have got to submit to Him instead of His submitting to us. I feel well in mind--never felt better in my day--but I am afflicted in body with bad colds. The weather is cold and wet, and the smoke is so bad some of the time that they have to light up their lamps in the middle of the day, it is so dark. It is very unhealthy for me, and it is so for my brethren.
Times grow worse and worse in this country; the people are driven almost to desperation; the times appear sad and gloomy. I had some conversation with a Frenchman the other evening; he says it is hard times in France; all lands seem to share in the same fate; distress on all sides.
”I will begin where I left off at Liverpool on the 31st. I stated to you that Elder Young and myself were going to Wales. This was on Sat.u.r.day,--the distance of twenty miles, seven miles by steamboat, and the rest by coach. Got there in the evening--at the town of Harder. On the Sabbath we preached twice; had as many as could hear us; it appeared that everyone believed our testimony.
We were called to pray for the sick. One young man lay sick with the fever, and a Methodist preacher received a blessing, and one woman. They were healed, and began to proclaim it aloud to be the power of G.o.d. Sunday was the 1st day of November; on the 2nd we started back to Manchester by the way of Lynn; there were some baptized the day we left. I heard there were about thirty others ready to go forward the first opportunity. The six Methodist preachers that sent for us are going to be baptized if they have not been already. There has another work broke out in Wales, fourteen miles from the place where we went. The last news we had from them, there were fifty-two baptized. We received a line from Elder Pratt yesterday, stating that there were about ninety baptized in those two places. After we got to Manchester on the 5th, I took coach for c.l.i.thero in Yorks.h.i.+re, thirty miles distant.
I preached four times in c.l.i.thero, once in Waddington, once in Chatburn, once in Downham. I remained with them six days, and baptized several while there. In a few weeks' time there have been about forty baptized; these are some of them from the old churches; the excitement seems to be as great as it was when I first went into that place. There were scores that believed my testimony that had formerly been much opposed to this work. The opposition is great in that part. They collected in mobs to break up my meetings, but did not carry their designs into execution.
The devil is mad, and the work spreads in all parts. They are publis.h.i.+ng pamphlets in all directions, and the papers are full of all kinds of lies. If things continue as they have for a short time past, we shall be driven from this country. In the places that I have mentioned the spirit has been poured out upon them; they speak in tongues, interpret, prophesy, dream dreams, see visions, and there seems to be great humility. There seems to be a revival through this land. * * * * * *
”On the 25th of November Elder Young and myself started for London. I felt quite feeble when we started. I will continue my epistle from the 5th of December. The day we started we went twenty miles to Macklesfield, and stayed all night. There is a church of nearly one hundred members there. It is a silk manufacturing town of about 60,000 inhabitants. The next morning we went to the potteries; stayed two nights; preached to the Saints; the world's people came in throngs; they acted more like devils than like men. There are many coming into the Church in this place. The gifts are among the Saints; this makes the devil mad. Many are turned out of their work because of their religion.
Many go hungry and look pale for the want of a little food to eat.
When I have a penny in my pocket it goes freely. I have taken pains to ask them; some tell me they have not half enough to eat--and have a little child to the breast at the same time. These things are hard. I will stop, for I cannot paint the scenes that are before me daily; these things grow worse and worse. From there we went to Birmingham; found Elder Snow; on Sunday evening heard him preach for the first time. After he got through Elder Young and myself bore testimony. The Saints felt to rejoice, and some believed. There are 300,000 inhabitants in that city and only eighteen Saints.
”Sunday, the 6th. I have been to St. Paul's Church this forenoon with the brethren. It was so dark they had to light up the church with gas. A considerable part of this letter I have written in the day time, and have had to write by a candle. It is very disagreeable to me, and makes me feel bad and sick. Not one of us feels well. Brother Smith's lungs are very bad; he will not be able to stay in this country. He is at the potteries, where he will remain until he goes home. * * *
”December 12th. You will think I have been lazy since I commenced this. Elder Young left here yesterday for Herefords.h.i.+re; it was thought best for me to remain here for a short time with Elder Woodruff. The prospect seems to be better than it has been. There was one man baptized this week, and several more are believing. I shall stay here about three weeks if all things go well. Now, my dear Vilate, be of good cheer, for all things will go well; and pray much, and hearken to counsel from those that are over you. *
* * My love to all of the Saints in Christ. Remember me to my little children, and kiss them for me. Oh, how I want to see you all!
I am your husband forever, H. C. KIMBALL.”
About this time the Reverend James Albion, an independent minister, with his wife and daughter became favorably impressed with Mormonism.
He offered his chapel to Elders Kimball and Woodruff for them to preach in, and told his congregation that he was a Latter-day Saint, and should be baptized, and that they were no longer to consider him their minister unless they followed his example and joined the Saints.
This made a great stir among his committee and congregation.
On the evening of the closing Sunday of the year, the Elders preached by appointment of Mr. Albion in his chapel, to the largest congregation they had addressed in London. There were present priests and people of many denominations. While Elder Woodruff was speaking a Wesleyan minister arose and opposed him, ”which 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 any more.” Thus ended the Apostolic labors of the year.
CHAPTER XLIII.
OPENING OF THE YEAR 1841 IN LONDON--ENCOURAGING SUCCESS OF THE ELDERS--HEBER C. KIMBALL BLESSES THE QUEEN OF ENGLAND--THE WOOLWICH BRANCH ORGANIZED--ORGANIZATION OF THE LONDON CONFERENCE--THE PROSPECT OF WAR BETWEEN GREAT BRITAIN AND THE UNITED STATES HASTENS THE RETURN OF THE APOSTLES TO AMERICA.
The new year opened auspiciously for the work of G.o.d in the great city of London. On the first of January, the Church there numbered twenty-one souls, and ere another day had dawned two more were added unto the fold of Christ.
As usual the converts were mostly of the poor and lowly cla.s.ses, willing indeed to share their last crust with the Lord's servants, who had sacrificed so much to bring the Gospel to their doors, but unable, in their extreme poverty, to render much a.s.sistance in a pecuniary way. Everything was dear in London. While exercising the most rigid economy the Elders found it impossible to subsist upon much less than a pound per week, individually. They had hired lodgings at No 40, Ironmonger Row, near Father Corner's, and were keeping up a regular meeting house,--the Academy in Goswell Road. Never before were they so straitened financially.
But conversions and baptisms were becoming more frequent, and the clouds of discouragement which had so long hung over them, were beginning to clear away.
Apostle Woodruff baptized the daughter of the Reverend James Albion, who had been so friendly to the Elders, and soon afterwards Heber C.
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