The World of Joseph Fielding: Chapter 9. James Fielding s Description of the Missionaries Arrival

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1 The World of Joseph Fielding: Chapter 9 James Fielding s Description of e Missionaries Arrival James Fielding s own words about at first weekend he was reunited wi his broer Joseph exist in a letter preserved in e LDS Church History Library. James wrote is letter to Mary and Mercy in 1840, almost ree years after e events of at four weekend in July, Their sister Mara had married Peter Watson by is time, and 1 bo are mentioned. I was sorry to find by e letters you sent some weeks ago at a long letter written by myself not long after we had received e intelligence of your having embraced e Mormon fai never reached you. That letter contained a kind of epitome of what had transpired in our family & in our native land since your removal to America & also expressed a strong fear lest your new revelations should prove noing but a hoax or imposture. I m detailing what has taken place since our Br. Joseph came over to England. I might fill a volume. I shall however confine myself to a few of e most prominent incidents. You express a wish to know what were e particular reasons why we rejected e Mormon revelation. I will just answer is inquiry as being not possible. But before I proceed I wish to state at I shall advance noing but what I know to be tru itself and I do hope at you will give me credit for e accuracy of my statements alo ey may affect e credit of Mormonism. I shall be honest & hope you will be candid. I should observe at my prejudice (so to speak) was quite in favour of is new revelation etc., notwistanding my suspicions & fears. I felt a strong desire at it might prove to be true & a kind of exultation at e idea of seeing for myself e marvelous & wonderful works which your letters would reasonably lead us to expect. Such were my feelings when e Elders 6 in number (one was poorly at eir lodgings) came to our house late on Saturday night, and now begin my reasons, I may say our reasons for rejecting Mormonism. No sooner had e Elders come wiin e door at I was seized wi a sudden & strong conviction at ey were not men of God. I had generally felt a kind of sacred unction taken in company wi holy men. Here it was quite e reverse. I had on my mind an unconquerable impression at e whole system of e L. D. Saints was a base imposition calculated to deceive & delude ose who might come in contact wi it, at e same time I felt an unaccountable estrangement from even Joseph himself. However I was determined not to be guided in my judgements e feelings I have described. I ought wiin myself surely ese men must be activated by some powerful motive else ey would not have left eir families etc and taken so long a journey etc. Hence I ought at all events ey ought to have a hearing and proposed at ey should speak Sunday afternoon wi is condition & understanding, at noing should be advanced which was at variance wi e received doctrines of e church to which Joseph replied, James Fielding rejected e doctrines of Mormonism brought by his broer Joseph.

2 You need entertain no fear on at head. The Elders have too much good sense to do any ing of at kind. Accordingly ey spoke in e afternoon and too in e evening; & in e evening contrary to promise e doctrine of baptism was urged on peril of damnation. The strongest language was used & e whole drift & force of e preaching seemed to bear down upon one single point, baptism. The people appeared to be all in a ferment & I soon began to see where I was to cut it short. Many of e dear simple souls whom God had made me e means of saving were decoyed away from me & my little church. I could compare e influence e addresses of e Elders had upon e minds of several of e members to noing but witchcraft. I clearly saw at it was according to St. Paul reducing spirit. In vain did I remonstrate & argue. They appeared perfectly deaf to e plainest reasoning, yet did not stop what ey were doing. I went to e six Elders (Joseph being at our house) at eir lodgings and reasoned wi em & God gave me power to confound em. However ey assured me at God had sent em to gaer all e righteous out of e various churches. I told em God never sent em [to] state eir word & act dishonourably. They quoted St. Paul s words being crafty I caught em wi guile as a justification of eir conduct, and when I shewed at at passage had no such meaning one of e Elders rew down his book of Mormon on e table wi a vengeance. About is time I met wi a book belonging to Mr. Watson on e subject of religious impostors etc., and how was I surprised to find an almost exact resemblance between e sects ere mentioned & Mormonites, especially in e account given of e French & English Prophets who sprang up some years ago in London. I now saw as clearly as I saw e noon-day light at Mormonism was a chip off e same block as e revelations of 2 Joanna Soucoate, e French Prophets & many more of e same charades, only I must say after reading eir addresses etc and e book of Mormon, e former very far exceeded e latter in point of common sense and eir agreement seemed to breae e very spirit of piety & which were so very scriptural in eir expressions I did not wonder at such multitudes should have united wi em. I have remarked to Mara & Mr. Watson at I ought it quite probable had I been in e spot at e time & wiout apprized of e nature of a delusion I should have been a convert for e F & E Prophets. These followers gave every proof of sincerity & of eir eager desire for salvation. Like e Mormonites ey gave up eir property, submitted to persecutions & to dea itself in behalf of eir cause. I may well as face answers to face in a glass so ey resembled e L. D. Saints or vice versa. I indulged a sort of desperate hope at ere was someing extraordinary to e Elders as to e power of working miracles etc etc. A little after is e infant child of one of our members was taken ill. The Elders went and proposed to e Parents to lay eir hands on e child & recover it. They consented to it, but instead of e child getting better it very soon after died, alo ey seemed confident of its recovery, several instances of is kind came out & wi which I was made acquainted. Sometime after is I was -135-

3 informed at a curse was denounced upon me & oers by e Elders because we had rejected eir testimony etc and I have subsequently found at it was quite a common ing for e Elders to deal out curses on ose who opposed em. James concluded e letter wi financial reasons for rejecting e LDS Church: Anoer circumstance which greatly influenced my mind was at when members left me & joined e Elders ey seemed to lose all sense of common honesty. Many of em owed money for sittings [in explanation, money members paid to sit in specific pews] at Vauxhall chapel which we have never been able to get to is day, and what several of em had promised towards e erection of our new chapel ey considered emselves quite at liberty to wihold on eir joining e Mormonites. Today, in e twenty-first century, it is relatively easy to have e words from James s various letters side by side on computer screens for study. Was James s dismay at e LDS missionaries more an losing financial support from his congregation? Was he prejudiced against Americans? What was he looking for in a man of God? In a much later letter to his sister Mary, James told of an American minister who had come to England in 1844: A most exhorting man... The power of God seems to rest upon him in an unusual degree. Thousands under his ministry are overwhelmed wi e divine influence, much in e same way as ey were at e day of Pentecost. While he is preaching ere is first a deep sighing or groan, en a burst of feeling cries for mercy succeeded by acclamations of praise. Mr. C. is of e Wesleyan Connection and is instrumental of great good. 3 Whatever e reasons were at James did not see e LDS missionaries as men of God, many of his congregation did believe. This was e beginning of a great division in e Fielding family which never healed. Elder Kimball wrote of James Fielding and his reaction to e missionaries preaching: These considerations had eir weight upon his mind, and caused him to act as he did; and notwistanding his former kindness he soon became one of our most violent opposers. An observation which escaped his lips shortly after is circumstance I shall here mention. Speaking one day respecting e ree first sermons which were preached in [his chapel]; he said at Kimball bored e holes, Goodson drove e nails, and Hyde clinched em. However his congregation did not follow his example, ey having for some time been praying for our coming, and having been assured by Mr. Fielding at he could not place more confidence in an angel, an he did in e statements of his broer respecting is people; consequently ey were in a great measure prepared for e reception of e gospel probably as much so, as Cornelius was anciently. Having now no public place to preach in, we began to preach in private houses, which were opened in every direction, while numbers believed e gospel

4 During eir first week, Joseph Fielding, John Goodson and anoer missionary, called on several Preachers of is Town. He continued, We found em living in a very comfortable manner. Their Parlours were very rich. Bro. G. observed not many Mormon Elders can get such Quarters as is. Some treated us wi respect. Some entirely disregarded our testimony; against 2 we washed our feet. None gave us any assistance. 5 Elder Kimball spoke of a minister who forbid us baptizing any of his members, but we told him at all who were of age, and requested baptism, we should undoubtedly administer at ordinance to em. Saturday evening, July 29, e missionaries met togeer to plan e next day s events. Elder Kimball was appointed to baptize several of eir investigators in e nearby River Ribble. The Missionaries Begin Their Second Full Week in England, Sunday, July 30, 1837 The adversary was not unaware of e importance of e missionaries work. Elder Kimball wrote of a dramatic experience which took place e morning after eir planning meeting: About day break, Broer Russel...came up to e room where Elder Hyde and myself were sleeping, and called upon us to rise and pray for him, for he was so afflicted wi evil spirits at he could not live long unless he should obtain relief. We immediately arose, and laid hands upon him, and prayed at e Lord would have mercy on his servant and rebuke e devil. While us engaged I was struck wi great force by some invisible power and fell senseless on e floor, as if I had been shot; and e first ing at I recollected was, at I was supported by Broers Hyde and Russel, who were beseeching a rone of grace on my behalf. They en laid me on e bed, but my agony was so great at I could not endure, and I was obliged to get out, and fell on my knees and began to pray. I en sat on e bed and could British missionaries. seven, stayed wi his broer James. distinctly see e evil spirits who foamed and gnashed eir tee upon us. We gazed upon em about an hour and a half, and I shall never forget e horror and malignity depicted on e countenances of ese foul spirits, and any attempt to paint is scene which en presented itself, or portray e malice and enmity depicted in eir countenances would be vain. I perspired exceedingly, and my cloes were as wet as if I had been taken out of e river. Alough I felt exquisite pain, and was in e greatest distress for some time, and cannot even now look back on e scene wiout feelings of horror, yet, by it I learned e power of e adversary, his enmity against e servants of God, and got some understanding of e invisible world. However, e Lord delivered us from e wra of our spiritual enemies and blessed us exceedingly at day, and I had e pleasure... of baptizing nine individuals and hailing em breren in e kingdom of God This home on e former Wilfred Street in Preston was e first residence of six of e Joseph Fielding, e

5 Joseph Fielding also wrote of is experience, alough, since he was staying wi James, he was 7 not present. He prefaced his remarks by saying at Isaac had long been troubled by evil spirits, even when ey were in Canada. Joseph wrote, It seemed plain to me at e Devil designed to destroy him if possible.... Joseph explained at at at time e demons plagued Isaac to such an extent at ey interfered wi his ability to care for his family. One of Joseph s sisters, not believing at his experiences were real, had actually lectured Isaac about his behavior, but Joseph said he was still much afflicted. Joseph en pointed out at Isaac was e first in our Neighborhood to be baptised into e Church of Latter-day Saints. He added, Soon after is he was ordained an Elder. During e Winter he preached and raised up a small [branch], and in e Spring he was set apart wi oers to go to England. Being still afflicted in his Body, as he said, e evil Spirits would sometimes press him, some times as if ey 8 would scratch him, etc. Joseph described some of Isaac s experiences in troubling detail. Isaac s wife Mary had apparently promised e Lord, upon eir conversion to e LDS Church, at if Isaac could be delivered from e evil spirits, she would agree to Isaac leaving her for missionary service. 9 Joseph en began to describe e very events told by Elder Kimball: Broer Hyde got up and [he and Elder Kimball] bo laid eir Hands on him and began to rebuke e Spirits. Bro. Kimball at least not fully believing Bro. R s Testimony respecting his Case, and while he was praying his Speech began to falter, and he was rown down on e Floor, and was in great Agony, so at e Sweat ran down his Face. All in an instant, he said, it appeared as if every Part of his Body was distorted, etc., to e utmost. It would have deprived him, he ought, of life in a few minutes, but Bro. H and K lifted him onto e Bed, laid eir hands on him and rebuked em, but he did not fully recover from its Effects for a Day or two. Bro. H. Also received a severe grip on one Thigh. They could hear a Sound from em, i.e., e Evil Spirits, like e grating of Tee, quite plainly. 10 The First Baptisms Take Place at e River Ribble in Preston Despite is experience, e group managed to assemble at e River Ribble for baptisms. Elder Kimball delighted in telling about George Watt s baptism: Two of e candidates who were changing eir cloes and preparing for baptism, at e distance of several rods from e place where I was standing in e water, being so anxious to obey e gospel at ey ran wi all eir might to e water, each wishing to be baptized first. The younger being quicker of foot an e elder, out ran him, and came first into e water.... The circumstance of baptizing being somewhat novel, a large concourse of people assembled on e banks of e river to witness e ceremony. 11 Joseph Smi, who at is time was preaching in Toronto wi John Taylor, Sidney Rigdon and 12 senior apostle Thomas B. Marsh, would later write about e baptisms after receiving information from e British missionaries. About ten o clock in e morning e breren repaired -138-

6 to e river Ribble, according to previous appointment, and, in e midst of a large collection of people, baptized nine individuals, one whom was George D. Watt, e first man baptized in England in is dispensation. 13 Joseph Fielding wrote in his diary, George had been part of James s Preston congregation for 14 several years. Two years earlier, in an 1835 letter to Joseph, Mary and Mercy in Toronto, 15 Mara had written at George Watt and his wife are a credit to our church. Thomas Walmsley, who became a close friend of Joseph Fielding, was also baptized at day. This photo provided by Kei Foulger shows e area along e River Ribble where e first LDS baptisms took place. The River Ribble was less an a half mile from e area where e missionaries lived. George D. Watt raced to e river to be e first baptized. This 1855 drawing of Preston shows e city from e sou. The River Ribble is on e left. Joseph Fielding believed at e encounter wi evil earlier at morning had appeared to... prevent Bro. R. from preaching according to e Appointment at Day in e Market Place. However, Isaac was determined to fill his assignment. Elder Kimball wrote at Elder Russel preached in e Market Place, standing on e Obelisk, to 16 a very large congregation, numbers of whom were pricked to e heart. Joseph explained at e manifestations of e morning did not deter e missionaries. This design however was frustrated. Bro. R. preached and Bro. Goodson bore Testimony after him; I myself also spoke to a few People in a private house

7 The Preston Obelisk This historic location at e market place in Preston was where many oer preachers, likely for centuries, had stood to teach. The obelisk, unfamiliar to Americans, is a common feature in English towns. The practice of building crosses in e market place originated wi e Anglo-Saxon pagans. Some of eir obelisks still stand today, but many 18 have deteriorated. This 1844 drawing shows e Preston obelisk where e first LDS missionaries preached. The original Saxon obelisk had been rebuilt in This one was torn down in 1852, but was also rebuilt. In e case of e Preston obelisk, e Saxon original was replaced in Eight years later, in 1790, John Wesley stood on e steps of e new obelisk and taught his Meodist doctrine. That Gordon B. Hinckley, during his first week in Preston as a young elder, stood to preach from e second Preston obelisk. obelisk was e same market cross where e early Mormon elders preached, but was torn 19 down in 1852, and at some point a new obelisk was erected. This ird obelisk, standing on e same spot as e original Saxon pillar, is e site where many Mormon missionaries preach today. Thanks to Kei Foulger for is photograph. It was at is ird obelisk in 1933 at a young Gordon Bitner Hinckley, in England less an a week, was asked as a missionary to stand on e obelisk steps and preach. Gordon, five feet ten inches tall, weighing one hundred and forty-ree This market cross in Leighton Buzzard, 6 miles from Bedford, was rebuilt in e 1600s

8 pounds, replied, You ve got e wrong man. Encouraged by his companion, he later said he 20 was terrified. Today is location is a common preaching area for LDS missionaries. That evening, Joseph Fielding recorded anoer experience e missionaries had wi evil: On Sunday night Broer Russel was again greatly troubled in e same manner, and got Bro. Richards who slept wi him, to go up to Bro. K and H. and request em to come down to his relief. Here I am not certain wheer it was before or after, but about is time, as Bro. Hyde declared, as he and Bro. Kimball were lying in Bed, himself being awake he saw as it were a host of ese foul Spirits not on e Floor, but as it were in e Midst of e Room, in various Shapes and Forms; some like naked Women, misshapen, and ugly, some like Cats wi half a head, etc., and oers half of one Creature and half anoer, e most miserable and disgusting appearances one could possibly imagine. They however kept eir Distance, but turned eir heads toward Bro. Hyde; one looking at him said distinctly, but wi a murmuring tone, slowly demure, I never spoke against you. He said ere seemed to be a legion of em. He was alarmed, but very much disgusted. He could scarcely bear to speak of em....upon e whole we got considerable Instruction from e Maneuvers of e Devil. The Spirit of e Devil produced Confusion, Disorder and Misery; e Spirit of God produces Calmness, Order and Happiness. If we never before knew at ere were evil Spirits, we did now. We also knew how to feel for dear Bro. Russel. 21 On Monday e group held anoer baptism. Joseph wrote, I for e first time administered e Ordinance of Baptism to 7 or 8 men. Elder Kimball wrote about a council meeting e missionaries held on e last day of July, 1837: Elders Goodson and Richards were appointed to go to e city of Bedford, ere being a good prospect, from e information received, of a church being built up in at city. Elders Russel and Snider were appointed to go to Alston in Cumberland, near e borders of Scotland, and Elders Hyde, Fielding and myself were to remain in Preston and e regions round about. The next day st [Tuesday, August 1 ], e breren took eir departure for e different fields of labor assigned em. 22 On August 1, 1837, four missionaries left Preston for different st assignments

9 Missionaries are Sent to Bedford, Birplace of Joseph Fielding If Joseph had regrets at John Goodson and Willard Richards were going to Bedford, e place of his bir, instead of himself, he did not mention is. However, Joseph was e source of e good prospects mentioned, as e communications wi his broer-in-law Timoy Matews had been encouraging. Joseph simply wrote: Monday night previous to our separation, we spent in Prayer, etc., set apart Bro. Goodson and Richards to go to Bedford. The Lord was present wi us. In e morning ey took eir Journey, and on e same day, Bro. Russel and Snyder left us....elder Kimball, Elder Hyde, and myself were now left in Preston. 23 Joseph Fielding Remains in Preston; James Fielding Rejects His Message Joseph, while sleeping in an extra bed at his broer s home, ate his meals at his sister Mara s home and she paid to have his washing done, for which he was grateful. Joseph wrote: Sister Mara is still very kind; she delights to feed me and give me Money according to her Power. [She] has carefully avoided saying anying against us. I pray e Lord to bless her. On e oer hand, James appeared to be very angry wi Joseph and e missionaries. Joseph wrote: [He] was very much opposed to us. [On Saturday morning of e 5 of August], as we were sitting down to breakfast, he began to say very hard ings of us and e Book of Mormon. I was much grieved and it appeared at I could not eat. I got up from e table, took e book in my hand and declared to all, him in particular, at what we had told em was e tru, at at book was of God, and at he would have to repent, and en left e house, from which time I have not been much in his company. When I go to his house he will scarcely speak to me. From James s 1835 letter to Joseph in Toronto, ere is no question at James was intimately acquainted wi Joseph s religious beliefs. He clearly knew at Joseph chose to lose his position in e Meodist Church raer an deny his beliefs at e tru did not lie wi Meodism. He had read Joseph s letters after his conversion to e LDS Church. James s invitation for Joseph to preach to his congregation would have been accompanied wi a distinct knowledge of what Joseph was going to preach. He was perhaps even excited at e ought of how delighted his congregation would be upon hearing Joseph s message and en recognizing e similarities of Joseph s teachings to what James had been preaching from e New Testament. Perhaps James believed his congregation would revere him, see him as a prophet who had for at least two years been using scriptures which foretold of is. James s 1835 letter to Joseph, at at time still a Meodist in Canada, included a sermon on e body of Christ from Corinians. At at time James wrote: -142-

10 All e sects in e world joined do not make e body of Christ. A body is visible unity, not an invisible fancy.... en what sect is e Body? Where are e hands, e Apostles ministering e Spirit and blessing? Where are e feet, e evangelists, in e power of Philip? Where e mou, e prophet?... Where en is e temple of e Holy Ghost now? The visible glory, e manifest unity, e foundation of Apostles and Prophets, e building fitly framed and joined by e Holy Ghost? A ruin. But e city and e temple shall be rebuilt according to e promise of God & on its own foundations. Where en is e Church, e body? Where e foundations are. Where is e rebuilding? Where e foundations of Apostles and Prophets called and sent by Jesus Christ e chief corner Stone are believed and received and by e Holy Ghost built upon. 24 James s negative reaction after Joseph s preaching was likely accompanied wi e realization at James was eier going to have to embrace is new church of which Joseph preached and leave his paid ministerial position, or reject Joseph s message. As James watched his dwindling congregation which had been prepared to hear Joseph s message rough James s own words, he was possibly filled wi regret, anger and perhaps some pride in himself instead of e necessary humility required to have Joseph s message confirmed to him by e Holy Ghost of which he had so often spoken. The Three Missionaries in Preston Face Opposition Elder Kimball wrote: Broers Hyde, Fielding and myself continued lifting up our voices in private houses, at e corners of e streets, in e Market place, and wherever e Lord opened a door. The following Sabba [August 6 ], Elder Hyde preached in e Market place to a numerous assemblage bo rich and poor, who flocked from all parts to hear what ese babblers had to say, hearing at we were setters for of strange doctrines. After Broer Hyde had got rough, I gave an exhortation, and when I had concluded, a minister stept forward to oppose us on e doctrines we advance, but more particularly on e doctrine of baptism; he being a great stickler for infant baptism. The people, inking he intended to offend us, would not let him proceed, but seemed determined to put him down, and undoubtedly would have done so, had not Broer Hyde interposed and begged permission for e gentleman to speak, and told e congregation at he was prepared to meet any arguments he might advance. This appeased e people, who listened to e remarks of e Rev. Gentleman, after which Broer Hyde spoke in answer to e objections which had been offered, to e satisfaction of nearly all present, and e minister felt somewhat ashamed. One individual came up to him and asked him what he now ought of his Baby Baptism, while anoer took him by e hand and led him out of e rong. Indeed, all ose who rose up to oppose e doctrines we taught were confounded, and could not wi any success whatever combat e trus we preached. 25 At is same time Joseph wrote. We have great cause for ankfulness; e Lord has answered our Prayers and has blessed and prospered us in our Work.... We have been baptizing from time to time e best of my broer s members [who] have joined us, and oers of em are still 26 coming

11 Elder Kimball wrote at ey met often at Sister Ann Dawson s home, a widow wi whom he 27 and Elder Hyde boarded after e oer four missionaries had departed Preston. As part of eir living arrangements, e missionaries bought eir own food, which Sister Dawson cooked. They paid two shillings per week, which was apparently half what Sister Dawson could have charged, and is included coal for eir fires. The investigators and new members contributed liberally of 28 eir substance, and many blessings of a temporal nature, which sustained e missionaries. Joseph added: The church having come togeer, we fully explained to em e nature of at ordinance, and en laid our hands upon em, for e gift of e Holy Ghost, and confirmed between forty and fifty.... While attending to is ordinance e spirit of e Lord rested down upon us in a powerful manner, which caused us to rejoice exceedingly. Thus e work of e Lord spread and prevailed. 29 The History of e Church recorded a few details of is time: [Most of ose baptized had] been members of Mr. James Fielding s church, so mightily grew e word, is being only e ird Sabba of e breren in Preston. Mr. Fielding persecuted and called e Elders ieves, sheep stealers, etc., acknowledging em good judges, having stolen all e best of his flock. Sister Dawson (a widow) kindly received e Elders into her house and lodged em, which was a great blessing to e breren, as ey were quite destitute, most of e people extremely poor, and lodgings scarce; while ey went from house to house as invited, to procure eir daily meals. 30 Wi eir numbers growing, ey missionaries could no longer meet in private homes where some of eir teaching had taken place. Joseph Fielding explained: We have held our Meeting, for preaching, for e two last Sundays in e open air, and ere administered e Sacrament, and have been very comfortable, having near 40 members.... The People here are many of em poor, and not many rich will come in at 31 e straight gate. The Preston branch, which was established wi forty people late in e summer of 1837, was divided wiin just a few mons and has been divided countless times since. Today, Preston holds e longest operating unit of e Church anywhere in e world. An LDS Temple, dedicated in 1994 by Gordon B. Hinckley, en a counselor in e First Presidency, is in Chorley, ten miles sou of Preston. Elder Kimball Preaches in Walker Fold Not long after eir arrival in Preston, Joseph wrote at Elder Kimball and Elder Hyde, met wi a young woman whose heart e Lord opened so at she received our testimony and was Baptized before she left Town to go home to Walker Fold, from whence her Faer sent an 32 Invitation to Bro. Kimball to come and preach in his Church

12 Elder Kimball had taught her and a few days later he baptized her and en confirmed her at e water s edge. She asked for prayers in her behalf as she returned home, as her faer was a Presbyterian minister, prayers which Joseph and Heber offered. The next week a letter arrived from her faer inviting Elder Kimball to preach to his congregation. He wrote, Alough we be strangers to one anoer, I hope we are not strangers to our blessed Redeemer, else I would not have given out for you to preach. 33 While Heber and Joseph did not name her, Joseph Smi did. This woman was Jennetta Richards, just twenty years 34 old. The History of e Church states she was e first person confirmed in England. Shortly after her baptism. Elder Kimball wrote Willard Richards in Bedford, saying, Willard, I baptized 35 your wife today. Jennetta and Elder Richards would not meet until e following year. On Saturday e 12 of August, Elder Kimball traveled by stage coach to Walker Fold, arriving at e minister s home just before dark. He was greeted wi ese words, I understand you are e minister lately from America. Heber was fed dinner, and en commenced in a conversation which lasted till a later hour, which appeared satisfactory to e whole family. Elder Kimball stayed at e minister s home. He wrote, e next morning... [I] commenced to preach to an overflowing congregation on e principles of salvation. I likewise preached in e afternoon and evening, and ey seemed to manifest great interest in e ings which I laid before em. Nearly e whole congregation were melted down into tears. The minister invited Heber to speak Monday evening, and again on Wednesday. Elder Kimball continued: A number now began to believe e doctrines I advanced, and on Thursday six individuals, all members of Mr. Richards church came forward for baptism. Mr. Richards, now seeing e effect which my preaching produced, and fearing lest he should lose all his members, and likewise his salary, which was allowed him for preaching, told me at he must close e doors of his chapel against me, but at e same time his behavior was kind, and to his praise be it spoke, treated me wi e greatest hospitality. As a result, Heber began preaching in private homes, and during e week Mr. Richards frequently came to hear him preach. The following Sunday Heber went along wi him to his meeting, feeling a desire to hear him preach. Elder Kimball continued: After he had finished his discourse, I was surprised to hear him give out anoer appointment for me to preach in his chapel. I accordingly preached in e afternoon and in e evening, and e word seemed to be wi power... and e next day I baptized two more, bo members of Mr. Richards church. Alough Mr. Richards had preached in at place upwards of irty years, and his members, as well as e inhabitants of e place, and vicinity, were very much attached to him, yet when e fulness of e gospel was preached, alough in much weakness, e people... being convinced of eir duty, came The Walker Fold chapel where Jennetta Richards faer preached.

13 forward and followed e footsteps of e Savior, by being buried in e likeness of his dea. 36 After Mr. Richards had let me preach in his chapel, I baptized... most of e members of his church. He en... told me at I had ruined his church and had taken away all his young members. I could not but feel for e old gentleman, but I had a duty to perform which outweighed every oer consideration, and I was assured at if I sought to please man I should not be e servant of Christ. 37 In e absence of all his associates, Joseph Fielding preached one Sunday in nearby Walton. A goodly number came to hear but gave me no furer invitation. They are very worldly minded. They have what ey call a fine Man in e Church, and ey are well content. Joseph added, My Bro. James will scarcely speak to me, so I feel raer lonely. 38 Chapter 9 Endnotes, Pages : 1.This letter is e nin in e Mary Fielding Smi Collection. I have transcribed it from a copy of e original. There are tears and smudges in e letter, and in a few cases I have updated e punctuation. 2.Joanna Soucott, born in 1750, believed she possessed supernatural gifts. She was contemporary wi John Fielding, e faer of James and Joseph. About e time John began preaching in Bedford, Joanna began preaching in London and began to select e 144,000 righteous mentioned in e Book of Revelation, apparently charging e applicant a fee for is salvation. While in her sixties, she stated she was pregnant wi e Messiah. She died a few mons later, in December This letter from James was written in 1845, several mons after he learned of e dea of Hyrum Smi, Mary s husband. It is e ten and last letter in e Fielding Family Letters Collection. James named e minister, Coughy, pronounced Hie. Mr. Coughy does not even merit a footnote in Wikipedia today. 4.The imagery here is at of a man pounding e lid on a coffin. Boring e holes is what one does before hammering e nail. Clinching is e act of bending e tip of e nail after it has been placed so it cannot be removed. 5.Joseph Fielding Diary, page 6. The practice of a missionary washing his feet, or shaking e dust from his shoes after being rejected is known from bo e New Testament and e Doctrine and Covenants. See D&C 60:15; Matew 10:14. 6.Journal of Heber C. Kimball, page Pictures of LDS Church history sites in England can be found in a December 1979 Ensign article titled The Way It Looks Today: A Camera Tour of Church History Sites in Great Britain, which can be found at is link: ang=eng. Elder Kimball, in his journal published in 1840, stated at Broer Goodsen having found a room where we could be accommodated, which belonged to a widow woman, situation in Wilford street, we moved our baggage ere. Elder Kimball named e street Wilford. Oer sources say Wilfred. In any case, I cannot locate eier street from Google Maps. 8.In reading about Elder Kimball s description of is event, and en reading Joseph Fielding s words, I was quite dismayed. It didn t help at my computer shut down on its own as I finished at particular sentence

14 9.Mary Russell to Isaac Russell, 17 July I assure you it has been a time of severe trial for me to part wi you. Was it not for e suffering we have been called to pass ru and e promises at I made to e Lord at if he would deliver you out of at state of suffering I would give you up. A transcription of is letter is held in e Isaac Russell Correspondence Collection at BYU, MSS Joseph Fielding Diary, pages Journal of Heber C. Kimball, pages Life of John Taylor, page History of e Church, Volume II, pages Joseph Fielding Diary, page I have referred to is letter several times. Mercy wrote to Joseph, Mary and Mercy from Preston in e fall of This letter is e four in e Fielding Family Letters Collection. 16.Journal of Heber C. Kimball, page Joseph Fielding Diary, page Since is was my own conclusion based on a memory of an Anglo-Saxon cross which stands outside e chapel in Biddisham, Somerset County, where my ancestor James Millard was christened in 1827, I verified is wi my knowledgeable British friend and scholar Christine Skelton. She replied to my by saying, Lots of ancient towns and villages had obelisks of some kind. These were in place long before Christianity reached ese shores and were pagan worship sites. When Christianity came along, many churches were built near an obelisk so at e people could worship in church but not feel too far removed from eir pagan roots. (A kind, gentle way of weaning em from eir pagan comfort zone.) We still see many churches built on tops of hills or oer places where ey are in full view. These are frequently on old pagan sites. We have a church in Yorkshire and eir obelisk is in e graveyard just outside e church. 19.History of e Borough of Preston, page 247. This [e original] obelisk, or market cross, was taken down and anoer erected in The latter was removed in The site at present [1857] remains unoccupied. 20.Go Forward Wi Fai, e Biography of Gordon B. Hinckley, by Sheri L. Dew, Deseret Book: 1996, page Joseph Fielding Diary, page Journal of Heber C. Kimball, page Joseph Fielding Diary, pages 6-7. Joseph actually wrote, Bro. Russel and Snyder left us to go 150 miles Nor. However, Alston is only 90 miles nor. Bedford is about miles sou, and he might have been tired as he wrote in his journal. 24.James Fielding Letter, referenced earlier. 25.Journal of Heber C. Kimball, pages This same account was repeated in different detail to John Goodson who was serving in Bedford. John wrote to Isaac Russell and told of e Preston experience. This letter dated 14 August 1837, is preserved in e Isaac Russell Collection, MSS 497, held in e Special Collections Vault at BYU. 26.Joseph Fielding Diary, page Photo Essay of Church History Sites in Liverpool and e Ribble Valley, by Craig James Ostler

15 28.Journal of Heber C. Kimball, page Journal of Heber C. Kimball, page 21. This journal states at ey held e confirmation on e second Sabba, but August 6 was clearly e ird Sabba ey were in Preston, and interestingly, e History of e Church for is date clearly states at is was e ird Sabba, a detail I needed in trying to keep eir calendar straight. 30.History of e Church, Volume II, page Joseph Fielding Diary, page Joseph Fielding Diary, page Journal of Heber C. Kimball, page 22; Joseph Fielding Diary, page History of e Church, Volume II, page 504, August 4, Elder Kimball baptized Jennetta Richards at Preston, daughter of e Rev. John Richards, of Walkerfold, Chaidgley, fifteen miles from Preston, and confirmed her at e water side. This was e first confirmation in England. Sister Richards returned home e day following, Saturday, 5, and persuaded her faer to write to Elder Kimball to come and preach in his chapel. I had trouble reconciling dates wi Joseph Fielding s and Heber C. Kimball s writings, but is entry from e History of e Church cleared up at detail. Most writers of at time period spelled e name of e town Walkerfold. Except in is endnote, I have quietly changed all spellings to Walker Fold, e correct name. 35.Tru Will Prevail, page Journal of Heber C. Kimball, page Journal of Heber C. Kimball, page Joseph Fielding Diary, page