England - Day 8 (Preston)

 Dad and I did a session in the Preston temple this morning and then we set off to visit Church history sites.

 Special visitors to the temple.

 But without temple recommends they try to sneak in the back door.

 Typical England......small cars everywhere.

 We were blessed to link up with a small tour group of educators from BYU-Idaho.  Their guide is the man who wrote the mini guide from which I’m taking all of the summaries of the places we visited.  His name is Peter Fagg.

Wadham Road

In June 1933 Gordon B. Hinckley (as a young missionary) and his companion lived at 15 Wadham Road (see above photo).  It was from this house he wrote a discouraging letter home stating he felt like he was wasting his time and his father’s money.  His father wisely replied, “I have only one suggestion: forget yourself and go to work.”  That same day he read the scripture: “whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it” (Mark 8:35).  He knelt in prayer and recommitted himself to the work.  This event was a turning point in his life.

“That July day in 1933 was my day of decision.  A new light came into my life and a new joy into my heart.  The fog of England seemed to lift, and I saw the sunlight.  Everything good that has happened to me since then I can trace back to the decision I made that day in Preston.” – Gordon B. Hinckley

 Flag Market

On 22 July 1837 the first seven LDS missionaries to Britain arrived in Preston’s market square (namely: Heber C. Kimball, Orson Hyde, Willard Richards, Joseph Fielding, Isaac Russell, John Goodson, and John Snider).  The day they arrived the town was alive with election fever as politicians campaigned for their respective parties with flags and banners.  Heber C. Kimball recalled:

I never witnessed anything like it in my life.  Bands of music playing.  Flags flying in all directions.  Thousands of men, women, and children parading the streets, decked with ribbons characteristic of the politics of the several candidates.  Anyone accustomed to the peaceable and quiet manner in which the elections in America are conducted, can scarcely have any idea of an election as carried on in England. (Whitney p. 122)

Heber C. Kimball continued, One of the flags was unrolled before us, nearly over our heads, the moment the coach reached its destination, having on it the following motto: ‘Truth Will Prevail’ in large gilt letters…we cried aloud ‘Amen!  Thanks be to God, Truth Will Prevail.”

The Elders preached beneath this obelisk on a number of occasions where “both rich and poor…flocked from all parts to ‘hear what these dippers had to say.’” (The Elders were often referred to as ‘dippers’ due to baptism by immersion.)

In June 1933 Gordon B. Hinckley arrived in Britain as a young missionary.  The first area he was assigned to was Preston where his companion, Elder Kent S. Bramwell, announced they were going to hold a street meeting in this Market Square.  Elder Hinckley felt overwhelmed by such a prospect and declared “You’ve got the wrong man to go with you.”  Nonetheless, that evening the two of them were here singing, preaching and bearing testimony.  Elder Hinckley recalls: I was terrified.  I stepped up onto that little stand, looked at that crowd of people, and wondered what I was doing there.  They were dreadfully poor and looked to have absolutely no interest in religion.”

 Dad next to a real Mini.

 Missionary Lodgings

(I took this picture because this is where the front doors used to be.)

The missionaries first lodged in the white house on the corner of St. Wilfrid Street and Fox Street.  After being in Preston for just one week the Elders had nine people ready for baptism on Sunday 30 July 1837.  In the early hours of that Sabbath morning Elder Russell was tormented by evil spirits and asked Elders Kimball and Hyde to give him a blessing.  Suddenly, “…a vision was opened to our minds, and we could distinctly see the evil spirits, who foamed and gnashed their teeth at us.  We gazed upon them about an hour and a half…we saw the devils coming in legions…they came towards us like armies rushing to battle…and I shall never forget the vindictive malignity depicted on their countenances as they looked me in the eye.”

That same day Reverend James Fielding, who had previously been very helpful to the Elders, arrived here to forbid them to baptize the nine people.  Heber wisely responded, “They are of age, and can act for themselves; I shall baptize all who come unto me, asking no favors of any man.”

The prophet Joseph Smith later told Heber that when he heard of this attack “…it gave me great joy, for I then knew that the work of God had taken root in that land.  It was this that caused the devil to make a struggle to kill you.” (Whitney p. 132)

 Avenham Park

As you enter Avenham Park you will see the River Ribble (the baptism site) running through the bottom of the park, and, to your right, a fenced garden.  Within this enclosure are three LDS plaques.  The largest (1987) commemorates the first baptisms, next to that (1987) is the Missionary Oak & Plaque in honor of all those who have served missions in Britain, and around the corner is a tree & plaque (1999) erected in honor of the thousands of British converts who strengthened the church.

The traditional site for the first baptisms is on the opposite side of the River Ribble just upstream from the bridge.  Two of the first nine converts were so eager they had a foot race to the water’s edge to see who would be the first British baptism.  George D. Watt was the lucky winner.

“The circumstance of baptizing in the open air being somewhat novel, a concourse of between seven and nine thousand persons assembled on the banks of the river to witness the ceremony.” – Heber C. Kimball

Check out that last paragraph.  We're Christians! :)

Old Cock Yard (I didn't get a picture because there's nothing there.)

Old Cock Yard was the home to two early converts called Alexander and Ellen Neibaur [my relatives!].  Alexander was Jewish and Ellen was from Lancashire, and they were both baptized in the River Ribble on April 9, 1838.  They emigrated to Nauvoo, Illinois in February 1841 where Alexander tutored the Prophet Joseph Smith in German and Hebrew.  Alexander found his dentistry skills in great demand in Nauvoo and later on in Salt Lake.  He was dentist to Brigham Young’s family and many other well known church leaders.  He also holds the distinction of being the author of one of the few journal accounts of the First Vision.  The respected LDS scholar Hugh Nibley is a descendant of this couple.