History The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in England

1 history

1.1 1837-1841: first mormon missionaries reach england

1.1.1 united brethren donate gadfield chapel


1.2 1841–1900: growth in british isles
1.3 twentieth century
1.4 1950-2000
1.5 since 2000

1.5.1 mormon helping hands service projects
1.5.2 truth shall prevail summer pageant
1.5.3 m mormon

history

the lds church traces origins western new york state in usa. church s history defined in part missionary activities, , england 1 of earliest places proselytised, due shared language. members english, of english origin, living in usa.

1837-1841: first mormon missionaries reach england

the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints began in united states, , taken england after revelation received heber c. kimball, member of quorum of twelve apostles in 1837. in revelation saw joseph smith, called him proclaim gospel in england. shortly after, several other missionaries called well. these men included heber c. kimball, orson hyde, willard richards, , joseph fielding. left kirtland, ohio on june 13, 1837. 3 other missionaries, john goodson, isaac russell, , john snyder, called go england. joined missionaries kirltand in new york, , group set off on july 1 on vessel garrick.

the missionaries arrived @ liverpool on 20 july 1837. went coach preston 2 days later, joseph fielding had brother briefly allowed them preach in vauxhall chapel. election day in preston, , coach arrived missionaries noted large banner in bold gilt letters bore inscription “truth prevail”, took omen work.

the following day invited preach congregation of reverend james fielding, joseph fielding s brother. elder kimball first spoke @ meeting, followed elder hyde. missionaries invited return vauxhall chapel twice after that. however, after seeing of members following mormons, reverend fielding no longer allowed missionaries in.

within week, 9 of fielding s flock sought baptism, took place on sunday morning july 30, 1837 in nearby river ribble, before crowd of thousands. 1 of these new converts ann elizabeth walmesley, invalid miraculously healed after baptism. convert george d. watt. on 6 august 1837 first branch of church established in preston, remains today oldest continuously functioning unit of lds church.

in september 1837 group obtained, through preston temperance society, access building in preston known cockpit meetings began held regularly, including first general conference of lds church in uk on christmas day 1837. conference there several branches, or small congregations, established in alston, bedford, whittle, daubers, hunter s hill, chatburn, , penwortham, among other cities. mission conference held in april of following year , church had grown on 15,200 in membership. @ conference, joseph fielding called mission president elders richards , clayton counselors. hyde , kimball left after conference liverpool.

on 8 april 1838 second conference held @ joseph fielding became president of british mission , willard richards , william clayton became counselors. on 20 april 1838 other members of first mission, not staying on, left liverpool return united states aboard, once again, ship garrick.

the united brethren donate gadfield chapel

in 1838 joseph smith, leader of lds church, had announced quorum of twelve should travel united kingdom on mission. arrived between january , april 1840. among first apostles arrive wilford woodruff who, in march 1840, introduced leaders of united brethren , began preaching congregation. constable had been sent rector of parish warrant arrest him. @ close of meeting 7 people offered baptism, including 4 preachers , constable. within 18 days 2 of influential members of united brethren, john benbow , thomas knighton, baptised. thirty days later woodruff had baptised 45 preachers , 160 members of united brethren, put hands gadfield elm chapel , 45 houses licensed preaching. 1841 1,800 additional people had converted, including 1 of 600 united brethren. gadfield elm chapel became first chapel of latter-day saints in united kingdom , oldest extant chapel of lds church , restored between 1994–2000.

in may 1840 first issue of latter-day saints millennial star, magazine british latter-day saints, printed. published regularly until 1970 becoming longest continuously published periodical of lds church. end of 1840 there 3626 church members in britain.

1841–1900: growth in british isles

richly-bound copies of book of mormon presented queen victoria , prince albert elder lorenzo snow, received audience majesty in 1841. on occasion queen victoria autographed album of elder snow s, became prized possession in family. elder sister, eliza r. snow prominent poet , songwriter of era. commemorated occasion of brother meeting queen in poem queen victoria , includes verse: o influence bend, influence of royalty; messiah s kingdom extend, , zion s nursing mother be. though on millions called reign, herself powerful nation s boast; twould everlasting gain, serve king, lord of hosts. time, time near @ hand, give glorious period birth: son of god take command, , rule nations of earth.

by 1850 british membership had risen 30,747 members (which more total in united states @ time) , further 7,500 had emigrated united states. following death of joseph smith , subsequent migration west of latter-day saints nauvoo salt lake city, migration british isles united states increased greatly. emigration aided church s perpetual emigration fund.

the pearl of great price, part of standard works of lds church, first compiled in liverpool in 1851 franklin d. richards. within year had been translated welsh.

in 1877 half of 140,000 mormons in utah of british origin. migration leave mark upon utah, of 2000 had highest percentage of population claiming english descent (29%) of state in usa. 1892 church membership still in british isles had fallen 2,604, despite around 111,330 baptisms occurring between 1837 , 1900 in similar period of time @ least 52,000 , 100,000 members had emigrated united states.

many of these converts migrated united states join main body of church in pioneer movement west. john moon brought first company of 4 converts him on ship britannia liverpool in june 1840. 800 members made voyage next year. writing of members preparing 1 such ocean voyage, charles dickens described these pioneer latter-day saints in chapter 22 of book uncommercial traveller as, estimation, pick , flower of england . in june 1894, however, latter-day saint leaders in america had begun encourage european members remain in homelands , build church in countries.

the emigrants statue, located in albert dock, liverpool, commemorates mormon emigration port of liverpool


early twentieth century

the london missionaries of church of jesus christ of latter-day saints held musical conference on october 9, 1910 @ deseret , high road, tottenham. 1910 conference program lists name of mission president, w. p. monson , mission clerk, i. owen horsfall , 39 missionaries: william r. worley, daniel f. o. norris, edw. r. dimond, john c. tuddenham, henry kidman, nephi j. brown, elijah gilbert, lester j. robins, john h. eccles jr., edgar m. wright, edw. e smith, albert e. read, robert t. petty, james h. carter, john g. darley, warren shurtliff, john m. richards, james w. blasdel, warren sirrine, james s. nalder, chas. h. baker, percy l. labrum, chas. b. petty, james shepherd, everard l. mcmurrin, thos. a. abel, geo. t. darley, garnett w. carlisle, henry l. jensen, thos. s. davis, w. g. wagstaff, w. a. brown, jr., jas. w. saville, wm. l. coburn, carl eddington, ezra sorensen, alex c. crawford, jennis l. crawford, joseph eccles.

in february 1913 anti-mormon riot in sunderland possibly led death of american missionary elder ralph h. hendricks though death certificate stated died fever , lds church s own publication s obituary stated died after two-month illness.

when first world war broke out in 1914 american lds missionaries in united kingdom evacuated usa. not return in significant numbers until mid-1920 when home office relaxed immigration controls, had been in place since end of first world war.

a well-organised anti-mormon campaign mounted various ministers , latter-day saints had turned church. lectured , published pamphlets accusing missionary programme of being disguise americans enslave british girls polygamous wives. movie trapped mormons, inspired winnifred graham s book of same title, inspired widespread anti-mormon rhetoric throughout british isles. missionaries in era attacked. crusaders baited home secretary winston churchill , british home office persuade parliament expel latter-day saint missionaries , refuse entry more of them. churchill led way in opposing exaggerated claims , collecting favorable police reports key cities. when mormon question came in parliament again, churchill said although had not completed investigation, had found nothing against mormons.

in 1937 church leaders in united kingdom celebrated centennial of church in british isles. during first 100 years, 126,593 people had been baptised, , 52,000 of these had immigrated united states.

after outbreak of second world war american lds missionaries again evacuated. completed 1940 when british mission president hugh b. brown returned usa. in place local latter-day saint, andre k. anastasiou, appointed. brown returned uk on 29 march 1944 , took presidency. american missionaries begin return in 1946. in 1944 additional 68 congregations formed across country.

1950-2000

in 1950s emigration united states began discouraged , local congregations proliferated. first lds temple in england london temple, known london england temple, dedicated in 1958 , located south of london in newchapel, surrey.

according d. michael quinn, in late 1950s through 1960s new focus on growth in convert numbers led introduction of youth baptism program , became colloquially known baseball baptism program . used baseball , other team sports way bring young teenage boys lds church. introduced president t. bowring woodbury, led british mission october 1958 january 1962, dramatically increased baptism rate new converts (in 1962 there 12,000 converts alone) controversy on focus on numbers, pressure on missionaries british mission headquarters , use of deception boys agree baptism led program being ended 1965, , excommunications (which process of cancelling membership @ time) of of inactive new converts followed.

during same period lds church engaged in massive building program. prior presidency of david o. mckay british lds congregations met in rented rooms , buildings. considered detriment lds church s proselytizing , in 1960s large number of chapels constructed around british isles.

in 1970s, mormon sex in chains case brought church unwanted publicity in national newspapers. young mormon missionary named kirk anderson went missing in 1977, in ewell, surrey, after abducted steps of church meetinghouse. few days later freed anderson made report police had been abducted, driven devon, , imprisoned against will, chained bed in cottage, joyce bernann mckinney (b. august 1949) — former (1973) miss wyoming world — had abducted, attempted seduce, , raped him. case became known many sobriquets, including mormon sex in chains case , case of manacled mormon . coverage extensive in part because case considered anomalous, involving did issue of rape of man woman. in 2010 documentary filmmaker errol morris made tabloid (2010), based on media sensation surrounding story.

in 1998 lds church opened new missionary training centre in chorley, lancashire.

since 2000

based on studies of information submitted genealogical society, estimated 80 percent of members of church in world today of british extraction.

in 2014 tom phillips, former lds stake president, brought private prosecution fraud against current president of church thomas monson through british courts. after summons thomas monson issued westminster magistrates court, case thrown out senior district judge howard riddle ruled case abuse of process of court , court being manipulated provide high-profile forum attack religious beliefs of others .

mormon helping hands service projects

the church opens mormon helping hands programme in britain. project runs off of donations , volunteer work church members, , provides service in local communities latter-day saints live there.

truth shall prevail summer pageant

in summer of 2013 united kingdom hosted first official church pageant outside of north america. titled truth prevail , told story of missionary efforts in britain. pageant included 33 core cast members, 300 family cast, , 150-voice choir.

m mormon

2013 saw opening of tony award-winning broadway production called book of mormon on london s west end, interpreted provocative, creators , church members too. lds reacted putting advertisements on london underground , buses, many of them pointing website associated m mormon campaign. many english members have posted own views , testimonies on website.