History of Utah, 1540-1886 - Brigham Young University

MISSION TO ENGLAND. 405
casion Parley attended, and was invited to speak, but
declined, preferring to give a special call, which he
did. At the appointed hour the rooms were filled;
at the close of a powerful discourse another meeting
was called for, and then another. Taylor became
more and more interested ; he once accompanied Parley
into the country where he had promised to
preach ; at length, with Mrs Taylor, he was baptized.
Thus was a shining light brought into the church, a
branch of which was now established in Toronto, and
was the forerunner of the mission work in Great Britain.
10
During the year 1837, Heber C. Kimball and Orson
Hyde, of the quorum of the twelve, accompanied by
Willard Richards, were placed at the head of a mission
to England, the members of which were drawn from
elders of the church in Canada, and several of whom
were English, or had friends in England. The elders
chosen were Joseph Fielding, Isaac Russell, John
Goodson, and John Snider. 11 Taking ship for Liverpool,
where they arrived on the 20th of July, 12 apostles
Kimball, Hyde, and Willard Richards landed
without the means of paying for their first night's
lodging; but the remainder of the party furnishing the
funds, all secured apartments in the same dwelling,
and two days later took coach for Preston. Here at
Vauxhall Chapel, then in charge of the Rev. James
Fielding, brother to Elder Fielding, the doctrines of
Mormonism were first proclaimed in Great Britain,
Kimball giving a brief account of the origin of the
church, and of the teachings of the book of Mormon.
10 After ministering at Toronto and its neighborhood for about two months,
the apostle announced that he must return to Kirtland, and, as he relates, on
the eve of his departure several hundred dollars were placed in his hands,
though he had asked no one for money, and none knew that the main reason
for returning was to arrange for the payment of his debts. Parley again
visited Toronto in April 1836, and labored there until spring of the following
year. Id. , 1G6. In 1841 , elders Morrison and Bates were preaching near Kingston.
Times and Seasons, ii. 415. About two years later, Ben. Brown and
Jesse W. Crosby preached in Montreal and Quebec. /'/. , vi. 7GG-7.
11 Utah Pioneers, 33d Ann., 26; Pratt's Autobiog., 183; l\mes and Seasons,
iii. 879.
12 On board the Garrich.