Preston, England

From August 19-22, Marty and were in Preston, England to attend the Mission Presidents' Seminar for the Europe Area. In our four days in England we had wonderful uplifting and spiritual meetings directed by our Area Presidency, took a walking tour of early church history sites in the Preston Area, and attended a session at the London Temple. We stayed in the Preston Marriott, which has been developed from a lovely old English manor house.

The River Ribble where the first nine British saints were baptized by Heber C. Kimball. In two years there were over 1500 converts.

Scenes in the village of Downham. Heber C. Kimball baptized many here and in the neighboring village Chatburn. This village is largely kept as it was in the 1800's, and the church has helped somewhat with the preservation. Elder Kimball had been advised not to go to these villages because he was told that the people had hard hearts and could not be persuaded. He felt the need to go there anyway and preached in a barn and on stone walls to large groups of people and baptized many--saying that in one night they were"engaged in this delightful duty until four o'clock the next morning." When Elder Kimball and his companions left the villages, they were followed out of the towns by many people who tearfully begged them to stay. Heber C. Kimball wrote in his mission journal, "While contemplating this seen (sic) we were induced to take off our hats, for we felt as if the place was holy ground--the spirit of the Lord rested down upon us, and I was constrained to bless that whole region of country, we were followed by a great number, a considerable distance from the villages who could hardly separate themselves from us. My heart was like unto theirs, and I thought my head was a fountain of tears, for I wept for several miles after I bid them adieu."