Wilford Woodruff, Fourth President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints: History of His Life and Labors, as Recorded in His Daily JournalsWoodruff, Wilford
Religion
Wilford Woodruff, Fourth President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints: History of His Life and Labors, as Recorded in His Daily Journals
Woodruff, Wilford
Woodruff, Wilford, 1807-1898
"The day after, we all started to go through the city of London to see
if we could find a man with the spirit of God; and after wandering
through the city, not knowing whither we went, we came upon a man whom
we stopped, and to whom we spoke. Brother Kimball asked him if he was a
preacher. He said he was. He seemed to have a good spirit, and informed
us that he had been in America, and had come to London for the purpose
of going to South Australia, but had just buried one child and another
lay at the point of death. Brother Kimball told him his child should
live. He gave us some information where we could preach. On the same
day we called upon him and found his child better, but he was not at
home. We then went and heard a Calvinist preach, and he gave us an
invitation to call and see him. Next day we again went over the city to
see if we could find any of the children of God. We found one man and
his household who received our testimony, and he opened his doors for
us to preach. We appointed a meeting at his house for Sunday evening.
His name was Corner, and he lived at 52 Ironmonger Row, St. Luke's
Parish, near the church.
"We had spent twelve days in going to and fro through London, trying to
find a people willing to receive our testimony; but finding the doors
shut against us, we determined to go into the streets and lift up our
voices in the name of God. Accordingly, Elders Kimball, Smith, and
myself started on Sunday morning, August 30, walked three miles, and
stopped in Tabernacle Square, Old Street, where we found an Aitkenite
preaching to the people. He was followed by a Presbyterian. Just as
the latter was about to begin, Elder Kimball informed him that there
was a preacher from America present who would like to speak when he
got through. The preacher then informed the people that there was an
American minister present, and proposed that he should speak first.
Elder George A. Smith got into the chair and spoke about twenty
minutes; then the Presbyterian spoke. George A. had informed the people
that there were two other American preachers present who would like to
address them, and, when the Presbyterian closed, {124} Elder Kimball
asked him if there would be any objection to our preaching there at
3 o'clock. He answered, 'No, not at all. To what denomination do you
belong?' 'To the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,' was the
reply. 'Oh, I have heard of them,' he said; 'they are a bad people;
they have done much hurt; they divide churches; we don't want to hear
you.' He then mounted the chair again and said to the people: 'I have
just heard that the last man who spoke belongs to the Latter-day
Saints,' and he began to rail against us. Elder Kimball asked him to
let him step into the chair to give out an appointment for a 3 o'clock
meeting, but he would not. Brother Kimball then raised his voice and
informed the people that some American preachers would speak there at 3
o'clock.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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