These first two pictures are in the center of Preston. This is where the first 7 missionaries that came to England began their preaching. These missionaries included Heber C. Kimball, Orson Hyde, Willard Richards, Joseph Fielding, John Goodson, Isaac Russell, and John Snyder. Missionary work in the church was not like it was today. They often preached to large crowds in town centres like this one in Preston. Elder Heber C. Kimball of the Council of the Twelve later recalled: “On Sunday, the 4th day of June, 1837, the Prophet Joseph came to me, while I was seated in front of the stand [of the Kirtland Temple], and whispering to me, said, ‘Brother Heber, the Spirit of the Lord has whispered to me: “Let my servant Heber go to England and proclaim my Gospel, and open the door of salvation to that nation.”
This was where the missionaries stayed in their initial time in Preston. During their stay here, they began to doubt themselves and the work they were embarking on. If you put yourself in their shoes, you would be hesitant as well. Many of the missionaries recounted a night that dispelled all of their fears. They were praying about the work in Preston and they recounted evil spirits overtaking the house and all of them. It was after this experience that they decided that Satan did not want them there and that Preston was where they needed to be.
This beautiful park in Preston holds a lot of significance to the members of the church. Within the park, multiple plaques can be found that commemorate the missionary work that has taken place here. The park is on the banks of the River Ribble, where the first members in England were baptized. Below are some of the plaques that I found when I was able to visit.
This tree is the Missionary Oak that was planted by the young men and women of a local stake to remember and look forward to the past, present, and future missionaries that have or will serve in this country.
This is the River Ribble. It was amazing to be able to be here and take in the Spirit that is present here. While I was there I had a sense of joy and excitement. I can only imagine as those many members got into the river to be baptized, how excited they were. I know when I was baptized as a member of this church, I did not know how blessed I was. If only I could have known then what I know now, I would have been as overjoyed as I am sure these individuals were.
This was another location where the early missionaries preached in Preston. This was where the first church conference in Britain was held, along with other church meetings and services. It is called The Old Cock Pit because before becoming a gathering place for the Mormons, it was a cock fighting ring. It was abandoned when the missionaries came along, but the space was perfect for the missionaries to use.
The last stop on our mini-Preston tour, is the Preston temple. The temple is the second to be opened in the United Kingdom and it was announced in 1992. President Hinckley, who was the prophet and president of the church at the time, also served his mission here in the 1930s. It was dedicated in 1998 and has even houses the Preston MTC on the premises.
It was while I was in the Preston temple that I was able to really feel of the members of the church here today. I was able to speak with a lot of them and feel of their excitement and their gratitude toward the gospel and the blessings that it brings to them. I am so grateful to have been able to visit these early church history sites up here in Preston. It really strengthened my testimony to not only learn about these sites but to be able to visit them as well. Below is a picture I took while on the temple grounds, something I do at every temple I visit.
Quotes were taken from LDS talks and can be found at these links.
https://www.lds.org/ensign/1971/09/history-of-the-church-in-great-britain?lang=eng
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