From Then until Now

OUR FOCUS SO FAR IN THIS BOOK has been on the history of the Church in the Three Counties in the mid-1800s. This final chapter shifts focus to the situation of the Latter-day Saints in these counties from that time until the present, including ways mem- bers have connected with past events. To better demonstrate those connections, we offer a brief background of events that occurred in Britain in these intervening years. Chapter 7 The Interim Period 173

Between 1840 and 1900, many British Saints emigrated to the United States. Starting in the 1880s, deep prejudices against the Church developed in England as former Church member William Jarman was delivering anti-Church lectures. A calm period fol- lowed the 1890 manifesto, which officially ended polygamy. But during the period from 1910 to 1914, various ministers and former LDS members mounted another anti-Church campaign, claiming that the missionary program was a front to enslave British girls and take them to the United States as polygamous wives. After World War I, this campaign influenced politicians, who subse- quently denied the Church’s application for missionary visas. However, appeals from Utah’s congressional delegation were successful, and in 1920, American missionaries were once again on British soil.1

174

The Field Is White and ForestofDeanbranches. Stroud, Swindon,Worcester,andYateWardstheEvesham this stakeconsistedoftheCheltenham,Gloucester,Hereford, chapel becamethehomeofnewCheltenhamStake.In2015, members toperformmissionarywork. began, andAmericanmissionarieswereevacuated,leavinglocal west London,andNorthLondon.Twoyearslater,WorldWarII Burnley, Bradford,Rochdale,MerthyrTydfil,Liverpool,South two weeks of festivities, President Grant dedicated chapels in and 52,000ofthosehademigratedtotheUnitedStates.During the firstonehundredyears,126,593personshadbeenbaptized, ebrate thecentennialofChurchinBritishIsles.During other ChurchleadersfromtheStatesjoinedlocaltocel was thefirstinThreeCountiesarea. houses. The Cheltenham chapel, dedicated on 13 December 1964, missionaries andbeganaprogramtoconstructseveralmeeting in England.Duringtheearly1960s,Churchcalledbuilding on 17 June 1960, the ManchesterStake became the first stake ple, conductedbyPresidentDavidO.MacKay.Twoyearslater, members attendedthededicationservicesofLondonTem of London,andon7–9September1958,approximately12,000 missionary activity. and encouragevigorous productivemissionaryandmember- Church and,inparticular,itsBritishdimension. three objectivesfortheSesquicentennialcelebrations: arrival inEngland.TheBritishIslesAdvisoryCommittee had commemorated the150thanniversaryoffirst missionaries’ members inHerefordshire,Worcestershire,andGloucestershire other Latter-daySaintsthroughouttheBritish Isles, Church Sesquicentennial Celebrations. From24–26July1987,alongwith Three CountiesConnectionswiththePast Seventeen years later in 1937, President Heber J. Grant and After thewar,plansandconstructionbeganonatemplesouth Objective 2:Tobringaboutagreaterinterestinthe Church Objective 1:Tocreateagreaterpublicawareness ofthe 2

3 On21March1982,this - - - - ­ Church. Church leadersgatheredoralhistoriesofBritishmembers ofthe book shouldbepublishedinBritain. felt stronglythattoreachthemarketofBritishpublic, ish Saintsinvolvedintheorganizationofcelebratoryevents Will Prevail waspublishedbyUniversityPress,Cambridge.Brit Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the British Isles titled history inBritishLatter-daySaints. Lavelle Moss wrote a guidebook to historic sites in Britain, centennial celebrationsin1987.(PhotobyCarolWilkinson.) The dedicationofHillFarmpondbyElderRussellM.Nelsonatthesesqui along withawalkingpath fromtheparkingsite. the pondwhereWilford Woodruffbaptizedsomanypeople, this memorialon25July1987.Thelandincludes the area around mission in the Three Counties; Elder Russell M. Nelson dedicated and erectedapublicmarkercommemoratingWilford Woodruff’s small pieceoflandatHillFarm,whereJohnBenbow hadlived, ish Isles,includingoneinCardiff.TheChurchhad purchaseda As partofthecelebrations,in1987ahistoryChurch Objective 3: TostimulateaprideintheChurchand Church Six regionalconferencestookplacethroughout the Brit 7

4 5 Inaddition,Jamesand Truth 6 and ­ - -

175 From Then until Now

176

The Field Is White high. ing theoldGadfieldElmchapelbutfeltasking pricewastoo Maxwell hadlookedintothepossibilityofChurch’s purchas- unsightly ruin.Priortothe celebrations in 1987, ElderNeal A. emigrate toAmerica.Neglectoverthenext152years madeitan was soldin1842toprovidefundshelpthenewBritish converts cess, waspublishedintheJanuary1987Ensign. Herefordshire,” anarticlechroniclingtheearlymissionarysuc as extrasinthefilm.Duringthiscelebratoryyear,“Harvest Three Counties area. Many local Church members participated trayed the early missionary exploits of Wilford Woodruff in the The Churchalsoproduced new book TruthPrevail Will first performedbaptisms.(PhotobyCynthiaDoxeyGreen.) Hill Farmpondmarkerplacedin1987attheplacewhereWilfordWoodruff ber of theChurch,approached anothermember, Simon Gibson, auction. animals, butin1994thelandandchapelcameup forsaleatan Restoration of Gadfield Elm Chapel. Among thecelebrations,aBritishmusicalwithtitleof Noticing theauctionposter, WayneGardner,alocalmem 8 Over the yearsit was occasionally used as a shelter for farm A StoryofStrength was performed in Bristol during 1987. The Gadfield Elm chapel , avideowhichpor - - - Elm Chapel.) poster. (CourtesyofGadfield Right: GadfieldElmauction ing experience: Then hehadthefollow- ing wasbeyondrepair. the feeling that the build- intact walls,Simonhad which hadonlythree ing conditionoftheruin, it. Surveyingtheappall- to decide whether to buy the dilapidatedbuilding Simon droveouttovisit pouring rain,Wayneand One darknightinthe chasing theproperty. cussed theideaofpur and thetwoofthemdis “At leastthefireplacewasintact .soyoucouldimaginewhere back into thecar absolutely soaked. As I sat in the car I thought, Church. because Ithinkitwouldbeimportanttothosemenand tothe just like there’s no way I’m not doing thisnow. I’ve got to do it That’s exactlywhatitwas.Icouldvisualizeit.mean it was it andhavetofacethosetwoveryformidablegentlemen.” . “There’s nowayI’mgoingintothenextlifenothaving done I’d hadthatspiritualwitnessIneededtodoit,thought, saw thoseeyesandthenIthoughtofBrighamYoung.. .Once Wilford Woodruff’seyes.Haveyoueverseenhiseyes?Oh, Ijust to doit.AndIrememberallcouldvisualizeinmymind was Because Ididn’thavethetimeorinclinationtoreallywant no doubtabout that at all, tellingme,“Doit.” Yes, definitely. there inthepouringrainandIdidhavethisspiritualprompting, thinking, “This is beyond repair.” And I must admit I just stood It waspitchblack..WayneleftmeinthereandIremember So thereIwasstandinginthe pouringrainandthenIgot - -

177 From Then until Now

178

The Field Is White sufficient money to purchase the chapel at the auction. immediately. from the owner of the barn. Work on rebuilding the chapel began the samequarry,somemberspurchasedsome ofthatstone dilapidated barnbuiltofstonefromthesametime periodand were missingfromthechapel,butonlyafewyards awaylaya Gadfield Elmchapelruin.(PhotobyAlecMitchell.) A groupoflocalmembersgottogetherandcame upwith is happeningrightnow. to thosepeople.Youknowitwouldbepowerful,whichis what same spotthatWilfordWoodruffandBrighamYoungtestified ing hereandinvitingthe kids tobeartheirtestimoniesonthe a bigdealforlotofpeople,imagineholdingtestimonymeet focal pointforthiswonderfulstory.AndIthoughtthatwouldbe message oftherestoredgospel.”Thisonespotcouldactasa Young, WilfordWoodruffandWillardRichardsallpreachedthe could sitinthatchapelandyousay,“OnthisspotBrigham where youcould,onceitwasrestored,bringyouthto..They only place,certainlytheplaceIcouldthinkofinEurope, the lecternhadbeen.”AndIthought,“Thishasgottobe 11 Whenthewallswereup, Churchheadquarters 9

10 Stones - others astheyreenactedtheconference. sented ThomasKington,WillardRichards,Wilford Woodruff and LDS chapelinBritain.Localmembersperiodcostumes repre anniversary ofthefirstconferenceinBritishIsles atthefirst held aChurchpageantinJune1995tocommemorate the155th time forthenewmillennium. chapel’s new water supply. The restoration was completed in Gadfield Elmchapel.Restoringtheoldwelloutside providedthe that hadbeenbuiltduringthesametimeperiodasoriginal obtained somepewsfromanon-conformistchapelinWales and (4)tocreatearecreationalsiteforpublicuse. awareness ofnineteenth-centuryLDShistoryintheBritishIsles, dition whenoccupiedbytheearlyLatter-daySaints,(3)toraise (2) torestorethechapelitsformernineteenth-centurycon Elm Trust.TheaimsoftheTrustwere(1)topreservechapel, cient financial aid for the project, members created the Gadfield made a donation to helppay for a newroof. To provide suffi Reconstruction onGadfieldElmchapel.(PhotobyWayneGardner.) the public. Gadfield ElmTrustbegan toproduceliteraturehelpeducate During thetimechapelwasbeingrestored,local saints 13 14 Duringthistimethe 12 TheTrust - - -

179 From Then until Now

180

The Field Is White to hispresencethatday: delighted tobeinvolved.Hedescribedthecircumstancesleading been anareapresidentforthefifteenyearsearlierandwas Castle Frome and William Carter of Ledbury. Elder Holland had had direct ancestors from the area: Ellen Benbow Carter from by ElderJeffreyR.HollandoftheQuorumTwelve,who Elm Chapelin2000.(Photoby Gerry Matthews.) Elder JeffreyR.Hollandspeaking atthededicationofrestoredGadfield The GadfieldElmchapelwasrededicatedon23April2000, hold foramonth.AndPresidentHinckleysaid,“Wellyoumight was astrikeinAdelaideandalltemplededicationswereputon they won’tdedicateGadfieldElmwithoutme,”suddenlythere ken-hearted prayersofthenightwhenIsaid,“Surely,surely trips. That’swhereI’msupposedtobetoday.Butinthebro land (laughs). Those are his [President Hinckley’s] kind of side Australia, toSuva,FijiandaquicksidetripBangkok,Thai have takenusfromFukuoka,Japan,toAdelaide, to Melbourne, Hinckley starting the first of four temple dedications that would I’m supposedtobetodayinFukouka,Japan,withPresident - - local Churchmembersreceived mediacoverageastheydressed them tothehistoryof ChurchintheUnitedStates.In1997 Counties haveengagedin anumberofactivitiesthatconnect families totravelandlearnaboutthehistoryof area. on thepropertynexttochapel,allowingyouth groupsand meetings, andseminarygraduations.Peopleareallowed tocamp area, isusedforspecialeventssuchasfiresides, ReliefSociety literature informingvisitorsofthehistoryChurch inthis sion. Thebuilding,whichnowcontainshistoric displays and of the chapel and planted an oak tree to commemorate the occa- 2004, PresidentGordonB.Hinckleyreceivedthekeys anddeed donate it.In2004theChurchacceptedoffer,andon26May Church leaderswishtotakeownershipofthechapel,theywould by GerryMatthews.) President Hinckley,WayneGardner,CherylGardner(background).(Photo Trust. Lefttoright,SimonGibson,BrianBliss,CraigGardner,Peter after thechapelisdonatedtoChurchbymembersofGadfieldElm President GordonB.HinckleyplantsanoaktreeatGadfieldElmin2004 and apostlesaren’tanswered. as wellgotoEngland.”Anddon’ttellmethatprayersofchildren Other Significant Events. The membersoftheGadfieldElmTrustfeltthatshould Local Church members in the Three 15

16

181 From Then until Now

182

The Field Is White grounds inalargemarqueethatseated1,500. The BritishPageantinChorley,onthePrestonEnglandTemple July to10August2013,over300Churchvolunteersperformedin work ofWilfordWoodruffandontheBenbowfamily.From31 Ellen BenbowCartertothemessageofgospel restoration. eant chronicledthe1840conversionofJohnandJane Benbowand mon pioneers in the Salt Lake Valley in 1847. Dymock to mark the passing of 150 years since the arrival of Mor- in pioneerclothingandtrekkedthesixmilesfromLedburyto sion totheThreeCountiesarea. of adramaticretellingtheeventsWilfordWoodruff’s mis organization oftheChurchinthatarea.Thecelebration consisted June 1840conferencethatwasheldinthechapelestablishing the Gadfield Elmchapelandcelebratedthe175thanniversary ofthe In 2015localmembersoftheCheltenhamStakecongregated at pany beforefinallyarrivinginSaltLakeCity. while crossingtheplainswithill-fatedWilliehandcartcom faith toAmerica,wheretheysufferedgreatdeprivationanddeath by WilfordWoodruffin1840,includingthefamily’sjourneyof 1987. ItfollowsthestoryofThomasOakeyfamily,baptized of theCheltenhamStake,whohadwritten LDS ConferenceCenter. the SaltLakeGlenmoorstaketoperform ham StaketraveledtoSaltLakeCityandjoinedwithmembersof occurred from 4 to 11 August 2011, when saints from the Chelten- Church. Beacon tocelebratethe175thanniversaryoffounding pulled handcartsfromMalverntowncenterupWorcestershire neer daysoftheUnitedStates.In2005,localChurchmembers Mormon roleintheirlocalhistoryincludingitslinkwiththepio The Mormonsinthe Three Counties, 1840tocreateinterestinthe Ledbury andDistrictHistoricalSocietypublishedabooklettitled Some morerecenteventshavefocusedspecificallyonthe Several typesofconnectionswereinvolvedwithaneventthat The playwaswrittenbyDavidMarkham 21 Faith:Musical atthe The Right: CastleFromemap. TruthPrevail in Will 18 17 19 In 2002 the local Partofthepag- 20 - - -

To Ro !

man He

He

re Huerta re fo ! Ro rd fo ss

& Gl rd Ma -o Wo ou ! Le n- rlee ces rc Wy dbur Beer es ter e te s, y ! r

Th ! ink Sp 00 Moorend at ial, BY U

Ge B4214 Ca Ca ogr aph st st Fa A4103 ! ! 0. y.

2M le From Bu rm e ildin ! gs

Dr o aw n by e

.4 Ka llie il Ha Hi (B es nc ! oc ll enbow Stanle ! ! k. Fa To To rm Wo Le y Hill Fa db rces ur rm

te y r ¯ ) To Hereford ¯

To Worcester

A4103

Castlee Fromo e

!

Hill Farm (Benbow Farm) B4214

!

Moorend Farm !

Worcester!

!Stanley Hill ! Ledbury Hereford !

! To Ledbury Ross-on-Wye 000.2M.4 iles Gloucester !

Roman Huerta & Marlee Beers, Think Spatial, BYU Geography. Buildings Drawn by Kallie Hancock.

184

The Field Is White was preachedattheBenbow’s home. a combinedtotalofalmost onethousandpeople.Thelastsermon Woodruff preachedthree sermonsinthreedifferentlocationsto tized inthepondonfarm.OnfollowingSunday, Elder Two dayslaterJohn,Jane,andthreeoftheirfriends werebap Benbow andhiswifeJane,whoweretenantfarmers atHillFarm. Benbow. WilliamintroducedElderWoodrufftohis brotherJohn ruff arrivedatHillFarminMarch1840company withWilliam ical contexts,especiallyforpeopledesiringtovisit the area. We hopethiswillbeusefulinprovidinggeographical andhistor- Church progressandindividualmembermissionary growth. remainder ofthischapterwillfocusontheselocationssomuch the twenty-firstcenturytotheirnineteenth-centuryroots.The Counties linkChurchmembersandotherinterestedpeopleof Sites ofimportanteventsearlyChurchhistoryintheThree Historic Sites lived. (PhotobyCarolWilkinson.) Current entrancetoHillFarm,Herefordshire,whereJohnandJaneBenbow Hill Farm and Pond. As discussed in chapter 3, Wilford Wood- 22 Thissermonmayhave - Top: Attached barn at Hill Farm. (Photo by Carol Wilkinson.) Right: Interior of attached barn at Hill Farm. (Photo by Carol Wilkinson.) Bottom: The pond at Hill Farm where Wilford Woodruff baptized his first converts. (Photo by Cynthia Doxey Green.)

186

The Field Is White Brethren. (PhotobyCynthiaDoxey Green.) Moorend Farmwasthehome of EdwardOckey,amembertheUnited grate toAmerica. provide money so that he and otherChurchmemberscouldemi Benbow. HesoldallofhisstockandpropertyinMarch1841to Ockey, amemberoftheUnitedBrethrenandfriendJohn sermon weresimilarlytouchedandalsorequestedbaptism. ruff thathewasconverted.Twoparishclerksattendinganother the arrest,buthewassomovedbyteachingofElderWood The constableagreedtoletElderWoodruffpreachbeforemaking with awarranttoarrestElderWoodruffbeforehisfinaladdress. sermons preachedearlierthatday,sentaconstabletoHillFarm Castle Frome,beingdisconcertedatthenumbersattendingtwo of JohnandJaneBenbow,thelocalparishrectorchurchin and manyconvertswerebaptizedinthepond. During thenextfewweeks,ElderWoodruffpreachedinarea, on the farmthat could accommodate a large number of people. been preachedinanattachedbarn,asthiswastheonlybuilding Pitt, whohadnotwalkedwithoutcrutchesforelevenyearsand Brethren, livedinDymock.Inthisvillage on 18May1840,Mary Dymock. Moorend Farm. MoorendFarmwasthehomeofEdward Castle Frome Church. OntheSundayfollowingbaptisms Thomas Kington, the superintendent of the United 23 - - by CynthiaDoxeyGreen.) Frome ParishChurch.(Photos Bottom: InteriorofCastle Castle FromeParishChurch. Right: TheNormanfontin Castle FromeParishChurch. Top tobottom:Theexteriorof

187 From Then until Now Above: Dymock village. (Photo by Carol Wilkinson.) Below: Dymock map.

To Hereford To Ledbury ¯ 188

B4215

4216 To Tewkesbury

! Dymock 010.5Miles

Worcester!

M50 !Hereford Ledbury!

!Ross-on-Wye

Gloucester ! Roman Huerta & Marlee Beers, Think Spatial, BYU Geography. To Gloucester Church drawing by Kallie Hancock. Below: InteriorofDymockParishChurch.(PhotobyCynthiaDoxeyGreen.) Above: DymockParishChurch.(PhotobyCynthiaDoxeyGreen.)

189 From Then until Now H

o m

e n d ¯

A C r 4 e 3 s c 8 e n t t

n

e

c

s

e

r

C

k

n

a

B

ne a Baptist L d r a Chapel h c r O

L o n

g

A

c r t e e s re St h rc hu C Market et Stre Bye House

M H a i r gh k e

t S S t r t e . e

t Worcester Road A449

A

4

1

7

Worcester! t e e tr S w e N ! Ledbury Hereford !

! Ross-on-Wye 08400F00 eet ! Gloucester

Marlee Beers, Think Spatial, BYU Geography. Buildings drawn by Kallie Hancock. H o m e n d ¯

A C r 4 e 3 s c 8 e n t t

n

e

c

s

e

r

C

k

n

a

B

ne a Baptist L d r a Chapel h c r O

L o n g Covered marketplace in Ledbury. (Photo by Carol Wilkinson.)

A c r t e e s re St h rc had been confined to bed for hu C six years, was healed of her Market infirmity by a blessing from et Stre Bye House Brigham Young, Wilford

M Woodruff,­ and Willard Rich- H a i r gh 24 k ards. By September, opposi­ e t S S t r tion to the Church was mount- t e . e t ing, and as Elder Woodruff Worcester Road preached in Dymock, a mob A449 pelted the home with any-

A thing they could lay their

4

1 hands on. They smashed win-

7 Ledbury Baptist chapel. (Photo by dows and roof tiles, creating a Cynthia Doxey Green.) raucous noise to attempt to stop the sermon, which they were not able to do.25 Worcester! t e Ledbury. The market town of Ledbury was a base for the e tr S missionaries in 1840. Brigham Young stayed there for a week. w e N Wilford Woodruff was approached by the minister of the Bap- ! Ledbury Hereford ! tist Church in Ledbury and invited to preach in the chapel. As a result of Elder Woodruff’s preaching, several members of the congregation were baptized in the font of the chapel.26 ! Ross-on-Wye 08400F00 eet ! Gloucester Left: Ledbury map. Marlee Beers, Think Spatial, BYU Geography. Buildings drawn by Kallie Hancock. To Malvern ¯

B 4 To Ross 2 0 To Tewkesbury 8

M50 Pendock

A 4 1 7

e an Playley Green ill L d. M errow R GaG dfield Elm Chapel Bromsb Lowbands

.

d

R Redmarley D'Abitot

e e g n d a i L r b e r s u u D o

H

n

w o H D B a e 4 w n cr a 2 os L s 0 La ll ne i 8 M

A 4 17 Staunton

Worcester!

! Ledbury Hereford ! To Gloucester

! Ross-on-Wye 010.5Miles Gloucester !

Marlee Beers, Think Spatial, BYU Geography. Chapel drawing by Kallie Hancock. To Malvern ¯

B 4 To Ross 2 0 To Tewkesbury 8

M50 Pendock

A 4 1 7

e an Playley Green ill L d. M errow R GaG dfield Elm Chapel Bromsb Lowbands

. d

R Redmarley D'Abitot e e g n d a i L r b e r s u u D o Top: Restored Gadfield H n Elm chapel. Right: Interior w o of restored Gadfield Elm H D B a e 4 chapel. (Photos by Carol w n cr a 2 os L 193 s 0 Wilkinson.) La ll ne i 8 M

A 4 17 Staunton

Gadfield Elm Chapel. On 4 March 1836, two of the United Brethren, Thomas Kington and John Benbow, both of the parish of Castle Froome, purchased the land known at the time as Gat- fields Elm in the parish of Eldersfield for the sum of twenty five

Worcester! pounds, for a chapel for the use of the Society of the United Breth- ren.27 In 1840, Elders Woodruff, Young, and Richards all spoke in the chapel and conducted conferences there. In September ! Ledbury of 1840, former members of the United Brethren who had since Hereford ! joined the Church gave the Gadfield Elm chapel to The Church To Gloucester of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was the first chapel the

! Ross-on-Wye 010.5Miles Left: Gadfield Elm map. Gloucester !

Marlee Beers, Think Spatial, BYU Geography. Chapel drawing by Kallie Hancock. Top: The restored well at Gadfield Elm chapel. Right: Stone in the restored Gadfield Elm chapel

The Field Is White: Harvest in the Three Counties of England commemorating the original chapel. 194 (Photos by Cynthia Doxey Green.)

Church could claim title to in Britain. In 1842, the chapel was sold to help finance emigration of Church members to America.28 As the decades passed, the building fell into disrepair, until it was purchased and restored by local Church members in 1994 and given to the Church in 2004. (See description of the purchase and restoration of Gadfield Elm chapel earlier in this chapter.) Hawcross. William Simmons was a member of the United Brethren who lived in Hawcross. On 8 April 1840, Wilford Wood- ruff and Thomas Kington preached at his home, and after the meeting, many requested baptism. As a “body of water [was] situ- ated at the bottom of the garden,” they got ready, assembled there, 1840, inDymock. to baptize.JobwaslaterbaptizedbyThomasKington on18May Woodruff thatthelatterwasanApostleandhad theauthority occasion, JobSmithreceiveddirectconfirmation fromWilford so thattheremainderofbaptismshadtobedeferred. Onthis to throwstonesatElderWoodruff,severalofthem strikinghim, and thebaptismsbegan.However,agroupofindividuals began show severalsmallponds nearwhereWilliamSimmonslived. of WilliamSimmons’shome onHawcrossLane,butearlymaps Currently thereisnopond situatedatthebottomofgarden 29

Cynthia DoxeyGreen.) Simmons. (Photosby the homeofWilliam pond inHawcrossnear home, Hawcross.Left:A Top: WilliamSimmons

195 From Then until Now ¯ Ma ! He rl ee refo To

Be The Field Is White ! er Ro Ch Le rd s,

ss help inaccomplishingthis goal. Benbow andThomasKington madefinancialcontributionsto ately traveledtoManchester tostartthepublications.BothJohn Mormon andahymnbookinEngland.BrighamYoung immedi after theyheldameeting,decidedtopublish theBookof Beacon accompaniedbyBrighamYoungandWillard Richards; of therestoration.On20May1840,hewenttoHerefordshire Elder Woodruffwouldoftenretireheretocontemplate thework was thesiteofanIronAgehillfort(asshownin photograph). side. Itisonprivateproperty,butvisiblefromthe road. junction withInnerstoneLane,nexttotheroadon righthand situated onHawcrossLaneapproximately300meterswestofthe Baptisms mighthavetakenplaceinthepondpictured,whichis Above: HerefordshireBeaconmap. Thin an Gl db -o Wo ou ! k ces n- Le ur Herefordshire Beacon. Thishill,partoftheMalvernHillsarea, Sp cester rcester Wy db at y ial, Pi ur e BY tc y ! ! U h B Ge 4 og 2

ra 1

01 8 ph y.

Drawin

A 4

g 49 of

Herefo 0. rd 5M 30 sh

ir HeH Wy e Beac e re re nd Be on

by s Po fo fo ac Ka r rd llie Ha d int on sh shire nc il oc es i r k. e B4 232

Li A4 - 49 ttle Ma To To Ma Upto Gr

A lv lv

4 er er ea 1 n 04 n n t To Great ¯ Malvern

8 49 21 4 B4 2 A 3

2

B4 Wynds Point Little Malvern

04 Chances Pitch A449 A41 To Upton HeHereforrddshireire To Ledbury Beacon

Worcester!

Top: Malvern Hills; Herefordshire Beacon

! on the far left. Right: Hereford ! Ledbury Iron Age fort ruins on Herefordshire Beacon. (Photos by Cynthia ! Ross-on-Wye Doxey Green.) 010.5Miles Gloucester ! 197 Marlee Beers, Think Spatial, BYU Geography. Drawing of Herefordshire Beacon by Kallie Hancock.

Conclusion

The historical events described in this book have shown that when Wilford Woodruff arrived at Hill Farm in March 1840, the ground had been prepared and the field was white, ready for the great harvest of souls that took place over the next few years. In addition to the missionary work of Elder Woodruff, other Apos- tles and missionaries labored in this critical endeavor to bring the message of the restored gospel to a people seeking further light and knowledge. While records are inconsistent and incomplete, from the available information we know that many converts emigrated to the United States soon after baptism while others stayed behind for a time. Of those who did not leave with the early groups,

198

The Field Is White today. others oftherootskingdomtheyarecontinuingtobuild variety ofperformancesandactivitiestoremindthemselves members from across England and across oceans, toengage in a local ChurchmembersfromtheThreeCounties,oftenjoinedby events ofthistimegreatharvesthaveprovidedalegacyfor tion tothefaithfulnessofconvertswhowentAmerica.The away fromtheChurch.WilfordWoodruffcalledparticularatten remained faithfultotheirnewfoundbeliefsandsomedrifted with anygroupofpeoplewhoexperiencechange,someconverts some eventuallyemigrated,andothersremainedinEngland.As 10 9. 8. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1. Notes

Lake City,24. Jennifer Mason,”M274.2C516c1987,ChurchHistoryLibrary,Salt Written andResearchedbyMembersoftheCheltenhamStake,ed. Jesus ChristofLatter-daySaintsintheCheltenham,EnglandStake, 2010; “AHeritageofLove:AnAccounttheHistoryChurch 2010. 2010. Christ ofLatter-day SaintsintheBritishIsles ers Press,1987). Regional StudiesinLatter-day SaintChurch History: The BritishIsles Monmouth, inauthor’spossession. Gloucestershire, England,inauthor’spossession. Presidency, 4. Isles AdvisoryCommittee,March1985,OfficeoftheEuropeArea Carol Wilkinson,“TheRestoration oftheGadfieldElmChapel,”in Simon Wayne Gardner,interviewbyCarolWilkinson,31 May 2005, David Cook,personalcommunication,Solihull,England, 2006. James MossandLavelleMoss, V. BenBloxhamtoJamesR.Moss,21March1986. 1987 BritishSesquicentennialCelebrations:Reportofthe “Country Information:UnitedKingdom,” “Country Information:UnitedKingdom,” “Country Information:UnitedKingdom,” Gibson, interview by Carol Wilkinson, 13 September 2006, Historic Sitesof The Church ofJesus Church News, Church News, Church News, 1 (SaltLakeCity:Publish 1 1 February February February - - , 27. 26. 25. 24. 23. 22. 21. 20. 19. 18. 17. 16. 15. 14. 13. 12. 11.

shire, England. /gadfield-elm-at-175-4/. /england/bristol/ensign/1998-03.html. Seasons 2,no.9(1March1841):329. Grantees) ofthe Other Part Dated 4 March 1836,” 9 October 1984, Grantor) oftheOnePartand JohnBenbowandThomasKington(as 48–51. and Dennis A. Wright (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, 2007), ed. CynthiaDoxey,RobertC.Freeman,RichardNeitzelHolzapfel, City, 1. journal, (ca.1857–58),”MS11746,ChurchHistoryLibrary, SaltLake Hereford Times pageant.org/character-bios/. -british-pageant. /truth-will-prevail-uk-mormons-honour-british-heritage-in-the British Pageant,”http://www.mormonnewsroom.org.uk/article Deseret News , 3August2011. scribed byCarolWilkinson. April 2000,videotapeinpossessionofauthorCarolWilkinson,tran Chapel,” MormonHistorialStudies7,no.1–2(2006):93–94. V. BenBloxham,“DeedofConveyanceBetweenThomas Shipton (as Wilford Woodruff,“ElderWoodruff’sLetter[Concluded],” Allen, Esplin,andWhittaker, Woodruff, “Moorend Allen, Esplin,andWhittaker, “Gadfield Elmat175,”http://bycommonconsent.com/2015/06/13 “ “Truth WillPrevail!UKMormonsHonourBritishHeritageinThe Joseph Walker,“English,U.S.Mormonsjoinforcestocreate‘Faith,’” England BristolMissionAlumniWebsite,http://www.mission.net Wilkinson, “TheRestorationoftheGadfieldElmChapel,”55–57. Jeffrey Head, Simon Gibson,interviewbyCarolWilkinson,11August2005. The GadfieldElmTrust,“ Wayne Gardner,personalcommunication,31May2005,Gloucester British Pageant: Truth Will Prevail, R. J. “Creating a MormonMecca in England: The Gadfield Elm R. Holland, address at dedication of Gadfield Elm chapel, 23 Farm, Castle Frome, Herefordshire, to Sell By Auction,” Leaves from MyJournal, 131–32. , 27March1841;EdwardOckey,“reminiscenceand The GadfieldElm Trust” (brochure,1996). Men withaMission,124–25. Men withaMission,199. ‘CharacterBios,’”http://british Times and - -

199 From Then until Now

200

The Field Is White 28. 30. 29.

/view/23/47/. Record Office,London. 1–2, transcriptfromaphotographiccopyoftheinPublic 4809, ChurchHistoryLibrary,SaltLakeCity. “The HistoryofGadfieldElmChapel,”www.lds.org.uk/content Allen, Esplin,andWhittaker, Job TaylorSmith,“JobSmithAutobiography,circa1902,”1–2,MS Men withaMission,151.