UNITED KINGDOM AND IRELAND LOCAL PAGES UNITED KINGDOM AND IRELAND LOCAL PAGES AREA LEADERSHIP MESSAGE A Continuous Change of Heart Elder Thomas Hanni Area Seventy Elder Thomas Hanni et us think of the many great truths how we turn our hearts to God and Him and if we choose to repent. L Heavenly Father made known unto to his children. Some years after her As we do this and embrace the his children since the Restoration of baptism, she travelled all alone to the Atonement of Christ, we start to turn the gospel, especially the revelations Bern Switzerland Temple to minister to the Lord with a more broken heart received during the last several years. those on the other side of the veil. We and contrite spirit. That means con- I would like us to ponder for a then met each other in Zollikofen and version. A repented soul is a con- moment on all the blessings related to this is also where we got sealed for verted soul, and a converted soul is these revelations. When thinking on time and eternity. a repented soul.3 these, don´t we feel gratitude and love As a family we feel privileged hav- Repentance is the Lord’s process for for all the guidance we receive from ing the opportunity to live in this excit- gaining spiritual growth and joy—the our prophets in this last dispensation? ing dispensation where we all together joy of redemption in Him.4 He wants Have we all felt a change in our in our home strive to do better and to us to change—to become less like the hearts due to these revelations? be better than we have done before.2 natural man5 and more like He is.6 The Savior is truly inspiring us to All of us, independent of our Prayer, scripture study, family strengthen our faith in Him, make individual situation, married, single, home evening and Come Follow Me covenants and to stay on the path divorced, widowed or finding ourselves are fundamental pillars in creating an of discipleship. in any kind of challenging circum- environment that invites us to repent The revelations we have received is stance, can repent and follow Christ. to and find durable joy and happiness. a reminder to all of us to rise up, serve True repentance is focused on Christ These efforts open the gate of and minister in a higher and holier way. and his redeeming power. It is some- heaven to pour out personal revelation As we focus on these revelations, thing personal between Him and us. and the desire for daily repentance. We repenting and becoming true minis- As the Lord speaks to our prophet, will not only choose to simply put a ters and instruments in the hands of He also speaks to us and heals us stop to a major sin as a single act, but the Lord become priority. As a conse- individually. He shows us the way and also to begin a personal journey to a quence, by following our prophet and lightens our burdens if we listen to complete change of mind. Putting the by applying these truths, we convert Him, if we turn to Him, if we follow Savior in the center of our lives, we our homes in sanctuaries of faith and start a process of changing our hearts. gospel learning centers1 where the May the Lord bless us and help us, with Lord becomes our teacher. the witness of the Holy Ghost, to find I’m eternally thankful for those our personal confirmation to the Lord’s who ministered to and shared the revelations given in these latter days restored gospel in a natural way with and to repent and to follow Him. ◼ my wife when she was fourteen years NOTES of age. She accepted the invitation 1. See Russell M. Nelson, “Becoming to follow Christ and was baptized in Exemplary Latter-day Saints,” Ensign, Nov. 2018, 113–14 Málaga, Spain. 2. See Russell M. Nelson, “Becoming Having been ministered by her Exemplary Latter-day Saints,” 113–14. 3. See Russell M. Nelson, “Repentance and friends, who helped in her youth Conversion,” Ensign, May 2007, 102-104. to draw closer to Christ, she learnt 4. See: Russell M. Nelson, “Repentance and Conversion,” 102–104. that ministering to others is part of 5. See: Mosiah 3:19. our own process of repentance. It is 6. See: 3 Nephi 27:27. February 2020 U1 LOCAL PAGES A History of a Welsh Baptism Spot By Jill Morgan n the mid-nineteenth century, bap- Map reproduced with the permission of the National library of Scotland. A good tisms took place under Wiselboom/ I quality copy can be found at: http://maps.nls.uk/view/102180122 Wistleboon Bridge in the river Lliedi, often at night (no doubt so as to avoid hecklers). Although the river is small, John Innes includes the following emigrated to Salt Lake to join Brigham there would have been deep pools information about the Church in his Young. The terrors of several simul- under the arches of the bridge, which 1902 book Old Llanelly: taneous mothers-in-law were insuffi- would have made it a suitable place “About 1845 Mormonism spread cient to deter these ardent converts.” for baptisms. like a wave over South Wales, and The ‘Longhurst of Furnace’ This 1880 Ordnance Survey map Llanelly felt the movement. The col- referred to by John Innes above may of the Sandy (Sandy is an area to liers of Caemaen and Caebad were well be William Longhurst who is the west of Llanelli, west of the area converted in large numbers, as were listed in the 1851 census living in known as Forge.) Old Castle area those of the ‘Box’; many coppermen Furnace, Llanelli, as a lodger, age of Llanelli shows the approximate also became nominally ‘Saints.’ 20 and single, in the household of position of the Wiselboom Bridge “Walter Hodge and one Bassett, David Manuel and family. This same (in red); the position of the present- were the high priests of the new faith William is listed as a son of David and day Old Castle Pond is coloured in at Llanelly, and it is even alleged that Elizabeth Longhurst, living in Furnace, blue. Caemaen colliery, for which they worked miracles! on the 1841 census. His christening the bridge was built, can be seen to “Longhurst of the Furnace was (age 3 years) is recorded in the the east of the pond. The best means an early convert, and so was David Llanelly Anglican parish registers for of access to the site currently by car Williams of Sandy Gate. They bap- 20 September 1833. He was baptized would be to enter the car park of tized at night under the Thistleboon into the Church as an adult in 1853. ‘Ramps Skate Park’ at Sandy round- or Wistleboon Bridge, near the Old The David Williams of Sandy about and access the site through the Castle. There was a ‘Latter-day Chapel’ Gate referred to by John Innes is side gate. The Wiselboom/Wistleboon in Island Place—afterwards a woolen undoubtedly this David Williams bridge is close to the Forge area of factory—the wool gathering having (1817–1888) whose history was writ- Llanelly, and convenient walking dis- assumed a commercial phase. About ten by his granddaughter, and appears tance from Seaside and Llanelli town. the time not a few Llanelly families on the familysearch.org website at: Old Castle Pond (2017, looking The south end of Old Castle Road, Llanelli northeast) on the northwest corner (2016) with the river Lliedi flowing under Looking upriver of the Lliedi as it runs along- of which is the original location of the the stone bridge left of centre side the southend of Old Castle Road (2016) Wiselboom bridge U2 Ensign UNITED KINGDOM AND IRELAND LOCAL PAGES https://familysearch. Roche. A Walter Roach Seaside) Llanelli Town/Dre, Pembrey org/photos/ appears on the 1841 Pontyberem Pontyeats Vangalch artifacts/14730977 census records for Wainbaglan/ Gwaunbaglan. ◼ In addition to his Llanelly in Forge with personal history there his father John and sib- Sources for this historical are details of the Llanelly lings. He also appears on information: branch. His granddaugh- William the list of immigrants at: Old Llanelly by John Innes. Published by the ter says: Longhurst http://welshmormon.byu. Western Mail in 1902. Hugh Jones, former member of Llanelli branch/ “In grandfather’s Welsh edu under the spelling Roach. ward (20th century) record book which I had translated. He emigrated to Utah territory in Minutes of the Llanelly Conference 1855–1861 it stated that he was baptized into the 1850 and died in Spanish Fork, Utah. – translated from Welsh and available at the Latter-Day Saint Church 11 February There were a number of branches Church History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah 1848 by Walter Rhoge (also called in the Llanelli conference/district in History of David Williams, Llanelli branch pres- ident in the 19th century and available online Roche and Roach) and confirmed the the mid-nineteenth century. In 1855– at: http://welshmormon.byu.edu same day by elders William Hughes 1861 Llanelli Branch/Conference Information and Depositions of Jenkin Hugh of and David Charles. Sarah his wife was minutes the following branches in Llanelly, Catherine his wife, Edward Chalinder, and William Lewis, as reported by Evan D. Jones baptized 30 April 1849 by elder John or near Llanelli are listed: Ffwrnais in ‘A File of “Rebecca” papers, and published in Williams, brother to grandfather. He Forge Kidwelly Lanymor/Glanymor The Carmarthen Antiquary 1943/4, Vol.