VOL. 2. NO. 9.] CITY OF NAUVOO, ILLINOIS, . [Whole No. 21.
THEOLOGICAL.
[ORIGINAL.]
ELDER WOODRUFF'S LETTER
[Concluded.]
During my stay in the Potteries, there
were 40 added to the church by baptism
and many new doors opening; and in
the midst of the prosperity of the work,
as I arose to speak before a large con-
gregation in Honly, on the 1st day of
March, the Lord manifested unto me
that it would be the last time I should
warn that people for many days, and
as I arose and informed the people it
would be the last time they would hear
my voice for many days, they marvel-
ed, for they expected, as well as my-
self, when I entered the house, that I
should spend months in there midst; but
the ways and thoughts of God are not
like our ways and thoughts in every
respect. On the day following Elder
Turley returned from Birmingham, we
counciled together thinking it best for
me to go to Birmin[g]ham and try to open
doors and establish the work in that
city, and leave the Potteries in the
hands of Elder Turley; but beleiving
it to be my privilege and duty to know
the will of the Lord upon the subject,
therefore, I asked my Heavenly Fa-
ther in the name of Jesus Christ to
teach me his will in this thing, and as
I asked, the Lord gave, and showed
me that it was his will that I should go
immediately to the south of England.
I conversed with brother William Ben-
bow Angeline Goforth McAllister Gabbotto had lived
in Herefordshire and had friends still
residing there, and much wished me to
visit that region of country, and gen-
erously proffered to accompany me to
his brother's house and pay my fare,
which I readily accepted; and on the
4th of March we left the Potteries and
traveled 80 miles together, and in the
evening arrived at the house of Mr.
John Benbow, at Frooms Hill, Castle
Froom, Herefordshire. I would here
remark, that as you have already pub-
lished a letter from me, giving a brief
sketch of some of my labor there, and
we have also published in the Millen-
nial Star, something of a history of the
same, which, perhaps you may have
obtained before this, that I shall speak
of some things which occured during
this mission which has not appeared in
my other communications.
Mr. John Benbow kindly entertain-
ed me for the night, during which time
I spent several hours in laying before
him an account of the origin, rise, and
progress of the Church of Jesus Christ,
of Latter Day Saints, and like good
old Cornelias the Spirit of God was up-
on him, and he received my testimony
with all his heart, and opened his doors
for preaching, and on the evening fol-
lowing, (the 5th of March,) for the
first time I preached the fulness of the
gospel to a small congregation in that
place, who manifested much interest
in what they heard, and desired to in-
quire further into these things; on the
evening following I met a still larger
number at Mr. Benbows and preached
unto them the first principles of the
gospel, viz: faith in Christ, repentance
and baptism for the remission of sins,
and the gift of the holy ghost by the
laying on of hands, after which I ad-
ministered the ordinance of baptism un-
to six persons including Mr. and Mrs.
Benbow, four of the six were preach-
ers of an order called the United Breth-
ren. On inquiry I found that the Uni-
ted Brethren were a people who had
forme[r]ly belonged to the body of the
Primitive Methodist, but had seperated
themselves from that body and chosen
the name of United Brethren, they had
from forty to fifty preachers, and about
the same number of established places
of preaching, including one or two
chappels licensed according to law.—
Mr. Thomas Kington was the super-
intendent of the Church of United
Brethren, whose members numbered
about 400 in all, divided into small
branches, and scattered over an extent
of country from 20 to 30 miles. This
people universally felt willing to hear
a matter before they condemned it,
they opened their doors for me to
