On Thursday we visited Preston where the first LDS missionaries came to Preston immediately upon arriving in England and as they arrived they found it was Election Day. One of the political mottos was “Truth will Prevail” which then became the motto of the First Mission and I think an appropriate motto for my own life.
There were several lessons I took away from the day and one of them was a personal anecdote shared by our tour guide Peter Fag. He told us that he had an opportunity to see Gordon B. Hinckley in the Market Square where not only did the early missionaries begin their preaching but Gordon B. Hinckley also “cut his teeth on public speaking”. Peter told us that Gordon B. Hinckley admitted to him that he was terrified of that initial speech.
There were several lessons I took away from the day and one of them was a personal anecdote shared by our tour guide Peter Fag. He told us that he had an opportunity to see Gordon B. Hinckley in the Market Square where not only did the early missionaries begin their preaching but Gordon B. Hinckley also “cut his teeth on public speaking”. Peter told us that Gordon B. Hinckley admitted to him that he was terrified of that initial speech.
Plaque in a Park Commemorating Latter-day Saints
We initiated the tour by going to a museum and learning about the history of Preston (a largely industrial city). “Britain’s bread hangs upon Lancaster’s thread”. I also found it fascinating that the city of Preston’s symbol is the lamb of God with the sword of truth and a banner. The “PP” on the city crest stands for the prince of peace. How fitting.
I loved learning about the saints of Preston and how there was a member (who later became Joseph Smith’s Hebrew tutor) who had a dream of a golden book and angel and was consequently converted when the missionaries came to preach. Strong parallels to Newel K. Whitney’s dream of Joseph Smith in Kirtland.
Preston Temple
Other notes that interested me was that Karl Marx predicted that Preston would be England’s St. Petersburg and would overthrow the English government and led the UK to communism. Also that Preston was the city that Dicken’s based “Hard Times” upon. We walked by Edith Rigby the suffragette’s house and learned a bit of her colorful history – right on!
This post is drawing on but some other interesting Preston thoughts: there were about 7-9,000 spectators to the first baptism and they nicknamed Mormons “the dippers” due to full immersion.
Site of the First Baptism
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