May 27, 2013

We had a full week, with a service project, visits,  Book of Mormon Class on Tuesday night,  Multizone conference in Chorley on Wednesday,  YSA in Liverpool on Thursday night, Institute Ball on Friday night, a funeral on Saturday and Institute graduation on Sunday night.  We were also sustained as Primary teachers for the Valiant class on Sunday.  When we attended the funeral on Saturday we wondered why the Bishop had invited us to come.  We had never met the man.  We sat by a member of the Stake presidency during the funeral.  He leaned over to point out a man sitting in a row ahead of us.  He told us this man had been a bishop and hadn't been to church in years.  The man would never tell him why he left the church.  Afterward we went to the man and introduced ourselves.  We talked with him for over an hour after the funeral.  He didn't seem to want to leave the building.  We are hoping to contact him again and encourage him to come back.  We understood why we came to the funeral after meeting this man.

Downham

We spent a nice day in Preston with the Meese's, a senior couple assigned to Preston.  They took us around and showed us the church history sights in Preston.  We saw the beautiful River Ribble where the first converts were baptized, the place where the first missionaries had preached and the flat where President Hinckley stayed as a young missionary. Preston is a lovely old town.  It has an insignia that can be seen in various places throughout the city.  It has a picture of a lamb with a cross behind it and two P's in front of it.  Preston means Prince of Peace.  What a fitting place it was for the Gospel of Jesus Christ to be preached.  Unfortunately, in recent years, the city has chosen to change the meaning of the P's to Preston Pride.  We visited the little village of Downham as well.  It is a village preserved inasmuch as possible the way it was in the 1800's by the owner of the town, Lord Clitheroe.  Downham was  place where Heber C. Kimball preached with great success and baptized many people there.

Inside the Chapel at Downham

Sister Meese and Us at the entrance to Avenham park

Brother Meese on the bridge overlooking the sight where the first baptisms in Great Britain were performed

Inside the chapel at Downham

Preston on the way to the River Ribble

Visiting Downham